25. The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2019)
Henry Dunham's debut feature is unlike anything I've seen before. After a shooting at a police funeral, a local militia meets at their compound fearing that they'll be blamed for the attack. Upon assembling, they notice that one of their assault rifles is missing. Could the shooter be among them? This is as tense a thriller as the decade had to offer -- there's an inescapable sense of dread hanging over every conversation. The cast is filled with great character actors, with James Badge Dale in the lead role as former police officer Gannon. As he begins to question the other members of the militia, the stakes continue to rise. The movie will have you holding your breath long before the shocking conclusion arrives.
24. The Lost City of Z (2016)
James Gray's take on Percy Fawcett's search for a mythical lost city in the Amazon is a spellbinding, David Lean-esque adventure film the likes of which we simply never get to see these days. The obsessive quest digs its claws into Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam), his right hand man Henry Costin (a remarkable Robert Pattinson), and even Fawcett's young son Jack (Tom Holland), and fully changes the course of their lives. Gray's direction truly feels as though it's from a different era, with time split between sun-drenched jungles and stuffy British manors. It's a deliberately paced, character driven exploration of how a yearning for adventure and glory can cost you everything... but somehow still be worth it. The final shot left me speechless. Perhaps we're all lost in our own personal jungles, when all is said and done.
23. Looper (2012)
Every decade needs a great time travel movie, and thankfully Rian Johnson was fully capable of delivering this one, the aggressively unique Looper. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, an assassin for the mob in 2074, better known as a "looper." The mob is sending men back from a further future to be killed, disposing of any evidence of the crime in their time. Eventually, the future selves of all loopers are sent back to be killed, "closing the loop" and ensuring that all evidence is truly eliminated. When Joe's future self (Bruce Willis) arrives, though, he knows what is about to happen and manages to escape. A chase ensues, of course, but we quickly learn that both Joes have their own agendas, and the unexpected turns the story takes kept me on my toes the whole time. This is sci-fi storytelling at its cleverest.
22. Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan has always enjoyed playing with the concept of time in his films, and Interstellar is no exception. In a not-so-distant future when the world is short on food and in desperate need of something to change, a wormhole is discovered far out in the solar system that may lead to a planet with all of the resources Earth needs to survive. Matthew McConaughey's Cooper, himself a struggling farmer with two young children, joins the crew of explorers taking the interstellar trip to (and through) the wormhole in an attempt to save humanity. The story is balanced between showing Cooper's journey (alongside fellow travelers including Anne Hathaway's Brand and Bill Irwin's hilarious robot companion TARS) and the struggles of his children back home. As Cooper gets further out into the universe, where time works differently and his aging slows in comparison to Earth, we see his children reach adulthood and struggle with the thought of never seeing him again. It's a heartbreaking story, but it's also visually thrilling and contains a stunning third act that swings for the fences and, as far as I'm concerned, delivers the goods in a big, big way.
21. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi is the best film the Star Wars saga has ever offered. I'm not here to argue that point, so if that statement upsets you, move on with your life. Stunningly photographed and truly daring, this was the first time since The Empire Strikes Back that Star Wars had felt surprising and maybe even dangerous. It's the story of Luke Skywalker, struggling in his solitude with personal failures and doubts before ultimately overcoming them in beautiful fashion and, for the first time in the series, showing the full, empathetic, graceful power of the Jedi and their true purpose in action. He has to come to grips with what it means to teach a new generation, but that new generation also has something to teach him. It's a lesson on how people, even space wizards with mind-powers, aren't perfect, and how our failures can define us and help us grow. It's filled with exciting action and moment after moment of humor and heart. It's Rian Johnson giving the series he loved since childhood an unpredictable and deeply rewarding new entry that moved the story into a more inclusive, hopeful future... and gave Mark Hamill his greatest live action role. I could, and have, talked about this movie for hours on end, but I'll stop here (for now). And I didn't even mention the incredible work by Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver, or the huge gains that Oscar Isaac's Poe makes as a potential leader, or... okay, okay, I'm done. I adore this film.
20. Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 3, much like The Last Jedi, is a film about coming to terms with the past ending and the future beginning, and how that is a vital part of life and not something to fear. It's hilarious (would any other studio have even attempted the prison escape film structure?), it's gorgeously animated, and it left its characters in a new place both physically and emotionally, a place so perfect that I, at the time, was content to never see them up on the big screen again. Thank God Toy Story 4 proved me wrong on that front, but Toy Story 3 finds itself higher on this list if only for the major impact it had on me on first viewing. It might just be the biggest gem on the whole Pixar crown (and what a crown that is).
19. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Tomas Alfredson brought John le Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to life in tremendously successful fashion in 2011. This is a cold, realistic espionage story, requiring viewers to pay attention to even the most minute details to piece together the mysteries as they unfold. The cast is absurdly stacked -- including Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Hurt, and Mark Strong, to name just a small chunk (seriously) -- and the efficient, at times almost sterile, cinematography and sound design give the story enormous room to breathe.
18. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
No explanation needed.
17. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
My two favorite filmmakers in the world, Joel and Ethan Coen, making a Western anthology? Loving this one was inevitable, but, to be fair, they also delivered the goods. Covering the gamut of Western subgenres, from the "singing cowboy" stories of the 1930s and 40s to heartbreaking tales of loss and even existential questioning of life, death, and what comes next, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is unlike anything else released in the 2010s. In typical Coen fashion, it's loaded with the best actors in the business (Tim Blake Nelson, Brendan Gleeson, Zoe Kazan, Tom Waits), great music (from the original songs to the gorgeous score by Carter Burwell), is frequently laugh-out-loud funny, and rewarding on both a visual and emotional level.
16. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's What We Do in the Shadows is the smartest, most genre-redefining comedy to come along so far this century. A mockumentary about the lives of a group of vampires living together in a home in New Zealand, this features more clever dialogue and outrageous situations than multiple seasons of any of your favorite sitcoms combined. It also, on occasion, allows its vampires to be vampires and doesn't shy away from blood -- something many horror comedies forget to leave room for-- but even that is used to huge comedic effect. Rest in peace, Petyr. And, hey, while you're here, let me give a little shoutout to the American television spinoff. Usually those sorts of things are disastrous, but with Waititi and Clement lending a hand (and the smart decision being made to not remake the movie but expand its universe), it turned out to be one of 2019's best surprises.
I've been stuck in a bit of a conundrum for most of my Stephen King-loving life. You see, I've always viewed Stanley Kubrick's The Shining as an outlandishly bad adaptation of King's novel, one that misses the point so instantly and so severely that it baffles the mind. That being said, I also think it's one hell of a movie, featuring one of Nicholson's greatest turns and more cinematographic genius than you can even keep up with. I also deeply love King's original novel, a very sad story of a man losing the battle to his demons in that long winter in the Overlook Hotel.
It's safe to say I was apprehensive when King's Doctor Sleep was announced, but the book blew me away. Telling the story of an adult Danny Torrance some 30 years after the horrifying events of his childhood, King was able to tell an epic story about the lingering effects of fear, grief, substance abuse, and trauma. I knew an adaptation would be coming, and I was curious to see if anyone could wrestle the story to the big screen in a way that was true to the novel while also admitting that Kubric's unfaithful Shining is more familiar to the public than King's book. Man, oh man did Mike Flanagan knock it out of the park.
I should have seen it coming, I suppose. Flanagan had just managed to turn the one King book I truly dislike (Gerald's Game) into a very good, brutal little thriller for Netflix. Still, though, I feared the combined weight of King's great books and the public's misconceptions of the original story would provide too big of a challenge. Instead, Flanagan delivered 2019's best horror movie, one that accurately depicted all those personal issues Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) was dealing with while expanding the mythology of what the "shining" is and giving us the best villain in any King adaptation, Rebecca Ferguson's incredible depiction of Rose the Hat. The most satisfying adaptation imaginable, I hope Doctor Sleep finally finds its audience when it hits home video this month.
14. Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
The 2010s were an interesting period for Quentin Tarantino. He made the widely loved Django Unchained, which narrowly missed this list, but then followed it up with The Hateful Eight, the first and only of his films that I've ever actively disliked. When I heard he was making a movie set in 1969 featuring Sharon Tate, I'll admit I was worried. After all, I found his previous film to be mean-spirited and often downright ugly, his always excellent dialogue and casting not making up for the film's true nature. I didn't want to see that tone carried over to the story of the tragically murdered Tate. Not only did Tarantino not do that, he actually ended up making his most upbeat, optimistic film ever. He puts his rewriting history trope to use again, but by that point, you'll be so in love with these characters that you'd accept almost any conclusion. That he gives this one such a poignant, kind ending is just the icing on the cake.
