The Vern’s Top 50 Movies from 2010 – 2019

 

Hello Gang.

Since we are on the last month of 2019 and this being the last year before we hit another decade.  I thought it would be a good idea to list my 50 favorite movies from the last 10 years.  Now I am not good at rating things so don’t take where I place movies on this list as an indication of wither they are good or bad OK.

This list was inspired by film critic and my good buddy Heather Baxendale who also wrote her top flicks of the decade and I want you to visit her list as well.

My 50 Favorite Movies Of The Decade

 

Ok Here we go with my list

 

50. Ted (2012)

A foul mouthed teddy bear may sound like a concept of a bad SNL skit.  But I gotta give director and co writer Seth MacFarlane for actually infusing some quite tender moments within this raunchy movie.  It still makes me laugh and that’s why its on here.

49.   Raw (2017)

A really good coming of age drama that is disguised as a cannibal movie or vice versa.  Julia Ducournau’s debut feature tells the story of a young vegetarian who during her first month of college becomes infatuated with all kinds of meat.  Despite all the gory things going on in this movie.  Raw is essentially about a woman who is becoming her own person without the influence of her parents around her.   Featuring a really good score with some beautiful cinematography,  Raw is an extremely delicious morsel of film making

48.    Popstar: Never Stop Popping(2016)

Andy Samberg and the rest of the Lonely Island crew are here to tell a very humorous story about Conner aka Conner 4 Real in this fun mockumentary.  I’m not a fan of this style of music so the lyrics to many  of the songs are very funny for me and I love that many of the celebrities can poke fun of themselves as well too.

47.Sorry to Bother You and Blackkklansman(2018)

Look it’s my list and if I want to combine something I can.  I had a really good time watching these features in the theaters and you know what.  So did the audience I saw them with did to.  In both features you have a black character pretending to sound like a white character for their job.  Each movie has a different outcome and while Boots Riley is a bit surreal and metaphorical with Sorry to Bother You.  Spike Lee’s approach is humorous, suspenseful and tragic too.

 46.Logan (2017)

Hugh Jackman is tremendous and Patrick Stewart will break your heart in one of the best super hero movies of the last ten years.  What works best about this movie is that you don’t have to watch it as part of the X-Men franchise.  It plays on it’s own extremely well, especially in the Logan Noir cut which is my preferred choice.

45. Drive Angry(2011)

Nicholas Cage is a lot of fun here in this Grind-house genre feature about a dude who escapes from hell to avenge the death of his daughter by some redneck Satan worshipers.  Featuring everything I want in a exploitation movie including hot woman, great cars, and good action.

44. Tron Legacy(201o)

The follow up to 1982’s Tron was not met with much praise but I still think it’s a fun movie.  Plus it’s on this list for having one amazing score by Daft Punk.  I remember listening to that for many weeks before I saw the movie and it still holds up

43.   Phantom Thread (2017)

Paul Thomas Anderson  re teams with Daniel Day Lewis to tell this very gothic fable of a dress maker and his relationship with his latest muse played by Vicky Krieps.  I love how twisted and dark their relationship gets.  To me Phantom Thread is one of the BDSM features since Secretary

42. Django Unchained(2012)

Tarantino loves rewriting history and we are so much better for it.  Jamie Foxx, Chirstoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio are all great in this movie that has a lot of crowd cheering moments.

41.  Easy A (2010)

This is the movie where a lot of people including me really took notice of Emma Stone.  She was great in both Superbad, and Zombieland but this was the role where we thought.  Yeah, she can be a leading star.  The moment when she gets that birthday card featuring an obnoxious pop song was solid indication for me.

40.  Ingrid Goes West(2017)

Aubrey Plaza is great as a woman obsessed with status and social media who begins stalking an influencer  played by Elizabeth Olsen.  This movie is poking fun at those who worry about those types of things and was a great satire of our current culture in a way.

39. Blue Jasmine(2013)

Cate Blanchet won an Oscar for her portrayal of a woman on the verge of a mental breakdown in this Woody Allen directed feature.  Lots of other great performances by Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins, and even Andrew Dice Clay who was surprisingly very good and way better used here than A Star is Born.

38.  Ruby Sparks.(2012)

Following up the success of Little Miss Sunshine.  Directors Valerie Farris and Jonathan Dayton visualize a script by Zoe Kazan about a writer(Paul Dano) who creates a fictional woman on page that comes to life.  What I love best is how Kazan subverts tropes that many male writers put on women characters and it says a lot about the nature of control as well.

