Entertainment

The Best Films of the Last Decade

Published

on

Award Winners, Critics’ Darlings, and Fan Favorites.

Let’s be honest—picking the best films from the last ten years is kind of like trying to choose your favorite song from Beyoncé’s discography. Tough. But between the Oscars, Golden Globes, Cannes, critics’ circles, and audiences voting with their wallets (and hearts), a handful of films really stood out.

Here’s a rundown of some of the most iconic and celebrated movies from the past decade—whether they made us cry, cheer, or just sit in stunned silence when the credits rolled.

1. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Big Wins: 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Actress, and both Supporting roles
Why It Stands Out: This multiverse-hopping, genre-bending rollercoaster of a film somehow managed to be hilarious, heartbreaking, and existential—all at once. Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman to win Best Actress, and the Daniels (directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) delivered a film unlike anything we’ve seen before.

2. Parasite (2019)

Big Wins: Palme d’Or at Cannes, 4 Oscars including Best Picture (the first non-English language film to win)
Why It Stands Out: Bong Joon-ho’s genre-defying thriller about class disparity was both a cinematic masterclass and a biting social commentary. It stunned the Academy—and the world—by sweeping major awards and smashing subtitles stigma in the process.

3. Nomadland (2020)

Big Wins: Best Picture, Director, and Actress at the Oscars
Why It Stands Out: Chloé Zhao’s meditative portrait of modern American nomads was quiet, powerful, and deeply human. Frances McDormand turned in another flawless performance, and Zhao became just the second woman ever to win Best Director.

4. La La Land (2016)

Big Wins: 6 Oscars, including Best Director and Actress (not Best Picture though—remember that infamous envelope moment?)
Why It Stands Out: Love it or not, Damien Chazelle’s throwback musical made a huge cultural splash. The music, the colors, the chemistry between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling—it was pure Hollywood magic with a bittersweet twist.

5. Get Out (2017)

Big Wins: Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars, multiple critics awards
Why It Stands Out: Jordan Peele flipped the horror genre on its head with a razor-sharp social thriller that became an instant classic. It was smart, scary, and sparked a wave of socially-conscious genre filmmaking.

6. The Power of the Dog (2021)

Big Wins: Best Director at the Oscars, huge festival buzz
Why It Stands Out: Jane Campion’s slow-burn Western delivered haunting performances (especially from Benedict Cumberbatch) and eerie, lingering tension. It wasn’t for everyone, but critics were over the moon.

7. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Big Wins: 6 Oscars (mostly technical), massive fan acclaim
Why It Stands Out: George Miller brought back Mad Max and somehow made it feel totally fresh. With minimal dialogue and maximum chaos, this adrenaline shot of a movie redefined what action can look like. And Charlize Theron’s Furiosa? Instant icon.

8. Moonlight (2016)

Big Wins: Best Picture (yes, really), Supporting Actor, and Adapted Screenplay
Why It Stands Out: Intimate, poetic, and deeply moving, Moonlight was a quiet revolution. It told a coming-of-age story we don’t often see on screen and did it with grace, beauty, and vulnerability.

9. Barbie (2023)

Big Wins: Golden Globe for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, massive critical and commercial success
Why It Stands Out: Greta Gerwig’s neon-pink feminist blockbuster became a full-on cultural event. It had heart, humor, existential angst—and a killer soundtrack. Plus, it showed that mainstream films can still have something meaningful to say.

10. Oppenheimer (2023)

Big Wins: 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, and Actor
Why It Stands Out: Christopher Nolan finally nabbed his Best Director Oscar with this epic biopic about the father of the atomic bomb. It was a dense, cerebral film, but also a box office juggernaut—rare air for a three-hour drama with zero superheroes.

Honorable Mentions (Because We Couldn’t Just Pick Ten)

  • The Irishman (2019) – Scorsese’s gangster elegy

  • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – groundbreaking animation

  • The Shape of Water (2017) – romantic, weird, and wonderfully Guillermo del Toro

  • Dune (2021) – an epic return to cerebral sci-fi

  • Lady Bird (2017) – Gerwig’s heartfelt, hilarious directorial debut

Whether you’re into artsy indies, crowd-pleasing spectacles, or something in between, the past decade served up a goldmine of cinema. So if you’re looking for something to watch (or rewatch), you really can’t go wrong with any of these.

Trending

Exit mobile version