(20th Century Fox)
It’s the start of a new decade and I don’t feel too
compelled to justify the creation of this list. Simply put, it’s an excuse to
reflect on 10 years of cinema and praise some incredible works of art.
However, in putting together this list I did begin
to recognize a certain personal significance. I can’t begin to list all the
ways I’ve changed since 2010. This decade began while I was in middle school,
saw me through the duration of high school, and almost to the completion of my
undergraduate degree. Though all this my love of movies flourished exponentially.
This isn’t just a list of 25 great films (though it’s primarily that), it’s
also something of a reflection on some of the films that made me.
My tastes today are vastly different than they were in
2010 so I will confess a bias towards the latter half of the decade. I haven’t
seen nearly every film to be released, but I definitely have not seen as many
from the first half when I was just a preteen boy obsessed with superheroes.
One final admission: this list is very arbitrary. Everything
before the 10th spot could easily be contested, reordered, or
swapped for any number of worthy films. Nonetheless, I tried my best to pick 25
films that I think defined the decade in film and that I think are truly
extraordinary.
I have limited this list to one film per franchise and
two per filmmaker. I have also excluded any 2019 releases, as I think they need
to age a little before their placement in the cinematic canon becomes clear.
(The Weinstein Company)
25. Carol (2015)
The best period pieces are more than nostalgic
yearnings, they work to rewrite popular history by telling the stories that
were historically ignored and repressed. Todd Haynes is no stranger to this,
and though Carol has a great deal of romantic, Hopper-esque Americana,
it is the tender and forbidden friendship-turned-romance between its two leads that
speaks loudest.
(Paramount)
24. mother! (2017)
An unflinching fever dream, a compact biblical
allegory, a fierce environmental justice parable, the story of a self-centered
male artist and his muse—consider Darren Arnonofsky’s divisive mother! whatever
you’d like (all of the above is my preferred reading). Though certainly not for
everybody, those who can get behind the aggressively subjective style may fall
in love with one of the decade’s greatest provocations.
(A24)
23. A Most Violent Year (2014)
What has become of the American Dream in the 21st
century? In a few words: people got wiser. J. C. Chandor’s muted crime drama
follows ambitious immigrant Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac in his best performance
to date) as he struggles to expand his business while remaining a good man. A
fierce idealist, Abel does his best to play it straight, but the cruel reality
of the Dream is always there to remind him of the costs. Quietly captivating.
(Disney)
22. Toy Story 3 (2010)
Coming-of-age films tend to be limited by the implicit
limitations of experience and forward-looking ambition. Toy Story 3 stands
apart because its perspective is that of imagined childhood signifiers
reflecting on the person who will soon be leaving them (and a period of his
life) behind. Its simple truths—of growing up, of accepting change, of saying goodbye—are
universal and human. One of Pixar’s highest achievements, the humor and genre
thrills are ultimately outpaced by its genuine poignancy.
(A24)
21. A Ghost Story (2017)
Gripping in its stillness, A Ghost Story effectively
conveys the enormity of time and space. The Charlie Brown-style bedsheet ghost
may seem amusing on paper, but it’s a testament to the film’s quality that it
never once feels silly or out of place. Ghosts are rarely considered beyond
their scare value, but here David Lowery recognizes their inherent sadness—tethered
to this world by unfinished business, longing to be seen and heard by the loved
ones they left behind. Accessibly poetic.
(Paramount)
20. Arrival (2016)
Most science fiction films fall into the same pitfall
of anthropomorphized aliens. It’s not difficult to understand why that is; Arrival,
however, gave us aliens that felt truly alien. The film that established
Denis Villeneuve as a force to be reckoned with, Arrival sets itself
apart by focusing on the role of linguistics in first encounters, a focus that pairs
nicely with its cosmopolitan dreams of international cooperation (a theme that
didn’t go unnoticed when the film was released a few days after the 2016
presidential election).
(Columbia)
19. Skyfall (2012)
Of all the films this decade to grapple with the
tensions between past and future (you’ll find another at the #9 spot on this
list), Skyfall was maybe not an obvious candidate. But as the old ways
of the intelligence community rapidly erode in the face of new, more terrifying
digital alternatives, the shoe ultimately fits. Approaching Casino Royale’s
brilliance, the third Daniel Craig James Bond outing was a sleek modern update
with extraordinary cinematography by the legendary Roger Deakins.
(Universal)
18. Get Out (2017)
Your mileage with Jordan Peele’s masterful directorial
debut as a horror film may vary. But even if it doesn’t always reach horror on
a formal level, this is brilliant social satire, hilariously clever from start
to finish but never once losing the sharp edge of its commentary. A lot of
great cinema in the 2010s worked to expose different perspectives on the
American experience and expand our collective understanding of this country. Get
Out was one of the best, capturing the everyday anxieties of black Americans
alongside the cultural zeitgeist.
