What a decade. Ten years ago we couldn’t imagine how much we were going to like superheroes, we still used to go to the movies quite often, but online streaming platforms such as HBO, Netflix, Hulu or 123movies have changed the game, and now we don’t have to go out to enjoy a night of popcorn and great stories. What hasn’t changed at all, however, is the quality of good films. To say goodbye to 2019 and welcome the 20’s, here is a list with the best and most important productions of the past ten years.
Inception
Visually and narratively unforgettable, this proposal is written and directed by Christopher Nolan combines science fiction, dreams, and layers at a vertiginous pace that constantly challenges the viewer -in the best of senses. The merit is tremendous if we count on the fact that not only is the idea powerful, but it is loaded with nooks and crannies and has to settle down while the spectator is more than stimulated. Plus, those buildings that bend over themselves and those endless staircases are undoubtedly included among the most powerful images of the decade.
Toy Story 3
Although this year has meant our reunion with them in ‘Toy Story 4’, there was a time when we thought we had said goodbye forever. It was in 2010 with ‘Toy Story 3’, a masterful sequel that mixes action, comedy, and emotion with a surprisingly deep and transcendental ending. Pixar is the best at addressing both children and adults, and it does so in this movie while speaking about the passage of time, friendship, and the importance of leaving some things (and some people) behind in order to move forward.
The perks of being an outcast
Every generation needs its “coming of age” film. Stephen Chbosky premiered as a director adapting his own novel, ‘The Advantages of Being an Outcast.’ The typical story of the introverted kid who gradually tries to make a place for himself high school, thanks to some very peculiar new friends. With characters like Ezra Miller, a great soundtrack, and powerful images like the car ride through the tunnel, it was the movie of a generation. Charlie’s story is tender, it’s emotional, it’s deep, and it’s all that a high school movie needs to be to be able to stay in the viewer’s heart over the years.
Gravity
Only the ‘Gravity’ teaser is of higher quality and is more shocking than many of the movies you’ve seen lately. Absolutely every technical and human detail is exploited to the limit (literally and metaphorically) to create this spatial odyssey made to listen in a good home cinema audio system -with those basses echoing the floor since the title appears, and the sound mixture so detailed to get us fully into the environment. All this works perfectly with the tender and torn human conflict that Sandra Bullock and George Clooney shape to perfection with only their voices and faces.
The Arrival
One of the best science fiction movies we’ve seen in years. A film about language and communication, seasoned by an alien invasion. From ‘Incendies’ and ‘Prisoners’, we knew that we had to follow Denis Villeneuve’s work very closely. With The Arrival, he confirmed to us that there is no challenge he is not able to overcome. Few films have been more stimulating this decade than this one. Hopefully, the next ten years will give us at least one jewel-like ‘The Arrival.’
City of Stars: La La Land
Very few films in the last ten years have reached the unanimity from critics and audiences, but ‘The City of Stars: La Land’ is one of them. The love story between Mia and Sebastian seemed to be taken from one of the many classic musicals that Damien Chazelle paid tribute to, and yet he managed to conquer both the people who grew up with those films and the younger ones. Because no matter in what period it is set, its love story is immanent to time.
Call me by your name
With a love story between two men that thrilled all kinds of audiences and broke the barriers that usually surround LGTB films, this is one of the best movies of the decade. With the portrait of a teenager who lives his first love and begins to glimpse what his identity is, ‘Call Me By Your Name’ is a universal, luminous and unforgettable film spectacularly directed by Luca Guadagnino.
Parasites
Among the cinematic jewels premiered in this decade, ‘Parasites’ is one of the most daring and risky. Winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, it is not only Bong Joon-ho’s consecration as a filmmaker but also the international recognition of the South Korean film industry. What initially seems to be a social drama turns into a thriller when that ends up being a black comedy with an explosion of sensations that you will definitely like.
