2011’s films ranked

This ranking includes only new theatrical releases viewed for the awards year of 2011. Links go to my review. Numbers after each entry are Date First Viewed/NYC Release Date/London Release Date; year is 2011 unless otherwise noted.

worth paying multiplex prices for

The Artist (11.28/11.23/12.30)
The Descendants (10.20/11.18/01.27.12)
Midnight in Paris (09.03/05.20/10.07)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (10.17/12.09/10.21)
Rango (02.27/03.04/03.04)
Rubber (04.13/04.01/04.08)
Albert Nobbs (11.20/12.21/04.27.12)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (7.29/08.05/08.12)
Martha Marcy May Marlene (10.03/10.21/02.03.12)
Shame (10.14/12.02/01.13.12)
Coriolanus (10.27/Dec/01.20.12)
Snowtown (11.01/03.02.12/11.18)
Dreams of a Life (12.12/08.03.12/12.16)
The Ides of March (10.06/10.07/10.28)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (09.06/12.09/09.16)
Beginners (07.19/06.03/07.22)
Red State (10.01/03.05/09.30)
Captain America: The First Avenger (07.25/07.22/07.29)
X-Men: First Class (05.24/06.03/06.01)
War Horse (11.30/12.25/01.13.12)
Pariah (01.30.12/12.28/Uk release TBA)
The Adjustment Bureau (03.01/03.04/03.04)
Trollhunter (01.10/06.10/09.09)
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (12.16/12.16/12.26)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (12.15.10/04.29/03.25)
Four Days Inside Guantanamo (10.04/09.28/10.07)
Cedar Rapids (04.12/02.11/04.29)
Into the Abyss (10.22/11.11/03.30.12)
Rampart (01.12.12/11.23/02.10)
50/50 (10.14/09.30/11.25)
Take Shelter (10.26/09.30/11.25)
Puss in Boots (11.13/10.28/12.09)
The Muppets (12.22/11.23/02.10.12)
The Interrupters (12.30/07.29/08.12)
The Help (08.04/08.10/10.28)
Warrior (09.15/09.09/09.23)
A Separation (12.30/12.30/07.01)
Happy Feet Two (11.21/11.18/12.02)
In the Land of Blood and Honey (12.28/12.23/UK release TBA)
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12.11/12.16/12.16)
Jane Eyre (09.14/03.11/09.09)
A Lonely Place to Die (09.06/11.11/09.07)
Win Win (05.16/03.18/05.20)
Sarah’s Key (07.25/07.22/08.05)
The Way (05.09/10.07/05.13)
Paul (02.02/03.18/02.14)
Meek’s Cutoff (03.22/04.08/04.15)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (07.12/07.15/07.15)
We Have a Pope (11.03/04.06.12/12.02)
The Iron Lady (11.22/12.30/01.06.12)
Contagion (10.21/09.09/10.21)
Mademoiselle Chambon (09.16/05.28.10/09.23)
The Guard (07.21/07.29/08.19)
Drive (09.08/09.16/09.23)
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (09.16/09.30/09.23)
Young Adult (11.23/12.09/02.10.12)
The Debt (09.07/08.31/09.30)
Blooded (03.22/US release TBA/04.01)
Life in a Day (06.06/07.24/06.17)
Oranges and Sunshine (03.28/10.21/04.01)
Third Star (05.17/US release TBA/05.20)
Tower Heist (10.12/11.04/11.02)
Page One: Inside A Year Inside The New York Times (09.16/06.17/09.23)
Bobby Fischer Against the World (07.11/06.06/07.15)
Life, Above All (03.23/07.15/05.27)
Project Nim (08.04/07.08/08.12)
A Better Life (02.21.12/06.24/07.29)
The First Grader (05.31/05.13/06.24)
Brighton Rock (01.31/08.26/02.04)
Ironclad (02.07/07.08/03.04)
Fright Night (07.06/08.19/09.02)
Forget Me Not (04.27/US release TBA/05.06)
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (03.02/direct to DVD/04.22)
Killing Bono (03.28/11.04/04.01)
Stake Land (06.01/04.22/06.17)
Moneyball (11.22/09.23/11.25)
Arthur Christmas (10.09/11.23/11.11)
Friends with Benefits (08.02/07.22/09.09)
The Eagle (03.21/02.11/03.23)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (12.19/12.25/02.17.12)
Trust (07.01/04.01/07.08)
Attack the Block (04.26/07.29/5.13)
Everything Must Go (10.06/05.13/10.14)
My Week with Marilyn (11.22/11.23/11.25)
Insidious (04.07/04.01/04.29)
A Screaming Man (04.27/04.13/05.13)
Priest (05.06/05.13/05.06)
The Lady (12.19/12.12/12.30)
Just Do It (07.11/US release TBA/07.15)
Super 8 (06.14/06.10/08.19)
Justice (11.18/03.16.12/11.18)
Thor (04.19/05.06/04.27)
Hobo with a Shotgun (05.07/05.06/07.15)
The Light Thief (07.26/US release TBA/07.29)
Bad Teacher (06.02/06.24/06.17)
R: Hit First, Hit Hardest (08.23/US release TBA/08.26)
Tomorrow, When the War Began (03.08/02.24.12/04.08)
The Lincoln Lawyer (03.18/03.18/03.18)
Like Crazy (10.27/10.28/02.03.12)
Chalet Girl (03.14/10.14/03.16)
Point Blank (06.06/07.29/06.10)
Battle: Los Angeles (03.11/03.11/03.11)
The Green Hornet (01.07/01.14/01.14)
Water for Elephants (05.03/04.22/05.04)
Machine Gun Preacher (11.03/09.23/11.02)
Orgasm Inc. (02.09/02.11/UK release TBA)
His & Hers (03.04/10.14/03.11)
Donor Unknown (06.09/US release TBA/06.03)
The Woman (09.14/10.14/09.30)
Immortals (10.25/11.11/11.11)
The Awakening (10.03/08.10.12/11.11)
Everywhere and Nowhere (04.11/US release TBA/05.06)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (11.01/07.15/11.04)
Flying Monsters (04.20/10.07/05.06)
After the Apocalypse (05.06/US release TBA/05.13)
Johnny English Reborn (09.18/10.28/10.07)
Real Steel (10.07/10.07/10.14)
The Big Year (11.28/10.14/12.02)
Sanctum 3D (01.27/02.04/02.04)
The Lion King in 3D (10.04/09.16/10.07)

