It didn’t seem possible a decade ago, but it is and we are still here, the 2010’s are now over! The world was supposed to end in 2012 but it didn’t and the world has changed a lot in the past 10 years, but here we are now in the roaring 20’s. I decided to look back at the past decade and discuss my favourite films from those 10 years.
Now when I say favourites, I don’t mean the best, just personal favourite films that really stuck with me. For this list, which will be in two parts, I will look at my fvourite film from each year and explain why it stands out to me and I consider it a favourite.
Without further waiting, here’s part 2
2015: Inside Out directed by Peter Docter starring emotions
2015 was a tough year for me to just pick one favourite, with films like The Martian, Creed, Sicario, Spotlight, Room, Straight Of Compton and The Gift, I have gone with Inside Out. Inside Out is a fantastic film, with a really beautiful message and story. Lot’s of care was taken with this film and getting things right, and it shows. Having five core emotions that of Joy (Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) living in an 11 year old’s mind with Riley (Kaitlyn Dias). Riley has been dealing with a lot of changes in her life, and her emotions go crazy trying to deal with it. It is simple but extremely effective.
The film actually quite easily produces all those emotions whilst the audience watches, it teaches some important lessons and it does stick with you well after it is over. Pixar certainly didn’t disappoint with this one and remains one of their best films.
2016: The Neon Demon directed Nicolas Winding Refn by starring Elle Fanning
To be fair, I didn’t get a chance to see a lot of bigger releases from 2016, it wasn’t an easy year for me personally. But I did see some excellent films including Silence, Captain America: Civil War, Hell Or High Water, Zootopia, Moana, Kubo and the Two Strings, The Jungle Book, Sully and Nocturnal Animals. Any of those could easily have made my favourite for many different reasons. But for me The Neon Demon is the one that sticks out the most and is still with me years later. I am a big fan of Nicolas Winding Refn, his films are unique and quite a ride to go on. The Neon Demon is no different, with its striking visuals and third act that truly is absolutely insane. The film can be interpreted in many ways, for me I may have seen it differently to others and that makes it special.
On the surface it is about a young woman Jesse (Elle Fanning) who is an aspiring model, who gets to LA and believes she is living her dream but that dream becomes a nightmare as the stark reality of being young and beautiful takes a sinister toll. This isn’t a film for everyone, but in my case it did and still does have my name written all over it. If you haven’t seen this one, see it if you dare!
2017: Get Out directed by Jordan Peele starring Daniel Kaluuya
I have to say 2017 was a year that made me happy with films, all sorts of films came out and they had their own merits and were memorable. With films like Wonder Woman, Logan, Dunkirk, Thor Ragnarok, Blade Runner 2049, The Disaster Artist, War For The Planet Of The Apes and mother! it may not seem like an easy task to pick a favourite. But for me it was an easy pick with Get Out, I saw this twice in the cinema and absolutely loved it and still very much do. Jordan Peele’s directorial debut was nothing short of extraordinary for me, taking inspiration from The Stepford Wives but giving it a very modern update, Peele unleashed a very dark and unsettling film.
With a great script and cast, Get Out tackles many things, but most notable racism, and he doesn’t hold back nor should he have. Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) goes to meet his girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) family at their rural property. But once there Chris finds they are not quite what they seem and their friends seem to be rather unsettling. Basically he is in for the weekend from hell. Get Out is a smart film and it requires more than one watch to uncover all the clues and hints scattered along the way.
2018: Hereditary directed by Ari Aster starring Toni Collette
It feels almost strange saying 2018 was two years ago, but it was as of writing this. The year brought some memorable films with Black Panther, Avengers Infinity War, A Star Is Born, BlacKkKlansman, Spider-man: Into The Spider-verse, The Favourite, Suspiria, Bohemian Rhapsody and Mandy. But what could possibly manage to be my favourite? Well, again this was a no brainer even though I have only seen the film once (which was my cinema viewing) but it has stayed with me strongly since, is Hereditary. Like what an absolutely insane and depressing film this is, but boy does it ever hit hard. It has many shocks and twists and turns, and if you are really paying attention you’ll see those clues hidden about and the performances especially from Toni Collette are fantastic.
The film tackles loss and grief in a way I haven’t seen before, and it is incredibly unsettling from beginning to end. Ari Aster does a great job directing the film, ensuring the audience are as uncomfortable as possible. I haven’t had an experience like this before and I probably never will.
2019: Captain Marvel directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck starring Brie Larson
Here we are to the last year of the decade, with the films that are most recent, but which could I possibly pick as my favourite with so many to choose from? Well, I could have picked quite a number of films, and maybe this choice will upset people but it is my list and I don’t care if it does. Captain Marvel is indeed my favourite film of 2019, and for different reasons I have picked other films on this list. I absolutely love and adore this film, for me it is such a fun and thrilling ride, with a great main character and a great performance from Brie Larson. I love my superhero films, and much like with Wonder Woman it was great to see a female led superhero film.
I may have a slight obsession with Captain Marvel, she currently has a whole shelf in my house with collectables, I love Goose the flerkin cat and the soundtrack. I love being able to see strong female characters and for me Captain Marvel embodies that. I won’t be ashamed or sorry for my love of this film or the character, and I am happy to flaunt it right here!
Here’s to the next decade in cinema, let’s see what excellent gems it gives us.
You can read Part 1 HERE
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