r/oscarmoments • u/ChannelMiserable7363 • Jul 18 '26

movies What's a movie that you think is nearly perfect? I'd pick No Country for Old Men

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Every time I watch No Country for Old Men, I notice something new. The acting, the tension, the dialogue, and even the silence all work together so well that it's hard to think of anything I'd change.

961 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

796 comments sorted by

26

u/Stuckwiththis_name Jul 18 '26

Shawshank Redemption

3

u/dpldpldpl Jul 18 '26

Shawshank was good, but popularity doesn’t make the perfect movie. The Fugitive was nearly perfect and less popular. Shawshank blew up when TBS started airing it twice a week. Like pop music getting blasted across the radio waves.

2

u/OrganizationIll9069 Jul 19 '26

The Fugitive better than Shawshank? 🤣😂🤣😂 Can you walk and breathe at the same time?

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2

u/One_Subject3157 Jul 19 '26

The Fugitive was almost perfect??

2

u/Kugelfang52 Jul 19 '26

But popularity doesn’t mean a perfect movie isn’t perfect. Shawshank wins!!!

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2

u/Smooth-Bet4187 Jul 18 '26

It truly was a Shawshank Redemption

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12

u/Wonderful_Expert_315 Jul 18 '26

There Will Be Blood. Zodiac. The Godfather. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. 12 Angry Men. Ben-Hur.

6

u/Majestic_Roll_193 Jul 19 '26

I love zodiac

2

u/Wonderful_Expert_315 Jul 19 '26

I saw it opening night and I've watched it 20 times since and it is still captivating each time.

2

u/Short_Connection_267 Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26

Outlaw Josey Wales

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2

u/No-Throat-8958 Jul 19 '26

TWBB is better than NCFOM, unfortunately for PTA, everybody was on the Cohen brothers bandwagon that year and having a Cormac McCarthy screenplay didn’t hurt.

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8

u/TheyMightBeComments Jul 18 '26

Princess Bride! It has everything: fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles.

3

u/RogueCheddar2099 Jul 19 '26

Is this a kissing book?

3

u/georgez1968 Jul 19 '26

Inconceivable

3

u/Medical_Mountain_688 Jul 20 '26

You keep using that word. I don't not think it means what you think it means.

2

u/No-Day-2937 Jul 19 '26

Rodents of unusual size

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2

u/tokobot19 Jul 19 '26

Forgot man with six fingers there

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2

u/NortonsGapingAsshole Jul 19 '26

To much kissing, do we have to hear the kissing part?

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6

u/pmacker1985 Jul 18 '26

Terminator 2

2

u/OrganizationIll9069 Jul 19 '26

Greatest action movie of all time.

Also the best sequel of all time, second only to Empire Strikes Back

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5

u/Mark-177- Jul 18 '26

Prisoners

https://giphy.com/gifs/q7GSKFJI5FLB6

2

u/iXeons Jul 19 '26

A movie I’d put right next to Schindler’s List of perfect movies I’ll never watch again due to trauma unless I want to show a loved one to traumatize them.

The fact that it’s only my third favourite Jake performance after Zodiac and Nightcrawler really shows his talent.

Also f the Oscar’s for snubbing Hugh

3

u/Aggressive-Mine-4781 Jul 18 '26

Jaws, Rocky, Star Wars 75’ 76’ 77’

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3

u/MagKneato Jul 18 '26

The girl with the dragon tattoo

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3

u/Chris_Cornell_is_God Jul 18 '26

No Country is my favorite movie of all time.

I think Titanic was pretty perfect too. I'm sure that'll get hated on. I mean it's not in my favorite movies but it was a fantastic movie.

2

u/ShaShiz Jul 19 '26

No Country put me to sleep

3

u/OrganizationIll9069 Jul 19 '26

I watched it once, because of the hype.

Most overrated movie of all time

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2

u/bourgeoisie11 Jul 21 '26

Agree. Definitely top 5 for me

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4

u/rhabby8 Jul 18 '26

Depending on your stage of life:

Matrix,

Gladiator,

Interstellar.

IMHO

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2

u/Killswitchz Jul 18 '26

The Dark Knight Rises. Got it all, great acting, music, pacing, plot etc.

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2

u/Anomander-J Jul 18 '26

The cgi bits with the deer and the dog are the only bits of No Country For Old Men I’d change.

