To no one’s surprise, there have been countless year-end and decade-end film lists in the past few weeks. Everybody and their mother has done a Top 10 Films of the Decade list. But so what? I mean, it’s not every day we enter a new decade. Why shouldn’t we take a moment to appreciate and commemorate the best of the best?
The past ten years of film history have been tumultuous and varied. Films changed as the culture evolved and new technologies such as streaming services moved in. It was the decade of Netflix, but it was also a decade of auteurs and companies like A24. If you’re into labeling eras, I’d say this has been the decade of the superhero film. Box offices were dominated by Marvel and Star Wars, reboots and sequels. Some of them were great and some weren’t. A couple of movies won Best Picture that maybe shouldn’t have (here’s to you, The King’s Speech) but it should not be overlooked how many truly exquisite films we’ve been given since 2010.
Remember, art is subjective.
Bear in mind, I’m a humble autodidact who has only been writing about film seriously for about a year. I’m not an authority so don’t be mad if your favorite movie isn’t on here. These are all great films in one way or another, whether they can definitively be called the top 10 films or not. I’m simply putting them forth as my top 10 films. Each of them has deep and resonant themes that impacted me on a personal level when I first saw them. Not only that, but they have all held up upon multiple viewings. I’ve loved and thought about these films the most. They’re the ones that have inspired and challenged me and made me feel connected to my fellow humans and the art of movie-making.
If you’ve ever tried it, you know it’s insanely difficult to rank what the best movies are. It’s all subjective. Like when you’re asked what your favorite song is, it probably depends on your mood. I’ve compiled this list alphabetically because they’re all amazing and I wanted to avoid the pain of having to rank them. After detailing my top ten, I’ll list out my forty honorable mentions, also in alphabetical order. Thus presenting my unranked top fifty best movies of the decade.
Without any further ado…
My top 10 films from 2010-2019…