(A24)
17. Under the Skin (2013)
Unsettling from its earliest moments, Under the
Skin is a triumph in film form. A work of textured sound and rhythm, it is
not the “what” that is the draw here but the “how.” Its arthouse pretentions
may not appeal to some, but look no further if you are seeking the unrivaled effect
of all the cinematic elements working in tandem to achieve a powerful and
seductive trance. Also noteworthy it’s one of the films that put indie
production company/distributor A24 on the map.
(Marvel Studios)
16. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
2011’s pulp adventure throwback Captain America:
The First Avenger was an essential stepping stone to get to The Winter
Soldier. The best entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe takes the
idealistic American Dream embodied by Captain America and brings it crashing into
the realities of the modern world. A terrific action thriller, the film
confronts the moral ambiguity of 21st century America, its
surveillance state, and (an inclusion more resonant in hindsight) the
exploitation of social media algorithms.
(Fox Searchlight)
15. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Arguably the most Wes Anderson film that Wes Anderson
has ever Wes Anderson-ed, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a pure delight filled
with the director’s signature comedic quirks and watercolor symmetry. The
peculiar, deadpan intentionality of Anderson’s humor is used to full effect
here, as is his tremendous ensemble made up of regulars and newcomers alike.
Great for a hearty laugh on a cold winter day.
(Fox Searchlight)
14. The Shape of Water (2017)
Guillermo del Toro called his fairy tale for troubled
times “an antidote to cynicism,” which is as appropriate a label as any. A work
of swooning romantic fantasy and approachable (but no less relevant) social
commentary, The Shape of Water is as much about del Toro’s love of the
Other and the cinema that birthed it as it is the love his characters give to
each other. A film that warms the soul.
(Warner Bros.)
13. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Never forget that Mad Max: Fury Road was made
by a senior citizen. A feat of controlled chaos, the decade in film rarely, if
ever, saw better wall-to-wall action. The film is a ferocious adrenaline rush that
never looses its viewer in the insanity, pulling them along with precise
framing and editing and a very human story of redemption and women’s rights.
(Warner Bros.)
12. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
A shockingly phenomenal follow-up to one of the most
celebrated science fiction films of all time, Blade Runner 2049 is a
reminder of what can come of a massive budget, a dedicated cast and crew, and
an artist left to work without studio interference. Far more than a nostalgic cash
grab, 2049 expands upon its predecessor by fleshing out its dystopian
world and furthering its question of what it means to be human. Better yet is
the extraordinary craft and the deliberate pacing that sinks its teeth into you
and won’t let go.
(Paramount)
11. Silence (2016)
Martin Scorsese will be remembered by most for his
crime dramas, but it is Silence—something of an outlier in the director’s
oeuvre—that may be his greatest accomplishment. A profound work of religious meditation,
the film is necessary viewing for believers and nonbelievers alike, casting
doubt on organized faith but finding its own renewed spirituality amidst the
fallout. Bracing and epic.
(Sony Pictures Classics)
10. Whiplash (2014)
Some of the most memorable cinema attains a physical
reaction from its viewer—tears, chills, or tremors. One of my favorites is the
elevated heartrate, a staple of edge-of-your-seat suspense and a surefire
indicator that a film is working as designed. Whiplash is one such
showcase of finely tuned tension, a gripping story of self-destructive
obsession and abuse brought to life by electric filmmaking that leaves you
gasping for air.
(Lucasfilm)
9. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
There are really just a few core issues that
ultimately plagued the film industry this decade: the fracturing of Hollywood output
into blockbuster and independent films as a response to the rise of digital
streaming; the prominence of nostalgia, both in response to these industrial conditions
and as its own cultural force; and the push for greater diversity, on screen
and off. There are many films that embodied these concerns, but none of them managed
to actively examine them quite like Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The best
entry in the 40-year-plus franchise, The Last Jedi is not just a superbly
entertaining and thoughtful piece of mythological space fantasy, it is a
reflection on a franchise, an industry, and a country attempting to navigate
between the past and the future. This is a film about reconciling this tension.
It’s also a film about resistance in the face of defeat, of clinging to morally
just political convictions even as the forces of evil seem to be closing in. Clever,
subversive, and timely.
(Warner Bros.)
8. Gravity (2013)
On one level, Gravity is a very simple film—two
astronauts attempt to make it safely back to Earth after disaster strikes above
it. In the process, one of them confronts past trauma and is reborn upon
reentry. It’s a straightforward story and a thrilling roller coaster ride.
However, Gravity is so much more than that thanks to the artistry at play.
The indelible long takes and fluid camerawork of Alfonso Cuarón and
cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (in addition to extraordinary sound design and
one of the decade’s best musical scores) elevates the material. An exercise in
cinematic movement and the simple delights of the medium itself.
(Wild Bunch)
7. Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
The immediate legacy of Blue Is the Warmest Color
came from its graphic and extended sex scenes; though I understand why that aspect
stood out to people, it would be a mistake to claim that sex is the only thing the
film depicts so excessively. This is a film about unrestrained pleasures and
they are all explored in long, drawn out sequences (beyond the sexual, eating
and dancing are very prominent). The raw, uncompromising focus on Adèle Exarchopoulos’s
face grounds the film visually, as well as narratively, through this three-hour
coming-of-age odyssey and exploration of sense and desires. To adopt the title
of another staple of French cinema: a breathless film.
