Best Movies of 2007
The year 2007 stands as a watershed moment in cinema history, delivering an extraordinary collection of films that showcased the medium's artistic potential and cultural impact. From Paul Thomas Anderson's ambitious period drama to the Coen Brothers' haunting thriller, this vintage year produced multiple Best Picture contenders and launched countless conversations about what makes great filmmaking. Our selection of the 21 best movies of 2007 spans diverse genres and styles, featuring Oscar-winning performances, groundbreaking animated features, powerful international dramas, and unforgettable independent gems that proved cinema's vitality in the modern era. Whether you're seeking critically acclaimed masterpieces, innovative storytelling techniques, or performances that defined a generation of actors, these films represent the pinnacle of what 2007 had to offer movie lovers. Discover the award-winning directors, breakthrough performances, and cinematic achievements that made this year essential viewing for anyone passionate about film history and storytelling excellence.
Daniel Day-Lewis embodies Daniel Plainview, a ruthless oil prospector whose ambition and misanthropy fuel both his empire and his eventual destruction in Paul Thomas Anderson's towering achievement. Set during the California oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Anderson's film is an epic examination of American capitalism, greed, and the corrupting nature of power. Day-Lewis delivers one of the greatest performances in cinema history, creating a fully realized monster whose charisma makes him simultaneously fascinating and terrifying to watch. Paul Dano holds his own as the young preacher Eli Sunday, whose own ambitions put him on a collision course with Plainview. Jonny Greenwood's unsettling score and Robert Elswit's stunning cinematography capture the stark beauty of the landscape and the ugliness of human nature. This is a masterpiece of American cinema—a film that demands and rewards your complete attention while building to an unforgettable conclusion.
This Pixar masterpiece proves that animation can achieve true sophistication without sacrificing heart or humor. Director Brad Bird tells the story of Remy, a rat with refined culinary aspirations who forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, a hapless garbage boy at a prestigious Parisian restaurant. The premise could easily be silly, but Bird and his team treat it with such sincerity and intelligence that you're completely swept up in Remy's journey. The animation is absolutely gorgeous—the food looks delicious enough to taste, and Paris is rendered with romantic authenticity. Patton Oswalt voices Remy with earnest passion, while Peter O'Toole brings gravitas to the fearsome food critic Anton Ego. Michael Giacchino's score perfectly captures the French setting. The film celebrates creativity, perseverance, and the idea that greatness can come from unexpected places. That final scene with Ego's review is genuinely moving, elevating this beyond typical family fare into something profound. It's Pixar at the absolute height of its powers.
Set in the dusty, unforgiving landscape of 1980s West Texas, No Country for Old Men presents a cat-and-mouse thriller that doubles as a meditation on fate and morality. The Coen Brothers adapt Cormac McCarthy's novel with exceptional precision, following Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) after he stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and makes the fateful decision to take a suitcase full of cash. Pursuing him is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem in an absolutely chilling performance), a hitman who determines his victims' fates with the flip of a coin. Tommy Lee Jones grounds the film as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, a weary lawman trying to make sense of escalating violence he no longer understands. Roger Deakins' cinematography captures the stark beauty and menace of the desert landscape, while the Coens' decision to forgo a traditional score heightens the tension unbearably.
When a Romanian college student attempts to help her roommate obtain an illegal abortion in 1980s Communist Romania, she confronts a nightmare of bureaucracy, exploitation, and moral compromise that tests the limits of friendship and personal courage. Cristian Mungiu's shattering masterpiece follows Otilia (Anamaria Marinca in an extraordinary performance) through a single harrowing day as she navigates the dangerous underground economy surrounding the banned procedure. Shot with long, unblinking takes and minimal score, the film creates unbearable tension through its commitment to realism and its refusal to look away from difficult moments. Mungiu captures the paranoid atmosphere of Ceaușescu's Romania with chilling authenticity, showing how totalitarian control of women's bodies creates cascading human tragedies. This won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and stands as one of the most powerful films ever made about reproductive rights and authoritarianism. It's devastating, essential cinema that trusts audiences to handle complex moral territory without easy judgments.
Extraordinary in both its visual artistry and emotional depth, this animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoir chronicles her coming-of-age in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. Satrapi co-directs with Vincent Paronnaud, maintaining the book's distinctive black-and-white illustration style while adding cinematic movement and scale that enhances rather than overwhelms the intimate story. The film follows young Marji as she navigates childhood under increasingly oppressive conditions, teenage years studying in Europe, and young adulthood caught between two worlds. Chiara Mastroianni voices the adult Marjane (Catherine Deneuve voices her grandmother) with a perfect blend of humor, defiance, and vulnerability. The animation style shifts subtly to reflect different periods and emotional states, demonstrating how the medium can tell stories with sophistication equal to any live-action drama. This is autobiography as art, political commentary as poetry—a film that captures both personal and historical trauma with grace, wit, and unflinching honesty.
