2010s Best Films According to Me
My favourite films of the 2010s so far. They were somehow incredibly moving, hilarious, captivating, beautiful to look at, unique, heartwarming, brilliant, kept me on the edge of my seat, were just plain fun or more likely a combination of those things.
According to my IMDb ratings, I've watched over 600 films that were released in the 2010s, which is more than I expected, so around 14% made it to this list.
Will it reach a top 100?
According to my IMDb ratings, I've watched over 600 films that were released in the 2010s, which is more than I expected, so around 14% made it to this list.
Will it reach a top 100?
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- DirectorTomm MooreStarsDavid RawleBrendan GleesonLisa HanniganBen, a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world.Along with The Iron Giant (1999), the closest English-language animation has come to matching the magic of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Beautiful, heartfelt and near-perfect in every way.
Song of the Sea is a great family film too - maybe a little intense for young children at times, which along with the "FEIC OFF" on a sign that's barely seen, is probably responsible for the PG rating. - DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsFrances McDormandWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.Incredible performances by all the actors. I watched Three Billboards in China which added a surreal edge, with every swear word dubbed and sounding scarily like the original actors. Even "Jesus Christ" was changed to "Judas Priest" and "God damn" to "gosh darn." But anyway - should've won Best Picture Oscar.
- DirectorDebra GranikStarsThomasin McKenzieBen FosterJeffery RifflardA father and his seventeen-year-old daughter are living an ideal existence in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon when a small mistake derails their lives forever.A refreshing film with characters that seemed real. It somehow did everything so subtly, I didn't expect the massive emotional punch it hit me with at the end. Perhaps the ultimate in 'show don't tell,' with Thomasin McKenzie and Ben Foster brilliant and totally believable as the two leads.
I tend to go on first impressions with rankings, but from my top 3, Leave No Trace is the film that lingers in my mind the most and the one I'm most likely to watch again. - DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansSamuel L. JacksonScarlett JohanssonAs Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.The best Avengers character film, with great action and an enjoyable conspiracy theory that makes it possibly the best story of the recent reboots. Don't like superhero films? Try this one.
- DirectorLee UnkrichStarsTom HanksTim AllenJoan CusackThe toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home.I was 14 when I saw and loved the original Toy Story, which is as brilliant as it ever was now I'm an adult. Toy Story 3 is its equal and the ending, one of the best in film history.
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansScarlett JohanssonEarth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.Marvel got it just right here, with a great mix of action, humour, tension etc. and there was great chemistry between the assemble.
- DirectorShin'ichirô UedaStarsTakayuki HamatsuYuzuki AkiyamaHarumi ShuhamaThings go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility, when they are attacked by real zombies.Despite the one take being impressive, the first 50ish minutes dragged at times, but I'm glad I paid attention as it all began to make sense! I don't usually like horror, but One Cut of the Dead ended up as more of a comedy about indie filmmaking. It'll probably get a big American remake, but the Japanese do this sort of comedy best - the final third of the film has some of the funniest moments I've seen. A heartwarming ending too. Genius.
Do avoid spoilers. While the trailer tries to avoid them, I still think it gives too much away. - DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsChris PrattBryce Dallas HowardTy SimpkinsA new theme park, built on the original site of Jurassic Park, creates a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, which escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.I saw Jurassic World on the massive BFI cinema screen in London. It looked amazing and is nostalgic but also great fun in its own right.
- DirectorEli CraigStarsTyler LabineAlan TudykKatrina BowdenAffable hillbillies Tucker and Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are mistaken for murderers by a group of preppy college students.The bees and chainsaw scene is one of the funniest film scenes ever.
I'm not a big fan of most zombie comedies, but 2 of my top 10 happen to come from the genre. The unique premise of One Cut of the Dead, and the superior laughs of Tucker and Dale vs Evil, make them stand out. - DirectorMamoru HosodaStarsAoi MiyazakiTakao OsawaHaru KurokiAfter her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident while hunting for food for their children, a young woman must find ways to raise the werewolf son and daughter that she had with him while keeping their trait hidden from society.After loving much of Studio Ghibli's output, I was often disappointed with animations from other Japanese studios (and some of Ghibli's output since 2004). Wolf Children changed that and gets humanity just like the best of Ghibli.
