Movies of the decade

On the drive home from Omaha after seeing 1917 at the IMAX, Matt and I talked about his list of top ten movies of the decade. It was amazing how vastly our tastes differ. I think we agreed on maybe two movies and I straight up disliked 4 others? 😐 

Between that and it being Oscar season, it got me thinking about my favorite movies of the decade. Just to clarify - that's a different list than "the best movies," since arguably there are ones I enjoyed that weren't as good (or well, good) as others that didn't make the cut. 

I also decided to break it down by year. Trying to come up with the 10 best movies out of a list of thousands was a daunting task, so I figured breaking it down to bite size pieces would be easier...and I was right. 😎 I chose a favorite movie a year (bolded and highlighted), which will then make up my "Top 10 movies of the decade." My main criteria are re-watchability and enjoyability. 


2009

1. Taken
   - I can't tell you how many times I've seen this movie. The sequels aren't nearly as good, but I will always enjoy watching Taken. 
2. He's Just Not That Into You
   - This came in close second. It's such an underrated rom-com. I wrote a review for it last year after watching it for maybe the 10th time.
3. Up
   - I enjoy this whole movie, but the first 10 minutes are some of the best in animated history.
4. Star Trek
   - I admit I like this movie because it feels more like an action movie than a Star Trek production. 
5. Sherlock Holmes
6. Zombieland
   - I'm not a big zombie fan, but this movie is a lot of fun...and has one of the best cameos in cinema history. 
7. State of Play
8. Public Enemies
   - This had one of my favorite Christian Bale scenes ever. 
9. Julie & Julia
   - Mmm...food.  
10. Couple's Retreat
    - This is a dumb movie. Super dumb. But for whatever reason I really enjoy it. 😎

Honorable Mentions 

• Paul Blart: Mall Cop
  - remember, this isn't a list of best movies. 😊 I enjoy Paul Blart because it's simple, sweet and knows what it is, unlike the sequel. 
• The Proposal
• It's Complicated
  - Another guilty pleasure movie. 
• The Blind Side
• Ninja Assassin
  - The first DVD I ever bought!  

2010 

1. The Fighter
   - So many great aspects to this movie, including Christian Bale's stellar performance as a drug addict.
2. How to Train Your Dragon
   - "You just gestured to all of me." 😆
3. The King's Speech
4. Let Me In
   - This is the reasonably good American remake of Swedish "Let the Right One In."
5. RED
   - This is one of my favorite action comedies. It's well cast and a lot of fun. 
6. Easy A
   - Emma Stone cracks me up. Easy A is definitely an underrated gem.
7. Despicable Me
   - "He's so fluffy, I'm going to die." 🦄😂
8. Sorcerer's Apprentice
   - Another dumb inclusion, but I really enjoyed this movie when it came out. I'm pretty sure I bought it at some point too. 
9. The Expendables
   - All the action heroes and lots of explosion.
10. Morning Glory
    - I enjoyed Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams' antagonistic chemistry in MG. I also want to steal one of McAdams' dresses. 👗

Honorable mentions

• From Paris with Love
• Tangled
• Toy Story 3
  - I'm not crying, you're crying.
• Shutter Island
  - I try not to guess ahead in movies and let things unfold naturally, so I totally didn't see the ending coming. 😳
• Insidious
  - I know, I know...this movie is basically Poltergeist. I still like it.

2011 

1. Jane Eyre
   - Michael Fassbender as Mr. Rodchester comes second only to Timothy Dalton. 
2. Captain America: The First Avenger 
3. Thor
   - It's funny to watch this now. Thor was such a dork. 😄
4. Midnight in Paris
   - Stop judging me! I love this movie (it's one of the only Wood Allen movies I like). It's enjoyable and creative, which are always big pluses to me. 
5. X-Men: First Class
   - Such a great cast.  
6. Cabin in the Woods
   - The foreshadowing and subtleties are what make this movie. Definitely one of my all time favorites. 
7. Crazy, Stupid, Love
   - This is one of those multi-storyline movies. I like all of them but one unnecessary inclusion.
8. Fright Night
   - How can you not enjoy David Tennant in tight leather pants? It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen! 😆
9. The Flowers of War
   - This one steps outside my general criteria. It is a sad movie that's hard to watch. I bought it after watching it as a show of support, but I doubt I'll ever watch it again. 
10. The Decoy Bride

Honorable mentions

• The Phantom of the Opera at Albert Hall
  - Creative staging for the 25th anniversary performance. 
• The Help
  - While an uncomfortable movie to watch, the acting is amazing. 
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
• Season of the Witch
  - Admittedly I don't remember a lot about this movie other than I remember seeing it theaters, enjoying it and rewatching it at least once after it came out on dvd/Netflix.
• Butter
  - Literally an inappropriate movie about carving butter. That is all.