37 Edge of Tomorrow(2014)

Groundhog’s Day meets Starship Troopers is one way to describe this fun action film starring Tom Cruise and Emiy Blunt about a government bureaucrat(Cruise) who is forced to repeat the same battle of which he dies over and over again.   Based on a Manga, this feature was a lot of fun to watch and it features I think the last performance by Bill Paxton so you gotta love that as well.

36.  Thor: Ragnarok(2017)

Taiki Watiti(sorry for any mispell) made one of the best Marvel movies in the last ten years.  This was a great throwback to early fantasy features from the 1980’s.  Featuring a fun performance by Chris Hemsworth in the title role and a great supporting cast including Tessa Thompson and Jeff Goldblum

35.  10 Cloverfield Ln (2016)

John Goodman steals the show in this great thriller about a woman played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead who after a car wreck is held inside a bunker and is told there are alien invaders outside.  What is great about this movie is the way we believe both sides of the story.  Since this is a sequel to Cloverfield.  We believe in John Goodman’s character, but from Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s character’s position.  He’s not the most reliable person either.

34. Attack The Block(2011)

A housing project is invaded by aliens and a group of kids must stop the invaders.  Damn I have a lot of fun watching this movie.  It features performances by actors who will become much bigger in the following years . Mainly John Boyega from the recent Star Wars Franchise and Jodie Whitaker from Doctor Who  aka the first woman doctor.

33 .It Follows(2014)

One of the most interesting concepts in horror film history.  An evil presence that takes form of people you know will begin following you if you have sex with someone who in term was following them and if they catch you.  You will die.  It’s more of a statement about the nature of getting older than a flat out horror movie and it has some amazing style as well.

32.Carnage(2011)

Roman Polanski directs this fun  comedy about class .  Four parents meet up to discuss a bullying situation between their sons that spirals out of control.  Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet and John C, Riley all are very good in this movie I know I saw at least 3 times at the cinemas.

31. Frances Ha (2013)

Really great performance by Greta Gerwig as a woman who is not quite sure of where she is going in life.  Written by Gerwig and directed by Noah Baumbach.  Frances Ha is a great comedy that I watch every year to remind myself that no matter how rough life gets. Never stop chasing your dreams.

30. You’re Next(2011)

This hybrid of The Strangers meets Home Alone is one of the most fun I had watching a horror feature in the last several years.  While not as high as another one I will mention later on.  This one by director Adam Wingard has a great story with many fun twists and turns.  If you have seen Ready or Not, than you will know that this movie was a major influence on that one.  Sharni Vinson is the iconic horror heroine of the decade in my opinion.

29.Climax (2019)

Gaspar Noe’s(Irreversible, Love) nightmarish feature about a group of dancers who unwillingly consume LSD is a movie that is rough to watch but difficult to look away from.  Most of the cast in this are not actors only dancers and they pull of some really good work making me a part of this mind trip.  Not for everyone but I enjoyed it.

28.  The Lobster (2015)

Yargos Lanthimos English language feature stars Collin Farell as a man forced to live at  Goverment funded hotel for thirty days and if he can’t find a companion in 30 days.  He will be turned into an animal of his choice.  This very absurd tale could only happen from the same mind that brought us Alps and Dogtooth previously.  This movie seems liek it would be a skit on Monty Python or Kids in the Hall but expanded to a longer feature.  Laughed a lot in this movie when others in my theater were just baffled

27.   Suspiria (2018)

While not a straight on remake and more of a cover version of Dario Argento’s technicolor gothic fable.  Suspiria(2018) is more of a tale about the ghosts that haunt our past, the demons who terrify our present and one witch who can purify our future.  I may be reaching on that last sentence but this is a movie that I’m hoping gets rewatched and analyzed by people more adapt to doing so than me.  It’s a beautiful looking film and it has a very good score by Thom York as well.

26. JoJo Rabbit(2019)

This movie is perfect for all families to watch.  It uses humor to in a really smart way to have kids understand why the Nazis were so popular at that time   I know there are some who felt uncomfortable about this movie making jokes of such things.  But the movie is making fun of the Nazis themselves not the situations they put others into.

25. Tree of Life (2011)

One of the most beautifully shot movies I have seen in theaters.  While it may lack in plot, it certainly makes up for in visuals.

