It's crazy to think that we've recently completed a whole decade. While 2020 has not been kind to us so far, there's certainly a lot to look back on from the 2010s. This particular post has been in the works for some time. My initial idea was to get this out at least a month ago,but diving in was quite the daunting task and became quite stressful. Then the world got put on pause with the outbreak of the coronavirus. This has been an absolutely horrific period of time in our world's history and I want nothing more than for it to be over with so that we can all go back to normal. But until then, we sit in our homes and wait. With theaters all closed and everything through June being currently postponed, I've been taking advantage of the extra time to finally finishing this list, which has included necessary rewatches of a lot of these movies in order to get the placement right. And, sure, while the exact order of some of this could be a bit malleable, I'm happy with the final 50 films that I've included. And hey, perhaps this is good timing on my part. While we all patiently await the green light to get back to our normal lives, I've now created a list of 50 films that are definitely worth watching. You're welcome. For multiple reasons, I've decided to split this in half. Here's part one!
50- The Martian
We begin this mega list with a good old fashioned trip to space. And actually, we got a lot of those last decade. The movie "Gravity" in 2013 started a trend of an annual trip to space. And I'm not even talking about the likes of "Star Wars" or "Guardians of the Galaxy." I'm talking about these attempts at realistic space travel. Of all these trips to space, "The Martian" definitely stood out as one of the more enjoyable journeys. Yeah, sure, you can act like a pretentious physicist if you want by pointing out all the horrible inaccuracies to this movie, like Matt Damon's Iron Man theatrics at the end. But I don't really care. Honestly I think you're missing the point if you let yourself get caught up on all of that. This movie is a lot more than just a silly sci-fi trying to accurately portray what a trip to Mars would be like. In addition to being a wildly entertaining survival epic, there's actually a lot of profound themes here, like learning to take things one step at a time in order to solve a giant problem or realizing that laughter is often the best medicine to keep yourself sane when you're stranded by yourself. In fact, as I think about it, there's a lot that this movie can teach us about how to manage our current situation. It's"Cast Away" meets "Apollo 11," which is a solid combination.
49- Life of Pi
Shortly after the release of "Life of Pi" in theaters, I used the movie to start a new tradition. Eat pie and watch "Life of Pi" on Pi Day! I've slacked off in the last couple of years in regards to that, but it's been a fun tradition nonetheless. Does this movie really have anything to do with the digit Pi? No, not really. Pi is the name of the main character. Although there is one scene towards the beginning where he goes off listing a whole bunch of digits of Pi. Really it's just an excuse to watch a good movie with a strong message. We start off with a rather stunning visual treat. It was one movie that actually worked quite well in 3D and was beautiful on the big screen. In terms of it being a survival movie, the pacing is rather impressive. It's just a boy on a boat with a tiger for most of the movie, but it manages to keep you engaged the whole time. The payoff, though, is the message at the end that completely transforms the movie on repeat viewings. The movie is narrated by the adult version of Pi as he attempts to convince an atheist to believe in God and he uses this particular story to do the trick. Pi presents two different stories as to what happened to him on that boat, then he poses the question, "What's the better story?" It's been a rather profound parable for myself this past decade.
48- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
I'm not much of a reader. Not that I have anything against reading books, it's just hard for me to focus on an endless amount of words over the course of hundreds of pages. Some have mastered the skill of reading large books in mere hours. For me it takes weeks if not months to get through some books. Given that time commitment it takes me, I usually choose to do other things with my life. But "Catching Fire" was a book that I sat down and read in a day. It was just so captivating and intense. I absolutely loved it. Very rarely does a movie adaptation of such a great book ever live up to the hype, but the movie adaptation of "Catching Fire" was nearly perfect. Yeah, sure, Suzanne Collins rushed the ending of the series as it could've been a five to six book series. And yeah, the final movie completely crashed and burned. And that coming from one who liked the ending of the "Mockingjay" book. Yet despite all of that drama, that doesn't take away from the magical experience of reading a near perfect and seeing it perfectly adapted on screen. With this genre of YA dystopian movies having completely died out, "Catching Fire" reigns supreme as the gold standard of the genre. And it's a crown that I don't think any movie will take away from it. Because at the moment, no one cares to try.
