AND THE TOMATO GOES TO…

Welcome to RT’s 15th Annual Golden Tomato Awards, in which we honor the best-reviewed movies of 2013. From the biggest Hollywood hits to the most provocative indies, we’ve got the films that won the critics’ hearts — and probably inspired you as well.


Best Wide Release

#1

Gravity (2013)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#1
Adjusted Score: 113348%
Critics Consensus: Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity is an eerie, tense sci-fi thriller that's masterfully directed and visually stunning.
Synopsis: Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission. Her commander is veteran astronaut Matt... [More]
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón

Best Limited Release

#1

Short Term 12 (2013)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#1
Adjusted Score: 105894%
Critics Consensus: Short Term 12 is an emphatic, revealing drama that pulls audiences into the perspective of neglected youths.
Synopsis: A supervisor (Brie Larson) at a group home for at-risk teens connects with a new resident (Kaitlyn Dever) while facing... [More]
Directed By: Destin Daniel Cretton

Top UK

#1

56 Up (2012)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#1
Adjusted Score: 100439%
Critics Consensus: Director Michael Apted continues to utilize cinema as a window into the lives of everyday people, and in the reflection of this documentary we can glimpse our own aging humanity.
Synopsis: Continuing a project he began in 1964, filmmaker Michael Apted revisits his original subjects and sees how their lives are... [More]
Directed By: Michael Apted, Paul Almond

Top AU

#1

The Rocket (2013)
Tomatometer icon 95%

#1
Adjusted Score: 97254%
Critics Consensus: A feel-good success crafted with care, Kim Mordaunt's story of two young kids in Laos is a heartfelt audience pleaser while remaining sensitive toward its subjects.
Synopsis: Ahlo's family moves after his village is cleared to make way for a new dam. They come across a rocket... [More]
Directed By: Kim Mordaunt

Best New Show

Adjusted Score: 101963%
Critics Consensus: A pleasant change from typically gory zombie shows, The Returned is a must-see oddity that's both smart and sure to disturb.
Synopsis: ... [More]

Best Returning Show

Adjusted Score: 103521%
Critics Consensus: Breaking Bad's final season cements its status as one of television's great series, propelling its narrative to an explosive conclusion with sharp direction and assured storytelling.
Synopsis: ... [More]

Best Action/Adventure

#1

Gravity (2013)
Tomatometer icon 96%

#1
Adjusted Score: 113348%
Critics Consensus: Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity is an eerie, tense sci-fi thriller that's masterfully directed and visually stunning.
Synopsis: Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission. Her commander is veteran astronaut Matt... [More]
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón

Best Animation

#1

Frozen (2013)
Tomatometer icon 89%

#1
Adjusted Score: 100754%
Critics Consensus: Beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs, Frozen adds another worthy entry to the Disney canon.
Synopsis: When their kingdom becomes trapped in perpetual winter, fearless Anna (Kristen Bell) joins forces with mountaineer Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and... [More]
Directed By: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Best Comedy

#1

American Hustle (2013)
Tomatometer icon 92%

#1
Adjusted Score: 105943%
Critics Consensus: Riotously funny and impeccably cast, American Hustle compensates for its flaws with unbridled energy and some of David O. Russell's most irrepressibly vibrant direction.
Synopsis: Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) dabbles in forgery and loan-sharking, but when he falls for fellow grifter Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams),... [More]
Directed By: David O. Russell

Best Comic Book

#1

Iron Man 3 (2013)
Tomatometer icon 79%

#1
Adjusted Score: 94671%
Critics Consensus: With the help of its charismatic lead, some impressive action sequences, and even a few surprises, Iron Man 3 is a witty, entertaining adventure and a strong addition to the Marvel canon.
Synopsis: Plagued with worry and insomnia since saving New York from destruction, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), now, is more dependent... [More]
Directed By: Shane Black

Best Documentaries

#1

Blackfish (2013)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#1
Adjusted Score: 103758%
Critics Consensus: Blackfish is an aggressive, impassioned documentary that will change the way you look at performance killer whales.
Synopsis: The story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of several people, underscores problems within the... [More]

Best Drama

#1

12 Years a Slave (2013)
Tomatometer icon 95%

#1
Adjusted Score: 113156%
Critics Consensus: It's far from comfortable viewing, but 12 Years a Slave's unflinchingly brutal look at American slavery is also brilliant -- and quite possibly essential -- cinema.
Synopsis: In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is... [More]
Directed By: Steve McQueen

Best Foreign

#1

Wadjda (2012)
Tomatometer icon 99%

#1
Adjusted Score: 104408%
Critics Consensus: Transgressive in the best possible way, Wadjda presents a startlingly assured new voice from a corner of the globe where cinema has been all but silenced.
Synopsis: A rebellious Saudi girl (Waad Mohammed) enters a Koran recitation competition at her school and hopes to win enough money... [More]
Directed By: Haifaa Al-Mansour

Best Horror

#1

The Conjuring (2013)
Tomatometer icon 86%

#1
Adjusted Score: 96433%
Critics Consensus: Well-crafted and gleefully creepy, The Conjuring ratchets up dread through a series of effective old-school scares.
Synopsis: In 1970, paranormal investigators and demonologists Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) and Ed (Patrick Wilson) Warren are summoned to the home of... [More]
Directed By: James Wan

Best Romance

#1

Before Midnight (2013)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#1
Adjusted Score: 107419%
Critics Consensus: Building on the first two installments in Richard Linklater's well-crafted Before trilogy, Before Midnight offers intelligent, powerfully acted perspectives on love, marriage, and long-term commitment.
Synopsis: On the last night of their idyllic Greek vacation, longtime lovers Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) reminisce about... [More]
Directed By: Richard Linklater

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy

#1
Adjusted Score: 103837%
Critics Consensus: Smart, smoothly directed, and enriched with a deeper exploration of the franchise's thought-provoking themes, Catching Fire proves a thoroughly compelling second installment in the Hunger Games series.
Synopsis: After arriving safely home from their unprecedented victory in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta... [More]
Directed By: Francis Lawrence

Best Thriller

#1

Side Effects (2013)
Tomatometer icon 82%

#1
Adjusted Score: 92385%
Critics Consensus: A smart, clever thriller with plenty of disquieting twists, Side Effects is yet another assured effort from director Steven Soderbergh.
Synopsis: For four years, Emily Taylor (Rooney Mara) has awaited the release of her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum), from being imprisoned... [More]
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh

Best Comedy (TV)

Adjusted Score: 96654%
Critics Consensus: Consistently bouyed by strong character work and an overarching optimism, Parks and Recreation remains a charming, fun and funny half hour to spend with Leslie Knope and co.
Synopsis: ... [More]

Best Drama (TV)

Adjusted Score: 103521%
Critics Consensus: Breaking Bad's final season cements its status as one of television's great series, propelling its narrative to an explosive conclusion with sharp direction and assured storytelling.
Synopsis: ... [More]

Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror (TV)

Adjusted Score: 98236%
Critics Consensus: Game of Thrones continues to deliver top quality drama for adults, raising the stakes even higher and leaving viewers hungry for more.
Synopsis: ... [More]

Best TV Movie

#1
#1
Adjusted Score: 98489%
Critics Consensus: Affectionate without sacrificing honesty, Behind the Candelabra couples award-worthy performances from Michael Douglas and Matt Damon with some typically sharp direction from Steven Soderbergh.
Synopsis: World-famous pianist Liberace (Michael Douglas) takes much-younger Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) as a lover, but the relationship deteriorates when Liberace... [More]
Directed By: Steven Soderbergh