Introduction
Inspired by the wonderful thread created by Holden Pike, I've decided to create a thread of my own to share my favourite films of the last decade. I'm going to list my top 50, because that's probably around the mark where I start listing films that I've enjoyed rather than stuff I've thought was great.
I'm probably going to spread my list over a few posts, but here's the first half of my list.
Honourable Mentions
All Is Lost (J.C. Chandor, 2013)
Bacurau (Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles, 2019)
Blue Ruin (Jeremy Saulnier, 2013)
Enemy (Dennis Villenueve, 2013)
Hail, Caesar! (Coen Brothers, 2016)
It Follows (David Robert Mitchell, 2014)
Killer Joe (William Friedkin, 2011)
Le Havre (Aki Kaurismäki, 2011)
Logan (James Mangold, 2017)
Loveless (Andrey Zvyaginstev, 2017)
Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012)
Nocturnal Animals (Tom Ford, 2016)
Okja (Bong Joon-ho, 2017)
Paddington (Paul King, 2014)
Prisoners (Dennis Villenueve, 2013)
The Dead Don’t Die (Jim Jarmusch, 2019)
The Homesman (Tommy Lee Jones, 2014)
The Irishman (Martin Scorsese, 2019)
The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015)
Yourself and Yours (Hong Sang-soo, 2016)
The List...
50. Shoplifters (Hirokazu Kore-eda, 2018)
A film that starts off slowly and draws you into its engrossing world. Shoplifters carefully paints a vivid picture of a Japanese family through a series of close-ups and intimate mise-en-scene, taking a look at the human connections within family and consumption of humans within capitalism.
49. Under The Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013)
This fever dream of a film combines horror and sci-fi to beautiful effect, creating a tremendously atmospheric film through a number of stunning sequences, illuminated by Mica Levi's transcendental score.
48. Arrival (Dennis Villenueve, 2016)
A sci-fi film that like many of its predecessors succeeds in its examination of what it is to be human, using its unusual plot and external elements as a way to look inside ourselves and what it means to be alive.
47. Taxi (Jafar Panahi, 2015)
This cleverly constructed film uses its setup and its limitations to expose the many challenges faced by citizens in modern-day Iran, under its authoritarian and oppressive government.
46. Us (Jordan Peele, 2019)
A more ambitious follow-up to the also enjoyable Get Out, Us once again takes aim at American society and the barriers that we construct and face. Perhaps less focussed, but for me more effective in its horror.
45. Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (Christopher McQuarrie, 2015)
Perhaps a surprise inclusion, but I think it would be unfair not to give this film franchise some sort of representation given how much I've enjoyed the last three films. After chopping and changing directors in the third three films, Brad Bird's Ghost Nation set out a direction for the franchise's future which McQuarrie would perfect here. As far as modern-day action sequences go, you'll be hard-pressed to find a film with as many well-constructed ones as in this film.
44. Blade Runner 2049 (Dennis Villenueve, 2017)
A match made in heaven, I had little doubt that Villenueve would be the perfect man to tackle this sequel with the director so successfully exploring themes of humanity and communication in his previous films. Roger Deakin's cinematography gives us some absolutely stunning images to perfectly match the story. I must confess I'm a little worried he's not on board with Dune.
43. Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy, 2014)
One of the most riveting films of the decade, Nightcrawler throws us into a world that's exhilarating and feels as dangerous as our protagonist's profession. Jake Gyllenhaal is truly transfixing in the lead role. Unfortunately if I was making a list of the worst films of the decade I would probably put Dan Gilroy's Velvet Buzzsaw near the top.
42. Bait (Mark Jenkin, 2019)
This timely British film was shot on 16mm film and hand-edited by Mark Jenkin, a director whose previous work had been a number of experimental shorts inspired by the likes of Derek Jarman and Andrew Kötting. Bait takes a look at the impact of capitalism on rural communities whose societies have sometimes struggle to deal with the ever-changing challenges of the economy. I was able to interview the film's director last year to talk about the film, which was an awesome experience for me. Please have a read if you want to find out more about the film.
41. Boyhood (Richard Linklater, 2014)
A film whose popularity seems to have waned in recent years, Linklater's ambitious portrayal of one boy's adolescent journey is not without fault but there are enough magic moments captured to make this a must see film of the decade.
40. Holy Motors (Leos Carax, 2012)
It's been years since I last saw this film but its images linger long in my memory. Leos Carax's weird cinematic odyssey is truly bizarre but always compelling, capturing humanity underneath all its audaciousness.
