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 Sean Blanford and make sure you check out all of the lists over the coming days. -BG
Hundreds upon hundreds of films have been released between 2010 and 2019 and coming up with a list of my ten favorites was a grueling endeavor. Whether they be action films that culminate a series, award winners, or films that have gained cult status over time, these ten (well, technically, eleven), are movies that have resonated with me on a level above the rest. In deciding my favorites, the main criteria I used was simple: how the film made me feel when I first watched it, how it has resonated with me over time, and rewatchability. To name honorable mentions would be a massive list in and of itself, but the last four films on my chopping block were 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell), 2017’s Raw (Julia Ducournau) and Thelma (Joachim Trier), and 2018’s Hereditary (Ari Aster). So, without further ado, here is my list of my favorite films of the last ten years.
10.) Avengers: Infinity War (2018)/Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Our editor (one Mr. Brian Gill) said if we have something that we feel we can’t separate that we can include both films on the list, and it’s difficult to take one without the other. Taking six hours to culminate eleven years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the combination of Infinity War and Endgame was a satisfying way to wrap up this chapter which began with Iron Man back in 2008. It will be strange to go forward without Robert Downey, Jr.’s Iron Man or Chris Evans’ Captain America, but we can look back on these two films and say that with great performances, amazing visuals, and a multitude of holy *bleep* moments, Kevin Feige and the Russo brothers got it right.
9.) Parasite (2019)
There are films that will appear later on this list that will have had the opportunity to resonate more over time, but the 2019 Palme D’or winner has had such an impact on me that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I first watched at TIFF back in September. It takes a craftsman with the utmost confidence in their skills to tell an engrossing story that has no true protagonist or antagonist, but writer/director Bong Joon Ho accomplished just that. Much more than a film about classism or how we treat those around us than anything else, Parasite crosses multiple genres flawlessly without a second wasted or an average performance in sight.
8.) Black Swan (2010)
Everyone loves an underdog story, but Black Swan took that framing device and said, “what if the underdog slowly started to lose her mind?” Some will make the argument that a great film should be about the whole and not the sum of its parts, but without Natalie Portman’s haunting performance as ballet dancer Nina Sayers, this would have been a lesser film. She was more than deserving of her Best Actress Oscar win, one of the best performances of her entire career.
7.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II (2011)
The second film on my list that serves as the culmination of a beloved franchise, Hallows not only has the biggest worldwide box office numbers of the franchise (the only film to cross one billion dollars), but it’s also one of the best. This started the trend of beloved young adult novels that split the final book into two films, which was a wise decision because it gave more opportunity to stay true to the source material. We watched Danielle Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson grow up in front of our eyes, and while the Fantastic Beasts films may be dragging the Wizarding World series down into the mud, we can look back on Deathly Hallows Part II and say they stuck the landing.
6.) Carol (2015)
While Black Swan was built on the amazing performance of Natalie Portman, Todd Haynes’ Carol had two in the effervescent and dynamic Cate Blanchett as the titular Carol, as well as Rooney Mara’s quiet and understated Therese. Based on the novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, this is one of the best love stories of the decade with an amazing score by Carter Burwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and cinematography by Edward Lachman.
5.) The LEGO Movie (2014)
Without question, one of the best animated films of the decade wasn’t even nominated for a Best Animated Feature Oscar. Visually dynamic, well-written, and an overall well-crafted kid’s movie that was perfect for the whole family, Emmett, Wyldstyle, and the entire crew of this film deserved better. I guess they made up for it by nominating the earworm Everything is Awesome for best song, but I digress. Spawning multiple sequels and spinoffs to varying degrees of success, The LEGO Movie can be enjoyed by anyone between the ages of 5 and 85 and is just as good the tenth time as it the first.
4.) Mad Max Fury Road (2015)
From the most visually dynamic animated film of the decade to quite possibly the most eye-catching live action film, Mad Max Fury Road brought back the character of Max Rockastansky (last seen in the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome) and ramped everything up to eleven. As much as this is Max’s (Tom Hardy) film, you sink your teeth more into the story of Furiosa (Charlize Theron). This is the type of film that 4K was created for, and it is just as good in the Black and Chrome edition as it is in color.
3.) Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010)
Ask a hundred people what the biggest cult film of the last ten years is and I’d bet a good portion would point to Scott Pilgrim because of how ahead of its time it was. The best video game film not based on an actual video game, this is just a fun movie, plain and simple. In my eyes this is one of the most rewatchable films of the decade.
2.) Ex Machina (2015)
I was really torn between my final two, and Ex Machina is more a 1A than a 2, but something had to go in this spot. Coming out of the gates strong in his directorial debut, Alex Garland was able to create a fully immersive environment around three central characters and a shoestring budget for a film of this genre (15 million dollars), and all three leads knocked it out of the park. This really put both Alicia Vikander and Oscar Isaac on the map as A-list stars.
1.) Your Name. (2016/2017)
I bet you didn’t see this one coming. I can go on for hours (and pages) on my love for this film, which I found good enough to see in theaters four times in the span of a month (in both English and Japanese). This film’s hand-drawn animation must be seen to be believed. Multiple viewings are a must to get the full weight of the film, but you’ll want to watch it over again because of the visual stylings and overall story. Much more than your traditional body swap film, Your Name. is my favorite film of the 2010’s.