New Year’s Eve is a great spot from which to look back over the year and evaluate the ups and downs of the previous 365 days. For filmmakers, it’s a great time to take stock of the year’s best of lists. When time is running out for an entire decade, this means that there is an extra special treat: best of the decade lists! Do you have favorite films from this closing decade?
If you’re a filmmaker that learns by example, or if you work on your craft by standing on the shoulders of giants, then you must love the end of the year best of lists. All at once, you’re given an entire summary of the year.
More often these days, critics are taking the time to explain why they’ve selected certain films. When you take the time to consider these explanations, the same rationale seem to pop-up across lists. If you’re looking to learn how to create a signature look, nurture a mood, develop a theme, ratchet tension / drama, or build a world, these films are where to start.
A few notes: These lists focus mostly on English language films and English language best of lists simply to make the collation simpler. I’ve compiled lists from traditional media giants as well as some of the more popular YouTubers who have released their lists to date. I’ve stayed away from genre-based lists.
I am surprised that Paddington 2 showed up so often and am happy that Interstellar did not.
Without further ado, in a rough order of how often they seem to show up across a variety of lists, the best films of the 2010s:
- Mad Max: Fury Road,
- Moonlight,
- The Tree of Life,
- The Social Network,
- Get Out,
- Paddington 2,
- Before Midnight,
- Black Panther,
- The Master,
- Handmaiden,
- Inside Llewyn Davis,
- Lady Bird,
- Melancholia, and
- Phantom Thread
10. The Lighthouse
9. Nocturnal Animals
8. Mad Max: Fury Road
7. Ida
6. The Social Network
5. Shame
4. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
3. The Master
2. Drive
1. Under the Skin
10. Li’l Quinquin
9. Somewhere
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel
7. Margaret
6. The Future
5. Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun
4. An Elephant Sitting Still
3. Get Out
2. Madeline’s Madeline
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
10. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
9. Avengers: Infinity War
8. Django Unchained
7. Avengers: Endgame
6. Whiplash
5. The Intouchables
4. Interstellar
3. Parasite
2. Joker
1. Inception
10. Paddington 2
9. Moonlight
8. Handmaiden
7. The Lobster
6. Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood
5. Whiplash
4. Call Me By Your Name
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. Before Midnight
1. the social network
(Peter Debruge)
10. Waves
9. 12 Years a Slave
8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
7. Inside Llewyn Davis
6. Son of Saul
5. The Rider
4. I Am Love
3. Amour
2. Secret Sunshine
1. Tree of Life
(Owen Gleiberman)
10. Lady Bird
9. Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol
8. Tree of Life
7. Amour
6. Bridesmaids
5. Hell or High Water
4. Before Midnight
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
2. La La Land
1. the social network
10. Madeline’s Madeline
9. Black Panther
8. Money Ball
7. Paddington 2
6. Hereditary
5. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. Stories We Tell
3. Spotlight
2. The Tree of Life
1. Get Out
In chronological order:
10. Somewhere
9. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
8. Melancholia
7. Before Midnight
6. Phoenix
5. John Wick
4. Selma
3. Moonlight
2. The Lost City of Z.
1. Roma
10. Princess Cyd
9. Weekend
8. Force Majeure
7. Eden
6. Get Out
5. Parasite
4. Melancholia
3. Dawson City: Frozen Time
2. Phantom Thread
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
10. Black Panther
9. The Master
8. Zero Dark Thirty
7. 12 Years A Slave
6. Get Out
5. Boyhood
4. The Irishman
3. Moonlight
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
1. The Social Network
10. The Gatekeepers
9. Mad Max: Fury Road
8. Brooklyn
7. Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood
6. Leviathan
5. The Handmaiden
4. Only Lovers Left Alive
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
2. The Social Network
1. Carlos
10. Lady Bird
9. Phantom Thread
8. Frances Ha
7. The Florida Project
6. Moonlight
5. The Tree of Life
4. A Separation
3. The Social Network
2. The Master
1. Mad Max: Fury Road
10. Eight Grade
9. Inside Out
8. Wonder Woman
7. Dunkirk
6. Moonlight
5. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. Get Out
3. BlacKKKlansman
2. Lady Bird
1. Black Panther
10 The Florida Project
9. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
8. Margaret
7. The Fits
6. Moonlight
5. Separation
4. The Rider
3. The Tree of Life
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
1. Melancholia
10. 20th Century Women
9. You Were Never Really Here
8. Mad Mad: Fury Road
7. Paddington 2 (WHAT???)
6. American Honey
5. Inside Llewyn Davis
4. Phantom Thread
3. Get Out
2. Carol
1. Moonlight