My 100 Favorite Movies of the Decade
“Here’s to the ones who dream.”
We arrive now at the final list I have to offer from the decade in review. Many subjects have been covered, but I just had the innate desire to save this one for last. I love movies and I think the 2010s was a great decade for them. So many filmmakers at the top of their game. Things we’ve never seen before! A medium in transition and a world at the same. Only the best things result from that, even if many believe the sky is falling.
Before I get into it, I want to share three movies that I didn’t have a chance to see. Uncut Gems, Little Women, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker are frankly coming out just too late to merit consideration on this list. I don’t think I’ll have a chance to see them before 2019 ends. However, I am going to make each of them eligible for the list that comes around in 2029, so long as the planet is still keen to have us on it.
That being said, here are some honorable mentions in alphabetical order! 50/50, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Beauty and the Beast, Boy, Brave, The Descendants, Due Date, Grown Ups, How to Train Your Dragon, The Interview, Krampus, New Year’s Eve, Ocean’s Eight, Penguins of Madagascar, Seven Psychopaths, Sisters, A Star Is Born, Us, Winnie the Pooh, and Yesterday.
I have not yet seen Before Midnight.
Honestly, I think this list could change every day. But as of today, this is how I feel. Also, I recognize that this list is mostly populist, American entertainment. So without a further preamble, since this list has a fair shot of becoming the wordiest one yet, let’s get right into it!
100. Draft Day (2014)
The story of how Kevin Costner somehow pulls off the weirdest draft in NFL history. It’s not technically that great, but man, it’s fun to watch. I’m not crazy about sports movies, but I love the behind the scenes stories and this is a great one to scratch that itch. It’s also a great way to start this list to show you that, in true Luke Skywalker fashion, this is not going to go the way you think.
99. Frances Ha (2012)
Frances Ha, Frances Ha! The Meyerowitz Stories and Marriage Story are both great films from Noah Baumbach in this later stage of his career. But for me, the free-wheeling story of Greta Gerwig’s Frances Halladay is still Baumbach’s best.
98. Her (2013)
Her, the story of a man and his relationship with his operating system, was one of the first movies to be emblematic of a shift in the Academy. The fact that this was recognized at the Oscars was miraculous in itself. Spike Jonze remains among the most creative filmmakers working today.
97. True Grit (2010)
People love to rant and rave about remakes. But the Coen brothers’ rendition of True Grit is a testament to why they should exist. The original film with John Wayne is dated and sloppy. The new version with Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, and Josh Brolin is a glorious Coens western. Both can coexist!
96. The Great Gatsby (2013)
Many have criticized the Baz Luhrmann version of the great American novel as all flash and no substance. But I’d be the first to argue that this gets at the core of the original F. Scott Fitzgerald novel way better than the Sam Waterston rendition from 1974. The closing narration from Tobey Maguire’s Nick Carraway is still haunting me to this day.
95. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Last year, I rode for Ralph Breaks the Internet as the best animated film of 2018. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I realize that two amazing princess scenes does not a perfect movie make. As such, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has emerged, for me, as an undeniable, revisionist feat of animation and superhero cinema. As funny as it is inspiring.
94. Roma (2018)
Speaking of 2018, I present Roma to you. It’s Alfonso Cuaron’s Spanish-language, black-and-white, Netflix original film that had everything working against it and still made a major play for Best Picture. The love we see in every frame is testament enough against the horrible decision to award the trophy to Green Book.
93. The Social Network (2010)
Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, and Amanda Dobbins of The Ringer unanimously proclaimed The Social Network as the best movie of the decade. For me, it’s not even the best David Fincher movie of the decade. But it’s still really amazing. It might be the most fortuitous movie we saw in the past ten years. It’s quite remarkable how a film that is a product of the late-2000s can somehow represent an entire decade, even though so much time came after it.
92. Frozen (2013)
In the wake of Frozen II, which I liked, I was reminded of how amazing the original Frozen was. Yes, market saturation has likely made many forget the perfection from the movie because of how hyped it became. But seriously, the visuals, the mood, the score. It’s all working at such a high clip. Can you really find a better voice cast than Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, and Santino Fontana, either?
91. The Big Short (2015)
Speaking of a high clip, The Big Short is one that came out of nowhere. Adam McKay’s depiction of the housing market crisis from a decade ago was announced randomly with a stellar cast of Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, and Christian Bale. It’s a lot of whiz-bang, quick-cut fun, but it also has devastating consequences that are far from fun to contemplate.
90. Late Night (2019)
Mindy Kaling is a genius writer, as evidenced by her work in literature and on The Office and The Mindy Project. It stood to reason that her foray into film would also be of a high quality. And Kaling cleared every marker, turning in a charming story that has the best of Kaling’s two creative pursuits: workplace comedy and rom-com.
89. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
12 Years a Slave has established a legacy for itself as one of the Best Picture winners from this decade that people felt best about rallying around. That isn’t to say it’s not a tough hang (it is), but rather that Steve McQueen’s masterful direction and the flawless acting across the board made for a worthy winner of the award. You don’t see that a whole lot.