47- The Gift
I'm willing to bet that most of you will at least recognize the majority of the movies on this list, even if you haven't seen every single one of them. There's a couple of movies here, though, that I feel flew right under most people's radars. The 2015 thriller "The Gift" I feel is one of them. There's a few movies and shows called "The Gift," so if you're checking this one out, as it is on Netflix at the moment, make sure you catch the right one. This is directed by Joel Edgerton in his feature-length directorial debut, while starring him, Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall in a story about an old high school acquaintance who comes back seeking a bit of revenge for his fellow classmates not treating him too well. And man, talk about a directorial debut. This is a movie that convinced me that Joel Edgerton had the potential to be the next Hitchcock because the execution of this pure Hitchcockian thriller was darn near perfect. Unfortunately the only other movie Edgerton has directed was a little movie called "Boy Erased" that was in a completely different ballpark than this in regards to tone and genre, but oh well. This individual project still stands a marvelous achievement. It's also a movie that clued us all in, prior to "Ozark," that Jason Bateman is an excellent drama actor.
46- The LEGO Movie
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!! And now that you hate me for getting that song stuck in your head again, let me just say that who would've thunk that a movie based on the little LEGO bricks could be so fantastic? When this was announced, most people thought that this was a terrible idea. And they have every right to think that since movies based on toys, games, or apps with no inherent, built-in story have a really bad track record. But "The LEGO Movie" goes to show that with good writers and solid execution, you can take any premise and work miracles with it. This is definitely one of the movies that launched Lord and Miller into superstardom. What could've been a complete disaster ended up being a fantastic animated film that's perfect for all audiences. Not only is the fun, quirky, comedic nature of the film the perfect thing to distract young audiences, but the attention to detail made this a nostalgic journey for anyone who grew up building LEGOs. On top of that, it taught a loud and clear message that ordinary people can do extraordinary things, which is a very good thing for kids learn. And the idea that the whole movie is simply a kid playing with his dad's LEGO set is pure genius, which completely transformed the movie upon repeat viewings.
45- Hacksaw Ridge
I'll try not to get too personal with this one, but out of all the religious films that came out last decade, or films with religious themes in them, it's impressive that a Clint Eastwood war film was the one that affected and inspired me the most. With that being said, a quick disclaimer that I'll throw out is that if you don't have a strong stomach for war and violence, this is not your movie. The first half is tame. But then as the soldiers are walking up to war in the second half, suddenly the dread hits that you are a Clint Eastwood film. And he doesn't hold back when it comes to violence. Sure enough, this film turns into an outright horror film in a way as the battle begins, which doesn't allow you to even breathe for the longest time. But through it all, it's the perseverance and dedication that Andrew Garfield's character has that shines through it all. After the dust has settled and the armies have retreated, he sticks around with the intent to save as many lives as possible. And it's his faith and God that helps him through. Before he runs out into the battle field, he kneels down and says a prayer, "Please God, help me save one more." I don't think you even have to be a Christian to appreciate this story, but how do we save the world? One life at a time. And having God's help doesn't hurt.
44- Little Women
One theme that you will see throughout this list is that movies about life often had a strong impact on me. We call them "slice of life" films. When executed properly, these types of movies really hit home because they become very personal thematically. While certain superhero movies or action movies can be a lot of fun, there's a level of escapism that comes with them where you're entering into a reality that's different than your own. That can be therapeutic at times when you want to forget about your current situation and have some simple fun. But for me, when I come across a film that's a reflection of what I've personally gone through, that often cuts deep and sticks with me a lot longer. Greta Gerwig did that twice to me last decade. We'll get to the other one much later, but this most recent happening is when she took a classic novel and created a very powerful and poignant adaptation that had me reeling. When Saoirse Ronan's character cried out about how lonely she was after trying so hard to be strong, that just hit me on another level and I found myself sobbing with all the other girls in the theater with me. And that happened several times throughout. This is not a sappy chick flick. So if you're a guy and you skipped this, man up and go see it.
43- Manchester by the Sea
If you're in the mood for a good, solid punch in the gut, then "Manchester by the Sea" is your must-see movie. I mean, when you're bored out of your mind in lockdown right now, watching a movie about the miserable tale of a man's life falling apart might be just the remedy! OK, that's a bit tongue-in-cheek there, but the fact that "Manchester by the Sea" is only in the 40s on this list is a good indication of what's to come because this made it as my No. 2 movie of 2016. I say it's an indication of what's to come because I completely threw out my end of year lists when creating this decade list because I wanted to come up with a fresh ranking of the movies that truly stood out this decade rather than being married to old rankings that most people probably forgot about. Creating these lists is a snapshot of what I feel in that individual moment and I want this list to be a snapshot right now rather than a collection of snapshots from the past. Don't get me wrong, though. "Manchester by the Sea" is an excellent film. One of the more emotionally heavy films of the year with a lot of real life themes. But if I'm bored on a Saturday night, "Manchester by the Sea" is not necessarily the movie I'd pop in to pass the time, if you know what I mean. It's a great clinic on acting, though.
