What qualifies a film for the top of a Best of the Decade list? Well, it should obviously be transcendent. It should be masterful. It should stick with you for days (maybe even weeks or months). But those are all easy adjectives to throw out there. Perhaps it’s influence should be taken into account the most. And that’s one reason Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” is at the top of my list for the best films of the past 10 years.
READ MORE: The Playlist’s top 100 movies of the decade [2010’s]
In fact, you can argue that every film in my top five, “Moonlight,” “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Gravity,” “Under the Skin” and “Her” can be seen in the narrative and aesthetic styles of this particular era. Episodic programs, indie films, studio films, commercials, music videos, etc. There are thousands of projects that have been massive in pop culture that have those five films somehow in their DNA. That’s not to say others didn’t or won’t in the near term (“Spring Breakers” and “Call Me By Your Name” come to mind). But in this writer’s opininion, those five have had the most profound impact on global cinematic culture.
That being said it’s often hard to judge a film in this context without some cognative distance. Truth be told, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” is the rare release this year that made my top 10 of the decade. Granted, I’ve had seven months to sit with it, but a few years from now we’re aware it might sit higher or lower on the list.
Obviously, there will be some films missing that you will scratch your head wondering why they couldn’t make my top 75, let alone 50 or 20. It doesn’t mean they aren’t good films, but sometimes pictures date themselves. Sometimes they belong to an earlier era. And, sometimes, they, cough, were incredibly overrated in the first place.
Keeping all that in mind, here are 75 films from the past decade that will be hard to forget.
1. “Moonlight”
Barry Jenkins. Mahershala Ali. Nicholas Brittel. Jharell Jerome. Joi McMillon. Janelle Monae. Ashton Sanders. James Laxton. Adele Romanski. Plan B. Tarell Alvin McCraney. The light hit here first.
2. “Mad Max: Fury Road”
Could have won Cannes if WB let George Miller submit it in competition. Could have won Best Picture if they took it seriously early enough.
3. “Gravity”
As Marty Scorsese might say, “cinematic.”
4. “Under the Skin”
An artistic achievement of epic proportions. The fact this was Jonathan Glazer’s only film of the decade is a travesty.
5. “Her”
Feels so real you can touch it.
6. “I Am Love”
The performance of Tilda Swinton’s career. And that’s not even why it’s in the top 10.
7. “Parasite”
Not the only peach movie on this list. Not the only Bong Joon Ho movie on this list, either.
8. “Cold War”
The most moving and gorgeous black and white movie of the era.
9. “Melancholia”
Lars Von Trier has his issues, but artistic excellence isn’t one of them.
10. “The Florida Project”
A pitch perfect movie.
11. “Holy Motors”
We don’t have enough of a word count for this one.
12. “The Tree of Life”
Just when you thought Terrence Malick had disappeared he pulls this wonderous achievement out of his pocket.
13. “Call Me By Your Name”
The heartbreak.
14. “The Lobster”
You’ll believe a man can be turned into an animal without anyone freaking out about it. (O.K., maybe they freak out a little bit.)
15. “Black Swan”
A mash of genres that simply shouldn’t work, but transforms into something truly operatic.
16. “Climax”
Bring it to the ball.
17. “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Peak Wes Anderson.
18. “Drive”
For a guy who hadn’t lived in LA before he made it, Nicholas Winding Refn captured the pulse of the city better than other auteurs who have lived here for decades.
19. “Boyhood”
You forgot about it didn’t you.
20. “Shame”
Still Steve McQueen‘s best movie.
21. “Leviathan”
A searing indictment on Putin’s Russia.
22. “Son of Saul”
This was László Nemes’ first film. His first.
23. “The Rider”
No, I’m not crying, you’re crying.
24. “The Master”
You thought “Phantom Thread” would be here didn’t you.
25. “12 Years A Slave”
Somehow, Chiwetel Ejiofor did not get enough credit for this.
26. “Zero Dark Thirty”
Kathryn Bigelow directed the hell outta this.
27. “Stranger By The Lake”
Be careful who you crush on.
28. “The Favourite”
“Did you just look at me? Did you? Look at me! Look at me! How dare you! Close your eyes!”
29. “Toni Erdmann”
Truly thankful the American remake is currently in developement hell and likely dead.
30. “Snowpiercer”
Director Bong’s imagination knows no bounds.
31. “Birdman”
Did he fly? Asking for a friend.
32. “Ex Machina”
Was this movie the real warning about Mark Zuckerberg?
33. “Tangerine”
Forget the fact it was shot on an iPhone and looks stunning. Sean Baker is our modern day John Cassevetes.
34. “A Fantastic Woman”
That musical number outta nonwhere.
35. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
It’s aged better than you think.
36. “Blade Runner 2049”
Only Denis Villenuve could make a sequel to a literal classic turn out this good.
37. “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
This is the movie Gary Oldman should have won his first Oscar for.
38. “Incendies”
Searing.
39. “Selma”
Ava DuVernay’s historical drama transcends the genre so well she makes it look easy.
40. “The Shape of Water”
Peak Guillermo del Toro. We can’t get enough.
41. “The Weekend”
A gay hipster heartbreaker from England.
42. “Blue Valentine”
What Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling deliver in this film is almost unfathomable.
43. “How To Train Your Dragon”
Better than any “Toy Story” movie. There I said it. Sue me.
44. “Burning”
That final scene tho.
45. “The Impossible”
Harrowing.
46. “Paddington”
Joy.
47. “Gone Girl”
David Fincher and Rosamund Pike. How about a reunion?
48. “Inception”
Visionary.
49. “I Lost My Body”
An animated marvel.
50. “BlacKkKlansman”
Never count out Spike Lee. Ever.
51. “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood”
Up there with Quentin Tarantino‘s best. And he’s had some best.
52. “Nightcrawler”
Jake f-ing Gyllenhaal.
53. “Hell or High Water”
A case study of why Donald Trump won the presidential election six months after its premiere.
54. “The Red Turtle”
A gorgeous hand-drawn wonder.
55. “Moonrise Kingdom”
Wes on the rise, but still pretty damn Wes.
56. “The Diary of a Teenage Girl”
Marielle Heller’s miraculous calling card.
57. “Edge of Tomorrow”
Arguably the best action movie of the decade.
58. “Us”
Arguably more profound than Jordan Peele’s more celebrated, at least by other critics, “Get Out.”
59. “Roma”
Respect it. Hard to love it.
60. “Ingrid Goes West”
Throw this one in a time capsule to explain the influencer experience.
61. “Magic Mike”
Steven Soderbergh captures the Gulf Coast of Florida like no other.
62. “Personal Shopper”
Kristen Stewart takes this ghost story to another level.
63. “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World”
One of the best comic book adaptations of all-time.
64. “Frances Ha”
Greta Gerwig snatching wigs.
65. “A Separation”
An impressive and moving melodrama that Asghar Farhadi keeps trying to remake.
66. “Jackie”
Somehow just Natalie Portman’s second best performance of the decade.
67. “Sicario”
Denis, Deakins and Blunt. What a trio.
68. “Sing Street”
Drive it like ya stole it.
69. “Prometheus”
Criminally underrated. Ridley Scott at his best this Century.
70. “The Conjouring”
Stellar acting and James Wan‘s remarkable patience make this a horror classic. Now, for all those spin-offs…
71. “Spring Breakers”
An aesthetic masterpiece.
72. “Brooklyn”
A heartbreaker that’s hard to resist.
73. “Looper”
Sci-Fi excellence with a mystery twist.
74. “Like Crazy”
Criminally underrated.
75. “Madeline’s Madeline”
Inherently challenging, but a ride worth taking.