The 100 best films: 2010-2019 (work in progress)

This is obviously a work in progress, which will end up as a top 100. Still lots of stuff I haven't seen, so I'll be adding stuff as I see it.

54. Only Lovers Left Alive (Dir: Jim Jarmusch, 2013)

Jarmusch throws his hat into the vampire film pool, in typically idiosyncratic fashion. His undead are lovers living at opposite ends of the world, Tom Hiddleston's depressed backwards-looking musician, and Tilda Swinton's optimist, full of faith in humanity. A unique love story with humour and pathos.

53. Melancholia (Dir: Lars von Trier, 2011)

Gorgeous visuals mark out this icy film in which a girl suffering from depression gets married, and then faces her mortality as a newly-discovered planet threatens to collide with Earth. Digging into the psyche of its female protagonist like only von Trier can, this is a film which boasts fine performances (Kirsten Dunst stands out) and a mood of unease which perfectly compliments the subject matter.

52. This Is Not A Film (Dir: Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, 2011)

Noted Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi was put under house arrest and banned from making films, the result of speaking out against the Iranian government. So, naturally, he clandestinely made this documentary about his daily life, and had it snuck out of the country. A fascinating insight into the thought process of an artist, and about Iranian life in general.

51. Restrepo (Dir: Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, 2010)

Documentary about a US platoon stationed in the strategically crucial Korengal valley in Afghanistan, one of the most dangerous postings in the war. The directors eschew in-depth characterisation in favour of a broader look at the camaraderie of the soldiers as they face the loss of their brothers-in-arms, mistrust of the locals, and the constant firepower of the enemy.

50. The Ides of March (Dir: George Clooney, 2011)

A strong ensemble cast (Gosling, Clooney, PS Hoffman, Tomei, Giamatti, etc) combine in this smart political drama about a naïve campaign staffer who gets dragged down into the scandal and corruption of a presidential battle. This is a slick and intelligent Hollywood film, which entertains whilst making a pointed comment about the political game.

49. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Dir: Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2010)

Contemplations on love, loss and faith abound as the titular character, suffering from terminal kidney failure, is visited by the ghost of his dead wife. An unconventional film which favours a slow pace, and eschews a strong narrative in order to explore its themes more freely. An engaging and thought-provoking experience.

48. Le Quattro Volte (Michelangelo Frammartino, 2010)

The last days of an elderly goatherd; the birth and early days of a goat; a tree which is burnt to ash in an ancient ceremony. These 'stories' are the focus of a poetic , almost dialogue-less film, which muses on the relationship between all things. A unique and beautiful film.

47. Computer Chess (Dir: Andrew Bujalski, 2013)

A strange mix of Robert Altman and early Richard Linklater as a group of eccentrics gather for a computer chess tournament, with the hope that their design will prove to be the first machine to beat a human opponent. Bujalski's use of 1980s period technology and black and white visuals, as well as shooting parts of the film like a documentary, make this an unusual aesthetic experience, but an endearing one nonetheless.

46. Moonrise Kingdom (Dir: Wes Anderson, 2012)

This is unmistakably a Wes Anderson film, despite the focus being on a pair of young children who run away together after falling in love. This is a touching look at young love, with plenty of the humour and idiosyncrasies one associates with the director. As always, the casting is stellar.

45. Silver Linings Playbook (Dir: David O. Russell, 2012)

The twist in this romantic comedy is that protagonists Pat and Tiffany (Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Laurence, who have great chemistry) both suffer from forms of mental illness. Cliché takes over at times, but the script is funny, there are some fine supporting roles, and the main characters are easy to root for. All that combined makes this an extremely fun film.

44. Black Swan (Dir: Darren Aronofsky, 2010)

Aronofsky wrings much suspense from his thriller about a ballerina driven to physical and mental extremes in order to perform in her dream role. There is a genuinely unsettling atmosphere cultivated by the director's use of space and location, as well as the fantastic lead performance from Natalie Portman.

43. Joe (Dir: David Gordon Green, 2013)

Dark and moody thriller in which Nicolas Cage plays an ex-con who takes a young boy from a troubled family under his wing. Green takes an understated approach to his story of redemption, building the film on strong characterisation, and an atmosphere that suggests a violence simmering under the surface.