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsFelicity JonesDiego LunaAlan TudykIn a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.The Force Awakens was average, but Rogue One made the reboots worthwhile and is the best Star Wars film since the first three. I still didn't expect that ending, either.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsNatalie PortmanMila KunisVincent CasselNina is a talented but unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her artistic director and a seductive rival, Nina's grip on reality slips, plunging her into a waking nightmare.Crikey, what incredible acting by Natalie Portman - probably the best I've seen in the 2010s. Sometimes it's interesting going into films with no expectations, as I had no idea Black Swan was a psychological thriller/horror.
- DirectorMike CahillStarsBrit MarlingWilliam MapotherMatthew-Lee ErlbachOn the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.I loved the atmosphere and how Another Earth became increasingly compelling as it worked towards its ending. And I liked Brit Marling even more after reading she got fed up of being offered similar 'blonde' parts in films...so co-wrote and starred in Another Earth, and to save money, even did the makeup of her fellow actors between takes.
- DirectorChristopher MorrisStarsWill AdamsdaleRiz AhmedAdeel AkhtarFour incompetent British terrorists set out to train for and commit an act of terror.Hilarious and genius. I didn't think a film about terrorism could be so funny. The premise was controversial at the time, but this film about a bunch of inept terrorists makes a serious point and even manages to have some heart.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.Great tension helped by believable performances from everyone.
- DirectorSebastian SchipperStarsLaia CostaFrederick LauFranz RogowskiA young Spanish woman who has recently moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals a dangerous secret.I remember Victoria being praised by critics on release, but the drunk people clip I saw didn't appeal to me, and the one-take seemed a gimmick.
Having watched the film a few years later, how wrong I was! The first hour could've done with a 15-minute cut, but from an hour onwards Victoria was compelling, the close camera putting you right in the action with the totally believable cast. An excellent film in its own right, but the one-take makes it an incredible piece of filmmaking and apart from that 15-minutes I mentioned, probably elevated it into a better film. - DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.A tense and dramatic drama. Not what I'd consider 'my type' of film if there is such a thing, but A Separation is great, along with being an intimate look into an Iranian family's life.
I seem to remember A Separation being controversial in its native Iran for showing a woman smoking (even though she had her back to camera and you couldn't see the cigarette), but I can't seem to find anything about that online now... - DirectorTim MillerStarsRyan ReynoldsMorena BaccarinT.J. MillerA wisecracking mercenary gets experimented on and becomes immortal yet hideously scarred, and sets out to track down the man who ruined his looks.It's probably a cliche to say, but just as superhero films were in danger of becoming stale, along came Deadpool.
- DirectorDon HallChris WilliamsStarsRyan PotterScott AdsitJamie ChungA special bond develops between plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax and prodigy Hiro Hamada, who together team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes.Deserves to be one of the most popular Disney/Marvel films. Baymax is the most lovable superhero.
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsRyunosuke KamikiMone KamishiraishiRyo NaritaTwo teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.Warning: the trailer is a big spoiler.
- DirectorPatty JenkinsStarsGal GadotChris PineRobin WrightWhen a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, Diana, an Amazonian warrior in training, leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny.A fun action film that's full of heart. Gal Gadot's Diana becoming Wonder Woman felt comparable to Christopher Reeve's Clark Kent becoming Superman.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsHugh JackmanPatrick StewartDafne KeenIn a future where mutants are nearly extinct, an elderly and weary Logan leads a quiet life. But when Laura, a mutant child pursued by scientists, comes to him for help, he must get her to safety.Challenges Deadpool for the best X-Men film, once they got the oddly placed swearing out of the way at the start to show this was an adult film. Young actress Dafne Keen was great, and it was good to see more of her in His Dark Materials. Hopefully she gets her own X-Men film before too long.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsLubna AzabalMélissa Désormeaux-PoulinMaxim GaudetteTwins journey to the Middle East to discover their family history and fulfill their mother's last wishes.Powerful.
- DirectorSpike JonzeStarsJoaquin PhoenixAmy AdamsScarlett JohanssonIn a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.Who thought a film about a man's relationship with an operating system could be so believable, beautiful and sad?
