I’ve been sitting on this ‘25 Films of the Decade’ list since the New Year. . . tinkering with it (crossing this one off and adding that one) – but, if I wait any longer, I’ll find myself in need of creating a new list for another decade. So, without further ado, here is this long awaited list (that no one even knew was coming). . . with a short description as to why each film made the cut.
2010
Black Swan – Director: Darren Aronofsky; Screenplay: Andres Heinz, Mark Heyman, John J. McLaughlin
A film that, on paper, shouldn’t have been a hit – a bloody horror film about mental illness that revolves around a lesbian-leaning ballerina, it instead earned nearly three hundred and thirty million on a thirteen million dollar budget. Combining complexity, visual splendour and powerful performances, this all leads to a final act that is one of the wildest rides (that should get your adrenaline pumping) ever to be seen onscreen.
The Secret in Their Eyes – Director: Juan José Campanella; Screenplay: Eduardo Sacheri, Juan José Campanella
The saying ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul’ is perhaps no better explored than in this film (a 2009 film released in North America in 2010 – just wanted to note that). Though the face is often inscrutable, as many put on masks to hide their true feelings from those around them, the eyes truly show the love, hate, lust, passion, pain, regret and confusion that lies just below the mysterious facade. A haunting story that feels palpably real, this Argentinian Foreign Film Oscar winner is a mystery thriller with such philosophical depth, it will stick with you for quite some time.
2011
The Artist – Director/Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius
Paying homage to the silent features of yesteryear, it brings you back to a time long since past, where features were shown in movie theatres that were architecturally stunning and provided the viewer with an experience that seemed more than special – red mohair seats that were made to last a lifetime, ornate balconies, and beautifully constructed entrances with carved furniture and architectural flourishes. Thought only to be relegated to memory, The Artist was able to bring it all back for modern audiences. You will find yourself having a laugh, a cry, and you may be moved, though perhaps silently, by this lovely film.
Headhunters – Director: Morten Tyldum; Screenplay: Ulf Ryberg, Lars Gudmestad
The highest grossing Norwegian film of all-time (even after hugely successful releases like The Wave and The Quake), this is a thriller done right; from its well constructed set-pieces and stunning cinematography, to its excellent acting and supreme script, it is a modern day noir that is well worth the road trip.
Melancholia – Director/Screenplay: Lars von Trier
A dark, depressing, and emotional post-apocalyptic film, despite this, it is one of the most stunningly beautiful visual pieces you’ll ever see (every image looking like it should be part of the classical art period). Most definitely not for the faint of heart, it is like an epic opera centred on depression.
The Skin I Live In – Director: Pedro Almodóvar; Screenplay: Agustín Almodóvar, Pedro Almodóvar
Almodóvar’s modern masterpiece, the Spanish language film is original, unexpected, disturbing and controversial. . . a breath of fresh air compared to most modern thrillers. Crafted like a piece of art, each brush stroke is expertly done, making for a visual masterpiece that consists of equal parts horror and thrills. Utilizing themes that revolve around revenge, pain, loss, and survival, this one feels like it will have a lasting effect on the industry.
2012
Django Unchained – Director/Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino
Tarantino’s over the top take on the western (both spaghetti and the traditional American kind), it is a bloodstained epic with clever touches of comedy, romance, and adventure – a tale of lost love, of hopeful reunion. . . and, of course, bloody revenge.
Seven Psychopaths – Director/Screenplay: Martin McDonagh
McDonagh’s second cinematic effort (and arguably his weakest – it being on this list truly says something about this filmmaker), it is one of the most creative scripts found on either side of Ebbing, Missouri. . . a perfect example of the writer/director’s many talents – twisty nuanced stories, richly drawn characters, beautiful dialogue, and so much more.
2013
The Conjuring – Director: James Wan; Screenplay: Chad Hayes, Carey Hayes
A modern horror classic that pulls from the haunted house sub-genre, it is a superb film that hits the right chord (an immensely creepy one). Enveloping us in a cloak of perpetual dread, this is a prime example of why Wan has helped bring the horror genre back into the forefront of people’s minds when it comes to quality productions.
Snowpiercer – Director: Bong Joon Ho; Screenplay: Bong Joon Ho, Kelly Masterson
A dystopic vision that finds every person left alive living on a train, Bong Joon Ho takes what could have been a typical premise, instead spinning it into a creative and unique movie that is unlike anything ever seen. Its confined locale lends perfectly to the stress of this post-apocalyptic tale, brought to vivid life by its eclectic cast – including Chris Evans, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Octavia Spencer, Jamie Bell, as well as many others.
Stoker – Director: Chan-wook Park; Screenplay: Wentworth Miller
A pitch perfect reworking of Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt, acclaimed director Chan-wook Park’s first English language film takes you on a strange journey through sanity and insanity, life and death, love and hate, stalking and reclusiveness – keeping you in a transfixed stranglehold from beginning to end.
2014
Guardians of the Galaxy – Director: James Gunn; Screenplay: James Gunn, Nicole Perlman
Originally a risky proposition from Marvel, after all, who would have thought that people would follow a brash human, murderous green female alien, a very literal male alien, mutated racoon, and tree that says only one line. . . instead, it became something akin to a modern Star Wars – the audience completely invested in these characters as they make their way to the harrowing climax.
