What Is The BEST Movie Of The Decade?
Comment below or tweet me (@JeffDLowe) YOUR PICK for the BEST movie of the decade...
The 2010s are coming to a close and it's time to finally hammer out the movies I think (me, my opinion, it's okay if we don't have the same opinion... people are allowed to have different tastes!) are the best of the decade. Since 2006 I have seen roughly 2,500 movies and I rate all of them a scale of 0-100 using criteria to arrive at my numbers. Over time I change scores depending on how I feel after multiple viewings, but, for the most part, the ratings have mostly remained the same from my initial viewing.
You'll notice I have a few high numbers here, which usually begs the occasional comment of "why is that so high, is it really up there movies like 'Goodfellas', 'Citizen Kane', 'The Godfather', 'Pulp Fiction' or 'The Empire Strikes Back'?" My answer is pretty simple: yes. Every year there are a handful of exceptional movies released, some even worthy of being in the "best ever" crop in my eyes. Funny enough, since rating movies for the first time a little over a decade ago, the average score of the 2,500-plus movies I have seen is exactly 50/100. Each year I see just as many great movies as I see horrendous ones.
But let's just talk about the best of the best today. Here are my Top 30 Movies of the Decade...
30) 21 Jump Street: The best pure comedy of the decade, this movie was a shock to see in theaters when it landed every single joke it fired off on screen. Even the sequel, '22 Jump Street', was damn good.
29) Moonlight: Probably most famous for the Oscars mishap with 'La La Land', 'Moonlight' is one of the most emotional movies I have ever seen and, despite limited screentime, Mahershala Ali puts on a tour de force of acting in the movie.
28) Get Out: A movie that redefined a genre (horror/thriller) and career (Jordan Peele), 'Get Out' felt like a "disruptive" movie from this decade, showing Hollywood still has creators that are willing to go for it and take risks.
27) The Martian: I'll never understand why this movie gets that weird mid-level hate of "yeah, it's a good movie, but..." Why don't we just leave it at that? The cast rules, it's funny, has riveting on-screen space moments and was an absolute blast to see in theaters.
26) Gone Girl: I am a sucker for the director-composer combination of David Fincher and Trent Reznor (back to them in a few) and 'Gone Girl' is still criminally slept on in my eyes. Shoutout to Tyler Perry for a great surprise role in the movie.
25) BlacKkKlansman: Easily one of Spike Lee's best movies, this was powerful and impactful but also featured one of the best dynamic duos on-screen from this decade in John David Washington and Adam Driver.
24) The Death of Stalin: From Armando Iannucci, the creator of 'VEEP', 'The Death fo Stalin' easily one the funniest, albeit darkest, movies of the decade. The choice to have all of the actors keep their natural-born accents added so much to the movie's charm and humor.
23) Toy Story 3: I definitely, for sure, without question, did not tear up at the end of this movie. Nope.
22) The Big Sick: The best comedy of the decade for me, 'The Big Sick' had good dramedy emotion but also supplied some huge belly laughs. It's still an absolute crime the disrespect that Ray Romano and Holly Hunter received during awards season for this movie.
21) Uncut Gems: One of three 2019 movies to make my Top 30 (honestly, Top 50 felt like too much), you can find my review of 'Uncut Gems' right here, a movie that is chaotic and insane in the best ways possible. This is creative, original movie-making in the 2010s at its best.
20) Zero Dark Thirty: Another criminally slept on movie, 'Zero Dark Thirty' is a great example of proof that Jessica Chastain might be the best actress in Hollywood.
19) The Social Network: As I said above, I am a sucker for the combo of David Fincher and Trent Reznor. Add in Aaron Sorkin? You have me hook, line and sinker. A movie that should probably have won Best Picture, 'The Social Network' is somehow a captivating movie about Facebook. Pretty impressive.
18) Lady Bird: My favorite actress is currently Saorise Ronan, so this movie showing up in the Top 30 should be no surprise to anyone who knows me. You could argue this is one of the most relatable, true-to-form (no bullshit exaggerations) coming of age movies ever made.
17) Moneyball: It might not have David Fincher or Trent Reznor, but the movie about the Oakland Athletics still had Aaron Sorkin with the pen. While it isn't your traditional baseball movie, I still believe 'Moneyball' captures the perfect poetic nature of the sport. Once again, another movie about nerdy shit that somehow manages to be captivating as hell.
