Top 10 Movies of the Decade (2010-2019)

Ryan Gosling in "Blade Runner 2049"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

10) Blade Runner 2049 (2017) - Although 35 years passed between director Ridley Scott’s film and Denis Villeneuve’s sequel, the wait couldn’t have been more worth it.  The story follows replicant “blade runner” K (Ryan Gosling) who discovers a secret that could change the course of the future.  Gosling gives a performance that’s powerful in its understated emotion, while Harrison Ford makes a more-than-welcome return as his character from the first movie.  Villeneuve is a director who always impresses with his movies that bring intriguing characters, thought-provoking stories, and gorgeous visuals, and that couldn’t be more true with this film.  With a running time of over two-and-a-half hours, you’re given more layers to the world that Scott first brought to life in 1982, making this a worthy sequel that has so much to offer and doesn’t retread what came before.  The intricacies of the story will have you asking questions all of the way through, ensuring that you become immersed in this story and all of its mysteries that promise an engaging cinematic experience.  This is one of the best sci-fi movies and sequels to come out in quite a while, making this a poignant adventure on a grand scale that must be seen.

J.K. Simmons (left) and Miles Teller in "Whiplash"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

9) Whiplash (2014) - If you’re looking for a movie that’s both thrilling and anxiety-inducing, then director Damien Chazelle’s story of a musician’s quest for greatness will give that to you.  The movie follows a young percussionist, Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), who becomes a student of a demanding and verbally abusive jazz conductor (J.K. Simmons).  As Andrew strives to impress his teacher, the physical and mental tolls soon threaten to take over his life.  Teller provides a performance where he shows, in great detail, the effects that his goal for perfection has on him, while Simmons couldn’t be more intimidating as an instructor who jabs fear into your heart whenever he’s on screen.  Chazelle puts you in such a state of apprehension that you might not even blink for the film’s entirety, and the constant tension between Andrew and his teacher will engulf you as you wonder what their next interaction will bring.  The movie comes to a sky-high peak at the end with an incendiary jazz performance, a sequence that will get your blood racing and will keep it racing long after it ends, ensuring that you feel every bit of this movie’s force.

Ethan Hawke in "First Reformed"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

8) First Reformed (2018) - In writer-director Paul Schrader’s latest film, he exhibits a disturbing view of the state of the world in a story about a pastor, Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke), whose religious views begin to shatter after a meeting with a parishioner and radical environmentalist (Philip Ettinger).  Hawke’s performance is deep and heartbreaking as we watch his character struggle with his beliefs and question everything that he’s been taught.  Schraeder’s screenplay and direction put you in the middle of a situation that has you feel the hopelessness that surrounds Hawke’s character, bringing you further and further into Toller’s state of mind as he’s impacted by the wrongdoings of humanity that alter his views of not just his community, but the world.  This all leads to a third-act shift that ratchets up the intensity and has you go from pondering to recoiling in your seat from this transition.  It’s quite a downer of a movie, but that’s what gives it the rawness of viewing the world from Toller’s point-of-view and contemplating everything that has happened.  It’s one of those movies where you won’t quite know what to make of it when it’s over, but you’ll want to watch it again as soon as it ends.

Al Pacino (left) and Robert De Niro in "The Irishman"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

7) The Irishman (2019) - Between “Shutter Island,” “Hugo,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Silence,” director Martin Scorsese has had another great decade of work.  Now, he caps it off with his epic crime drama, which follows the story of truck driver Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), who begins working for mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), and soon, union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino).  To have this trio of iconic actors appear in a film together is something that shouldn’t be missed for any movie buff, and to have them working with one of the best directors in film today makes this a movie that you can’t believe wasn’t made sooner.  With a running time of almost three and half hours, this is a movie that uses every minute to dive into the characters and the historical context of the story, ensuring that you’re given a full view into the eras that are depicted.  Not only is this a terrific mob movie, but the last half hour brings this movie into much deeper territory than I anticipated, made all of the more poignant because of how much time you spend with these characters and get to know them.  Everyone, both cast and crew, is working at the height of their talents, and you feel more than lucky to see the results of such a collaboration.

Amy Adams in "Arrival"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

6) Arrival (2016) - Denis Villeneuve appears on this list once again with this adaptation of Ted Chiang’s short story, “Story of Your Life,” which follows a renowned linguist (Amy Adams) who’s assigned by the U.S. army to try to decrypt the language of aliens who have landed in several locations around the world.  Adams gives a performance of someone who’s resilient in her mission to communicate with the aliens, but has depths of emotion hiding beneath her character’s unbreakable concentration.  This film may be the best movie since “Close Encounters with the Third Kind” that deals with otherworldly visitors, which is appropriate because it has so much of the wonder that Steven Spielberg brought to that film, a wonder that mixes with Villeneuve’s combination of bleakness and hopefulness to perfection.  “Arrival” is a contemplative experience that brings you on a heartrending journey that immerses you in its vast intelligence and visual beauty, leaving you in a situation where your heart almost stops because of the overwhelming emotion through which the film puts you.  This movie is sure to become a classic, not only for the sci-fi genre, but for all movies.

