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Top 10 Movies of the Past Decade

by İrem Akay

10. Whiplash (2014) Dir. Damien Chazelle

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Nearly all of Damien Chazelle’s work, (whether it be La La Land or First Man) deals with being obsessed with your art/work in some shape or form; but in my opinion, “Whiplash” is the only one in which he truly succeeds in what he tries to do. “Whiplash” follows the story of Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), aspiring to be a famous drummer and his relationship with his new choir teacher Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), who constantly pushes him to his limits. Not only does the film perfectly handle highlighting what it takes to truly become a great artist, but its score and cinematography also lift it to a level that truly separates it from Chazelle’s other films

9. Parasite (2019) dir. Bong Joon-Ho

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“Parasite” is the latest film from Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho, and even though it came out just last year, it is undeniable one of the best from this decade. Bong’s portrayal of life under capitalism and how the system pushes people to existing in a parasite-like state of living is truly impactful, and the production design and cinematography in this film are some of the finest technical work I’ve experienced while watching a movie in a while. As Bong himself puts it, “Once you get over the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you’ll be introduced to so many more amazing films.” and Parasite is definitely a great example of that. 

8. Drive (2011) dir. Nicolas Winding Refn

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With its breathtaking cinematography and stimulating soundtrack, Refn’s “Drive” creates an atmosphere impossible to emulate in any other way. The film’s polished neo-noir style is intoxicating, and the story that revolves around Driver (Ryan Gosling) who is a stuntman and a getaway car driver, and his relationship with the woman he loves called Irene (Carey Mulligan) sucks you in from the get-go and never lets that tension go until you finish the film. 

7. Phantom Thread (2017) dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

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“Phantom Thread”, is the latest film starring one of the greatest actors of all time, Daniel Day-Lewis, in his last role previous to his retirement. The story follows him in the role of Reynolds Woodcock, an uptight fashion designer, and his blossoming romance with a woman named Alma (Vicky Krieps). Alongside its screenplay, the film’s strongest aspects are its acting, costume design and cinematography, as all of these elements combine to create a movie that truly feels like a fairytale. The two’s relationship always feel just grounded enough to still feel understandable and, in my opinion, there’s no denying that “Phantom Thread” is one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s strongest work to date.

6. Mommy (2014) dir. Xavier Dolan

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Mommy follows the relationship between a mother named Diane Després (Anne Dorval), who has recently been widowed and now has to deal with his emotionally unstable and often violent son, Steve (Antoine-Oliver Pilon). For the people that like French cinema, Xavier Dolan’s films are a must-watch; and this is without a doubt, his best work as a director. The dynamic between Steve and Diane are perfectly acted and the screenplay is incredibly successful in portraying both sides of the story without taking any definite sides. Also Dolan’s use of ratio, which changes from 1:1 during pivotal moments of the story, is a great utilization of the visual format of filmmaking.

5. Her (2013) dir. Spike Jonze

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“Her” takes place in an almost dystopian future, where artificial intelligence has developed so immensely that people have begun to replace their romantic partners with newly developed app-like systems. The story follows the life of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), who after divorcing his wife, replaces her with an AI named Samantha, and the problems that arise with him making this choice. The film serves as a remarkable portrayal of love in the modern age, and Joaquin Phoenix gives one of the strongest performances of the decade. 

4. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu

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Birdman is the story of a struggling artist, Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton), who once had been incredibly famous for playing a superhero entitled Birdman and have since then fallen from fame due to not being able to keep up with the period’s requirements. Although this plot is more relevant now than ever with the rise of Marvel and its equivalent companies, the film’s seemingly all one-take structure is also a technical astonishment and the cinematography that accompanies it is truly something to be awed by. 

3. Frances Ha (2012) dir. Noah Baumbach

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Quite frankly, Frances Ha is not a film for everybody. It’s a black and white film about a working-class woman named Frances Halladay (Greta Gerwig), trying to follow her aspirations of becoming a dancer while also trying to stay financially stable. However, this is a film that also manages to feel extremely personal and Gerwig’s acting allows truly anyone going through a tough time to project themselves onto the character of Frances. Noah Baumbach’s screenplay is really strong, as expected from him, and overall; the film just feels like something that can be watched during any period of time in history and can still be related to.

2. The Social Network (2010) dir. David Fincher

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David Fincher’s “The Social Network” revolves around the story of the invention of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his friends; but when you go beyond the surface, it is a film that deals with so much more than your average, by the book biopic. It is a story about friendship, betrayal and it shows exactly just how far people are willing to in order to achieve what they want to achieve. Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and many more amongst the cast are all perfectly cast and the story’s screenplay by Aaron Sorkin is a perfect example of how to write accurate but also clever dialogue.

1. Moonlight (2016) dir. Barry Jenkins

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Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight”, to me, is the best film of the decade; and not because it’s a technical marvel or has a very ambitious plot, but because of how effective it is in trying to capture the story it means to. The film’s three-part structure follows the life of our main character, Chiron, throughout his childhood, adolescence and adulthood; and by doing so allows the audience to grow up alongside Chiron, and to fully identify with the struggles that he is going through. Ashton Sanders and Mahershala Ali both deliver some of the most hard-hitting performances I’ve seen this decade, and the score by Nicholas Britell is truly one of the most emotionally hard-hitting scores I’ve heard in a movie, ever. 

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