16) Dunkirk: Christopher Nolan's fascination with time was woven into a war story with 'Dunkirk' and done in a way that absolutely blew my mind. It might not be his most "sexy" mainstream release, but it is one of his most impressive creations.
15) Hell or High Water: You'll be hard-pressed to find a better decade than the one that Taylor Sheridan ('Sicario', 'Wind River') had. The third act turn in 'Hell or High Water' blew me right out of my seat, it's shocking and will have your heart racing right up through the finish.
14) Mission: Impossible - Fallout: This is one of the best action movies ever made... period. Because of what the movie is (a franchise) it did not get the love it deserved at the box office. But Christopher McQuarrie is a genius when it comes to shooting action scenes, he did so to absolute perfection with 'Fallout'.
13) Eighth Grade: Bo Burnham's awkward, cringe-worthy take on the life of a middle schooler was so fucking good. I enjoyed 'Eighth Grade' in the sense that I was uncomfortable yet blown away someone could perfectly translate that part of our lives onto the screen.
12) Her: Oh man do I love me some Joaquin Phoenix! Even when he stars in a mediocre movie, I am pulled in by his performance. 'Her' is a strange movie (hello, Spike Jonze) but has such a creative, unique and grounded take on the future of society the usually-overplayed "is technology bad?" trope in movies.
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11) Argo: Ben Affleck's best work was a true story that still had me on the edge of my seat during its climactic moments. The side duo of Alan Arkin and John Goodman was also the perfect dose of comedy to add to the drama, and, of course, "Argo fuck yourself."
10) Inception: Hello there again, Christopher Nolan and the concept of bending time. While the visual aspect of 'Inception' and its creative storytelling gives the movie its popularity, the way in which Nolan and Hans Zimmer slowed down one song throughout the movie is absolutely its coolest part. Fascinating shit as always from the innovative director.
09) Spotlight: Amazing acting layered upon more amazing acting, any movie about the media and investigative stories will use 'Spotlight' as an example of how to be great.
08) Parasite: A 2019 release, Bong Joon-Ho's latest movie is absolute insanity. Trying to describe what sounds like a simple story downplays how deep and riveting this dramatic-thriller is when you see it play out on screen. (FULL REVIEW)
07) La La Land: If you don't like 'La La Land' then fuck you. Sorry, this is my stance. What a delightful movie.
06) Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood: Quentin Tarantino's love letter to Hollywood might be one of my favorite movies that he has released. Where some may take issue with the structure, I find that to be the best part of the movie. The slowly built up tension and weaving together of stories of the washed-up yet satisfied Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), chaotic down-on-his-luck Rick Dalton (Leo DiCaprio) and young hope-filled Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) were perfect. (FULL REVIEW)
05) The Big Short: Another genius in my eyes, Adam McKay's story of the housing market collapse is told in an amazingly creative way (cut-in scenes with the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Selena Gomez, and Margot Robbie), filled with the appropriate about of drama and some of the most hilarious scenes of the decade (EX: the boardroom scene with Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell and his team).
04) Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance): Just a flat out fucking cool-ass movie that plays out over one long continuous shot. It deserved every award it one for how game-changing of a movie it is and definitely needed one more because Michael Keaton for sure should have won Best Actor.
03) Whiplash: Damian Chazelle's second movie in my Top 10 was the number-one pick of the decade from the Lights, Camera, Barstool Audience. Miles Teller is great in this anxiety-inducing, intense movie, but, I can't go without mentioning how fantastic (friend of the podcast) J.K. Simmons was in his role. What a simple, yet fucked up antagonist. I am also always going to love a movie with a fantastic ambiguous final shot.
02) Mad Max: Fury Road: Possibly the best mix of practical effects and CGI of the decade, 'Mad Max: Fury Road' also featured an emotional story within the intense, seat-gripping action that almost never lets up from the jump.
01) Blade Runner 2049: It's perfect. In every sense of the word. The most visually stunning movie (hello, Roger Deakins and Denis Villeneuve) I have ever seen in my life, 'Blade Runner 2049' is perfect.
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What was the 31st best movie of the decade for me?
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It just misses the Top 30, but I had to give 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' its due. What a fantastic movie.
What an amazing decade for movies! What do you think of my list? (It's funny that my Top 2 are actually both sequels) What are your picks for the best movies of the decade? Thanks as always for following along, Happy New Year and here's to the next 10 years of (hopefully) great releases!