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBen AffleckRosamund PikeNeil Patrick HarrisWith his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.A great twisty thriller.
- DirectorKen LoachStarsDave JohnsHayley SquiresSharon PercyAfter surviving a heart-attack, a 59-year-old carpenter must fight bureaucratic forces to receive Employment and Support Allowance.One scene was possibly the most heartbreaking I've seen, but the film had built up to that. The lengths a mother will go to for her children.
Depressingly realistic of the UK-system based on my experience when unemployed. - DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonMarton CsokasChloë Grace MoretzA man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.The Kill Bill of the 2010s? Not comparable (what is?), but the most fun I've had watching a violent revenge thriller since.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigJavier BardemNaomie HarrisJames Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.Javier Bardem always plays a great villain (No Country for Old Men!) and Skyfall seemed stronger for being mostly set in one country, rather than fleeting around the world like most Bond/Bourne/MI films do (not that fleeting around the world in a film is necessarily bad).
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoLee Sun-kyunCho Yeo-jeongGreed and class discrimination threaten the newly-formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.A great combination of humour, surprise and tension with an excellent cast of characters. Parasite was like a cross between another South Korean film, 3-Iron (one of my all-time favourite films) and Shoplifters, a Japanese film. I don't know if Shoplifters would pale in comparison after watching Parasite though...
- DirectorChristopher McQuarrieStarsTom CruiseRebecca FergusonJeremy RennerEthan and his team take on their most impossible mission yet when they have to eradicate an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are and committed to destroying the IMF.Peak Mission: Impossible. A thrilling ride from start to finish.
- DirectorRajkumar HiraniStarsAamir KhanMadhavanMona SinghTwo friends are searching for their long lost companion. They revisit their college days and recall the memories of their friend who inspired them to think differently, even as the rest of the world called them "idiots".I generally dislike musicals so I never thought I'd enjoy a Bollywood film. There wasn't too much that felt out of place in 3 Idiots, which was great fun, hilarious and affecting.
- DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsChris PineZachary QuintoZoe SaldanaAfter the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsDaniel BrühlChris HemsworthOlivia WildeThe merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.One of the best biopics, and there's no way you have to be a Formula 1 fan. I feel bad it took Rush to make me realise how awesome Niki Lauda was (I watched a BBC documentary after and looked up the fact vs fiction).
- DirectorJosh CooleyStarsTom HanksTim AllenAnnie PottsWhen a new toy called "Forky" joins Woody and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the world can be for a toy.More laugh out loud moments than I remember from any Pixar film but not as moving as the previous Toy Story films. It's still great though and looks amazing.
One of the end credits scenes was terrifying - not something I expected in a U-rated children's film. - DirectorEdgar WrightStarsAnsel ElgortJon BernthalJon HammAfter being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.Choreography like never seen before. Worth watching just for how what's onscreen syncs with the soundtrack, which made a good film into a one-of-a-kind film.
- DirectorJames Ward ByrkitStarsEmily BaldoniMaury SterlingNicholas BrendonStrange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.Mind-bending sci-fi that reminded me of The Man from Earth at first, with a group of friends talking in a room. Coherence was sort of like a cross between that, Primer, Timecrimes and maybe Another Earth.
- DirectorMichael Dudok de WitStarsEmmanuel GarijoTom HudsonBaptiste GoyA man is shipwrecked on a deserted island and encounters a big red turtle, which changes his life.Beautiful animation (the simplicity worked really well for me), sound, everything. The Red Turtle lost its way briefly around the middle, but aside from that, I was captivated throughout.
The best silent film of the 2010s. Not that I saw many. The best castaway film? Quite possibly. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMark RylanceAlan AldaDuring the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.Spielberg, the Coen brothers, Hanks - what could go wrong? Not much - this was a suspenseful thriller, though Mark Rylance stole the show.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsViola DavisEmma StoneOctavia SpencerAn aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.A fantastic cast and story with some hilarious moments.
- DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsTom HardyNick NolteJoel EdgertonThe youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.Emotional family drama that hits the right spots. The best fighting drama since Million Dollar Baby?
- DirectorTom McCarthyStarsMark RuffaloMichael KeatonRachel McAdamsThe true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.I never thought a film about a newspaper investigation could be so compelling. At over 2 hours, I felt it could've been longer.
