2025 NBA Free Agency: Top 10 Players Available

Luxury tax concerns are looming large over the flurry of major NBA trades we've seen over the past couple of weeks. The other, far less discussed factor behind these potentially league-altering moves is just how barren this year's free agency class is. You would be hard pressed to find a class in recent history that has as little juice as this one. There's arguably not a single max level player in the bunch and a couple of the more exciting players that were expected to hit the market (Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams) have already re-upped with the Rockets. Of the group that is hitting the market, the most appealing players largely consist of high-end role players and young guys with upside that could take a step forward on their second contract. Here are my picks for the 10 best players hitting the market on Monday.   

(Note: LeBron James, James Harden and Julius Randle were all excluded from the list as they're expected to remain with their current teams)

10.Bobby Portis, power forward (2024-25 team: Milwaukee Bucks)

A unique combination of board-getting/post-scoring bully and talented outside shooter, Portis is a solid veteran role player whose game should age well as he moves into his early 30's.

9.Kelly Oubre Jr., shooting guard (2024-25 team: Philadelphia 76ers)

One of the closest things that resembled a bright spot for the 76ers during their nightmare 2024-25 campaign was the steadiness that Oubre Jr. brought to the floor every time he was out there (he played in 60 games, which was shockingly the 3rd most of any player on a roster that had more guys in street clothes than in uniform on the bench most nights). While his status as a pretty poor outside shooter will definitely limit his market to an extent, he's a willing mid-range shooter/slasher to the basket who just so happens to be coming off the best shooting season of his career (47%) and underrated defender who has a good track record of disrupting passing lanes and forcing guards/wings into tough shots.  

8.Ty Jerome, point/shooting guard (2024-25 team: Cleveland Cavaliers)

Jerome finally came into his own under the tutelage of Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland last year, emerging as a high-end sixth man who could score efficiently and facilitate when called upon. As ideal as a return to the Cavs would be for both parties, it's very possible that he'll be too expensive to retain in this tricky apron-era of the NBA and will have to hope that he can continue to make a big impact off the bench elsewhere.      

7.Cam Thomas, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Brooklyn Nets)

Are Thomas' numbers inflated from being on a terrible Nets team? No question. But anybody who has seen this kid play know that his ability to be a bulk scorer would translate to any offense and that will make him a valuable asset on the market, especially since he'll come relatively cheap given that this will only be his second contract in the pros.  

6.Jonathan Kuminga, small/power forward (2024-25 team: Golden State Warriors)

There is a level of risk that comes with bringing Kuminga into the fold as he's kind of the NBA's poster boy for untapped potential right now. He seemingly gets banged up every season and his relationship with Steve Kerr has reportedly been quite poor, which inevitably raises questions about the 22-year old's attitude. However, Kuminga's youth and the eye-popping flashes he's shown-particularly on the offensive end-make him a really appealing dice roll option for a really well-coached team that's hoping to add young talent to their roster.      

5.Brook Lopez, center (2024-25 team: Milwaukee Bucks)

At 37 going on 38, Lopez is unquestionably in the final act of his sneaky great NBA career. His shot-blocking prowess and perimeter-driven offensive game has allowed him to remain a valuable starter into his late 30's and with his 7-year tenure with the Bucks likely coming to an end as their championship window appears to have closed for good now that Damian Lillard is out indefinitely after suffering an Achillies tear in their first round playoff series against the Pacers in April, he should have no problem landing with a contender that will allow him to pursue his second ring. 

4.Malik Beasley, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Detroit Pistons)

Journeyman sharpshooter Beasley had his best season since 2020-21 with the Wolves in 2024-25 with the Pistons, settling in nicely to his role as a spark scorer off the bench for a young team that really benefitted from having an elite 3-point shooter around. Beasley's lack of contributions outside of shooting from beyond the arc and erratic play in a higher leverage role in the 2 seasons prior to last year could affect the size of his market, but any team looking to add a pure shooter to their rotation should definitely consider taking a serious look at him.  

