2020 brings with it the conclusion of the previous decade and the beginning of a new one. In celebration of this transition, I asked our contributors to put together lists of their respective top ten films from the previous decade (2009-2019). I left the definition of “top” to each individual in order to create more diversity in the lists; some of our writers used the term “best”, some used the term “favorite”, and some (like me) attempted to blend the two. We’ll be publishing these lists over the next two weeks and at the end of it all, Kent, Richard, and I will be releasing our own lists in podcast form. Enjoy today’s entry by Shane Bierley and make sure you check out all of the lists over the coming days. -BG
Well MAM Fam… here we are: the end of the decade. 10 years and (approximately) 5,280 films to sort through. Finalizing this list was very tough to say the least… so many hard cuts! But I managed to do it somehow and I’m excited to finally share my list with you. Please note: these are my favorite films of the decade, not what I consider the “best” films, since art is subjective and excellence is hard to quantify.
OK, here we go!
10) Paddington 1 & 2 (2014 & 2017)
I know, I know… It’s cheating a little bit to squeeze two together. But since the release of the second film, I almost always watch these two as a double feature and find it impossible to separate them now. Why these films, you may ask? Let’s face it: this decade has been fraught with some pretty horrifying events and the news can always seem bad. So, it feels wonderful to get lost in the delightfully colorful, Wes Anderson-esque London of these films where the characters are all so cheerful, earnest and just nice to each other. The screenwriting and direction of these films is SO much better than it has any right to be, and Ben Wishaw’s Paddington is so heart-warming that I want to reach through the screen and hug him every time. The end of the second film always makes me cry and reaffirms my faith in the inherent kindness of people.
9) The Avengers (2012)
I don’t think my anticipation for this film could have been any higher. As a lifelong comic book reader, and a big fan of the first four Marvel films that came before it, my expectations were pretty high. Making the first big budget “superhero team up” movie was an insanely difficult challenge and by God did Joss Whedon pull it off. It felt like a comic come to life. The film was so action-packed, fun, and well-crafted that every movie studio, Disney included, has been trying to recapture the magic of this film ever since. The Avengers went off like a bomb across the cinematic landscape and instantly became a cultural touchstone, as it was the first movie to ever cross $200 million at the box office on opening weekend and was all anyone talked about for weeks after. Many amazing Marvel films have come since its release, but this film is still one of a kind.
8) The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Simply put, this is Leonard DiCaprio’s best performance of all-time and Martin Scorsese’s best work of the decade. Although it is three hours long, this movie stays razor sharp, focused on the rise and fall of an empire (Scorsese’s favorite story arc). In this case, it is Jordan Belfort, the greedy Wall Street trader, who goes from rags to riches to jail, in a story that captures excess, and the perils of it, better than perhaps any other movie ever has. The Quaalude/Lamborghini scene alone cements this flick on my list, but overall this film is an undeniable masterpiece.
7) Chef (2014)
As a proud Los Angeleno and an obsessed foodie, this movie was already ‘preaching to my choir,’ if you will. But when the lights dimmed in my theater, I was not prepared for just how genuine of a look this film would take at the nature of criticism vs. creation. The scene where Chef Casper (Jon Favreau) goes off on the critic for misunderstanding how molten lava cake is made? I felt his righteous anger in my bones. I’ve been on both sides of that equation and this film is a welcome reminder that it is always much harder to create something than it is to criticize it once it’s done. I also love how this film tackles the subject of regaining passion. For those of us lucky enough to make a career out of doing the things we love, it can be easy to eventually take it for granted. Watching Chef Casper regain his passion for feeding people good food, as well as learning a healthy work-life balance, is simply sublime. And I’d be willing to bet there isn’t anyone who isn’t DYING for a Cubano sandwich by the time the credits roll. (Bonus: Props to Jon Favreau for cashing in his “showbiz favors” by casting Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johannson, Dustin Hoffman, and many others for whom the clearly did not have the budget. That’s indie filmmaking, folks!)
6) The Social Network (2010)
“A movie about Facebook? Ugh! Why?” is exactly what I said when this film was announced all those years ago. But then Aaron Sorkin, a brilliant screenwriter, signed on. Then David Fincher, the greatest working director, signed on. And this film quickly became one of the best films of the decade, if not all-time. Every element of the filmmaking process (directing, writing, acting, editing, score, etc.) plays together in an effortless, perfect harmony to tell this tale of success, betrayal, and corruption. It is truly Shakespearian in its reach and execution. The Social Network stands as a master class of filmmaking and its resonance echoes still with each new friend request you receive on Facebook today.