42- Creed
The Rocky franchise has always been a favorite of mine. I have lots of great memories watching the Rocky movies with my dad and brothers. I honestly can't remember what my specific thoughts of this Rocky spin-off leading up to it, but I do remember being absolutely blown away at the final result here. "Creed" not only justified its existence as a member of the Rocky franchise, but it was somehow able to elevate itself onto the same level as original two films in terms of overall quality. A huge round of applause to Ryan Coogler for knowing what makes a good Rocky film and being able to deliver a near perfect result. Yeah, the boxing scenes are massively entertaining and intense, but a good Rocky film is more about the characters and the development rather than being just about the boxing itself. Michael B. Jordan as young Adonis Creed did a fantastic job of making you really care about his journey as he wanted to be successful as a fighter, but not because he was the son of a legend. And Sylvester Stallone gives a performance of a lifetime as an older Rocky struggling with declining health while also trying to figure out how to help Adonis. The fact that he lost the Oscar to Mark Rylance still makes me mad, especially since he was winning everything else.
41- A Ghost Story
Here's the other movie that I'm betting you haven't heard of. No, this is not a horror movie. It's not even a suspense/thriller. It's a very unique and unconventional drama about a ghost. He starts off as a man, being happily married to his wife, but then he dies and gets stuck having to watch his heartbroken wife live on without him. She can't see him, but he's portrayed as someone with an old-fashioned sheet over his head with two holes for the eyes. That's what signifies that he died. And he can't talk or make any noise. He just has to sit there and watch. But then as his wife moves on, he's still stuck at that house, thus "haunting" it. But in reality it's just a movie that's filled to the brim with emotion and you fully understand his frustrations as he lashes out. The individual scenes are long and drawn out as it squeezes every ounce of emotion out of every scene. And much of it feels all too real. The scene I always tell people about is a scene where the wife is so depressed that she just sits on the floor and eats a whole pie. Because that's what happens when you can't handle life. And we as an audience sit there for about five minutes while she eats this pie. As I said, unconventional. It might break every rule of filmmaking, but that's what makes it so fascinating. And it's on Netflix, so go watch it.
40- Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I'm going to play spoiler here real quick in regards to other entries on this list. When it comes to the recently rebooted Planet of the Apes trilogy, "Rise" is the lesser of the three. And that's not a knock on this movie individually. It's some high praise for the trilogy as a whole. They made a fantastic film with "Rise" and then they just kept one-upping themselves, creating a trilogy that has to go down in history as one of the greatest trilogies ever made. Not from this past decade. EVER. So I'll have plenty to say about all three of these movies. But in terms of this introductory chapter, the thing that fascinates me the most is that I have no idea who I'm supposed to be rooting for. It's not a situation where these evil humans are abusing these apes, so the apes rebel and take over. Our lead human, played by James Franco, is simply trying to help his father's medical condition and his experiments get out of control and cause a global pandemic. But the apes certainly aren't the villains either, even though they start to rebel against the humans. And man, speaking of global pandemics, trying watching this during this coronavirus scare. I'm now expecting to turn on the news and hear a story about an army of apes that started taking over a city. It adds a unique level of terror.
39- Wonder Woman
The beginning of this decade was a rather dark time for me as a DC fan. Granted, I'm no respector of comic book films. The whole MCU journey has been a marvelous ride. But I grew up a DC fan and it pained me to watch Zack Snyder and co. fail so miserably in trying to create a new DC cinematic universe. Everything about what makes DC great, they were getting WRONG. But then came 2017, when Patty Jenkins delivered us a Wonder Woman movie. And it started out being solidly entertaining. But then when they were in the trenches and Chris Pine was trying to get Diana to hurry up and not worry about this situation, yet she decided that it was her personal battle that she was going to help these people, the movie elevated and became something else. Then she stepped on that battle field and I got chills. I became so happy that I was on the verge of tears. The DC that I grew up loving was back! While Zack Snyder did everything wrong, Patty Jenkins did everything right. Except for maybe that final battle. But we forgive her for that because the rest of this movie is fantastic. And I've loved that Warner Bros. and DC have learned from this movie that they need to stop trying copy Marvel and just focus on making good individual movies.
