Decade in Review: The Best Films of the 2010's

Here are The Reel Report’s favorite films from the last decade:

Bridger’s List:

Honorable Mentions:

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

10. Parasite (2019)

Directed by: Bong Joon Ho

One of the most high-profile foreign films in recent years, Parasite is a masterful blend of tones - switching seamlessly from comedy to horror, and everything in between.  Parasite is a biting social commentary about class and wealth, and it delivers its message in the smartest possible way.  Parasite is not just smart though, it is an infinitely thrilling and engaging experience.

9. Silence (2016)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

In contrast to many Scorsese films, Silence is a quiet and meditative film about Christian missionaries in feudal Japan.  It is deeply emotional and gorgeously shot, and features incredibly moving performances from Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield.  

8. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Directed by: Luca Guadagnino

I was surprised by how much I liked Call Me By Your Name the first time I saw it, and even more surprised by how it has stuck with me since.  The film radiates warmth throughout and maintains a deliberate soothing quality. It is anchored by a generational performance by Timothée Chalamet that lifts and breaks your heart at the same time.

7. Skyfall (2012)

Directed by: Sam Mendes

Arguably the best 007 film ever made, Skyfall is a perfect blend of artistic film-making and action storytelling.  From a purely visual standpoint, Skyfall is one of the most stunning films of the decade.  Daniel Craig is a perfect modernization of James Bond alongside Javier Bardem as the type of cartoonishly evil mastermind that only this franchise can successfully pull off.

6. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Directed by: Travis Knight

Normally an animated film wouldn’t make a list of mine, but Kubo and the Two Strings has a visual quality absent from most animated films.  The painstaking detail is obvious in the stop-motion animation, and it gives the film a tactile and grounded feel.  Kubo manages to tell a universal story in a simple and accessible way that is both tender and powerfully moving.

5. La La Land (2016)

Directed by: Damien Chazelle

Most Broadway musicals don’t transfer smoothly to the silver screen, but La La Land is a completely original musical built for the big screen.  Justin Hurwitz’ score is arguably the best of the decade and fits perfectly with the dance and camera choreography.  From the opening dance number along a Los Angeles freeway on-ramp to a duet inside the Griffith Observatory, La La Land is purely cinematic.  

4. Inception (2010)

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

If The Dark Knight put Nolan on the map in 2008, Inception proved that the writer/director was going to be a mainstay in blockbuster cinema for some time.  Inception is infamously intricate, and it is one of the few films that just gets better and better with each subsequent viewing.  Nolan is somehow able to pack gripping action sequences, mind-bending story lines and jaw-dropping visuals into a hit that made close to $1 billion worldwide, and the result is a masterpiece.

3. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

The Wolf of Wall Street could not be more opposite to Silence, despite the two being made consecutively by Scorsese.  The Wolf of Wall Street is raucous, boisterous and chaotic for the entirety of its three-hour run-time and doesn’t want any opportunity to be crass.  In its own way, it is the funniest film of the decade and should have won Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar for his narcotics use alone.

2. Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood (2019)

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Speaking of DiCaprio, it is his star power alongside Brad Pitt that really carries Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.  The two are sublime to watch on-screen together and execute Tarantino’s brilliant script to perfection.  Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood is a deliberately slow and nonchalant film, but it rewards audiences with the most gleefully tumultuous finales.  Check out our full review here.

1. Spotlight (2015)

Directed by: Tom McCarthy

Spotlight tells the story of reporters for the Boston Globe who uncovered a trend of child molestation and cover-up by the Catholic Church.  The film follows the journalists as they wade further into the cases of abuse and corruption, and find themselves tested on moral and spiritual levels.  Not only does Spotlight give a platform to so many victims of abuse, but it highlights the courageous efforts of those trying to bring corrupt and powerful people to justice.  While it is not always an easy or enjoyable film to watch, Spotlight is a monumental film that is not easily forgotten.