FFCC’s Top Films of the Decade

Posted by on Sunday, April 5, 2020 · Leave a Comment 

In early 2020, long before the Covid19 global pandemic, members of the Florida Film Critics Circle were asked to share their individual lists of the Best Films of the 2010s. Like the members themselves, the lists were eclectic and diverse. Over 100 movies received a vote. After tabulating the results using a weighted ranking system (outlined at the bottom of the article), the following films were the consensus picks as the finest that played in cinemas across the nation over the last decade.

Topping the list of eligible* films was Mad Max: Fury Road, George Miller’s dystopian action-thriller from 2015. Receiving the second and third most votes were Terrence Malick’s Palme d’Or-winning magnum opus The Tree of Life and David Fincher’s The Social Network about the tumultuous founding of Facebook. Parasite, last year’s Palme d’Or and Best Picture Oscar-winner was next in line. It was the highest-ranking film not in the English language to make the top 20. The top five was rounded out by Christopher Nolan’s 2017 World War II epic Dunkirk. Three of the top five (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Social Network and Dunkirk) also happened to be the FFCC’s Best Picture winners in their respective years. Another FFCC Best Picture winner, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, also made the list at 18.

Other notable films on the FFCC’s Top 20 were Kenneth Lonergan’s director’s cut version of his little-seen but critically beloved drama Margaret, Raoul Ruiz’s Portuguese period epic The Mysteries of Lisbon, Wes Anderson’s Oscar-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel, Abbas Kiarostami’s sublime Certified Copy andChristopher Nolan’s popular science fiction mind-bender Inception. Nolan was one of two filmmakers with two films in the top 20. The other being writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson who was represented by Phantom Thread and The Master in 13th and 14th place respectively. The Act of Killing, one half of Joshua Oppenheimer’s harrowing documentary twofer about the Indonesian mass killings of the 1960s, was the only documentary to make the top 20. The full Top 20, along with some honorable mentions are listed below, along with the individual lists of all the members who participated in this exercise.

TOP 20 FILMS OF THE DECADE

  • 1. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) d. George Miller
  • 2. THE TREE OF LIFE (2011) d. Terrence Malick
  • 3. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010) d. David Fincher
  • 4. PARASITE (2019) d. Bong Joon-Ho
  • 5. DUNKIRK (2017) d. Christopher Nolan
  • 6. MARGARET (2011) d. Kenneth Lonergan
  • 7. (TIE) MYSTERIES OF LISBON (2011) d. Raoul Ruiz
  • 7. (TIE) THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014) d. Wes Anderson
  • 7. (TIE) CERTIFIED COPY (2011) d. Abbas Kiarostami
  • 10. INCEPTION (2010) d. Christopher Nolan
  • 11. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012)d. Benh Zeitlin
  • 12. THE ACT OF KILLING (2012) d. Joshua Oppenheimer
  • 13. PHANTOM THREAD (2017) d. Paul Thomas Anderson
  • 14. THE MASTER (2012) d. Paul Thomas Anderson
  • 15. HOLY MOTORS (2012) d. Leos Carax
  • 16. UNDER THE SKIN (2014) d. Jonathan Glazer
  • 17. ZAMA (2018) d. Lucrecia Martel
  • 18. (TIE) BOYHOOD (2014) d. Richard Linklater
  • 18. (TIE) 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013) d. Steve McQueen
  • 20. HER (2013) d. Spike Jonze

Ranking Methodology:

  • A weighted points system was used. Movies ranked first received 10 points, second place received 9 points and so forth
  • Single points were awarded to films that appeared on more than a single list
  • Single points were awarded to films that topped individual lists
  • Points were awarded equally among the films mentioned for unranked lists

*A NOTE ON ELIGIBILITY: A few members included the television limited series Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) on their lists in very high positions. As the ballot is a weighted one, the inclusion of this series would have resulted in it ranking as one of the top three films of the decade. While the artistry of David Lynch’s work is without question, its status as a motion picture is. Although some scholarly groups, namely Sight & Sound and Cahiers du cinema, included it on their best of decade lists, it will not count here. Here’s why:

This television series (and it is a television series) was released in episodic format (18 episodes in total) in its completed form, it was promoted as the “third season” of Twin Peaks (the TV series) by its distributor Showtime, it was and continues to be widely listed as a television show on numerous outlets, and it was even submitted by its own creators (and subsequently nominated for) multiple Emmy Awards in 2018. Finally, and most importantly, the moderator of this particular exercise does not consider it to be a film and that’s the final eligibility rule as far as this list is concerned. That being said, it qualifies as a television series and it will be eligible for consideration at the Florida Television Critics Association’s list of the Best TV Shows of the decade. Come @ me!

