I made it a point to have the word “favorite” in the title of this post because I think ranking Sam Fuller’s “best” movies would shape up a little differently. If you’re interested in how I’d rank them under that banner, I made a list of just that on my Letterboxd account. I also made an expanded version of this list of favorites that includes all of his films, for those who are interested to see what’s beyond the #10 spot.
Any list is highly subjective to the person making it, though, so take my rankings with a grain of salt and definitely check the films out for yourself. I know that Sam Fuller is a bit of a “hit and miss” director with a lot of people, but his films deserve to be seen and you just might be one of the ones that loves his work.
So without further ado, here’s my favorite Sam Fuller movies! (Which was quite the hard list to make, considering how much I adore so many of his films.)
#10 Verboten! (1959)
Reviewed December 10, 2010
I shuffled films in and out of this spot a lot while making the list, but I ultimately decided on Verboten! for a couple of reasons. First: I love it. When I put it up alongside the other Fuller films that missed the cut, I always came back to how much I was moved by Verboten! and how much it had stayed with me since watching it almost three years ago. Its use of stock footage — primarily Fuller’s own footage of the liberation of the Falkenau concentration camp — is incredible and lends the film a level of undeniable reality. The other reason I picked Verboten! is because I’ve never once heard anyone talk about this film, and it’s far too good to go unnoticed.
#9 Pickup on South Street (1953)
Reviewed May 4, 2010
Pickup on South Street was the first Fuller film I reviewed for Silver Emulsion, kicking off what would eventually become this series. Widely hailed as one of his best films, Pickup on South Street is an expertly shot film noir that showcases Fuller’s impressive ability to use his camera to tell the story. Just the opening montage alone is worthy of careful dissection and discussion. Obviously, I like a lot of other Fuller films better, but this one is a perfect jumping-off point for anyone interested in seeing what Sam Fuller is all about.