3.Naz Reid, power forward/center (2024-25 team: Minnesota Timberwolves)

Reid is one of the best bucket-getting big men in the league and really the only thing holding him back at this juncture are the continued questions about whether or not he's a strong enough defender to go from his current sixth man role to a full-time starter. If he's adamant about becoming a starter, it'll have to be outside of the Wolves organization since Julius Randle is expected to return as of now, and despite his continued struggles defending outside of the paint, Rudy Gobert is too valuable of a rim protector to ride the bench.  

2.Josh Giddey, point/shooting guard (2024-25 team: Chicago Bulls)

There's a 0% chance that this Bulls team as currently constructed would be eager to let go of one of the pieces they envision as leading their young corps alongside Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Matas Buzelis, especially considering how good Giddey played once Zach LaVine was traded to the Kings in early February. That being said, this free agent class is so thin that it's not inconceivable that some team will come in and ink Giddey-who boasts elite size, playmaking skills and outside shotmaking ability for a point guard that should only continue to get better as he gets more experience under his belt-to the type of absurdly high offer sheet that the Bulls won't have the stomach to match. For the sake of preserving whatever optimism exists in their currently murky future, Bulls fans have to hope that this scenario doesn't play out and Giddey remains with the team.     

1.Myles Turner, center (2024-25 team: Indiana Pacers)

There's a massive gap between Turner and everyone else in this free agency class. The veteran big man who has spent his entire 10-year career to this point with the Pacers is firmly in his prime at 29, has the defensive versatility to guard multiple positions from the rim all the way out to the perimeter and recently added a lethal 3-point shot (39.6% this season) that has turned him into a really strong, floor-stretching secondary scoring option on a near nightly basis. If he elects to seriously consider leaving the Pacers, there should be a healthy number of teams vying for his services.         

Other Notable Players Available: 

Al Horford, power forward/center (2024-25 team: Boston Celtics)

Amir Coffey, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Los Angeles Clippers)

Ben Simmons, point guard (2024-25 teams: Brooklyn Nets/Los Angeles Clippers)

Bruce Brown, point/shooting guard (2024-25 teams: Toronto Raptors/New Orleans Pelicans)

Cameron Payne, point guard (2024-25 team: New York Knicks)

Caris LeVert, shooting guard/small forward (2024-25 teams: Cleveland Cavaliers/Atlanta Hawks)

Chris Boucher, power forward (2024-25 team: Toronto Raptors)

Chris Paul, point guard (2024-25 team: San Antonio Spurs)

Clint Capela, center (2024-25 team: Atlanta Hawks)

D'Angelo Russell, point/shooting guard (2024-25 teams: Los Angeles Lakers/Brooklyn Nets)

Dalano Banton, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Portland Trail Blazers)

Davion Mitchell, point/shooting guard (2024-25 teams: Toronto Raptors/Miami Heat)

Dennis Schroder, point guard (2024-25 teams: Brooklyn Nets/Golden State Warriors/Detroit Pistons)

Dorian Finney-Smith, small/power forward (2024-25 teams: Brooklyn Nets/Los Angeles Lakers)

Gary Payton II, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Golden State Warriors)

Gary Trent Jr., shooting guard (2024-25 team: Milwaukee Bucks)

Guerschon Yabusele, power forward (2024-25 team: Philadelphia 76ers)

Jae'Sean Tate, small/power forward (2024-25 team: Houston Rockets)

Jake LaRavia, power forward (2024-25 team: Memphis Grizzlies/Sacramento Kings)

Jaxson Hayes, center (2024-25 team: Los Angeles Lakers)

Keon Ellis, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Sacramento Kings)

Kevin Porter Jr., point/shooting guard (2024-25 teams: Los Angeles Clippers/Milwaukee Bucks)

Kevon Looney, power forward/center (2024-25 team: Golden State Warriors)

Larry Nance Jr., power forward (2024-25 team: Atlanta Hawks)

Luke Kennard, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Memphis Grizzlies)

Luke Kornet, center (2024-25 team: Boston Celtics)

Malcolm Brogdon, point/shooting guard (2024-25 team: Washington Wizards)

Mo Wagner, power forward/center (2024-25 team: Orlando Magic)

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, point/shooting guard (2024-25 team: Minnesota Timberwolves)