INDIVIDUAL LISTS

ALFRED SOTO

  1. CERTIFIED COPY (2011)
  2. THE SOUVENIR (2019)
  3. MYSTERIES OF LISBON (2011)
  4. SHOPLIFTERS (2018)
  5. POETRY (2011)
  6. GIRLHOOD (2015)
  7. UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES (2011)
  8. BEING 17 (2016)
  9. CARLOS (2010)
  10. ZAMA (2018)

ALLISON HAZLETT

  1. ROOM (2015)
  2. THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017)
  3. THE IMITATION GAME (2014)
  4. BLACK PANTHER (2018)
  5. HIDDEN FIGURES (2016)
  6. KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (2016)
  7. LION (2016)
  8. ROCKETMAN (2019)
  9. MOANA (2016)
  10. INCEPTION (2010)

CAMERON MEIER

  1. DUNKIRK (2017)
  2. HUGO (2011)
  3. ANNA KARENINA (2012)
  4. LOVING VINCENT (2017)
  5. 1917 (2019)
  6. TOY STORY 3 (2010)
  7. THE ARTIST (2011)
  8. BIRDMAN (2014)
  9. THE ACT OF KILLING (2012)
  10. HOLY MOTORS (2012)

DAN HUDAK

  1. LA LA LAND (2016)
  2. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013)
  3. OJ MADE IN AMERICA (2016)
  4. WHIPLASH (2014)
  5. THE INSULT (2017)
  6. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL (2011)
  7. INCEPTION (2010)
  8. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (2017)
  9. A SEPARATION (2011)
  10. THE MARTIAN (2015)

GISELA SAVDIE

  1. THE LOBSTER (2015)
  2. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012)
  3. THE SQUARE (2017)
  4. MARGARET (2011)
  5. LI’L QUINQUIN (2015)
  6. BEANPOLE (2019)
  7. ZAMA (2018)
  8. YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE (2017)
  9. THE TRIBE (2014)
  10. THE HANDMAIDEN (2016)

HANS MORGENSTERN

  1. TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN (2017)
  2. ANNIHILATION (2018)
  3. THE MASTER (2012)
  4. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (2019)
  5. SCARRED HEARTS (2016)
  6. BEYOND THE HILLS (2012)
  7. THE WITCH (2015)
  8. ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (2013)
  9. HOLY MOTORS (2012)
  10. MARGARET (2011)

JOHN THOMASON

  1. TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN (2017)
  2. BOYHOOD (2014)
  3. THE TREE OF LIFE (2011)
  4. THE ACT OF KILLING (2012)
  5. TIMBUKTU (2014)
  6. OJ: MADE IN AMERICA (2016)
  7. NO HOME MOVIE (2015)
  8. BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2014)
  9. UNDER THE SKIN (2013)
  10. MARGARET (2011)

JOE BELCASTRO

  1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)
  2. AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)
  3. CRAZY STUPID LOVE (2011)
  4. LET ME IN (2010)
  5. TROLLHUNTER (2011)
  6. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018)
  7. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL (2011)
  8. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE (2010)
  9. WARM BODIES (2013)
  10. BLACKFISH (2013)

Full disclosure:  I have not seen every movie this decade. However, from 2009 – 2014, this guy was a full-time journalist – with a focus on movie reviews – and I was almost decent at it. There was also a time in the last decade where I would willing choose to wear bandannas in my back pocket; vanquishing any chance of me getting laid. So, now that we know each other, feels like we can move forward with an understanding that:

  • I’m probably missing something
  • I cannot recall any documentaries
  • I don’t care if you think my genre classification is wrong
  • I really wanted to add the Porno genre but then realized I have not watched one (in its entirety) since 2008. Although there was that Lars Von Trier flick… 

