My Favorite Movies of the 2010’s

The end of the year is always a time for reflection, but this year especially with it being the end of the decade. While time always seems to go by quickly, thinking about the entire decade really puts into perspective just how much has happened. I thought that a fun way to celebrate the end of the decade would be to think back and reflect on some of my favorite pieces of pop culture from this past decade.

To start, I’m going to think back on some of my favorite movies from this decade.  With the majority of my teenage years being in the 2010’s, many of these films have left a large impression on me and will continue to stay with me as I move forward into the next decade and beyond.  In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:

John Wick Franchise

I’m one movie in to my list and I’m already cheating . I hope you understand though as all three of the John Wick movies have been fantastic! All three movies feature some of the best and most well-choreographed action I’ve ever seen with in movies, and the series has done an excellent job of growing with each movie rather than regressing.

I remember how I was first introduced to the movie. I’ve always been a big Keanu Reeves fan, as many of his previous films such as The Matrix and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure are some of my all-time favorite movies. I first heard of John Wick as Keanu was doing a Reddit AMA to promote the movie before it came out (for those unaware, AMA stands for “Ask me anything” and are essentially Q&A’s). I remember thinking the movie sounding right up my alley, but I didn’t think it would be a big hit as I hadn’t seen any promotional material beforehand. Well, the movie came out and was indeed awesome. I was living in New York at the time and walked over to the Regal in Battery Park to see the movie with one of my friends from my floor. I distinctly remember trying to convince him to come with me as he was not a big fan of Keanu Reeves. We both left the theater glowing about the movie. It’s one of those moments that defines the magic of movies for me. From there, the word of mouth took off and the movie became the hit I didn’t think it would.

After that, seeing each movie in the theater has turned into a tradition. I saw John Wick: Chapter 2 with another buddy of mine while I was living at DeSales, and it was definitely not a disappointment. I was worried that they would just do the same movie over again like many sequels fall into the trap of doing, but the movie instead relied on excellent world building that elevated the entire franchise.  

That brings us to 2019 with the release of the third movie in the franchise, and it may be my favorite of the bunch. John Wick had to lead off my list because it has brought me so many great memories this decade. On top of that, it provided the world with 3 excellent action movies and a brand-new franchise starring my boy Keanu!

Blade Runner 2049

The original Blade Runner is one of my favorite movies ever. I’m a sucker for slow and plodding sci-fi movies, and nothing scratches that itch better than Blade Runner. The world is amazing to look at, the lore and backstory is fascinating, and features on of my favorite movie scores.

When I heard they were making a sequel, I thought that there would be no way that this could live up to my expectations. As it turns out, Denis Villenueve would deliver a movie that not only met my expectation, but exceed them massively. Ryan Gosling was great as the main protagonist in Officer K, Harrison Ford brought his A game as he reprised his role of Rick Deckard, and the movie brought forth a compelling story that propels the original’s theme of what it means to be human.

To my disappointment, the movie did not have a great box office turnout. Big budget movies that deal with complex themes are definitely in the minority. However, I’m thankful that we were gifted with such a movie this decade.

Get Out

Horror movies and thrillers are a dime a dozen at the theaters, but Get Out is different. This was a movie that was so good that everyone seemed to be talking about it. A horror movie with a dash of race relations thrown in? You have a recipe for a movie that’s bound to be a hit in the late 2010’s.

My interested was piqued immediately when I heard that not only Jordan Peele would be making his directorial debut, but making his debut with a horror film! He had been making me laugh on Key and Peele for years, and I was excited to see what he brought to the table. What he ended up bringing was one of my favorite movie-going experiences of the decade.

I went to see the movie with my cousin Johnny, and we were both enthralled from beginning to end. I was on the edge of my seat as Daniel Kaluuya’s character discover just how twisted his situation truly was. It was another one of those movie magic moments that sticks with you. It’s a movie that me and my friends are still talking about and that is sure to have many repeat viewings in my future.

Creed

I’m from Philadelphia. Therefore, I love the Rocky movies. How can you not? The original is a best picture winner and an all-time classic, and the sequels are some of the most fun movies to come out of the 1970’s and 80’s. I deeply wanted this movie to be good, and it certainly did not disappoint. Ryan Coogler was somehow able to make a movie in the same timeline as all of the Rocky sequels and raise the quality back towards original Rocky status.

Michael B. Jordan was great as the son of Apollo Creed and bringing the Rocky story to this decade. Speaking of Rocky, Sylvester Stallone was so good in this movie and I’m still mad that he was snubbed for best supporting actor at the Oscars that year. A great film in the Rocky franchise always has a spot amongst my favorites.

To wrap things up for the sake of length, here is a list of some other notable movies and a few words to go with each:

·        Whiplash (JK Simmons with a tour de force performance).

·        Mad Max: Fury Road (The practical effects are extraordinary. Definitely a GOAT tier movie).

·        Your Name (A beautifully animated film in the traditional hand drawn style that I miss so much).

·        Kingsman: The Secret Service (Manners maketh man).

·        The Social Network (Nothing shouts 2010’s like the rise of Facebook. On top of that, a brilliant movie).

·        The Martian (Ridley Scott finally coming in with another good movie!?)

·        The Grand Budapest Hotel (Take your hands off my lobby boy!)

·        Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Spider-Man is my favorite super hero, and this is my favorite Spider-Man movie).

·        Avengers Infinity War and Endgame (C’mon they had to be here. This decade’s Harry Potter).

I’m sure that after this is published, I’m going to think of many more movies that I want to add. Please feel free to share your opinions on any of these movies or share some of your favorite movies from this decade. Also, if you want to follow what movies I've been seeing and what I think, follow me on letterboxd!

Writing this was a really fun trip down this last decade for me, and I might follow this up with an article about my favorites from other entertainment mediums. Until then, thanks for reading and here’s to many more movie magic memories to come in the 2020’s.


If you enjoyed my article, be sure to hit the subscribe button at the top to be updated when new articles are posted. Thanks for stopping by! 😁