By Mevolent Iscariot IV
It’s never a bad time to watch movies, and this decade has been no different for the world of film. It’s been a time full of triumphs and failures, franchise resurrections and destructions. So I thought that I’d kick off my “End of a Decade” series with the films that defined my decade. As a reminder and quick disclaimer though, this is in no way a definitive list, or a ranked list. I am not a professional critic and I try my best to not paint myself as such. Furthermore, this is based on films that I’ve seen and not merely read about, so while there might be a lack of super artsy films or super trendy films, I hope there’s still something interesting for you to check out before the year is done.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
This movie came out a while before I became an absolute Wes Anderson nerd and as such it completely flew over my head thanks to my rather limited tastes at the time. However had I known, I would have been the first through that cinema to sit down and be immersed in his craft. Anderson is an auteur, and nothing less. He is able to tell a story in so many different ways that it’s an absolute pleasure to watch every moment of it. With snappy dialogue and a solid cast including long-time collaborator Edward Norton and the darling Ralph Fiennes. Ultimately, the movie is a tale about friendship and the trials and tribulations that come with it. Bittersweet, hilarious and at times, rather tragic it was a film that deserved an Oscar and one that I actually regret not seeing sooner.
Blade Runner 2049
I am a sci-fi nerd, and my sci-fi credentials are only growing stronger, a fact I’m immensely proud of. With that said, it’s rather embarrassing for me to say I had never heard of Denis Villeneuve before, although I had watched Sicario before. I also only had vague memories of the original Blade Runner movie when I heard the sequel was coming out. Luckily, I refused to be bested and read the novel it was based on, ultimately deciding that I loved the novel enough to watch Blade Runner 2049 during its premiere with some other nerds. To say I was blown away would be an understatement; I was almost shaken to my core. Blade Runner 2049 was a movie that focussed more on atmosphere than on pure spectacle, although that is present in hefty amounts.
Beyond the gorgeous shots, the return of Harrison Ford and the introduction of Ryan Gosling as a deeply endearing protagonist, Villeneuve does something rather frightening. He gives us a main character who, in essence, does not matter. And if you haven’t watched the film, I won’t be spoiling it for you, but for those of us who have, I have no doubt in my mind that all the twists and turns were worth it in the end.
Avengers: Infinity War
Seemingly out of the blue, Marvel crafted a cinematic universe the likes of which had never been seen before. Since then there have been attempts to match it. There has been Universal’s Monsterverse, DC’s Extended Universe and Sony’s attempt at a Spiderverse. None have come close and for good reason after all. Marvel perfected the formula for movie enjoyability, and that ensured that even mediocre movies would be fun to watch. But Infinity War was a different beast altogether, and one that brought together over a decade’s worth of superhero continuity. Sure, we would be missing a few key players like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Inhumans but the beauty of that is the level of attachment we had with our small group of characters.
So in the end, we’re left with a gripping movie, and one not afraid to kill as many people as they could(even if it wasn’t permanent). And that’s probably the primary reason I rate Infinity War that much higher than Endgame, it had an amazing villain, loss and the fracturing of the greatest assembly of heroes. And the beginning of Endgame perfectly exemplifies Infinity War’s greatest asset. Thanos winning so hard that he resigns himself to life as a farmer and eventual death. Had Endgame not reset all of the damn deaths, perhaps it would be here instead of Infinity War, but as it stands, it’s Infinity War that sits atop the peak of superhero films and shared universes.
Parasite
Bong Joon-Ho officially entered my sights when I finally watched Snowpiercer earlier this year, an experience that left me pleasantly surprised. Being the n00b of Korean cinema and culture that I am, I was pretty excited to watch Parasite and managed to catch it on one of the final days that it screened here. I was impressed, disturbed, but most of all, questioning the entirety of the film. While I, of course, praised its cinematography and the parallel shots used to mirror the two families, I often found myself in the shoes of our protagonist’s family. “Would I be immoral for doing this”, or, “if it’s for survival, it’s not so bad.” At the end of the day, I was left with multiple ethical questions to answer, some of which I’m still pondering today.
But Joon-Ho manages to give the audience, especially Western ones, a good look into general class division, as well as Korean culture and economics (at a cursory glance, naturally). This makes it easier for everyone to relate to and understand the two families and the actions they take during the film. A solid drama with a good shake of bitter tragedy, Parasite is a movie hell-bent on delivering a dreaded message we hear loud and clear, even if we don’t want to.
