Words Seem Out Of Place

Top ten lists for movies of the decade were everywhere in December. I even saw one top 200 list! Instead of taking that route, I've chosen to just list a few films from the 2010s that stood out as my favorites of the last decade. Each of these movies blew my mind, touched my soul, and otherwise made it impossible for me to forget them. I don't know if these were the best, but they're some of the movies I remember most from the decade past. These are not reviews, just a brief sentence or two about why I dig each movie, with links to more for those I've written about before. Here they are, presented in no order whatsoever, except of course leading off with a Michelle Pfeiffer film because that's how we roll around here. mother! ( Darren Aronofsky,  2017) Aronofsky’s absorbing, anxiety-provoking assault on the senses. One of Michelle Pfeiffer’s most scorched earth performances—she deserved ALL the awards. Poor Jennifer Lawrence. “The sink’s not braced!!” Tr...

I didn't see nearly as many new movies in 2018 as I wanted, but did see some truly stunning cinematic treasures. Out of the five movies below, you'll find the four best performances by a lead actress I saw all year, plus one jaw-dropping lead actor performance by a long-time screen legend. Four of the five qualify as horror, while the fifth is as tonally dark as any horror movie. Most importantly, all five are masterfully constructed and fully realized by visionary filmmakers. There are so many new movies I wanted to see but they'll have to wait for video or streaming now, including Suspiria, Destroyer, A Star is Born, BlacKkKlansman, Eighth Grade, and  The Ranger , to name a few. Of the movies I did see, though, here are five that left the biggest impression on me in 2018. 5. Hereditary (dir. Ari Aster) Hereditary uses horror to dramatize the enormously damaging psychological and emotional trauma that a lifetime of familial dysfunction can inflict on...