Best Movies Of The Decade

By Rachel West. 19 Dec 2019 5:09 PM

It was a good decade for cinema. From sci-fi and horror to dramas and romance, the 2010s had plenty of cinematic masterpieces.

20th Century Fox

Alliance

20th Century Fox

Elevation Pictures

Mongrel Media

Disney

A24

Mongrel Media

eOne

Sony Pictures

netflix

Warner Bros.

Mongrel Media

‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ (2017)

Fox Searchlight

M2K Mile End

Warner Bros.

eOne

Universal Pictures

Maple Pictures

Sony Pictures

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‘Black Swan’ (2010)
20th Century Fox
Natalie Portman danced her way to an Oscar in Darren Aronofsky’s dark and sinister ballet thriller. Entrancing from start to finish, the film crosses genre boundaries as it presents the battle between dark and light in all of us.
‘Beginners’ (2010)
Alliance
Charming, witty and heartfelt, “Beginners” is director Mike Mills’ semi-autobiographical story about a son (played to perfection by Ewan McGregor) coming to terms with the announcement that his elderly father (Christopher Plummer) is terminally ill and gay. A touching look at modern love and adult relationships, Plummer’s Oscar-winning adds some of the romantic drama’s best comedic moments.

The Canadian star's Oscar win at age 82 makes him the oldest Academy Award winner, to date.
‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)
20th Century Fox
Wes Anderson’s candy-coloured caper is populated by an exceptional ensemble cast of A-listers including his usual suspects and everyone from Saoirse Ronan and Jude Law to Jeff Goldblum. Tracing the madcap antics of hotel concierge M. Gustav and his lobby boy Zero, every frame of “Grand Budapest” is a delight. In a career of top-notch roles, Ralph Fiennes delivers a career best performance.
‘Moonlight’ (2016)
Elevation Pictures
“Moonlight” is more than just the movie involved in one of the greatest Academy Awards mix-ups of all time. It’s a decades-spanning bold story about what it means to be queer as a black man in America, bolstered by incredible performances including Mahershala Ali’s Oscar-winning turn.
‘Before Midnight’ (2013)
Mongrel Media
The relationship of Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) comes full circle in Richard Linklater’s “Before Midnight” which picks up with the couple as they face new challenges in their relationship nearly two decades after audiences first met the pair in “Before Sunrise”.
‘Inside Out’ (2015)
Disney
Pixar went existential in the exploration of our feelings, letting kids and adults alike that sometimes it’s okay to feel sad – a profound move for a brightly coloured movie aimed at children.
‘The Lobster’ (2015)
A24
Absurd, bold, funny, and harrowing, Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos made his English-language debut with “The Lobster” in 2015. An ensemble cast that shines with performances from Colin Farrell, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly, the film proves that it’s possible to have a true unique voice in cinema.
‘Stories We Tell’ (2012)
Mongrel Media
Canadian actress-turned-director Sarah Polley delivers a powerful masterpiece about her own identity and family in the documentary “Stories We Tell” which packs more than a few unexpected twists and turns.
‘John Wick’ (2014)
eOne
Ageless Canadian hero Keanu Reeves became an Internet Boyfriend in the 2010s thanks in part to his unexpected turn in “John Wick” as a slick suited up hitman who will stop at nothing to avenge the killing of the dog given to him by his late wife.
‘The Social Network’ (2010)
Sony Pictures
“The Social Network” defined the decade. While Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg made headlines throughout the 2010s, David Fincher’s film painted the Facebook co-founder as a supervillain in training, a wealthy geek who refused to apologize, impeccably portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg. “The Social Network” set the tone with its look and feel including an Oscar-winning score by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and one of Aaron Sorkin’s best screenplays.
‘Roma’ (2018)
netflix
Alfonso Cuaron’s award-winning and deeply personal epic domestic drama is a heartbreaking masterpiece. “Roma” was a bold choice for the Mexican director to follow up his groundbreaking space drama “Gravity” with, and for Netflix no less, proving streaming doesn’t mean sacrificing cinematic qualities.
‘Her’ (2013)
Warner Bros.
Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with an artificially intelligent computer and it’s one of the most charming and heartbreaking tales of romance this decade.
‘Ex Machina’ (2014)
Mongrel Media
“Ex Machina” is everything “Her” is not. Featuring a breakout performance by Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, Alex Garland’s tale of artificial intelligence and love is both thrilling and brutal with not only jaw-dropping moments, but one of the best dance sequences of the decade thanks to Oscar Isaac.
‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ (2017)
Fox Searchlight
Irish writer-director Martin McDonagh is known for his darkly comedic views (see “In Bruges”, “Seven Psychopaths”) and in “Three Billboards”, he brilliantly manages to walk the fine line between humour and heartbreak. Nowhere are Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell better as two unlikeable characters who learn to grow from racism, vengeance and hate to discover that even a small bit of forgiveness can go a long way.
‘Parasite’ (2019)
M2K Mile End
Director Bong Joon-ho has delivered a masterpiece of cinema with “Parasite”, a film where the less you know about it going in, the better. The metaphor-filled Korean family thriller is a fitting way to end a decade with its comments on capitalism, consumerism and social class.
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)
Warner Bros.
The high-octane “Fury Road” is not only one of the best movies of the decade, it’s one of the best action movies ever. A true spectacle, the continuation of director George Miller’s dystopian odyssey that began with Mel Gibson in 1979 gives viewers everything from Charlize Theron’s battle-weary Imperator Furisoa to a guy playing an electric guitar with flames shooting out it while strapped to a desert vehicle. What more could you possibly ask for?
‘Monsieur Lazhar’ (2011)
eOne
Canadian films made a mark in the 2010s, but none more relevant than Quebec director Philippe Falardeau’s immigrant drama “Monsieur Lazhar”. Emotionally compelling with a brutally heartbreaking performance by Algerian comedian Mohamed Fellag, the film was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar.
‘Get Out’ (2017)
Universal Pictures
Jordan Peele’s breakout hit cemented the funnyman’s horror status, delivering a true cultural moment and earning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in the process.
‘Winter’s Bone’ (2010)
Maple Pictures
Years before she became a household name by leading “The Hunger Games”, Jennifer Lawrence earned her first of four Oscar nominations (and one eventual win) this decade in director Debra Granik’s unflinching family drama about a girl in the Ozarks who attempts to keep her family together while tracking down her drug-dealing dad.
‘Skyfall’ (2012)
Sony Pictures
Arguably the best James Bond film in decades, Sam Mendes revitalized a stale genre by doing a deep dive into 007’s childhood and giving Daniel Craig a true villainous match in Javier Bardem’s menacing Silva.

Best Movies Of The Decade

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