It’s another day and another rankings for you to sink your teeth into.
Off the back of ranking the top 10 TV shows of the decade, it’s time to close out the 2010s with a ranking of what I believe are the top 10 movies of the decade.
Once again this follows on from my top 50 movies of all time list I did earlier this year, but unlike the rankings yesterday this one was a bit more fluid as several movies on this list didn’t appear on my top 50, and in the case of one hadn’t even been released at the time of me publishing that list.
There is also no extra criteria when it comes to these movies. Just simply that they had to be released in the 2010s. Simple right?
With all that read it’s time to get to the list.
10. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Have I defended this movie enough? Because I’ll gladly do it again. Batman v Superman is an incredible movie. It’s entertaining, action packed and drama filled. Everything a great movie should be. Yes I’m a DC fanboy and I’ll own that. But come on. This movie is great. And I’ll gladly own every moment of saying that until the day I die. Bring the hate haters.
9. The Social Network
When I first heard they were making a movie about Facebook, I was like…uh…what? That sounds pretty crap. But I, like many, was pleasantly surprised at just how exciting and great the story and movie was. Alan Sorkin translated his awesomeness onto the big screen, and Jesse Eisenberg showed just why he was one of the best actors of the entire decade. It also brought us an incredible performance from Justin Timberlake, because, who actually knew ol’ JT could act? A great film that I really need to see sometime again soon.
8. Silver Linings Playbook
Ah, Bradley Cooper. What a man. Since seeing him in Nip/Tuck I always knew he was destined for big things and this was one of many amazing performances by him across the entire decade. Seriously, how has this guy not won an Oscar? My goodness. Silver Linings Playbook was just one of these films that I stumbled across at the movies and saw randomly and instantly fell in love with. Everyone in this film is incredible. Jennifer Lawrence thoroughly deserved her Oscar for it. And Chris Tucker? Man. He is just incredible in a career changing role. A film that surprised me but one that I’m glad did.
7. Spectre
It’s crazy to think only two James Bond films were released in the 2010s (the lowest number ever) and while this might not be a popular opinion when comparing it to the other film in Skyfall, I believe that Spectre was the better film of the two. Why? Well it brought Bond finally back into close alignment with the films that made the franchise so good. Sure we had the connectivity of the Craig films and the serious nature of them, but we had more camp, more humour and more stereotypical Bond elements that make it so damn good. The best Daniel Craig Bond film that has ever been released.
6. Get Out
Another movie that I was just not expecting to even see, let along enjoy. Get Out was compelling to watch. A movie that serves as delivering a powerful message but doing it in a way that isn’t preachy, Jordan Peele gives an incredible piece of cinema for everyone to enjoy for the rest of time. The fact too that it is actually genuinely terrifying and thrilling as well adds to the incredible layers of this movie and one that I feel was perhaps robbed of winning more Oscars.
5. Baby Driver
When I was suggested this movie as one to watch, I really didn’t know what to expect. A movie about a guy who drives cars and listens to music? Sure. Why not. But wow, was I blown away. Everything just works in this movie. From the editing, the dialogue, the music. Literally everything. It’s the type of film you can just put on and relax to and just enjoy every minute of it. Same goes with the soundtrack. Because of course a movie about a guy driving cars and listening to music has to have a killer soundtrack right? Ticks all the boxes there, that’s for sure.
4. Bohemian Rhapsody
I love Queen so I felt like I was always going to love this movie. And boy did I ever. I don’t think there was one movie I saw all decade that I left the cinema and wanted to walk right back in to watch it again. It’s just so much fun. Everything about it in my eyes works a treat and those final 20 or so minutes? Damn. What an experience. The big screen definitely adds to this movie in making it so incredible and I hope that one day I get that experience once again.
3. Joker
As a DC fanboy I didn’t know what to expect with this movie. I was kind of weirded out that they were shifting away from the DCEU and just creating a side movie about the Joker. It was odd. But odd definitely subverted all expectations and delivered an incredibly captivating and disturbing film that just hooked me in right away. Joaquin Phoenix delivers perhaps the best performance of the entire decade and also perhaps his career in letting us see a terrifying insight into his breakdown and battles with mental illness. This movie is far more than a comic book movie, it’s an incredible insight into the wrongs of the world and just how disturbed an individual can get along the way. Maybe the one movie that impacted me the most in the 2010s.
2. Logan Lucky
This movie was basically sold to me on Daniel Craig speaking in a southern accent. It’s really that simple. And wow. Did it deliver. Not only is Craig incredible, it was perhaps the first movie I ever saw Channing Tatum in and didn’t just think he was a thumb on a ripped body. Added to that the always incredible Adam Driver, mix it with an extremely exciting and fast paced plot that just keeps you glued to the screen, and Logan Lucky delivers a near perfect movie and only just misses out on my number one spot on this list.
1. Rush
A movie about Formula 1. Has to be number one right? Well, that definitely is a helping factor that’s for sure. But the movie actually turned out to be all kinds of incredible. I remember when it was announced being highly skeptical given that F1 movies don’t generally come across too well. But Ron Howard turned the true story of the rivalry between Niki Lauda and James Hunt into a cinematic masterpiece, with both Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl shining on screen as each of the drivers. I was lucky enough to see a pre-screening of this movie and walked out simply in awe. With each subsequent viewing that feeling has remained. The best movie of the entire 2010s.
If you wish to hear me discuss this top 10 list and my top 10 TV shows list in more detail then check out this podcast episode I did for my show The Oz Network.