Readers’ Poll: Readers are invited to stand up and be counted too! All entries will be automatically entered in our contest for free DVDs from the Criterion Collection. We will publish the poll results, and your comments may be excerpted on the website. Send your ranked list of the year’s 20 best films—plus any rants, raves, and insights—with your name, address, and phone number, to fcpoll [at] filmlinc.com. Deadline: February 5, 2016. First Prize: your choice of Criterion Collection DVDs, up to $200 in value. Second Prize: up to $120. Third & Fourth Prizes: up to $80. The winners, who will be picked by random draw, can select prizes, subject to availability, from the Criterion Collection catalog.
Carol Todd Haynes, U.S.
The Assassin Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan
Mad Max: Fury Road George Miller, U.S.
Clouds of Sils Maria Olivier Assayas, France
Arabian Nights Miguel Gomes, Portugal
Timbuktu Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauritania/France
Spotlight Tom McCarthy, U.S.
Phoenix Christian Petzold, Germany
Inside Out Pete Docter & Ronnie del Carmen, U.S.
The Look of Silence Joshua Oppenheimer, Denmark/Indonesia Don’t see your favorites? Proceed to the Best Undistributed list.
Hard to Be a God Aleksei German, Russia
Anomalisa Charlie Kaufman & Duke Johnson, U.S.
In Jackson Heights Frederick Wiseman, U.S.
Son of Saul László Nemes, Hungary
Horse Money Pedro Costa, Portugal
Jauja Lisandro Alonso, Argentina
Tangerine Sean Baker, U.S.
Brooklyn John Crowley, U.K.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl Marielle Heller, U.S.
Bridge of Spies Steven Spielberg, U.S.
Heaven Knows What Josh & Benny Safdie, U.S. 22. It Follows David Robert Mitchell, U.S.
45 Years Andrew Haigh, U.K.
Heart of a Dog Laurie Anderson, U.S.
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence Roy Andersson, Sweden
Experimenter Michael Almereyda, U.S.
About Elly Asghar Farhadi, Iran
Creed Ryan Coogler, U.S. 29. Love & Mercy Bill Pohlad, U.S. 30. Taxi Jafar Panahi, Iran 31. Amy Asif Kapadia, U.K. 32. Li’l Quinquin Bruno Dumont, France 33. The Forbidden Room Guy Maddin & Evan Johnson, Canada 34. Ex Machina Alex Garland, U.K. 35. Room Lenny Abrahamson, Canada/Ireland 36. Out 1: Noli me tangere Jacques Rivette, France 37. The Duke of Burgundy Peter Strickland, U.K. 38. Magic Mike XXL Gregory Jacobs, U.S. 39. Saint Laurent Bertrand Bonello, France 40. The Big Short Adam McKay, U.S. 41. Chi-Raq Spike Lee, U.S. 42. Mistress America Noah Baumbach, U.S.
The Wonders Alice Rohrwacher, Italy 44. The Martian Ridley Scott, U.S. 45. The Kindergarten Teacher Nadav Lapid, Israel 46. La Sapienza Eugène Green, France/Italy 47. Sicario Denis Villeneuve, U.S. 48. Amour fou Jessica Hausner, Austria 49. White God Kornél Mundruczó, Hungary 50. Maps to the Stars David Cronenberg, Canada
