If you follow movie culture and news, you might know that illustrious filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has recently been compiling a list of his personal best 10 films of the decade.
On the Rewatchables podcast on the Ringer network, Tarantino noted that Christopher Nolan’s World War II survival film Dunkirk was number two on his list. Yesterday, the renowned writer/director revealed that Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Network rounded the top.
While Tarantino’s general quirkiness and his excessive use of violence and derogatory language in his historically distorted films have drawn plenty of controversy and debate, his films often speak for themselves. Not a dud in the bunch in the eyes of the majority of critics and moviegoers alike. He’s known by many as the most influential filmmaker of our generation, among Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan, Stephen Spielberg, and even the Social Network’s Sorkin.
So when someone like Tarantino says this is the best movie of the decade, it’s probably smart to consider. This movie fucking rules. Eisenberg plays an incredibly egotistical and robotic Zuck, the dialogue is fantastic, it has some of the most original editing, and the score is awesome. There are obviously some more in-depth analytical reasons for him choosing this movie, but I won’t pretend like I know what goes on his bizarre mind.
This prompted me to try and select my favorite 10 films of the decade. These are not the best per say, these are my favorites.
This starts after 2010 begins so I believe Inglorious Basterds was released in 2009, but that is easily my favorite movie of all time. The Dark Knight came out in 2008. This year was an awesome year for movies as well so they’ll populate my list pretty heavily.
1. Get Out – Jordan Peele (2017)
I can’t get enough of this movie. Every time you watch it you notice another detail that you didn’t the last time. The twists are incredible. When the movie needs to be funny and cringe, it is. When it needs to be sinister and terrifying, it is as well. It’s a fantastic commentary on real world issues, yet it stands alone as an incredible horror film. It still amazes me that Jordan Peele wrote this as his first picture. Daniel Kaluuya plays the perfect Chris.
2. JOKER – Todd Phillips (2019)
This is going to give me some hate for sure. I think it goes without saying the Phoenix was unbelievable in this movie. It’s a tough gig to follow the late Heath Ledger’s outrageous performance, but these movies are just so different. According to The Hangover trilogy creator, this movie is not a comic book movie, it’s a character study. Whatever the fuck that means, it’s super twisted and gives us the much desired origin story of one pop cultures most mysterious and cherished villain.
3. The Social Network
I’ll agree with Tarantino here. This movie sums up this tech-start-up generation perfectly. It’s a masterclass in cutting in between timelines. Everything about this movie just feels super crisp from the editing to the score.
4. The Green Book (2018)- Peter Farrelly
Mahershala Ali to me is one of the most versatile and talented actors working right now. This movie definitely has it’s flaws, but the contrasts between the two main characters is so funny and interesting.
5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2020)- Quentin Tarantino
6. Hell or High Water (2016)- David Mackenzie
7. Lawless (2012) – John Hillcoat
8. The Big Short (2015)- Adam McKay
9. The Fighter (2010)- David Russell
10. 1917 (2020)– Sam Mendes
Honorable Mention:
- Why are Pickles called Pickles if we Pickle Other Things? - January 28, 2021
- You’ve Ran Out of Toilet Paper: What Now? - December 1, 2020
- Is Big Tech Really Evil? - November 17, 2020