38- The Great Gatsby
It's funny, when you dive into the archives of my blog and find my original review of "The Great Gatsby," I wasn't convinced that it was that great. And if you look at the mixed critic scores for the movie, it would seem like I was in the majority. But that was all the way back in 2013, when this blog was in its early days and I was still figuring things out in regards to my taste in film. It was later that year where I really discovered the brilliance of this movie, that being via a rewatch on DVD followed by an analytical deep dive into all of the characters and story with a roommate of mine. And yeah, there's a reason why the original novel is considered classic literature. It's such a fascinating character study as it looks deeply into a cast of flawed characters who come together to essentially ruin each others' lives. Who's the protagonist? Who's the antagonist? Well, there really isn't one on either side. Events just sort of happen. I think this modern adaptation does a fantastic job of capturing the tone and themes of the classic novel. Led by Leo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan, this is a beautifully acted film that combines with some fascinating visuals and musical choices that ultimately do a great job of adding to the scenery and symbolism of it all.
37- Marriage Story
Another hard movie to watch that might hit a bit too close to home for some. This is a movie that's about on the same level as "Manchester by the Sea" in terms of the raw emotion that dives into the harsh realities of real life. Although this being a much more recent example, so I can't yet speak to what I will think of this several years from now. Yes, we all love a happy, feel good movie where the beautiful couple works out their differences and lives happily ever after. But sometimes the Cinderella story is just not what happens. There could be a man and a wife who are the absolute perfect match, but for whatever reason, they just aren't able to make it work. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are absolutely oozing in chemistry and are the perfect match, but they also kinda hate each other because they didn't put enough effort into making it work, and thus we as observers get continually punched in the gut as we are forced to watch this spiral out of control. Like Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams in "Manchester," Driver and Johansson put on an absolute clinic when it comes to their acting performances. Said performances are the driving force of the film. Speaking of Scar-Jo, she needs to go make a happy movie because 2019 was a rough year for her characters.
36- Annihilation
Well, you might not sit down and watch "Manchester" or "Marriage Story" when you're bored and need to pass the time. "Annihilation," though, would be a great choice. It's not necessarily a relaxing, feel good movie, but it's a movie that requires multiple viewings and plenty of discussion to truly appreciate. As we passed the 50th anniversary of "2001: A Space Odyssey" last decade, there were still a plethora of sci-films that continued to try to replicate that movie's success. "Annihilation" was one of the best efforts in attempting to replicate that. It's not a space adventure by any means, but it's a slow moving movie that keeps you absolutely captivated with its sound design, musical score and visuals. But it also does a good job of slowly building the world around you as step by step you learn what exactly is going on. I don't want to give away too many details for those who actually haven't seen it, but there's a scene with a bear that might be the most terrifying and haunting imagery I've seen in a movie recently. The final sequences are something absolutely glorious. The movie got its fair share of negative response and a lot of reaction made me wonder what people were expecting. This is no action/thriller. But if you have patience, this will evolve into something great.
35- 12 Years a Slave
Every once in a while an important historical film comes around that I feel everyone needs to watch once, but no one really needs to watch twice. In terms of movies that you won't turn to if you're bored on a Saturday night, this falls into the same category as the likes of "Manchester" and "Marriage Story," but for much different reasons. This is brutal and hard to watch as it dives into the dark reality that was slavery in this country in the 1800s as it tells a story of a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, wherein he spent the next 12 years of his life. Nothing in this movie is sugar-coated, yet it's also honest in the fact that some slave owners were nice to their slaves. But when we get to the extreme slave owners who treated their slaves like inhuman dirt, this movie makes you want to sit and your corner and cry at the monstrosity. And if I was in Michael Fassbender's shoes, I'd want to go home, throw up and take a nice long shower at the end of each night for having to play that awful slave owner. This is also a movie that introduced us to Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o, and for that I'm definitely grateful. But yeah, in terms of comparisons, this was last decade's "Schindler's List." Both movies should be watched. But you only need to once.