worth seeing, but wait for DVD, unless your favorite actor is in it

Carnage (12.16/12.16/02.03.12)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (12.13/12.20/12.26)
Margin Call (02.21.12/10.21/01.13.12)
Weekend (10.15/09.23/11.04)
Another Earth (11.15/07.22/12.09)
Tyrannosaur (08.08/11.18/10.07)
Carancho (01.16.12/02.11/03.02.12)
Kill List (08.30/02.03.12/09.02)
A Dangerous Method (10.24/11.23/02.10.12)
Margaret (12.05/09.30/12.02)
In Time (10.28/10.28/11.01)
Hugo (11.28/11.23/12.02)
We Bought a Zoo (12.27/12.23/03.16.12)
Fireflies in the Garden (10.12/10.14/05.29.2009)
Cowboys & Aliens (08.10/07.29/08.17)
Horrible Bosses (07.14/07.08/07.22)
Treacle Jr. (07.11/US release TBA/07.15)
Kung Fu Panda 2 (06.01/05.26/06.10)
Super (05.02/04.01/07.08)
Submarine (03.10/06.03/03.18)
The Rum Diary (11.15/10.28/11.11)
J. Edgar (11.09/11.09/01.20.12)
Larry Crowne (06.27/07.01/07.01)
Arrietty (aka The Secret World of Arrietty) (07.26/02.17.12/07.29)
Rio (03.27/04.15/04.08)
Winnie the Pooh (03.06/07.15/04.15)
Vanishing on 7th Street (02.17/02.18/UK release TBA)
Limitless (03.10/03.18/03.23)
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (10.16/12.21/10.26)
Miss Bala (10.28/01.20.12/10.28)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (05.09/05.18/05.18)
The Conspirator (06.28/04.15/07.01)
Resistance (11.03/US release TBA/11.25)
No Strings Attached (02.14/01.21/02.25)
Hanna (04.05/04.08/05.06)
Prom (05.08/04.29/06.03)
Wuthering Heights (11.07/10.05.12/11.11)
The Deep Blue Sea (11.14/03.23.12/11.25)
Mars Needs Moms (03.13/03.11/04.08)
The Devil’s Double (07.26/07.29/08.12)
A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures (03.07/US release TBA/03.25)
Lord of the Dance 3D (03.03/03.17/03.13)
Honey 2 (06.06/August/06.10)