- DirectorHiromasa YonebayashiStarsBridgit MendlerAmy PoehlerWill ArnettThe Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their teenage daughter Arrietty is discovered.The best Studio Ghibli film since Spirited Away in 2001.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonPolitical involvement in the Avengers' affairs causes a rift between Captain America and Iron Man.
- DirectorTatsuyuki NagaiStarsInori MinaseKôki UchiyamaSora AmamiyaA young girl had her voice magically taken away so that she would never hurt people with it, but her outlook changes when she encounters music and friendship.
- DirectorPaul GreengrassStarsTom HanksBarkhad AbdiBarkhad AbdirahmanThe true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.I can't help but 'recognise' some super-famous actors as playing their parts, but Tom Hanks is utterly believable and in the closing scenes of Captain Phillips, I really believed Hanks was Captain Phillips having been through that ordeal.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEthan HawkeJulie DelpySeamus Davey-FitzpatrickWe meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.I'm not a romance fan but something captivated me about the Before series and Before Midnight is as good as the first two films, each around a decade apart. Given Richard Linklater is the sort of person who films one film over 12 years with the same cast (Boyhood, which doesn't quite make my 2010s list) and Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy will probably be up for it, what will the 2020s 'Before' be?
- DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.Great cinematography and slices of action, and a great performance from Ryan Gosling as his character grows throughout the film.
- DirectorDan GilroyStarsJake GyllenhaalRene RussoBill PaxtonWhen Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.Apart from his odd appearance in Spider-Man: Far from Home, Jake Gyllenhaal is always convincing, and Nightcrawler is one of his best. You sort of want him to succeed as the film gets to the darker levels of journalistic coverage...until it gets to a certain point. Not quite Walter White levels but pretty close as films go.
- DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsJames McAvoyMichael FassbenderJennifer LawrenceIn the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.
- DirectorSteven KnightStarsTom HardyOlivia ColmanRuth WilsonIvan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that sets in motion a series of events that threaten his carefully cultivated existence.Apart from Tom Hardy's dodgy accent (is he Polish? Hungarian? No, I think he's Welsh), Locke is an excellent thriller mostly set inside a car. Olivia Colman is excellent as the voice at the other end of the phone.
If you enjoyed Locke, check out Danish film, The Guilty. - DirectorJohn Francis DaleyJonathan GoldsteinStarsJason BatemanRachel McAdamsKyle ChandlerA group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery when the shady brother of one of them is seemingly kidnapped by dangerous gangsters.The believability was stretched towards the end, but Game Night is a refreshing comedy without the usual tropes that also works well as a thriller. It seemed refreshing for the female cast to be goofing around as much as and as funny (if not funnier) than the male cast.
- DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsChris EvansHugo WeavingSamuel L. JacksonSteve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a warmonger and a terrorist organization.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsTom HardyCharlize TheronNicholas HoultIn a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper and a drifter named Max.Relentless action is usually boring but in Mad Max: Fury Road, it was compelling. Fury Road was the first Mad Max film I'd seen so the weirdness was surprising, but I liked how it was accepted as part of the world rather than dwelling on it (not that there was time to dwell on anything).
- DirectorSujoy GhoshStarsVidya BalanParambrata ChattopadhyayIndraneil SenguptaA pregnant woman's search for her missing husband takes her from London to Kolkata, but everyone she questions denies having ever met him.Some of the flashbacks seemed unnecessary, but Kahaani is an intriguing mystery that becomes a tense and twisty thriller, with the Kolkata setting used to brilliant effect.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattZoe SaldanaDave BautistaThe Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family issues, notably Star-Lord's encounter with his father, the ambitious celestial being Ego.A funny, fun romp with gorgeous visuals, superheroes that feel like real people and an unexpected deepness that takes in loneliness and more. A great Stan Lee cameo and a great unexpected cameo by someone else.
- DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsChris PrattBryce Dallas HowardRafe SpallWhen the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.I was happy to suspend my disbelief for a couple of hours in what was another fun summer blockbuster!
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.A return to form for Christopher Nolan after I'd loved pretty much everything he'd done apart from The Dark Knight (I still haven't watched The Dark Knight Rises).
