Gilliam. There’s no way he’s on here ahead of many deserving auteurs if I didn’t think Brazil was much closer to the 50th best film of all-time than the 183rd best where TSPDT consensus has it. Man, I wish he made both more overall films and more archiveable films- and without an archiveable film since 1998 I fear it may be over for Gilliam. Unmistakably, his case is hurt by having only 6 archiveable films but although there may be some misses along the way in his career there is no compromise in Gilliam. I adore his individual creative signature.
Best film: Brazil. It’s not only a massive “M” masterpiece and a top 10 film of the 1980’s (I’ve got it at #8) but an unbelievably ‘Gilliamesque’ film. It’s simultaneously one of the greatest fantasy films, sci-fi films, and comedy films of all-time.
total archiveable films: 6
top 100 films: 1 (Brazil)
top 500 films: 2 (Brazil, 12 Monkeys)
top 100 films of the decade: 4 (Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Fisher King)
most overrated: none- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus has decent enough reviews for a Gilliam film (he, like Lynch and von Trier have really poor metacritic average scores for their level of genius) but I have it out of the archives— I still need to give it another look.
most underrated: 12 Monkeys. It’s been long enough and there’s no good reason this fantastic film hasn’t emerged on the top 1000 of all-time. Definitely underrated.
gem I want to spotlight: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – speaking of underrated- somehow this is still “rotten” on RT. It’s one of Depp and Del Toro’s best performances and the drug use as surrealism is really a perfect marriage of Gilliam and Hunter S. Thompson.
stylistic innovations/traits: Gilliam is both gothic and romantic. His films are directed with eccentric fervor and clearly a cartoonish fantasy. Typically his stories revolve around outsiders repelling against a rigid organization. There is surrealism and insanity in all of his films. These are showcased by brilliant editing, unconventional acting, costume, and a busy and deliciously hyperbolic mise-en-scene. He uses canted angles, wide fisheye lens, and a sort of retro-fitted, garbage-art clutter for his production design. Gilliam is a unique maverick.
top 10
- Brazil
- 12 Monkeys
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
- The Fisher King
- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
- Time Bandits
By year and grades
| 1981- Time Bandits | R |
| 1985- Brazil | MP |
| 1988- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen | HR |
| 1991- The Fisher King | HR |
| 1995- Twelve Monkeys | MS |
| 1998- Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas | HR |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
its not my fvavrotie movie, i need to watch it again though but im surprised monty python and the holy grail isnt on here because it is a super loved film and quite orignal
@m – Thanks for visiting the page here. Yeah it is a little surprising. I saw it once and didn’t think it was very good. I’m probably due for a rewatch.
[…] 68. Terry Gilliam […]
I’d move him up like 20 spots, I know he’s inconsistent but man, when he’s on he’s really on. I mean he is just so visually creative and unique. I’d love to see him and David Lynch make a movie together.
I hope I like Brazil on my next rewatch of it soon, I never liked it every time I tried it. 12 Monkeys is the only film of his I love, I rate it as one of the best movies of the 90s, 3rd best in 1995 after Seven/Heat. Absolutely hated his Holy Grail movie, couldn’t get through that garbage. I’ve never seen Brazil all the way through, I always stop, but I will try to watch it all the way through.
Are The Zero Theorem(2013) and The Brothers Grimm(2005) the only unarchivable films of Terry Gilliam?
@Malith- The Zero Theorem was just added.
Next time you update this list will Gilliam jump up 5-7 spots? I see you’ve added 6 more of his films to the archives and upgraded Fisher King, Fear & Loathing and Baron Munchausen to MS’s. That’s a solid change in how his films are seen.
Not 6. 7 I think. The Meaning of Life is regarded as co directed by Gilliam because he directed the opening prologue The Crimson Permanent Assurance segment. So he has 13 archivable films.
@Harry- Yes, I think that sounds about right.
Drake,
Given the upgrade on The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, I am curious as to whether you would
put it as Gilliam’s 2nd best film to Brazil?
@James Trapp- not by a wide margin- but yes- that’s where I have it now
@Drake – sounds good, it’s getting a 4K release soon. I watched Brazil again recently and was blown away
Hey drake, how many movies do you watch in a year, and what year did you watch the most number of movies, my highest was in 2021 I watched 320 films in a year. Also you always keep telling you will be updating the director list, when will that possibly be????
@Zee188- Depends on the year – I was able to do 588 last year in 2022. My goal is to start updating the director’s list before the end of 2023.
Drake, I see above some others say you added 6-7 of his films to the archives. Do you have the updated list of all his archivable films?
@Matthew
1975- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
1977- Jabberwocky
1981- Time Bandits
1983- The Meaning of Life
1985- Brazil
1988- The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
1991- The Fisher King
1995- Twelve Monkeys
1998- Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas
2005- Tideland
2009- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
2013- The Zero Theorem
2018- The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Thank you for this. Gilliam is becoming one of my favorite directors, and Fear and Loathing is just one of the most purely entertaining films ever to me
Pertaining to the question above, I’m curious more or less what ratio/percentage of films you watch are first time watches or rewatches
@Matthew- It is pretty close to 50/50 split. Out of the last 50 movies I’ve seen it is 24 rewatch vs. 26 new
Hey Drake, I’ve been wanting to get into to Gilliam’s work for years but don’t know where to start. I’m open to any suggestions.
@Ross- So there are 3 ways to go: 1. chronological order (if you plan on seeing them all- this is the way to go 2. order of the best to worst – these are ranked on the page for you (and this is the way to go if you aren’t sure you’ll see more than a couple) and then for some directors there is 3. most accessible, to sort of ease your way in- not sure Gilliam has one like this
I read an article a few days ago saying that the three films from Gilliam anyone should start with are Brazil (1985), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), and The Fisher King (1991).
Brazil is his best film and its not even close at all. Giant masterpiece, if you don’t like that then I highly doubt you’d like any of his other work other than maybe 12 Monkeys