As many dad jokers have probably reminded everyone endlessly, we didn't just start a new year, we also started a new decade. I like a dad joke as much as the next gal, but put some originality into it. Haven't seen you since last decade? Haven't showered since last decade? Although this late in the year, that one might be kind of worrisome.
If you're one of my three loyal readers across Arkansas, you know I've put a best movies of 2018 list and a best movies of 2019 list in this newspaper. You know I love animation and summed up the state of animated movies after last year. And after lots of thought and tearing my heart apart, I've compiled my best movies of the last decade list.
There were a couple of different ways I could have gone about this, but one of this paper's business reporters, Nathan Owens, finally helped me set some simple rules. I went through every year from 2010-2019 and picked the best movie from each. Then I ranked those 10 movies, and this list is the result. I guarantee there's not a single film critic alive who will have this exact list.
10. Hobo With a Shotgun -- This is a nasty movie with a ridiculous title and story. It's one of the more bizarre movies I've seen, and I love it. This movie represents everything right in underdog, over-the-top thrill rides. The story follows a homeless man with a shotgun who has seen enough horrific imagery to push him over the edge. Instead of hiding or crying from the ugly world, he thumbs shells into his gun and decides to take evil with him. Pure ugly goodness.
9. Frozen -- Most Disney fans consider the company's "renaissance" to be its musical animated movies from '89-'95. And after Pocahontas ... things tapered off a bit with movies like Chicken Little and Bolt. But Frozen was the start of magic returning to Disney's movies. It broke the true love princess mold for storytelling, came roaring back with excellent music, and kick-started a solid run of movies from Frozen to Moana.
8. Nightcrawler -- This movie probably isn't on anyone else's list, but I think it's Jake Gyllenhaal's best movie. I also think it should be required viewing for those thinking of going into television journalism. Gyllenhaal is truly a monster in this flick and watching him sink to new lows and massive ethical violations as an overnight stringer in L.A. was a sight to behold.
7. Kubo and the Two Strings -- I saw this movie when I was living in Portland, home of Laika Entertainment studio, which made the Oscar-nominated film. I'll be forever bitter that Zootopia got the Oscar for best animated feature instead of Kubo. Everything about Kubo feels precisely crafted and hand-stitched. The creativity of story and beauty of the music and art blend together to make one of the greatest animated movies of all time, and one of the best overall movies of the last decade.
6. Django Unchained -- Come on, at least one Tarantino movie had to make it onto this list, even with the year-by-year system I've implemented. And Django is a fabulous choice for it. Watching Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx kill bad guys for a couple of hours while on a mission to rescue Kerry Washington from the evil clutches of Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson? That's not just a perfect western. It's one of the best movies of this overall decade.
5. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum -- Each of these movies grows in action and ferocity. And the latest installment was the best movie of 2019. So, of course, it earned its spot on the decade's list as well. I'm not just watching Keannu Reeves kill bad guys with all the style in the world for a couple of hours. I'm watching him do all that while getting punched, kicked, stabbed and shot. Throw in some fierce Belgian Malinois dogs, and the fun just Does. Not. End.
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse -- One might think our country would be sick of Spider-Man movies by now, and maybe some are, but this movie sits on top of every single one of them. With a killer soundtrack and groundbreaking animation, Into the Spider-Verse introduced everyone to the lovable, perhaps lesser-known Spider-Man, Miles Morales. And his story -- along with that of Spider-Gwen and the other Spider ... people -- is mesmerizing.
3. Logan -- When I started formulating this list after getting an email from Philip Martin a couple months back, I knew this was going on the list. To date, it is the greatest comic book movie of all time and the perfect end to Hugh Jackman's portrayal as Wolverine. You combine an aging, pissy Logan and Professor X with the little spitfire that is Dafne Keen (X-23). It's a tearful goodbye to some beloved characters.
2. Creed -- I don't typically enjoy sports movies, but there's just something about the Rocky franchise that I love. That speech he gives to his son in Rocky Balboa? About how life isn't fair? I get goosebumps just thinking about it. And that's really what Creed is. It's a perfect continuation of that story and goosebumps, moving Rocky to the coaching position and introducing this powerhouse couple in Adonis and Bianca. And the final fight of this movie? I get choked up every time.
1. Inception -- It's hard to hit perfection in cinema. Every movie is going to have some flaw. And I think as far as Christopher Nolan movies go, The Prestige is his best work. But that came out in 2006. .... But I feel like this movie generated some truly dizzying cultural moments with its ideas and the formulations of dreams and multiple levels of subconscious. It's just so smart and energetic. Everyone gives this movie their all from Leo to Ellen Page. Looking back over my list, I think Inception is easily the best movie of the last decade. To this day, people still trying to figure out if Leo made it out of the dream. Just watch the top spin ....
As usual, if you think my list is bunk, feel free to send an email to [email protected]. Like I said at the start, NOBODY will have this exact list except me.
MovieStyle on 01/10/2020