×

And the award for best movie of the decade goes to …

Movies are a huge part of my life, so as we enter a new decade, I figured we take a look back at the best films of the last 10 years.

OK, now I obviously haven’t seen every movie ever made, so I’m sure your favorites might be missing.

2010: “Blue Valentine”

Get ready to just cry your freaking eyes out. The one incredibly sweet moment this movie has — Ryan Gosling playing ukulele while Michelle Williams dances — is destroyed by constant fighting, down-and-out characters and the realization that love fades. Perfect date night movie.

Honorable mention: “The Social Network”

2011: “Midnight in Paris”

A writer hops in a buggy in modern-day Paris and winds up in the 1920s, surrounded by famous artists. It’s a fun change of pace and a clever take on time travel. Plus, I saw this movie right after 11th-grade English, so every time someone like Ernest Hemingway, Zelda Fitzgerald or Gertrude Stein appeared on screen, I was like, “Yo, I just learned about them.”

Honorable Mention: “Drive”

2012: “The Master”

My two favorite actors are Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, and this film has both. Phoenix is a drunk, sex-crazed loner who, after returning from World War II, joins Hoffman’s cult-like movement to finally feel like he’s a part of something. It’s basically Scientology, but it can really represent any ludicrous group.

Honorable mention: “Silver Linings Playbook”

2013: “The Wolf of Wall Street”

This is the movie for which Leonardo DiCaprio should’ve won his Best Actor Oscar. ‘Nuff said.

Honorable mention: “This is the End”

2014: “The Babadook”

Horror movies are the most difficult films to make. How do you deliver a good movie as well as significant frights without relying on cliches or jump scares? Jennifer Kent managed it beautifully in her debut film “The Babadook.” In an era of non-stop and nonsensical exorcism movies, Kent brings a terrifying yet heartfelt take on the process of grief and losing a loved one. Plus, Mr. Babadook is sure to get you hiding under your covers at night.

Honorable mention: “Nightcrawler”

2015: “Mad Max: Fury Road”

I walked out of this movie and said, “Damn, I think that was better than ‘The Road Warrior.'” George Miller returns to the wasteland with this unrelenting action epic. The moment the movie starts, IT DOES NOT STOP. There’s barely any dialog. All the story is told through movement, car crashes and sandstorms.

Honorable mention: “Room”

2016: “The Witch”

It’s not easy being a teenage girl, especially when you come from a devout Puritan family who accuses you of being a witch. This historical drama is billed as a horror movie, and rightfully so, but it’s also a coming-of-age film you should not sleep on. Like “The Babadook” before it, “The Witch” offers a beautiful story underneath its eerie atmosphere.

Honorable mention: “The Nice Guys”

2017: “Good Time”

This is basically the realistic version of “Mad Max: Fury Road.” You’re never not on the edge of your seat. Robert Pattinson plays a man doing whatever it takes to keep his mentally-challenged brother from going to jail after a heist gone wrong even if it means stealing drugs, beating up security guards and breaking people out of hospitals.

Honorable mention: “Baby Driver”

2018: “Eighth Grade”

Remember your awkward teenage years? Yeah, I know we don’t like to talk about them, but we really should. “Eighth Grade” takes a look at millennials growing up in a time when you can be one person on the internet and someone totally different at school. Why’s it so hard to fit in? Why’s it so hard to feel comfortable with yourself? That’s what “Eighth Grade” looks to answer.

Honorable mention: “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse”

2019: “Us”

This film might leave you scratching your head and saying, “What?” but maybe that’s all right. In his follow up to “Get Out,” Jordan Peele leaves pretty much everything to interpretation. Who are the doppelgangers? Why do they live in tunnels? What’s with all the rabbits? That’s for you to decide.

Honorable mention: “Joker”

And now the moment you’ve been waiting for. The best film of the decade is (drum roll)… “The Master.” Paul Thomas Anderson nailed it with this baby. It’s not a popcorn flick. You probably won’t have fun watching this film. But it’s all worth it in the end. As a journalist, I’m always questioning everything. I like a movie whose message is “don’t be afraid to ask questions. You don’t have to be a follower.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today