Margot Robbie makes for a wonderful Sharon Tate, her joyous performance not even necessitating much dialogue to tell you why Tate was special. Through this film, Tarantino, in a way, allows her to live again, if only for a little while, in the very special Hollywood that Quentin remembers youth -- accurately or not, and who cares if it is. The fact that I've written this much without even mentioning Leonardo DiCaprio's Rick Dalton or Brad Pitt's truly incredible Cliff Booth should tell you everything you need to know about how truly special this movie is.
13. True Grit (2010)
Well, what do you know, it's another Western from Joel and Ethan Coen. This one, a more faithful, far more entertaining adaptation of Charles Portis' True Grit than the 1969 version, is a massively enjoyable film. Hailee Steinfeld's performance as Mattie Ross launched her into stardom, and for good reason. She's confident, smart, and refuses to let two middle-aged men (Jeff Bridges' Rooster Cogburn and Matt Damon's Texas Ranger, LaBoeuf) who are more concerned with their egos than the law they're supposed to uphold from interfering with her quest for justice for her recently slain father. It's a pure joy.
12. Inception (2010)
Another mind-bending genre film from Christopher Nolan, Inception is maybe the most daring blockbuster of the modern age. It asks a lot of the audience, with multiple timelines, multiple versions of characters, and slowly unraveling mysteries all in play, but it keeps everyone engaged via huge set pieces and practical effects work, a charismatic cast, and a truly bombastic score from Hans Zimmer. Credit this one with Tom Hardy's sudden jump onto the A-list, because his Eames absolutely steals the show. Of all the movies on this list, this is the one I most wish I could experience for the first time again, preferably on the biggest theater screen in existence.
11. Ex Machina (2014)
Alex Garland's been hitting home runs on a consistent basis since he first released his novel The Beach way back in 1996. It was his work with Danny Boyle (scripting 28 Days Later and Sunshine) that brought him to my attention in a big way, and he continued his hot streak with Dredd (which he is rumored to have also directed). Ex Machina was his credited debut in the director's chair, and, wow, what a debut it is. Starring Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, and Oscar Isaac -- all incredible -- this is inventive, challenging sci-fi, unafraid to ask the big questions. And, without spoiling anything, it's not afraid to give big answers to those questions, either.
What is there to say about Bong Joon-ho's masterpiece that hasn't been said elsewhere online already? Everything you've heard is true. It's funny, it's dark, and it will surprise even the most experienced moviegoers on multiple occasions. Every single time you think you have a grip on the unfolding story, it pivots into unexpected territory, and it all seems effortless. Bong Joon-ho has always delivered, but this is easily his best yet. I hope like hell that Park So-dam and Song Kang-ho get the recognition they deserve for their work in this film.
9. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
How the hell did this happen? How, 35 years after the fact, did a studio have the guts to give someone as unique as Denis Villeneuve total control to make a lengthy, existential, contemplative film that required such a high budget? Sure, the box office numbers were a disappointment. But the fact that there's a sequel to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner that not only lives up to its reputation but may in fact surpass it is truly miraculous. I have never been more satisfied with a sequel to anything. Also, what a joy it was to see Roger Deakins finally bring home an Oscar for his work as director of photography.
Is there anything more enjoyable than a well-crafted whodunnit? Rian Johnson's Knives Out is one of the genre's brightest moments ever, with a script that is so intricately put together that it manages to turn expectations on the audience's head multiple times without losing steam. The key to the whole genre has always been the big reveal at the end, the moment when whoever the investigator at hand is gets to explain how all the disparate pieces form together to answer the central question. Let's face it, usually the author/director/game designer has to cheat a little. They have to stretch reality, sometimes just a bit and sometimes a whole lot, to make sure the last two pieces click together properly. Rian Johnson has not cheated here. Knives Out is the work of someone who clearly loves the genre so dearly that he went the extra mile to make sure that every single clue and every line of dialogue is important and will come back into play when needed. Not one thread is left dangling, not one moment out of place. Tack on one of the great ensembles in recent memory -- Daniel Craig's zany Benoit Blank ( a classic private investigator with a delightfully odd southern accent) and the extended Thrombey family, featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer, and Katherine Langford -- and the truly transcendent Ana de Armas in the lead role as Marta, and you've got one of the decade's finest films on your hands.
7. The Shape of Water (2017)
I'll be a bit lazy here and quote a bit of what I wrote when naming this my favorite film of 2017:
"This is a love story. A love story about a woman seeking meaning in her life, yes, but also a love story between Guillermo del Toro and his monsters. It's a monster story for the outcasts who always related to the monsters more than the people chasing them.