5) The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
More than any other title on my list, this film feels like it was written for me. Specifically. It was almost unsettling. My wife initially didn’t believe me when I told her I didn’t have anything to do with this movie; that’s how perfectly fitting it felt. Yes, this movie has a delightfully silly plot about Batman stopping the Joker, and I could easily write a few hundred pages about how clever, colorful, and subversive it all is, but ultimately this film is a powerful reflection on the nature of fandom in general and there is no better way to drive that lesson home (for me) than through the lens of Batman. Through his history, the character has had some ups (2008) and some downs (1997, among many, many others…) but in the end, I love it all. I am a ride or die Bat-fan and this film helped me understand that it’s okay to love something wholeheartedly and poke fun at it at the same time, which is something I think a lot of other fans from other franchises (**cough** Star Wars **cough**) should learn. “Batman is very wise. I also have huge pecs and a nine-pack. Yeah, I've got an extra ab. Now, let's start the movie. “
4) Inception (2010)
What more could you possibly want from a film? This totally original, engaging, action heist film epic from a once in a generation auteur that deals with the nature of dreams, and as a result, filmmaking itself, is (pun intended) mind-blowing. Inception, as far as I’m concerned, is everything a movie should be: It’s smart, thrilling, fast-paced, fun, grand in scale, and wildly inventive, escapist entertainment. A master class in directing, writing, cinematography, and (shout to Hans Zimmer) composing, this flick should be studied in film school for decades to come. Is the top still spinning? That, dear reader, is up to you.
3) Steve Jobs (2015)
While composing this list, one thing became very apparent: Aaron Sorkin is my favorite screenwriter of the decade and, furthermore, this film might be his magnum opus. A brilliant reflection of the nature of a true genius and the toll it usually takes on the people around said genius, this script feels effortlessly vibrant and sharply poignant. It is pornographic poetry. More than any other film this decade, the dialogue in Steve Jobs soars off the page via the actors like notes from Yo-Yo Ma’s cello. It is a virtuoso performance in almost every aspect of filmmaking. Yes, I still wish the version with Christian Bale as Jobs and David Fincher as director went through, but this version of the film is magnificent enough as is. Movies are all about succinctness, and I would be remiss to not mention how powerfully this movie summarizes its entire thesis in three perfect lines of dialogue in the third act:
WOZNIAK: “Your products are better than you are, brother…”
JOBS: “That’s the idea, brother. And knowing that? That’s the difference.”
WOZNIAK: “It’s not binary! You can be gifted and decent at the same time.
2) Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
I left the theater breathless. Literally. I was so blown away by this movie’s ingenuity and visual acumen that there is no other way to describe it: I was #shook, MAM Fam. I cheered; straight up hooted and hollered through-out this film, which I almost never do. I couldn’t help it... the film is so raw and powerful that it invoked a visceral reaction from me. And the second the credits rolled, I wanted to watch it again. And again. And again. The story, the directing, the editing, the score…all game changing. George Miller may have very well re-invented the action film as we know it, we’re all still struggling to catch up. This movie blasts like a shotgun out of the mind of a brilliant maniac and I can’t get enough, all these years later.
1) Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
As a die-hard fan of Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi masterpiece, I was very skeptical that Blade Runner needed a sequel, or that if one was made, it could come close (quality-wise) to the original. I was delighted to be proven wrong. So very wrong. To say director Denis Villeneuve delivered with Blade Runner 2049 is a gross understatement. He knocked this one out of the park. The film picks up 30 years later in a somehow even more dystopian and desolate Los Angeles as we follow Officer K (a replicant himself) in Rick Deckard’s old job of hunting down out of date replicants. The script pontificates huge questions about the nature of humanity and the right to have a soul, and it is backed up by incredible performances, a great score, and some of the most visually jaw-dropping images ever filmed. (Seriously: ANY frame from this movie could be printed out and hung in the Guggenheim.) Debates will be had for years to come if this film is one of the greatest sequels of all time, but, at least for me, there is NO debate: Blade Runner 2049 was the best film of the decade.