As most know, I am a film enthusiast, viewing the cinema as being among the finest art forms. The following is a list of movies released in the 2010's that I would consider my favorites. They are in no particular order and there is no particular number of films I aim to include.

1. Under The Skin

Debuting in 2013, Under The Skin is, in my opinion, Scarlett Johansson's defining performance of the decade. Although she's been an actress since the early 2000's, Scarlett Johannson didn't quite become an A-List actress until she was cast in the widely-successful The Avengers as Black Widow, thus reprising her role in other Marvel films as well. Because of this, she's arguably become a household name and has thus been cast in large-scale epics such as Ghost In The Shell (2017) and Lucy (2014). Although she was the starring role in both of these wide release films, Under The Skin is a modern day science fiction classic. The plot goes as such. Johannson portrays an alien disguised as an Earth female, using her sexualized body to both lure victims in and observe human nature and rituals. Without overbearing dialogue or exposition, the Director invests in the intelligence and criticality of his audience, allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusions and fill in the blanks. The film is chilling, haunting, and minimalist despite its science fiction, high concept plot, which is a modern example of visual storytelling. It's brilliant.

2. Black Swan

2011's Black Swan, which was seriously snubbed, in my opinion, at the Oscars by The Artist (basically a love-letter to Hollywood by Hollywood) Black Swan is a variation from what one would expect from a picture of its kind. A film that follows a young woman who feels like a nobody and an underdog, trying out for a ballet, Black Swan, and pushing herself to the limit to become the star of the show. Now, while one may assume of this film a sappy, pretentious drama, albeit, I have nothing against the usual fanfare that wins Oscars if it's actually good, the film is much darker and cerebral than that (It's often categorized as a psychological horror). It's an intelligent horror film that, rather than let a unique monster represent an actual element of the human condition, simply lets that element, the feeling of inefficiency, become the movie. With that concept, Darren Aronofsky, one of my favorite directors, constructs a chilling, discomforting, and unique film on all fronts.

3. True Grit

2010's True Grit, created by the Coen Brothers, definitely reigned above all the year that it was released. Perhaps most would disagree, asserting the widely anticipated and acclaimed The Social Network as the best film of 2010, True Grit just works on levels that I don't understand. Call me old-fashioned, but True Grit is one of the most authentic Western films since 1997's Unforgiven, and the Coen Brothers captured an essence of the story that the original adaptation of the novel starring John Wayne simply did not capture. Yes, the second True Grit is an example of me vastly preferring the remake over the original. Roger Deakins brutal cinematography, the impeccable performances (especially Steinfeld and Bridges), and every other element of the film tie together to construct a modern Western masterpiece.

4. The Babadook

2014's The Babadook is one of the best horror films in years. Because I just wanted one horror film on this list, I had to debate pretty intensely between this film and 2015's It Follows. Honestly, you might ask me, tomorrow, and I'll tell you It Follows, but from an objective standpoint, The Babadook is honestly the superior flick simply because of its originality and craft. Jennifer Kent settled on letting her own, personal creation, The Babadook, to tell a story of grief, a real-life horror. Although It Follows cleverly pays heavy homage to horror films of the 70's and moreso the 80's, Babadook's homage seems to come from a more genuine place, and that place is the folktale, or perhaps, the urban myth. A monster described in a book that is eventually revealed as being real. By doing this, one takes an archaic form of storytelling and brings it to the real world, portraying grief as one of real-life's most threatening monsters.

5. Drive

2011's Drive is a vastly underrated film. Advertised as a high-octane action thriller, the actual film works on much deeper levels, and the plot is much more a quiet drama, mixing elements of romance and crime into a modern neo-noir masterpiece. Based upon a novel, Nicholas Winding-Refn constructed a film with genuine characters. They are neither bland and interchangeable with characters from other crime films, nor do they bear exaggerated, bizarre names and forcedly unique mannerisms to establish memorability over actual character. The film tells us a story about a getaway driver, which might resonate as thrilling enough premise, except that 3/4 of the film tells a story of the getaway driver's life, and how he seeks to simply improve it. It's only in the last thirty minutes that we begin to witness stylized action scenes, all which serve the plot and nothing more, making violence neither stylized and entertaining nor gruesome and revolting. Simply a reality.Check out Part II for the last five films from the decade.

5. Mad Max: Fury Road

This might seem like a paradigm shift in my movie tastes, as you've already most likely been instilled with the idea that I only have a taste for smaller, more contemplative films, or, seeing as how I included True Grit, you might think that I simply don't care about blockbusters. Truthfully, I do often shy away from large blockbusters, but an excellent film is an excellent film, and Fury Road is one of them. It's unique, it's bizarrely colorful for a film within a desert wasteland, its action is fulfilling and satisfying, and its cinematography and editing tapped into a new form of visual storytelling. It's rare that a sequel to a long-ended film series comes back to perform this well both critically and commercially, but Fury Road is a contender for not only the best Mad Max film but also as one of the greatest action films ever produced.

6. The Grey

If I can possibly forgive myself, The Grey, a survival thriller that takes place within the frigid Alaskan wild, is a very chilling film, and its effect has an aftermath. Restraining from entering spoiler territory, The Grey has a lasting effect on the viewer. A beautifully filmed survival film, the plot is highly contemplative, and these people who have fatefully become allies in a fight against nature at its coldest, these characters aren't simple artifacts. They are people. People that we care about and enjoy witnessing fight through the Alaskan wilderness. Liam Neeson's role, the protagonist of the film is impeccable, and is a fresh character for the actor to portray despite playing less flattering, bland roles such as the Taken sequels and Run All Night. Here, Liam Neeson portrays the intellectual knight of wisdom, vigor, and philosophy, fighting for motivations that are of a higher order than the common man. "Once more into the fray into the last good fight I'll ever know. Live or die on this day."

This is a small selection of films, and I can think of a few others, but this list is brief reflection of what I've gotten from the precious cinema during the 2010's.