42. Berberian Sound Studio (Dir: Peter Strickland, 2012)

A mild-mannered English sound engineer travels to Italy to work on a horror film, and finds the studio's oppressive atmosphere, together with the cultural differences between himself and the Italian crew, makes for an unsettling experience. Strickland's disturbing psychological thriller brings to mind the work of Roman Polanski, and the use of sound in particular makes this an at times uncomfortable watch.

41. Life of Pi (Dir: Ang Lee, 2012)

Based on Yann Martel's bestselling novel, Lee's fantasy film tells the story of Pi, a young indian boy who is lost at sea with only a Bengal tiger for company. The story is beautifully told, the visuals arresting, and the special effects capture the interactions between Pi and the tiger wonderfully. Perhaps most importantly, this is a rare modern blockbuster that doesn't outstay its welcome.

40. Post Tenebras Lux (Dir: Carlos Reygadas, 2012)

A truly enigmatic film about the evil that lurks on the outskirts of everyday life. A well-to-do Mexican family experience trials which reveal a dark presence in their life, Reygadas's fractured narrative adding to the sense of uneasiness. More outlandish moments include the nighttime visit of a demonic figure, and a man committing suicide by pulling off his own head.

39. Bastards (Dir: Claire Denis, 2013)

Denis weaves a complex tale based around Marco, a man returning to Paris to help his sister and niece after the suicide of his brother-in-law. A dark drama with skeletons in every closet, this is a film which reveals key details carefully and gradually, the tension mounting as we, and Marco, get closer to a harrowing truth.

38. Wuthering Heights (Dir: Andrea Arnold, 2011)

This moody adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic tale of doomed love on the English moors plays up the novel's racial and class elements. Arnold does not disappoint with her gritty take on the material, particularly in the first two acts which focus on the burgeoning love between the young Cathy and Heathcliff.

37. Caesar Must Die (Dir: Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, 2012)

Documentary and fiction blend in this film which sees the inmates of an Italian prison, many of them serving life sentences for murder, act out Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar'. The directors follow their players from the auditions onward, with the actual performance of the play, which takes place around the prison, gradually superseding the backstage element as the film's focus. Featuring some of the most passionate acting of the decade.

36. Frances Ha (Dir: Noah Baumbach, 2012)

Frances is trying to make it as a dancer in New York City, but time is running out, and her ambition is being compromised by her muddled life and free-spirited approach. A sharp script and likeable lead turn from Greta Gerwig combine to make this a winning film about striking the balance between chasing dreams and living responsibly.

35. The Missing Picture (Dir: Rithy Panh, 2013)

Rithy Panh survived Cambodia's Khmer Rouge, and looks for some kind of catharsis by recreating those events using clay figurines. A film steeped in sadness, Panh's novel approach, coupled with his own earnest narration, makes for a moving, though harrowing, experience.

34. Take Shelter (Dir: Jeff Nichols, 2011)

A family man begins to have dreams and visions of the end of the world, in the form of a great storm. Are these the early signs of mental illness, or his he prophesising the apocalypse? That is the question asked by Nichols' excellent film, which is made all the more relevent by its rural setting in the midst of the recent financial crisis. Michael Shannon is great in the central role.

33. Lilting (Dir: Hong Khaou, 2014)

Sensitive British drama, in which a young Londoner reaches out to the non-English-speaking mother of his Chinese boyfriend, who has died in a car accident. Ben Whishaw is excellent as the grieving Richard, assuming responsibility for Junn, while using the experience to feel connected to his lover. This is a minimalist film, but one which explores its themes with grace and tenderness.

32. Foxcatcher (Dir: Bennett Miller, 2014)

Based on real events, this expertly-made drama tells the story of an Olympic wrestler who falls under the influence of a wealthy eccentric. Steve Carell's performance as John du Pont, complete with prosthetic nose, can be distracting, but Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo are perfectly cast. The film has a foreboding air, as it moves towards its tragic conclusion, and Miller has crafted a fine study of his two central characters.

31. The Kids Are All Right (Dir: Lisa Cholodenko, 2010)

The teenaged children of a lesbian couple seek out their sperm donor father, and forge a relationship with him. The performances (particularly from Mark Ruffalo) stand out in this warm, funny drama about dysfunctional families, the highs and lows of marriage, and the difficulties of growing up.

30. The Hunt (Dir: Thomas Vinterberg, 2012)

Vinterberg exhibits a sure touch for his drama about a kindergarten teacher accused by one of his students of sexual misconduct. In what is essentially a film about the way one small mistruth can take on a life of its own, the director probes into the psychology of his characters, and the small community they inhabit. Masterful filmmaking, enhanced by a superb cast.