39. Manchester by the Sea (Kenneth Lonergan, 2016)
A film that in many ways revels in its lifelessness, the surroundings of Casey Affleck are never flashy yet the film manages to create a palpable atmosphere that eventually unravels to devastating effect. Affleck's performance captures the complex myriad of emotions involved in grief and loss.
38. Snowpiercer (Bong Joon-ho, 2013)
Undoubtedly one of the century's finest directors, Bong Joon-ho's first film of the 2010s saw him try out his directorial talents in Hollywood for the first time. Snowpiercer's plot still doesn't quite make sense to me but it gets more and more fun on each viewing. Bong Joon-ho captures a number of exciting sequences with great aplomb, injecting his sense of humour where possible too. My favourite story surrounding the film is how Bong tricked Harvey Weinstein into including the memorable "fish scene".
37. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2013)
Martin Scorsese brings his usual energy to this tale of opulence, bringing extravaganze and excitement to every scene. Terence Winter's screenplay is superb and for my money this is probably Scorsese's most laugh-out-loud comedic film.
36. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014)
Another one of the century's finest directors, Wes Anderson is yet to disappoint me. In many ways, this film feels like a magnum opus in many ways with each of Anderson's trademark elements mastered, with the casting of Ralph Fiennes in the lead role an inspired decision bringing the film together perfectly.
35. Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2017)
Despite my love for Paul Thomas Anderson it took me a while to get around to his latest film and I wasn't completely enamoured when I did. Upon a repeat viewing, I've grown a lot fonder of this slow-burning engrossing film, handled delicately with a fine balance of the subtle with the extreme.
34. Araby (João Dumans & Affonso Uchoa, 2017)
This wonderful look into working-class life in Brazil. In many ways very reminiscent of Bresson in its use of light to create wonderful images, in its muted naturalistic performances, and its heightened use of diegetic sound.
33. Blackhat (Michael Mann, 2015)
One of the most stylish films of the decade, I'm a huge fan of Michael Mann's output this century and I think this underrated film is superb. Mann captures the modern images of his digital world with great skill to create a fantastic modern-day thriller. I'm not sure why this is so disliked by general audiences.
32. Killing Them Softly (Andrew Dominik, 2012)
A film that in many ways feels similar to Bait in its examination of the cultural impact of capitalism in society, but across the pond in the context of the American Dream. This deconstructed crime thriller pulls no punches in its cynical and depressing look at the world of crime its characters inhabit.
31. Gone Girl (David Fincher, 2014)
Whilst I am generally a fan of David Fincher, there are two particular things that I love about this film that make it standout as one of my favourites from the decade. The first is the darkly comedic script, which I find hilarious, thrilling and suspenseful in all the right places. The second is the tonal shift that comes at around the halfway point, switching perspective when it comes to the central characters. Rosamund Pike gives one of my favourite female performances of the decade, and Ben Affleck - who I am usually unsure of - is perfectly cast.
30. Passion (Brian De Palma, 2012)
De Palma at his best, showcasing his old-school cinematic techniques that make his films exciting, capturing violence and sex in a way that few other directors are capable of. Sometimes the acting can be over-the-top and the plot can be ridiculous, but quite frankly I couldn't care less... this is the type of pure cinematic indulgence that I could watch all day.
29. Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
Paul Thomas Anderson's stoner comedy of sorts seemed to disappoint a lot of people upon release and I seemed alone in my embrace of its whacky world. I remember rewatching it one night with one of my housemates at Uni and was slightly surprised by how much she laughed throughout and really enjoyed it.
28. Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino, 2012)
It's a testament to my admiration towards Tarantino that I would put this film closer to the bottom than the top of a list of his films ranked, and that I still think it's one of the best films of the decade. It contains everything I love about the director and is flat-out entertaining for its entire runtime, perhaps something I had been previously a little harsh on until a recent rewatch. Fox and Waltz are great, but I think it's Di Caprio and Jackson as the villains that steal the show.
27. Inside Llewyn Davis (Coen Brothers, 2013)
A bittersweet film that like other Coen outings follows a "loser" in Llewyn Davis, a disillusioned folk singer who unintentionally embarks on a personal odyssey. The film its both beautiful and melancholic, both frustrating and hilarious, somehow finding that balance between perpetual pessimism and naive optimism for something better.
26. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
A riveting film that blew me away upon my initial viewings, The Master is superbly crafted and contains a few of my favourite performances in any film. Another powerfully moving look into the journey of a man lost, about the changing American landscape and the desire to be loved and achieve purpose. Desperately in need of a rewatch, it could have ranked higher.
To be continued...