Movies That Defined A Decade

As this decade draws to a close, I thought ranking movies it would be an appropriate way to celebrate the end of a historic ten year era in cinematic history. I have chosen these thirty movies based on suggestions from family, friends and my own personal favorites (which are indicated in yellow on the list). I didn't include some suggestions in the article for one of two reasons: either I have not seen the movie or I didn't believe it helped to define this decade. Movies that I have not included on the ranked list that were suggested to me are listed at the bottom of this article as "honorable mentions."

I ranked these movies based on their popularity, impact on society, and personal opinions. Some movies I prefer more than others, but because of how well I believe they represented this decade, they are ranked higher on the list. I have also included Cinema 'Stine scores for each movie on this list.

#30 Sausage Party

This 2016 movie about groceries who are voiced by big names in comedy flicks such as Seth Rogen and James Franco is pretty funny if I do say so myself. However, it's not the best movie to sit down and watch with your mom.

Cinema 'Stine score of 6.1/10

#29 Suicide Squad

Despite terrible reviews and Jared Leto's Joker, this fun movie about the bad guys of Gotham city taking on the role of heroes to save the day was iconic. Not only were there tons of girls dressed like Harley Quinn the Halloween after the movie premiered, Suicide Squad merchandise is still being sold today, showing the lasting impact this movie has made.

Cinema 'Stine Score of 8.5/10

#28 The Lego Movie

The LEGO Movie is fun adventure movie based on the LEGO brand toys. I find this movie to be interesting, very enjoyable, and great for all ages. The fact that three other movies have come into this franchises existence following the success of this movie is the reason it lands itself on my life.

Cinema 'Stine score of 8.0/10

#27 Detroit

This 2017 flick about the 1967 Detroit riots wasn't one of the top movies of its year, but I thought it was very well made, evoked lots of emotions, and was overall a great movie to watch. It's dramatic tone made this a very well executed flick. I've attached the trailer incase you want to check it out!

Cinema 'stine score of 7.5/10

#26 Django: Unchained

Under the direction of Quentin Tarantino, Django: Unchained is a magnificent movie. Despite the stereotypical characters, its perfect amount of violence and interesting story make it a very great movie.

Cinema 'Stine score of 7.3/10

#25 American Sniper

While I'm not usually one for war movies, this story of Navy Seal Chris Kyle, directed by none other than the amazing Clint Eastwood, was an amazing and emotional movie that was a very fitting for American society when it came out, and to this day, still manages to make me cry. If you haven't seen it or even heard of it, I attached a link to the trailer so you could check it out!

Cinema 'Stine Score of 7.8/10

#24 Incredibles 2

This movie answered a question that many people my age have been wondering for years: What happened after the end of The Incredibles? This awesome movie literally picks up right where Incredibles. Sequels to childhood movies like this have defined this decade by showing the demand for flicks that bring out people's inner child and bring back that heart warming we felt as children watching these movies for the first time.

Cinema 'stine score of 6.7/10

#23 A quiet Place

This amazing horror movie, directed by John Krasinski, has very interesting concept. Having very little gore and no profanity (or words in general) make this movie great for all ages. Appealing to a wider audience made this movie more well known and was one of the more popular horror movies of this decade. I have attached the trailer incase you haven't seen it yet!

Cinema 'stine score of 7.1/10

#22 Guardians of the Galaxy

This amazing Marvel flick was important in this decade because it spawned a new era of superhero movies: ones where the good guys aren't necessarily good (take Suicide Squad and Deadpool as examples).

Cinema 'Stine score of 8/10

#21 Black Panther

Being the first film in this era of Marvel movies where the main character was not Caucasian, this stunning movie was a very important for Marvel. Black Panther was #1 at the box office for five consecutive weeks when it came out, which at that point, had not happened since Avatar in 2009. I have attached the trailer incase you are one of the few people who hasn't seen it yet.

Cinema 'Stine score of 7.3/10

#20 Doctor Strange

While all the Marvel movies were an important part of American culture this decade, I decide to pick just a couple that were more influential, more important, or had more unique qualities than the others. While Doctor Strange might not stand out to some people, its stunning visual effects are the reason it lands itself on this list.

Cinema 'Stine score of 7.6/10

#19 Finding Dory

This sequel to Finding Nemo was long awaited and brought out the inner child in many people around my age who grew up watching the original movie. When Finding Dory came out in 2016, it was the highest grossing PG rated movie of the year and the second highest grossing movie of the year. I believe that the amazing response Disney got from this movie is what lead to other sequels later in the decade such as 2018's Incredibles 2 and 2019's Frozen 2.

Cinema 'Stine Score of 6.8/10

#18 Deadpool

As previously mentioned, Deadpool highlights a superhero that isn't necessarily a good guy. While this movie isn't very family friendly, this action packed, hilarious movie is perfect for those with a darker sense of humor. I have attached the trailer incase you haven't seen it yet!

Cinema 'Stine score of 7.3/10

#17 The Conjuring

I don't think anyone knew in 2013 how huge The Conjuring would be and that it would ever expand to the huge franchise it is with currently seven movies and even more in the works for the next decade. The Conjuring's franchises has proven to be very successful and is one of the most well-known horror flicks of this decade.

Cinema 'Stine score of 7.3/10

#16 Inside Out

After personifying bugs, animals, and toys, Pixar made a movie personifying emotions. While the concept itself is odd, the movie worked perfectly. It's not rare that I shed some tears during movies, but this one definitely made me cry. This movie shows how far Pixar has come with making movies that have such thoughtful plots.

