The world has changed a lot since 2010. Political, social, and economic events have taken place that have shaped the reality that we currently live in, for both better and for worse. Regardless to say, the past ten years have been a defining time in cinema, changing the ways we look at stories and opening our minds to new methods of filmmaking.Cinema is something that should be constantly changing, growing, and broadening horizons.
In the past ten years, filmmakers have shown us that there are always new ways to make movies and tell stories. Richard Linklater gave us a new form of movie-making when he filmed Boyhood over the course of twelve years. George Miller opened our eyes to the endless possibilities of special and practical effects with Mad Max: Fury Road. The world can be a cruel, and sometimes crazy place. It will always be up to movies to help us get through it and express our feelings and emotions by creating art. Here are the ten best movies of the 2010s, ranked.
1012 Years A Slave
Steve McQueen’s Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave brought us on a dark journey though slavery in the antebellum United States. Based on a true story, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is kidnapped and sold into slavery going from one evil place to the next. It’s a dark, but important, film that showcases the brilliance of director Steve McQueen. Lupita Nyong’o gives a career-defining performance as the doomed slave, Patsey, in her Oscar-winning role.
9The Place Beyond The Pines
Derek Cianfrance reinvented the three-act structure in this underrated crime drama starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. The first act of The Place Beyond the Pines follows Luke (Gosling) through a series of bank robberies, who is eventually killed by police officer Avery Cross (Cooper). The story then shifts focus on Cross’s journey through police corruption and politics, and finally ends with the aftermath of their sons in the third act. It is a riveting crime drama with beautiful cinematography and a memorable score.
8Mad Max: Fury Road
It’s hard to imagine a Mad Max movie without Mel Gibson. Luckily, Tom Hardy rises to the occasion in the adrenaline-filled action flick Mad Max: Fury Road. George Miller broke the mold with practical and special effects, proving he is still one of the best. Alongside Max is Furiosa (Charlize Theron) as a truck driving renegade taking on an army of vehicles as she tries to get a group of young women away from the hands of the treacherous Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne).
7Boyhood
Richard Linklater’s Boyhood proved that cinema has no boundaries and that there’s always new ways to make a movie. Filmed in intervals over the course of twelve years, Boyhood follows Mason (Ellar Coltrane) through adolescence and ends with his first day at college. Alongside him are brilliant performances from Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke in this must-see film that reinvented the rules of filmmaking.
6Get Out
Get Out should have won Best Picture in 2018. The film was an original tale of a new kind of horror…Upper class suburban white people. Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) meets his girlfriend’s parents at their suburban home and things start to get really weird. Eventually he finds himself in a surreal nightmare discovering the family’s evil plot of brain implantation. The genius script and direction proved that Jordan Peele is the next big thing.
5Parasite
Bong Joon Ho’s masterpiece about class discrimination surprises and entertains from beginning to end. Parasite follows the Kims, a poor family in South Korea, as they work their way into the lives of the upper class Park family. It is a beautifully choreographed film that has a lot to say and will go down as a classic for sure. Bong Joon Ho opened the world’s eyes and created a discussion about the limitations of class in society.
4The Master
Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master marked the return of Joaquin Phoenix in a career-defining performance as Freddie Quell, a drifter who falls under the guidance of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his cult-like organization known as “The Cause”. It’s an original and strange story about friendship and post-WWII society, making it one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s best films to date.
3The Tree Of Life
Winner of the 2011 Palme d’Or, Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life stretches across time and space while focusing on a family in Waco, Texas in 1956. It is a movie that should be seen more than once. The vivid and surreal visuals and constantly moving camera create a roller coaster ride across the Universe. The Tree Of Life is a beautiful and poetic masterpiece that took filmmaking to new horizons.
2Blue Is The Warmest Color
Another Palme d’or winner, Blue Is the Warmest Color is an honest depiction of love and life. The film follows Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and her journey as she falls in love with the charming blue-haired Emma (Léa Seydoux). The film perfectly captures the essence of love and the ups and downs that come with a relationship. Masterfully directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, Blue Is The Warmest Color is a film that should be seen by all.
1The Social Network
This Shakespearean-like tale, brilliantly written by Aaron Sorkin, has everything when it comes to a good story. The film about Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and the creation of Facebook surprisingly gave us an epic tale about loyalty, innovation, and betrayal. Director David Fincher masterfully breaks down every shot with pure precision, proving his capabilities as an expert filmmaker. The Social Network will go down in history as one of the greatest films ever made.
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