It’s the end of a decade, which is by all accounts a pretty big deal. As we hurtle into the 20s, a lot of folks on the internet have been making lists of stuff they like from the past decade, particularly, movies. In light of that I figured, hey, might as well do the same, yeah? ‘cuz it’s my blog and I can do whatever I want.
As usual, this will be a list of nine, saving a spot for a dark horse that is yet to appear on my radar. I’m also loathe to term these any sort of ‘best’ or ‘top’ or ‘most important’ movies of the decade. These are just nine movies that I Really Liked; there are some omissions, and I reserve the right to disavow this list within the next week. There’s no particular order, outside of the year the movie came out.
With all this preamble down, let’s jump into it.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
This is one of those wonderful movies that you understand more the more you watch it. Scott’s kinda a terrible human being, and part of the plot is him learning that and coming to terms with it (via the power of self-respect!). Plus it’s a visual treat of an action movie, cribbing tropes from video games and animated media to make for a terrific gestalt of a movie. Is it my favorite Edgar Wright film? Probably!
SUPER 8
It’s a movie about making a movie with your friends. I love how gentle the movie is, what with its dealing with trauma and making new friends and all. It’s such a sweet flick that I can’t help but to really like. Plus there’s a whole plot about an alien monster and all too.
PACIFIC RIM
GIANT ROBOTS! GIANT MONSTERS! A BADASS MULTINATIONAL TEAM COMING TOGETHER TO CANCEL THE APOCALYPSE VIA A TECHNOLOGY THAT BRINGS PEOPLE CLOSER THEREBY ALLOWING THEM TO OVERCOME SHARED TRAUMA AND UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER BETTER AND DO AWESOME THINGS LIKE PREVENTING THE END OF THE WORLD BECAUSE THE WORLD IS NOT A LOST CAUSE!
BIG HERO SIX
A metric I sometimes judge movies by is how much I would have loved it as a kid. This movie gets points across the board, in no small part because the main character is definitely half-Asian. Like me. Which is important. Plus, diverse group of heroes kicking ass? I am here for this!
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
I figured I had to have one Marvel movie on this list. While The Avengers is arguably the most important one (as it proved that this wild experiment was doable) and Infinity War is plain well done, Civil War edges them out as my favorite of the lot. Love the characterizations given to Steve and Tony, two flawed people who find themselves at odds. It’s just so well done.
CREED
I still haven’t seen a Rocky movie, which I consider to be a personal failing. But I have seen Creed and I love it so. It’s a rabble rouser of a movie that that expertly plays its audience to make those big emotional moments land. The boxing is terrifically shot and the soundtrack has been in semi-permanent rotation in my Writing Music playlist. Also Ryan Coogler is one of my favorite directors, that is the slight edge that pushes this one on to the list over Fury Road (which is also an astoundingly amazing movie).
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI
Yes.
SET IT UP
Look, I really like romcoms! And maybe About Time and The Big Sick should be on this list too, but I want to give some major props to Set It Up which tries to be nothing more than a silly little romantic comedy and it does it so well and it gives me the warm and fuzzies and I love it so! This is my list, I don’t need to defend my choices!
BOOKSMART
I’ve a soft spot in my heart for coming-of-age stories, particularly those that hearken back to John Hughes and his 80s contemporaries where there’s no Big Terrible Thing and the stories feel a lot gentler. Booksmart is one such movie (see also: Easy A). It’s just so fun and so warm that, with 2019 not yet over and many movies I’ve yet to see, I feel confident putting it on this list.
Essays, Not Rants! 