Best Movies of the Decade - Part II

In our previous post, we began listing our top movies of the decade. Now we have reached the Top 10, which was difficult to narrow down but we feel happy with our choices. Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Movies of the Decade, according to the Always the Critic podcast team.

Jess - #16 | Rico - #17 | Miguel - #19

That's what the present is. It's a little unsatisfying because life is unsatisfying.

The IMDb synopsis for Midnight in Paris gives away very little and at the same time too much: “While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.” The concept is so simple, but it’s all in the execution. Despite (the very problematic) Woody Allen, this movie seems to transcend Allen’s usual dark themes, self-wounding humor, and pretentious vernacular. It’s downright charming and unbearably romantic—that is, bearing the qualities of Romanticism. Yes, Owen Wilson time travels back to the roaring 20s each night, but it’s so much more than that. He’s a man in search of validation, a man full of admiration for the trailblazers that came before him. And speaking directly to them—Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Salvador Dalí—is not just comical but life-altering. He comes to terms with living in the now, in the present, never settling, always just as restless as the city he loves. - Jessica Firpi

Rico - #13 | Miguel - #18 | Daniel R. - #1

Sometimes it's easy to forget that we spend most of our time stumbling around the dark. 

While in college, I worked for the student newspaper. I would do interviews and write stories about the ongoing developments at the school. There was such a thrill when I was able to get a scoop and see my story on the printed page. That may be the reason I feel a kinship to Spotlight. An exposé written by the Spotlight team at the Boston Globe, uncovering the horrific acts being done by bishops and priests in the Catholic Church. This movie did everything I wanted to see in a movie about journalism; interviews, investigations, fights within the team. Also, we didn’t have people trying to do a bad Boston accent, which is a huge plus. One more thing, this is the only movie on this list that won best picture. I wonder if that speaks more about us as filmgoers or of the Academy not being in touch with its audience. Captivating and engaging, Spotlight is a terrific film and earns its spot in our list.  - Rico Albarracin

Jess - #20 | Rico - #5 | Miguel - #25

Sink. Now, you're in the sunken place.

I am not a very big fan of horror films. I think it comes from the fact that I’m not a fan of jump scares. Maybe that’s why I prefer thrillers instead of horror. The thriller genre plays with larger themes and can be scary in itself. Get Out is a perfect example of a thriller whose themes can be as scary as any terrifying monster. Especially when the monster is someone close to you. It’s time to meet the parents so Rose (Allison Williams) takes her boyfriend Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) upstate for a weekend. A lot of the interactions are awkward and not subtle, in reference to the fact that Chris and Rose are an interracial couple. The awkwardness turns into terror for Chris once he discovers the truth about his trip upstate. The viewing experience of this movie was astounding, as I watched it with a very lively crowd. Once the reveal happens, the movie has you in its hooks and won’t let go. - Rico Albarracin

Jess - #11 | Rico - #10 | Miguel - #29

One day the AIs are going to look back on us the same way we look at fossil skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in dust with crude language and tools, all set for extinction.

Ex Machina is a terrifying view of the future. It may seem strange but we live in a time where robots are being created by people for more than just assistance. Also, artificial intelligence has become one of the great achievements of the human race. But that also comes with some trepidation. Caleb Smith is a programmer who happens to win a contest to spend the week at the private home of Nathan Bateman, CEO of an internet company. What he doesn’t realize is that he is part of a test to see if Ava, a robot, possesses consciousness and capabilities. The movie is a test not only to the characters but also to ourselves. How far are we willing to go in creating new technology. Is this the logical end point for us? It’s an amazing question to ask and this movie does an incredible job of getting us to come to grips with our own ambitions. - Rico Albarracin

Rico - #2 | Miguel - #17 | Daniel R. - #5

If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you'd have invented Facebook.

Do you remember the time that you signed up for Facebook? I remember was back in 2006 when I signed up for my account. It was just after they had lifted the restriction of college email accounts. Who would’ve thought that all these years later Facebook would be one of the biggest companies in the world. The Social Network shows us the beginning of this media giant. Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) works with the Winklevoss twins (Armie Hammer) on an idea that they have for a new site. Little do they know that Mark has plans of his own to create his own website. What follows is a series of deposition hearings detailing the rise of Facebook. The acting is incredible from everyone. The dialogue is top notch. It helps that Aaron Sorkin is the person who wrote this script, which happened to win Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Throw in the fact that David Fincher directed this film and you have a recipe for one of the most unforgettable dramas of the decade. - Rico Albarracin

Jess - #6 | Rico - #16 | Miguel - #15

Rich people are naïve. No resentments. No creases on them.