Anyway, here’s what I remember…

Drama: The Social Network (2010) – This is still one of my all-time Top 5 faves.
Fantasy/Superhero/Comic: Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Romantic-Comedy: Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
Horror:  Let Me In (2010)
Found Footage: Trollhunter (2011)
Animation: Spider-Man – Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Action: Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
Musical: Rock of Ages (2012)
Comedy: Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Love: Warm Bodies (2013)
Documentary: Blackfish (2013)

JUAN BARQUIN

  1. UPSTREAM COLOR (2013)
  2. CAROL (2015)
  3. FRANCES HA (2012)
  4. UNDER THE SKIN (2013)
  5. WORLD OF TOMORROW (2016)
  6. HOUSE OF TOLERANCE (2011)
  7. TO THE WONDER (2012)
  8. MELANCHOLIA (2011)
  9. SOMEWHERE (2010)
  10. MY FIRST FILM (2018)

LANCE GOLDENBERG

  1. MYSTERIES OF LISBON (2010)
  2. HOLY MOTORS (2012)
  3. TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN (2017)
  4. PHOENIX (2015)
  5. THE ACT OF KILLING (2012)
  6. ZAMA (2018)
  7. BIRDMAN (2014)
  8. UNDER THE SKIN (2013)
  9. HER (2013)
  10. THE BABADOOK (2014)

PAVEL KLEIN

  1. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
  2. PHANTOM THREAD (2017)
  3. HER (2013)
  4. THE LOST CITY OF Z (2017)
  5. LADY BIRD (2017)
  6. THE AVENGERS (2012)
  7. PADDINGTON 2 (2018)
  8. BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017)
  9. KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS (2016)
  10. TRON: LEGACY (2010)

PHILIP BOOTH

  1. INCEPTION (2010)
  2. THE SHAPE OF WATER (2017)
  3. PARASITE (2019)
  4. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
  5. GET OUT (2017)
  6. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012)
  7. FACES PLACES (2017)
  8. MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012)
  9. THE WITCH (2015)
  10. WINTER’S BONE (2010)

RENE RODRIGUEZ

  1. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
  2. THE TREE OF LIFE (2011)
  3. CERTIFIED COPY (2011)
  4. PATERSON (2016)
  5. MELANCHOLIA (2011)
  6. PARASITE (2019)
  7. SILENCE (2016)
  8. MONEYBALL (2011)
  9. MOONLIGHT (2016)
  10. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013)

REUBEN PEREIRA

  1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)
  2. DUNKIRK (2017)
  3. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014)
  4. PARASITE (2019)
  5. BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013)
  6. THE MASTER (2012)
  7. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
  8. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (2016)
  9. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET (2013)
  10. ROMA (2018)

RUBEN PERALTA

(unranked 20)

  • THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)
  • INCENDIES (2010)
  • MONEYBALL (2011)
  • HABEMUS PAPEM (2011)
  • THE MASTER (2012)
  • BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (2012)
  • INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS (2013)
  • HELI (2013)
  • IDA (2014)
  • BOYHOOD (2014)
  • MAD MAX FURY ROAD (2015)
  • SON OF SAUL (2015)
  • NERUDA (2016)
  • SWISS ARMY MAN (2016)
  • THE FLORIDA PROJECT (2017)
  • MOTHER! (2017)
  • SHOPLIFTERS (2018)
  • ROMA (2018)
  • PARASITE (2019)
  • UNCUT GEMS (2019)

RUBEN ROSARIO

  1. THE TREE OF LIFE (2011)
  2. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (2017)
  3. MARGARET (EXTENDED CUT) (2011)
  4. PHANTOM THREAD (2017)
  5. I AM LOVE (2010)
  6. THE GREAT GATSBY (2013)
  7. ANOMALISA (2015)
  8. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (2016)
  9. SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE (2018)
  10. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013)

STEVEN LEBOWITZ

  1. THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (2014)
  2. JOJO RABBIT (2019)
  3. RUBY SPARKS (2012)
  4. THE WAY WAY BACK (2013)
  5. ZERO DARK THIRTY (2012)
  6. THE WALK (2015)
  7. WINTER’S BONE (2010)
  8. THE BOOK THIEF (2013)
  9. THE WHISTLEBLOWER (2010)
  10. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)

Category: Features & News · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments are closed.