Jinn's 100 Films of the 2010s

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Why would I forget Joker if it and You Were Never Really Here make an incredible double feature? That’s like saying forget King of Comedy because of Taxi Driver.
I liked them both about the same, to be honest; yes, YWNRH felt less derivative of Scorsese and other 70's classics, but it also felt a bit more familiar than it should've, while I appreciated the layer of urban grit Joker added to its comic book universe (even though it was kind of a superficial touch), and, elements blatantly "inspired" by other movies aside, I felt Phillips' direction of it had some genuine psychological insight to its style, something it wouldn't have had if a true "hack" had actually directed it.



I'd probably daydream about shooting myself as well.
Save your tears for another day.




Welcome to the human race...
The better point of comparison re: Joker/YWNRH would be if you double-billed The King of Comedy with The Fan because they're both movies where Robert De Niro plays a deranged fanboy.

Rest of the list is pretty good.
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The better point of comparison re: Joker/YWNRH would be if you double-billed The King of Comedy with The Fan because they're both movies where Robert De Niro plays a deranged fanboy.

Rest of the list is pretty good.
In this analogy, it’s YWNRH aligning with Taxi Driver in that Phoenix plays an unstable misanthrope that brutalizes people to protect a young girl.



55. Eighth Grade (2018, dir. Bo Burnham)





Most modern American films about "these kids" are full of ersatz self-flattering attempts at fleekness (?, I dunno, I've only heard the term used by desperately cool parents), full of sitcom-worthy sass and spunk and pitifully obsessed with the relevance of dank social memes. So it's completely refreshing to see a film that subverts such a need for relevance by framing all of that as precisely what it is: youth marketing gimmicks that most kids, thankfully, can see through as easily as all of the other toothless reassurances they didn't ask to hear. This is the only recent youth-oriented film that I can think of that treated the specific influence of social media in a mature and realistic way that isn't afraid of alienating an overly tech-defensive audience. Instead it treats social media as yet another, and more complex, set of challenges and social expectations. The film keeps its focus on what's real - the insecure Kayla (Elsie Fisher) - and her frustrating quest for confidence and validation.

Just a great coming of age film. Love this one. I know, incredible commentary, amirite! Seriously, this is a must see film. The second best of its genre after "Boyhood", of that decade.



Just a great coming of age film. Love this one!
I'm usually a fan of coming of age, but for some reason, I couldn't get into Eighth Grade at all. I felt so alienated by everything that was happening that I couldn't even finish it. Am I just too old to understand modern kids?
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Welcome to the human race...
In this analogy, it’s YWNRH aligning with Taxi Driver in that Phoenix plays an unstable misanthrope that brutalizes people to protect a young girl.
Duly noted.



I'm usually a fan of coming of age, but for some reason, I couldn't get into Eighth Grade at all. I felt so alienated by everything that was happening that I couldn't even finish it. Am I just too old to understand modern kids?
I'm old and can relate to the awkwardness of the age. That hasn't changed much since the dawn of time.



Victim of The Night
57. Drive (2011, dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)





Refn's stylish neo-noir seems custom-built to recharge the 'style over substance vs. style = substance' debate. I think this film firmly sits in the latter, a pulpy exercise that requires little additional subtext, and still a more entertaining film than his more complicated concoctions of style and ambition, Only God Forgives and Neon Demon, although Refn is also one of the more singular filmmakers today who's always worth watching.


So is Drive really better than Parasite though? What was I thinking of? Albert Brooks maybe? These aren't all hard-and-fast rankings.
Albert Brooks really does elevate Drive to kind of another level and makes me wish the film had been more commercially successful just so more people would know what a great villain he had portrayed. The scene, I mean the scene with Cranston is one I'll never forget and I think of often, I've even worked it into my personal lexicon.
In general, I totally agree with you... and yet, while I'm sure Drive is a better film, Only God Forgives is the film he made for me.



Victim of The Night
56. Gravity (2013, dir. Alfonso Cuaron)





One of the few mega-FX IMAX experiences that managed to live up to the immersive hype. It helps that the 3D is focused on depth and scale rather than blurry popping pyrotechnics, immersion within the frame rather than without. More fundamentally it works as a moving character drama - maybe even the female analogue to something like Ad Astra - with Sandra Bullock (an actress that I haven't been typically impressed with) holding down a strong central performance admirably. A true triumph of will.
I'm always surprised when this film gets shade, which it does surprisingly often.
I will concede the the final moment is heavy-handed and obvious but otherwise...



