50 Best Movies of the Decade (20-11)

20. 12 Years a Slave (2013)

Steve McQueen rightly won the Best Picture Oscar for this hard-hitting and powerful retelling of Solomon Northup’s nightmarish descent into the slave trade. It’s a film filled with memorable moments and many of them are one’s you might prefer to forget. It really puts you through an emotional wringer which is elevated by the superb performances from its all-star cast.

19. Shutter Island (2010)

Martin Scorsese’s twisty mystery was a triumph of writing and directing. It was a welcome departure from the gangster films he was renowned for and delivered a thoroughly riveting mystery wrapped in psychological clothing. The final moments are particularly intense and open the film up for a lot of interesting discussion.

18. Kill List (2011)

Another twisting tale only even darker! Ben Wheatley’s terrifying hitman horror left me in a state of shock when I first saw it and it’s a shock that hasn’t really ever gone away.

17. The Witch (2016)

Robert Eggers impressed critics recently with his black and white nightmare concerning Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe losing their minds in a lighthouse. I still think The Witch is superior, but it’s clear he has a unique talent for horror in a period setting. Anya Taylor-Joy impresses as the girl being tormented by a mystical hag, or is she?

16. Toy Story 3 (2010)

There’s far too much darkness going on here so let’s throw some light with Pixar’s finest offering of the decade. No one thought that Toy Story 2 could be improved upon but lo and behold they did it! The emotional weight to the third act was a particular surprise and the adventure as thrilling as ever. Toy Story 4 was good too but not quite on this level.

15. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

Back to some murder and mayhem now with Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard’s inventive love letter to slasher movies. There are so many layers to this film and it remains entertaining throughout. The final moments are a particular joy to watch.

14. The Artist (2011)

The silent film which made a big noise! Most kiddies couldn’t be bothered with a black and white silent film in the 21st century but it’s their loss because The Artist was nothing short of being wonderful. It’s a celebration of the magic of film and proves that image can be ten times more powerful than sound. It also has a great story to tell and never fails to bring a smile to my face at the end.

13. Les Misérables (2012)

Musical-haters best steer clear of Tom Hooper’s epic adaptation of Victor Hugo’s seminal novel. It’s an ambitious and often spectacular film that really makes use of the epic set-pieces which could never be used in the theatre productions. There are many extraordinary moments scattered throughout the hefty runtime and the songs are timeless. Now, what happened with Cats?

12. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

There are still some people who are conflicted on Christopher Nolan’s closing chapter to his Batman saga but I truly believe it’s the best of the bunch. It’s an intense roller-coaster ride from beginning to end with jaw-dropping sequences and a terrific villain in Bane. Who cares about plot holes when you’re watching something as epic and ambitious as this?

11. Parasite (2019)

Everything went downhill for the world after Parasite deservedly won four Oscars at the latest ceremony. South Korea have always produced some of the best films of recent times so it was delightful to see the Academy finally taking some notice. The less said about the plot of Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-thriller the better, just know that it’s one hell of a ride and it does not disappoint. You don’t often get films where you have no idea where they’re going next but this is one of them, it’s delightfully unpredictable and surprising.

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