I've made an effort before the end of the year (and the decade) to really venture forth and catch up on anything that fell through the cracks. That said, I've missed a lot. So rather than take the time and effort to make an authoritative list of BEST MOVIES OF THE DECADE PERIOD - I'm just going to summarize personal favorites. That's it. Movies that affected, entertained and otherwise made an impression on me as a single entity. If you see something that catches your eye and you haven't seen it yet, consider my endorsement the next time you're scrolling through Netflix and want to see something fun or new.
Honorable Mentions
The Lure (2015)
The Lure is a Polish musical send up of the classic mermaid-meets-boy, mermaid-eats-boy tale told with just the right amount of glam and gore. It stars Marta Mazurek and Michalina Olszanska at two aquatic sisters who are adopted by a cabaret bar owner and her family. After becoming a minor hit as a musical act, the sisters start to parse when one falls for the son of the bar owner while the other finds it harder and harder to hide her taste for human flesh. This movie may not be right to some but it's just weird enough for you to remember it not matter what your initial thoughts.
The Angels' Share (2012)
Those familiar with the socialist realism of director Ken Loach's oeuvre attest the Palme d'Or winner I, Daniel Blake (2016) is probably his best of the decade. While I do recommend that one highly as well, there's just something so appealing about his caper/buddy comedy The Angels' Share that just speaks to me. Paul Brannigan and Siobhan Reilly lead an all Scottish cast as a cadre of cons trying to turn a new leaf only to be taken aback by the drudgery of life. But after a visit to a distillery piques their collective interest, our protagonists formulate a plan that may just get them out of their rut.
Your Name (2016)
Taki (Taki Tachibana) and Matsuha (Mitsuha Miyamizu), two complete strangers
find their lives uniquely intertwined in this incredibly involving romantic
fantasy. Your Name encapsulates themes of love and family and roots them in
some of the more common tropes of modern anime such as high-minded sci-fi and
the juxtaposition of the modern and the traditional. I have a hunch that not a
lot of people outside those in the know have seen this one so I'm not going to
give much more detail other than to say it's well worth your time - even if
you're not a big anime aficionado.
101. Wonder Woman (2017)
100. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
99. The White World According to Daliborek (2017)
The White World According to Daliborek is a darkly humorous examination of a Czech white supremacist who gives a film crew unfettered access to the world he inhabits. What results is a unique blend of style and form that sends an urgent message about the radicalization of alienated men like Daliborek.
98. The Way Back (2010)
Based on a possibly true story, The Way Back follows a small group of Russian "criminals" who escape a Siberian gulag and trek more than 4,000 miles through the harshest terrain on earth in order to get to safety. While the film boasts an impressive cast that includes Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Saorise Ronan and Jim Sturgess the real star of the show is the partnership between Australian director Peter Weir and cinematographer Russell Boyd who capture some seriously beautiful tableaux.
97. The Interrupters (2011)
Released right around the height of Chicago's millennial crime wave, The Interrupters is a beacon of hope amid the tragedy. The documentary follows a cohort of former gang members in Chicago's south side as they attempt to use their resources and clout as former cons to deescalate or "interrupt" potential gang violence. While their results are ultimately mixed, director Steve James does a marvelous job showcasing the light through the darkness.
96. American Hustle (2013)
95. Jackie (2016)
94. Us (2019)
93. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
92. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Three childhood friends played by Arjun Saluja, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol take an extended vacation across Europe after one of them becomes engaged. But what starts as a pretty mundane premise loaded with the possibility of light hijinks, turns into a warm and affecting story about friendship, facing your fears and truly coming into oneself.
91. Knives Out (2019)
90. Coco (2017)
89. First Reformed (2017)
Ethan Hawke turns in arguably his best performance as an alcoholic priest whose mounting despair about the state of the world oozes his daily life. Written and directed by Paul Schrader and co-starring Amanda Seyfried and Cedric the Entertainer, First Reformed is one of those rare movies that doesn't steer clear of the darkness if only to find light within.
88. The Hunt (2012)
A kindergarten teacher (Mads Mikkelson) is wrongfully accused of sexually assaulting one of his students which pits the denizens of his bucolic town against him. As former friends and colleagues turn on him, life becomes a living nightmare as he's forced to try to maintain his innocence.
87. Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
86. Columbus (2017)
Columbus is the portrait of a lonely, grieving man (John Cho) and an equally lonely young woman (Haley Lu Richardson) finding each other in the backdrop of one of the midwest's hidden gems. Directed by YouTube essayist turned director Kogonada, Columbus is probably the most serene and aesthetically pleasing film I've seen this decade. Check it out if you have the chance.
85. The Big Sick (2017)
84. Annihilation (2018)
83. Good Time (2017)
Robert Pattinson brings a unique, kinetic verve to his role as a bank robber plotting to free his disabled brother from county holding. Over the course of a single night, Connie steals, lies, manipulates and fights trying to accomplish what he knows deep down in his heart may very well be impossible. Directors the Safdie brothers not only do a great job upping the paranoid ante story-wise, they also beautifully capture a vision of nighttime New York City that is at once beautiful as it is horrifying.
82. The Eagle Huntress (2016)
Girl power is the name of the game in this affecting and powerful documentary about a young Kazakh who takes up the family tradition of falconry bristling uncomfortably with the gender traditions of her nomadic culture. As far as documentaries go, this ne is a real visual treat, taking advantage of its subject matter to give us beautiful shots of sprawling mid-asians vistas and soaring birds of prey.
81. Baby Driver (2017)
80. Moana (2016)
79. Girls Trip (2017)
78. Moonlight (2016)
77. The LEGO Movie (2014)
76. Patti Cake$ (2017)
Patti Cake$ is a micro-budget festival circuit charmer that borrows parts of Hustle & Flow and adds a fine feminine touch. Danielle MacDonald stars as Patti Dobrowski, a teen from a working class New Jersey home who dreams of becoming a rapper but is constantly brought back down to earth by her finances, her demanding mother and her supposed physical limitations. Despite this, Patti and her rag-tag group of friends use their wits, resources and pluck to create a little something that will hopefully cascade into future success.
75. The Artist (2011)
74. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
73. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
72. An Honest Liar (2014)
An Honest Liar is a biographical documentary about the singularly unique magician Amazing Randi. The movie plots his precipitous rise as an escape artist and his eventual turn as an unrepentant skeptic and fraud detector. As the movie playfully reveals the man's take on magic and trickery, the film goes in unexpected directions leaving you both bewildered and intrigued.
71. A Man Called Ove (2015)
A Man Called Ove is a sweet and affecting Swedish film about an elderly curmudgeon (Rolf Lassgard) who is forced into early retirement while still reeling from the loss of his wife. With nothing left to lose, Ove decides to kill himself but keeps getting interrupted by life and all its subtle inconveniences. Believe me, it's much more life affirming than it sounds. Seek it out if you haven't seen it already.
70. A Monster Calls (2016)
An uncommonly dark film about a somber boy (Lewis MacDougall) who's mother (Felicity Jones) is dying of cancer. As he sulks into the background and tries to avoid the situation, the boy is then visited by a monster (Liam Neeson) who occupies his mind with fables of times long past. While perhaps a little too on the nose for some, A Monster Calls should ultimately be remembered for having a uniquely honest take on grieving and loss that still provides enough lightness to gear itself towards children who may need to hear its message.
69. Wolf Children (2012)
Wolf Children is a layered and visually stunning anime feature that takes the common parable of a loving single mother struggling to raise her children and adds elements of the fantastical. More than anything Wolf Children is a heart-felt ode to moms everywhere.
68. Ingrid Goes West (2017)
Ingrid Goes West is a cynical, darkly comic take on social media and those who'd use it as a counterfeit for life. Ingrid (Audrey Plaza) is a mentally unstable woman who uses her paltry inheritance to start a new life in California to stalk a vapid social media influencer. Layered and biting, IGW is in this writer's mind the 21st century's answer to Taxi Driver.
67. Hell or High Water (2016)
66. The Imitation Game (2014)
65. The Lobster (2015)
Director/Writer Yorgos Lanthimos injects his usual dry, deadpan aesthetic into a dark comedy about love and the limits thereof. Colin Farrell stars as a shy man who must find a significant other within 30 days or be turned into an animal of his choosing. Forced to go on retreat with a variety of single people, all of whom must accomplish the same task, David meets an enigmatic loner (Rachel Weisz) who may just be his ticket to partnership.
