Top 15 Films of the 2010s (so far)

Top 15 Films of the 2010s (so far)

Apparently we are over halfway through the 2010s. And every time a decade is over, it's a big time for movies, it's time to look back on the best of the last decade, and compare the decade to others in terms of film. Even though it isn't the end of the decade, it is half way done. A good milestone to look back on what is the best so far (as per my opinion) for this decade.

And this list idea comes from brilliant Alex Withrow, the author behind the phenomenal blog And so it Begins. So special thanks to him, go check out his blog.

15. The Social Network (2010)

I love to see things getting created, it's so driving. People who are the best at their jobs and use it to build something, and I love seeing that unfold cinematically. That's exactly what The Social network had, and did well, you got to see Mark Zuckerberg build the world's biggest social media site. Liking things get built will come later on the list as well, when it was done even better. But Social Network was really interesting and gave great performances all around.

14. Winter's Bone (2010)

So this one's all about J-Law, Winter's Bone is by far her best performance (Silver Linings Playbook is second and almost made the list). Jennifer Lawrence absolutely kills it as Ree as she tracks her drug dealing, white trash father. It's best when John Hawkes comes in and gives his best performance as well. The two have great chemistry (ha it's funny because everyone makes meth in the film), and are able to fit the tone perfectly.

13. Drive (2011)

My brother and I had no idea what to expect when going into Drive, let me just say I was hooked in a minute flat. The opening car scene was way cooler than any other car (chase?) scene in the Furious movies or anything else really. Oh, and the hammer, the hammer provides one of the most bitchin' shots ever, not to mention the scene with the hammer, that was just awesome. Basically Drive was just really sweet and a ton of fun to watch.

12. Killing Them Softly (2012)

I primarily loved watching A) the robbery go down, and B) James Gandolfini. Gandolfini gave the performance I was most attached to ever (naturally Tony Soprano), and ever since then have been a huge fan of him. Not only was this awesome that he was in a mob movie, but his character was so beaten down and decrepit, the drugs, alcohol, and women are all that he exists for now, and I was so impressed by this depiction of it, the realism of it. Truly a testament to Gandolfini's acting ability (as if it was questioned after The Sopranos).

11. Maidentrip (2013)

So this is a documentary that I'm not sure many people have heard of, but one that I personally really liked. It's about Laura Dekker, the youngest person to ever sail around the planet by themselves, she was only 14. What was I doing at 14? School and playing video games and watching movies, this film is quite motivating and beautiful and actually has helped make me a more productive person (at least it can motivate me at times). A great story of human triumph and tolerance, this was an empowering and moving adventure of a documentary, and I loved every minute of it.

10. Warrior (2011)

Warrior is a film I showed my brother right after I saw it. I watched it downstairs by myself first and as soon as it was finished got my brother to come watch it with me again. Warrior is probably my brother's and mine favorite movie to watch together. It's the perfect sibling movie, it's raw, it's emotional, it's deep, and it's sure as hell moving, but brought my brother and I closer than any other movie ever, and for that I will forever be in love with Warrior.

9. Enemy (2014)

I've spoken a lot about Enemy on this blog, named it my 3rd favorite film of 2014, by now anybody who has read my recent posts, or knows me, knows that I love this movie. So confusing, but just so well done. Gyllenhaal and Villeneuve work so well together, so well you might see them on this list again.

8. Killer Joe (2011)

Advice: Do not eat fast food before watching this movie, it doesn't end well. Killer Joe is one of the most fun movies on this list for me, I was just in awe with Matthew McConaughey in here, he was just so creepy, and methodical, and polite, and awesome. By far my favorite McConaughey performance to date, it's just dark and hysterical somehow. Just badass actually. And not to forget the supporting cast, they do a phenomenal job as well, but McConaughey just steals the show.

7. Foxcatcher (2014)

Foxcatcher's another that I've spoken great lengths about on here and my friends know how much I love it, because I wasn't able to shut up about it for a long while. And where I'm still pissed at the lack of awards that the film got, I think most just didn't give it enough time or attention. 

6. Django Unchained (2012)

It's Tarantino, does anybody really need an explanation? I've turned many of my friends not only into movie fans, but more specifically into Tarantino fans and I believe this is the film that helped me to set them on the path to that state. Django Unchained is a perfectly made film with razor sharp dialogue, editing, sound, visuals, acting, writing...the whole thing. And the shootouts, the shootouts are just glorious to watch, provided the most fun I had watching a film in 2012.

5. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Scorsese is my favorite living filmmaker, maybe my favorite filmmaker ever, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I wasn't able to shut up or sit still in a chair for more than 30 seconds for about two weeks before this came out. The hype was so real for this, and the movie lived up to the hype, the non-stop drug fueled craze that The Wolf of Wall Street provided was a lesson in editing for movie makers and fans alike, sheer genius. This is also where my love of creating comes back into play, you get to see this guy build his stockbroking empire and become the best at what he does while doing it, it's just an awesome thing to watch.

4. Whiplash (2014)

So I put this film at number 2 on Best movies of 2014 list, that may have been the wrong place, I now think of this as the best film of 2014 but my second favorite film as well (favorite being Foxcatcher). Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, as it has become well known, were just superb and had amazing chemistry with one another and provided the most intense story (at least on this list) with out having killing or weapons or anything that would usually be considered intense in it, that takes a lot of skill.

3. Shame (2011)

It's hard to talk about Shame, I have so much appreciation for it, and a lot of wish to do it justice, but just do not know if I can. I was introduced to Shame not that long ago, but its grown to be quite high on my favorite movies list. Shame has this emotional depth rarely touched by films today, but what is important is how well it handles that depth, which to say the least is really, really well. Shame took a subject that hadn't really been explored outside of comedies in film, and explored it with a realistic and dark tone, one that I am now fascinated with. Shame has become a benchmark to beat in obsession and character studies in film.

2. Prisoners (2013)

Want to talk about emotional depth? Try prisoners, a absolutely stunning and fantastic study of how grief affects people in different ways. This is the second time the Gyllenhaal/Villeneuve team is on this list, and Prisoners completely deserves it. Prisoners is a beautiful but raw film involving a situation I never want to be any part of, but absolutely love watching unfold in this masterpiece of depression and despair.

1. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Here's yet another that I have spoken great lengths about, Zero Dark Thirty is one of the best movies made in the 2000s in my opinion, the brutal and harrowing manhunt for Osama Bin Laden is displayed in every detail with Jessica Chastain at the helm leading us through. And really she is the emotional anchor for the film, you are there with her, rooting for her, sad for her when things go wrong, angry when she is stonewalled. It keeps you engaged with every detail of the ten year manhunt, and it is incredible to watch. Special mention for the film basically abandoning (not completely though) it's core characters for the last 45 minutes to give one of the most intense and heart stopping scenes in film.


And of course I haven't seen every movie made in the last 5 years, in fact I probably haven't seen most of them (working on it as always though), so this list could change in the future if I found something better from these first 5 years. Let me know if I missed something big or have recommendations.