THE BEST MOVIES OF THE DECADE ACCORDING TO PINNLAND EMPIRE...

Lots of respected/popular film sites & publications have started listing & posting what they feel are the best movies of the decade, and I gotta be honest - they're a little sketchy in my opinion (how do people look at themselves in the mirror after including The Bling Ring or Arrival on a best of anything list? But to each their own, I guess. These lists can get a little weird as they sometimes teeter the line between personal preference and speaking for others). I completely understand why so many folks have included films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Toy Story 3 & Tree Of Life on their lists (they're certainly on mine) but where are the challenging films? Or at least movies that made an attempt at trying something new or different. I know that sounds a little pretentious but seriously - where are they? It goes without saying that staying power should play a major part in determining how a movie ends up on these lists, but doing/trying something genuinely different and/or innovative (and pulling it off successfully) should count for something, no?
So to serve as a slight alternative to some of the (very similar) lists popping up on the internet, I've decided to throw my own into the mix.

I'm sure many of you reading this are already familiar with this blog, but for those of you that may be new to PINNLAND EMPIRE - the movies listed below definitely represent my taste for the most part.

***I've written reviews on most of the titles listed below with a few exceptions (Tabloid, A Separation, Boxing Gym, The Ghost Writer & Before Midnight), so click on the image of each film to read their individual write-ups***


So in no real order (although broken up in to various categories) here they are...

THE TOP TIER:

Post Tenebras Lux

Holy Motors


Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

Alps

Tabloid

Toy Story

Another Year

Once Upon A Time In Anatolia


Entertainment


Mad Max: Fury Road

The Tree Of Life

Margaret

Evolution

The Turin Horse

Personal Problems

(best new old movie*)

Hard To Be A God

MISUNDERSTOOD/UNDERAPPRECIATED OR: MOVIES I FEEL I HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING (OR APOLOGIZING) TO DO FOR INCLUDING ON THIS LIST:

The Comedy


Black Venus


Outside Satan

Upstream Color

Leviathan

The Empty Box


Li'l Quinquin


The Clouds Of Sils Maria

The Untamed

Entrance

Mother Of George

Boxing Gym

The Act Of Killing

Knight Of Cups

Jauja

Goon 2

MOVIES I FEEL I HAVE MINOR EXPLAINING (OR APOLOGIZING) TO DO FOR INCLUDING ON THIS LIST:

Drive

Shame

The Hunt

Manchester By The Sea

ON THE FENCE:

Certified Copy

Melancholia

Marwencol

Essential Killing

God Bless America

13 Assassins

VERY CONFLICTED/PROBABLY DON'T DESERVE TO BE ON THIS LIST BUT I'LL INCLUDE THEM ON ANYWAY:

Carlos

Get Out

Moonlight

Boyhood

EH, WHY NOT?...

The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

The Hunt For The Wilderpeople

We Are The Best

The Deep Blue Sea

A Separation

The Great Beauty

John Wick

The Wind Rises

Paterson

VERY UNDECIDED BUT DESERVE TO BE MENTIONED:

Before Midnight

A Touch Of Sin

Stories We Tell

12 Years A Slave

TOO SOON BUT DESERVE TO BE MENTIONED:

Zama

A Hidden Life

High Life

Shoplifters