Unexplained List: Que Sera Sera

26) Under Capricorn  25) Suspicion 24) Marnie 23) The Wrong Man 22) Foreign Correspondent 21) Rope 20) Rebecca 19) Torn Curtain 18) I Confess 17) To Catch a Thief 16) Dial M for Murder 15) The Man Who Knew Too Much 14) Spellbound

13) Frenzy 12) The Birds 11) The Lady Vanishes 10) Saboteur 9) The 39 Steps 8) Vertigo 7) The Trouble with Harry 6) Psycho 5) Rear Window 4) Strangers on a Train 3) Notorious 2) North by Northwest 1) Shadow of a Doubt

Unexplained List: I-I-I Don’t Like Hawthorne

31) Whit 30) Stone 29) Harlan 28) Bill/Brady 27) Nelson 26) Ray 25) Eric 24) Peter  23) Chauffeur 22) Monty 21) Holden 20) Alan 19) Father Brian 18) Walter 17) Steve 16) Conrad

15) Scout Master Randy 14) Bruce 13) Worm 12) Jack 11) Mike 10) Will 9) Miles 8) Lionel 7) Eisenheim 6) Hawk 5) Henckels 4) Sheldon 3) Jack 2) Aaron 1) Derek

Explained List: Murph!

#13 - Following

It’s just not fair to judge this feature against his others. It’s a marvel a small movie like this got made at all, and I’m thrilled it got noticed and we have the other movies on this list to enjoy. You can see Nolan’s fascinations here right from the start. It’s non-linear. It’s about two men in suits, and the woman is just kind of window dressing. There’s a guy named Cobb. The only thing I remember, though, is being bored to tears.

#12 - The Dark Knight Rises

A bad Nolan movie is still leaps and bounds better than most. It’s just hard to watch this movie without judging it against the films that came before. Nolan was going to make a bunch of great movies, and if this is what he had to do to get carte-blanche, power to him. If you’re gonna sell your soul, at least do it for a good reason. This movie, though, is just so bad. Top to bottom, so bad. From Bane’s ridiculous voice to that flaming bat on the bridge he had time to make despite a literal ticking clock to Blake’s birth name being… sigh… Robin, this film was clearly a project to just get done and move on. At least he tried to say something about class warfare, but ultimately, it was a completely empty piece of fluff. And for real, how the hell did his back get fixed? And he got to Gotham from the Middle East with no money? Okay, I’ll stop.

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Unexplained List: Bestest Bests

BEST OF THE BEST
The Godfather Part II ('74) Lawrence of Arabia ('62) The Godfather ('72) 12 Years a Slave ('13) The Bridge on the River Kwai ('57) On The Waterfront ('54) Casablanca ('43) The Apartment ('60) Schindler’s List ('93) Moonlight ('16)			LOTR: Return of the King ('03) The Sound of Music ('65) The Silence of the Lambs ('91) The Sting ('73) The Departed ('06) Parasite ('19) It Happened One Night ('34) One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ('75) Everything, Everywhere, All At Once ('22) Terms of Endearment ('83)

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Unexplained List: Best Picture? Really?

Year	Best Picture	Better Picture
2026	One Battle After Another	Sinners
2025	Anora
2024	Oppenheimer	Poor Things
2023	Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
2022	CODA
2021	Nomadland	Judas and the Black Messiah
2020	Parasite

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Unexplained List: I Did It My Day

44) Patch Adams 43) Marley & Me 42) Wonder Woman 1984 41) Wonka 40) Mufasa 39) Michael 38) The Rise of Skywalker 37) Little Fockers 36) Avatar: Fire and Ash 35) Avatar: The Way of Water 34) The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies 33) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 32) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 31) Stuart Little 30) Sudden Impact 29) The Golden Child 28) Meet the Fockers 27) Avatar 26) Three Men and a Baby 25) National Treasure: The Book of ___ Secrets 24) Night at the Museum 23) Aquaman

22) Cast Away 21) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe 20) Twins 19) The Last Jedi 18) Hook 17) Toy Story 16) Dumb and Dumber 15) Rogue One 14) Titanic 13) E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial 12) Ghostbusters 11) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm 10) The Force Awakens 9) Spider-Man: No Way Home 8) LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring 7) LOTR: Return of the King 6) Home Alone 5) Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol 4) Back to the Future II 3) LOTR: The Two Towers 2) A Few Good Men 1) Back to the Future

Unexplained List: Raspberries

BAD 37) Babygirl 36) Mountainhead 35) Old Guard 2 34) Freakier Friday 33) Captain America: Brave New World 32) The Amateur UNREMARKABLE 31) Love Hurts 30) Thursday Murder Club 29) 28 Years Later 28) Mickey 17 27) Superman 26) Jurassic World: Rebirth 25) The Phoenician Scheme 24) Materialists 23) Happy Gilmore 2 22) The Woman in Cabin 10 LIKED 21) Black Bag 20) Friendship

19) Companion 18) Drop 17) Summer of 69 16) The Shrouds 15) The Naked Gun 14) Novocaine RECOMMEND 13) Spinal Tap II: The End Continues 12) Brick 11) One Battle After Another 10) Bugonia 9) Paddington in Peru 8) House of Dynamite 7) Thunderbolts 6) The Roses 5) The Fantastic Four: First Steps LOVE 4) Fackham Hall 3) Weapons 2) Wake Up Dead Man 1) Sinners

Unexplained List: We’re #2!

43) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 42) Lilo & Stitch (‘25) 41) Alice in Wonderland 40) Shrek the Third 39) A Night at the Museum 38) The Dark Knight Rises 37) Crocodile Dundee 36) The Lion King ('19) 35) Beauty and the Beast 34) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe 33) Finding Dory 32) Transformers: Dark of the Moon 31) The Super Mario Bros. Movie 30) Jurassic World 29) Fatal Attraction 28) Rambo: First Blood, Part II 27) Mockingjay, Part 1 26) Cast Away 25) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 24) Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings  23) Armageddon 22) Ghost

21) Batman Forever 20) Sixth Sense 19) Home Alone 2 18) Deadpool & Wolverine 17) Avengers: Infinity War 16) Iron Man 15) Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 14) Terms of Endearment 13) Men in Black 12) Ghostbusters 11) Iron Man 3 10) 1917 9) LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring 8) Twister 7) Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 6) Mrs. Doubtfire 5) LOTR: The Two Towers 4) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 3) Spider-Man 2 2) The Lion King ('94) 1) Finding Nemo

Unexplained List: We’re #1!!!

43) American Sniper 42) A Minecraft Movie 41) Pirates: Dead Man’s Chest 40) Spider-Man 3 39) The Phantom Menace 38) Three Men and a Baby 37) Avatar 36) How the Grinch Stole Christmas 35) Bad Boys For Life 34) Rain Man 33) Saving Private Ryan 32) Titanic 31) Rogue One 30) Beverly Hills Cop 29) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 28) Revenge of the Sith 27) Shrek 2 26) Toy Story 25) Inside Out 2 24) Home Alone 23) Forrest Gump 22) The Last Jedi

21) The Avengers 20) Catching Fire 19) Top Gun: Maverick 18) Barbie 17) Spider-Man 16) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 15) Avengers: Endgame 14) Top Gun 13) Spider-Man: No Way Home 12) Return of the Jedi 11) Toy Story 3 10) The Force Awakens 9) Black Panther 8) LOTR: Return of the King 7) Aladdin 6) Batman 5) Jurassic Park 4) Independence Day 3) The Dark Knight 2) Terminator 2 1) Back to the Future

Unexplained List: For the Love of Terriers

MOVIES50) Reign of Fire 49) Zoolander 48) The Bourne Identity 47) Borat 46) Ocean’s Eleven 45) Death to Smoochy 44) Guardians of the Galaxy 43) Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse 42) Knives Out 41) Wall-E

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FILMS50) Whiplash 49) Sorry to Bother You 48) Exit Through the Gift Shop 47) Lars and the Real Girl 46) 21 Grams 45) Challengers 44) The Prestige 43) Cecil B. Demented 42) Big Fish 41) Saltburn

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Unexplained List: For All Seasons

2025 - Sinners 2024 - Challengers 2023 - Poor Things 2022 - Everything Everywhere All At Once 2021 - Cruella 2020 - Promising Young Woman

2019 - Parasite 2018 - Black Panther 2017 - Get Out 2016 - Moonlight 2015 - Room 2014 - Predestination 2013 - Gravity 2012 - Queen of Versailles 2011 - The Descendants 2010 - Inception	2009 - Inglourious Basterds 2008 - The Dark Knight 2007 - Juno 2006 - Children of Men 2005 - The Transporter 2 2004 - The Incredibles 2003 - Finding Nemo 2002 - Adaptation. 2001 - Amelie 2000 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
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Explained List: My AFI Top 100

In May 2018, the podcast “Unspooled” suggested taking the AFI Top 100 and making your own list. I can’t resist making a list, so I started with the ones I had seen at the time. The original AFI list came out in 1997, and I made it the center of my film education. In 2007, the AFI updated the list, removing and replacing 23 films in the process. 

On October 3, 2024, six years after I originally posted this list, I finally watched all 100 of the 2007 list.

On August 27, 2025, roughly 28 years after the list came out, I watched the last of the films removed from the original 1997 list.

So here it is, my personal ranking of all 123 movies that have ever been included in the AFI Top 100. The ones left off the 2007 list are asterisked. I’m sure I’ll continue adjusting this list the more I think about it, but here it is.