(Warner Bros.)
6. Her (2013)
How has love changed in the modern world? Perhaps a
little, perhaps a lot, perhaps not at all. One thing that Her makes
clear, however, is that it will remain a transcendent force not bound to any
physical realm. Set in a semi-utopic Los Angeles in the near future, Her
beautifully depicts the challenges of human relationships in a world that technology
has made (paradoxically) both more and less connected. A film as much about melancholic
loneliness and alienation as it is the joyful and mundane exultation.
(Warner Bros.)
5. Inception (2010)
Hot off The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan
cashed in his goodwill to make an ambitious film delving into the dreamscape. Yet
where many filmmakers would have chosen to lean into the surreal, Nolan sought control
and structure. Such a choice lent Inception’s fantastical side a more
disruptive and pragmatic presence against the familiar background of genre. A
feat of practical spectacle and genius editing, Nolan is the ultimate puppet
master here, cross cutting like a maniac yet never leaving clarity behind in
the process. Each layer overlaps to create an exceptional whole, a timeless triumph
of imagination and cinematic showmanship.
(Warner Bros.)
4. Dunkirk (2017)
Inception
is a film with many rules, each clearly presented through long sequences of
exposition. That’s not an insult, but the distinct absence of exposition in Dunkirk—which
still retains Nolan’s penchant for the precise manipulation of time—is a
surefire indicator of the evolution of a filmmaker. Pushing his capacity for unbridled
spectacle and sensation to its limit, this is no ordinary war film but rather
something akin to a blockbuster experimental film that snuck its way into the
multiplex. Sight, sound, and montage collide to create a film more concerned
with experience than character. Moreover, Dunkirk shatters traditional
notions of military heroism. It’s pure cinema.
(A24)
3. Moonlight (2016)
Barry Jenkins is a warm and loving man. It shows in
his films, each of them tender and beautiful, even when their subject matter warrants
anger. There is still a definite sadness to Moonlight, but it never overwhelms
because the film is in such compassionate hands. Depicting three key chapters in
a man’s life, Jenkins homes in on the destructive consequences of toxic masculinity
in low-income black communities, the kind that stomps out sensitivity and shuns
all but heteronormativity. Yet through it all, Moonlight doesn’t have a
hateful bone in its body. It is a film of unrivaled sincerity that silently
recognizes the root of the destruction on display—the white presence is felt,
not shown. Celebrating Moonlight as a landmark in black cinema is
important, but it might also be limiting. This is humanist cinema at its
finest.
(Netflix)
2. Roma (2018)
Alfonso Cuarón is one of our greatest living artists—not
just in film, but any medium. His images are dense but immaculately framed, each
one conjuring memories of the greatest paintings but with the controlled
movement of the greatest cinema. I hesitate to call Roma his best
film—between it, Gravity, Children of Men, and Y Tu Mamá También,
that seems like an insurmountable and reductive designation to make. However, I
will say that I don’t think Roma would have been possible without those
three precursors. It is cinema of the highest order, and by that I mean cinema
simultaneously at its grandest and most intimate and making full use of the unique
attributes of its medium. But not to be mistaken as just an exercise in film
form, Roma is imbued with more humanity than one can process in a single
viewing, ripe with emotion, observation, and allusion. The world in a film.
(A24)
1. Ex Machina (2015)
Some great films explore one thing extremely well.
Others manage to explore several at the same time without making any sacrifices
along the way. Ex Machina is one such film. Initially an unassuming but exceptional
work of science fiction, it plays like a parasite, infecting the mind, beckoning
you to return to it, and growing more intricate and rewarding on each viewing. First
it wows as a tight chamber piece of shifting power dynamics and allegiances.
Then it’s a philosophical meditation on technology, consciousness, and
creation. Perhaps you’ll notice the quietly damning commentary on corporate
data mining and the anxieties of digital surveillance. But eventually I hope it’s
the misogyny of the mad scientist/Silicon Valley-type billionaire and the pursuit
of a woman’s stolen existence that comes to the forefront. To some, Ava’s masterful
game of deception might initially feel like a betrayal. However, it’s clear
where the film’s sympathy ultimately lies. As the best of the decade, Ex
Machina has enough thematic relevance to deserve recognition; more straightforwardly,
though, it may also just be the best movie I saw.
Some honorable mentions:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of
Ignorance), Call Me by Your Name, Captain America:
Civil War, Chef, Cold War, Crimson Peak, Eighth
Grade, First Reformed, Fruitvale Station, Inside Out, Interstellar,
La La Land, Lady Bird, Locke, Logan, Monsters,
Moonrise Kingdom, Paddington 2, Phantom Thread, Rango, The Revenant, Shame,
The Social Network, Spotlight, Star Wars: The Force Awakens,
Steve Jobs, 12 Years a Slave, Vox Lux
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