John Wick – Director: Chad Stahelski, David Leitch; Screenplay: Derek Kolstad
The action film that took the world by storm, stunt men turned directors Stahelski and Leitch clearly knew how to make action look sleek. . . all while finding the perfect driving force for their film – Keanu Reeves (when paired together – pure perfection. . . Reeves doing most of his own stunts).
2015
Mad Max: Fury Road – Director: George Miller; Screenplay: George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris
A superb piece of film making that pushes cinema to its very edge, it is like watching some sort of bizarre cross between a monster truck rally and moto-cross racing, mixed with a touch of Cirque du Soleil and rock n roll – all set in a dying landscape where there is little water and no foliage, as well as danger around every corner. It is pure film making at the highest level (all the more impressive when considering limited CGI was used).
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation – Director: Christopher McQuarrie; Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie, Drew Pearce
Combining impressive action, surprising comedy, and tons of suspenseful thrills (that combine odes to classic cinema with a most modern flair), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is an example of a big budget sequel done right. Utterly realistic, because, in essence, what you see on screen is real, Cruise and his cohorts live on the edge – still mind boggling in what they do to entertain audiences.
2016
Deadpool – Director: Tim Miller; Screenplay: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Another comic book gamble that paid off, Deadpool’s edgy, gritty action, when combined with its offbeat and very meta comedy, makes for a refreshing air that is very different from the countless other comic book movies that have been released over the past decade.
The Handmaiden – Director: Chan-wook Park; Screenplay: Seo-kyeong Jeong, Chan-wook Park
A complex tale of love and deceit, The Handmaiden is best experienced when knowing as little as possible. Each and every plotted twist and turn takes us in a new and more compelling direction. Rich characters are drawn by Park (who co-wrote along with Seo-kyeong Jeong), with each actor elevating his or her game to provide nuanced, captivating personas. We believe in their cockiness, their greed, their perversity, their confusion, their shy ingenue ways, their love – sometimes, to our own detriment. It truly is a magnificent spectacle.
2017
Baby Driver – Director/Screenplay: Edgar Wright
It is rare finding something original in cinema some 120 years after its invention, yet Wright did just that. We hear all of the music which is being heard by the characters in the film, what could have been a gimmicky concept, works – thanks to a rivetting action story, impressive stunt work, engaging characters, and a killer soundtrack.
Logan – Director: James Mangold; Screenplay: James Mangold, Scott Frank, Michael Green
One of the most frustrating aspects of comic book movies is that it is somehow expected that the newest effort has to outdo the previous one, which is then interpreted by going bigger in the realm of special effects and mind-numbing final battles that end up feeling more than ludicrous (even for a sci-fi fantasy). That is why I was so pleasantly surprised by James Mangold’s 2017 offering; a more personal, pared down feature that, at its heart, is about learning to live with your past, as well as recovery and redemption – an intense and powerful classic style western dressed up in comic book attire.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – Director/Screenplay: Martin McDonagh
The film that I believe should have won Best Picture in its year, it brings to life a fascinatingly dark premise – McDonagh scribing a heart-wrenching tale of how human beings deal with anger, loss, hate, guilt, grief, injustice, and the seemingly cruel fate of life, yet, as always, combined with his sharp wit – a rare movie that, despite its pitch black subject matter, will have you laughing on and off throughout. It is about as close as you’ll get to a perfect script!
Wind River – Director/Screenplay: Taylor Sheridan
In many ways a story of vigilante and rough justice, Wind River is a nuanced motion picture that combines the freedom of the lawless old west with modern times and themes – making for a unique viewing experience. Combining beautifully crafted performances and spot on direction that bring out the most from the superbly written script, it is a dark tale that, despite its woeful subject, also provides a glimmer of hope for people even in the grimmest of states.
2018
Cold War – Director: Pawel Pawlikowski; Screenplay: Pawel Pawlikowski, Janusz Glowacki, Piotr Borkowski
If you recently read my review of this one, you’ll recall my gushing words. It is truly transcendent, a multi-year spanning romance that doesn’t waste a scene. . . an emotional, beautiful, and at times, heart-wrenching story that is based on Pawlikowski’s parents’ own real life tale.
Green Book – Director: Peter Farrelly; Screenplay: Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie, Peter Farrelly
Though many were disappointed with Green Book winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards, it is a beautifully written historical drama (with excellent comedic touches) with two of the top performances of the decade – with Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali having perfect chemistry in all regards.
2019
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood – Director/Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino
You cannot deny the craftsmanship of Tarantino. Playing with multiple genres, though it is generally a revisionist history drama, at times it seems like a behind the scenes documentary on main character Rick Dalton, at others, it plays like a unique combination of horror and western, yet, like much of his work, it is also a quirky comedy. And while this film is his most meandering movie, each frame is so beautiful to look at (with so very many stunning visual touches), and, like all of his films, it features stellar performances. . . and, if nothing else, will have you talking with those you watched it with long after the credits have rolled – lingering in your mind.
Parasite – Director: Bong Joon Ho; Screenplay: Han Jin Won, Bong Joon Ho
Parasite is a soliloquy to family, a thought-provoker on the growing divide of rich and poor, it is cyclical in motion (yet like no circle I have ever seen), and simply a motion picture that will draw you in and never let you leave (haunting your thoughts long after its conclusion – it is likely that you will want a re-watch to try to see what you missed upon your first viewing). The first foreign film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, it is truly deserving of that honour.