Ten for Ten: a Decade in Review
The 2020s are less than a day away, so there’s no better time to look back upon film in the 2010s. With so many excellent films to choose from and only ten spots, these choices were extremely difficult and surprisingly personal. Honorable mentions include Megamind, Knives Out, Only Lovers Left Alive, Wonder Woman, and Midsommar, and even that feels restrictive.
10. Black Swan (2010)
Natalie Portman shines in this psychological thriller that leaves audiences unsure of what actually happened. As an excellent example of an unreliable narrator in film, people theorize about it to this day. Winona Ryder and Mila Kunis lend their talent to the film, creating a duo of characters that aids Natalie Portman’s Nina in her descent into madness and obsession. Black Swan is also one of the first films thought of when considering actors who pushed themselves to the limit to encompass the physicality of their characters due to Natalie Portman’s training for the role. This physicality grounds and completes an otherwise otherworldly hallucination of a film.
09. Rise of the Guardians (2012)
In Rise of the Guardians, an all-star cast provides the voices for an all-star cast of familiar characters. Still, it’s hard to say that any of these characters are knowable as they are presented in Rise of the Guardians. Besides presenting Hugh Jackman as the Easter Bunny and showing us Santa’s tattoos, it elevates and directs the power of belief to assist a character often not associated with believing: Jack Frost. In doing so, it humanizes him and works as a metaphor for the power of believing in and supporting friends and acquaintances. For this uniqueness alone, it shines as a film that can stand the test of time even against winter-themed film monoliths like Frozen.
08. What We Do In the Shadows (2014)
The Twilight books and films introduced a new version of the vampire: one that sparkles and is ridiculously good looking, according to any human you ask. What We Do in the Shadows, which recently aired in the form of a television adaption, is not that at all. Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement craft a hilarious look at what vampires are really like, relying on the classic tropes and literally timeless aspects of vampirism. In doing so, reintroducing the weaknesses of the vampire as well as a good dose of “human” idiosyncrasy, this film is an excellent example of a mockumentary as well as a smart vampire movie.
07. John Wick (2014)
Everyone loves Keanu Reeves. He’s just a charming guy, and that charm oozes out of the titular John Wick, albeit in a different way. Wick is classy and as driven as he is dangerous. Above all, he is relatable. If anyone did something to my cat, I would be infuriated. John Wick is a likable guy who happens to be more capable than the average man, and Keanu Reeves’ intense physical training in addition to his performance creates one of the most compelling individual characters on this list. The world of John Wick is stylish to match: the Continental is a place where assassins can rest, recharge, resupply, and above all, must be civilized. Killers dress in suits and fight on the docks as much as in art galleries. The beautifully choreographed fights mix with this strong sense of style, creating a film that reinvigorated the action film scene when it was released.
05. Snowpiercer (2013)
Catastrophic temperature change, trains that take a year to circle the globe, and living trapped on a train – these parts of the premise seem very possible. Putting them together as artfully as they are presented in Snowpiercer, however, takes incredible work. Every part of the premise seems well thought out and influential in the way the world of the film functions. In having to travel the length of a train in an unending conflict, the film is given a concrete structure and time frame. This driving pace is met by fantastic characters, none of whom are truly heroes, and in the process Snowpiercer makes them something more tangible than heroes.
04. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
For better or worse, Marvel has truly been dominating the box office with Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame; however, it is the earliest films that shine brightest. Nostalgia may be a factor in it, but shattering the rose-colored glasses reveals that the world was one worth saving in the earliest Marvel films. Captain America: The Winter Soldier takes the idea of everyday activism and defiance to the next level with the S.H.I.E.L.D agents who stand up against the HYDRA overthrow as well as Sam Wilson, a retired US Air Force veteran who assists a man he once ran laps with. Granted, that man was Captain America, but allowing him into his home was a brave and deliberate choice. Combined with a tight storyline, iconic scenes like the elevator fight, and the reintroduction of Bucky Barnes, this film focuses on character development that rises to meet the demands of the world on screen.
03. Pacific Rim (2013)
Pacific Rim is a Guillermo Del Toro masterpiece: an homage to the classic kaiju and other science fiction, as has been discussed elsewhere. What makes this film rank so highly is the relevance of the message of the drift. On this, Del Toro said, “…we're all together in the same robot [in life] … The idea of the movie is just for us to trust each other, to cross over barriers of color, sex, beliefs, whatever, and just stick together.” Besides the heartfelt and universal central theme of the film, the purposeful subversion of militaristic intervention and recruitment-style advertisement makes it somewhat unique amongst its fellow modern mecha/kaiju films.
02. Coco (2017)
Music changes lives, and in some cases, afterlives. In Coco, a family once torn apart by music forbids it in their house. Rebellious Miguel still dreams of becoming a famous guitarist, and while trying to convince his family to let him, he manages to get trapped in the world of the dead. It’s a family film in every sense of the term, as Miguel must seek his family’s approval but also must convince them to give music another chance. The power of remembering and the power of sharing a story trump all, and the music – both as a point of contention in the story and the actual singing – is the perfect union of these things.
01. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Anyone can wear the Spider-Man mask, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse takes this to new heights. Introducing Miles Morales, Peni Parker, Spiderman Noir, and Spider-Ham to the big screen alongside favorites like Gwen Stacey and two Peter Parkers, the film offers an ambitious premise that it fully delivers. This film is an origin story in the best way. It doesn’t just introduce a character’s backstory in the hopes of enticing audiences into wanting a sequel as so many other films have suffered from this decade. In introducing Miles Morales through his growth into his universe’s Spider-Man, the film includes its audience in the process, reminding them that if anyone can wear the mask, they too can be a hero.
Indira Ramgolam is a Culture writer and sophomore in Columbia College.
