Top 10 Films of the Decade

Welcome to my top 10 films of the decade! The list starts with number 10 and works it's way back to number one; each film has a short description of why it earned its spot and a video of one of my favourite scenes or the trailer for the movie in question. Obviously, a spoiler warning is in effect. Enjoy!

10. Never Let Me Go

I don't think I can adequately explain how heart-wrenching both the book and the film of this story are because there aren't enough words. Imagine me curled up in the corner of an armchair bawling my eyes out and you may be able to understand how heartbroken I was over it all. Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Keira Knightley all gave stand-out performances, some of the best of their careers. I doubt you've heard of this film before now, but if you're interested in clever dramas, mixed with a little dystopian science fiction, please go out and find a copy. As well as a box of tissues.

9. Inception

No one does science fiction like Christopher Nolan. His mind-bending stories and incredible visuals are second-to-none, both of which are present in Inception and Interstellar. The reason Inception is here is because I liked it better. This is the same reason it is here instead of Looper or The Martian. While they're all great sci-fi movies, Inception has something that puts it above the others; I think its partly due to how intelligent a concept it was and partly because of its exceptional cast. I hope to continue to have my mind blown by Christopher Nolan's movies for some time to come.

8. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I've loved Star Wars ever since I was a kid and I think JJ Abrams made a brilliant ode to what came before, while also bringing in fresh faces and establishing a brand new, engaging story. I was so happy with this film that I couldn't stop smiling afterwards.

7. How to Train Your Dragon Series

I don't think I've ever cried so much over a series of animated movies, nor laughed so hard. Hiccup and Toothless and friendship goals, for children and adults alike, and I don't know anyone who wouldn't want their own pet dragon if they were as amazing as those in HTTYD. Dreamworks was really onto a winner here.

6. Kingsman: The Secret Service

I really loved Stardust, so its hardly a surprise that Kingsman made it onto this list. It's hard to make films that are different in this industry nowadays as it becomes more and more saturated. Kingsman, however, was able to take a whole new spin on the spy genre, thanks to the comic book that came before it. It subverted everything it could, while still providing a fun and humorous story. It was one of my favourite films of 2015.

5. Tangled

To date, this is still my favourite Disney film. When it came out in 2010, it kicked Aladdin straight off the top spot and hasn't budged since. It had all the usual Disney elements, but was enhanced by Dan Fogelman's talent and skill for telling stories that impact you and stay with you. I've lost count of how many times I've watched this film, as well as how many times I've listened to I See The Light. I can't possibly imagine what will be good enough to usurp it.

4. The Theory of Everything

It was hard to choose between this and The Danish Girl, because both were fantastic biographical films that made me laugh and cry, but ultimately I felt like The Theory of Everything was the better all round film, carried on the staunch shoulders of its two leads – Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones. Nothing beat this film for me in 2014.

3. The Greatest Showman

I waited all of 2017 for something truly amazing to come along, and The Greatest Showman didn't disappoint. While I know that there a lot of people who don't agree with me on this one, I found the film to be truly magical. It also held my attention all the way through, which is rare for me these days. The songs are wonderful and packed to the brim with substance – the actors were phenomenal too – and I felt the emotional impact of the film in such a way that I almost broke down into sobs in the cinema. A musical for the ages.

2: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

This film is an masterclass in how to do animation, as well as one of the best Spider-man movies ever made. Each frame is so intricately designed that it takes several viewings to notice all the tiny details that the team included in order to make every shot a piece of art. Combine this with an amazing story that is full of humour and emotion, a group of super-talented voice actors, and a phenomenal soundtrack, and you have yourself one of the best films ever made.

1: The Social Network

I think this film will go down in history as one of Aaron Sorkin's finest pieces of work. His back-and-forth banter style of writing suited the film perfectly, making it engaging from beginning to end. He was also able to weave the emotions of the people involved into the story so well that the climax of the film is pitch perfect and pays off in a way that is very rarely achieved in movies.