I intentionally went into this movie blind, having avoided all trailers and spoilers, and still I thought I had the plot figured out. What’s amazing about Parasite is how, despite having zero expectations, director Bong Joon-ho managed to defy conventional plot development in an epic misdirection. The hard left-turn this movie takes makes all the difference. Excellent cinematography and moments of tension (e.g., the Kim family hiding beneath the living room table while the Park family parents are on the couch) throughout. The incisive look at classism was the cherry on top of a wild, genre-blending ride. - Jessica Firpi

Jess - #8 | Rico - # 7 | Daniel R. - #14

Here’s to the fools who dream, crazy as they may seem

A lot has been said about La La Land. (I personally think it should have won Best Picture at the Oscars instead of Moonlight, but whatever.) Barring the probably unnecessary intro sequence “Another Day of Sun,” the rest of the movie is blessedly breathtaking. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling lead this movie into the *city of stars* While not professional singers or dancers, the two bring a lovely concept to life—romance and everyday life can be just as extraordinary as being in a musical. Sequences like the Griffith Observatory dance and the epilogue linger well after the movie has ended. It’s a bittersweet look at relationships that make an impact on your life and the people who get you to where you were always meant to be, like destiny. - Jessica Firpi

Jess - #14 | Rico - #26 | Miguel - #23 | Daniel R. - #2

I just wanted to take another look at you.

How can a movie that’s already had three movie iterations still make our Best of the Decade list? It might be a combination of stellar (re)writing, beautiful cinematography, new music, and superb casting. It’s not an understatement to say that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper—in his directorial debut, no less!—wormed their way into our hearts and minds as Ally and Jack, respectively. I think something about knowing Lady Gaga’s career trajectory and real-life music makes her vulnerable portrayal of Ally that much sweeter. So much goes into making a good movie that a lot of times we forget about the missing ingredient: believability. As an audience, we believed in these characters and in this romance, and the movie wouldn’t have been half of what it was without this simple fact. - Jessica Firpi

Jess - #1 | Rico - #4 | Miguel - #24

You’re waiting for a train…

Who remembers their first time watching Inception? I think everyone can agree that this is one of the best, most memorable movie-going experiences in the last decade. Set to Hans Zimmer’s boisterous soundtrack and written by director Christopher Nolan along with his wife Emma Thomas, Inception is technically a heist movie. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a cast of heavy hitters as the head of a group with a particular specialty—infiltrating people’s dreams to commit a mental heist in the name of corporate espionage. In a decade stuffed with superhero movies, sequels, and familiar IP, Nolan and co. bring us something refreshing, original, something that still gives us a *kick* And the question still remains… did the spinning top fall over? The ending is famously left to the audience to decide. - Jessica Firpi

Jess - #18 | Rico - #1 | Miguel - #3 | Daniel R. - #6

There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "good job".

If anyone would’ve told you that a movie about jazz would be the best of the decade, would you have believed them? It’s a musical genre that’s broad and difficult to define. Sure, people have vague ideas about it, but has anyone ever made jazz interesting? Whiplash did. Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, Whiplash was originally a short film of 18 minutes that premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim. Shortly after, the short film was adapted into the full-length feature film we know today. 

In Whiplash, we follow Andrew Nieman (Miles Teller) a talented drummer who yearns to be the next Buddy Rich. Though Neiman is talented, his work is quickly put into question by Terrance Fletcher (J.K. Simmons) a demanding, notoriously harsh maestro. The relationship between Fletcher and Nieman quickly derails from the common student-teacher dynamic. Fletcher quickly proves to be abusive physically and psychologically, relentless, and degrading. Neiman, not wanting to be outdone, instead becomes undone throughout the course of the film. Fletcher’s pressure on Nieman results in Nieman losing a potential romantic interest, friends, and puts a strain on his relationship with his father. Fletcher makes Nieman practice until his hands bleed (so this last one is an actual impossibility. Hands can’t bleed from playing drums “too hard” but just go with it). 

It’s an “against all odds” tale with a questionable twist. How far are you willing to go to be among the greats? If you prove your abuser wrong while simultaneously self-destructing, is that a win? This theme, coupled with the slew of Oscars won, have forced many to draw comparisons to Black Swan. But where Whiplash takes the lead is its dedication to Nieman and Fletcher’s craft. They recognize the impossibly high stakes of being among the best in what has quickly become a near-forgotten, niche, and unfortunately saccharine genre. It’s either become a great jazz musician or be a Starbucks Featured Jazz Artist (as Fletcher seethes). 

The final scene is the standout of the film. Neiman proves his worth as a drummer and brawls with Fletcher in a swinging, uninterrupted rendition of Caravan. It may just be music, but here is where the film makes its point. The piece is played so furiously, so perfectly, that it transcends music and has all the high tension of an actual, physical fight. 

The colors, the music, the characters – all expertly fleshed out and resolved in a relatively short run time. There’s not a single minute wasted in the film. Whiplash is the greatest film of the 2010s and an unexpected one at that. But like Andrew Neiman himself, it has proven it’s worth as an underdog among its many great contemporaries. - Miguel Albarracin