365 Movies in 2025 Top Films: 10-6

10. River's Edge (1986)

Few coming-of-age films are as tragic or engaging as Tim Hunter's River's Edge, which steadily raises the stakes for its characters throughout its 100-minute running time, illustrating how trauma and peer pressure can be as horrific as any movie monster. Fine performances from Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, and Crispin Glover temper Neil Jiminez's dark script with humanity and realism. Reeves, in particular, stands out as a compassionate teen caught between protecting his friends and doing what is right. He shows depth that does not surface as often in his later films, allowing him a range that many critics ignore. If you like Kids (1995) or other transgressive teen dramas, you should watch this one as soon as possible. 

9. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

Martin Scorsese's comedic drama is possibly my favorite of all his films because it presents realistic human relationships through understated performances. Straying from the crime themes of Boxcar Bertha (1972) and Mean Streets (1973), themes for which he would become best known, Alice tells the story of a woman in transition. Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn) attempts to move back to her California hometown after her husband's death with her precocious son in tow. She finds herself working at a diner in Tucson, Arizona and figuring out her life with the help of her coworkers. These foibles and relationships served as a basis for a later sitcom with a much different tone. In the film, Alice's relationship with her son, Tommy (Alfred Lutter), is one of the best in cinema history, accentuating their bond and providing the catalyst for her self-understanding and growth as both a woman and mother. Kris Kristofferson's workmanlike performance as David adds yet another layer of complexity in her quest for self-discovery.    

8. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)

Possibly John Cassavetes' most difficult masterpiece, Gena Rowland's and Peter Falk's unique  performances make this one a necessary watch for any serious film buff or adventurous newbie. Somewhere between a stage play and art cinema, its masterful interplay between Rowlands' turn as a suicidal housewife and Falk as her often unresponsive husband takes the basic template of the woman's film (domesticity, family, motherhood) and shows how difficult it is to maintain these rote roles without necessary support. Like Ellen Burstyn's performance in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Rowlands' nuanced performance exemplifies the difficulties that women faced in the 1970s, exposing the weakness of society and familial structures. Rowlands' Mabel Longhetti often goes it alone because her husband and family refuse to understand her needs. The film remains tragic yet necessary because it exposes problems that are still with us today, and the performances still shine. 

7. Man Bites Dog (1992)

This Belgian crime mockumentary bites hard. Pardon the pun. Not only did it pave the way for various similar films (2006's Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon) being among the best), Benoit Poelvoorde's acting and direction instill both humor and horror that work better than most. The film never feels as disjointed as its characters, maintaining a darkly comic edge, despite the horrific acts its serial killer protagonist commits. Shot on 16mm film with a near microbudget of $33,000 dollars, the film's world is both convincing and satirical. If you are a horror fan, I highly recommend going on this journey with Ben and the film crew as they find new ways of dispatching their victims; however, the film's ultraviolence will be too much for many viewers. Man Bites Dog approximates The Blair Witch Project (1999) meets the roughest splatterpunk with additional social commentary.

6. Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979)

Joan Micklin Silver's "romantic comedy" continually surprises if the viewer goes in expecting the subgenre's typical clichés. Charles Richardson's (John Heard) obsessions with his ex-lover Laura (Mary Beth Hurt) center the film, but his new relationship with Betty (Nora Heflin) help him regain some autonomy. Heard and Hurt's finely tuned performances ground this cult classic in real world preoccupations, and Charles never truly becomes a sympathetic character. The film's humor does not alleviate its realistic depiction of mental illness and compulsion. That said, the film's status as a cult favorite is certainly due to its compelling acting and editing. The film's nonlinear flashbacks, and the way it ends with transitions to spring recalls Yasujiro Ozu without expected resolutions. Life just goes on.