Victim of The Night
Personally, I can't fall into the "style automatically = substance" camp (because if I did, I would hold a very different opinion about something like Basterds), but I feel that style can enhance substance.
I am intrigued by the possibility that we share a less-common opinion, here...



Never seen Gravity. I said it a few times in Corrie but it's a film I regret not seeing in theaters and I always get the feeling that the experience will be "lesser" on TV. Maybe I should give in one of these days.
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A system of cells interlinked
56. Gravity (2013, dir. Alfonso Cuaron)





One of the few mega-FX IMAX experiences that managed to live up to the immersive hype. It helps that the 3D is focused on depth and scale rather than blurry popping pyrotechnics, immersion within the frame rather than without. More fundamentally it works as a moving character drama - maybe even the female analogue to something like Ad Astra - with Sandra Bullock (an actress that I haven't been typically impressed with) holding down a strong central performance admirably. A true triumph of will.
As someone who has also experienced a sudden unexpected loss of a family member, sadly more than one, this film hit me like a ton of bricks when I first saw it in theaters. Gravity's exploration of the main character's struggle against the vast abyss of grief is one of the most potent personal cinematic experiences I have ever had. This film sits firmly in my Top 10.



55. Eighth Grade (2018, dir. Bo Burnham)





Most modern American films about "these kids" are full of ersatz self-flattering attempts at fleekness (?, I dunno, I've only heard the term used by desperately cool parents), full of sitcom-worthy sass and spunk and pitifully obsessed with the relevance of dank social memes. So it's completely refreshing to see a film that subverts such a need for relevance by framing all of that as precisely what it is: youth marketing gimmicks that most kids, thankfully, can see through as easily as all of the other toothless reassurances they didn't ask to hear. This is the only recent youth-oriented film that I can think of that treated the specific influence of social media in a mature and realistic way that isn't afraid of alienating an overly tech-defensive audience. Instead it treats social media as yet another, and more complex, set of challenges and social expectations. The film keeps its focus on what's real - the insecure Kayla (Elsie Fisher) - and her frustrating quest for confidence and validation.
No other film if its ilk has captured the awkward and someone terrifying experience that was Jr. High School. This film had me feeling more uneasy than most modern horror films. I also enjoyed seeing a film that focused on the daughter of a single father, that didn't lean into some over-used stereotype by writing the father-figure as some sort of abusive or neglectful prick. Refreshing!
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I'm always surprised when this film gets shade, which it does surprisingly often.
I will concede the the final moment is heavy-handed and obvious but otherwise...
The main criticism I hear for the film is "no character development", which is not the case with the film. At all. I never understood why so many people failed to notice Bullock's character arc. Hell, the final scene is so obvious in its significance, it almost borders on being heavy-handed as you say. Yeah, the science in the film is awful, but I still think it's a strong film. And, despite popular consensus, I think it's much better than Interstellar (also The Martian, which I enjoyed in the theaters, but have no desire to revisit)..
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All this Gravity talk reminded me that the only commercial theatre in my city with a true IMAX screen is supposed to get torn down and replaced by condos within the next few years.



Save your tears for another day.

Yuck. I'll stick with Bella Hadid's version of "Stray Cat Strut" instead. Her head isn't shaped like a bucket.



The better point of comparison re: Joker/YWNRH would be if you double-billed The King of Comedy with The Fan because they're both movies where Robert De Niro plays a deranged fanboy.
Appropos the comparison, in the latter case, The Fan was rightfully widely called out for its contrivances when it came out.


Rest of the list is pretty good.
Aw, shucks.



I will concede the the final moment is heavy-handed and obvious but otherwise...
I'd say it was earned.


The main criticism I hear for the film is "no character development", which is not the case with the film. At all. I never understood why so many people failed to notice Bullock's character arc. Hell, the final scene is so obvious in its significance, it almost borders on being heavy-handed as you say.
But if it t'were so obvious, then why have so many people failed to notice the significance?



Yuck. I'll stick with Bella Hadid's version of "Stray Cat Strut" instead. Her head isn't shaped like a bucket.
That song slaps as does the video. Respect the Z'Dar vibes.