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsPatrick StewartIan McKellenHugh JackmanThe X-Men send Wolverine to the past in a desperate effort to change history and prevent an event that results in doom for both humans and mutants.
- DirectorPeter FarrellyStarsViggo MortensenMahershala AliLinda CardelliniA working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver for an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.While the racism portrayed is always horrible to see and obviously plays a big part, I felt Green Book could've (and should've?) been harder-hitting and perhaps less white saviour. Maybe it would have been if it didn't just have white directors and writers. However, the charming relationship between Viggo Mortensen and Ali Mahershala made this a very enjoyable film.
- DirectorRichard GlatzerWash WestmorelandStarsJulianne MooreAlec BaldwinKristen StewartA linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.A devastating performance from Julianne Moore.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsAntonio BanderasAsier EtxeandiaLeonardo SbaragliaA film director reflects on the choices he's made in life as the past and present come crashing down around him.
- DirectorGarth DavisStarsDev PatelNicole KidmanRooney MaraA five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.A greatly-filmed and moving true story.
- DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsTaraji P. HensonOctavia SpencerJanelle MonáeThe story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.The cast are brilliant in Hidden Figures. It's great long overdue 'hidden' stories like this are being made, but it wouldn't be that worthwhile if the films weren't excellent. Not that I was around, but it seems to be a realistic portrayal of the time too.
- DirectorDaniel KokotajloStarsMolly WrightPoppy JhakraSiobhan FinneranA faithful Jehovah's Witness is forced to shun her own sister because of a religious transgression. As the separation draws out, she starts to question the meaning of God's love.Apostasy took a while to get going but Wow for the last half hour or so (and perhaps that build up was needed). Lingered in my mind for a while after watching it.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsSandra BullockGeorge ClooneyEd HarrisDr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.Visually stunning, and intense at times.
- DirectorChristopher McQuarrieStarsTom CruiseHenry CavillVing RhamesEthan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.This'll be the only film in this list I've seen twice at the time of writing, and I changed my opinion and thought it was a lot better on second viewing. That scene where Tom Cruise breaks his ankle and carries on running though...
- DirectorCarlos López EstradaStarsDaveed DiggsRafael CasalJanina GavankarWhile on probation, a man begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend.That climactic scene is like nothing else I've seen.
- DirectorJuliano DornellesKleber Mendonça FilhoStarsBárbara ColenThomas AquinoSilvero PereiraAfter the death of her grandmother, Teresa comes home to her matriarchal village in a near-future Brazil to find a succession of sinister events that mobilizes all of its residents.Things seem almost normal until a big UFO-looking drone hovers over the village of Bacurau. I didn't get what was going on for a while (drone included) and may have lost interest if Bacurau continued in the same vein, but about halfway through, it takes an unexpected turn and was thrilling until the end.
Weirdly, Bacurau became better in the months after I watched it. At first I didn't think it was a "best of the 2010s film," but it stuck in my head and here it is. - DirectorLulu WangStarsShuzhen ZhaoAwkwafinaX MayoA Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.A beautiful and subtle film about a family's culture clash with Awkwafina playing to perfection the Chinese-American Billi stuck between the Chinese and American views of her family.
Not a laugh-out-loud comedy for me, but lots of very well observed humour.
The cinematography was amongst my favourite ever; regularly the kind of scenes and locations I'd love to have in my photography portfolio. - DirectorTom HarperStarsJessie BuckleyMatt CostelloJane PattersonA troubled young Glaswegian woman dreams of becoming a Nashville country star.I knew Jessie Buckley was a great actress, but it turns out she's a great singer too.
- DirectorHun JangStarsSong Kang-hoThomas KretschmannYoo Hae-jinA widowed father and taxi driver who drives a German reporter from Seoul to Gwangju to cover the 1980 uprising, soon finds himself regretting his decision after being caught in the violence around him.I didn't like the two main characters much to start with, but that changes, with the film seamlessly moving from what seems a lighthearted comedy to a hard-hitting and powerful drama centred around a brutal real-life uprising.
The final third of A Taxi Driver is especially good. - DirectorMichael HerbigStarsFriedrich MückeKaroline SchuchDavid KrossEast Germany, 1979. After initially failing to flee from the East to the West in a self-built hot-air balloon, two families struggle to make a second attempt, while the East German State Police are chasing them.Simply an enjoyable thriller. Will they or won't they get across the Berlin Wall in a home-made air balloon?
