Time is a strange concept. Somehow, 2010 seems both recent, and a long time ago, all at once.The decade was responsible for some of thehighest-grossing filmsin history, as well as some genre-defining productions that were instant classics. Marvel’s heyday gave audiencesThe AvengersandBlack Panther,Netflix unleashed their teen love story trilogies, and the caliber of dramas was very high.
Such a saturated space makes it difficult for certain films to stand out, so when they do, it’s clear they have something special. Even looking at the list of nominations forBest Picture at the Oscarsshows just how varied in quality and subject matter some of the biggest films of the decade were.
The Wolf of Wall Street
Cast
The Wolf of Wall Street, released in 2013, is a biographical crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese. The film follows New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, as he becomes embroiled in a high-stakes securities fraud case involving Wall Street corruption and organized crime connections.
It’s part biography, part comedy-drama, and fully packed with boisterous characters and mile-a-minute dialogue. In a decade when many films were made about various types of financial crises, Martin Scorsese managed to make one that struck a more meaningful chord with viewers.The cast, led by Leonardo DiCaprio, is undoubtedly impressive.
Combining legacy actors such as Joanna Lumley and Rob Reiner with up-and-comers (at the time) like Margot Robbie and Cristin Milloti, made the film feel established and fresh at the same time. While the main character is very much an anti-hero,the audience still finds his story compelling, and wants to see it through to the end.
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Peeling back into his personal life and motivation, makes the movie resonate more, than more of an ensemble piece, likeThe Big Short. Standout scenes like Matthew McConaughey’s “chest beating” cameo, and the infamous Quaalude sequence are instantly recognizable, and the fact that it’s one of the more lighthearted DiCaprio/Scorsese collaborations makes for a very entertaining re-watch.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
From director Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel stars Ralph Fiennes as Gustave H., the renowned concierge of the film’s titular hotel. Fiennes is joined by Tony Revolori as Zero, a newly hired bellhop who serves as Gustave’s partner-in-crime throughout the film. An older Zero, played by F. Murray Abraham, serves as the narrator for the story, which chronicles the adventures of Gustave and Zero after Gustave is framed for the murder of the wealthy Madame D., his patron and lover.
Wes Anderson’s world-buildingisone of the more unique in movie history. Anytime any of his films come on, it’s obvious it’s a Wes Anderson project because of the visual impact alone. The muted but still eye-catching color palette, the uniformity and symmetry in almost every scene, and the grand scale of the sets, are all his signature calling cards.
Add to that a layered story with a large group of players, and the result isan immersive and exhilarating on-screen experience.The Grand Budapest Hoteldid this in a way that captivated audiences immediately. The fragmented storytelling keeps the viewer curious and engaged, as they navigate the fictional land of Zubrowka.
By placing the plot in an imaginary setting, Anderson was able to tackle very real issues like fascism, immigration, and xenophobia without being too bleak and naturalistic. The star-studded cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Adrien Brody, and Tilda Swinton among the many, many notable names. This is the type of film that people remember seeing for the first time.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road is a post-apocalyptic film set in a desolate desert landscape where society has collapsed. Released in 2015, the story follows two rebels, Max Rockatansky and Imperator Furiosa, as they attempt to survive and bring balance to a world torn by chaos and strife.
Reviving a franchise from the 1980s can be tricky. Most have gone down the comedy route, leaning heavily into nostalgia but not taking themselves too seriously. Others abandon the source material altogether, instead taking the concept and modernizing it, offering a re-telling of a familiar story.Mad Max: Fury Roaddoes neither.It pays homage to the films of the past, while offering a fresh perspectiveon a well-known story.
It pays homage to the films of the past, while offering a fresh perspective on a well-known story.
Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, and Nicholas Hoult create a world full of chaos and lawlessness that took everyone by surprise. The film performed very well at the box office and holdsa 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With timeless themes and a dystopian setting, it’s one of those films that makes it hard to tell exactly when it came out. That in itself solidifies its place as a classic. It also gave the world Furiosa, who was such a compelling character that a prequel was requested almost immediately, and finally made it to screens in 2024.
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Written by Dan Fogelman and directed by both Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, Crazy, Stupid, Love is a Comedy and Romance film starring Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling. The plot sees a variety of characters and explores how all of their lives are interconnected by love.
Steve Carell’s charm and leading-man potential had been a well-known fact in Hollywood for a while. His comedic prowess took center-stage onThe Office,and films such asDate Night and Get Smartproved he could do romance as well. Ryan Gosling, on the other hand, was better known for his dramatic work, so seeing him showcase his naturally charismatic and funny side was fairly new at the time.
His chemistry with Emma Stone was so impressive it led to them reuniting onscreen two more times, so seeing the beginning of their onscreen courtship is still wonderful to watch. Romantic comedies can sometimes be taken less seriously because of their lighthearted nature, but if the story is strong and the cast has that on-screen magic, it can easily become a modern classic.
This film has all those things.The combination of Carell and Gosling, is both hilarious and challenging. The entire scene withEmma Stone and Ryan Goslingperforming theDirty Dancinglift could in itself be a standalone short film. Sub-plots all merge into one in a very satisfying way, creating a type of conflict the audience might not have been expecting.