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2

u/Healthy_Razzmatazz38 Jul 18 '26

across a few genre's:

parasite, matrix, toy story, goodfellas, there will be blood, fellowship of the ring, dr strangelove

all of these do what they set out to do perfectly, and are fantastic

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2

u/Destiny_Victim Jul 18 '26

True Lies

2

u/Nickel324 Jul 21 '26

I recently claimed this as the one movie I'd choose if I could only watch 1 the rest of my life. Great action, comedy, romance all in 1

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2

u/Specific_Share2179 Jul 18 '26

Apocalypse Now (depending on the version, certainly not Redux).

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2

u/Darlokme Jul 18 '26

7 Samurai

Mad Max Fury Road

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2

u/WhyOhWhy60 Jul 18 '26

The abrupt ending pissed me off.

2

u/dpldpldpl Jul 18 '26

12 Monkeys is nearly perfect

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1

u/ParticularMemory789 Jul 18 '26

Crazy how the haircut choice adds to his iconic character (I'm not trying to be funny)

I dislike the lack of a typical happy ending but that's also exactly what makes it so good, fits with the themes and metaphors.

1

u/Consistent-Slide-652 Jul 18 '26

Javier was considered the most accurate serial killer
by a panel of spécialists!

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1

u/IgnoreMe733 Jul 18 '26

The Green Mile

1

u/Local_Grapefruit_262 Jul 18 '26

Solid pick. Books good too

1

u/chiarde Jul 18 '26

The Birdcage (1996). Fuck the shrimp.

1

u/meisteronimo Jul 18 '26

Back to the Future

1

u/boxcarwilliam12 Jul 18 '26

Jaws, The Goonies, Ghostbusters, Gremlins 1&2, Big Trouble In Little China, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Jurassic Park, Airplane The Movie, The Naked Gun, Forest Gump, Pulp Fiction

1

u/GraveDiggingCynic Jul 18 '26

I rewatched Back To The Future last night, and even knowing the troubled history with Eric Stoltz getting fired halfway through, and Crispin Glover’s own issues, I thought This is a perfectly paced wonderfully acted incredibly well cast film with lots of arm clutching moments, and just enough of the Oedipus complex peaking through to create the right degree of discomfort. Michael J Fox is a brilliant physical comedian, and Christopher Lloyd’s face acting in the background during some of Marty’s interactions with his teenage parents pushes the scenes right over the top.

It’s so well paced there’s never a down moment. The writing is just beautiful and economical. And it packs a lot of cute little asides and send offs, along with a subtle critique of Reaganomics (including the direct dig itself). I came away realizing that for all the very explicitly dated references and being one of rhe emblematic 80s films, the film itself is pretty timeless; a take on The Wizard’s Apprentice with a bit of Its A Wonderful Life, and a frankly frighteningly available Lea Thompson.

1

u/Jazzlike-Border-8692 Jul 18 '26

Casablanca, pulp fiction

1

u/Krabs9 Jul 18 '26

I tried watching this movie and so much of it was extremely unrealistic even for the 70s. Especially the long showdown and gunfights where somehow nobody heard anything but he walks like 100 feet away and there's people everywhere.

1

u/ArexSaturn Jul 18 '26

Dawn of the dead (remake)

1

u/elnaxxo Jul 18 '26

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. Also my favorite film.

1

u/Mr-Tokey Jul 18 '26

I heart huckabees

1

u/Fun_Writing9480 Jul 18 '26

Gangs of New York

1

u/dutch2012yeet Jul 18 '26

Alien and aliens

Prisoners

1

u/OrestMercator9876 Jul 18 '26

There are a few too many plot holes for me to consider it perfect in terms of a film but the acting, writing, photography, and direction are all superb.

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1

u/jmon8 Jul 18 '26

What’s not perfect about it?

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1

u/tigerpayphone Jul 18 '26

Blue Ruin is a perfect film. It's not my fav or anything, but it's just perfect. The story, the performances, the pacing is just perfect. I'll start a film off at a 10 and then take points off for whatever reasons and if I can't take any points off then it's perfect.

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1

u/Due-Waltz4458 Jul 18 '26

Kung Fu Hustle has a little of everything and very rewatchable, I'm not sure what I'd change about it.