64. Mudbound
Based on Hilary Jordan's novel of the same name, Mudbound is a dueling narrative about two families alike in many ways except race, living in pre-WWII Mississippi. Starring Carey Mulligan, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, Jason Clarke and Garrett Hedlund, Mudbound is an impeccably acted period drama with uncommonly atmospheric cinematography.
63. The Death of Stalin (2017)
Communism has never been funnier than when put through Veep creator Armando Iannucci's comedic process. The Death of Stalin is exactly what the title suggests, a movie about the death of the infamous dictator and the power vacuum created in the immediate aftermath. Jockeying for position is Secret Police leader Laverenty Beria (Simon Russell Beale), Vice Chancellor Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor) and cabinet funnyman Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) all of whom plot to hilarious and deadly results.
62. Tully (2018)
Tully is about a weary mother of three who reluctantly hires a nanny to take care of her newborn. What begins as a kind if awkward relationship soon blossoms into a friendship that could just get Marlo (Charlize Theron) out of the post-partum doldrums. Written by Diablo Cody, Tully is one of those rare movies that seeks to understand the true sacrifice of motherhood and does so in a way that's both familiar and unique.
61. Dope (2015)
Shameik Moore, Kiersey Clemons and Tony Revolori star as a trio of geeky
kids growing up in the intensely violent streets of Inglewood, CA. Nearing the
end of their high school days, the trio must contend with an escalating array
of chaos in order to keep out of trouble and set themselves on successful
paths. Dope is a wildly entertaining coming-of-age comedy that smartly
modernizes the genre while smartly taking advantage of its setting.
60. Swiss Army Man
Who knew that a movie about a marooned man (Paul Dano) finding a talking, multi-functional rotting corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) could be so beautiful. Swiss Army Man takes its bonkers premise and builds an oddly satisfying movie about courage, loneliness and the will to survive in the modern age. While it may certainly not be for everyone, Swiss Army Man was an absurd and goofy triumph as far as I was concerned.
59. Boyhood (2014)
58. Mother! (2017)
Mother! is a controversial fever dream brought to you by the same mind that gave you Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan and Noah. Director Darren Aronofsky takes all the venom of the contemporary world and puts it on the shoulders of a woman (Jennifer Lawrence), a pregnant mother who's suddenly forced to deal with unwanted guests. Javier Bardem co-stars as the would-be father who's generosity is partly to blame for the chaos that may eventually consume the couples' stately home.
57. Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)
A sequel to a popular Brazilian crime drama, The Enemy Within is a bloody
semi-fictional account of BOPE a military police force tasked with cleaning up
the streets of Rio de Janiero. While the first film had a bit of a fascistic
tinge to it, this one complicates matters by having the protagonist Colonel
Nascimento (Wagner Moura) team up with a human rights activist (Irandhir
Santos) to take down structural corruption in the Brazilian government. What
results is a complex and bloody web of deceit that keeps audience members on
the edge of their seats.
56. A Quiet Place (2018)
55. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
54. Wild Tales (2014)
Six vignettes about anger, rage and revenge are anthologized in this Argentinean dark comedy, which pits a waitress against a gangster, a bride against a cheating husband, an engineer against a towing company among other unforgettable stories. Wild Tales is movie is so unapologetically mean, primal and oddly cathartic that it's hard not to enjoy its take on the ugliest and pettiest humanity has to offer.
53. 13th (2016)
Director Ava DuVernay sets her sights on the American prison system in 13th, an audacious documentary that deftly reveals the racism behind many of our modern criminal justice policies. 13th sets an ambitious thesis and wields its truths with such vigor that its hard not to be captivated.
52. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
51. I, Tonya (2017)
50. Sausage Party (2016)
49. Boy and the World (2013)
Boy and the World is a unique animated experience unlike any other. Through a combination of imagery and music, the film tries to illustrate the struggles, paradoxes and dangers of the modern world, as told by a Brazilian boy in search of his father. The animation is so unique and the music is so immediately vibrant and colorful that you can't help but absorb the film's topical message as well as sympathize with it's characters (whom all speak in a garbled made up language that is nevertheless easy to understand).
