Tarantino's 10 Favorite Films from 2013 Will Surprise You

Quentin Tarantino is known for being unconventional, so it's no surprise that his list of the top 10 movies from this year shocked a few people. Whether you agree with the Hollywood maverick or not, you've got to admit that he's consistent. Take a look at Tarantino's top picks from the year, so far. 

1. 'Afternoon Delight'

In Jill Solloway's film-directing debut, a jaded housewife decides to escape her bland existence with a spontaneous visit to a strip club. There, she meets a stripper whom she brings into her home as a nanny. Although not a shoe-in for the number one spot on anyone's list, Solloway's work won her the Dramatic Directing Award at the Sundance film festival and is rife with familiar faces including Jane Lynch and even How I Met Your Mother's Josh Radnor.

2. 'Before Midnight'

An American finds himself hard-pressed to conjure marital romance almost two decades after meeting his Greek wife on a Vienna-bound train. Rich with Mediterranean culture and scenery, this film shows the infrequently depicted epilogue to any classic romance. It seems it appealed to Tarantino's elusive romantic side.

3. 'Blue Jasmine'

Woody Allen's dramedy from this summer follows a New York socialite whose life is in shambles after the incarceration of her husband. She flees to her sister in San Francisco where she again attempts to climb the social ladder with problematic results. The film's twisted timeline is reminiscent of Tarantino's own habit of presenting his stories through innovative chronologies.

4. 'The Conjuring'

A husband and wife team of paranormal investigators may have met their match as they try to help a haunted and terrified Rhode Island family. The two discover that the family's farmhouse is consumed by a satanic force that threatens to harm the entire family.

5. 'Drinking Buddies'

Two friends who work in a Chicago brewery have an obvious romantic connection, but they are both in relationships. The two couples collide and the borders between the relationships are blurred through the steady consumption of alcohol. Romantic comedies already have a wide appeal, but it takes a lot of alcohol to get Tarantino fully on board.

6. 'Frances Ha'

Frances lives in New York without actually having a place of her own. She is a dance company apprentice, but she is not exactly a dancer. The story of this extremely hopeful young woman unfolds in black-and-white as she passionately pursues dreams that might not be so realistic.

7. 'Gravity'

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney struggle with the crushing solitude of space after a shuttle disaster sends them spinning into nothingness. The film works to capture the raw fear that astronauts face in space travel and remains visually breathtaking all the while, recalling Tarantino's own consistently stunning cinematography.

8. 'Kick-Ass 2'

This sequel to the film about a team of self-made superheroes adds Jim Carrey to the cast. The growing band of righteous vigilantes faces a major threat in a similarly expanding legion of antiheroes. The opposing sides duke it out while avoiding a police force that has been instructed to pursue all vigilantes regardless of allegiance. Stylized violence a-la-Tarantino abounds.

9. 'The Lone Ranger'

A renegade Comanche and masked lawman fight overwhelming injustice in Gore Verbinski's retelling of this Western. With possibly supernatural forces on their side, the odd duo track down a notorious outlaw who attempted to kill the masked rider before his heroic transformation. While many were surprised that this remake made Tarantino's list, it seems that Tarantino's love of Westerns (and exploitation films) got the best of him.

10. 'This Is The End'

A group of actors play exaggerated versions of themselves hiding out in James Franco's mansion while the end of times occurs. Tons of celebrity cameos and the outrageous antics of the gang of Hollywood buddies make this apocalyptic flick extremely entertaining and earned it the closing spot in Tarantino's list.