2012 

1. The Dark Knight Rises
   - Originally I picked TDKR as #1 for the year, but I dislike Bane so much it nearly ruined it for me. 
2. The Avengers
3. The Hunger Games
   - I loved the series and thought the movie was a good adaptation.
4. Snow White and the Huntsman
   - So, I hate Kristen Stewart and the fact that she was cast as Snow White is one of the dumbest things ever...but Charlize Theron's evil queen was phenomenal. 
5. Silver Linings Playbook
   While there were things from the book I wish they'd included, the movie was a good retelling of the story and helps show how mental health impacts not only the person, but those around them.
6. Wreck-It Ralph
   - I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I was going to. I've seen it at least 4 times since it came out. 😊
7. Expendables 2
   - All the action heroes and lots of explosion. Again. 💣
8. The Woman in Black
   - This was surprisingly scary...and entertaining to see in theaters. There was a woman who jumped about 4 feet out of her seat at every jump scare. 😆
9. Seeking a Friend at the End of the World
   - This is a weird movie. It's funny, sad, dramatic and apocalyptic (literally). Also Steve Carell's real wife, Nancy Carell, plays his wife in the movie for about 15 seconds. 😊
10. Much Ado About Nothing
    - Joss Whedon's black & white Shakespearean adaptation that was shot in 12 days at his home in Santa Monica...while he was shooting the Avengers...at the suggestion of his wife, instead of going on vacation for their 20th anniversary. Lots of fun trivia on this movie.

Honorable Mentions

• Les Miserables
• The Looper
• Pitch Perfect
• Brave
• The Raven

2013

1. The Host
   - I loved the book and thought the movie was a good adaptation. Yeah, yeah, it's by the author of the Twilight series, but it's about aliens, not vampires. 👽🧛
2. Iron Man 3
3. Snowpiercer
   - I almost picked this as my favorite of the year. While an excellent dystopian film, it's a tough enough watch that it doesn't count as "fun." 
4. Frozen
   - "We finish each other's..."
   "Sandwiches!"
   "That's what I was going to say!" 
5. Olympus Has Fallen
   - The better version of White House Down. 
6. Hunger Games: Catching Fire
7. Monster University
   - This is one of the best kids movies ever. It does a great job of encouraging people to recognize their proficiencies and invest in their talents, instead of just "finding your bliss" or "following your heart." Not everyone can be an astronaut, Karen! 
8. Only Lovers Left Alive
   - This is an awesome little indie movie that is highly underrated! I think I rented it three times before finally buying it. 
9. The Purge
   - The least PC of the series, this dystopian story is an interesting look at the best and worst of us when put in a terrible, life threatening situation.  
10. Blue Jasmine
    - Woody Allen's (better) interpretation of Streetcar Named Desire.

Honorable Mentions

• Begin Again
  - Another great little film that not enough people have seen. The soundtrack is also excellent.
• About Time
• August: Osage County
  - A great movie about a terrible family. 
• American Hustle
• Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
  - Shut up. 

2014 

1. John Wick
   - Don't mess with his puppy. 🐶
2. Kingsman: Secret Service
   - I love this movie (other than one part near the end, uuugh). It's dumb, fun and utterly ridiculous. 🕵
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
4. This is Where I Leave You
   - After watching the movie (because Jason Bateman and Adam Driver!), I read the book...and then rewatched the movie. I mostly like the movie better, though I remember preferring the ending in the book.
5. Gone Girl
   - I describe this as the best movie I can never recommend. 😬
6. Fury
   - I thought this movie did a great job of showing the terrors and ugliness of war, while also making it obvious why we needed to be there. 
7. Imitation Game
8. The Lego Movie
   - This movie was way better than I was expecting! Cracked me the heck up!
9. The Other Woman
   - One of my other favorite guilty pleasure movies. I've seen it so.many.times. 
10. Before I Go to Sleep
    - Aaaaaaaaah! But...you...it's...why...noooo...

Honorable Mentions

• Captain America: Winter Soldier
• Edge of Tomorrow
• American Sniper
  - So good, other than the fake baby. 
• The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay - Part 1
• Chef
  - I generally enjoy movies about cooking because...well, food. 😁 This was a bit of a twist on your typical cooking movie, as one would expect from a Jon Favreau film.