48. Hustlers (2019)
47. The Zero Theorem (2013)
A hypochondriac computer programmer (Christoph Waltz) is tasked by his oppressive company to find mathematical certainty that life is meaningless which pits himself against his own search for meaning. Directed by infamous odd ball Terry Gilliam, Zero Theorem is arguably his most ambitious work since Brazil. And while it may not be as put together as the 1985 cult classic, Zero Theorem has all the requisite parts to make for wholly entertaining viewing.
46. Eighth Grade (2018)
45. The Handmaiden (2016)
Tae-ri Kim stars as a young woman hired as a handmaiden to a wealthy heiress (Min-hee Kim). But as she infiltrates the estate in order to defraud the family, the handmaiden discovers there are more disturbing things afoot in her new home. Atmospheric, sexy and incredibly engrossing, The Handmaiden is one of those movies where the less you know the better so see it as soon as you can.
44. Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013)
A mentally ill father (Seung-ryong Ryu) is falsely accused of murder and is given a life sentence. But hope visits him in the form of his young daughter (So Won Kal) who breaks into the prison and keeps him company under the noses of the prison guards. Miracle in Cell No. 7 is a real crowd-pleaser and a definite must-see for those who truly believe that hope springs eternal.
43. Short Term 12 (2013)
Short Term 12 stars Brie Larson and John Gallagher Jr. as two
empathetic 20-somethings who staff a halfway home for troubled youth. As they
try to navigate the regular pitfalls of life, they must also deal with the
emotional burden of the wayward kids they try to help. Co-starring Rami Malek
and LaKeith Stanfield, Short Term 12 is one of those rare movies that
truly moves without succumbing to saccharine cliches or forced manipulation. It
truly is a beautiful movie to behold.
42. Stronger (2017)
41. Tangerine (2015)
Tangerine follows a tumultuous day in the life of Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) a transgendered working girl struggling to keep things together. Over the course of one Christmas Eve, Sin-Dee interacts with various denizens of Los Angeles searching in vain for the pimp who broke her heart.
40. Sorry to Bother You (2018)
39. Sing Street (2016)
38. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
37. Phantom Thread (2017)
36. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
35. Jojo Rabbit (2019)
34. Room (2015)
33. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
32. The Avengers (2012)
31. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Pariah stars Adepero Oduye as a teen whose struggles with sexual self-expression leads her to her first real heart-break. Directed by Dee Rees, Pariah is one of those rare coming-of-age stories that remains honest and direct while also being empathetic and even poetic.
29. Won't You Be My Neighbor (2018)
28. The Social Network (2010)
27. Get Out (2017)
26. The Florida Project (2017)
A lonely uncle (Casey Affleck) mourns the death of his brother only to discover that he's been given custody of his teenage nephew (Lucas Hedges). As a result, the man must come back to his hometown along the frigid coast of the Atlantic Ocean and come to terms with the aftermath of his checkered past. Quietly somber, Manchester By the Sea may not be for everyone given it's grim tone but those on its wavelength would appreciate its mature approach to grief and loss.
24. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
23. Whiplash (2014)
The Teacher takes an unflinching peek of Czechia under communism as told by a trio of families who's kids are being held back by a Machiavellian teacher (Zuzana Maurery). Told in non-linear fashion, the film is an unflinching portrayal of absolute power and how corrupting it can be.
21. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
20. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
A civil rights documentary that adapts the perspective of novelist, civil rights icon and intellectual thinker James Baldwin using excerpts of his unfinished book "Remember This House". Hitting on the contributions of Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, the documentary weaves an intricate portrait of the civil rights movement as well as give a very relevant take on modern society.
18. Inception (2010)
17. Zootopia (2016)
A small group of highly incompetent Islamic terrorists attempt to commit atrocities only to have many of their ploys figuratively (and literally) blow up in their faces. Directed by infamous polemic Christopher Morris, Four Lions is a wildly entertaining comedy whose wit is arguably as dangerous as its characters.
