By disappointment media Staff In the past ten years, film has come a long way. The last decade ended with a new king of the box office, a technical feat unlike any other that had come before, and now nostalgia rules the marquee, with series (and sagas) that have lasted for years and years bringing in the bucks. However, in the past decade, there have been some great films, and now is the time to look back at those stories and images which have stuck with us the most. The three writers at disappointment media compiled their individual lists of the top 50 films of the decade and compiled them to determine the website's list of the top ten films of the 2010's. Points were assigned for each position in reverse order (a #1 ranking earns 50 points, a #50 ranking earns 1 point, and so on), and the results were summated. Only three films were mentioned in the lists of all three writers, one of which (Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom) did not make the cut for the top ten. With that, it is time to reveal disappointment media's top films of the decade! 10 (tie). Blinded by the LightSean Boelman: 18th Camden Ferrell: 19th Dan Skip Allen: N/A The only film from 2019 to make its way onto this list, Blinded by the Light may seem like a conventional coming-of-age tale on the surface, and to an extent, it is. But the film, based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir Greetings from Bury Park is so much more than that. It’s also a love letter to the artistic process and how a writer can be inspired by the words of another. Even though Manzoor’s story is very much a product of the time and place in which it occurred (Thatcher’s England), the themes of the film resonate across the boundaries of time and race. What earns this film its spot on this list is the fact that it resonates so well with anyone who sees it. -Sean Boelman 10 (tie). NightcrawlerSean Boelman: 30th Camden Ferrell: N/A Dan Skip Allen: 7th Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) is not so nice of a man. He's downright nasty, like a rat. He uses his camcorder to video grizzly crashes and violent crimes in Los Angeles. When his work catches the eye of a news producer named Nina (Rene Russo), they become a big thing in news media. Jake Gyllenhaal gives the performance of his life as this loathsome human being. He's evil incarnate. He makes everyone he encounters hate him from the moment he comes on screen. This film is an eye opening look at the cutthroat world of news media. Dan Gilroy, the director, really captures this underbelly of society. It's such an ugly look at what people will go through to get the "money shot". -Dan Skip Allen 9. Baby DriverSean Boelman: 4th Camden Ferrell: N/A Dan Skip Allen: 24th Although it may not be as prestige-driven as the rest of the films on this list, Baby Driver is one of the most entertaining popcorn flicks of the decade, and it is all thanks to Edgar Wright’s excellent direction and witty script. A deconstruction of the heist genre that is simultaneously an extremely compelling romance, this film moves along at a pace that could only be described as breakneck (and even that is being a bit light), but it keeps the audience’s eyes locked on the screen from start to finish. And with the film’s killer soundtrack, one can’t help but get wrapped up in the energy of this film. -Sean Boelman 8. 12 Years a SlaveSean Boelman: N/A Camden Ferrell: 24th Dan Skip Allen: 1st 12 Years a Slave shows the real world of slavery like no other film or TV show before it. The vulgar language, blood and violence are at the forefront of this film. Steve McQueen, the director, doesn't hold back. Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, and Paul Giamatti all give performance that help give this film its credibility. It has an authenticity like no other film before it. These add to why 12 Years a Slave is one of the best films of the decade. It won Best Picture at the 2014 Academy Awards and Lupita Nyong'o won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. -Dan Skip Allen 7. MoonlightSean Boelman: N/A Camden Ferrell: 16th Dan Skip Allen: 6th Moonlight is a profound exploration of one man’s life and his struggles with identity. Told in three distinct parts, this is a film that packs an emotional punch with each successive scene. This film is a cinematic act of empathy that will speak volumes for years to come. It’s such an emotional and poignant story about growing up, and it features some of the most powerful scenes of the decade. Barry Jenkins has carved himself a piece of cinematic history with this touching story that is a resonant journey for those who watch it. -Camden Ferrell 6. WhiplashSean Boelman: 5th Camden Ferrell: N/A Dan Skip Allen: 9th Writer-director Damien Chazelle’s big break before he would go on to direct one of the most beloved films of the decade (which is also on this list), Whiplash is also a relative masterpiece, thanks to wonderful editing and some excellent performances. Miles Teller is great as an obsessive musician who is unflinching in his pursuit of greatness, but it is J.K. Simmons who steals the show with his Academy Award-nominated performance as the professor who is a bit too… aggressive with his style of teaching. This film truly is one of the most stressful of all time, and it earns its spot among these great films. -Sean Boelman 5. BoyhoodSean Boelman: N/A Camden Ferrell: 9th Dan Skip Allen: 2nd Boyhood is about the lives of four people told through vignettes over a 12 year span. Mason (Ellar