Top 50 Films of the Decade So Far (2010-2014)

I have seen 785 films from the years 2010 through 2014. Here is my attempt at the fifty best, unbiased (if that is even possible), taking into account aesthetic/technical quality, performances, entertainment value, and dramatic depth. I have also included five must-see documentaries and my personal ten favorites.

2010

Black Swan, a character drama/thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky – Trailer

The Fighter, a character/sports drama directed by David O. Russell – Trailer

Fish Tank, a character drama directed by Andrea Arnold – Trailer

Inception, a crime action/adventure directed by Christopher Nolan – Trailer

The King’s Speech, a period character drama directed by Tom Hooper – Trailer

Never Let Me Go, a sci-fi drama directed by Mark Romanek – Trailer

A Prophet, a crime drama directed by Jacques Audiard – Trailer

The Social Network, a character drama directed by David Fincher – Trailer

True Grit, a western directed by the Coen Brothers – Trailer

2011

Beginners, a character/romance drama directed by Mike Mills – Trailer

Drive, a crime drama directed by Nicolas Winding Refn – Trailer

50/50, a dramedy directed by Jonathan Levine – Trailer

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a mystery thriller directed by David Fincher – Trailer

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, an action/adventure fantasy directed by David Yates – Trailer

Incendies, a mystery drama directed by Denis Villeneuve – Trailer

Jane Eyre, a gothic period romance drama directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga – Trailer

Like Crazy, a romance drama directed by Drake Doremus – Trailer

Martha Marcy May Marlene, a character drama directed by Sean Durkin – Trailer

Melancholia, a character drama directed by Lars von Trier – Trailer

Midnight in Paris, a romantic dramedy directed by Woody Allen – Trailer

Moneyball, a character/sports drama directed by Bennett Miller – Trailer

Shame, a character drama directed by Steve McQueen – Trailer

The Tree of Life, a character drama directed by Terrence Malick – Trailer

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a spy drama directed by Tomas Alfredson – Trailer

Warrior, a sports drama directed by Gavin O’Conner – Trailer

2012

The Dark Knight Rises, an action adventure directed by Christopher Nolan – Trailer

Django Unchained, a western directed by Quentin Tarantino – Trailer

The Intouchables, a character drama directed by Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano – Trailer

Life of Pi, an adventure drama directed by Ang Lee – Trailer

The Master, a period character drama directed by Paul Thomas Anderson – Trailer

Moonrise Kingdom, a romance comedy directed by Wes Anderson – Trailer

A Royal Affair, a period romance drama directed by Nikolaj Arcel – Trailer

Rust and Bone, a character drama directed by Jacques Audiard – Trailer

Zero Dark Thirty, a mystery thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow – Trailer

2013

Blue is the Warmest Color, a romance/character drama directed by Abdellatif Kechiche – Trailer

Her, a romantic drama directed by Spike Jonze – Trailer

The Hunt, a character drama directed by Thomas Vinterberg – Trailer

Inside Llewyn Davis, a period musical drama directed by the Coen Brothers – Trailer

The Past, a mystery drama directed by Asghar Farhadi – Trailer

Rush, a sports drama directed by Ron Howard – Trailer

Short Term 12, a character drama directed by Destin Cretton – Trailer

12 Years a Slave, a period character drama directed by Steve McQueen – Trailer

The Wolf of Wall Street – a crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese – Trailer

2014

Birdman, a character drama directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu – Trailer

Calvary, a character dramedy/mystery directed by John Michael McDonagh – Trailer

Gone Girl, a mystery thriller directed by David Fincher – Trailer

The Grand Budapest Hotel, a mystery comedy directed by Wes Anderson – Trailer

The Imitation Game, a period character drama directed by Morten Tyldum – Trailer

Interstellar, a sci-fi adventure directed by Christopher Nolan – Trailer

Whiplash, a character drama directed by Damien Chazelle – Trailer

Must-See Documentaries

The Act of Killing, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer – Trailer

Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by Banksy – Trailer

The House I Live In, directed by Eugene Jarecki – Trailer

The Imposter, directed by Bart Layton – Trailer

Inside Job, directed by Charles Ferguson – Trailer

My Favorite 10 Films of the Decade So Far

The Dark Knight Rises

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Gone Girl

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Inception

Interstellar

Super 8

True Grit

12 Years a Slave

Zero Dark Thirty