Ten Movies for Ten Years
Lord Lordy! Look who's still going on about turning 4040!
Previously on Josh Tatter Has Thoughtsâ„¢, I shared ten of my favorite songs from this last ten years of my life. Since I am almost as much of a fanatic for movies as I am for music, I decided I should retread familiar ground with a similar listing regarding my ten favorite films from within that same time period.
This litany will be a bit more exhaustive, as the pickings are even more slim for genuinely good movies over the last ten years than they were for songs. You will likely notice an inordinate number of selections from 2015: That seems to be the last year before the film industry really fell off the proverbial cliff.
Finally, as tends to be the case where I’m involved, the following movies are not necessarily listed out in any specific order.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
A truly worthy successor to the 1982 classic, and, at least for me, the best science fiction film since Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report in 2002.
The Revenant (2015)
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu
One of the most achingly beautiful movies ever filmed, it is my not-so-humble opinion that this is arguably the very best movie of the 2010’s.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Directed by George Miller
Utterly chaotic and insane from start to finish, and possibly the greatest action flick of all time. A truly singular cinematic experience.
Hell or High Water (2016)
Directed by David Mackenzie
A taut and thrilling neo-Western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy from the ever prolific Taylor Sheridan, with career best performances from the likes of Chris Pine and Ben Foster. Jeff Bridges isn’t too shabby either.
Focus (2015)
Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Movies about thieves and con men are a dime a dozen, but Focus dazzles with heartfelt humor and sizzling sex appeal between its two leads (Will Smith and Margot Robbie). In my estimation, the best crime film Michael Mann never directed.
Logan (2017)
Directed by James Mangold
Not just a great comic book film - overflowing with bone-crunching action and a poignant, heart-rending conclusion - but a great film period.
The Last Duel (2021)
Directed by Ridley Scott
I’ve written ad nauseum (here and here) about Ridley Scott’s repeated misfires in recent years, but The Last Duel is a notable exception. Despite the film’s overtly misandrist bent, it is nonetheless an engaging historical drama, complete with Scott’s penchant for sumptuous visual storytelling.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Directed by Guy Ritchie
If nothing else, this movie proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that Henry Cavill was born to play James Bond. However, it doesn’t hurt that The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is also slick, gorgeous, and frequently hysterical in its clandestine hijinks.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Out of all the Mission: Impossible films, Rogue Nation strikes the best balance between thrilling set pieces and the tangled web of international espionage. This is the movie (for me) where Ethan Hunt surpassed James Bond as cinema’s premiere superspy.
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood (2019)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Both Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight were mildly disappointing films. At nearly three hours in length, both were - at various points - interminable slogs. While not significantly shorter at two hours and forty minutes, the important distinction with Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood is that it doesn’t feel like an almost three hour movie. The film glides along at a leisurely (though not sluggish) pace, all the while electrifying your senses with gorgeous cinematography and winsome interplay between its key players.
It’s important for me to note that several of these vaunted directors had multiple films to choose from. However, in the interests of a more varied selection, I limited my choices to one movie per director. At any rate, now that you know what I think, I want to hear from the rest of you. What are your picks for best movies of the last decade? What do you think should (or shouldn’t) be listed above?
Let me know in the comments.
Honorable Mentions (aka movies that could just as easily have made the cut):
Sicario (2015)
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Dune/Dune: Part Two (2021/2024)
The Martian (2015)
The Gentlemen (2019)
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)
The Nice Guys (2016)
Storks (2016)
Jurassic World (2015)
Batman v. Superman (2016)
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Once upon a Time in Hollywood, is brilliant! Thank you for this list.
I haven't seen half of these, but a few are good. The Revenant, Hell or High Water, Mission Impossible. I'll add Top Gun Maverick. I'm kind of tired of the futuristic/apocalypse type stuff. I'll watch another Star Trek if it happens along. The Last Duel interests me.