Best 50 Movies Of The Decade: Top Movies of the 2010s

The 2010s have been great for cinema in general. We have witnessed many iconic movies that will be remembered for generations and watched many more that will be forgotten. We were able to see how the industry has evolved with the use of better technologies, the reimagination of some stories and the lengths to which creativity can be exploited for creating better cinema.

On this list, we wanted to recognize what we think are the best 50 films that were created this decade. This list was very difficult to create. There are so many excellent films, made by so many astounding filmmakers. Ultimately we had to cut many great ones and prioritize by remarking our favorite films.

Without further ado, here is our list for the top 50 movies of the 2010s:

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1) La La Land

A visually and musically stunning film. La La Land tells the story of two young lovers in L.A. who must decide between fame and success, or their love lives. Great performances, amazing cinematography, and a soundtrack you will have stuck with you for a long time (in a good way).

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2) Logan

The perfect conclusion to the most iconic X-Men. Logan ignores the tropes of the superhero genre and decides to become an R-Rated, Post-Western film humanizes Logan like no other film before it. It’s the perfect goodbye to a hero that finally revisits the meaning of love and family, after a long life of solitude. It presents one of the best performances from Patrick and Hugh to date, a unique style of cinematography for the genre, and more emotional weight than most comic-book movies.

Read our article about how Logan uses the Father/Daughter dynamic to tell a more compelling story here.

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3) Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse

There is so much to say about Into the Spiderverse. This film pushed the boundaries of both storytelling and animation. It balances perfectly the serious and thoughtful moments, with some genius comedy. The characters are all immensely creative and compelling, it never feels like a silly cartoon or kids movie. Easily one of the best superhero movies made and probably the best Spiderman film to date.

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4) Warrior

Warrior tells the tale of a dysfunctional family with a passion for Mixed Martial Arts. Warrior becomes an exhilarating emotional rollercoaster that will make you feel joy, anxiousness, sadness, and many more strong emotions. The performances are very strong (Nick Nolte even received an Oscar nomination), and the fights are engaging. This is not your typical sports movie, it’s a heavy drama that seeks to resonate with audiences through the values of brotherhood.

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5) Snowpiercer

Bong Joon-Ho is quickly becoming one of the more interesting directors working today. In his film Snowpiercer, he explores some very heavy themes in a way that never feels preachy. The last survivors of Earth live in a train that never stops, with the poor and dirty passengers at the very end, while the rich live in excess on the front. But that is about to change.

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6) Joker

One of 2019 most anticipated films, Joker surpassed all expectations by becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. It tells the origin story of Batman’s archnemesis like no one could’ve expected. It became a heavy critic of society that not only humanized the Joker but even made the viewer empathetic towards him.

Todd Phillips created a brilliantly disturbing masterpiece that excelled in the main pillars of what a movie needs right to become one: An engaging story that plays with the other elements for a psychedelic ride where you don’t know what’s real and what’s not, a disturbing score to enhance the thrilling feeling, aesthetic cinematography, and the performance of a lifetime from Joaquin Pheonix.

Read our complete Joker non-spoiler review here.

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7) Coco

Pixar will almost always score a hit every time they release a movie. This is no exception. Miguel is a young musician who must go to the land of the dead to learn the past about his family. The visuals are beautiful, the music is catchy and amazing, and the story will probably have you leaving the movie with tears in your eyes. You will certainly enjoy every minute of this film.

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8) Arrival

Arrival is an homage to film as a language itself. It has a unique storytelling structure that aligns theme & narrative in a unique way. Led by one of Amy Adam’s best performances, Arrival exemplifies the important of language in comunication and its part to play in creating and resolving conflict. (If you’d like to read more about Arrival’s theme, click here).

It is perhaps, Denis Villeneuve’s most beautifully shot film, and together with its score and sound design, it became one of the most technically achieved Sci-Fi films of all time.

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9) Les Miserables

Broadway goes to Hollywood. You know those movies that rely on the popularity of their musical counterparts and fail tremendously (We are looking at you CATS). Well, this is definitely not one of those. This is the classic story of Jean Val Jean, a former convict who finds redemption with God throughout love and forgiveness but is still searched by the police. Meanwhile, France is on the verge of revolution. The whole movie is a big musical with amazing sets and truly beautiful music.