How to Train Your Dragon 2
How to Train Your Dragon was an interesting film that admittedly made me a little curious about the world of Berk and its dragons. But I never gave it much thought after that and it faded into my memory. But the sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2 did what the first movie couldn’t do. It made me a fan. I was in love with everything from the premise to the character conflicts to the villain. But most importantly, I was in love with the score by John Powell, who had worked on a multitude of other works. It perfectly accented the turmoil that was present in the film, and it was riveting to feel that emotion well up inside of me in a way that very few films have done before.
While it didn’t have stiff competition from other animated flicks in the year of its release, it set itself apart as a film that could be watched by both children and adults. It encapsulated both the heroes journey and coming of age tale, mirroring them in dragon and rider, and making for a highly enjoyable watch.
Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom Hardy is in my top 10 actors of all times for his ability to play a wide variety of roles as well as emote incredibly well. Look no further than 2013’s Locke from director Steven Knight which had Hardy as the sole character on screen. However, Locke fails to make the cut simply because it’s not nearly good enough in all areas and is more of a speciality film for the niche film enthusiasts. Fury Road is a balls-to-the-wall high octane testosterone trip through the desert with a star-studded cast and George Miller at the helm to continue his vision for the post-apocalyptic nightmare world its set in. It’s a pure action fantasy dream that was made possible thanks to an amazing blend of special and practical effects, stunning cinematography, and great performances.
One thing I’ve always argued with people about is the fact that it’s shallow and nothing more than a jet-fueled mess. But I beg to disagree. The film does an amazing job of developing its characters, creating its setting and fleshing them out without a large number of words. And when there is a monologue, it feels even more impactful because of this. We can see the state of the world, we understand what’s at stake and we don’t need backstories or obvious dialogue to let us know what our protagonists are fighting for. The world of Mad Max: Fury Road is fire, blood and motor oil, and it shows that brilliantly with some amazing gems for those who keep their eyes open for long enough.
Hereditary
Hereditary broke me. There, I said it. It did to me what all the slashers and found footage films couldn’t do. Come to terms with family trauma and cyclical abuse, the kind of grime that exists in every family. After watching it, I was much more appreciative of the family I had.
Ari Aster is a relative newcomer to the horror scene, and this film made waves and did things most Western films were avoiding for one reason or other. It’s a slow burn, that’s for sure, but once the match is lit, the game is on, and the emotional torment you have to go through is heart-breaking. And that’s especially true because of Toni Collette’s harrowing performance as a mother of two and faithful wife. I heard her soul-wrenching scream in my dreams for a good while after the film, and thinking back on it, it’s not surprising why I did.
Logan
If Avengers: Endgame was the rallying cry of a cinematic universe at the height of its power, Logan was the quiet requiem of a franchise that chose how it wanted to die. Not with a bang but a shudder, and maybe a promise of hope. By the time Logan premiered, Hugh Jackman had been playing our clawed friend for 17 years. A massive amount of time for any actor playing a recurring role. And while not every X-men film was a gigantic success, Jackman himself couldn’t play him forever. He is ageing, and so are we, and it was all too clear to see sometimes. Perhaps we all knew it couldn’t go on forever, but when Logan was announced with that heart-breaking song by Johnny Cash playing in the background of the trailer, my heart broke and I knew I had to go see Logan’s final stand.
What we got was a superhero film uninhibited by so the restrictions of family-friendly corporate superhero cinema. Logan was dark, gritty, bittersweet and the perfect send-off for Jackman. It seemed to deal with the concept of passing on the torch to the next generation with more grace than most could manage while grappling with the internal conflict of keeping something you love alive or laying it to rest with as much care as is possible. It would be a disservice to not mention Dafne Keen’s strong performance as Logan’s charge, and it was this along with Jackman’s performance that solidified the passing of the torch on. Stories will move on, but the memories will never truly die.
Logan is a beautiful film without a doubt, and it’s made even more beautiful by the note it ends on. It leaves everything with the hope that something greater rises from the ashes, no matter how long it takes.
10 Cloverfield Lane
A vastly different film from its predecessor Cloverfield, this movie shows just how effective horror can be the longer the audience is left in the dark. More psychological than anything, this movie appealed to all of my tastes with a nefariously small cast and a tiny set to work in, the fear sets in deep in our hearts from the get-go. With so little to go on, it’s pretty fun to jump at shadows, until you realise how sinister things become. It’s the true definition of from the frying pan and into the fire, but it’s also something more than that. Is it worth it to face the fire when you don’t know what else is in the frying pan?