- DirectorJaco Van DormaelStarsJared LetoSarah PolleyDiane KrugerA boy stands on a station platform as a train is about to leave. Should he go with his mother or stay with his father? Infinite possibilities arise from this decision. As long as he doesn't choose, anything is possible.Thought-provoking, confusing, moving.
- DirectorNat FaxonJim RashStarsSteve CarellToni ColletteAllison JanneyShy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.Pretty much everything Sam Rockwell is in is good.
- DirectorGustav MöllerStarsJakob CedergrenJessica DinnageOmar ShargawiA police officer assigned alarm dispatch duty enters a race against time when he answers an emergency call from a kidnapped woman.Danish thriller revolving around a suspended police officer taking a series of emergency calls, most from the same woman. Unexpected.
- DirectorRoar UthaugStarsKristoffer JonerAne Dahl TorpJonas Hoff OftebroAlthough anticipated, no one is really ready when the mountain pass above the scenic, narrow Norwegian fjord Geiranger collapses and creates an 85-meter high violent tsunami. A geologist is one of those caught in the middle of it.Most of us are probably used to disaster films coming from Hollywood, but The Wave proves you don't need massive special effects budgets to create an intense and entertaining disaster film.
The wave, when it comes, is spectacular and ramps up the tension like the best of any disaster film. Will the family and friends in Geirangerfjord survive?
And the wave, as set here, will happen one day. The premise is real. - DirectorHope Dickson LeachStarsEllie KendrickDavid TroughtonJack HoldenSomerset, October 2014. When Clover Catto (Ellie Kendrick) receives a call telling her that her younger brother Harry (Joe Blakemore) is dead, she must return to her family farm and face the man she hasn't spoken to in years: her father Aubrey (David Troughton). She is shocked to discover her home changed forever by the devastating floods that destroyed the area six months earlier, and Aubrey a tormented shadow of his former self. As she learns what has been going on in her long absence she and her father forge a new understanding, but can it withstand the troubles that they face on the ravaged farm as well as the truth of what drove Harry to take his own life?Lays on the depression a bit too much at times, but with every character and actor convincing, a powerful film nonetheless.
- DirectorLee UnkrichAdrian MolinaStarsAnthony GonzalezGael García BernalBenjamin BrattAspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.I wasn't massively enamoured for most of the film, but... THE ENDING!
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsKim Min-heeHa Jung-wooCho Jin-woongA woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.Like many South Korean films, The Handmaiden is no-holds-barred. Sensuous sets and cinematography with a somehow-erotic tooth-filing scene. Would be most appropriately ranked at 69.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsBérénice BejoTahar RahimAli MosaffaAn Iranian man deserts his French wife and her two children to return to his homeland. Meanwhile, his wife starts up a new relationship, a reality her husband confronts upon his wife's request for a divorce.The synopsis of The Past isn't something that'd usually appeal to me, but I watched it after realising it was by the same director and writer of "A Separation," way up near the top of my list. Not many films are at that level, especially character-driven dramas, but The Past is another excellent one from Asghar Farhadi, building and building to its climax. He seems to have these sort of films down to a tee and given I've watched too many that are either boring or just okay, it can't be easy.
- DirectorZaza UrushadzeStarsLembit UlfsakElmo NüganenGiorgi NakashidzeIn 1992, war rages in Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia. An Estonian man, Ivo, has decided to stay behind and harvest his crops of tangerines. In a bloody conflict at his door, a wounded man is left behind, and Ivo takes him in.Anti-war without being preachy - it all just seems very real.
- DirectorMark JenkinStarsEdward RoweGiles KingChloe EndeanMartin is a fisherman without a boat, his brother Steven having re-purposed it as a tourist tripper. With their childhood home now a get-away for London money, Martin is displaced to the estate above the harbour.Bait is one of the strangest films I've seen. Strange, because it was shot on grainy old 16mm film and the sound and dialogue - obviously - was dubbed on after. But it all somehow works, and I got a good feel of both sides and understood the motivations of the various characters in the film. Watch the trailer and tell me you don't find it strangely compelling!