29. Blue Jasmine (Dir: Woody Allen, 2013)

Allen tackles the financial crisis in this film which sees Cate Blanchett play the ex-wife of a disgraced banker, a woman whose life of high society has come crashing down around her, and who must now depend on her working class sister. Blanchett's performance is magnificent, earning our pity for a character who can't help but mess up the lives of those around her. Another film in which Allen proves adept at portraying a woman's psychological unraveling.

28. The Selfish Giant (Dir: Clio Barnard, 2013)

Two outcasts in a working class English town have their friendship tested in this Ken Loach-esque drama. The young leads, both non-professionals, give mature performances, allowing us to invest in their relationship, which is key to the film's success. Barnard's milieu, all railway tracks and scrapyards, is detailed and convincing. A film which recalls the glory days of social realist British cinema.

27. Nebraska (Dir: Alexander Payne, 2013)

Filmed in stark black-and-white, this doesn't look much like an Alexander Payne film, but it sure does feel like one in its balancing act between humour and pathos, as well as the detailed characterisation. Bruce Dern leads a strong cast as an elderly man making a road trip with his son to pick up a sweepstakes prize he hasn't actually won, but the true success of this film is in the interplay between the characters, and its rendering of a family trying to come to a mutual understanding about their roles and responsibilities.

26. To The Wonder (Dir: Terrence Malick, 2012)

Malick returns to themes he explored in Tree of Life, this time in somewhat more conventional fashion as he tells the story of the romance between an emotionally-cold American, and a free-spirited French woman, who moves to Oklahoma with her young daughter. These characters' search for happiness or meaning plays out with typical Malick poeticism, while the story of a priest questioning his faith provides the director with another opportunity to wrestle with theology. At times it feels a bit like Malick at half-speed, but Malick at half-speed is still better than most.

25. Whiplash (Dir: Damien Chazelle, 2014)

This excellent entry in the mentor/protégée relationship subgenre sees a young jazz drummer (Miles Teller) come under the tutelage of an abusive music instructor (JK Simmons). Teller and Simmons are superb, Simmons delivering his insults with the fury of a drill sergeant, and Teller convincing as a boy who will sacrifice anything to make it to the top of his chosen field. That sacrifice is ultimately what this film is about, and Chazelle's confident and stylish direction crafts that central idea into a riveting drama.

24. The Social Network (Dir: David Fincher, 2010)

Fincher turns his focus to another singular personality with this biopic of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The story is infused with vitality by a strong young cast, an excellent script, and Fincher's dynamic visuals. A marvelous slice of fast-paced entertainment, this is given additional depth by the way it holds a mirror up to our modern social media-obsessed world.

23. Certified Copy (Dir: Abbas Kiarostami, 2010)

An English writer encounters an antique seller while on a book tour in France, and the two get to know one another over the course of a day in a picturesque French village. What begins as a verbose walking-and-talking film, played out by likeable leads (William Shimell and Juliette Binoche), turns into something much more intriguing, as questions about the nature of the central relationship begin to emerge. An intelligent drama with lovely visuals.

22. Before Midnight (Dir: Richard Linklater, 2013)

The third part of the 'Before' trilogy is possibly the best of the bunch. While the previous entries were romantic, even fantastical, this feels like more of a realistic look at love, as Celine and Jesse, now nearly a decade into marriage, engage in squabbles, exchange accusations, and question the decisions they have made. As always, the key to the film's success is the chemistry between the leads, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.

21. Midnight In Paris (Dir: Woody Allen, 2011)

One of the most charming and purely enjoyable films Allen has ever made, a romantic comedy mixing the director's interest in the magical, his love of art and culture, and his disdain for snobbery. The Paris of the 1920s is evoked beautifully, there are a stream of neat cameos, and Owen Wilson's laid-back affability makes him the best avatar Allen has ever used.

20. Under the Skin (Dir: Jonathan Glazer, 2013)

Atmospheric film which sees a made-under Scarlett Johansson play an alien who seduces men to their doom in a Scottish city. Parts of what little dialogue there is are made up from real conversations between the barely-recognizable star and the men she approaches on the streets, which adds to the film's discomfiting and strange tone. A surprisingly touching film, with a striking conclusion.