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10) Baby Driver

Edgar Wright is all about perfectionist filmmaking. Baby Driver exploits his directing style and catapulted him to a more international spectrum of recognition. Baby Driver’s attention to detail is so keen, that one could only feel satisfaction towards how seamlessly synced the music, sound effects, the acting, and the stunts are. This movie focused heavily on them through color, archetypes, and music, and only enhanced it by putting it all together with practical stunts that will thrill all viewers to their cores.

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11) The Impossible

The Impossible tells the story of the Belón family, who experience one of the worst natural disasters; the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Amidst the horror and destruction, each of the family members will try to survive and find each other. Starring Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, and Tom Holland, this movie will have you on the edge of your seat and wanting to hug your family afterwards.

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12) Mad Max: Fury Road

The return of Mad Max to the Big Screen is the perfect balance between chaos and order. This hurricane of a movie razed the 2016’s edition of the Oscars for becoming the most technically achieved film of the year, and the decade too. George Miller orchestrated a film that relied on upon over the top practical stunts and effects that made a really fun movie to watch. It has a simple plot, and some criticized that, but remember, sometimes simple is better, and Mad Max is pure excellence.

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13) 12 Years A Slave

12 Years a Slave is one of the many movies that tackles racism in pre-Civil War America. However, this one stands out from the bunch in its depiction of humanity both black and white people, and how culture and religion are often misguided and misinterpreted to prey upon the weak. Not an easy film to watch, but one you definitely should.

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14) Dark Knight Rises

The epic conclusion to Nolan’s Trilogy that many thought it could never reach the bar set up by its predecessor. How wrong many were. Nolan’s genius as a filmmaker was shown in a very complex movie that dealt with many themes while never feeling unbalanced. DKR becomes the most compelling of the trilogy, as we see an emotionally & physically broken Batman rise up to the occasion against his nihilistic & totalitarian match.

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15) Toy Story 3

Toy story 3 made the perfect conclusion for the “trilogy”. Even though toy story 4 was also great, the third entry introduces new characters and conflicts that perfectly wrap the arcs of our beloved woody, buzz and the rest of the gang. The third act includes a prison break sequence, the “all is lost” moment, and your typical Pixar tear jerking moment, and is is necer close to boring.

Read our article on how Toy Story (especially the 4th one) talks about growing up by clicking here.

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16) Whiplash

Movies tackling the Obsessive Artist are always intense, and Whiplash is no exception. J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller shine in a film that showcases the lengths and hardships one needs to endure in order to become the very best of them all. The music in the movie is immersive and the pacing will make you feel at edge throughout.

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17) Hackshaw Ridge

Hacksaw Ridge is the true story of Desmond Doss, who desperately wants to go to war, not to kill, but to save as many people he can. Bullied and beaten by his own men, he pulls through and becomes a real American hero. He demonstrates how resolve and conviction can make the biggest of differences.

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18) Her

Another Joaquin Pheonix and Amy Adams film that lands on the list. Her is about a man who falls in love with his virtual assistant. Her makes a marvelous job at showcasing the magic and the tragicness that relationships bring on to the table.

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19) Train To Busan

Train to Busan isn’t your typical zombie apocalypse movie. It mixes the horror and suspense of the genre, with the tender relationship between a father and his daughter, who he will protect no matter what. The pacing and cinematography make this a thrilling and very engaging zombie flick.

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20) Birdman

From Mexican Director: Alejandro Iñarritu, Birdman is an ambitious film done in a manner to make the impression that is all filmed in one single take, making the film become all-the-more immersive. The movie includes very emotional and intense performances from Keaton, Stone, Norton and more.

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21) In Time

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22) Prisoners

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23) Predestination

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24) ExMachina

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25) Solace

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26) John Wick: Chapter 1

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27) Avengers Endgame

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28) Mission Impossible: Fallout

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29) The Big Short

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30) Inception

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31) Guardians of the Galaxy 2

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32) Gone Girl

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33) Argo

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34) Southpaw

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35) The Lego Movie

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36) The Master

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37) Parasite

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38) Marriage Story

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39) Hereditary

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40) A Quiet Place

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41) Night Crawler

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42) Inside Out

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43) Sing Street

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44) 1917

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45) Shutter Island

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46) Man of Steel

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47) Ford V Ferrari

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48) mother!

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49) Get Out

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50) Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows pt. 2