The Couch's Top Films of the Decade
© Micah Veldkamp, 2019
We're fast approaching the end of 2019, and though 'tis the season to fondly look back at our favorite highlights from the year in entertainment and sports, 2019 marks a different occasion: the end of the decade. As the 2nd decade of the 21st century comes to a close, we here at The Couch want to take a moment to look back not just at this year, but at the last ten years.
We don't assume to speak for everyone reading, but certainly for all of us who participate in this blog, it has been the most formative decade of our lives, and one that has seen an absurd amount of change on the global level. More pertinent to what this blog writes about, pop culture has witnessed massively changing trends and enormous advancements in art of all types. As we take a look back at the films, specifically, that have defined these ten years, we do our best to highlight the best and most memorable from an era that has seen mind-bending dreams become reality, seen two fictional sister princesses rule households worldwide for eternity, seen an aspiring jazz musician and aspiring actress share a waltz in the sky, and seen a woman fall deeply in love with a fish. And those aren't even the indie flicks!
Our rankings are not the result of any one person, but rather an aggregation of four of us. Your panelists are The Couch's annual go-to for film review, criticism, and all things Oscar-related: Daniel Baas, Christian Becker, Sierra Slaughter, and Daniel Woodiwiss. All of us compiled our personal decade rankings and spit out a Top 20 based upon a combination of how many of us loved a certain film, and how intensely we loved it. Before we get to that ranking, here are 19 films (get it? like 2019?) we loved enough to give an honorable mention, but that just missed the cut:
127 Hours
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Blade Runner 2049
Brooklyn
Captain Phillips
Drive
The End of the Tour
First Man
Fruitvale Station
Moneyball
The Muppets
Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood
Prisoners
The Rider
Rise of the Guardians
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse
We Need To Talk About Kevin
The Wolf of Wall Street
The World's End
Now, here are your Top 20 films of the decade, according to The Couch:
20. The Big Sick (2017)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 0
1st-place votes: 0
They don’t make them like this anymore. I hear time and time again about how classic rom-coms have died out and even the ones that are made are just downgraded to trash on Netflix. Well, here’s one from 2017 to shut those people up! A smart, witty, lovable comedy that will and can break your heart and make you laugh out loud, often in the same scene. The 90’s were a great era for romantic comedies, and this is probably the closest I’ve seen to capturing that same lightning. You know your characters have great chemistry when one of them is in a coma for 80% of the movie and you still root for them. I also consider this the start of the Ray Romano comeback tour and I’m here for that!. -Christian Becker
19. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 0
1st-place votes: 0
Moonrise Kingdom is one of the most fully-realized films from Wes Anderson. The charming romance between Suzy and Sam is a lovely centerpiece for a film full of Anderson regulars. Every location in the film feels like world of its own in a way that transcends the unmistakable director's other films. All of Anderson’s trademarks add up to a delightful film, even for someone not acclimated to his style. -Daniel Baas
18. The Big Short (2015)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 0
1st-place votes: 0
A comedy/drama about the 2008 financial crisis and the merry band of misfits who tried to win big off of it? "Yeah, pass!", you say... until you actually watch it. Then you wonder where this type of movie has been your whole life. Adam McKay takes what should be a snooze-fest and makes it one of the most entertaining and informative movies of the decade, along with some memorable performances from some of the best working today. -Christian
17. Argo (2012)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 0
1st-place votes: 0
There was a time early on this decade where Ben Affleck was on the upswing in his career. Despite what may have happened post-Batman, I don’t think anybody can take away Affleck’s amazing directorial track record. Affleck takes a real, larger than life story, so weird and insane that one could think he was just making this up, and turns into one of the most compelling dramas of the decade. To say I was clenching the arm rest in theater is an understatement. I’m pretty sure the theater had to buy a new one after I was done with it.
-Christian
16. The Irishman (2019)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 0
1st-place votes: 0
The latest film from Martin Scorsese closes out the decade with another signature gangster film. This masterpiece not only explores the life and death of Jimmy Hoffa and those in his orbit, but is also a meditation on life and the sacrifices we make in service of our work. This is embodied in De Niro’s character, Frank Sheeran, who’s choices lead him to be involved in important moments of history, but cost him nearly everything. Despite the film’s 3 and a half hour runtime, the character and world-building is incredible, and the acting from De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci is one of the best parts of a great film. -Baas
15. Whiplash (2014)
Top 25 lists: 1
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
In contrast to his later film La La Land, what Damien Chazelle created here was an anxiety filled drama that operates much more like a thriller. I didn’t think a movie about a music student and his abusive teacher would suck me in like it did, but all I wanted to do after seeing it was watch it over and over again. Very few movies can hold me in its grip and never let go like this one does. One of the biggest effects this film had on me is that I’ve never been able to look at J.K. Simmons the same way again. -Christian
14. Moonlight (2016)
Top 25 lists: 1
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
The 2016 Best Picture winner will forever be remembered for the massively flubbed announcement of its victory, but it should be etched into history on merit alone. The story of Chiron, as a young boy, a teenager, and a young man, is a painful but heartfelt tale of a struggle for identity, set against a note-perfect haunting score and a gorgeous Miami sky.
-Daniel Woodiwiss
13. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
Top 25 lists: 1
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
Legendary filmmaker Edgar Wright starts\ed off the decade strong with this 2010 instant classic, based on the Scott Pilgrim comic books. If you’ve ever wanted to see Michael Cera defeat seven evil exes to win the heart of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who changes her hair every week and a half, look no further than this cult classic which inspires more Halloween costumes every year than any other movie worth talking about. -Sierra Slaughter
12. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Top 25 lists: 1
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
I have this film to thank for introducing me to the delightful world of Wes Anderson. Lost somewhat in a loaded year of cinema was the brilliance of lead actor Ralph Fiennes and the movie at large. With always-entertaining humor, design, and music, Grand Budapest subtly tells a heartwarming tale of friendship and integrity amidst the horrors of World War II.