give it a miss

One Day (08.22/08.19/08.24)
Bridesmaids (05.10/05.13/06.24)
Miral (04.24/03.25/12.03.10)
Certified Copy (12.30/03.11/09.03)
I Don’t Know How She Does It (09.14/09.16/09.14)
The Art of Getting By (08.30/06.17/09.02)
Arthur (04.14/04.08/04.22)
Age of the Dragons (02.24/US release TBA/03.04)
Restless (10.17/09.16/10.21)
Source Code (03.15/04.01/04.01)
You Instead (08.31/US release TBA/09.16)
Conan the Barbarian (08.22/08.19/08.24)
Mr. Popper’s Penguins (07.27/06.17/08.05)
The Beaver (06.13/05.06/06.17)
Red Riding Hood (04.20/03.11/04.15)
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (10.04/08.26/10.07)
Shark Night 3D (10.01/09.02/09.30)
Scream 4 (04.17/04.15/04.15)
Footloose (10.11/10.14/10.14)
Colombiana (09.05/08.26/09.09)
Killer Elite (09.20/09.23/09.23)
The Resident (03.07/direct to DVD in the US/03.11)
The Rite (02.17/01.28/02.25)
Julia’s Eyes (05.16/US release TBA/05.20)
I Am Number Four (02.10/02.18/02.23)
Apollo 18 (09.02/09.02/9.02)
30 Minutes or Less (08.13/08.12/10.16)
Fast Five (04.18/04.29/04.21)
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (12.03/12.16/12.16)
The Thing (11.28/10.14/12.02)
Final Destination 5 (08.23/08.12/08.26)
Straw Dogs (11.01/09.16/11.04)
Blitz (05.17/direct to DVD in the US/05.20)
A Little Bit of Heaven (02.04/05.04.12/02.04)
Gnomeo & Juliet (02.08/02.11/02.11)
Unknown (02.23/02.18/03.04)
Season of the Witch (01.05/01.07/01.07)
The Dilemma (01.11/01.14/01.21)
Hall Pass (03.03/02.25/03.11)
John Carpenter’s The Ward (01.21/07.08/01.21)
The Hangover Part II (05.31/05.26/05.26)
Just Go with It (02.11/02.11/02.11)
Take Me Home Tonight (05.09/03.04/05.13)
Abduction (09.20/09.23/09.28)
Green Lantern (06.15/06.17/06.17)
The Change-Up (08.15/08.05/09.16)
Zookeeper (07.12/07.08/07.29)
The Sitter (01.16.12/12.09/01.20.12)
Swinging with the Finkels (06.10/08.26/06.17)
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (02.15/02.18/02.16)
Island (03.14/US release TBA/04.22)
Powder (08.22/US release TBA/08.26)
Beastly (04.20/3.04/04.18)
The Mechanic (01.25/01.28/01.28)
The Smurfs (07.17/07.29/08.10)
Hop (03.20/04.01/04.01)
Cars 2 (06.26/06.24/07.22)
Something Borrowed (05.07/05.06/05.06)
What’s Your Number? (09.30/09.30/09.30)
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (11.18/11.18/11.18)
The Darkest Hour (01.09.12/12.25/01.13.12)
Jack and Jill (02.09.12/11.11/02.03.12)
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (06.27/06.29/06.29)
A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas (12.06/11.04/12.09)
The Tree of Life (07.04/05.27/07.08)
Anonymous (10.21/10.28/10.28)
W.E. (01.10.12/12.09/01.20.12)
Your Highness (03.29/04.08/04.13)
Drive Angry 3D (02.11/02.25/02.25)
The Three Musketeers (10.11/10.21/10.12)
Paranormal Activity 3 (10.20/10.21/10.19)
New Year’s Eve (12.05/12.09/12.08)
Sleeping Beauty (10.11/12.02/10.14)
Sucker Punch (03.25/03.25/04.01)
Melancholia (10.03/11.11/09.30)
The Skin I Live In (08.23/10.14/08.26)
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D (08.16/08.19/08.19)
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) (10.28/10.07/11.04)
3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy (08.17/08.12/09.02)