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| Scene from The Spectacular Now |
With 2019 marking the end of a decade, it's time to commemorate the past 10 years with the help of Listmania Decades. Over this year's 12 months, the series will look at a variety of different styles of film in order to highlight everything that made this period unique and exciting. While this isn't meant as a collection of the greatest films ever released, it's more meant as a highlight of films that I would consider to be among my favorite, or ones that are worth remembering in the future. So please feel free to join me every 19th of the month to highlight a new entry that will highlight 25 films that exemplified a certain field of cinema. There's a lot of great work out there, and this list barely captures the bulk of it. Feel free to leave your favorites in the comments so that we can find more to appreciate before this year is through.
THIS MONTH: As much as this decade has been great for adult features, it's also important to recognize how much has been done for one key demographic: teenagers. It seems inevitable that every generation is bound to have their own set of classics by which they watch countless times and quote verbatim to their friends. While it should be noted that I am far from my teenage years, these are films that manage to feel like they cover the spectrum of teenage culture, including angst and personal struggles within personal lives. This list isn't just for comedies and dramas and will feature a variety of subgenres that include sci-fi and superhero cinema. As crazy as this all sounds, it's not nearly as odd as being a teenager. So enjoy this list and hopefully, the back half of 2019 will feature more teenage masterpieces that could've made this list.
At some point in life, everyone has been a teenager. It's an inescapable part of life, and director Gia Coppola explores the struggles in one of the decade's best debuts. The camera wanders through as if memory from another time as Devonte Hynes' whimsical score plays underneath. The story pieces together in a way that adds meditation to the mundane, making it into a beautiful reflection of being young and reckless, unable to understand the greater world beyond your own problems. It's a frank and honest film with a great performance by Emma Roberts grounding everything. Everyone may have not grown up in the houses in Palo Alto, CA, but the feeling of barely escaping trouble is. This is a perfect scrapbook of a time that is unlike any to come again. It's beautiful and precious in all of the best ways possible.
Over the past 10 years, there have been few indie ingenues to emerge quite like Greta Gerwig. Whether you've noticed her for her acting, writing, or directing, she has created one fo the most authentic personas of the modern age. It all culminated in this early 00's coming of age story that saw her twist Saoirse Ronan into one of the most memorable teenagers in recent cinema. Every line is confident in its humor, the experiences are ripe with painful familiarity. Everything about the Sacramento-set movie is a charming ode to growing up and the struggle to be understood by your peers as well as family. Gerwig seems set to continue to impress, in front of the camera and behind, and one can imagine her becoming out of the most essential female directors of the next decade as she continues to explore the human experience in the ways that only she knows how.
Director Mike Mills' parents are cooler than yours, and his two films prove it. Following the great coming-out drama Beginners about his father, he takes this chance to explore the quiet achievements that his mom gave him. As a man who grew up largely surrounded by women, he had a different path in learning how to become a man. Throughout the film, there's a shift between the masculine world outside the house and the women who teach him to be strong. With great central performances by Greta Gerwig, Annette Benning, and Elle Fanning, the film is a delightful ode to the late-70's and a time that seems just as odd and funny in hindsight. It's a film that will remind you of at least one woman in your life. If you're lucky, it'll remind you of more than that.
In a sense, We Need to Talk About Kevin has aged profoundly due to the fact that violence has only become more complacent in society. It's unfortunate but gives meaning to a film that paints one mother's struggle to understand her child, an antichrist of sorts who is constantly at odds with her. It's the pain of raising a hellion, unsure of what to do to make their lives better. It's one of Tilda Swinton's best performances in a decade full of great performances, and the nonchronological format allows for the slow reveals to add depth to the past and present. Is Swinton just as much a monster for Kevin's demise? It's a film with no easy answers, and in the process creates one of the most haunting depictions of motherhood this decade while establishing Lynn Ramsey as one of the best directors of the modern era.
There have been few female directors with the clout and talent of Sofia Coppola. With an impressive decade that has seen some of her best work, she continues to be a vital voice to the cinema with her quiet stories of women struggling with their place in the world. While it's easy to put any of her films on this list, The Bling Ring feels special in part because it was part of the Freshman class of A24 Studios, but also because it took Emma Watson out of her comfort zone and made her a delightful debutante. It's a story about our obsession with fame and the void that trying to reach it without any noteworthy talent shares. While it's cold and easy to hate the central cast, it's a comedic tale that works as a cautionary tale wrapped in a documented look into naive youth. It's a bit frustrating, but it's the closest that Coppola has come to capturing the modern era in a way that is vital and even familiar.