24.  Spring Breakers(2013)

This feature from Harmony Korine(The Beach Bum, Gummo) is a moral tale of the expectations we in some ways expect  the youths of America to experience.   But it’s all told in an exploitation film. In our society it feels like when kids are young we sort of expect them to get high on drugs, experiment with sex and consume other vices now so they can be find upstanding citizens when they are older.  This almost feels like a strange hybrid of Russ Myers meets Terrence Malick.  It has some beautiful cinematography from Benoit Debie and I don’t mean the young girls in bikinis.

23. Hanna(2011)

Hanna is a really fun action movie about a young girl played by Saorise Ronan, Soarise Ronen aka the lead from Lady Bird who was once part of an experiment to enhance her abilities.  She has been trained by her dad to survive and is now on the hunt to find the woman who destroyed her family.  This one has got a lot of great action sequences, Cate Blanchett is fun as the villain and it has a great score by The Chemical Brothers.

22. Gone Girl(2014)

A really fun movie even if you already know the outcome.  Rosemund Pike is fantastic in this flick and I got to give props to Ben Afflick for his performance as well.  David Fincher’s direction is top notch and as far as adaptations go.  I think Gillian Flynn really improved her story with this script.

21. Deadpool (2016)

What I love best about Deadpool isn’t just how damn funny it is.  But that it also features some really good and believable dramatic moments too.  It makes you feel good and not just in a plush unicorn on certain parts of your body feel good either.

20. Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse(2018)

Extremely fun movie with a really good voice cast.  I would love if there was a solo SpiderGwen, SpiderNoir, and Spiderham story  line too.  The style of animation is very cool because it blends in both CGI and traditional hand drawn efforts as well.  Tons of Fun

19.Black Swan(2010)

The first of many dance horror features that will be included on this list.  Black Swan is such a perfect portrayal about obsession and the madnesss one endures in order to achive perfection.  Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Winona Ryder and more are all perfectly cast in this very good horror flick

18. The Shape of Water (2017)

Sally Hawkins should have won an Oscar for her performance in this fairy tale by Guillermo Del Toro.  She not only had the daunting task of playing deaf and mute but also having us the audience not only be ok that she is having a relationship with this sea man, but cheering for her as well.

17. Scott Pilgrim Vs The Word (2010)

I feel slightly bad that Baby Driver is not on this list because I do heavily enjoy that movie but I think it’s the soundtrack I enjoy the most out of everything in it.  Scott Pilgrim on the other hand is a movie that I love fully.  This is the kind of world I would want to live in.  I don’t even care so much about Scott(Michael Cera) having to fight the seven evil exes of his girlfriend Roman Flowers(May Elzabeth Winstead) or that he is kind of a dick to everyone.  I just really enjoy the universe it’s set in and all of the side characters would be really great to be with if I was back at the age.

16.Under The Skin (2014)

The opening shot is why this movie is so high on this list.  That and the score by Mica Levi is very hypnotic

15.  Birdman or the unexpected virtues of ignorance. (2014)

Made to look like it was all done in one take.  Birdman is the perfect movie that both attacks and praises blockbuster movies and art house cinema.  Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone and more are an absolute joy to watch in this movie.

14.  The Neon Demon  (2016)

The Neon Demon from director Nicholas Winding Refn is visual wonder.  It’s tale of a young women played perfectly by Elle Fanning who becomes seduced by the fashion industry.  For me this was a more faithful remake of Argento’s Suspiria than the recent version that appeared on this list.

13. Ex Machina(2015)

One of the best recent science fiction movies that have come out in the last several years.  Alicia Vikander was amazing in this tale of a young programmer(Domhall Gleeson) who comes to stay with a rich computer tycoon(Oscar Issac) to test if an AI Robot(Vikander) can pass a series of test to see if she is more human than human.  A really great story that builds and builds with each scene.  Plus that dance number is so iconic.

12. Mother!(2017)

Daren Aronofsky’s very polarizing movie was one that I could not take my eyes of the screen from start to finish.  Another nightmare fueled flick I highly enjoyed.

11. The Love Witch (2016)

Anna Biller’s 2nd feature film is a feast for the eyes.  Set in the  modern day but made to look like films from the late 60’s early 70’s.  Samantha Robinson plays Elaine a women who uses witchcraft to find true love. Some may comment that the acting and delivery of lines feel out of place and that’s because the movie is trying to recreate the acting style from those late 60’s flicks.  Biller takes jabs at both men and women in this very fun watch

10.  John Wick Trilogy(2014, 2017, 2019)

These are just damn fun to watch.  What started off as just a man seeking revenge for his dog.  John Wick has morphed into a very cool and expanded universe with tons of great side characters.  I’m sure in another ten years I will be putting 4, 5, and 6 on the list.

