31. Holy Motors
The Movie: French iconoclast Leos Carax's first feature of the century came out of nowhere to discombulate Cannes with its story of a mysterious man (Dennis Lavant) who rides around in a limo and dons disguises to help people in unspecified trouble.
Impact: A new benchmark for lovers of WTF? Movies (Eva Mendes gets kidnapped! Kylie sings! Mo-cap sex!) and a reminder that there's nothing stranger or more exciting on screen than an actor giving it their all.
30. Headhunters
The Movie: Forget Wallander and Lisbeth Salander. At the other end of the Scandi crime boom is Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie), diminutive corporate headhunter and part-time art thief. Based on a Jo Nesbo novel, Roger's misadventures rapidly transform into a bone-dry, darkly comic thriller.
Impact: Another decent art-house hit for Nordic cinema, and an attention-grabbing advert for Nesbo; his Jackpot has already been released and - inevitably - the Hollywood version of Headhunters is now being made.
29. Moonrise Kingdom
The Movie: Wes Anderson's first period film mixes scouts, Benjamin Britten and a whimsical tale of first love. It feels like the origin story of Wes Anderson.
Impact: After a period when it had become cool to knock him, the Wes Anderson swing-o-meter is back in the 'love' category, with even the hardest sceptics charmed by his latest. Also: it was the first salvo in a most welcomed event, a good year for Bruce Willis (see also: Looper).
28. The Muppets
The Movie: Whatever happened to those Muppets? Well, really, they've never been away, but co-writer/star Jason Segel pretended they were no-hope has-beens simply so he could reunite the gang in a charmingly nostalgic echo of past glories.
Impact: The world suddenly went Muppet-crazy, from the series' first Oscar (congratulations, Bret McKenzie) to the current cinema re-release of The Muppet Christmas Carol. It's also worth noting that, between this and Ted, Hollywood seems to have a new sub-genre: the non-human flat-mate comedy.
27. Killer Joe
The Movie: Many thrillers claim to be sleazy and violent. This one genuinely was, as William Friedkin and Matthew McConaughey returned to form at exactly the same time, with nothing to prove and a desire to discomfort the audience.
Impact: Between this, Magic Mike and last year's The Lincoln Lawyer, McConaughey has thoroughly reinvented himself. Friedkin, meanwhile, reinvented KFC in the year's most shocking set-piece.
26. The Innkeepers
The Movie: As the supposedly haunted Yankee Pedlar Inn nears closure, a romance blossoms between the hotel's last two employees (Sara Paxton and Pat Healy). A classy blend of indie whimsy and full-blooded scares.
Impact: As modern horror veers ever more between bad remakes and found footage, Ti West is keeping it old-school by making the kind of film you'd half expect to find in a 1980s video shop. A mainstream breakthrough eludes him, but if the studios had any sense, it would be West helming Ghostbusters 3. Still, we're glad he's staying underground for the time being.
25. Berberian Sound Studio
The Movie: The making of Italian giallo movie The Equestrian Vortex brings sound engineer Gilderoy (Toby Jones) to Europe on a routine vegetable-slicing, scream-enhancing gig, until he starts cracking up at the weirdness of his assignment.
Impact: British director Peter Strickland, whose last film was the Hungarian-language Katalina Varga, shows the value of a director thinking outside the box. And as a virtual primer in giallo, expect a rash of vintage horror to be released on Blu-ray over the next few years.
24. Beasts Of The Southern Wild
The Movie: Benh Zeitlin's magic-realist study of a remote community in the Louisiana bayou drew comparisons with Terrence Malick, while breaking new ground in the use of local residents amongst the crew.
Impact: This is the new standard bearer for the kinda, sorta sub-genre of post-Katrina cinema, but mostly its impact is down to the revelation of a new star: the then five-year-old Quvenzhan Wallis. Justin Henry's record as the youngest ever Oscar nominee might be under threat.
23. Rust And Bone
The Movie: Jacques Audiard's tempestuous romance follows the unlikely relationship between a bouncer and wannabe kickboxer (Matthias Schoenaerts) and a killer whale trainer (Marion Cotillard) who loses her legs in a tragic accident.
Impact: Like his last film, A Prophet, Audiard lost the Palme D'Or at Cannes to Michael Haneke but secured Best Film at the London Film Festival. Another Oscar nomination for previous Best Actress Cotillard is likely, too.
22. Chronicle
The Movie: The year's most original superhero movie found its groove by wondering what would happen if the YouTube generation suddenly acquired powers. Why, they'd film themselves, wouldn't they?
Impact: Found footage took a kicking from critics this year, but Chronicle kept its head above the clouds. Literally. By finding a legitimate excuse to free camcorder from cameraman, and show it's possible to make a first-person movie that doesnt look like it was cobbled together for tuppence.