Paul Reed, center (2024-25 team: Detroit Pistons)

Precious Achiuwa, center (2024-25 team: New York Knicks)

Quentin Grimes, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Dallas Mavericks/Philadelphia 76ers)

Russell Westbrook, point/shooting guard (2024-25 team: Denver Nuggets)

Sam Merrill, shooting guard (2024-25 team: Cleveland Cavailers)

Santiago Aldama, power forward/center (2024-25 team: Memphis Grizzlies)

Spencer Dinwiddie, point/shooting guard (2024-25 team: Dallas Mavericks)

Talen Horton-Tucker, small/power forward (2024-25 team: Chicago Bulls)

Taurean Prince, small/power forward (2024-25 team: Milwaukee Bucks)

Tim Hardaway Jr., shooting guard (2024-25 team: Detroit Pistons)

Tre Jones, point guard (2024-25 teams: San Antonio Spurs/Chicago Bulls)

Tyus Jones, point guard (2024-25 team: Phoenix Suns)

2025 NBA Mock Draft

The 2025 NBA Draft is here! For the first time in league history, it'll be a two-night event with the first round taking place tonight beginning at 8 PM EST and the second round taking place tomorrow night with the same 8 PM EST start time. Outside of potential superstars Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper being locked in as the top 2 picks, there's an intriguing amount of mystery surrounding this polarizing class of prospects that could very well intensify if, yet another big trade goes down before the start of or during the festivities tonight. Here are the 59 names I expect to be called over the next two nights as of 10:15 AM EST on the 25th.  

1st round:

1.Dallas Mavericks: Cooper Flagg, forward/guard (Duke)

2.San Antoino Spurs: Dylan Harper, guard (Rutgers)

3.Philadelphia 76ers: V.J. Edgecombe, guard (Baylor)

4.Charlotte Hornets: Tre Johnson, guard (Texas)

5.Utah Jazz: Jeremiah Fears, guard (Oklahoma)

6.Washington Wizards: Kon Knueppel, forward/guard (Duke)

7.New Orleans Pelicans: Ace Bailey, forward (Rutgers)

8.Brooklyn Nets: Khaman Maluach, center (Duke)

9.Toronto Raptors: Kasparas Jakucionis, guard (Illinois) 

10.Phoenix Suns: Derik Queen, center/forward (Maryland)

11.Portland Trail Blazers: Egor Demin, guard (BYU)

12.Chicago Bulls: Danny Wolf, forward (Michigan)

13.Atlanta Hawks: Carter Bryant, forward (Arizona) 

14.San Antonio Spurs: Collin Murray-Boyles, forward (South Carolina)

15.Oklahoma City Thunder:  Thomas Sorber, center (Georgetown)

16.Memphis Grizzlies: Asa Newell, forward (Georgia)

17.Minnesota Timberwolves: Jase Richardson, guard (Michigan State)

18.Washington Wizards: Noa Essengue, center/forward (Ratiopharm Ulm)

19.Brooklyn Nets: Cedric Coward, guard (Washington State) 

20.Miami Heat: Liam McNeeley, forward (UConn)

21.Utah Jazz: Nique Clifford, guard/forward (Colorado State)

22.Brooklyn Nets: Walter Clayton Jr., guard (Florida)

23.New Orleans Pelicans: Joan Berringer, center/forward (Cedevita)

24.Oklahoma City Thunder: Nolan Traore, guard (Saint-Quentin)

25.Orlando Magic: Maxime Raynaud, center (Stanford)

26.Brooklyn Nets: Robert Fleming, forward (Saint Joseph's)

27.Brooklyn Nets: Drake Powell, guard/forward (North Carolina)

28.Boston Celtics: Hugo Gonzalez, forward (Real Madrid)

29.Phoenix Suns: Will Riley, forward (Illinois)

30.Los Angeles Clippers: Ben Saraf, guard (Ratipharm Ulm)

2nd Round:

31.Minnesota Timberwolves: Tyrese Proctor, guard (Duke)

32.Boston Celtics: Ryan Kalkbrenner, center (Creighton)

33.Charlotte Hornets: Yanic Konan Niederhauser, center (Penn State)

