Okay, I know it is not actually the 1910s. So, here is my list of my favourite 110 films of this decade. Knowing my luck, in these last two weeks of 2019, I will watch dozens of incredible 2010s films that will make this list obsolete. Oh, well.
TOP 110 Films of the 2010s
110. Tom à la Ferme (2013), dir. Xavier Dolan
109. The Beguiled (2017), dir. Sofia Coppola
108. Jesteś Bogiem (2012), dir. Leszek Dawid
107. Black Panther (2018), dir. Ryan Coogler
106. Grandma (2015), dir. Paul Weitz
105. Ex Machina (2015), dir. Alex Garland
104. 12 Years a Slave (2013), dir. Steve McQueen
103. Short Term 12 (2013), dir. Destin Daniel Cretton
102. Body/Ciało (2015), dir. Małgorzata Szumowska
101. Efes beyahasei enosh (2014), dir. Talya Lavie
100. Leto (2018), dir. Kirill Serebriennikov
99. Enough Said (2013), dir. Nicole Holofcener
98. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018), dir. Marielle Heller
97. The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018), dir. Desiree Akhavan
96. Nebraska (2013), dir. Alexander Payne
95. The Big Sick (2017), dir. Michael Showalter
94. Us (2019), dir. Jordan Peele
93. Knives Out (2019), dir. Rian Johnson
92. Tully (2018), dir. Jason Reitman
91. A Quiet Place (2018), dir. John Krasinski
90. Baby Driver (2017), dir. Edgar Wright
89. Hustlers (2019), dir. Lorene Scafaria
88. Love & Mercy (2014), dir. Bill Pohlad
87. About Time (2013), dir. Richard Curtis
86. Les amours imaginaires (2010), dir. Xavier Dolan
85. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), dir. Edgar Wright
84. Gone Girl (2014), dir. David Fincher
83. Selma (2014), dir. Ava DuVernay
82. Beginners (2010), dir. Mike Mills
81. Pride (2014), dir. Matthew Warchus
80. Wuthering Heights (2011), dir. Andrea Arnold
79. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), dir. Jorgos Lantimos
78. The End of the Tour (2015), dir. James Ponsoldt
77. The Shape of Water (2017), dir. Guillermo del Toro
76. Into the Forest (2015), dir. Patricia Rozema
75. Sorry to Bother You (2018), dir. Boots Riley
74. Lady Bird (2017), dir. Greta Gerwig
73. L’étrange couleur des larmes de ton corps (2013), dir. Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
72. Jak całkowicie zniknąć (2014), dir. Przemysław Wojcieszek
71. Grave (2016), dir. Julia Ducournau
70. Pokot (2017), dir. Agnieszka Holland & Kasia Adamik
69. Paterson (2016), dir. Jim Jarmusch
68. What We Do in the Shadows (2014), dir. Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi
67. Crimson Peak (2015), dir. Guillermo del Toro
66. Frances Ha (2012), dir. Noah Baumbach
65. Vi är bäst! (2013), dir. Lukas Moodysson
64. Snowpiercer (2013), dir. Bong Joon-ho
63. The Deep Blue Sea (2011), dir. Terence Davies
62. Submarine (2010), dir. Richard Ayoade
61. Boyhood (2014), dir. Richard Linklater
60. The Hateful Eight (2015), dir. Quentin Tarantino
59. The Master (2012), dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
58. Mandy (2018), dir. Panos Cosmatos
57. The Florida Project (2017), dir. Sean Baker
56. Demon (2015), dir. Marcin Wrona
55. Force Majeure (2014), dir. Ruben Östlund
54. Her (2013), dir. Spike Jonze
53. Phantom Thread (2017), dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
52. Moonrise Kingdom (2012), dir. Wes Anderson
51. A Star Is Born (2018), dir. Bradley Cooper
50. The Avengers (2012), dir. Joss Whedon
49. Black Swan (2010), dir. Darren Aronofsky
48. Hereditary (2018), dir. Ari Aster
47. Melancholia (2011), dir. Lars von Trier
46. Blue Valentine (2010), dir. Derek Cianfrance
45. Call Me by Your Name (2017), dir. Luca Guadagnino
44. Nightcrawler (2014), dir. Dan Gilroy
43. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), dir. Wes Anderson
42. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011), dir. Lynne Ramsay
41. Get Out (2017), dir. Jordan Peele
40. The Love Witch (2016), dir. Anna Biller
39. The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015), dir. Robert Eggers
