#15: Searching For Sugarman (2012)
It’s hard to believe, but Malik Bendjelloul’s study of a mysterious folk artist who came back from the dead was shot partly on his iphone. The story of Sixto Rodriguez was a revolution in both the music world and the world of cinema when it hit the big screen in 2012. It follows the tale of a Detroit musician who had thrown in the towel on the music business without knowing that he was as big as The Beatles in South Africa. The best documentary of the decade tells this tale of mistaken death (rumor had it that Rodriguez had committed suicide on stage) and unknown fame. In the end, this movie breathed life into the legend and corrected a wrong that finds the subject on worldwide tours to this day. This film made as much of a tangible impact to at least one family as any in recent history. –Rusty Odom
#14: Room (2015)
The film adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s Room is one of the most powerful, emotionally gripping films of the decade. Brie Larson’s Oscar win for Best Actress staked her claim as a legitimate Hollywood actress, and her performance is truly stunning. The bond between Larson’s character and her son feels tremendously authentic, the basis for every chance taken in the film. This anxiety-filled film of despair, triumph and struggle is an intense roller-coaster ride through a very real story of pain. – Matt Miller
#13: Drive (2011)
Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn put together a cast that included Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks and a very young Oscar Issac for “Drive.” The result is one of the most beautifully shot and nerve-wracking films of the 10s. The soundtrack is equally impressive and lathers the film’s shots with thick synthesized grease. Drive also owns the best opening scene of the decade, but the film is solid throughout. It’s a must see for fans of thrillers and revenge tales…think Kill Bill but with more cars and a more emotive approach. – RO
#12: The Shape of Water (2017)
This peculiar love story, an other-worldy fairy tale, is another successful, adventurous film from director Guillermo del Toro. The Shape of Water set against the backdrop Cold War Era America, is a science-fiction film, deeply rooted in mystery, but smothered in hopeful romance. It is visually stunning, with a labyrinthian visual scheme that shapes the entire film. Michael Shannon never disappoints, and the supporting cast each adds a unique element to the story’s progression. The Shape of Water’s ode to classic Hollywood films, combined with its own unparalleled uniqueness, make it a crucial film of the decade. – MM
#11: Inherent Vice (2014)
Likely the only movie that makes the list because of its confusing plot, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice is a trip for both its bumbling detective as well as the director himself. Fresh off His stark take on cult culture with The Master and a monolithic gravity that followed him in the film community, PTA loosened up with this hazy homage to both the great crime dramas of old and the free-loving 70s Hollywood of his childhood, it’s a ride best enjoyed in letting go and seeing what happens. – Andy Vinson
#10: The Fighter (2010)
This gritty David O. Russell boxing film–an adaptation of the celebrated sports doc “High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell”– could be a dark-horse candidate for the most memorable Christian Bale performance–which is saying a lot with his varied and storied career of fully submerging into roles, altering and abusing his body and mind to perfectly portray the most colorful characters of recent film history. Playing Dicky Ecklund, the formerly promising older brother to Mark Wahlberg’s titular character Mickey Ward, Bale loses–well not as much weight as he did in his breakout (adult) role in The Machinist, but definitely enough to make the wiry, paranoid, crack-addicted Ecklund come to life. He takes on an entirely different gait, set of mannerisms, and nails the smarmy Boston/Lowell accent. He finds the heart of the ex-fighter’s mixture of self-hate and pride in his brother, and realistically portrays the way regret and addiction turn a person into a shadow of their former selves. Wahlberg is strong and determined as the straight-man and protagonist and Amy Adams turns in a career-defining turn against type as his tough-as-nails townie girlfriend. Bale ended up winning Best Supporting Actor and Melissa Leo won Best Supporting Actress in a knockout performance as the pair’s mother, besting Amy Adams-also nominated-in a competitive in-movie competition. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay among other accolades, and set the tone for a decade of gritty independent filmmaking. – Luke Brogden
#9: The Big Short (2015)
After many successes in the comedy world, critics and fans alike wondered if Adam McKay could make a straight movie. But this wasn’t just a character study or a normal drama. Yes, McKay wanted to tackle the big housing crisis. With unique explanatory monologues installed like “Time Out” scenes from “Saved by the Bell,” very complicated issues were easier to digest with this comedic touch. The cast was dynamite and the film stands the test of time thus far as well as any film of the era. Again, Christian Bale shines as professional prognosticator Michael Burry, who saw the whole thing coming and tried to tell everybody. Marisa Tomei, Jae Suh Park, Brad Pitt, Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling all burn in one of the best ensembles of the millennium. It’s a movie that bears repeated viewings and one that presents new thoughts after each watch. – RO
#8: 99 Homes (2014)
Michael Shannon has been one of the most unsung actors in the game since his small role in “Groundhog Day,” but none of his performances tops his role as Rick Carver, a seedy real estate broker fueled by power and wealth. His soulless character begs for pure hatred from viewers, and it’s all because of Shannon’s brilliant performance.
Andrew Garfield is almost equally as good. His role as everyman Dennis Nash is near-flawless, as is Laura Dern’s turn as his mother. It’s a heartbreaking story, mostly because of the film’s accuracy. It’s the second film on this list about the housing crisis and, much like Shannon legacy as an actor, is perhaps the most underrated movie of the decade. -RO
#7: Blaze (2018)
Sick and tired of the manufactured, bubblegum pop-country churned out of the Nashville machine and onto radio waves 24/7? Have I got a solution for you: Meet Blaze Foley, the legend you never knew you loved.