Mathieu Amalric delivers an extraordinary performance as Jean-Dominique Bauby, the Elle magazine editor who suffered a massive stroke that left him with locked-in syndrome, able to communicate only by blinking his left eye. Director Julian Schnabel makes the audacious choice to place viewers inside Bauby's paralyzed perspective for much of the film, experiencing his immobile imprisonment before gradually expanding to show his memories and imagination. The visual approach transforms what could have been maudlin inspiration into a genuine meditation on consciousness, memory, and the resilience of the human spirit. Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, and Anne Consigny provide essential support as the women helping Bauby adapt to his new reality and eventually dictate his memoir. Janusz Kamiński's cinematography is both claustrophobic and dreamlike, while Schnabel's artist's eye creates beauty even in profound limitation. It's a deeply moving achievement that honors both Bauby's specific experience and the universal struggle to maintain identity when the body betrays us.
The catastrophic planning and execution failures that led to the Iraq War's chaotic aftermath become devastatingly clear in this essential documentary. Director Charles Ferguson methodically dismantles the Bush administration's post-invasion strategy—or rather, exposes the absence of one—through interviews with soldiers, diplomats, journalists, and Iraqi citizens who witnessed the unfolding disaster firsthand. What makes this documentary so powerful is its clarity and restraint; Ferguson doesn't rely on heavy-handed editorializing when the facts speak so damningly for themselves. The film traces how critical decisions about troop levels, de-Baathification, and disbanding the Iraqi army created a power vacuum that ignited sectarian violence and insurgency. Even viewers who followed the news closely will find revelations here, presented with prosecutorial precision. It's essential viewing for understanding one of America's greatest foreign policy failures.
A nameless street musician and a Czech immigrant flower-seller meet in Dublin and discover a musical connection that might lead to something more—if they can overcome their circumstances and fears. Director John Carney's luminous film is the rare musical that feels utterly authentic, built around real performances by stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, who wrote and perform the songs themselves. What could have been a simple romance becomes something more textured and bittersweet as these two people navigate their complicated feelings while creating music that captures everything they struggle to say. The handheld camera and natural Dublin locations give the film an intimate, almost documentary feel that makes the musical numbers feel organic rather than theatrical. "Falling Slowly" alone is worth the price of admission, but the entire soundtrack pulses with genuine emotion. Carney demonstrates that you don't need big budgets or elaborate production numbers to create a deeply moving musical—just honesty, talent, and heart. This is a small film that feels enormous.
A false accusation made by a young girl tears apart lives and love on the eve of World War II, setting in motion consequences that reverberate across decades. Joe Wright's adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel is absolutely magnificent, a sweeping romance anchored by career-best performances from James McAvoy and Keira Knightley as Robbie and Cecilia, lovers separated by class, pride, and a devastating lie. Young Saoirse Ronan is remarkable as Briony, whose childish mistake haunts everyone involved. Wright's direction is both intimate and epic, featuring the justly celebrated Dunkirk tracking shot that stands as one of cinema's great technical achievements. Dario Marianelli's Oscar-winning score, built around a typewriter motif, perfectly underscores the themes of storytelling and guilt. The film is ravishing to look at, emotionally devastating, and completely absorbing from start to finish.
In this riveting documentary, director Seth Gordon captures an unexpected battle for arcade gaming supremacy that reveals fascinating truths about competition, obsession, and American masculinity. The film follows Steve Wiebe, a laid-off engineer and dedicated family man, as he attempts to break Billy Mitchell's long-standing Donkey Kong world record—only to encounter a surprisingly contentious and possibly corrupt gaming establishment. What could have been a niche curiosity becomes genuinely gripping drama as Gordon structures the story like a classic underdog sports film, complete with heroes, villains, and unexpected reversals. Mitchell emerges as one of documentary cinema's most memorable characters—charismatic, calculating, and seemingly aware he's playing to the camera. The film works both as entertainment and as a window into subcultures where status and achievement take forms the mainstream world doesn't recognize. It's funny, tense, and oddly moving.