The precocious, imaginative Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) lives in ramshackle poverty on the outskirts of the Louisiana levees circa 2005. When hurricane Katrina hits and her hotblooded father takes ill, the tiny Hushpuppy goes on an odyssey to find her long gone mother. Beasts is first and foremost a human story with flares of the fantastical, creating a unique blend of magical realism rarely seen on screen.
14. Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World (2010)
A troublesome boy (Julian Dennison) is adopted by a rural elderly couple living on the border of the New Zealand bush. Due to extenuating circumstances Ricky and his gruff adopted father (Sam Neill) lose themselves in the wilderness and must survive all while being chased by authorities. Direcot Taika Waititi had one heck of a decade this year churning out hits like Thor: Ragnarok, What We Do in the Shadows and Jojo Rabbit but this understated gem takes the cake in my book.
12. Ex Machina (2014)
11. Toy Story 3 (2010)
The Big Short lets an all-star cast do the heavy lifting depicting
events leading to the 2008 financial crisis, that left the world in a state not
seen since the Great Depression. Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Brad
Pitt et al. explore all the excess and reckless speculation and do so in a fun,
entertaining and ultimately devastating way. No small feat when it's a movie
all about finance.
La La Land is a loving homage to 1950's musicals as brought to life by director Damien Chazelle and Hollywood darlings Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. In it an aspiring actress and a struggling musician meet and fall in love only to have the draw of glitz and fame threaten to tear them apart. While certainly not as import and Moonlight (a movie we'll be forced to compare thanks to Warren Beatty), La La Land nevertheless provides a fun experience with memorable songs, dazzling choreography and a timelessly irascible story.
Owen Wilson fills in for writer/director Woody Allen's POV as a neurotic
writer who's vacationing with his fiancee (Rachel McAdams) and her parents.
While wondering the streets of Paris, Gil (Wilson) is coaxed into a classic car
and is transported into the 1920's to walk among the giants of the day.
Midnight in Paris is with little doubt the crown jewel of Allen's later works
and as the added benefit of being filled with great minor performances
including Kathy Bates a Gertrude Stein, Tom Hiddleston as F. Scott Fitzgerald,
Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway and Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali.
Director Lynne Ramsay's unique voice and vision is fully on display in this dark, psychological thriller about a psychopathic boy (Ezra Miller) and his mother (Tilda Swinton) who saw only too late what he was capable of. We Need to Talk About Kevin is an exercise in emotion in a way few films are and managed at many points to get me cringing in my seat.
Arrival is one of the rare movies about aliens that doesn't result in an invasion. Instead it is about a group of scientists using ll the tools at their disposal to communicate with new arrivals who may or may not have malicious intent. Heading the project is Louise Banks (Amy Adams) and linguist who feels connected to the aliens in some unique and undiscovered way.
5. A Separation (2011)
4. Frances Ha (2012)
3. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Director Steve McQueen takes Solomon Northup's Antebellum memoir about his time spent in slavery and turns it into a harrowing cinematic experience. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Northup who is a New York African-American who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the rural south. While there he spends twelve years trying to survive knowing full well that if he's discovered as a literate free man he'll be killed. 12 Years a Slave is a once-in-a-lifetime movie in that it is both cinematically perfect and absolutely devastating to watch. Seek it out and witness the mundacity of evil.
2. The Master (2012)
The Master is an astounding meditation on cults, the desire to belong and the tenuous thread between sin and absolution, man and animal, knowledge and hokum, individuality and the group. In it, an alcoholic veteran (Joaquin Phoenix) meets a would-be self-help guru and religious leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who takes him under his wing. In time, the odd couple develop a kinship that evades description but remains deeply unsettling when viewed in whole. Director Paul Thomas Anderson uses his mastery of cinematic language and insights on human behavior to provide a wholly unique cinematic experience that will undoubtedly effect you, where you want it to or not.
1. The Tree of Life (2011)
I've said it once and I'll say it again - Tree of Life is the only film that almost made me believe in God. It is a vast, impeccably beautiful, shockingly contemplative and oddly serene film that takes a moment in space and time (a family living life in Texas in the 50's) and makes it a microcosm of anything and everything. Director Terrence Malick utilizes his patented omnipresent directorial approach and turns in a film up there with 2001: A Space Odyssey in its level of vastness but also adds a spiritual dimension that humbles the viewer to the core.