While there's a lot of great perspectives to be found in American cinema, there's something affecting about this vision of what it means to grow up in a strict household in a Turkish village. With comparisons to The Virgin Suicides, the story shows how a house full of teenage girls try to break out of the house in the hope of living a fulfilling life. The drama is powerful and sets first time director Deniz Gamze Erguven on an interesting path. With an ability to allow a quiet scene to play out in a meticulous manner, the personal story manages to be full of emotion and drama that will stick with the audience. Few have made being young and bored so compelling and familiar. Simple acts have rarely felt as grandiose as this. One can hope her career has many more hits like this down the line.
1. Palo Alto (2014)
2. Lady Bird (2017)
3. Dear White People (2014)
As far as film franchises go, director Justin Simien hit the jackpot with a series that attempted to understand "a black face in a white place." In this case, it's at Winchester University, and the original film came out swinging with a student debate on every possible cultural divide. Where most films could feel like soapboxes being pulled out for obvious ideas, Simien's vision is one that's universal to contemporary America by starting a discourse that is just as informative as it is contradictory. The fact that the film even created new black archetypes in society is a sign of how much the film has resonated with audiences. If one wants to know how to have a civilized debate about the many transgressions of modern society, there are few films that feel as immediate and important as this. It also helps that it features a great cast that, among other things, helped launch Tessa Thompson's career. There's a lot to love and think about, and rarely has humor and intellect mixed so well within the same frame.
4. 20th Century Women (2016)
5. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
6. Call Me By Your Name (2017)
There's a certain charm in watching Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet slowly fall in love over the course of two hours. There's not much else to the story besides that, but director Luca Guadagnino still manages to make the most of everything by mixing in conversations of philosophy as characters have conversations in front of beautiful villas. By the end, it all depends on the central duo's chemistry, and it is something that is electric and captures the naivety of young love in a way that feels honest and at times raw. While some are likely to buy into the film's "controversy," the story is far more pure than that and feels familiar as it revels in dance scenes set to Psychedelic Furs. If you've been in love, there's something that will resonate here. If you've had a summer love, there's a good chance the ending will hit like a ton of bricks. Still, it's one of the best atmospheric films of the decade and features a great third act monologue from Michael Stuhlbarg. There's so much to love about the film, and the only way to do it justice is to give into its positive energy.
7. Spring Breakers (2013)
Whether or not this film was meant to have subtext, it has plenty of provocation under the surface. In this Spring Break film that feels like a chaotic party (or as one critic put it: "Terrence Malick on bath salts"), director Harmony Korine creates the ultimate antagonistic movie of the decade by casting a bunch of Disney alumni for raucous partying full of drugs and nudity. However, it's also an exploration of morality in a culture that praises recklessness and answers its questions with violence. It's a perfect distillation of chaos with some of the best cinematography and Skrillex set to classical strings. While this film may not always appeal to tamer audiences, the visceral response of the many montages is a thing of beauty for those willing to embrace such a perverted movie that simultaneously has a lot on its mind and nothing underneath.
8. American Honey (2016)
Following incredible work in Fish Tank, director Andrea Arnold takes a trip over to America with an epic that explores the life of magazine-selling teens just trying to make enough to survive. With a breakthrough performance by Sasha Stone, the film is a brilliant epitome of what indie film can be as it finds authentic performances in first-time actors who fill this world with a unique personality. Not a lot may happen throughout the course of the film, but what Arnold does is allow this world to grow and be explored in a manner that is engrossing. There's power in every frame, and the results are perfect. It's a film that could've gone on for another 90 minutes and still been great. American Honey has so much greatness going for it that it's hard to ignore as kids sing Lady Antebellum. It's just a song in the back of the van, and yet it feels like the most important thing in the world.
9. The Bling Ring (2013)
10. The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
There have been hundreds of films exploring teen angst, but there have been few American films that have been as frank about sexuality as this. With a great lead performance by Bel Powley, the story explores a teenage girl's exploration not only of herself but also of how she forms certain relationships in her life. While its comic book adaptation shines through in fantastic segments, the story is grounded in a wounded familiarity. As teenagers try to understand their place in the world, they have awkward tumbles that are unpleasant and maybe too edgy for conventional cinema. While this is a solid R-Rated film, it's a great learning curve for teenagers entering the scary world. It's a touching film that gets to the heart of why we pursue the relationships that we do and treats them with a sincerity not often seen.
11. Mustang (2015)
12. Hanna (2011)
While the Amazon Prime series has brought back an interest in this teenage spy story, it hardly compares to the magic that is the cinematic original. In director Joe Wright's best film, he applies a series of fairy tale motifs on top of a story of teenage spy Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) that creates a new sense of folklore. The cast is rounded out with excellent performances by Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett, and the score by The Chemical Brothers is among the finest this decade. It helps that Ronan's vulnerability as an actress is met with a rare physicality that works in giving her character a sympathy that is hard to ignore. The story may seem familiar, but through Wright's vision, it's wholly reinvented in exciting ways that are hard to forget.