Cinema 'stine score of 7.4/10

#15 Spiderman: Into the spiderverse

This movie had a great plot and was visually stunning. Watching this movie made you feel like you were actually reading a comic book. Having a movie that was a little more classically animated rather than the more modern 3-D, Pixar style of animation, shows that it doesn't take the most up-to-date animation to make a better, visually astonishing movie. I attached a link to the trailer so you can get a better idea of the visuals in this movie!

Cinema 'stine score of 7.8/10

#14 Logan

Logan, the ninth movie in the X-Men franchise, was successful in wrapping up a chapter of this movie. For fans of the franchise that have been watching these movies since X-Men came out in 2000, this movie was very powerful.

Cinema 'stine score of 7.1/10

#13 The avengers

Even though it wasn't the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers was the first cinematic crossover between the four biggest heroes of Marvel: Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man. Not only did it build up excitement for future movies, it also layed the foundation of the Infinity Saga story line with the appearance of our reoccurring foe Thanos in the end credits scene.

Cinema 'Stine score of 7.5/10

#12 Les Miserables

This legendary musical brought to the big screen truly delivered. I laughed, I cried, I sang along after I memorized all the songs. While this movie came out in 2012, I believe that it will slowly inspire more musicals film adaptations, like Cats and In The Heights.

Cinema 'Stine score of 8.9/10

#11 Hereditary

This amazing film contributes to what I believe is the new age of horror that directors such as Ari Aster and Jordan Peele have brought to the table this decade and will continue to deliver for years to come. If you haven't seen it or heard of it, check out the trailer!

Cinema 'Stine score of 8.1/10

#10 Midsommar

This crazy two hour and eighteen minute long movie is full of content that you would never see coming (unless you pay really great attention to the small details). This movie left me speechless and stunned, and I believe it is a phenomenal movie. Some might find the content too dark and disturbing, but I thought it was an amazing movie. Ari Aster delivered on his second horror movie and I am very excited to see what movies from him are in store for the next decade. I have attached a teaser trailer for you to get a little sneak peak of this amazing flick.

Cinema 'Stine score of 8.7/10

#9 Mad Max: Fury Road

This movie stands out to me in many ways. Everything from its interesting, innovative plot to the excellent music that fit the movie quite well made this flick very unique and memorable. Additionally, this movies visual effects are absolutely astonishing. This beautiful movie definitely earned this place on my list as it helped to define the action genre of this decade.

Cinema 'Stine score of 8.8/10

#8 Joker

If you know me, you know that I loved this movie. I even make a Joker-bread man for Christmas! This movie was astonishing. It really showed the Joker in a different light than just a sinister criminal. If you want to read more about it, I have attached a link to my movie review below! The way this movie focused mental illness was very important in today's society and contributed to it being such an influential movie from this decade.

Joker Movie Review

Cinema 'stine score of 9.0/10

#7 The Wolf of Wall Street

This fun, crazy movie based on the story of real life Wall Street broker Jordan Belfort staring the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio was an instant classic. While this is another movie that isn't very family friendly (seriously, do not watch this movie with your kids or your Grandma), spending your time watching this means three hours full of laughter and rich people doing crazy, rich people things. I have attached a trailer so you can get a glimpse of the craziness of this movie.

Cinema 'stine score of 8.5/10

#6 Us

I'm the type of person to watch a horror movie all alone at night with the lights out and I'm perfectly fine. I watched this movie in the theater with my boyfriend, and the concept haunted me for weeks. While the concept of the movie seems far fetched, as I previously mentioned, I believe horror directors like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster are ushering in a new age of horror. Us and other movies from the two directors aren't your typical horror flicks filled with ghosts or serial killers. I feel as if they are more realistic, which makes them more terrifying.

Cinema 'Stine score of 9.0/10

#5 It: Chapter One

I may be biased given that I have seen this movie three times in the last two months, but this movie did a an amazing job of bringing Stephen King's sewer clown to the big screen and terrifying audiences. This iconic movie was very well executed and has become a phenomenon.

Cinema 'Stine score of 8.3/10

#4 The Hunger Games

If you didn't watch or even hear of The Hunger Games this decade, you literally had to be living under a rock. While The Hunger Games might not be as prominent now as it in the early 2010's, this movie inspired other adaptations of young-adult books to come to the big screen like the Divergent and Maze Runner movies. This amazing movie was the first of its kind and helped to define the culture of this decade. The Hunger Games is truly a classic movie.

cinema 'stine score of 7.9/10

#3 Star Wars: The Force Awakens

While many people despise the new Star Wars trilogy, I have really enjoyed The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. The Force Awakens was my first Star Wars movie, and it is the reason I got into the franchise. This movie is ranked so highly on my list because of its impact on American society. I believe The Force Awakens and the new trilogy has instilled the love of the classic franchise in a new generation, and will continue this franchises success for many years to come.

Cinema 'Stine score of 8.6/10

#2 Frozen

Frozen's wholesome characters and outstanding soundtrack contribute to its rank on my list. In addition to these things, the heartwarming (literally) story is unforgettable. Frozen may only be six years old, but this movie is a classic.

cinema 'Stine score of 8.7/10

#1 Avengers: Endgame

It goes without saying that Marvel has had an incredible run this decade with over twenty films so far, and many more in the works for the future. Avengers: Endgame was an amazing, breathtaking (especially for me) movie that was effective in wrapping up the Infinity Saga that has captured the hearts of superhero fans and average movie-goers alike.

Cinema 'Stine score of 9.0/10

Honorable Mentions

Captain America: The Winter Solider

The Dark Knight Rises

Frozen 2

Fury

Godzilla

Inception

It: Chapter Two

John Wick

The Kingsmen

Knives Out

Lone Survivor

The Martian

Moana

Moonlight

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

The Predator

Rocketman

Trolls

True Grit

If you got this far, thank you so much for reading my article and supporting me. I worked really hard on this and I am really appreciative that people are willing to read/view my work.

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