9.  Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard made one of the best horror films of the decade with a movie that decided to expose common tropes with in the genre.  While Scream(1996) certainly takes some jabs at past flicks.  Cabin’s approach is quite brilliant because it makes us the culprit to the characters’ delima.

8.   Drive(2011)

From the opening chase to the last stand off between Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks’ characters, I was hooked.  This was my introduction to the whole synthwave music genre and I love it.  This soundtrack got me into Kavisnsky, Glass Candy, The Chromatics and more.   Great movie I love watching and rewatching

7. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

At the end of Inglourious Basterds Lt Aldo Rains while carving into a nazi’s forehead says the this might be his masterpiece. I think he spoke just a little bit too soon because this is one of the best movies Quentin Tarantino has ever made. Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robie are perfectly cast as Rick Dalton, Cliff Booth and Sharon Tate    I love how it seemlessly blends different genres of movies into one.  It has a fantastic soundtrack and it made me cry at the very last moment before the credits.

 6. Assassination Nation(2018)

When a small suburb has their computer’s hacked and all their information leaked. A group of young girls will become the target of their vengeful wrath. This is a really good movie that just gives a flat out middle finger to Trump and his version of what America should look like.  Plus seeing a group of women (including both black and transgender) armed to the teeth go up against angry white men just makes me happy.

5. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

As far as sequels go for movies that are from 35 years ago and beyond.  Blade Runner 2049 is one best.  It works great if you haven’t seen the original and it is wonderful continuation of the story if you have.  I know people who flat out hate the first movie because they say it’s too long.  Which is a bit odd because Blade Runner(1982) was only under 2 hours while the sequel is almost 3.  Roger Deakins rightfully won an Oscar for cinematography and it was beautiful.

4. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Martin Scorsese’s comedy about the love of excess is brilliant in the way it both praises and condemns it’s main characters.  Jordan Belfort(Leonardo DiCaprio) has the life myself and I’m sure others have fantasized about. But what’s most interesting is that after we see Belfort’s downfall and we know all the bad stuff he and others have done.  We are still envious with that lifestyle and want it for ourselves.

3. The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network is about how Facebook was created and while that concept doesnt sound all that exciting.  The actual movie directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin is one of the best of the decade.  Now, it may be true that no one uses Facebook much anymore.  It’s the drive to achieve your goal no matter who you ruin in the process that makes this film timeless.  People are always saying that you should watch Citizen Kane because it is a masterpiece of filmmkaing.  The same can be said for this movie.  The use of editing cutting back between the legal meetings and the college days were seemless and every person cast in this movie gives the performances of their careers.

2. Mad Max Fury Road(2015)

Every single shot of this feature could be hung on a wall in an art museum and yet is is one of the best action movies of the decade.  The plot is characters having to travel from point a to point b and than back to point a again.  Yet George Miller shoots it in just a way that makes it one of the most exciting things ever put on film.  I prefer the black and chrome version because it makes certain sequences more easier to view than the color one.  But whichever one you prefer, this is an all time classic.

1.  La La Land (2016)

To me this is the most perfect movie of the decade.  Every single shot is beautiful and can be admired for hours.  It has some really good acting from Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.  Plus every single song in this movie is great. I want to own this soundtrack on vinyl  It’s a love story where both characters  achieve their goals but they do it by themselves and not with just support from the other.  This movie is a love letter to classic movies of the 50’s and 60’s.  This is right up there with Singing in the Rain,The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and Chicago as one of the best musicals of all time

Honorable Mentions (aka other movies that were really good but didn’t quite make the list)

Kick Ass

Dogtooth

The Last Exorcism

Take Shelter

Midnight in Paris

We Need To Talk About Kevin

The Artist

Melancholia

Shame

The Muppets

Nymphomaniac Vol 1  and 2

Tomb Raider

Much Ado about Nothing

Heaven Knows What

Amy

Creed

Zootopia

Inside Out

Get Out

Her

Carol

The Girl with all the Gifts

Baby Driver

Your Name

I Tonya

Knock Knock

Lego batman movie

Annihilation

Hereditary

A Simple Favor

Bad Times at the El Royale

Eighth Grade

Isle of Dogs

Roma

Overlord

The Favourite

Parasite

Joker

Knives Out