34.Charlotte Hornets: Adou Thiero, forward (Arkansas)

35.Philadelphia 76ers: John Tonje, guard (Wisconsin)

36.Brooklyn Nets: Alex Toohey, forward (Sydney Kings)

37.Detroit Pistons: Jamir Watkins, forward (Florida State)

38.San Antonio Spurs: Noah Penda, forward (Le Mans Sarthe)

39.Toronto Raptors: Chaz Lanier, guard (Tennessee) 

40.Washington Wizards: Rocco Zikarsky, center (Brisbane Bullets)

41.Golden State Warriors: Johni Broome, forward/center (Auburn)

42.Sacramento Kings: Dink Pate, guard/forward (Mexico City Capitanes)

43.Utah Jazz: Brice Williams, forward/guard (Nebraska)

44.Oklahoma City Thunder:  Yang Hansen, center (Qingdao Eagles) 

45.Chicago Bulls: Kam Jones, guard (Marquette) 

46.Orlando Magic: Alijah Martin, guard (Florida)

47.Milwaukee Bucks: Javon Small, guard (West Virginia)

48.Memphis Grizzlies: Max Shulga, guard (VCU)

49.Cleveland Cavaliers: Bogoljub Markovic, forward (Mega Basket)

50.New York Knicks: Sion James, guard (Duke)

51.Los Angeles Clippers: Brooks Barnhizer, guard/forward (Northwestern)

52.Phoenix Suns: Ryan Nembhard, guard (Gonzaga)

53.Utah Jazz: Lachlan Olbrich, forward/center (Illawarra Hawks)

54.Indiana Pacers: Hunter Sallis, guard (Wake Forest)

55.Los Angeles Lakers: Tamar Bates, guard (Missouri)

56.Memphis Grizzlies: Eric Dixon, forward (Villanova)

57.Orlando Magic: Micah Peavy, guard/forward (Georgetown)

58.Cleveland Cavaliers: Vlad Goldin, center (Michigan)

59.Houston Rockets: Amari Williams, center (Kentucky)

Brad Pitt Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Brad Pitt-whose latest project "F1" opens in theaters Thursday. 

Brad Pitt's Filmography Ranked:

29.The Tree of Life (F)

28.Ocean's Twelve (D-)

27.The Counselor (D+)

26.Allied (C-)

25.The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (C-)

24.Killing Them Softly (C-)

23.Mr. & Mrs. Smith (C)

22.Burn After Reading (C+)

21.Megamind (B-)

20.Fury (B-)

19.The Lost City (B)

18.Kalifornia (B)

17.World War Z (B)

16.12 Years a Slave (B)

15.Ad Astra (B)

14.Thelma & Louise (B)

13.Ocean's Thirteen (B+)

12.12 Monkeys (B+)

11.The Big Short (B+)

10.Bullet Train (B+)

9.Babylon (B+)

8.Seven (A-)

7.True Romance (A-)

6.Moneyball (A)

5.Ocean's Eleven (A)

4.Inglorious Basterds (A)

3.Once Upon a Time in Hollywood... (A)

2.Snatch (A+)

1.Fight Club (A+)

Top Dog: Fight Club (1999)

As great as Seven is, I think Fight Club is the film where David Fincher really became the filmmaking legend that he is known as today. Fight Club doesn't just beautifully capture the tricky darkly comedic tone and biting takedown of toxic masculinity that drives Chuck Palahniuk's novel, it has sharper teeth and more laughs than its brilliant source material. This would've been brutally butchered in the hands of most directors, so it's really a miracle that Fincher was the one who ended up handling the adaptation.    