From left: Choi Woo-shik, Song Kang-ho, Jang Hye-jin,
and Park So-dam in "Parasite"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

5) Parasite (2019) - When walking out of director Bong Joon-ho’s dark comedic thriller, I couldn’t help but think about just how well every aspect fell into place, with the tension, drama, laughs, acting, screenplay, technical aspects, and timeliness, all of which cohere into a movie that’s scorching in its originality and message.  The story follows the Kims, a lower-class family that begins to assimilate into an upper-class household after their son begins tutoring the daughter of a wealthy family, the Parks.  The cast members who portray the Kim family have a strong genuineness to how they interact with each other, which helps to grip you throughout the story as you become invested in how they will maneuver their way in the scheme as their plans gets out of control.  This is one of those movies where there isn’t any way to predict what’s going to happen next, and this isn’t just because of the story’s fresh ideas, but also because of the tonal shifts that throw you off balance in the best way.  Seeing this film in a theater is the best way to experience it because it allows you to revel in the reactions of the audience as each shocking event takes place.  Bong offers an inventive view in his story of class struggles, and you won’t breathe move until it’s over.

Ellar Coltrane (left) and Ethan Hawke in "Boyhood"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

4) Boyhood (2014) - Writer-director Richard Linklater brought us one of the most groundbreaking cinematic achievements in quite some time with his drama that was filmed over the course of 12 years with the same cast, following the life of a young boy, Mason Evans (Ellar Coltrane), as he goes from childhood to adulthood.  This was a filmmaking gamble that paid off, offering an emotional experience of seeing such an experiment play out and exhibiting everything that goes into growing up.  As you become immersed in this movie, you watch someone’s life unfold before your eyes, and this fascinating approach to coming-of-age movies is something that must be viewed.  From the natural performances to the scope of the story to the impressive use of music to help emphasize the passage of time, Linklater has this film move through the years with an ease that makes us feel as though we’re not missing anything, but are instead seeing everything from the main character’s life, both the small and big details of Mason’s existence as he goes through joys and challenges.  This is a movie that was more than a decade in the making, and it's one that’s unlike any other.

Jessie (voiced by Joan Cusack), Buzz Lightyear (voiced by
Tim Allen), and Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) in "Toy Story 3"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

3) Toy Story 3 (2010) - While this summer’s “Toy Story 4” was much better than anticipated, the third entry of the “Toy Story” series, which was directed by Lee Unkrich, was the perfect ending to the toys’ storyline with their owner, Andy, as they face an uncertain future with Andy preparing to leave home for college.  As with the two films that came before it, this third installment is a lot of fun in the beginning, but then becomes the hard-hitting tearjerker that we’ve all come to expect, offering one of the best and most emotional endings ever to be placed in a Pixar film.  With nearly 15 years passing between the release of the first film and this one, you feel as though you’ve grown up with Andy throughout that time, and you experience that sharp pang of bittersweetness as he and his toys separate.  There is so much that has been put into these characters and stories as Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and their friends spent their time as Andy’s toys, and you couldn’t have asked for anything better as they reached this narrative milestone.  And, given the genius work of those who have been involved with these movies, it’s safe to say that animation has never been the same. 

Joaquin Phoenix in "Her"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

2) Her (2013) - Writer-director Spike Jonze’s technological love story is a movie of such timeliness that the effects that the movie has on you will sink its way into your bones.  The story follows Theordore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), who falls in love with his new AI virtual assistant, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).  Phoenix never disappoints with a performance, and this is one of his best.  It’s work from him that’s both exuberant and heartbreaking, showing the strong bond that he has with Samantha.  Johansson provides a stunning voice performance as the only thing to whom Theodore can connect, an AI whose sincere and loving voice makes Theodore feel like he’s the most important person in the world to her.  This is a stunning view of how closely romance and modern technology have started to intermingle over the last few years, offering a story that dives into how we connect with virtual presences.  However, it also explores the ways in which we interact with real people in an era where we have the technology that we think can provide us with everything that we need, when in reality, it can’t.  There’s a truth that runs throughout this movie as it asks us to reevaluate our own connections to technology, and you might find out quite a bit about yourself as you do so.

From left: Andrew Garfield, Joseph Mazzello, Jesse Eisenberg,
and Patrick Mapel in "The Social Network"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com 

1) The Social Network (2010) - While the notion about a movie focusing on the development of Facebook may have seemed eyebrow-raising at first, director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin defied expectations to deliver a film that achieved perfection in every aspect.  The story follows Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg), who builds the famous social networking site, only to find himself in the middle of a lawsuit when he’s accused of stealing the idea from the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer).  Eisenberg proves to be the ideal pairing between an actor and his role, showing someone who doesn’t seem like he’s a people person, but wishes to connect with others.  In a cast that includes Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield (as Facebook cofounder Eduardo Saverin), Armie Hammer, and Justin Timberlake (as Napster cofounder Sean Parker), we’re given tense standoffs between their characters as they determine how Facebook should be handled, which leads to some grueling lawsuits.  Sorkin’s flair for words and Fincher’s filmmaking precision offer so much energy that get us caught up in the ferocious dialogue that the characters aim at each other.  Social networking has changed so much since this film was released, so if you re-watch this movie, it won’t only be a great viewing experience in general, but also a reflective one as you see where we were then, and where we are now.