Zack Snyder: Ranking the Films of Zack Snyder

Anders’s Ranking

1. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Departing from the critical consensus, I consider BvS among the very best superhero films of the last decade. In my initial Letterboxd reaction I called it “a mad, grand, comic book fantasia,” but had some reservations. Those reservations have faded and my admiration for the film has only grown over time. BvS showcases the best of Snyder’s visual talents along with his flair for the melodramatic.

2. Watchmen (2009)

That Watchmen manages to bring together so many of the layered and varied details of Moore and Gibbons’ book and remain a coherent critique and celebration of the superhero is a testament to Snyder’s skill. A remarkable accomplishment. 

3. 300 (2007)

A visually stunning work that is especially notable for its pioneering work recreating the mythos of Ancient Sparta on the digital backlot. People have fretted over the content, particularly the political ramifications of a story that is in moments hyper-masculine, homoerotic, and/or proto-fascistic depending on your perspective, but ultimately the power of the film is in its form and how damn cool it looks: the medium is the message.

4. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

So much better than the initial watered-down cut of the film. Enter this epic—one of the few superhero films that earns that designation in terms of both length and ambition—as exhibit one in “superhero film as auteur-driven work.”

5. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

One of the better zombie films in recent memory, Snyder’s take honours the Romero original in the details and minutiae of survival horror in a shopping mall while upping the ante and stakes of the situation. Has a great cast (including Ving Rhames and Sarah Polley), and one of the most memorable opening credits of the early 2000s.

6. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)

Really shows how sturdy Snyder’s understanding of genre is and confirms his unironic embrace of heroism and sacrifice in this take on the YA animal adventure genre.

7. Man of Steel (2013)

Snyder’s first foray into the DC Extended Universe offers some interesting new takes on Superman’s origin, especially in its portrayal of Krypton as straight out of Golden Era space opera; it dips in quality as its second half descends into action chaos—though his take on the destruction of Metropolis would plant seeds that would bear fruit in BvS.

8. Sucker Punch (2011)

The first of Snyder’s films that I’d say is a failure. While one may be tempted to embrace its geek culture pastiche as a critique of misogyny in that same cultural milieu and a celebration of the power of imagination, Snyder isn’t suited to deliver the critique: he still believes geek culture has power on its own merits.

9. Army of the Dead (2021)

Sadly, Snyder’s worst film is his most recent. While not entirely without interest (zombie tigers, heist film trappings), its bloat does it no favours, while it is also visually muddled and narratively inert.

Anton’s Ranking

1. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

My review examines the Snyder Cut as the culmination of developments in the superhero genre over the past decade. In short: “Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the best superhero team epic—and the last one I’ll need to see, at least for a good while.”

2. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Most days, as when I wrote my review, this is my favourite zombie movie. It’s a supreme exercise in efficient storytelling and ratcheting up tension, as well as a superior debut film.

3. 300 (2007)

Formal perfection, such that it remains, over a decade and a half later, a stylistic touchstone in modern moviemaking. 300 is basically as highly rated as a movie can get in my books without me wholly admiring the themes and message.

4. Watchmen (2009)

Holds up as one of the best adaptations of an individual comic book work, especially considering the calibre and significance of the source material. Contains many great moments and few missteps.

5. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

A superhero fever dream, BvS is at turns dystopian and melodramatic, sombre and silly, brilliant and crass. In spite of my varied appreciation for different aspects of the film, at its best, BvS is a cut above the genre, mainly for its electric energy, grandiosity, and daring.

6. Man of Steel (2013)

As I explain in my review, Man of Steel contains moments that are among the most touching, deeply felt, and insightful in any superhero film, but there are also too many excessive action sequences (mostly in the last third) and some missteps with the characters.

7. Sucker Punch (2011)

Is it a fantasy or satire of the Gnosticism of 21st-century pop geek culture? The film seems to argue that sexual exploitation onscreen and female empowerment narratives about “kick-ass girls” are both forms of misogynist control. I think there are more layers of meaning in the film and that the satire goes deeper than most would credit it, but I’m still working out an analysis.

8. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)

Visually stylish and shockingly violent for a YA animated movie, but also exceptionally conventional in its storytelling. Nevertheless, I appreciate the thematic attack on technocratic domination.

9. Army of the Dead (2021)

I’m still not convinced this is more than an indulgent, over-stuffed mash-up of zombie mythology and action heist conventions, but I could be wrong. 

Aren’s Ranking

1. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

BvS is the purest distillation of Snyder’s vision of on-screen action and heroic sacrifice. Initially, I thought it was a film of astounding vision held down by some cumbersome narrative choices. Now, I’m convinced it’s the best superhero film since The Dark Knight Rises.

2. 300 (2007)

As I note in my review, 300 is a “heavy-metal fever dream” with a hyper-masculine approach that borders on camp, but it’s as thrilling an action film as we’ve seen in the digital era.

3. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Snyder takes his sweet time and delivers the definitive superhero team-up film. His Justice League is cosmic in scale, but the long running time and effective narrative structure allow Snyder and company to deliver affecting character moments in addition to stunning action.

4. Watchmen (2009)

Ambitious and perhaps too faithful to the visual style of the comic book, Snyder’s Watchmen nevertheless captures the complex narrative arcs, challenging themes, and elegant and fatalistic message of Alan Moore’s work, while delivering some of Moore’s critique of superheroes in ways that can only be done in the movies.

5. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

As fast and ferocious as its zombies. This is lean, tense, and effective action horror storytelling.

6. Man of Steel (2013)

Touching in its gentlest moments, deadening in its largest, Man of Steel is both the most intimate portrait of Superman on screen, and the most alienating.

7. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)

Snyder transposes his slow-mo action and heroic storytelling to a conventional children’s fantasy narrative. As I point out in my review, the visuals and themes are as unique to Snyder as in any film in its oeuvre, but there’s very little about the story that surprises and would make the film more than a solid fantasy adventure for kids.

8. Army of the Dead (2021)

Snyder’s zombie heist epic is most interesting when it explores its complex zombie mythology and avoids action clichés, which abound during its overlong runtime.

9. Sucker Punch (2011)

There might be a more coherent and inspired satire of Hollywood’s use of women on screen here than I give it credit for having, but I’m currently unconvinced by the film’s stale imagery, lame soundtrack choices, and confusing nesting-doll structure.

Related Posts