12 Years a Slave
Directed by Steve McQueen and based on the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave tells the story of Northrup, a free black man from New York who, in 1841, is captured and sold into slavery in the south. Separated from his family, and forced to endure intense brutality at the hands of his new masters, Northrup works tirelessly to stay alive and regain his freedom. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northrup, with a cast that includes Lupita Nyong'0, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano, and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Sometimes, a viewer can tell that they’re watching something that will be as powerful and impactful now as it will be in 10, 20, or even 60 years' time. Steve McQueen is exactly that kind of movie. Taking on the 19th-century novel of the same name, it takes great care with the subject matter, doing it justice at every turn. Withextraordinary performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o, this is a historical epic in every sense of the word.
The supporting cast includes Brad Pitt, Sarah Paulson, and Michael Fassbender among many notable names, who help tell Solomon Northup’s harrowing story.The film takes great care in depicting some of the real-life atrocities that happened at the time, and does not shy away from violence and brutality to have the story come across. With both critical and box office acclaim, this is an important film to see.
Spotlight
Based on a true story, Spotlight is a drama film that tells the story of reporters who are privy to terrible details about goings on within the Roman Catholic Church. When several allegations are levied against the church, the Boston Globe sends out a team of reporters to investigate John Geoghan, who was accused of molesting several children. Believing there is a cover-up, the team goes to incredible lengths to find the truth and prove the guilt and complicity of both John and the church.
Joining the ranks ofAll The President’s MenandJFK,Spotlight’s story gets pieced together by the characters in real-time. It’s a fascinating way of getting the viewers involved, as they crave new information with every new revelation. Set at the Boston Globe offices, a group of reporters works to uncover the horrific history of abuse within the Catholic Church.
Spotlightwon the Oscar for Best Picture in 2016.
Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo guide the audience through their investigationwhile keeping them engaged and curious. Films based on true stories run the risk of being too dry or, even, boring. Many fall flat with audiences and are considered to be too “of-the-moment”. This movie is neither, and manages to capture the essence of the subject at hand in a way that will be interesting and compelling, whenever it’s watched.
Get Out
Jordan Peele made his directorial Horror debut with Get Out, a terrifying Psychological Horror film starring Daniel Kaluuya. In the 2017 release, Chris Washington heads to Upstate New York to meet the family of his girlfriend, Rose. What follows is a horrifying ordeal for the anxious photographer.
An extremely clever marketing technique meant that the audience’s curiosity was piqued even before they stepped into the cinema. Thishigh-concept horror was thought-provoking, creating an atmosphere of discomfort and dread throughout its entire runtime. The energy Daniel Kaluuya brought to the infamous movie poster is carried throughout the film as he tries to get out of the horrific situation he found himself in.
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Addressing the topic of race in such a uniquely distressing and outlandish way, made an immediate impact on audiences all over the world. The film was a huge hit for Jordan Peel, giving him an immense platform to bring more of his stories to the screen. But, this was the first to create an almost new genre of horror.
Inception
Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, features a skilled thief who uses dream-sharing technology to steal corporate secrets. He is tasked with planting an idea into a CEO’s mind, while confronting his troubled past, which threatens the mission and his team.
Christopher Nolan had come off an amazing wave of success withBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knight,so he was able to create this type ofmind-bending film on a truly grand scale. The premise was difficult to follow in 2010 and stumps people to this very day.
Journeying into multiple levels of someone’s subconscious is as exhilarating as one can imagine when done with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, and Tom Hardy. The visual effects remain current and impressive, and the story is as fresh and unique as ever.
It’s been nearly 15 years since the film came out, and it remains one of the most popular in Nolan’s filmography.A supporting cast that includes Elliot Page, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Cillian Murphycompletes his complicated action thriller, that has to be seen to be believed. If not necessarily understood.The ending scene still has audiences dividedon whether it was real or not.
Parasite
Parasite is a 2019 South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho. The film follows the destitute Kim family as they infiltrate the affluent Park household by manipulating their way into various household roles, leading to unforeseen consequences.
Though it came out toward the end of the decade, the film made an instant impact.It broke awards records and holds a 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The storytelling, the direction, and the acting all come together to create one of the most memorable cinematic experiences in recent memory.
Bong Joon Ho’s tale of the class divide, as shown by the Park and Kim families, is thought-provoking and disturbing in equal measure.
Bong Joon Ho’s tale of the class divide, as shown by the Park and Kim families, is thought-provoking and disturbing in equal measure. The fact that it also manages to be funny and scary at the same time is a testament to the quality of the writing.
It won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Directing, and Screenplay, as well as Best International Feature Film. Sometimes awards glory is not necessarily an indication of a film standing the test of time, butParasiteis one that will. It tackles a theme that transcends time and will resonate with many people for years to come.
Moonlight
Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, Moonlight follows Chiron (Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, and Alex Hibbert) during three stages of his life, starting in childhood and progressing all the way up through adulthood. The film explores themes of identity and sexuality, chronicling Chiron’s life as a gay black man growing up in Miami to an abusive, drug-addicted mother.
A story of abuse, neglect but also love and perseverance. The fact that it was based on a play can be felt not only because of having the story split into three acts, but also because of the intimacy felt within the scenes.It’s beautifully shot, despite the bleak setting and sparse use of color.
Having three different actors portray the same character can sometimes make it hard for an audience to connect with them, but Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes were able to breathe life into every stage of his journey.Mahershala Ali earned his Academy Awardby making his presence so impactful, that as soon as he’s gone, viewers instantly feel the loss.
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Naomie Harris' portrayal evokes strong emotions of rage combined with pity, as the audience feels protective of her son.Moonlightis a film that has to be seen to be appreciated. While the memorableLa La LandOscar slip-up made it live forever in infamy,its beauty and complexity are what make it a certified classic. After all, there was a reason that the envelope actually said:Moonlight.