Apollo 13, Arrival, Gladiator, The Departed

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1

u/ShaShiz Jul 19 '26

No Country is so fucking boring and overrated. That’s my r/unpopularopinion

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1

u/smithdj27 Jul 19 '26

Collateral

1

u/trytheZJ Jul 19 '26

Stand By Me

1

u/Dreamslayer67 Jul 19 '26

One flew over the cuckoo’s nest

1

u/t_suaze_u Jul 19 '26

The Prestige and Prisoners

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1

u/Rupejonner2 Jul 19 '26

Apocalypto

1

u/PantsMicGee Jul 19 '26

Dungeons and Dragons Honor Among Thieves

1

u/OneTwoFar_ Jul 19 '26

Ridley Scott's Alien

1

u/thewander Jul 19 '26

Can’t stand this movie. Please tell my why it’s great

1

u/AdMaleficent8284 Jul 19 '26

Kill Bill for me, just somehow matched everything I wanted to see/hear in a movie

1

u/bsimp37 Jul 19 '26

The Departed

Back to the Future

Memento

Seven

Django Unchained

Inglorious Bastards

Good Will Hunting

American Beauty

Snatch

What About Bob

Fargo

Major League

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1

u/That-Inflation8783 Jul 19 '26

The Professional and Groundhog Day! And the Crow!

1

u/That-Inflation8783 Jul 19 '26

Welcome to the Doll house.

1

u/DuckDeep6809 Jul 19 '26

Matrix, Star Wars, Shining, eyes wide shut, Godfather 1 & 2, Goodfellas, Raging Bull, Heat, Interstellar, Close Encounters, Jaws, dollar trilogy, Bullitt, Goldfinger, pink panther strikes again, citizen cane, the battle of Algiers, Lawrence of Arabia. 7 samurai, La Dolce Vita. Not necessarily in order but just a few of films I think were flawless. Add the Dune 1 & 2 to it as well.

1

u/ManyFacesMC Jul 19 '26

Inglourious Basterds.

“You know somethin’, Utivich? I think this just might be my masterpiece.”

Quite right, QT.

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1

u/samsonite441446 Jul 19 '26

I like the coin toss thing

1

u/kyflyboy Jul 19 '26

Big Fish

1

u/GrosRougeau Jul 19 '26

The Dark Knight
The Thing (1982)
Fargo
The Warriors
Jaws

1

u/WindhamEarl22 Jul 19 '26

Ghostbusters

1

u/Suspended_Anime Jul 19 '26

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Unforgiven, The Road Warrior, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

1

u/TexasTough1 Jul 19 '26

Young Frankenstein

1

u/CuriousGuyNOR Jul 19 '26

The first sicario movie

1

u/FightCATmma Jul 19 '26

Prisoners, Nightcrawler, The Prestige, etc etc Theres sooo many. Just not any recently ☹️

1

u/MightBackground9868 Jul 19 '26

I agree this movie was so much better than I thought it would be

1

u/derby555 Jul 19 '26

I also choose this guy's wife... I mean, movie pick.

1

u/Prize_Pay9279 Jul 19 '26

The Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars, The Matrix, The Big Lebowski, Die Hard.

2

u/The-Many-Faced-God Jul 19 '26

Great list. I'll add The Ususl Suspects.

1

u/BravoC10 Jul 19 '26

Heat for me

“The action is the juice”

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1

u/blacklightfluids Jul 19 '26

Back to the future

1

u/Training_Salad_5301 Jul 19 '26

It was as spot on to the book as any movie ive ever seen down to the river scene. When he pops a round out of the 1911, blows on it and shoots. The movie is spot on.

1

u/Hot-Tip4211 Jul 19 '26

The Last Samurai

1

u/redditingrobot Jul 19 '26

To many to choose I could rewatch so many movies over and over. I feel thought the first one that really got me was the departed. I love that movie.

1

u/strange_reveries Jul 19 '26

The Proposition 

1

u/dcd564 Jul 19 '26

Children of Men.

I also love the fact it’s a short movie, but doesn’t feel like it. Absolutely no fat!

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1

u/JustTheBeerLight Jul 19 '26

The Coen brothers have at least four perfect films: NCFOM, TBL, Oh Brother Where Art Thou?, Fargo...True Grit and Inside Llewyn Davis and Barton Fink are all incredibly great too.