13. Attack the Block (2011)
There have been few alien invasion movies that evoke as much fun as director Joe Cornish' debut. With characters so dense in their British slang and aliens presented with rotoscoping techniques, the film is a one of a kind journey through the lower class. It also helps that they're armed with some creative ways to fight off aliens and even more quips about how they'd rather just be at home playing FIFA. The film is endlessly creative and never wastes an ounce of energy, managing to be continually shocking and exciting as things go faster and faster. The film did produce future Star Wars actor John Boyega, though one wishes that more of the actors had careers of that magnitude (or that Cornish got to make more films in the eight years since). There's not a dull figure in the entire film, and that's quite an achievement.
14. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Just on the big screen since 2010, this is the third iteration of Spider-Man that has been seen. It's enough to make one roll their eyes and wonder what really is there left to say about the web-slinger? Apparently, there's quite a bit if you know how to play your cards right. With innovative animation techniques, this story subverts the expectations of the Spider-Man mythology by adding layers to the character. For starters, this is the first time that Spider-Man has been played by Miles Morales, a young black man stuck between a law-abiding police officer father and an uncle who like to do some graffiti. Add in a host of characters from multiple dimensions and you get one of the craziest, most inventive and visually inspired superhero movies of the decade. There have been few films like it, and hopefully, that will continue to be the case. If not, I'm sure we can all settle for some Spider-Ham shorts.
15. God Help the Girl (2014)
By some respects, a musical directed by the lead singer of Belle & Sebastian may seem a bit too twee to be any good. However, for those willing to give into the goofy charm of lyrical ennui and wit, it's a rather enjoyable and silly film that never lets up its energy. With a protagonist that suffers from an eating disorder, the story slowly unfolds as she finds her community and forms a band that performs many songs made popular by the actual group God Help the Girl. The songs are infectious and the direction is often inspired as the story unfolds in ways that are delightful, optimistic, but never stray from honesty. There are few musicals like it, thanks in large part to the songbook being already so unique and catchy. It may not please everyone, but for those who can get on board with the ingenuity, it actually becomes one of the best musicals of the decade as well as one of the more innovative.
16. Shirkers (2018)
It's not often that teenagers have the chance to reinvent a country's entire form of cinema. For Singapore residents Sandi Tan and her friends Sophie and Jasmine, they not only had that chance but came so close to achieving it. The only fault was dealing with a shady businessman who stole their final prints and sabotaged their legacy. What followed is a heartbreaking story of young dreams fueled by watching cinematic imports that informed their visual language in exciting ways. There's a sense that this meant the world to them, and the sad third act makes this essential viewing. It's a story not only of disappointment but how to overcome that struggle when the world goes from seeming like it'll be yours to being something lesser. It's as much a story of deceit as it is learning to move on. It's powerful and one of the best documentaries of the decade as well as one of the best teenage stories that is stranger than fiction.
17. The Runaways (2010)
As far as overlooked movies go, director Floria Sigismondi's music biopic's tale of Joan Jett, Cherry Curie, and pals is near the top in terms of greatness. The Runaways remain one of the most groundbreaking rock bands of all time, in large part because of how it portrayed women not only as musicians, but as commodities. Sure, the film is heavy on the themes of exploitation by a scuzzy manager (in one of many great Michael Shannon performances of the decade), but it's also one of the sweetest tales of nuclear families this decade. Kristen Stewart is a spot on Jett and Dakota Fanning's Curie is one of the most charismatic heartbreaks. As a whole, it creates a portrait that goes above the cliches and understands how a band functions as more than a vehicle for reckless music. There's a need to have something deeper, and sometimes that involves helping friends avoid going crazy on tour.
18. The Spectacular Now (2013)
Of all the Miles Teller films to come out of this decade, few could compare to this early film that finds a teenage alcoholic trying to overcome his addictions for love. As he plays opposite Shailene Woodley, he finds purpose in his life that develops a special kind of romance. Director James Ponsoldt does an incredible job of letting the camera linger on moments, letting the actors give awkward laughs that add depth to the overall characters. As much as the story follows conventional patterns, it's the chemistry of its two leads that manage to give it necessary longevity. You want to see them succeed in part because of how convincing they are together. Teller has rarely been this affecting and Woodley proved that she is capable of handling big dramatic roles. It's the teenage love story for those who don't fall into the conventional camp and need to find their own way to that acceptance. When it works, sparks fly. This also proved that Ponsoldt was one of this decade's most promising filmmakers, and one can hope he continues to produce films this human, candid, and powerful.