88. First Man (2018)
Damien Chazelle is the director to watch. He’s not even under the radar anymore. He’s firmly a major player going forward. The fact that First Man, his moving, introverted biopic about one of the most awe-inspiring men of all-time, is only my third favorite movie of his? That’s a testament to the genius Chazelle is working with constantly. More on his other films later.
87. Bridesmaids (2011)
A comedy so funny and such a big deal that it burst onto the scene as a major hit and as a player at the Oscars. You have to be a special comedy to navigate both lanes and Bridesmaids has undeniably gone down as one of the decade’s defining laugh riots.
86. Last Christmas (2019)
A Christmas rom-com set mostly during nighttime with a twist. What’s not to love? Emilia Clarke gives one of the most charming performances I’ve ever seen. Seriously, she is reason enough to see this movie. The supporting cast is great, too, but Clarke is rom-com royalty already.
85. Chasing Happiness (2019)
The idea of the Jonas Brothers working through the obstacles that caused their break-up might seem like it would come across forced in documentary form. But what results is entirely raw and emotional, the three of them like you’ve never seen them before and never imagined they could be.
84. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Hopefully, we’re in the midst of a murder mystery Renaissance that began with Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of the most famous Agatha Christie story. I was thankful that I didn’t know the ending beforehand, which likely made me more open to receiving it in this way. I thought it was a lovely winter movie! It made me feel cozy and it kept me guessing!
83. Toy Story 4 (2019)
I was as skeptical as everyone that Toy Story 4 would be a needed addition to the franchise that had seemingly ended perfectly nine years prior. But by bringing an end to Woody’s character arc in a series of moments that still make me well up, Pixar showed why we should never doubt the Toy Story franchise.
82. Jane (2017)
Comprised of tons of never before seen footage from Jane Goodall’s early research into chimpanzees, Jane makes for one of the best nature documentaries you’ll ever see. People like her are doing such important work at a time when animal rights and environmentalism are our most pressing issues.
81. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)
Talk about sequels no one asked for! Still, the follow-up to Mamma Mia! was arguably more delightful than the original. It doubled down on the camp, it brought back all your favorite stars, and they finally sang “Waterloo.” The world is wide. Let’s go make some memories.
80. Fury (2014)
Fury takes you through the horrors of war, especially as treated by veteran fighters, by assuming the perspective of Logan Lerman, thrust to the front lines when he’s just a kid. It’s the closest thing you’ll see to a bottle movie in the war genre and it’ll leave you drained of all your emotions.
79. Black Panther (2018)
In a decade that was defined by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther makes for the first entry from the franchise on this list. It’s the best origin movie they ever did over at Marvel. The globe-trotting adventures of Black Panther are sleekly modern and surprisingly philosophical. Throw in a killer soundtrack and some gorgeous aesthetics and you’ve got yourself a worthy superhero film.
78. Arrival (2016)
Arrival treats the sci-fi elements of space, aliens, and time travel in a way that not many movies have thought to do before. By pushing the genre through the beautiful, heartbreaking characters, Arrival becomes more than meditation. It’s a testament to human spirit. And one of the greatest linguistic movies ever made.
77. The Avengers (2012)
The movie that changed everything. With The Avengers, franchises weren’t just trilogies and the occasional spin-off. It was crossovers and team-ups and ongoing, serialized narratives. It was the comic books come to life. And it seems like peanuts when compared to the Avengers follow-ups we’ve seen since.
76. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Mental health, bipolar disorder, broken marriages. All the pain and heartbreak is in Silver Linings Playbook, the movie that vaulted Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro back into top-notch dramatic consideration by Academy voting bodies. But in the end, they dance. There’s an uplifting spirit to one of the most overlooked Best Picture nominees of the decade.
75. Crazy Stupid Love (2011)
Perhaps no one has ever been cooler than Ryan Gosling in this movie. You wouldn’t have blamed him if he wanted to side-step the potential typecasting nature of starring in another romance movie. But he recognized its greatness, just as the rom-com public did.
74. Lion (2016)
Many have stated that the early parts of Lion are what resonate with them most. I agree with this, for the most part, but I think this does a disservice to the Dev Patel section, which is moving for an entirely different reason. It was Oscar bait-y yes, but it was extremely well made.
73. The Imitation Game (2014)
And if we’re talking movies that were Oscar bait, but also really compelling, you can’t do much better than to mention The Imitation Game. Keira Knightly crushes every performance she ever gives, but this was also the first time I began to take Benedict Cumberbatch seriously. I just adore a solid process movie.
72. Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The Thor franchise left a lot to be desired in the MCU. Enter Taika Waititi to give it a jolt of much-needed energy. He brought humor, bright visuals, brand-new worlds, a thrilling arc for Thor, and the greatness that is Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie. Taika helped usher in the era of letting auteurs play in the Marvel sandbox. Thus far, it’s been a vastly more successful one than Phase One and Phase Two.
