As 2019 reached its end, another decade of cinema had passed. It's amazing to think about how things have evolved since 2010 when the biggest controversies were about recognizing genre movies. Things look different now, especially as genre films like The Shape of Water and Parasite are winning Best Picture and the voting body looks incredibly different with each passing year. With this period in the books, it feels like a good time to celebrate their accomplishments by ranking all 88 titles nominated for Best Picture from worst to best with the goal of seeing which films are more likely to stand the test of time. Join me every Saturday and Sunday as I count them down, five at a time. It's going to be a fun summer looking back on what was, especially as we prepare for the decade ahead and an even more interesting diversity that we haven't even begun to think of.
59. Room (2015) – Dir. Lenny Abrahamson
There are few dramas that have captured the experience of trauma with such clarity as this. From the opening scene, set in a claustrophobic bunker locked off from the world, the audience watches as a mother and son live out their years under a monotonous schedule held by a manipulative, abusive husband. Brie Larson’s performance perfectly captures how this element eats at self-confidence while narrator Jacob Tremblay brings to life a naïve perspective that makes it all the more heartbreaking, unable to appreciate their newfound freedom. It’s the story of surviving abuse and one that’s uplifting and painful in equal measure, reflecting the potential to start living after things seemed hopeless. It’s a journey of such unapologetic intimacy that you can’t help but feel like every beat is a grand achievement, showing the strength of the human soul.
58. Hacksaw Ridge (2016) – Dir. Mel Gibson
Managing to get in his comeback narrative right before the Me Too Movement kicked into gear, Mel Gibson returns to war with a story that combines his passion (graphic violence) with a commentary on what it’s like to be an innocent bystander in the war. It’s a messy, intense film that combines goofy melodrama with a deeper emotional conversation. A lot of credit goes to Andrew Garfield, who keeps it all together as his wide-eyed pacifist overcomes the odds to become a hero without ever lifting a gun. It’s one of the more gruesome films nominated this decade, but its underlying optimism (whether or not it’s actually earned) is one of the brightest.
57. Green Book (2018) – Dir. Peter Farrelly
Who knew that a milquetoast throwback film about race relations in the 1960s could be so divisive? Through a quaint drama that found Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen having enjoyable conversations in a car, the audience discovers an American south becoming united during a racially tense time. Even if it’s not the most confrontational take on the subject, its search for empathy has so much to say about what’s good in the world and what we can do if we stop and listen every now and then. It’s true that it could’ve been better by, you know, listening to Don Shirley’s family in preproduction, but for what it is, it’s fine. Not quite worthy of being the most controversial Best Picture winner of the decade fine, but still passable entertainment.
56. The Revenant (2015) – Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Following up on his Best Picture winner Birdman, Inarritu took to the mountains to film one of the most brutal films imaginable. Practical effects were often used, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s selflessness to become a stunt performer and eat raw bison liver made it a very interesting exercise in how far humanity will go for revenge. It’s at times too self-serving, asking you to be amazed by its brutality, and in the process made nature into an unrepentant monster to anyone who dared to challenge it. It’s enjoyable, serving as one of the more esoteric nominees this century, but your willingness to watch DiCaprio brag about being beaten up for three hours will determine how much this film does for you.
55. Selma (2014) – Dir. Ava Duvernay
Among all Best Picture nominees, few have remained as urgent as this period piece that follows Martin Luther King Jr.’s quest to lead the Civil Rights Movement to positive change. By focusing on those around him, the film managed to show how everyone informs the impact of change, needing very voice heard in order to make any difference. It’s a confrontational film, and one whose message for change continues to feel relevant in light of Black Lives Matter. So long as there is injustice in the street, the teachings of King will continue to be relevant. More importantly, this film will show why everyone around him deserved to be heard too.
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