Coltrane), Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), Olivia (Patricia Arquette), and Dad (Ethan Hawke) are an everyday normal family that goes through ups and downs like anyone else. They experience love, hate and happiness throughout their lives. At first glance this film seems like any other, but it's not. Trying to get all of these people together for two weeks each year for twelve years is a feat unheard of before. It could have failed miserably, but it didn't. Linklater made everyday normal things fascinating because of the style he used to make this movie. Patricia Arquette won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and the picture and director Richard Linklater were both nominated as well. -Dan Skip Allen 4. The LobsterSean Boelman: 6th Camden Ferrell: 1st Dan Skip Allen: N/A Never has a movie tackled dating culture and 21st century romance in such a wickedly funny way as 2015’s The Lobster. From writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos, this is a highly original and memorable film that is thematically profound and emotionally resonant. Featuring astounding performances from Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz among others, this movie balances its pitch-black humor with some genuinely disturbing and tense scenes that creates such a captivating cinematic experience. This movie is filled to the brim with biting wit and layered beauty that make this a film worth visiting for years to come. -Camden Ferrell 3. La La LandSean Boelman: 1st Camden Ferrell: N/A Dan Skip Allen: 5th Both one of the best romance films of all time and one of the greatest movie musicals ever made, Damien Chazelle’s La La Land is absolutely deserving of its spot on this list. Of course, Chazelle’s brilliant writing and directing goes a long way, as does the charm of its stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, but the real standout here is the music by Justin Hurwitz and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. “Another Day of Sun” is an amazing and musically complex song, and “City of Stars” is a common tune to get stuck in one’s head. Plus, this is the only film to have temporarily held the title of Best Picture, only for it to get taken away! -Sean Boelman 2. The Social NetworkSean Boelman: 20th Camden Ferrell: 7th Dan Skip Allen: 21st 2010’s The Social Network is one of the most essential films of the decade. Featuring some stand out performances from its cast with steady and meticulous direction from David Fincher, this movie is a fascinating look at the creation of Facebook. Aaron Sorkin’s script may be one of the finest screenplays ever written, and it makes the film as enjoyable as it is. Even though it’s from the beginning of the decade, this movie continues to be timely. It’s a film that speaks across generations, and it’s a vital story about one man’s creation that changed our world forever. -Camden Ferrell 1. The Grand Budapest HotelSean Boelman: 9th Camden Ferrell: 2nd Dan Skip Allen: 3rd It comes as no surprise that Wes Anderson’s 2014 masterpiece The Grand Budapest Hotel came in at the top spot on disappointment media’s best films of the decade list. All three of us ranked the film extremely high on our lists, which only goes to show how wonderful and agreeable this film truly is. Thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, this is perhaps the single most rewatchable film to come out this decade. However, it is Anderson’s quirky visual style that often steals the scene here, the vibrant pastels of the film popping off the screen at every available chance. In the fictional country of Zubrowka, the eponymous hotel represented the last glimmer of brightness. The Grand Budapest Hotel is proof that there is still light shining in cinema. -Sean Boelman Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel is a masterpiece that is a testament to his abilities as a storyteller and stands as one of the decade’s finest achievements. Ralph Fiennes gives one of the greatest performances in history as the film’s protagonist, and Anderson’s signature style continues to be immaculate and visually poetic. The writing is clever and witty, and his execution is highly energetic and fast-paced. It achieves level of comedy and action that were previously unseen in his films, and it feels like this is a culmination of every strength he has as a filmmaker. -Camden Ferrell M. Gustave (Ralph Fiennes) is the concierge at The Grand Budapest Hotel, a ski resort in the Swiss Alps. When he is accused of murder he is thrown in prison, but this is only the beginning of the adventure. Throughout the film many different colorful characters are introduced portrayed by a myriad of Hollywood's finest actors: Zero (Tony Revelori) is the lobby boy and Gustave H's right hand man, Tilda Swinton portrays an heiress, Adrien Brody her son, Willem Dafoe a hit man, and Saoirse Ronan a baker's assistant and love interest of Zero. All these actors and more lend their talent to this ensemble. The list goes on and on and that's just one of the things that makes this film so great. Wes Anderson has a unique quality of involving beautiful colors to his films. The hotel he chose to film in is beautiful as well. The color palette chosen by Wes Anderson is sublime and the production value is first rate. All the scenes have a flavor only he could create. This film is a masterpiece of filmmaking by any standards. -Dan Skip Allen What are your favorite films of the decade? Did we have any glaring omissions? Let us know!
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