My Favorite Films of the Decade

I started my ticket stub journal in 2011 when I was just 14 years old. I’m not quite sure what led me to want to start collecting all my ticket stubs, but I’m so glad I did. Looking back through these years and these journals, I see a younger me discovering himself. I see the thoughts of a kid who was growing up, finding his voice, trying to be comfortable in his sexuality, and pursuing his crazy dreams of working in this industry someday. Films were an escape for me, but also a way to push me through the difficulties of the real world.

Bridesmaids got me to laugh in middle school when I was going through a rough patch realizing I was queer. Silver Linings Playbook came at a time when I realized I was struggling with mental health, and encouraged me to talk to people about it. La La Land showed me it’s hard to move and create a new life for yourself, but it can be beautiful and rewarding in the end. It just takes time.

And as I look back on this ticket stub journal (now on its fifth volume), I’m so glad I have the physical aspect of remembering these movies. They were a moment in time.

I’m 23 now. I’ve been living in LA for a year and a half. I have a job in TV (it’s an assistant job, but hey, it’s something!) And most of all, I’m just getting started.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my favorite films of the 2010's.

Lady Bird (2017)

Lady Bird captured an experience I had never quite seen in film before. I saw so much of myself in Lady Bird: her theatre upbringing, her struggle to find a passion, her urge to move far away and start a new life for herself. But what I love about this film is that it isn’t afraid to show the realities of her choices. Moving away won’t solve all your problems. You carry yourself wherever you go. The process of fixing yourself doesn’t start externally. You have to do the work to be ok. It also showed that no matter how far life takes you, you have to appreciate where you started from.

Winter’s Bone (2010)

I’ll never forget the first time I saw this film. I was in 7th grade, at home browsing through Netflix when I noticed this title. I had never heard of Jennifer Lawrence before and I had never seen a trailer for Winter’s Bone. After one viewing, I knew that this film would be an obsession of mine, and my love for JLaw would continue forever (this remains true today, JLaw I can’t wait for your film return in 2020.) It was so gritty, so atmospheric, and so dark. And Jennifer Lawrence acted the hell out of it. This was the film that inspired me to pursue acting.

Gone Girl (2014)

This was perhaps my favorite theatre-going experience of the decade. I’ll never forget when we reached the middle of the film, and Rosamund Pike delivered the iconic line, “I am so much happier now that I’m dead.” I’ve never heard an audience collectively gasp like we all did. It was such a delightful twist, and everyone in my audience was hooked. Rosamund Pike delivered one of my favorite performances of the decade, and David Fincher continued to prove why he’s my favorite director.

Easy A (2010)

It seems absolutely bonkers that this movie came out in this decade, but here we are. I watched this movie probably upwards of 20 times. And you know what? It holds up well today. I loved everything about this.

Get Out (2017)

Everyone say “Thank you, Jordan Peele” for creating this masterpiece. Perfectly written, masterfully directed, and Daniel Kaluuya’s performance? He deserved that Oscar. This film encouraged me to write horror. Two years after this came out, I finished a feature length social horror script featuring a gay couple. And I can tell you right now, I would not have been as inspired to go into writing had it not been for Jordan Peele. Thank you for making this.

It Follows (2014)

While we’re on the horror kick, let’s keep this train going with It Follows. What a genius and wholly original premise, while also introducing us to the fabulous Maika Monroe. This film drips with suspense and dread. You never quite know where it’s going next, and it never overexplains itself. Oftentimes, horror movies ruin what they have going because they show you everything by the time the finale rolls around. But not It Follows. By design, it’s meant to haunt you long after the credits roll.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

This film does something that has never been done before in cinematic history. Avengers: Endgame had the daunting task of wrapping up an entire TEN YEARS of story-building, and it does it flawlessly. The Avengers we’ve grown to love all get satisfying (and for a select few, heart-wrenching) finales, while also setting up exciting new characters for the future phases. And come on, that final battle? Who didn’t cry?!

Bridesmaids (2011)

There are actually no words I could type to express how much I love this movie. To be quite honest, this may be my most watched movie of all time. I could quote every single scene to you, word for word. I reference it probably once every few days, if not more. I would watch it with one of my best friends nearly every other weekend in middle school, and it was always a highly anticipated event. Kristen Wiig is a genius.

