#1: THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Director: David Fincher
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Rooney Mara
Complex co-sign: Unfairly pegged as “the Facebook movie” before its release, The Social Network showed that, when in the hands of a mastermind like Fincher, the backstabbing ways of annoying smart kids can make for riveting cinema. The film’s script, written by industry heavyweight Aaron Sorkin, roars with razor-sharp dialogue, well-placed humor and the seamless fusion of multiple viewpoints. Even though their characters are the kinds of kids we made fun of in college, Eisenberg (as now-25-year-old billionaire Mark Zuckerberg) and Garfield are captivating, as is Timberlake, finally answering the question, “Who’s a better actor, JT or Lance Bass?” (2001’s On the Line, anyone? Ahh, forget it.)