34- Black Swan
Do I have any happy movies on this list? Like, wow. I'm not sure what it says about me if I gravitate towards all the dark, dreary and depressing movies. I'm promise I'm a happy person who enjoys feel good movies. But this is not one of them, either. I didn't watch "Black Swan" back in 2010 when it was released. Before the release of "mother!," I went through a binge of Darren Aronofsky's films. Or at least some of them. I'm realizing now that I didn't get to "Pi" or "The Fountain," but man, talk about a director. Polarizing is definitely the best word to describe him and I think he feeds off of that. When your filmography includes "Requiem for a Dream," "Noah" and "mother!," then other movies like "Black Swan" and "The Wrestler" feel safe and happy comparatively. Out of all his films, "Black Swan" is one that I really enjoyed. And I rewatched in the midst of compiling this list so that I could have it fresh on my mind. It's a movie about ballet on the surface, but it's more or less about the dangers of striving for absolute perfection when the cost happens to be your relationships and your mental stability. Yeah, sure, Natalie Portman's character gets what she wants, but was it worth it? Maybe the phrase, "I just want to be perfect" is something we should be careful with.
33- Spotlight
No, we're not going super happy just yet, although this is a step in the right direction, I suppose. I can't call this a "happy" movie, per se, when the subject matter is the child molestation problem of the Catholic Church, but this is a movie that was very personal to me as it vindicated my career choices at the time. Yes, the Catholic Church scandal is the subject matter, but the heroes who uncovered it didn't wear capes and have superpowers. They had their pens and notebooks to go along with a desire to uncover the truth. Of course I'm talking about journalists. It was a rough journey for these people, but their passion and persistence led to some monumental investigative journalism that saved lives. And when I stumble upon a movie like this during the latter portion in the pursuit of my journalism degree, that can go a long way in helping me feel like I'm doing a good thing. Granted, my path to become a successful journalist hasn't really turned out quite like I had hoped or planned, but that's a discussion for another time. Nevertheless, that doesn't change the fact that "Spotlight" was a very influential film for me that inspired me continue down the path I was headed. And for that it most certainly deserves this high placement among the best films of the decade.
32- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
OK, if you wanted happy and fun, I finally have your movie. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" most definitely wins the award for the most unique and quirky film of the decade. The movie isn't based off of a video game. The movie IS a video game. Granted, the audience member is not in control of the main protagonist, but you get what I mean. Scott meets a girl and suddenly he finds himself in the middle of a war against her seven evil exes. He has to fight them off retro video game style. When he wins, they turn to coins. If for some reason you haven't introduced yourself to Edgar Wright, this is a great movie to start off with as it showcases his very unique, personal style. In addition to being off-the-walls entertaining and hilarious, Edgar Wright has a very sharp editing style with a very smart execution. Yes, tip of the hat to "At World's End" and "Baby Driver," two other great movies of his that missed the cut, but "Scott Pilgrim" is his shining jewel. It's an absolute shame that it made close to nothing at the box office, but I feel it has achieved cult status as it has become a very popular film. And for good reasons. Edgar Wright FINALLY got his much deserved box office smash with "Baby Driver" and I feel it's movies like this that helped build him up to achieve that.
31- Gone Girl
Well, we had our fun with the happy movie via "Scott Pilgrim." Now it's time to bottle up those rainbows and butterflies for now because we're back to the dark and twisted realm. This one isn't necessarily depressing, this goes into the thriller realm. And it is one that I'd definitely watch again, albeit under the right circumstances when I'm in the right mood because this movie is insane. I'm going to be vague about the plot here and the specifics of why this is so crazy, but nevertheless the disappearance of a man's wife leads leads us down quite the rabbit hole. My jaw practically hit the floor halfway through this film and I was left in a stunned silence for the remainder of the movie is it never let up. The craft of this movie is done to perfection and the acting by Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike is top notch. Of course, when it comes to David Fincher, I'd expect nothing less because he always delivers perfection when it comes to the craft of his films. Oddly enough, he started his career directing music videos for the likes of Madonna and Paula Abdul, but then broke away and delivered things like "Se7en," "Fight Club" and "Zodiac." So yeah, if you ever say David Fincher thriller, I am 100 percent on board. The man is a master of the genre. And pretty much any genre for that matter.
30- Now You See Me
If ever the question is posed as to what my favorite movie is that has a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes, this is my answer. Granted, if you look closer into what a 50 percent score means on Rotten Tomatoes instead of just looking at the green splatter, you'll figure out that half of the critics who reviewed it did like the movie, but still. The fact that this movie got so much hate completely baffles me. First off, it's a lot of fun. It's a heist movie with magic that provides non-stop energy from start to finish and a cast that has perfect chemistry that makes for an exhilarating ride. But also, the movie preaches to you from the beginning that magic is all just a matter of misdirection and a sleight of hand. Oftentimes the secrets to the trick are right in front of the audience's faces. They're just not paying attention. As such, the movie itself is a magic trick. You're so focused on all the shenanigans of the four horsemen and the magic heists that you're not even paying attention to the ACTUAL plot of the movie that's right in front of you the whole time. The movie literally transforms into something completely different upon a second viewing when you actually know what you're supposed to be paying attention to. And that's a pretty darn genius concept for a film.