Hereditary (2017)

If there was any justice in this world, Toni Collette would have gotten nominated for an Oscar from her role in Hereditary. I have never seen such an emotional and haunting performance. The film’s entire runtime is filled with unease and darkness, even if nothing particularly scary is happening on screen. This family falling apart is enough reason to be afraid, even without factoring in the cult element. And it also had perhaps THE most talked about moment in all of film this decade. Yeah, you know the one. We love you Ari Aster!

La La Land (2016)

Listen, I know it’s cliché. I know it’s on everyone’s lists, but that’s for a very simple reason. This film was made for dreamers. Every frame makes my heart so full. It’s beautiful and it’s tragic. I’m still beginning to understand what it takes to make it in the entertainment industry, and while this shows you how gratifying it can be, it also warns that everything isn’t as simple as it may seem. The epilogue still reduces me to tears every time. It’s a perfect film.

Moonlight (2016)

What’s that? Another perfect film from 2016?! You bet. Moonlight is gorgeous and heartbreaking. We follow a queer black man growing up through three distinct stages in his life, looking at the people and the moments that shaped him. He grapples with his sexuality, his masculinity, and the love he need to repress. It’s a unflinching look at this man’s life, and how there is hope through struggle. Beware! The last 5 minutes are so delicate that you might forget to breathe.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

This is another film I revisit quite often. Silver Linings Playbook was one of the first films that showed me that it’s ok not to be ok all the time, and struggling with mental health doesn’t make you any less worthy of being loved. The two protagonists are frustrating, complex, and difficult to root for sometimes. But at the end of the film, during their dance, you can’t help but be won over. Their dance is awkward, clumsy, and not at all like the cliché perfect moment at the end of most rom-coms. And that’s why I absolutely love it. We’re all messy. Let’s embrace it!

Black Swan (2010)

Nearly 10 years later, and I still think about Black Swan. I watched it at a friend’s house one night because my mom didn’t think it was appropriate for my age (oops, sorry mom!) And she was probably right, but damn, what a great film. A cautionary tale about the quest for perfection, and how we can become our own worst enemy along the way.

Carol (2015)

What an absolute gem of a film. I particularly like it because it’s a gay film that doesn’t have a tragic ending. They’re rare. Usually one of the characters dies or it ends in some violent outburst. But not Carol. It’s a movie about desire and love and passion. And it’s wonderful.

Brooklyn (2015)

Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite actresses of all time. Every scene she’s in, you can feel exactly what she’s feeling. We see every struggle and every triumph she goes through. And it’s also a great love story.

Booksmart (2019)

I have so much love for Booksmart. My friend and I have not only done a locations tour in LA (not an actual tour, we just found out where they filmed some scenes and went and took pictures there), but we also have interacted with nearly the entire main cast on Instagram. I will never have enough praise to give for this movie. Each scene was so iconic and hilarious, and I know it’ll gradually become a cult classic. I’ve watched it 6 times already, and I’m sure I won’t be stopping anytime soon. Olivia Wilde brings out the best in each actor, and you can tell everyone had so much fun making it.

I, Tonya (2017)

Thank God Moviepass was alive and well when I, Tonya came out, because I saw this one in theatres approximately 5 times. Margot Robbie and Allison Janney were acting legends here. It’s an addictive and thoroughly entertaining story, accompanied by the catchiest soundtrack in recent memory.

The Hunger Games (2012)

I know, I know, it’s not exactly award-winning cinema. But it did kickstart my biggest film series obsession EVER (of my teenage years, because Harry Potter is still my everything too.) I thought it was such an innovative new story, and for a YA-series it was incredibly well acted and the world building was great. This series was also timely, and still is today.

Pitch Perfect (2012)

It’s another film that many wouldn’t necessarily consider the best of the decade. And no, it didn’t win any awards either. However, it was one of the best times I’ve had at the movies. It was also the movie that kickstarted one of the best friendships I still have today. I suggested seeing this movie as a first hangout with anew friend back in 2012, and she literally knew nothing about it. She thought it was about baseball going into it. What sparked from that day was a fantastic friendship. We still quote Pitch Perfect all the time.

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Wrapping up this list is Call Me By Your Name, a film that is so gentle and scenic that you almost forget you’re watching a movie sometimes. And while I do love the love story here, what makes this film truly great is Michael Stuhlbarg’s monologue at the end. It’s such a poignant speech about love and all the different shades it comes it. It’s a remarkable moment where Elio learns that love often exists without labels, and we won’t always understand why we’re drawn to certain people. “But to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything — what a waste!” Beautiful.