38. Córki dancingu (2015), dir. Agnieszka Smoczyńska
37. Beyoncé: Lemonade (2016), dir. Beyoncé, Kahlil Joseph, Melina Matsoukas, Dikayl Rimmasch, Mark Romanek, Todd Tourso & Jonas Åkerlund
36. Aus dem Nichts (2017), dir. Fatih Akin
35. Saul fia (2015), dir. László Nemes
34. Toni Erdmann (2016), dir. Maren Ade
33. La vie d’Adèle (2013), dir. Abdellatif Kechiche
32. I Am Not Your Negro (2016), dir. Raoul Peck
31. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), dir. J.J. Abrams
30. Hugo (2011), dir. Martin Scorsese
29. Loving Vincent (2017), dir. Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman
28. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), dir. Barry Jenkins
27. Minding the Gap (2018), dir. Bing Liu
26. Mustang (2015), dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven
25. The Cabin in the Woods (2011), dir. Drew Goddard
24. Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019), dir. Céline Sciamma
23. Django Unchained (2012), dir. Quentin Tarantino
22. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), dir. Rian Johnson
21. Mommy (2014), dir. Xavier Dolan
20. Eighth Grade (2018), dir. Bo Burnham
One of the biggest surprises of the decade for me. This film affected me like few others did and I still want to tear up when I think about particular scenes (scene…) in Eighth Grade. This is like a wonderful present for the young and those who felt hurt by being young. Bonus points for accurately portraying young people using technology.
19. The Social Network (2010), dir. David Fincher
Even though it feels like our collective attitude towards Facebook changed completely from the beginning of the decade, The Social Network still stands on it own. One of the greatest tragic love stories of our time.
18. American Honey (2016), dir. Andrea Arnold
I have never been to the US but I imagine that the country is exactly like the one in American Honey. A road movie that is unapologetically long, sweaty, and sometimes stopping in dull places far from the picturesque postcard USA. And it’s amazing.
17. The Babadook (2014), dir. Jennifer Kent
One of the greatest horror films of the decade. One of the most iconic monsters of the decade, one that comes with its own lore, imagery, and catchphrase of sorts. Plus, an incredible lead performance and a beautifully sad story.
16. Meek’s Cutoff (2010), dir. Kelly Reichardt
Kelly Reichardt inventive and rule-breaking western about the pioneers’ struggle to survive. It is a beautiful film and an extraordinary achievement in filmmaking. I almost feel that it is under appreciated for how amazing it is.
15. Gi-saeng-chung (2019), dir. Bong Joon-ho
I am glad that the last year of the decade brought in some films I loved enough for them to make the list. And I do not think I have to justify my inclusion of Parasite too long, since it is fresh on everybody’s minds and we all seem to be in agreement it is unbelievably good.
14. Drive (2011), dir. Nicolas Winding Refn
Like with number 12 on the list, this film used to be universally loved and now people seem to pretend that it was not. I love Drive, I love the minimal story, and the soundtrack, and the colours… It is not the most exciting choices for a list like this but I remember how much it affected me when I was still a teen at the beginning of the decade.
13. Before Midnight (2013), dir. Richard Linklater
Of course I had to include Before Midnight. I love the entire Before trilogy, each part is as good as the other ones. All I can hope for in the next decade is that we get another installment in 2022.
12. Whiplash (2014), dir. Damien Chazelle
I feel like Whiplash was a phenomenon when it came out and then people kind of pretended it was not but I still consider it an incredible achievement. The acting, the music, the energy: all of those are still amazing and make for great cinema.