Bottom Feeder: The Tree of Life (2011)

Many of the movies the I considered to be the worst I've ever seen are films with high artistic ambitions. There's just something that I find to be really obnoxious and grating about movies that masquerade as having something to profound to say, but at the end of the day, are more about the director stroking their ego than delivering a story that has any real weight behind it. With the possible exception of Alfonso Cuaron's Roma, no film has embodied this tiny sliver of the cinematic landscape better than The Tree of Life. It took no more than 20 minutes for me to begin losing my mind over the seemingly endless parade of naval-gazing trash that Terrence Malick put into this non-linear wankfest that ponders what the up-and-down life of an ordinary American family (Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Hunter McCracken, Tye Sheridan, Laramie Eppler) circa the 1950/60's means in the grand scheme of this centuries-old planet we call Earth. Being exposed to Sean Penn's-who plays the present day (2010) version of McCraken's character-droning voiceovers, the seemingly endless supply of unbroken nature shots that appear damn near every time the camera leaves the O'Brien family home and countless arguments between Pitt and Chastain had me on the verge of having a mental breakdown by the end of this grueling 139-minute feature. If presented with the choice of watching The Tree of Life again or sawing one of my arms off, I'd think long and hard about the pros and cons of going through life with one arm.      

Most Underrated: Ocean's Thirteen (2007)

While I considered going with Damien Chazelle's polarizing, misunderstood Hollywood takedown/love letter Babylon here, the film has gained such a strong cult following among cinephiles that calling it underrated feels a bit disingenuous. This left only one real strong choice among the films in Pitt's filmography that I've seen: Ocean's Thirteen. The finale of Steven Soderbergh's caper trilogy took the series back to its slick, effective heist comedy basics after the uh, experimental failure of Ocean's Twelve and what do you know, the Hollywood blockbuster magic that drove the first installment came rushing back. It's nearly as cool as Ocean's Eleven, Al Pacino has a blast chewing up the scenery as the dickhead casino baron who becomes the latest target of our lovable thief heroes and the execution of the big heist/scheme in the final act is impeccable. When WB inevitably returns to the Ocean's well within the next 5-10 years, I'll be crossing my fingers that they can at least get back to this level (Ocean's 8 is a worthy addition to the franchise, it just didn't match the juice that this one and Ocean's Eleven have).     

Most Overrated: The Tree of Life (2011)

Given the muted reception to the 5 films (To the Wonder, Knight of Cups, Song to Song, Voyage of Time, A Hidden Life) he's released since and the seemingly eternal post-production process of his 11th film The Way of the Wind, The Tree of Life will be in all likelihood be the last time that Terrence Malick-who will turn 82 in late November-has a film be nominated for Best Picture. If I was a time traveler who decided to misuse this perpetually coveted piece of hypothetical technology to establish the least harmful, lowest stakes dictatorship in the history of the world by installing myself as the sole Oscar voter, I would begin my regime in the fall of 2011 in order to ensure that The Thin Red Line was Malick's most recent Oscar nominated film. Fuck The Tree of Life!!!!!!     

2025 NFL Position Rankings: Top 50 Cornerbacks

()=2024 ranking

+=Unranked or ineligible in 2024

50.(50) Tyson Campbell (Jaguars)

49.(47) Kader Kohou (Dolphins)

48.(+) Jaylon Jones (Colts)

47.(+) Mike Sainristil (Commanders)

46.(26) Paulson Adebo (Giants)

45.(32) Brandon Stephens (Jets)

44.(31) Jonathan Jones (Commanders)

43.(+) Tykee Smith (Buccaneers)

42.(+) Nate Wiggins (Ravens)

41.(+) Andru Phillips (Giants)

40.(+) Mike Hughes (Falcons)

39.(+) Jourdan Lewis (Jaguars)

38.(+) Kristian Fulton (Chiefs)

37.(35) Nate Hobbs (Packers)

36.(18) Trevon Diggs (Cowboys)

35.(16) Darious Williams (Rams)

34.(+) Kamari Lassiter (Texans)

33.(+) Tarheeb Still (Chargers)

32.(45) Tariq Woolen (Seahawks)

31.(14) Mike Hilton (Free Agent)

30.(38) Jaycee Horn (Panthers)

29.(24) Taron Johnson (Bills)

28.(27) Darius Slay (Steelers)

27.(+) Zyon McCollum (Buccaneers)

26.(+) Quinyon Mitchell (Eagles)

25.(+) Kyler Gordon (Bears)

24.(+) Garrett Williams (Cardinals)

23.(+) Cooper DeJean (Eagles)

22.(20) Marshon Lattimore (Commanders)