71. A Ghost Story (2017)
A slow, contemplative drama about life cycles and loneliness, A Ghost Story shouldn’t resonate as much as it does. One of its lead actors spends the entire movie under a sheet. The other spends six minutes eating a pie, uncut. But David Lowery is a gifted director who knows how to craft human emotion out of the most pressing circumstances.
70. American Honey (2016)
American Honey will go down on the side of movies like Jaws and Top Gun as the idea of what “the great American film” can be. Sasha Lane proved she was a star, even if it’s not something she’s interested in pursuing. Shia LaBeouf reminded us how amazing he is as an actor. Dream, baby. Dream.
69. Gone Girl (2014)
The adaptation of the acclaimed Gillian Flynn novel was a wild ride at the movies for everyone who’d been craving a solid thriller. Gone Girl showed us a new side of Ben Affleck’s acting ability and brought Rosamund Pike around as an unthinkable character. David Fincher continues to cinematically starve us. It’s been five years since Gone Girl, his last movie.
68. Love and Mercy (2014)
Biopics are a genre that can cause understandable wariness. But Love and Mercy understands this and is uninterested in making a boiler-plate story. Instead, we bounce back and forth between Paul Dano as The Beach Boys’ young Brian Wilson and John Cusack as the older, modern day version. It’s a haunting story, unbecoming for someone we know for making such poppy, peppy beach music.
67. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
What a bunch of a-holes. That’s the phrase that introduced us to Marvel’s riskiest super-team, comprised of the idiot from Parks and Recreation, a wrestler, Vin Diesel as a tree, Bradley Cooper as a raccoon, and Zoe Saldana, the only one who makes sense in this cast on paper. And yet, James Gunn crafted a hilarious, action-packed joyride that is not afraid to indulge in some emotional beats. It remains the Marvel movie I have seen the most.
66. The Skeleton Twins (2014)
Few moments feel as life-affirming in movies from the past decade as when Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, playing siblings, finally break out of their depressions, even if only for a moment. “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship has never sounded so soaring.
65. Begin Again (2013)
John Carney may have lost a lot of favor with me after his comments about Keira Knightly, but I choose to love her performance, alongside Mark Ruffalo’s, in Begin Again anyway. She’s so winning and charming and musical throughout this movie. It’d be a shame to let that performance be forgotten, even if Carney couldn’t handle it.
64. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Dipping back into Marvel waters here, Captain America: Civil War may not be a solo Steve Rogers flick in terms of the style, but it certainly is when you consider the spirit. It deals the necessary, crushing blows of a Marvel universe in splinters, while still leaving room for a lot of the super fun we’re accustomed to. The airport battle remains one of the best ever from the studio!
63. Long Shot (2019)
Jonathan Levine has made some of my favorite movies. (You might recall 50/50 being an honorable mention.) But Long Shot was his first true blue rom-com. What makes for an unlikely pairing in Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron actually serves for a delightfully chemistry-induced romp across the world, 2010s culture, and political science.
62. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
When the Coen brothers came to Netflix, I wasn’t sure what to expect. An anthology western film was certainly not what I was thinking either. But each segment deals with death in an entirely different tone (that’s what you can do when you’re the Coens and your movies dash between tones constantly). Joel and Ethan feel like the heirs to James Joyce.
61. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Wes Anderson’s ode to childhood. It’s all here in Moonrise Kingdom, perhaps a major foray for Anderson into the minds of the world around him. Some say it’s not his most profound work, but when you see two kids dancing on the beach, doesn’t that just say it all?
60. Our Idiot Brother (2011)
Just be a good person. Put your faith in the world and believe that it’ll give it right back to you. That’s what Paul Rudd’s character, Ned, believes throughout Our Idiot Brother and it makes for an infectious sentiment you’ll want to imbue into your own life. For a lovely indie movie with a delightful Rudd performance, you can’t do much better than this one.
59. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
The trope of an awkward high schooler who is unabashedly himself and trying to fit in is an overused one. But never has it come alive better than in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Logan Lerman and Emma Watson give their characters depth that the genre doesn’t usually allow for beyond the simple, “I’m quirky and in high school!” Even the use of “Heroes” by David Bowie doesn’t come across as cliche. Sets such a high bar.
58. A Quiet Place (2018)
A Quiet Place is perfect for an elevator pitch. A horror movie where you can’t make any sound. It made for one of the great theater-going experiences of the decade and it proved that John Krasinski is an A-lister who could break out of The Office mold. Throw in Emily Blunt’s always flawless acting and you’ve got an undeniable horror hit on your hands.
57. Jackie (2016)
The image of a bloodied Jackie Kennedy wandering around the White House is unforgettably embedded into my mind. Natalie Portman brings such a pathos to a character often misunderstood in our nation’s history. Camelot never was what we thought it was. But for a brief, shining moment, it could have been.
56. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi remains my second favorite Star Wars movie ever and there are many days when I feel like it might be number one. Rey’s parentage? Snoke’s origin? Rian Johnson showed us that these questions don’t matter. What matters is the weight of legacy on these characters as they aim to do the right thing in the face of insurmountable odds. There are tons of moments that give me goosebumps to this day. What a masterwork.
55. The Irishman (2019)
Martin Scorsese comes back to the gangster genre (Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed) to give his signature style a proper send-off, just like Clint Eastwood did for westerns in Unforgiven. But he brings Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel along with him, unites with Al Pacino for the first time, enlists newer talent like Ray Romano and Jesse Plemons, and coaxes Joe Pesci out of retirement. What results is like nothing you’ve seen before.
54. Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)
The Mission: Impossible movies, for many, just keep getting better and better. But my favorite will always be Ghost Protocol. The entire sequence with Tom Cruise on the outside of the building is one of the most jaw-dropping action set pieces ever put to screen. I can’t believe they still let Tom Cruise do this shit.
53. Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
It was a daunting task to make a sequel to Mary Poppins without Julie Andrews, fifty years after the fact. But Emily Blunt and Rob Marshall were up to the task. Every frame of this movie is dripping with such joy and enthusiasm for musicals and dancing. Lin Manuel-Miranda has a gorgeous smile. What a film! I’m still humming “Trip a Little Light Fantastic.”
52. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
By the end of The Wolf of Wall Street, you’ll feel like shit. You’ll wonder how anyone could ever be happy with such a life. But throughout the film, you can’t deny that it’s quintessential, required Scorsese and the funniest movie he ever made. DiCaprio on quaaludes remains an unbelievable segment of a film that is so frenetic and preposterous that it couldn’t possibly be real. But it is and that’s the terrifying part.
51. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
The first half of the epic finale to the Harry Potter franchise was mostly met with yawns by audiences and critics. Where’s the action? Where’s the bombast? Where’s the magic? To these questions, I say, Who cares? We have a quiet, extremely slow, extremely existential drama here, set in the Wizarding world, instead. It’s an unbelievable study of what kids do in war. Some of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever experienced in culture are here. It’s gorgeous. I love it as a perfect set-up for the second half.
50. The Greatest Showman (2017)
To enjoy The Greatest Showman, you have to recognize that it is not a biopic of P.T. Barnum. It’s just using his name to tell a different story altogether. One of the best original soundtracks you’ll ever hear, Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, Michelle Williams, and Rebecca Ferguson combined for a movie filled with music that slowly infected the culture. Every inch of the experience is an absolute banger.
49. Birdman (2014)
Many are quick to deride the single, “uncut” tracking shot as a cheap gimmick, but I was extremely wowed by it. It made for a wholly original filmgoing experience that, to me, was worthy of the Best Picture award that year, even if it wouldn’t have been my first pick. It also exposed me to the fact that Emma Stone and Zach Galifianakis could be expert dramatic actors, in addition to their comedy chops.
48. Obvious Child (2014)
Jenny Slate is a personal favorite of mine and her collaboration with director Gillian Robespierre has been among the indie scene’s most fruitful over the last ten years. They also worked together on Slate’s Netflix stand-up special, Stage Fright, and another film, 2017’s Landline. But Obvious Child, the story of an upstart comedian who ends up pregnant, remains tops for me.
47. Get Out (2017)
Get Out capitalized on a horror phenomenon that the average film-goer is still reaping the benefits of today. It was such a singularly, perfectly-executed concept that immediately vaulted Jordan Peele into the stratosphere of auteurs. The pay-offs in this movie are off the charts good. I’m also a big fan of Peele’s follow-up to Get Out, 2019’s Us.
46. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)
There’s only so many times I can say that Keira Knightly is a damn delight whenever she’s on screen, but I can’t help it if it’s true. This fun little indie romance, situated inside a family drama, situated inside an apocalyptic disaster film makes for an out of this world road trip film that is as cute as it is harrowing.
45. Hail, Caesar! (2016)
The Coen brothers’ tribute to old Hollywood made for a delightful theater watch. I am aiming to see the great directors’ movies in theaters at least once and this was my selection for Joel and Ethan. Funny and show-stopping, it held true to the Coens’ formula of movies getting better the more you think about them. Would that it were so simple.
44. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
This is not only my favorite documentary of the decade, it remains my favorite documentary ever. It paints Mr. Rogers as the figure to turn to in this day and age, but it doesn’t shy away from the fact that he was not flawless or saintlike. He had his own burdens and that’s why he’s someone to aspire to. Morgan Neville is a genius documentarian.
43. Brooklyn (2015)
Brooklyn is one of those movies that just keeps growing and growing in my estimation the more I think about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was to keep climbing higher as time passes. But for now, this is the best spot I could come up with for it. Brooklyn introduced me to Saoirse Ronan as a leading actor and told an exceedingly charming immigrant story at a time where such a thing could be lovely and sweet, before it all went to shit. One of my favorite period dramas ever.