29- Whiplash
When young Damien Chazelle graduated from film school, he moved to Los Angeles with high hopes of making it big in the film industry. He initially had an idea to make this movie he called "La La Land," but it was such a bombastic idea that no one would take him up on his idea given that he was a new filmmaker without much of a resume, so he struggled to make by. Eventually he had to abandon the idea of "La La Land" and in doing so he came up with this little thing called "Whiplash." Long story short, "Whiplash" gets a best picture nomination at the Oscars and suddenly he has everyone's attention. And finally he's able to to make "La La Land." How do I know all of this? I interviewed the man. Remember the whole journalism thing? More on the "La La Land" stuff later, but man. What an introduction to a career. Miles Teller plays a drummer trying to make it in the world and he has Band teacher from Hell in J.K. Simmons as his "mentor." To impress this teacher, he goes to great lengths to prove his worth, dumping Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) in the process. The movie had, like, 10 different endings, each of which increased the intensity to the point where I was in a state of dumbfounded shock when the movie ACTUALLY ended. It was literally breathtaking.
28- Nightcrawler
No, not the X-Men character. The Jake Gyllenhaal movie. I feel that this is another movie that's more or less slipped under the radar, but those who know of it really love it. And I'm one of those people. How Gyllenhaal didn't get an Oscar nomination for this is quite baffling because he puts the whole movie on his back with an absolutely chilling performance. This is kind of a journalism movie, but not really. Gyllenhaal is out each night getting videos of crimes and other graphic scenes in order to sell the footage to news stations for a few quick bucks. He plays a character who doesn't have much of a soul to begin with it or any sense of boundaries, but by the end of it he's completely lost his whole soul to this freelancing business of his. So this is less of a journalism movie and more of a character study of a man who progressively loses all sense of morality due to his obsession of trying to make a name for himself. If you haven't seen the movie in a while, or at all for that matter, it's currently free on IMDb TV. I learned that when I was about to type this paragraph up. I went to search for the cast and crew and IMDb told me that I could watch the whole movie right there on their app. So I did. If you're in for a crazy, twisted, dark adventure, check this one out.
27- Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
The best way I can describe "Birdman" is that it's the perfect movie to study in film school. Like, seriously. If you want to feel all artsy and fancy, go watch "Birdman" and then start bragging about all the fancy filmmaking qualities that are on display. Your friends might all call you a film nerd, but hey, that's not necessarily an insult, right? OK, fine. If you're wanting to sit and relax while watching something entertaining, a pristine and prestigious movie that highlights the art of filmmaking might not be your cup of tea. But if you're in the mood to simply appreciate film, then "Birdman" checks every single box. It's very deep thematically. It'll make you spend a lot of time pondering on all the mysteries of life. It's about an actor who used to be a huge deal and is now more of a has-been trying to make a comeback. And it puts on an absolute clinic in acting because most of the scenes are very long, so everyone on board had to be at the absolute top of their game. And this because it pulls off the trick of giving the illusion that the movie was made in one shot, so all of the technical aspects of the film of the film are top notch work as well, with the camera work, cinematography, editing, as well as things like visual effects and sound design. I mean, there's a reason why this won best picture.
26- Shutter Island
And the final entry on the first half of this list is a movie that sometimes I forget actually came out last decade. For some reason when I think "Shutter Island," I think of an early 2000s Scorsese movie. But nope, this is 2010. But like with a good number of movies on this list, this is another dark and twisted thriller that completely transforms itself upon a second viewing. I won't dive too deep into all of that, but even the surface level stuff is right down my alley. Two U.S. Marshals, played by Leo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, are visiting a mysterious mental institution for the criminally insane where one murderer completely vanishes from her cell. And, of course, this place is all on this remote island where the only way on and off is through a certain ferry that is controlled by the people who run the place. In the meantime, Leo's character is convinced that the man who killed his wife is secretly locked up in one of the darker places on the island that no one is allowed into. The cold and chilling atmosphere of the movie does an excellent job of setting the tone. Specifically I'm thinking of the film's lighting, as well as fantastically put together soundtrack (no original score, just a collection of classical pieces) and sound design that really does the trick in hitting this home.
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