-Woodiwiss
11. Sicario (2015)
Top 25 lists: 1
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 1
The opening drones of Johan Johansson’s score accompanies a raid on a cartel house in Arizona, setting the stage for a gripping thriller about the drug war and its effects on those on both sides of the conflict. Emily Blunt’s FBI agent Kate Macer is a character swept up into a darker world of, along for the ride as an audience avatar, helpless to affect change in a broken system. She gets sucked in to a world of shaded morality that doesn’t fit with what she knows, and that struggle makes Sicario all the more compelling. Cinematographer Roger Deakins is at the top of his game in this film as director Denis Villeneuve delivers another fantastic film that was a highlight of the decade. -Baas
10. First Reformed (2018)
Top 25 lists: 1
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 1
All I will do for the rest of my life is talk about First Reformed, Paul Schrader’s first “religious” film and by far his most overtly political. It somehow has only been in our lives since 2018, but I’ve written about and talked extensively about the profound impact this film has had on my life. If you want to see both the greatest film of the decade and the greatest performance from an actor (Ethan Hawke) in recent history take an afternoon, snuggle up on the couch, and see if you can determine the answer to the infamous question, 'Will God forgive us?'. -Sierra
9. Phantom Thread (2017)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
Daniel Day-Lewis' purported final film role was this 2017 Academy Award-winning film, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, about life, love, and control. A story about two people slowly destroying each other in order to become the best version of themselves... what’s not to love? Featuring a phenomenal score by Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood and *Aretha Franklin voice* "gowns, beautiful gowns," Phantom Thread is both visually and spiritually stimulating. -Sierra
8. Get Out (2017)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
Jordan Peele, of MadTV and then Key & Peele fame, exploded onto the Hollywood scene with his film debut. The renowned comedian certainly injected a great deal of uproarious comedy into Get Out, but more notably weaved elements of horror, suspense and social commentary into a serious thriller. The result was one of the most original films, and most fascinating viewing experiences in recent times. -Woodiwiss
7. A Separation (2011)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
This film from Iranian director Asghar Farhadi shifted the entire conversation about world cinema this decade. A story of the complexities of humanity, truth, class, religion, and how it they are intertwined in our lives. A story told through human interactions and buildings that act as characters. A story that provides a deeply personal, film filled with tension, uncertainty, and despair. -Sierra
6. Marriage Story (2019)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
From one story of an unraveling marriage to another: Noah Baumbach's semi-autobiographical film feels inspired by Farhadi's film in all the best ways. It'd be too reductive and unfair to both films, however, to label Marriage Story "an American version of A Separation"; the stories differ in context and in focus. This one gives equal standing and development to husband and wife, played brilliantly by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, in such a way that you share each one's anger at, confusion about, and hopes for each other and their new reality. Your heart will grow and fracture in equal measures. -Woodiwiss
5. Arrival (2016)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 1
1st-place votes: 0
What starts out as a simple alien invasion premise quickly opens up into a film that is so much more. With a complex and emotional story, Arrival delivers moments of bliss, but also gut punches that are still memorable today. Amy Adams appears to be floating through this film, buoyed by grief. But her performance goes well beyond that, and is one of the best of the decade. Not only that, but you are actually given a sense of emotional connection to alien creatures, a feat that is in and of itself an achievement. Arrival gives us a story about love and grief with the pretense of science fiction in a stunning way that is thoroughly memorable. -Baas
4. Parasite (2019)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 2
1st-place votes: 0
The film you’ve all heard about this year is the best of the year, and the best of most years if we’re being honest. Bong Joon-Ho flawlessly mixes, drama, comedy, horror, and more into this mind-bending remarkable piece of cinema. This isn't something to put on your list, this is a MUST MUST watch. -Sierra
3. La La Land (2016)
Top 25 lists: 2
Top 10 lists: 2
1st-place votes: 0
Movie musicals are a beast to pull off (just look at our most recent example…CATS). But an original one, well that’s a whole other animal entirely. La La Land is a lush, beautiful portrait of love, dreams and hope that only a true musical lover like Damien Chazelle could pull off. The Best Picture nominee (and brief winner) features some of the most impressive dance sequences I’ve seen put to film and some of the most memorable images that the 2010’s had to offer. Every frame of this movie could be printed out and hung up on the walls of a fancy mansion. -Christian
2. Inception (2010)
Top 25 lists: 3
Top 10 lists: 2
1st-place votes: 1
Inception may be one of the best films not just of this decade, but of the 21st Century. Action? Romance? Interesting characters? Great acting? Original storylines? Enthralling screenplay? This has it all, and then some. Its screenplay is so intelligent and complex that it took the smartest filmmaker in Hollywood 10 years to write. Its action is genuine "edge of your seat" stuff. Its special effects were game-changing. Its acting and musical score were tear-inducing. Watch this movie, then watch it again. And again and again and again. And each time, soak up the aspects you already loved, and take note of the details you undoubtedly missed until now. -Woodiwiss
1. The Social Network (2010)
Top 25 lists: 4
Top 10 lists: 2
1st-place votes: 1
David Fincher’s 2010 film about Mark Zuckerberg and the rise of Facebook defined the decade before it was even released. From a trailer backed by a children’s choir singing “Creep” by Radiohead that started a wave of trailers backed by covers, to shattering our illusion of Facebook before myriad scandals eroded public perception. With incredible dialogue from Aaron Sorkin and one of the best scores of the decade from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network is the pinnacle of filmmaking this decade and only gets better with age. -Baas