42. The Town (2010)
We already knew Ben Affleck could direct, after he turned out the harrowing Gone Baby Gone. But The Town showed us he could make a movie that people would really love and rally around. It’s a kick-ass, fun heist movie that can become grave on a dime. But a heist of Fenway Park orchestrated by Affleck and Jeremy Renner with Jon Hamm in pursuit? What more do you need?
41. Room (2015)
Talk about some tough hangs. Room, Lenny Abrahamson’s adaptation of the acclaimed Irish novel from Emma Donoghue, takes us into the story of a kidnapped woman who is held in captivity. But she has a son as a result of the horrors. The story is through his lens and takes a wild, breath-shattering turn halfway through. Once you enter into Room, you won’t be able to look away.
40. Knives Out (2019)
There’s so much to love about Knives Out, Rian Johnson’s fusion of Alfred Hitchcock thriller and Agatha Christie parlor murder mystery. Take Daniel Craig’s southern accent, dripping with molasses as if he’s playing a board game with Michael Scott. Take Chris Evans’ sweaters, a clear rebuke of skintight superhero garb. Take Ana de Armas, giving the best performance in the entire movie. Take whatever you want, just make sure you see Knives Out.
39. Christopher Robin (2018)
The decade was partially defined by Disney’s live action department finally finding a financial groove with their live-action remakes. I liked the versions of Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast they produced, but my favorite was Christopher Robin. It tells a completely original story while still retaining the classic Winnie the Pooh charm. But it also finds new themes for the characters to explore. It’s a good one to watch at all stages of life. Bravo to Alex Ross Perry and Marc Forster for crafting this.
38. The Nice Guys (2016)
We need more buddy cop detective comedies, but if Shane Black is the only one who’s going to make them, then we need to give him all the money in the world to do so. A spiritual successor to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys is rooted in a ton of fun scenes, revolving around a central mystery. But it’s the dynamic between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling that I love the most.
37. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
When Marvel announced they would be concluding their Infinity Saga with an epic, two-part finale in 2018 and 2019, I was sent into a tizzy. Instantly, they became my most anticipated movies and I eagerly gobbled up every detail that came out about them. Somehow, Avengers: Infinity War lived up those expectations by delivering one of the best superhero movies ever. The smash-and-grab pace and the telling of the story through the Thanos lens are probably the two biggest attributers to that accomplishment.
36. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Hang me, oh hang me. I’ll be dead and gone. These are the lyrics crooned by Oscar Isaac’s Llewyn Davis, a down-on-his-luck, vagabond musician, in the movie’s best original song. It’s one of the Coens’ most melancholy affairs and, somehow, it mostly missed at the 2013 Oscars. But it hasn’t been forgotten by film lovers. I’m happy to see it on the Best of the Decade lists from many others.
35. They Came Together (2014)
David Wain and Michael Showalter have a delirious sense of humor. They made one of my favorite comedies ever, Wet Hot American Summer, but they hadn’t made a true blue parody in a long time. But then along came They Came Together, the Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd rom-com satire that has a joke every ten seconds. Now, I would like to watch it again.
34. Baby Driver (2017)
In an era where so many filmmakers want to include dynamite soundtracks in their movies, no film infused it as deeply into the heart of the story than Baby Driver did. Every action is timed to some obscure beat. And on top of it all, it’s an awesome Edgar Wright action heist movie that is extremely stylized. The Monsters, Inc. joke still gets me every time.
33. Tangled (2010)
Whenever Disney is in a rut, the return to a princess story will save them. Snow White did it in 1937, Cinderella did it after World War II, The Little Mermaid did it before the Renaissance, and The Princess and the Frog knocked socks off in 2009. But Tangled remains the best Disney princess movie of the Revival Era. Rapunzel is an instant classic character and the songs are already well within the Disney canon. The lantern sequence during “I See the Light” is the peak of romance!
32. Whiplash (2014)
Remember when I wrote about Damien Chazelle with First Man? Well, here’s the feature that thrust him into the spotlight. I heard so much praise for Whiplash that I presumed it couldn’t possibly live up to my expectations. But Chazelle is truly gifted. Whiplash is perfect for every second.
31. The Hateful Eight (2015)
Quentin Tarantino’s take on single-room westerns and period crime mysteries was a seemingly-cynical, extremely lengthy epic. The Hateful Eight unites the all-stars of Tarantino with Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen, among others. But it was Jennifer Jason Leigh’s performance that stole the show so dramatically.
30. The Muppets (2011)
Muppet-mania was fervent back in November 2011. At least, it was for me. The soundtrack, the original shows and films, the characters. Everything about it was incredible to me and I was so excited for the new take on the characters from Jason Segel that the Muppets Sirius XM radio station was a must-listen for me. It’s a perfect depiction of how to bring characters back when they’ve been gone for so long.