Mostly guided by a recollection through a fictional radio interview with longtime buddy Townes Van Zandt and Blaze’s longer-time compadre/harmonica player Zee, “Blaze” does a formidable job touching on the boundless joy and energy that built the man’s larger-than-life persona, as well as his vicious demons that steered clear of recognition every chance they got.
Cowboys existed for a long time after their utility faded into the annals of history because their imagery was revived in the country music of the 1960s, ‘70s and even the ‘80s. Although their livelihoods disappeared somewhere around the turn of the century, their legends will never die. And now, due in no small part to Ethan Hawke’s directorial debut, Blaze Foley lives on forever, too.
We enjoyed “BLAZE” so much that we decided to bring it back to town as it was only at Regal Downtown West for a week or two after our initial review came out. So, for the first time ever, BLANK sponsored a film and brought it to Central Cinema (if you haven’t been to CC, give it a look, it’s great). Then shortly after, we booked Ben Dickey, the real life musician who perfectly portrayed Foley on screen, to play Second Bell Music Festival where he was magnificent. Since then, Dickey has gone on to tour with John Prine, partnered with Hawke for other cinematic projects and was the narrator of SEC Network’s “Saturdays in the South.” In a decade where big studio films about Queen and Elton John received box office gold, “Blaze” turned out to be the best music biopic by a country mile. – AV & RO
#6: Uncut Gems (2019)
Never before have I been as invested in a character as I was with Howard Ratner. Adam Sandler’s take on the charming-yet-bumbling jeweler with a terrible gambling problem owned the best acting performance in 2019, and yes, that includes “Joker.” Joaquin Phoenix is incredible in his portrayal of the Joker, but no one holds a candle to the minute details that Sandler puts on tape in this film. Despite an exorbitant amount of flaws, Ratner is so relentlessly human and captivating that you can’t help but root for him.
The first five minutes of the film feel like the ascent of a roller coaster. Then as soon as Ratner shows up on screen, the cart peaks over the apex and the descent lasts for two hours, complete with valleys and curves and the occasional upside down twirl. It’s a movie that viewers should be prepared for and one that pleases all who are willing to take the ride with the right mindset. It’s absurd that this movie got no major award season love, but as we’ve come to know, one right move doesn’t change the perception of Hollywood after an actor is branded as aloof. If Sandler pairs with Josh and Benny Safdie on a project again, the people who vote on such things should pay attention. -RO
#5: Dallas Buyer’s Club (2013)
Matthew McConaughey’s best performance of the decade (and there were some great ones), comes with his portrayal of Ron Woodroof, a gay-bashing, AIDS patient with a bold tongue and relentless will. Backed by an incredible script, McConaughey is brilliant and transformative, a defining commitment to this character that is dazzling to watch. His performance, along with Jared Leto’s, are what truly brings this story to life. It’s an important historical reflection, powerfully delivered by one of the best actors of our time. – MM
#4: Her (2013)
Spike Jonez became famous thanks to his prowess with making great music videos and years later all that experience culminated in the visceral and touching “Her.” Though terrifying at its core, the film’s message of finding love post-high tech is sweet and supple, bolstered by an astounding role from Joaquin Phoenix. Though featuring an unbelievable set, the films choice to stay quiet and hide most of the details of its world brings the love story to the front to be truly embraced. – AV
#3: Beasts of The Southern Wild (2012)
Almost a decade has passed and nothing compares to “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” The post-Katrina bayou ballad is heartbreaking and joyous simultaneously, highlighting both the plight and the pride of the South. And though Louisiana is clearly the backdrop, the film claims the south as a whole, full of giant myths and big dreams from those not offered the whole world. It’s dreamlike take on childhood among tragedy is truly as bright as the fireworks that light its screen and is more of a moment to be felt than film to be scene. – AV
#2: Moonlight (2016)
It’s really unfortunate that it’s moment at the Oscars has taken the public opinion away at all from the incredible story at the heart of “Moonlight.” Following the some-what autobiographical upbringing of the film’s director, “Moonlight’s” three layered tale of growing up and accepting that which you can change and that which you cannot is astounding; a feat in technicality, performance and direction. Where as Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood” hugged me with familiarity, “Moonlight” brightened my eyes to a world I could never have been given but that has an unspeakable beauty I will never fully know. – AV
#1: Parasite (2019)
No one castes like Bong Joon-ho. After I saw the first few minutes of “Snowpiercer,” the film that put Joon-ho on the map, I knew the person behind the camera was special, but the way he went on to use imagery and geography to separate classes and wealth was unlike anything I’d ever seen. In that film, which is being adapted into a series set to debut on TNT soon, the only known civilization exists on a train in perpetual motion. The few rich people that remain are at the front of the train. The further you get toward the back of the train, the less important people become. It’s a tale of powerful people retaining control and keeping those less fortunate right where they are.
Six years later, “Parasite” takes this same model and tightens it until the screws are stripped. Make no mistake, this movie is full thriller, but it also has moments of sentimentality and humor. The “Palme d’Or” winner (Cannes Film Festival’s highest honor) explodes in its second hour with one revelatory “you’ve gotta be kidding me” scene after another. It’s beauty lies in it’s cinematography and cast, sure, but it’s the subtle details that separate “Parasite” from every movie released in the 10s. At its core, it’s the story of two families trying to make it work. The interactions between the groups are friendly, but one family stays at the top when the work is done, while the other travels down to the bottom, both figuratively and literally. The whole time, you know something’s coming, but you never really know what it is. Then, inevitably, it all comes to a head, as it was always going to, and the result brushes every emotion imaginable. – RO
