With the end of the year just days away, critics have really started to weigh in on their picks for the finest films of the decade. Indiewire has posted this excellent, in-depth article with tons of input from lead critics, as well as this comprehensive list of the must-see films from the last ten years.
Rotten Tomatoes, using their extensive archive of reviews from the nation’s top film critics, has posted a slightly different list of the most critically acclaimed films of the 00’s. Notably, they have chosen to divide up their list by genre, which ensures that comedy, science fiction, horror and other genres that are often overlooked get their due as well.
For more opinionated, idiosyncratic lists that represent the taste of a particular critic or group of critics, check out these lists from The Onion A.V. Club, Cinematical, and Paste Magazine. You may not agree with all of the choices, but the films that have made the cut are undoubtedly worth a watch. Personally, I was thrilled to see Spike Lee’s extraordinary 25th Hour on multiple lists; it certainly deserves the praise, in my opinion, and if you haven’t seen it already, you should definitely take a look.
The films hovering near the top of each of these lists, incidentally, are roughly the same across the board. The general consensus seems to be that Mulholland Drive, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, and There Will Be Blood represent the finest in filmmaking between January 2000 and now. Do you agree?
While I’m still very curious as to your picks for the best films of the decade (and just from 2009, as well), I’m also interested in what you think the dominant trends will be in filmmaking over the next ten years. What impact do you think economic and social realities will have on content and theater attendance if any? Will Hollywood continue to churn out films written by focus groups, aimed at the lowest common denominator? Will advances in digital technology and innovative approaches to low-budget filmmaking by studios and independents alike help attract larger audiences to smaller films? Your predictions, please!
PS – Happy Holidays from everyone at the ViviGeek team! If you’ve had your fix of the last decade, and would rather seek out the best movie of all time, I suggest you keep your eyes peeled for The Criterion Collection’s upcoming Blu-Ray release of Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2. Enjoy!
Suraj Das
Writer, Director