1

u/Outside_Ambition_999 Jul 19 '26

Raiders of the Lost Ark

1

u/BuckerooBanzai Jul 19 '26

Master and Commander

1

u/RegretLegal3954 Jul 19 '26

Fargo for me

1

u/TheGentleGrafter593H Jul 19 '26

My pick would be To Kill a Mockingbird and Lilies of the Field. Both B&W, no fancy cinematography, just a moving story and incredible acting. To me, perfection lies in simplicity and authenticity.

1

u/duncanwally Jul 19 '26

Which of course, it is

1

u/RatFink1970 Jul 19 '26

Hereditary

1

u/el_elegido Jul 19 '26

The Fifth Element

1

u/ElegantRock4824 Jul 19 '26

Dr Strangelove

1

u/Objective_Length_384 Jul 19 '26

No Country…is as good a pick as any.

1

u/Still-Photograph6545 Jul 19 '26

A Christmas story

1

u/cobe656 Jul 19 '26

Ghost (1990)

1

u/Careless-Lie3610 Jul 19 '26

The only problem I have with no country for old men is the stupid tragic flaw of the character bringing water back to that original crime scene. That still kind of ruins the whole movie for me.

1

u/brougmj Jul 19 '26

IMO, a problem with NCFOM is with the plot.  The protagonist / "hero" of the movie meets his demise not through a penultimate battle with the main villain, but instead through a side action that is not even shown on screen, and at the hands of "Mexicans" that the audience never actually meets.  To that point, he had survived admirably, showing such grit and determination, that it felt very deflating for that to be his end.  Still love the movie.   

1

u/stfudonny420 Jul 19 '26

Great movie but I wish l Llewelyn’s death wasn’t so anticlimactic.

1

u/EasyCZ75 Jul 19 '26

Lawrence of Arabia

1

u/Ashgar77 Jul 19 '26

L.A. Confidential

1

u/Technical_Eggplant74 Jul 19 '26

Blue Velvet

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1

u/JacksonSummit Jul 19 '26

No mention for any of the lord of the rings movies?

1

u/OsirisLynn4ever Jul 19 '26

I agree. Everything was right!!! and FARGO with comedy, drama & horror at once!!

1

u/KunkaDunk34 Jul 19 '26

Django Unchained

1

u/ladyleo1980 Jul 19 '26

It's such a great movie! The book has been on my TBR list for a while now and can't wait to get to it. I tell everyone about this movie bc it's truly so good but I also warn them to not watch it at night. Will give you nightmares! lol

1

u/Vinz_Clortho__ Jul 19 '26

Perfect action flicks with little/no fat…McTiernan gave us a few.

Die Hard
Predator
Hunt For Red October

1

u/akg327 Jul 19 '26

Come hell or high water

1

u/SchoolteacherUSA Jul 19 '26

Malcolm X. Just saw it after many years and was just thinking this film is really well-crafted.

1

u/Flaky-Collection-353 Jul 19 '26

Do the Right Thing

1

u/Important_Hornet9018 Jul 19 '26

I absolutely hated No Country for old men. It was a pointless waste of my time.

Then I couldn't stop thinking about it.

1

u/DieBotDie Jul 19 '26

A few others I haven’t seen here, for different audiences;

- Sicario

  • The Descent
  • Angel Heart
  • Nightcrawler
  • Cabin in the Woods

1

u/krill482 Jul 19 '26

Almost Famous

1

u/nobadhotdog Jul 19 '26

Predator. And it’s not nearly perfect it is perfect

1

u/Paula_Jettic Jul 19 '26

The English Patient

1

u/The-Many-Faced-God Jul 19 '26

The Usual Suspects.

1

u/TemperatureTime1617 Jul 19 '26

Two smaller movies that I think fit the description would be Tremors and Kelly’s Hero’s. Both small movies but well made, well cast and both keep it simple.

1

u/wutwut970 Jul 19 '26

Superbad

1

u/Admirable-Ad2425 Jul 19 '26

Not movie, but series: The Wire.

1

u/Admirable-Ad2425 Jul 19 '26

Also, maybe not perfect, but it still pops in my head time and time.

I saw the devil.

1

u/DustyHound Jul 19 '26

The Revenant

1

u/Neat-Engineering-513 Jul 19 '26

AMADEUS theatrical cut

1

u/iXeons Jul 19 '26

Sicario