29. Steve Jobs (2015)
I really believe that Steve Jobs is the perfect biopic. Maybe some surreal elements would have suited the story, too, but for the most part, the collaboration between Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle is exactly what you might want. A much-needed fix when compared to the Ashton Kutcher biopic, the Michael Fassbender take also brought in Kate Winslet and Seth Rogen. By using the Walter Isaacson biography and focusing on three specific moments in the pivotal life of Jobs, what results is a stimulating, satisfying delight of a story about a complicated man.
28. Interstellar (2014)
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Christopher Nolan’s movies. I do enjoy The Prestige, but the only other one I’ve ever really loved was Interstellar. It’s a soaring, ambitious space epic about family and love that spans galaxies and time periods. The story is not perfect, but it doesn’t have to be. Not everything has to be able to be explained. Sometimes, it’s the way a story makes you feel. And Interstellar made me feel quite a bit.
27. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017)
For the longest time, the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy was my favorite Marvel movie. It’s clearly a deeply personal story for James Gunn as his feelings and ideas he’s working through come out in Star-Lord, Rocket, and the rest of the gang, which is split up for the majority of the movie. But it remains a perfect lens through which to examine the characters from the perspective of their development. We learn so much about the Guardians here and it’s partly why the Avengers finale meant so much. The time we spent with them was not only needed. It was what made it so good. You don’t become the highest-grossing franchise without showing fans why they should care about the heroes.
26. About Time (2013)
About Time is an ambitious effort from Richard Curtis, the king of sappy rom-coms. But Curtis always tells a romantic comedy story through a different genre. For About Time, he chose time travel. The logistics and science behind the time travel are irrelevant here. Because what Curtis leads us to care about the most is the dynamics between the characters. Plus, it’s so sweet and just makes your heart feel full.
25. Coco (2017)
I tracked the development of Lee Unkrich’s Coco for years before it finally hit the big screen. What resulted was way more impactful than I ever could have expected. I thought it would be a fun musical romp through Mexican culture and Dia de Muertos, but a story of family and love and memory and death results instead. Pound for pound, one of the most emotional Pixar stories you’ll see. And just absolutely gorgeous.
24. The Way Way Back (2013)
The Way Way Back comes from the Academy Award-winning screenwriting duo of Jim Rash and Nat Faxon. It tells the story of one kid in New England who comes of age in a water park where his closest friends are the adults who work there. Constantly searching for an escape from family, he gets involved in some funny situations, but also learns a lot about himself along the way. It might sound like a corny summer comedy/drama, but I assure you, it is a beautiful, fun, heart-charming story.
23. Black Swan (2010)
Darren Aronofsky’s twisted tale of a ballerina embroiled in Swan Lake will always keep you guessing. We don’t know whether we can trust Natalie Portman’s character, Nina Sayers. Hell, the other characters don’t know if they can trust her either. But the passion behind art prevails. At what cost? This is a question Aronofsky is always interested in interrogating. Never does he do so more profoundly than in Black Swan, which also features an all-time Portman performance.
22. Manchester by the Sea (2016)
If you want to talk about the Hall of Fame of acting, then you have to mention Manchester by the Sea, which has two unbelievably stupendous performances from Michelle Williams and Casey Affleck. It’s a gutting, heart-wrenching family drama that you won’t want to revisit anytime soon, if ever again. But the roles these two inhabit makes it all worth it.
21. Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)
Before rom-coms began to have a resurgence through streaming services, the popular model of depicting the story on screen was to deconstruct it. (500) Days of Summer did this in a way that was arguably the defining treatment. But I have a soft spot for my favoritism towards Celeste and Jesse Forever. The usual tropes of a rom-com be damned, Lee Toland Krieger’s story of how two friends split off in heartbreaking fashion is a stunning one if you share my sensibilities and affinity for rom-coms. Andy Samberg and Rashida Jones are perfect in the roles, as well.
20. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Taika Waititi has made many movies and I haven’t disliked a single one. However, my favorite remains What We Do in the Shadows, his mockumentary send-up of vampire culture in New Zealand. Take the line that explains why vampires prefer to suck the blood of virgins, “If you are going to eat a sandwich, you would just enjoy it more if you knew no one had fucked it.” That alone makes this a perfect comedy.
19. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
Speaking of perfect comedies in the 2010s, I present to you, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. A riff on boy bands and pop stars of the Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake (he cameos!) variety, Popstar is The Lonely Island at their best. An onslaught of hysterical jokes, punctuated by myriad cameos and songs that would actually be hits if they came to the radio. One of the best moments from the movie is a deleted scene! That’s how tight and amazing Popstar is.
18. The Old Man and the Gun (2018)
My favorite movie of 2018! The Old Man and the Gun was a charming and wholesome heist movie from David Lowery. However, it also doubled as the cinematic send-off to one of the greatest actors to ever do it, Robert Redford. You feel the weight of his legacy throughout the movie, but it never comes off as pretentious or burdensome. It’s just lovely to spend time with him at all.