It has often been said that Guillermo's best work has been in his native tongue, an argument that was easy to make considering the quality of The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth, but I've never really bought into that. For starters, he's not had the level of freedom in his American studio efforts and has still managed to deliver some of my favorite films. But, more importantly, I wouldn't say that Spanish is his true native language. Cinema is. He speaks it more fluently than perhaps anyone else ever has. This is an unforgettable masterpiece."
Alex Garland was quoted somewhere during the production of this film that he wasn't trying to literally adapt Jeff Vandermeer's novel of the same name. Instead, he was trying to capture what it felt like to experience that book for the first time. Garland said he only read the book once, but the nightmarish descent into the unknown depths of "Area X" lingered in his mind for long after he read it. As far as I'm concerned, his unique approach was the correct one. Vandermeer's Southern Reach trilogy would have been impossible to adapt in a traditional way. Garland managed to capture the disturbing questions and horrors of Annihilation in a completely bold but successful way. The ending, in particular, is one of the most audacious, haunting pieces of cinema I have ever witnessed. Clear your mind and give this one a watch, whether for the first or tenth time. You'll find the journey worthwhile, even if it leaves you shuddering.
4. Calvary (2014)
What a remarkable accomplishment John Michael McDonagh's Calvary is. A movie about what it means to be a good Catholic priest in a world that has moved past Catholicism (and certainly the idea of "good" priests), this melancholy but uplifting (and darkly hilarious) movie might be the highlight of Brendan Gleeson's remarkable career. You'll laugh a lot watching it, but I guarantee you'll cry before it's over. A far better movie about faith and belief than has ever been made by any so-called religious group or "faith-based" production company, this was the decade's great unsung masterpiece.
3. Take Shelter (2011)
Jeff Nichols' Take Shelter absolutely blew me away the first time I saw it. It might be the best movie ever made about mental illness and its legacy throughout a family (and what it can do to the people you love). Michael Shannon gives the performance of the decade as Curtis LaForche, a man having visions of a quickly-approaching apocalypse who decides to build a surival shelter in his backyard. He struggles to explain what's happening to his wife (an amazing Jessica Chastain), his young, deaf daughter, and his seemingly only friend (Shea Whigham). Between visits to his psychiatrist and his elderly mother, whose own mental struggles devastated the LaForche family when Curtis was young, the movie (and Nichols' excellent script )keeps us guessing as to whether there's any truth at all to the visions. The final shot is one for the ages.
2. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
What else is there to say? George Miller's Fury Road is a relentless, massive spectacle, an absolute miracle of a film that completely changed the way we looked at action films forever. More world-building and storytelling is done on a frame-by-frame basis during the opening minutes, often without any dialogue whatsoever, than most films accomplish in their entire running time. What a lovely day, indeed.
1. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Joel and Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis is as much folk song as it is film. It's devastating and beautiful and hilarious and frustrating and so very, very well-written. Llewyn Davis, played by the insanely talented Oscar Isaac, is a struggling folk musician just trying to get by in New York. His musical partner has died. He has gotten another man's wife pregnant. He has accidentally let the cat of some of his only benefactors loose on the streets. He can't control his attitude. In other words, he's a real person, and frankly, he's a bit of an asshole. You love him all the same, though, and you wish he could get things together, just this once. He almost always disappoints you. That's how the cycle goes, and the remarkable soundtrack and intricate world that the Coens built here will keep you enthralled from beginning to... end? Beginning?
No scene from any movie sticks with me more than the one that comes close to the end of this film when, after a brutal, bizarre road trip to Chicago, Llewyn finds himself in front of a producer who has the power to finally make an impact on his career. He's gone through hell to get here, and all he has to do is play a song to impress this man. Llewyn, though, chooses to play "Queen Jane," a song describing the death of the titular queen during childbirth that left her husband decimated. The producer, of course, passes. Llewyn, so determined to stay true to himself and his artistry, has let another opportunity die. If you can't succeed as yourself, is success even worth it? Do you even want to achieve that goal you're chasing? Will any of it make up for the loss of a friend, or all the mistakes you've made along the way? The Coens leave that up for their character, and, as an extension, their audience to decide. We're all Llewyn Davis, in some way or another. Which is why this was beyond any shadow of a doubt my favorite film of the decade.
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