21.(33) Carlton Davis (Patriots)

20.(25) Deommodore Lenoir (49ers)

19.(+) Byron Murphy Jr. (Vikings)

18.(19) Denzel Ward (Browns)

17.(2) Charvarius Ward (Colts)

16.(3) Jaire Alexander (Ravens)

15.(17) Jamel Dean (Buccaneers)

14.(13) A.J. Terrell (Falcons)

13.(11) Kenny Moore (Colts)

12.(7) DaRon Bland (Cowboys)

11.(34) Derek Stingley Jr. (Texans)

10.(23) Devon Witherspoon (Seahawks)

9.(+) Christian Gonzalez (Patriots)

8.(28) Christian Benford (Bills)

7.(10) D.J. Reed (Lions)

6.(6) Jaylon Johnson (Bears)

5.(1) Sauce Gardner (Jets)

4.(21) Marlon Humphrey (Ravens)

3.(4) Jalen Ramsey (Dolphins)

2.(8) Trent McDuffie (Chiefs)

1.(5) Patrick Surtain II (Broncos)

2025 NFL Position Rankings: Top 35 Inside Linebackers

()=2024 ranking

+=Unranked or ineligible in 2024

35.(31) Micah McFadden (Giants)

34.(26) Elandon Roberts (Raiders)

33.(33) Azeez Al-Shaair (Texans)

32.(35) Zaire Franklin (Colts)

31.(10) Ernest Jones (Seahawks)

30.(15) Patrick Queen (Steelers)

29.(+) Daiyan Henley (Chargers)

28.(+) Edgerrin Cooper (Packers)

27.(+) Dre Greenlaw (Broncos)

26.(+) Nakobe Dean (Eagles)

25.(+) Jamien Sherwood (Jets)

24.(+) Jack Campbell (Lions)

23.(24) Tyrel Dodson (Dolphins)

22.(18) Jordan Hicks (Browns)

21.(+) Drue Tranquill (Chiefs)

20.(14) Frankie Luvu (Commanders)

19.(20) Robert Spillane (Patriots)

18.(+) Jordyn Brooks (Dolphins)

17.(11) Foyesade Oluokoun (Jaguars)

16.(19) Blake Cashman (Vikings)

15.(12) Quincy Williams (Jets)

14.(5) Matt Milano (Bills)

13.(+) T.J. Edwards (Bears)

12.(13) Kaden Elliss (Falcons)

11.(22) Devin Lloyd (Jaguars)

10.(+) Pete Werner (Saints)

9.(21) Logan Wilson (Bengals)

8.(8) Bobby Okereke (Giants)

7.(6) Lavonte David (Buccaneers)

6.(7) Nick Bolton (Chiefs)

5.(2) Roquan Smith (Ravens)

4.(3) Demario Davis (Saints)

3.(+) Zack Baun (Eagles)

2.(4) Bobby Wagner (Commanders)

1.(1) Fred Warner (49ers)

2025 NFL Position Rankings: Top 35 Outside Linebackers

()=2024 ranking

+=Unranked or ineligible in 2024

35.(+) Arnold Ebiketie (Falcons)

34.(+) Pat Jones II (Panthers)

33.(+) Anfernee Jennings (Patriots)

32.(25) Uchenna Nwosu (Seahawks)

31.(+) Keion White (Patriots)

30.(+) Chop Robinson (Dolphins)

29.(+) Kayvon Thibodeaux (Giants)

28.(34) Byron Young (Rams)

27.(13) Bryce Huff (49ers)

26.(+) Leonard Floyd (Falcons)

25.(+) Nick Herbig (Steelers)

24.(+) Alex Anzalone (Lions)

23.(32) Zaven Collins (Cardinals)

22.(7) Jaelan Phillips (Dolphins)

21.(22) Boye Mafe (Seahawks)

20.(29) Arden Key (Titans)

19.(31) Tuli Tuipulotu (Chargers)

18.(33) Yaya Diaby (Buccaneers)

17.(+) Nolan Smith (Eagles)

16.(21) Harold Landry (Patriots)

15.(+) Haason Reddick (Buccaneers)

14.(+) DeMarcus Lawrence (Seahawks)