In the sleepy English village of Sandford, everything changes when London's top police officer Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) gets transferred and partnered with the well-meaning but incompetent Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). Directors Edgar Wright and writer-stars Pegg and Frost brilliantly deconstruct and celebrate action movies simultaneously, as Angel's by-the-book approach clashes with the village's aggressively calm surface. What begins as a fish-out-of-water comedy gradually reveals something far more sinister beneath Sandford's perfect façade. The film is packed with Wright's signature visual wit, rapid-fire editing, and meticulous callbacks that reward repeat viewing. Timothy Dalton leads a stellar British supporting cast who embrace the film's escalating absurdity with perfect commitment. The explosive finale delivers genuine action thrills while maintaining the sharp comedy throughout. It's a hilarious, impeccably crafted gem that works both as parody and as a legitimately great action film.
A young widow relocates to her late husband's small hometown seeking a fresh start, only to have her fragile stability shattered by unimaginable tragedy that tests the limits of faith and human endurance. Director Lee Chang-dong crafts a devastating character study anchored by Jeon Do-yeon's astonishing performance, which rightfully earned her the Cannes Best Actress award. The film refuses easy consolations, following her character's journey through grief, religious fervor, and ultimately toward something more ambiguous than simple redemption. Lee's direction is patient and observant, allowing scenes to breathe while building cumulative emotional weight. The title's irony becomes increasingly apparent as darkness intrudes on this seemingly peaceful community. This is challenging, rewarding cinema that engages honestly with questions of suffering, belief, and the possibility of moving forward after devastating loss.
In this film, German-Turkish director Fatih Akin weaves an intricate tapestry of grief, coincidence, and human connection that spans from Hamburg to Istanbul and back again. The narrative follows multiple characters whose lives intersect in unexpected ways following a devastating death—a Turkish immigrant's journey home, a German woman searching for her daughter, and a Turkish political activist in hiding. Akin demonstrates masterful control over his interlocking storylines, allowing seemingly minor characters from one thread to become central to another, creating a novelistic richness rare in contemporary cinema. The performances across the ensemble cast bring authenticity and emotional depth to each cultural collision and tentative connection. What could have been a schematic exercise in narrative structure instead becomes a profoundly moving meditation on how we're all connected across borders, languages, and ideologies. This is mature, compassionate filmmaking that trusts its audience to follow complex emotional journeys toward grace and understanding.
This documentary achievement brilliantly chronicles the entire Apollo space program through restored NASA footage and astronaut interviews, creating an immersive and emotionally powerful journey through one of humanity's greatest accomplishments. Director David Sington structures the film to appeal both to space enthusiasts who know every mission detail and newcomers discovering this history for the first time, balancing technical information with profound reflection on what these achievements meant and continue to mean. The restored archival footage looks absolutely stunning, with launch sequences and lunar surface imagery that rival any contemporary cinematography in their visual impact and sense of wonder. Interviews with surviving Apollo astronauts provide invaluable firsthand perspective, as these aging heroes reflect on their experiences with humility, humor, and occasional awe that they still seem surprised to have been chosen for such extraordinary missions. The film captures both the triumph of the moon landings and the tragedy of Apollo 1, treating both with appropriate weight. What emerges is not just a historical record but a meditation on human curiosity, courage, and the drive to explore beyond our boundaries. It's absolutely essential viewing, a documentary that truly soars.
Werner Herzog takes his philosophical curiosity and distinctive voice to Antarctica in this documentary that transcends typical nature programming to probe why humans venture to Earth's most inhospitable continent. Rather than focusing on penguins and ice formations, Herzog interviews the scientists, support workers, and researchers who choose to live at McMurdo Station and other research facilities, finding philosophers driving bulldozers and linguists working in kitchens. His questions probe existential territory—what drives people to these extremes, what can we learn from this frozen world, and what does our presence here say about humanity? The underwater footage captured by divers beneath the ice reveals an alien world of stunning beauty, while sequences featuring glaciologists, climatologists, and even a virologist studying ancient microbes provide genuine scientific insight delivered with Herzog's characteristic fascination. David Bowie's music adds haunting beauty to the visuals. Herzog's willingness to acknowledge mystery and wonder without needing to explain everything away makes this an uncommonly thoughtful exploration of both a place and the human need to explore it.
In this pulse-pounding conclusion to the trilogy, director Paul Greengrass delivers the most intense and satisfying entry yet as Jason Bourne finally seeks answers about his true identity. Matt Damon brings both physical intensity and emotional depth to Bourne's relentless pursuit of the truth, taking him from Moscow to London to New York in a desperate race against the CIA operatives trying to eliminate him. Greengrass's documentary-style cinematography and razor-sharp editing create an almost unbearable sense of urgency, making every chase, fight, and narrow escape feel viscerally real. The film's highlight is an extended sequence in London's Waterloo Station that showcases the franchise's genius for turning ordinary locations into nerve-shredding set pieces. David Strathairn, Joan Allen, and Julia Stiles provide strong support as the various players in the conspiracy. This is action filmmaking at its finest—intelligent, impeccably crafted, and genuinely thrilling from start to finish.
Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a career-defining performance as Robert Graysmith, the San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist who becomes consumed by the hunt for the Zodiac Killer in David Fincher's meticulous thriller. Spanning decades of obsessive investigation, the film follows Graysmith alongside crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and Detective Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) as they pursue one of America's most notorious unsolved cases. Fincher crafts a deliberately paced procedural that eschews typical thriller conventions in favor of mounting dread and forensic detail. The film's genius lies in its patience, building tension through manila folders and evidence boxes rather than chase sequences. With Roger Deakins' atmospheric cinematography capturing the fog-shrouded Bay Area, this haunting investigation becomes less about catching a killer and more about the toll that obsession takes on those who refuse to let go.
A midwife to London's Russian expatriate community becomes dangerously entangled with the ruthless Vory V Zakone crime family after a dying teenager gives birth in her hospital and leaves behind a diary filled with dark secrets. Director David Cronenberg crafts an intense, atmospheric thriller that explores identity, loyalty, and violence within the insular world of Russian organized crime. Viggo Mortensen delivers a phenomenal performance as Nikolai, a mysteriously cold driver and "cleaner" for the crime family whose tattooed body tells its own story according to criminal tradition. Naomi Watts brings vulnerability and moral determination as Anna, the nurse who refuses to let the baby disappear into the system, while Vincent Cassel is terrifyingly volatile as the boss's unstable son. The film's clinical visual style perfectly complements its themes, and a brutal steam-room fight sequence is staged with shocking realism. Cronenberg finds unexpected depth in what could have been standard crime thriller material, creating something genuinely gripping and thoughtful.
Swedish actor Jessie Evans anchors this episodic comedy-drama as one of several characters navigating absurd disappointments and fleeting moments of beauty in contemporary Sweden. Director Roy Andersson creates a series of meticulously composed tableaux featuring deadpan humor, existential melancholy, and surprising tenderness, with each static frame resembling a painting come to awkward life. The film doesn't follow traditional narrative structure but rather presents vignettes of human folly and longing—a man dreams of leading a triumphant brass band, another practices declaring love while sitting on a toilet, crowds wait silently for unexplained events. Andersson's visual style is immediately distinctive, with pale color palettes and symmetrical compositions that emphasize both the comedy and tragedy of everyday existence. The cumulative effect is surprisingly moving, finding dignity and even beauty in life's small humiliations and disappointments. It's unlike anything else in contemporary cinema, demanding patience but rewarding viewers willing to surrender to its peculiar rhythms and tragicomic worldview.
In the working-class port town of Sète, France, director Abdellatif Kechiche crafts an intimate family drama that unfolds with remarkable patience and authenticity. The film centers on Slimane, an aging Arab immigrant who dreams of opening a couscous restaurant on a boat after losing his job at the shipyard. Habib Boufares delivers a deeply human performance as Slimane, whose modest ambition becomes a focal point for his fractured blended family. Kechiche's camera lingers on lengthy dinner scenes and kitchen preparations, transforming everyday rituals into profound expressions of culture, love, and connection. The titular couscous feast becomes both literal and metaphorical, representing tradition, family bonds, and the immigrant experience. What makes this film extraordinary is its refusal to rush—Kechiche allows scenes to breathe and develop naturally, creating an immersive experience that builds to an emotionally devastating climax that will stay with you long after the credits roll.
1970s Harlem provides the backdrop for Ridley Scott's sprawling crime epic that chronicles the rise and fall of Frank Lucas, an ingenious drug kingpin who revolutionized the heroin trade by cutting out the middleman. Denzel Washington commands the screen as Lucas, bringing sophistication and ruthless intelligence to a man who smuggled pure heroin from Southeast Asia in the coffins of American servicemen. Russell Crowe matches him as Richie Roberts, the rare honest cop in a deeply corrupt system who becomes obsessed with bringing Lucas down. Scott orchestrates their inevitable collision across a sprawling 157-minute runtime that never drags, capturing the period detail with meticulous authenticity—from the fashion to the music to the rotting infrastructure of New York City. The film explores how Lucas built his empire through discipline and business acumen while Roberts fought his own battles against dirty colleagues, leading to a fascinating dynamic between two men who respect each other despite standing on opposite sides of the law.