19. Boyhood (2014)
Maybe, in the end, director Richard Linklater's decade-spanning film was more of a miracle than a masterpiece. It still is bizarre that a film that took 12 years to make with a cast that wasn't yet proven to be reliable actually produced something powerful. If anything, Linklater's obsession with exploring the effects of time on his actors gives the film a certain edge even as it enters some mundane aspects of growing up in Texas. For the film's lack of conflict, it still manages to be a powerful look into how memory works during our important stages of development and the impact that parents can play in our lives. Patricia Arquette deservedly won an Oscar for her role as the hardworking mother, made all the more impressive by how the film managed to come together as time went on. It's true that Linklater admits disappointment that time didn't produce more interesting fashion, but what he got instead was a look into the first decade of the 21st century that is more honest and candid than most films covering the subject.
20. We Are the Best! (2013)
This Swedish drama focuses on three young women who want to form a punk band. The premise could've stalled out there, producing silly songs and reveling in the aimlessness of youth. However, the film goes further than that and explores the empathy behind this decision. Why would anyone want to start a band? Some of it is for passion, but a lot of it is for expression and the ability to feel like you matter in a society that doesn't recognize you. It's a wonderful, tender film that finds its characters wandering through typical band struggles, but in ways that have an energy and emotion behind them. As silly as songs that preach "Abort the sport" may sound, it's the reason behind these moments that give the film meaning. More than any other film not named The Runaways, this is one of the few quintessential movies about a band trying to make it in this world.
21. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016)
To some extent, this one is a bit of a cheat considering that the protagonists are 30-something parents. However, the Neighbors franchise has been nothing but exploring the conflict between youth and aging. In the superb sequel, Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne take on the sorority lifestyle in a story that explores the complicated relationship of teenage girls and the bonds that they make in college. Sure, it's just as much about sabotaging them but it also finds the heart in the struggle to have a unified understanding. It's a fear of aging that makes sense from everyone's perspectives, and the sorority material is some of the film's best moments. It may not be a traditional "teen" movie, but it's one that confronts the subject of youth in a manner that feels important to the genre as a whole.
22. Girlhood (2014)
Being young and without a sense of identity can be tough. In this French drama, a young girl finds solace when she escapes her miserable personal life by joining a gang. But does it really make her happy, or is it all just a facade? It's tough to say, but what can be said is that the film captures the struggles of youth far better than most American films. If nothing else, it finds beauty in dancing along to Rihanna's "Diamonds" in a moment that may not push the plot forward but has an exuberance and charm that's hard to ignore. It's a beautiful film and one with a tenderness that explores the aimlessness of teenage rebellion in a way that is powerful and honest.
23. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
There are few teenage romances that feel as influential as The Fault in Our Stars. While it didn't quite launch Shailene Woodley into the stratosphere, it did manage to create a template that continues to be copied through the sick teenager mold. The story focuses on teenagers who have cancer and whose futures look uncertain. The plot may be occasionally contrived, but there's still power driven from the sentiment of its central characters, capturing the fleeting joys of youth against a backdrop of despair. It has a lot of odd moments, and plenty of touching ones as well. It may be a flawed film deep down, but it is the type of story that works at capturing the naivety of youth and the feeling of personal bonding in a world that doesn't understand your struggles. It's sappy and romantic in all of the right ways, and it's bound to be a classic of its time.
24. Nerve (2016)
With cameras rolling nonstop in the modern era, something like Nerve is more plausible than its absurd premise would suggest. The point is to participate in continually shameless activities with the goal of gaining money as your audience grows. With excellent lead performances by Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, the story goes down some insane paths as it deconstructs YouTube in everything but name, discovering the importance of identity and why desperate attempts for attention aren't always worth it. It's got plenty of entertaining moments, and it's bizarre that it comes from Catfish creators Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who is likely more responsible for exploiting the recesses of the internet depravity than doing anything to solve it. Still, it's one entertaining film that's hard to ignore once it gets going. Much like the challenges, it's tough to pull your eyes away as things become more perilous and fun.
25. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)
To some extent The Hunger Games franchise never quite became the phenomenon it was promised to be in 2012. Sure, it helped launch Jennifer Lawrence's career, but the politically active quadrilogy was met with scrutiny as it worked within a studio system. However, the third time was the charm for the series as it captured a 21st century take on activism that the others failed to do. With protagonist Katniss Everdeen worn from the plight of evil, she turns to modes that could be described as social media to convey her message. Cameras are on, catchy songs send messages further than simple statements. There's power in every frame as Lawrence creates urgency and desire for change. It may suffer from being part one of a two-part story (the latter of which is more of the same old action), but it conveys so much of what a modern activist is that it would be wrong to ignore its impact as a film and the message it conveys to a young generation.
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