11. Testről és Lélekről (2017), dir. Ildikó Enyedi
This one I would call an underrated gem because while it was well-received at the award circuit, I feel like not enough people love On Body and Soul as much as it deserves to be loved. To me, this is one of the decade’s most beautiful romances.
10. Ah-ga-ssi (2016), dir. Park Chan-wook
The Handmaiden is one of the most entertaining films of the decade. The story unfolds in ways you did not suspect and features twists and turns like a good old adventure novel. But there is also the beauty of it all: the cinematography, the costumes, the music, the relations between the characters… Plus, it presents a very particular, underrepresented historical period. It is a delight all around.
9. Midsommar (2019), dir. Ari Aster
Midsommar feels like a film tailor-made for me. I love Scandinavia, I love folk horror, I love folk costumes, dark rituals, flowers, and ambiguous storytelling. The film is atmospheric, creepy, wonderfully acted by Florence Pugh (if there is any justice in the world, she would be a frontrunner for a Beat Actress Oscar. Alas…) but it is also, in an odd way, a source of comfort. For me, someone who, and not to get too TMI, feels misunderstood sometimes, seeing Florence’s character’s journey felt like a promise that things might actually get better. I hope they can.
8. You Were Never Really Here (2017), dir. Lynne Ramsay
In 2019 Joaquin Phoenix played a role in a film that became one of the hottest topics in culture – for better or for worse. People said he created an incredible portrayal of a mentally ill person trying to get by in an unsympathetic world. They said that the film was an analysis of the way society treats those on the fringes. I completely disagree and I say: if you want to see Joaquin Phoenix actually dealing with his mental health issues and trauma while battling the cruel world of those in power, watch You Were Never Really Here. It is a violent film about truly horrific things but somehow Lynne Ramsay manages to, ultimately, send a message of hope with her story. And that is something I appreciate more than anything.
7. Marriage Story (2019), dir. Noah Baumbach
Marriage Story was my biggest surprise of 2019. I am not normally drawn to stories about rich, straight, white people suffering because their relationship has gone sour. Maybe it is prejudice, but I just need something more. So why exactly did this portrait of Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, a theatre director and an actress shooting a pilot in Los Angeles, who divorce and have to fly (well, he has to) back and forth between New York City and Los Angeles touch me so much? Well, honestly it could have just been two scenes: the one with the knife, which made me throw myself on the couch not sure whether to laugh or cry, but knowing I just witnessed something extraordinary, and the one of Adam Driver singing Being Alive. Could that be considered a cheap trick? Maybe, I do not care. It did make me feel a lot and it did make me appreciate life for what it is. I love the sentiment that just because something ends, does not mean it did not matter.
6. Carol (2015), dir. Todd Haynes
An elegant, tender love story. A beautiful portrait of the 50s, granted, for rich, white women, but for rich, white women who are also gay (and I feel like that changes things, right?). This is something that a lot of Carol critics seemed to not have grasped. This is not an emotionless, loveless romance. This is a romance that remembers what it is, this is a romance that is also a survival story. Carol and Therese love each other dearly but need to keep their guard up because it all may end badly. But it is so incredibly beautiful, the world Todd Haynes created for these women, the costumes, the incredible music, the way they approach each other. And it is now one of the most iconic Christmas films.
5. Umimachi Diary (2015), dir. Hirokazu Koreeda
It is corny to say things like „why didn’t you include [title] on your list” or „where is Joker?” when discussing other people’s tastes in relation to rankings like this. But I am surprised and disappointed that Hirokazu Koreeda’s Our Little Sister seemed to barely get any love when it came out. And I cannot understand why because to me it was one of the absolutely most beautiful things I have seen in my life.
The story of Our Little Sister is simple: a young girl, after the death of her father, joins her sisters, his daughters from a previous marriage. And you might think some big conflict, drama ensues, but no. The sisters love each other from the start. This film is a collection of tender and gentle moments showcasing the beauty of nature and the simple things in their everyday life. A wonderful gift of a film.