13.(+) Jonathon Cooper (Broncos)

12.(15) Odafe Oweh (Ravens)

11.(14) Josh Sweat (Cardinals)

10.(+) Nik Bonitto (Broncos)

9.(10) Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings)

8.(+) Jared Verse (Rams)

7.(5) Bradley Chubb (Dolphins)

6.(19) Kyle Van Noy (Ravens)

5.(+) Brian Burns (Giants)

4.(3) Alex Highsmith (Steelers)

3.(9) Jonathan Greenard (Vikings)

2.(2) Khalil Mack (Chargers)

1.(1) T.J. Watt (Steelers)

Danny Boyle Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked", a weekly series where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out assorted related superlatives. This week, I'm profiling the work of Danny Boyle-whose latest project "28 Years Later" releases in theaters Thursday. 

Danny Boyle's Filmography Ranked:

9.Sunshine (D+)

8.Shallow Grave (C)

7.Slumdog Millionaire (C+)

6.Trance (B)

5.T2: Trainspotting (B)

4.127 Hours (B+)

3.Steve Jobs (B+)

2.Trainspotting (A)

1.28 Days Later (A+)

Top Dog: 28 Days Later (2002)

Saying that 28 Days Later opened my eyes to the morbid pleasures of the horror genre would be disingenuous since I didn't develop a real appreciation for the genre until roughly a decade ago, but it certainly left a huge impression on me nonetheless and remains my favorite horror movie. Between the "zombies" that are basically rabies-infected humans with heightened speed, agility, etc., Boyle's atmospheric direction and the really grainy way in which it was shot (RIP charming low-resolution early 2000's digital video cameras), there's a really urgent, visceral and hopeless terror on display in nearly every frame here that is unlike anything else I've ever seen from the genre. If Boyle and Alex Garland's return to the franchise they birthed can deliver even half of the unrelenting terror that occupies 28 Days Later, 28 Years Later will go down as a major win.          

Bottom Feeder: Sunshine (2007)

Sunshine has plenty of fans out there that like to make their voices particularly heard whenever the opportunity to lament Chris Evans' choice of projects over the past 15 years arises (which is far more often than you would think!). I am not among them. Unlike Boyle and Garland's work on 28 Days Later, Sunshine fails to generate much tension or excitement and instead just kind of plods along with convoluted sci-fi mindfuck nonsense until it reaches an absolutely laughable conclusion. 

Most Underrated: Steve Jobs (2015)

Steve Jobs is Aaron Sorkin at his most unapologetically indulgent and an entire movie built around stereotypical Sorkinism's (snappy dialogue, long monologues, smug characters) will naturally beat some people down to the point where they're deeply annoyed or completely checked out by the end. As a fan of most of his work, I found Steve Jobs to be a great vessel for Sorkin's writing. The three-act play (each scene-taking place in 1984, 1988 and 1998 respectively-unfolds in real time in a single location on a single day) structure of the narrative is a creative way to examine who Jobs was, the performances (Michael Fassbender as Jobs, Kate Winslet as Apple marketing executive/Jobs' top confidant Joanna Hoffman, Seth Rogen as Apple co-founder/top programmer Steve Wozniak, Jeff Daniels as original Apple CEO John Sculley, Michael Stuhlbarg as Apple/Mac engineer Andy Hertzfeld, Katherine Waterston as Jobs' ex-girlfriend/mother of his daughter Lisa Chrisann Brennan) are outstanding across the board and Boyle's direction is steady enough to make it feel cinematic enough where the onslaught of long conversations/arguments that Sorkin writes don't feel like they're part of a stage performance.        

Most Overrated: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Outside of The Artist, there has not been a more forgettable Best Picture winner in the past 20 years than Slumdog Millionaire. The only things I remember about this movie are the plot having something to do with a poor kid cheating on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, the "Jai Ho" song that won the Oscar for Best Original Song, the backlash it was met with for its depiction of poor people in India and it being the first time I saw Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto in anything. Other than that, this movie kind of just exists in the ether for me and I'm not really all that interested in seeing if a rewatch intensifies my feelings towards it one way or the other.