17. The Night Before (2015)
As soon as I saw The Night Before, it immediately entered into my all-time Christmas canon. I mean, Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt reunited with Jonathan Levine, set the story over the course of one Christmas Eve, tossed in Mindy Kaling and an Avenger (Anthony Mackie), and went nuts with it. It’s a perfect movie that still makes me laugh and has become a favorite to revisit every year. Rogen is giving an all-time great comedic performance in it.
16. Inside Out (2015)
Speaking of Mindy Kaling appearances, here is Inside Out. With movies like Coco, Inside Out, and two great Toy Story films, it would be tempting to say that this was the best decade ever for Pixar. But you have to consider how impressively strong their output was in past decades. It’s not to say the 2010s were the least consistent, but rather that they are a testament to how consistent Pixar has been. The Pete Docter-helmed story of feelings having feelings is a shimmering example of that. I will forever be envious of how Pixar depicted depression, loss, and the complex character of joy. Storytelling genius.
15. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Unfortunately, there is no Mindy Kaling appearance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It’s the only thing that could have possibly improved the movie, though, because Quentin Tarantino’s epic love letter to a time and place that will never exist again is pretty damn flawless. The concurrent storytelling, the emotional dialogue, the epic finish, the gorgeous visuals, the lilting soundtrack. It’s all just so chef’s kiss. It’s insane. The sweetest Tarantino movie yet.
14. Moana (2016)
Anyone who dismisses animation as a medium “for children” can bugger off. Moana is a soaring musical adventure with some of the best Disney songs ever made. (Thanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda.) The story in Moana can resonate far beyond your years and can bring you solace and comfort in times of uncertainty. May we all sail past the reef.
13. Tower Heist (2011)
I will go to bat for Tower Heist. This list, being my collection of favorites, will have some inclusions that are solely tailored to my liking. Tower Heist is one of them. No one even remembered to include it in the Best of 2011 wrap-ups, never mind Best of the Decade. But I don’t care. I love it. It’s a slick, creative heist movie that takes place in New York during Thanksgiving. Matthew Broderick’s lines are always funny. Eddie Murphy is giving one of his best performances. Ben Stiller seems somehow cool? Alan Alda makes for a great antagonist. And the supporting cast consists of Tea Leoni, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Pena, Casey Affleck, Judd Hirsch, and more. I saw this multiple times in theaters and I adore it.
12. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Here’s another one that I’ll probably have to go to bat for. Saving Mr. Banks is the exceedingly charming and occasionally dark story of how Mary Poppins was brought from page to screen. Emma Thompson is revelatory as P.L. Travers. Tom Hanks is a no-brainer for Walt Disney. B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman are awesome Sherman brothers. The movie may be schmaltzy, but there are so many moments that still move me whenever I think of them. As a total Disney nerd, I love what Saving Mr. Banks brought to the world and I love even more that I got to see it with my friends during the holiday season. Special times were had by all. Underrated movie!
11. Moneyball (2011)
This is the greatest sports movie ever made. Because at the core of it, it’s not about baseball. It’s about trusting your instincts, pushing progress forward, and trying something new. It’s also about the love you have for your family and what that is worth to a person. It has great sports moments, sure, but they’re secondary to the real heart of Moneyball, a thoroughly satisfying process movie. Brad Pitt is also so dynamic in the role of Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics.
10. This Is the End (2013)
I had to leave room in my top ten for the best comedy of the decade. Yes, there are strong comedic elements for many of the films remaining in the list (The Martian: a nominee for Musical or Comedy at the Globes!), but This Is the End is a straight up, no doubt about it comedy. I know there’s been spins on the apocalypse before and I know there were movies where actors played themselves. But for both conceits, This Is the End was the first time I ever saw these elements employed. My mind was blown. Suddenly, movies could be anything! But above it all, This Is the End is so funny. If The Rewatchables ever covered this, the Dion Waiters category for the best heat check would go on for an hour.
9. Phantom Thread (2017)
Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about Phantom Thread, since I saw it at the AMC Theater at Disney Springs. It’s a movie that has wriggled its way into the center of my brain and set up camp there for an indeterminate amount of time. But I don’t mind. Every time I think about it, the better it gets in my estimation. It’s a perfect movie and one unlike anything Paul Thomas Anderson has ever done before. There’s such a sweetness to it. It almost plays like a highly sophisticated rom-com. Thread-heads of the world, unite!
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
“To be frank, I think his world had vanished long before he ever entered it. But, I will say, he certainly sustained the illusion with a marvelous grace.” It’s one of the most beautiful quotes in the history of film. And it speaks perfectly to the spirit of Wes Anderson’s opus, which combines ever all-star from the history of his filmography. For a mystical, hysterical romp through life long gone past, you couldn’t find a better story than The Grand Budapest Hotel. It’s as whimsical as it is heartbreaking as it is enchanting. This is a perfect shot.