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Unexplained List: Orchid Explosion by Fournier

BAD 43) The Last Duel 42) House of Gucci 41) King Richard 40) Venom: Let There Be Carnage 39) Spiral 38) Wonder Woman 1984 UNMEMORABLE 37) The New Mutants 36) The Matrix Resurrections 35) The King’s Man 34) Eternals 33) The Green Knight 32) Minari 31) Black Widow 30) Bad Education 29) Old 28) West Side Story 27) I Care a Lot 26) Army of the Dead 25) Luca 24) Onward 23) Sonic the Hedgehog 22) The French Dispatch

LIKED 21) Jungle Cruise 20) Trial of the Chicago 7 19) Mortal Kombat 18) In the Heights 17) Shang-Chi 16) The Gentlemen 15) Emma. 14) Dune: Part One 13) The Suicide Squad 12) Pig 11) Bill & Ted Face the Music 10) Free Guy 9) Nobody RECOMMEND 8) Spider-Man: No Way Home 7) Tenet 6) Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 5) Promising Young Woman 4) Palm Springs 3) Birds of Prey LOVED 2) Judas and the Black Messiah 1) Cruella

Explained List: The... Ugh... Aughts

In all this time, we really haven't figured out a better term for the first decade of the 21st Century? But I digress. The New York Times list of the best movies of this century's Q1 got me thinking about making my own list. Step 1 is breaking it down by decade like I did for the 2010s. I know this century didn't begin until 2001, but I did the other decade 2010-2019, so this time it will be 2000-2009. Whatever. It's my list, I'll do what I want. Just like before, we're splitting this list into movies and films. (NOTE:  Thirteen Days is #13 and 21 Grams is #21 by sheer coincidence, not planned)

MOVIES25) Reign of Fire 24) Zoolander 23) The Bourne Identity 22) Borat 21) Ocean’s Eleven 20) Death to Smoochy 19) Wall-E 18) Kill Bill, Vol. 1 17) Big Trouble 16) Anchorman 15) X2: X-Men United 14) Hot Fuzz 13) Thirteen Days 12) The Incredibles 11) The Transporter 2 10) Zombieland 9) Mean Girls 8) Spider-Man 2 7) A Knight’s Tale 6) Catch Me if You Can

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FILMS25) Stranger Than Fiction 24) About Schmidt 23) An Inconvenient Truth 22) Lars and the Real Girl 21) 21 Grams 20) Best in Show 19) The Prestige 18) Cecil B. Demented 17) Big Fish 16) Secretary 15) Little Miss Sunshine 14) Bowling for Columbine 13) The Invention of Lying 12) Moon 11) The Departed 10) Juno 9) Inglourious Basterds 8) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 7) City of God 6) Adaptation.

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Unexplained List: Missions: Impossible

8) II

7) VIII
6) VII
5) III

4) V
3) VI
2) I
1) IV

Unexplained List: MCV

10) Gorr

9) Dar-Benn 
8) Zemo
7) Namor
6) Sentry
5) Vulture
4) Scarlet Witch
3) Loki
2) Thanos
1) Killmonger

Unexplained List: I Told Ya

BAD 25) Madame Web 24) Uglies 23) Joker: Folie a Deux 22) Mean Girls UNMEMORABLE 21) IF 20) Moana 2 19) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 18) Carry-On 17) We Live in Time 16) The Fall Guy LIKED 15) Detained 14) Trap

13) Dune 2 12) Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 11) Nosferatu 10) A Real Pain RECOMMEND 9) Hundreds of Beavers 8) Jackpot! 7) The Beekeeper 6) Wicked 5) Alien: Romulus 4) Inside Out 2 3) Deadpool & Wolverine 2) Anora 1) Challengers

Still Might See:
My Old Ass
Megalopolis
Saturday Night
Gladiator II
Kraven the Hunter

Unexplained List: Wolverine

11) X-Men Origins: Wolverine
10) Apocalypse
9) X3: The Last Stand
8) Dark Phoenix
7) X-Men
6) The Wolverine
5) First Class
4) Deadpool & Wolverine
3) X2
2) Logan
1) Days of Future Past

Unexplained List: Super Hero Movies

15) Deadpool
14) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
13) Superman 2
12) Guardians of the Galaxy
11) Ant-Man
10) Birds of Prey
9) X2: X-Men United
8) Wonder Woman
7) Black Panther
6) Thor: Ragnarok
5) Batman (1989)
4) Spider-Man 2
3) Logan
2) X-Men: Days of Future Past
1) The Dark Knight

Unexplained List: Frontiers

11) TAS
10) PIC
9) ENT
8) VOY
7) STP
6) DIS
5) SNW
4) TOS
3) LD
2) TNG
1) DS9