4. Moonlight (2016), dir. Barry Jenkins
One of the most iconic moments of the 2010s was the Oscar mix-up during which the Best Picture award was presented to La La Land (by Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, of all people) instead of to the real winner, Moonlight. It was incredible to watch but also, maybe, has taken a bit from the film itself (even I am talking about it now). But Moonlight is so much more and was probably the most deserving Best Picture winner this entire decade. It is a masterpiece of editing and directing and cinematography. It features acting creations like nothing else we have seen these past years – three different actors play the same character (times two!) And somehow they truly feel like the same person. The music is heartbreaking and gorgeous, the colours are beautiful and the story is just so touching and so needed in those trying times. Moonlight seemed to be the one thing that at that one point in Winter 2016/2017 gave us hope for being heard and seen, of a world more inviting and friendlier. It was a beautiful thing.
3. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), dir. Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
If someone would ask me what my musical taste was, I would just tell them to watch Inside Llewyn Davis. Probably the main reason why this film is on my list, and why it is so high, is that it is a love letter to folk music of the 1960s, my favourite music, something that shaped me into who I am, what has been a source of comfort for me for years. And even though I have never been in. Situation remotely similar to that, I can somehow understand how Oscar Isaac feels while wandering New York City.
Inside Llewyn Davis talks of trying despite knowing there is most likely no point, being surrounded by unfriendly, cold place and people. And it shows the desire to make art despite all that. But it is not an inspirational tale of music overcoming any hardships. The Coens allow things to not work out, they allow Llewyn, and us, to be sad. They allow us to be cold and down on our luck. And to find comfort in the music, like I have done for years.
2. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), dir. George Miller
Is this a boring choice? A safe choice? Is this an „outdated” choice? While I don’t remember it happening, Mad Max: Fury Road seemed to be universally loved when it came out and if something is that hyped, there is bound to be a backlash. But was there? Barely, I think. I do not think there is anything new or interesting you could say about Mad Max: Fury Road to explain adding it to your top-whatever list. There is just nothing like Fury Road when it comes to a wild ride cinematic experience. It was my favourite cinema viewing of the decade because everyone was hyped and people were punching the air whenever something cool happened – and a lot of cool stuff happened.
But in addition to the fun race and explosions and flame-thrower guitars, there is also female empowerment and living with trauma and desperately seeking peace. Oh, and the oppression of the sick and poor but those in power. It is one of the best things I have ever witnessed.
1. Laurence Anyways (2012), dir. Xavier Dolan
My number one is a controversial choice and I do realize that. A story of a trans woman played by a cis man? On a „Best of” list in 2019? Really? That is not something one should be proud of. And I do recognize how harmful it is to tell stories of marginalized communities without the involvement of those communities. And maybe if I watched Laurence Anyways for the first time today this problem would be harder for me to excuse. But for now, I have to be honest with myself and the list: I have not had another film viewing experience like this one this entire decade. Much like Suspense in the 1910s, Laurence Anyways is the only film of these ten years I would consider an absolute masterpiece.
There is just nothing like it and we have had some absolutely gorgeous-looking films this decade. But Laurence Anyways plays with motion, colours, music, and sets to create something of absolute beauty.
And then there are the performances. Suzanne Clément as Laurence’s girlfriend is one of the most incredible acting achievements I have ever seen on film and I revisit the scene of her „meltdown” at a restaurant regularly.
While Laurence’s coming out as a trans woman and her subsequent transition is the main theme driving the plot, it is not really a film about trans issues. The main subject here is love and the end of love, the disintegration of a relationship. It is about trying to go on, desperately holding on to what you know, to what used to be your reality even though the world and everything has changed.
I watched this film when I was eighteen, on one winter afternoon. I was sitting on the floor and taking in all the beauty and all the emotions I saw on the screen. And I remember thinking that this might be one of the most important moments of my life. And it was definitely one of the highlights of my decade.
Swingin' at the Seance 