Michael Phillips (critic)


Michael Phillips is an American film critic for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Previously he was the drama critic of the Tribune; the Los Angeles Times; the St. Paul Pioneer Press; The San Diego Union-Tribune; and the Dallas Times Herald.
Phillips was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin and spent most of his early years in Racine. From 2006 through August 2008, he appeared frequently on At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper, first as one of numerous guest critics filling in for the late Roger Ebert while he was on medical leave, and becoming a semipermanent cohost with Richard Roeper in the months before Roeper and Ebert ended their association with the series. On August 5, 2009, Phillips was hired along with New York Times critic A.O. Scott to replace hosts Ben Lyons and Ben Mankiewicz.
More recently Phillips has introduced dozens of films as a guest host of Turner Classic Movies in 2011, 2013, 2016 and early 2017. He appears regularly on the Filmspotting podcast, and hosts a series of programs celebrating movie music titled "The Film Score" for WFMT-FM.

Top ten lists

Each year, Phillips prepares a list of the top ten films of the year. In 2009, he also made a list for the decade.
Year#1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10
2005CapoteKing KongThe Three Burials of Melquiades EstradaNuit noire 17 octobre 1961The 40-Year-Old VirginThe Squid and the WhaleJunebugLe Grand VoyagePride and PrejudiceBrokeback Mountain
2006ClimatesUnited 93Little ChildrenThe Death of Mr. LazarescuLetters from Iwo JimaBoratThe War TapesCasino RoyaleThe QueenCaché
2007OnceThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 DaysRatatouilleThere Will Be BloodNo End in SightMargot at the WeddingThe Bourne UltimatumThe Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordKnocked Up and Juno
2008WALL-EThe ClassA Christmas TaleLet the Right One InThe Flight of the Red BalloonAlexandraMan on WireSnow AngelsStill LifeThe Dark Knight
2009UpWhere the Wild Things AreOf Time and the CityThe Hurt LockerA Serious ManAdventurelandA Single ManSugarIn the LoopMe and Orson Welles
2000sThere Will Be BloodRatatouilleClimatesOnceY Tu Mamá TambiénZodiacUnited 93Mulholland DriveGosford ParkMinority Report
2010The Kids are All RightThe Secret in Their EyesBoxing GymLast Train HomeGreenbergCarlosThe Social NetworkThe King's SpeechThe Ghost WriterThe Fighter
2011PoetryMoneyballCertified CopyThe DescendantsThe InterruptersGuy and Madeline on a Park BenchA SeparationThe Tree of LifeTinker Tailor Soldier SpyWeekend
2012Zero Dark ThirtyLincolnOnce Upon a Time in AnatoliaThe MasterAmourChico and RitaThe Color WheelSearching for Sugar ManFlightMoonrise Kingdom
2013Her12 Years a SlaveConsuming SpiritsStories We TellFruitvale StationAmerican HustlePost Tenebras LuxInside Llewyn DavisLet the Fire BurnThe Gatekeepers
2014BoyhoodThe Grand Budapest HotelWinter SleepWhiplashThe Lego MovieListen Up PhilipForce MajeureMr. TurnerDear White PeopleHeaven Knows What
2015SpotlightAnomalisaLove & MercyThe Diary of a Teenage GirlSon of SaulCarolBeasts of No NationCreedHeart of a DogTangerine
2016MoonlightLa La LandManchester by the SeaToni ErdmannKrishaThe WitchHell or High WaterDon't Think TwiceThe Fits
2017Lady BirdA Ghost StoryGet OutPhantom ThreadRat FilmMudboundGood TimeRawThe Florida ProjectCall Me by Your Name
2018The RiderRomaCan You Ever Forgive Me?The FavouriteMinding the GapWidowsFirst ReformedSorry to Bother YouZamaBlack Panther
2019ParasiteMarriage StoryAsh Is Purest WhitePortrait of a Lady on FireThe IrishmanOne Child NationWavesPresent. PerfectThe Last Black Man in San FranciscoLittle Women