2015

1. Inside Out
   - Definitely one of my favorite animated movies ever. Gives me all the feels (get it? 😁). 
2. Ant-Man
   - While enjoyable on its own, it was also welcome levity after so many intense MCU movies. 
3. Cinderella
   - One of Disney's best attempts at a live action remake. 
4. The Gift
    - A sufficiently creepy thriller from the talented Joel Edgerton, who wrote, directed and starred in it. 
5. Creed
   - A Rocky movie not about Rocky. 🥊
6. Far From the Madding Crowd
   - I liked this so much better than the book. Bathsheba Everdene, played by Carey Mulligan, was a much stronger and likable character in the movie than in the book.
7. Eye in the Sky
   - An interesting look at tough decision making. Glad it wasn't my job.
8. The Visit
   - Finally! M. Night Shyamalan is back with something that isn't hot garbage! I could have done without one scene (in the kitchen near the end), but otherwise it was pretty good.
9. Goosebumps
   - I never read the books (you're welcome, mom!), but I really enjoyed the movie. 
10. Jurassic World
    - I took an "early, long lunch" to see this with Matt at 10:30am in theaters. While nothing will top the original...and Bryce Dallas Howard's heels were ridiculous...it was still pretty impressive overall. 

Honorable Mentions

• Avengers: Age of Ultron
  - James Spader was an excellent choice to voice Ultron. 
• The Big Short
  - A surprisingly interesting movie about a truly boring topic. 
• The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay - Part 2
• Irrational Man
• Woman in Gold

2016

1. Deadpool
   - Equal parts inappropriate and hilarious. Oh, and gory. 
2. Zootopia
   - Omg, the sloths! 😂
3. Hacksaw Ridge
   - Andrew Garfield's accent not withstanding, such a great movie. 😄
4. Split
   - One of M. Night's better movies and definitely one of James McAvoy's best performances! 
5. Captain America: Civil War
   - 100% Team Cap. 💗
6. Ghostbusters
   - No, it's not as good as the original...but it was still enjoyable (just don't watch the extended cut). Also, Chris Hemsworth is a comedy gem. Gem, I say! 
7. Hidden Figures
8. 10 Cloverfield Lane
   - A movie about monsters...not all of which are alien. 
9. Patriot's Day
10. The Accountant
    - This is one of the only Ben Affleck movies I like...or I should say, movies that I like Ben Affleck's performance (#NotMyBatman). Gone Girl and He's Just Not That Into You are the only other exceptions I can think of, the latter because it has one of my all time favorite proposal scenes.  

Honorable Mentions

• Bridget Jones' Baby
  - For an unnecessary sequel, it was pretty darn good. 
• Arrival
• Doctor Strange
  - Yes, the storyline is a mess, but I still enjoyed it. 
• Don't Breathe
  - Never try to steal from a blind guy! 
• Finding Dory

2017 - wow, so many good movies this year!! 

1. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
   - Highly enjoyable romp through a computer game jungle. 
2. Thor: Ragnarok
   - This movie makes me happy. Definitely on my Top 3 MCU movies list.
3. Logan
   - A fitting bookend to Wolverine's story. 😭
4. Get Out
5. Wonder Woman
   - 'Bout time we got a great movie from the DCU again! 💗
6. Baby Driver
   - My second favorite Edgar Wright film! 
7. Darkest Hour
8. The Big Sick
   - I liked this much more than I'd expected. I wasn't a Kumail Nanjiani fan, but this changed my opinion of him.
9. Loving Vincent
   - Such a creative and ambitious project! 
10. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    - A tough movie to watch, but that's part of its excellence. 

Honorable Mentions

• Wonder
  - This movie offers a unique perspective, following the life of a disabled and disfigured boy. It shows the impact of his disabilities on him, his family and friends...and how the world was a better place with him in it. 
• It 
• The Upside
  - It had more heart than your average comedy. Definitely worth watching.
• Downsizing
• The Ritual
  - While the ending is a little anti-climatic (the monster was much scarier before you actually saw it), I was impressed by this fairly low budget, campy psychological horror.