That dread remains ever-present no matter how good things look as the film progresses. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr. all deliver great performances and it’s this that really drives the film home for me. If you have to watch a Cloverfield film, I’d go for this one, hands down.
Moonrise Kingdom
Ok, another Wes Anderson film, but it’s the last one, promise. This is a weird film, and one that I’m not too accustomed to watching. A coming of age story that deals with discovering love as an outsider. It’s a whole beast of a narrative, juggling from the main characters, Suzy and Sam, and their families, one a traditional home and the other, a group of boy scouts. Their resolve to run away from home and live their own lives is as hilarious as it is touching, especially if you’ve been in a similar rage at your family, which I’m sure most of us have. Watching Sam use his surprisingly well-honed survival skills while Suzy brings a host of sentimental, but ultimately useless items. It feels like a couple’s road trip, with all the appropriate nagging, and hiccups ensuing.
I found it touching, but light-hearted, and a nice little distraction from a lot of the other heavier stuff I was watching around that time. It’s in no way simple though, so be ready for amazing exchanges and snippets of dialogue from legends like Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton to name a few.
Rango
Rango, Rango, Rango, what can I say about this gorgeous film that you may or may not have heard before? Well, it’s directed by Gore Verbinski, the director of Pirates of the Caribbean, and it stars Johnny Depp as the lead. It’s a great Western that plays a lot on the strengths of the Western as well as some funny tropes that are painfully overplayed, all while delivering its own unique take. This movie actually won an Academy award in 2011, the first non-Disney or Pixar film to win it since 2006, and the only one to win until Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won it in 2018.
Although it’s painted as kid’s movie, it’s a little more than that, providing genre commentary and references to popular Westerns in an incredibly fun way. I love it when movies don’t treat kids like total fucking idiots, Not only because they’re smarter than that but because they open up the kid to critically learning and appreciating even kids movies, instead of consuming all the 2-bit trash that releases all the time. Go give Rango a try. Even if you don’t find it deep or moving, you’ll have a pretty good time nonetheless.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Every decade has it’s cult films and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World was one of the first for the 2010s. Michael Cera is the insanely likeable, but still scummy Scott Pilgrim, on a mission to defeat the evil exes to get with the girl. It sounds incredibly corny, and it is, but it’s accented by a musical score that matches really well with scenes as well as some catchy hits that stay in your head a little longer than you’d like. The plot and story are fun, but it’s the visuals, cinematography and comedy that really got to me. From transitions to cheeky videogame-esque special effects, it felt like we were secretly mashing the buttons to hit the combos as Scott conquered each evil ex.
Edgar Wright is no stranger to comedy. In fact, I’d argue that you’d recognise an Edgar Wright film after a few minutes due to his unmistakable style of visual comedy. You might have heard of Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End, all with their own distinct style of visual comedy. Telling jokes…without telling jokes. But showing them. It’s hard to explain since I’m not really big on comedy, but you’ll have to give me the benefit of the doubt on this one.
The Raid
I hadn’t had a martial arts obsession since halfway through primary school, and like many other things, I grew out of it. Martial arts movies just didn’t do it for me, and since primarily Chinese and American martial arts films were all but the norm for me, I didn’t hear about The Raid until late in highschool. And let me tell you, this film reinvigorated my passion for the art of the fight. Directed by Gareth Evans and starring Indonesian actor Iko Uwais as the leading role, this Indonesian movie bared its fangs at its competitors and showed us that it could carry a hell of a punch. It’s brutal, it’s gripping and it leaves you with a sense of desperation I haven’t felt in many action movies.
Overwhelming odds? Check. Stoic protagonist? Check. But Uwais is what makes the film truly a treat. As a choreographer, stuntman and martial artist, his scenes had this impact that had me wincing at every crunch, every hit and every fall. It’s more engaging than I expected and it harkens back to Jackie Chan’s early days filming incredibly dangerous scenes himself. If you’re a fan of watching people brutalise each other in a strangely beautiful way, watch The Raid.
These are in no way the only amazing films I watched this year, as there are many others that blew me away but couldn’t make it onto this list such as Joker and the Irishman. But I’ve had way longer to ponder over the films I’ve mentioned here, so I feel more content recommending them. Hopefully, you’ve seen most of them before, but if you haven’t then it’s never too late to check them out.
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