Members of the Filmotomy team agonize over their top ten for the decade (2010-19).
It’s been an insanely good decade for film. When we talk about the great decades of cinema, the ‘50s and ‘70s often come up as the golden years of celluloid entertainment. The 2010s have produced hundreds and hundreds of great films, some of my personal favourites and some all-time classics. Please enjoy my attempt to choose 10 of the best of the decade.
10. Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s smash hit Get Out made him a household name almost overnight and for a good reason. Get Out is a tight thriller which tells a story about race through the lens of horror. It’s a gut-punch of a film, something that is politically timely and accurate without ever sacrificing the entertainment factor. You’ll laugh, you’ll scream, you’ll cheer and you’ll definitely want to vote Obama for the third time.
9. Blue Valentine (2010)
Look, a third Ryan Gosling film! Blue Valentine might be the most hopeless film I have seen and I have only seen it three times. A feel-good film this is not, but Gosling and Michelle Williams bring such emotional honesty to their roles as a doomed married couple it’s hard not to be impressed and affected.
8. Moonlight (2016)
Barry Jenkins is a director who has a very unique visual language within his film. Moonlight is beautiful and experimental, a monumentally emotional cinematic experience. Jenkins is able to draw remarkably natural performances from his actors while constantly staying in control over his film.
7. Room (2015)
Brie Larson rightfully won Best Actress in almost every awards ceremony where she was nominated for her role in Room. As devastating as it is hopeful, Room’s universal themes and the tender relationship between a mother and a son make this a one of the best of the decade.
6. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
2010s will probably mostly be known as the decade that saw the rise of the superhero genre and we have certainly had our fair share of impressive and entertaining entries to the genre. All of them pale in comparison with Into The Spiderverse, which is one of the most fun, visually striking animations. It also completely nails the character of Miles Morales, after several films brought just Peter Parker to the big screen.
5. Raw (2016)
Julia Ducornau exploded into the horror scene with Raw, a tale of a young vegetarian veterinary student who finds herself craving meat and flesh in this French horror. With a great performance from Garance Marillier, Raw is a gut-wrenchingly gory horror, but one that examines the tired coming-of-age story with a deliciously evil twist.
4. Midsommar (2019)
All hail the May Queen! Director Ari Aster proved his skills with Hereditary, but Midsommar digs much deeper into grief, pain and break ups. Florence Pugh gives a painfully accurate portrayal of someone deep in grief and struggling just to stay afloat. Midsommar is a horrific viewing experience and not just for its knack for violence, but it’s familiar themes.
3. La La Land (2016)
Who doesn’t love a good musical? Damien Chazelle’s Oscar-winning La La Land brought musicals back with a bang and made them relevant again. Another Day of Sun is a total banger, but it’s the film’s bittersweet and ultimately, romantic message that tucks on this critic’s heartstrings hard.
2. Drive (2011)
One of the most gorgeous films from this decade. Drive remains an endlessly fascinating and melancholic piece of work from the controversial Danish director, Nicolas Winding Refn. From the immersive soundtrack to Ryan Gosling’s best performance (Yes, I said it. Fight me.), Drive is a true masterpiece.
1. Cabin In The Woods (2012)
For me, this is a no-brainer. There is no other film that I have seen quite as many times and I’m certain I will revisit even more during the next decade. Released in 2012, Drew Goddard’s Cabin In The Woods is a wildly entertaining horror film with plenty of gore and jokes to satisfy even the most hardcore horror hound.