2018 

1. The Quiet Place
   - Quite the directorial debut for John Krasinski! Not only did he direct, co-write and star in The Quiet Place, but he worked with his powerhouse wife, Emily Blunt, too!
2. Avengers: Infinity War
   - 😭😭😭
3. Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse
   - Dude, this movie is so cool. I love the creativity, texture and obvious love of the people working on it. 
4. Black Panther 
5. BlacKKlansman
   - So uncomfortable to watch, but John David Washington and Adam Driver were amazing.
6. Venom
   - This movie is kinda dumb, but it was better than I was expecting and I enjoyed it. I think I saw it twice in theaters.
7. When We First Met
   - Not your typical rom-com. If you haven't seen it yet (I can't remember if this is a Netflix movie or not), go watch it. 
8. Aquaman
   - Other than a couple of genuine dumb things (including CG Willem Dafoe), this is definitely one of the better recent DCU movies. 
9. Deadpool 2
10. The Happy Prince
    - A great perspective on Oscar Wilde. I appreciate all of Rupert Everett's time and effort on this movie - he wrote, directed and starred in it - as well as his ability to portray Oscar Wilde in an honest light. 

Honorable Mentions

• Hotel Artemis 
• Bad Samaritan
  - David Tennant makes an excellent bad guy. So creepy. I also forget how much I like Robert Sheehan in something until I see him and go "oh, I really like that guy!"
• Ready Player One
• Bad Times at the El Royale
  - Chris Hemsworth as mini-Manson was pretty great. The terrifying kind of great.
• Ocean's Eight

2019 - We have a tie! 

1. Marriage Story
   - A sad but good movie about the importance of communication in a relationship. I wrote a short review about it last week.
2. Jojo Rabbit
   - No one...I mean, no one...other than Taika Waititi could have pulled off playing Hitler-as-a-10-year-old-boy's-imaginary-friend. 
3. Ford v Ferrari
   - I like cars, but not quite enough to watch an almost 3 hour movie...except that Matt Damon & Christian Bale have amazing frienemy chemistry. 
4. Knives Out
   - This felt like an old school whodunit. 🕵
5. 1917
   - Quite a creative and ambitious endeavor. I'm glad I got to see it at the IMAX.
6. Shazam!
   - This was a fun movie and sadly one of the best DC movies to come out in a while (#NeverBatfleckorPattinBat). Mark Strong was a bit wasted as a villain, but I thought the overall message about family worked well. I ended up seeing it twice in theaters.
7. Avengers: Endgame
8. Doctor Sleep
   - I wasn't a big fan of The Shining, but Doctor Sleep fixed some of the those issues by freaking explaining things! Also Rebecca Ferguson and Kyliegh Curran were amazing.
9. Us
   - The movie has plot holes, but the story is tight enough you don't really think about them until after it's over. 
10. Isn't It Romantic
    - I was surprised how much I enjoyed this little rom-com. I reviewed it last year.

Honorable Mentions

•  Joker
  - If nothing else, Joaquin Phoenix was amazing.
• Jumanji: Next Level
  - Awkwafina cracked me the heck up!! 
• Aladdin
  - After Cinderella, this is probably Disney's best live action remake, at least in recent history.
• Glass
• Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Which means my Top 10 (well, 11) favorite movies of the decade are:
Taken (2009)
The Fighter (2010)
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Fury (2014)
Inside Out (2015)
Split (2016) 
Logan (2017)
Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse (2018)
Marriage Story/Jojo Rabbit (2019)

...that's a weird list. 😊😎


With the Oscars around the corner, here are my picks. Like the above, these aren't who I think will win or even necessarily the best choice, but based on how I liked a movie or performance. Another mitigating factor is I haven't seen all of the movies on the lists.


Best Picture
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman

Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 
Parasite

Best DirectorMartin Scorsese, The Irishman
Todd Phillips, Joker
Sam Mendes, 1917Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

Best ActressCynthia Erivo, Harriet
Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan, Little Women
Charlize Theron, Bombshell
Renée Zellweger, Judy

Best Actor
Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver, Marriage Story (very close second!!)
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes

Best Supporting Actress
Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell
Laura Dern, Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh, Little Women
Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Best Supporting Actor - I actually don't have a pick for this one. Of the movies I saw, I wasn't a huge fan of their performances.
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Visual EffectsAvengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King (whaaaaa? How the heck did this get a nomination?!)
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Film EditingFord v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Parasite

Best Original Score
Joker
Little Women Marriage Story
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Original Song - Of the ones I heard, none were memorable...so another no pick.
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” Toy Story 4
“(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” Rocketman
“I’m Standing With You,” Breakthrough
“Into the Unknown” Frozen 2
“Stand Up,” Harriet

Best CinematographyThe Irishman
Joker
The Lighthouse
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Original Screenplay
Knives Out
Marriage Story1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Irishman
Jojo RabbitJoker
Little Women
The Two Popes

Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4


What are your Oscar picks? 



~ Katie Q. 🐧