To say this was an incredible decade for film is a massive understatement. With advancing technology, a profound popularity of superheroes, and more diverse filmmakers getting a chance, this decade has been a real treat for cinephiles and casual movie-goers alike. So to celebrate the new year and the new decade, here’s a list of the best movies from each year since 2010!

2010

Inception: Writer and director Christopher Nolan started the decade with a bang. This action/psychological thriller has one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best performances and bends reality as we know it. How many theories are there for this one?

Honorable mentions: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, and The Fighter.

2011

The Help: Based off of Kathryn Stockett’s novel of the same name, the drama unabashedly follows the lives of Black housemaids in 1960’s Mississippi. It’s filled with heartbreak, hilarity, and plot twists to make for an amazing viewing experience.

Honorable mentions: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, X-Men: First Class, Super 8, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

2012

The Avengers: That one should be a no-brainer. Joss Whedon’s undeniable blockbuster gave us everything we could’ve asked for: our favorite superheroes fighting evil side-by-side! It proved that the Marvel Cinematic Universe started by Jon Favreau’s Iron Man (2008) wasn’t just a wild fantasy, paving the way for more superhero team-ups to be on the big screen.

Honorable mentions: The Dark Knight Rises, Moonrise Kingdom, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chronicle, and 21 Jump Street.

2013

Man of Steel: Director Zack Snyder retells the tale of Superman in a way we’ve never seen before. The movie follows Clark Kent through the years as he develops his powers and discovers why he’s so different from the others, all the while giving us a better understanding of Krypton and its technologies. This movie faces fair criticism, but it highlights the painfully obvious parallels between the stories of Jesus and Superman, and how Henry Cavill absolutely shines as the Kryptonian.

Honorable mentions: The Conjuring, Frozen, Monsters University, 12 Years a Slave, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

2014

Gone Girl: Based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, this mystery/drama shows us the effects of a wicked marriage. It’s filled with draw-dropping twists and disgusting secrets that are guaranteed to keep anybody waiting on the edge of their seat to see what happens next. It’s definitely wasn’t a date movie.

Honorable mentions: Birdman, The Lego Movie, Whiplash, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

2015

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens: This was a fun movie for everyone. Episode VII brought older and younger generations together through their love of the iconic saga, and more impressively, it made new fans. J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, and Michael Arndt really took advantage of the history of the past films, and coupled with today’s visual effects they made something quite stunning.

Honorable mentions: Southpaw, Straight Outta Compton, The Night Before, Creed,  Inside Out

2016

Captain America: Civil War: It would’ve worked better as an Avengers movie just because Cap didn’t seem to be the main focus with the huge ensemble, but it’s a great movie, nonetheless. The Russo brothers took an iconic storyline and made it fit with the universe they already created. It was a relatively grounded story that still felt exciting. Plus, it gave us Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. That’s a win for me.

Honorable mentions: Moana, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Moonlight, Deadpool, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

2017

Get Out: Jordan Peele’s directorial debut impressed audiences everywhere. This thriller mixed racial tensions and delicious suspense, and had everybody raving. Beyond that, it was hilarious, reminding us of Peele’s comedic tendencies. Definitely have to watch this one more than once.

Honorable mentions: Logan, Coco, LEGO Batman, Wonder Woman, Baby Driver, The Big Sick.

2018

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Hands down. Talk about a game-changer. This movie takes everything everyone loves about Spider-Man and applies it to Miles Morales to make an original, funny, relatable, and amazing story. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and watch it. It’s currently streaming on Netflix.

Honorable mentions: Avengers: Infinity War, Hereditary, A Star is Born, Black Panther, Blackkklansman.

2019

Avengers: Endgame: The finale to the epic Infinity Saga did not disappoint. Over ten years in the making, the Marvel Cinematic Universe closes the story with nostalgia, excitement, and phenomenal fan-service. The Russo Brothers understood why we fell in love with their character adaptations in the first place and played their cards accordingly.

Honorable mentions: Spider-Man: Far From Home, Code 8, Joker, IT Chapter Two, Midsommar, The Lighthouse.

So there you have it. It was a tough list to make, but it was really fun doing a little throwback. For next year, I’m most looking forward to Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984 and Tenet.

What about you? Did I miss your favorite movies of the decade? Let me know some of yours in the comment section below.

Nothing but love.

Published by Rihaana Stark

21-year-old senior at JMU, class of 2020 in Virginia. Writing for Geeks of Color. My friends call me Stark, so you can call me Stark, too. Nothing but love. View all posts by Rihaana Stark