7. Lady Bird (2017)
Greta Gerwig’s first major directorial foray is also the best movie of 2017. There is a warmth to the nostalgia imbued by Gerwig that shows how much of the story comes from her own feelings, ideas, and sentiments. All the best stories do. The final sequence of scenes is among the most wrenching and fulfilling you’ll ever see in a coming-of-age comedy/drama. Lady Bird showed us that Gerwig is poised to become an all-time auteur. And she has one of the greatest muses of any director/actor pairings in Saoirse Ronan. And yes, Saoirse is on this list a lot. She deserves it! Look at the name of this journal!
6. Toy Story 3 (2010)
As the list winds to an end, one thing you’re going to notice as a strong pattern is that I’m a sucker for endings. But I’m really a sucker for when a beloved franchise comes to an end. Granted, Toy Story 3 is not technically the ending of the Toy Story saga, but it kind of is, right? It’s still an emotional ending in a very real way. I’ll never forget how big this movie was in my life back in 2010. It occupied my every waking moment. The ending scene was something I just… I just really didn’t expect it. I was young enough to not see it coming, I guess. But man. I can still hear the music from that final scene in my head. And it makes me want to cry just thinking about it. Pixar is perfect, even when it’s not.
5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Yes, I love a good ending. And as much as Part 1 is incredible for me, I can’t deny that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the best Harry Potter movie. Just think of the unrelenting pay-offs. Snape’s memories, saying goodbye to Ron and Hermione, the dead bodies, the Forbidden Forest and the Resurrection Stone, the face-off with Voldemort, the encounter with Dumbledore, the final battle. It’s an unbelievable sequence of gorgeous, breathtaking pay-offs. Goddamn, man. I love Harry Potter and I’m glad I had the chance to reflect on it at the end of this decade.
4. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a movie that teaches you how to live. How to go on adventures and how to connect and feel with the people in your life. “Let’s just call it a ghost cat, Walter Mitty,” Sean O’Connell (Sean Penn) says before trotting away from the camera, leaving two of the movie’s big threads unresolved. He just wants to play a game of soccer. In the globe-trotting adventure, multi-layered with activities and human connections, it’s just about living in the moment. To embrace your daydreams, watch this movie. Then, go see the world. Thank you, Ben Stiller.
3. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
I’ve written a ton about Avengers: Endgame. But I can do another blurb. It’s everything you could have possibly wanted for the epic finale to the Infinity Saga. You get to spend time in the loss of a world where the Avengers didn’t win. You get to take a trip through MCU history in a terribly fun time travel second act. You get to feel the highs and lows of one of the most epic battles ever put to screen. It’s a cross-over of ten, kind of eleven, franchises with the weight of all the movies culminating here. The way it makes you feel is an entirely unique experience that shows us the pure merits of this sort of storytelling on the big screen. And that ending shot? Without a costume in sight? I cry every time. The expectations for Endgame couldn’t have been higher. But every single one of them was met.
2. La La Land (2016)
I felt so conflicted on whether or not La La Land should assume the first position on the list. Ultimately, I decided to go a different direction, but runner-up is nothing to shake a leg at. I mean, an entire decade of movies and La La Land comes in at number two? That’s pretty impressive. Well done, Damien Chazelle. But I really love everything about La La Land. It’s gorgeous to look at and to listen to. But it tells such an original story about love in such an old-fashioned way. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone make for an undeniably perfect lead pairing, all the way through to that emotionally enchanting ending. Every time I see a screenshot from La La Land, my heart swoons all over again. That’s the mark of a masterpiece.
1. The Martian (2015)
And here is what I picked as my favorite movie of the decade. It was close! It was definitely, definitely close. But ultimately, I knew in my heart that I love The Martian the most. It’s a process movie with fascinating sci-fi elements and a heartwarming story about humanity driving it all the way. Matt Damon gives a phenomenal performance and the rest of the supporting cast is stacked with all-stars, too. Ridley Scott came out of nowhere to deliver this perfect movie and Drew Goddard certainly helped. The Martian is my go-to rewatchable whenever I’m feeling down or whenever I need to feel immense satisfaction. The “Starman” sequence is beautiful. Hell, every sequence is beautiful. The Martian is the best elements of all the other movies in this list combined. It’s a testament to what we’re all about on this planet (or on other planets). It shows us there’s always something worth fighting for. Perhaps that’s a message we needed in this decade more than any other. But no matter the meta relevance, The Martian will stand the test of time. It’s the best movie of the decade.
Damn, that was fun! It was such a joy to revisit an incredible decade in culture. From 2010 to 2019, we had a ton to be happy about. Here’s to many more decades of lists to make! May we always know our number ones.
Check out my previous “Best of the Decade” lists!
My 15 Favorite New Theme Park Attractions of the Decade
My 30 Favorite Sports Moments of the Decade
My 35 Favorite Podcasts of the Decade
My 40 Favorite Books of the Decade