19. A Field In England (Dir: Ben Wheatley, 2013)

During the English Civil War a small band of deserters are captured by an alchemist, and forced to help him find a hidden treasure. Shot in black and white and heavily stylised, this is an inventive, even bizarre, film, with a hallucinogenic quality that serves the subject matter wonderfully. I wish British cinema made more films like this.

18. 12 Years a Slave (Dir: Steve McQueen, 2013)

Based on a true story, this uncompromising drama about a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery is, at times, hard to watch, but laudable for its brutal depiction of the life of a slave. McQueen is to be applauded for not romanticising the time period, and for his straight-ahead approach to the subject, making this a forceful, and important film.

17. Argo (Dir: Ben Affleck, 2012)

Based on a true story, Affleck's film tells the story of a CIA operative who poses as a filmmaker scouting locations in order to extract 6 Americans from the Canadian Embassy in Tehran at a time of political unrest. Well-scripted, with fine acting throughout, what is most impressive about this film is the way that Affleck wrings every bit of tension possible from the escape attempt. A mix of intelligence and thrills which brings to mind the great political thrillers of the 1970s.

16. Snowpiercer (Dir: Bong Joon-ho, 2013)

Action film with a killer conceit (a new ice age has seen all the world's surviving inhabitants moved onto a train which circumnavigates the globe) and an exciting plot revolving around a class rebellion in the train's tail. The train is wonderfully realised, with a strikingly dark comic book-style look (the story is based on a graphic novel), and there is a diverse multi-national cast of characters, the best of which is Kang-ho Song's Namgoong. Exciting throughout, it does get a little contrived (and, frankly, ridiculous) towards the end, and don't get too attached to any of the characters.

15. Manuscripts Don't Burn (Dir: Mohammad Rasoulof, 2013)

This haunting film is based on real-life events, the so called 'Serial Killings' in which a group of Iranian intellectuals were killed, presumably by forces operating on behalf of the state. Because of the controversial subject matter, the film was made under a shroud of secrecy, and cast and crew (bar the director) asked that they not be credited. It is a wonder then, the film got made and distributed at all, let alone that it is of such high quality. Rasoulof's even-handed approach humanises the killers, while showing the difficulties faced by artists under Iran's harsh regime. While many Iranian films take a freer approach to narrative, this taut thriller is a genre film at heart, and a very good one at that.

14. Frank (Dir: Lenny Abrahamson, 2014)

Jon is an aspiring musician is signed up to play keyboards for an eccentric band led by Frank, a mentally ill musical genius who lives his whole life inside a papier mache head. Pitched as a tragi-comedy, the film features laugh-out-loud moments (such as when Jon realises a song he is working on is a rip-off of a Madness song), as well as moments of pure heartbreak, driven by a sharp script and some excellent performances. Abrahamson's film narrows its focus on the creative process, and hero worship, amongst other things, but is ostensibly a film about the masks we all wear to make it through life.

13. Blue is the Warmest Colour (Dir: Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013)

This controversial film about a passionate relationship between two women features two of the boldest and best performances of the decade from its stars. Adele Exarchopolous plays Adele, a high school student who is just discovering her sexuality. Lea Seydoux is Emma, the blue-haired artist with whom Adele falls in love. The two actresses run the gamut of emotions on screen (often in unflattering close-up), from the highs of sexual ecstasy to the lows of betrayal and rejection, extraordinary performances which make this as compelling a film about all-encompassing love as I've seen in a long time. The film weighs in at a hefty 3 hours, but never drags.

12. Inside Llewyn Davis (Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013)

Near the beginning of this film about a struggling folk singer there is a shot of the titular character riding the subway with a cat, which looks at its reflection in the window of the carriage. It is a strangely affecting image from a strangely affecting film, and one that lingers in the brain. Davis (wonderfully played by Oscar Isaac) is a talented loser, self-destructive, and often just plain not very nice. But you root for him anyway. The Coens run their usual trade in finding the idiosyncrasies in their milieu's inhabitants (one sequence with John Goodman as a cantankerous old bluesman could only have been written by the brothers), but this is a film with a different feel to most of their oeuvre. It's downbeat, sad, a little bit bitter, and all the better for it.

11. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Dir: Wes Anderson, 2014)

This carries most of the earmarks of an Anderson film (the familiar ensemble cast, the offbeat sense of humour, the voice-over narration), but also feels different in a number of significant ways, not least in the setting; a large hotel in a fictional Eastern European country at the onset of the Second World War. This is primarily a crime caper in the old Hollywood tradition, featuring stolen art, a jailbreak, an unscrupulous heir, and Willem Dafoe as a very shady villain. The most striking difference from the rest of Anderson's oeuvre is the sense of melancholy one gets upon its conclusion. This is, after all, a film about loss; the loss of a particular time and place held dear to its protagonist, and also the loss of Europe's innocence in the wake of the war. A joyful film, tinged with sadness.

10. Ida (Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski, 2013)

A study in how to get so much out of so little. This reserved drama, mostly a two-hander, tells the story of a novice nun who, upon visiting an aunt she didn't know she had, funds out that she is Jewish, a revelation that carries significant weight and implications in the years following World War 2 in Poland. Shooting in black and white, Pawlikowski places his characters on the outskirts of the frame, so that the screen is dominated by the often-sparse backgrounds. This technique yields some beautiful compositions, and says much about the plight of the central characters, who have been swallowed whole by past tragedies. Clocking in at just over 80 minutes, this film is proof that the biggest statements can be made in the simplest ways.

9. The Past (Dir: Asghar Farhadi, 2013)

A man returns from Iran to divorce his French wife, so that she can remarry, only to find himself in the middle of a complex family crisis. Do Marie and Ahmad still have feelings for one another? Why is Marie's eldest daughter so resentful of her mother's new man? These are two of the questions that the film introduces as Farhadi confidently peels back the layers of a family in turmoil. The dark cinematography perfectly matches the film's tone, and the acting impresses across the board.

8. The Act of Killing (Dir: Joshua Oppenheimer, 2012)

Death-squad leaders and "gangsters" serving Indonesia's brutal dictatorship are asked to recreate their crimes in this stunning documentary, a fascinating study of evil. Herman Koto takes a sense of pride in his past work, and seems to delight in his chance to relive those days, staging elaborate set-pieces (in which he bizarrely dresses as a woman), and coercing civilians (no doubt touched by the real tragedy) into playing the parts of victims, directing them to show more fear. Anwar Congo is more meditative about his past, but in the film's most chilling scene, shows that he lacks the understanding to truly show remorse. After himself playing the part of a victim under interrogation, he wonders aloud to Oppenheimer whether he can now relate to his own victims, having been in their shoes. When the director responds that Congo was just acting, whereas the people he interrogated knew they were about to be killed, the aging man protests; "But I can feel it, Josh. Really, I feel it."

7. Nostalgia For The Light (Dir: Patricio Guzman, 2010)

Chile's Atacama Desert homes a giant telescope, and is a gathering place for astronomers looking into the skies for answers about our universe's birth. It is also the place where the bodies of political dissenters were buried during General Pinochet's murderous regime. Guzman weaves these two narratives together in his touching documentary which features interviews with astronomers, and with the women who scour the desert looking for the bodies of their loved ones. A beautiful film about people looking into the past.

6. A Touch of Sin (Dir: Jia Zhangke, 2013)

A worker is pushed to the limit by corrupt community leaders, an unapologetic crook abandons his family, a brothel worker reacts to being taken advantage of, and a lonely youth looks for work and love in another town. Over these four stories realist filmmaker Jia investigates the causes and effects of violence in China, as well as painting a picture of modern Chinese life. The characters are well drawn-out, the performances excellent, and the film in general has so much to say about the human condition.

5. Her (Dir: Spike Jonze, 2013)

In a conceivably not-too-distant-future, lonely Theodore falls in love with Samantha, his personalised operating system. Many films have tackled the idea of alienation brought about by our quickly-advancing technological world, but I don't think any have captured that feeling as well as this. From the conception of the future world, where throngs of people rush around, oblivious to each other's presence, while talking to their operating systems, to details like Theodore's job writing letters for people who presumably no longer have the time or capability to speak from the heart, Jonze's film is an often heartbreaking warning of where we all may be heading. This film also signals Jonze's maturation into a filmmaker of rare talent, with the ability to so eloquently express his worldview.

4. The Great Beauty (Dir: Paolo Sorrentino, 2013)

This Fellini-like tale of an aging writer and socialite who begins to take stock of his life and what he deems to have been a meaningless existence is one of the more visually stunning films of the decade. From the opening scenes of central character Jep Gambardella's decadent 65th birthday party, in which the camera weaves in and out of dancing bodies, we are treated to some exquisite cinematography, wonderfully capturing the beauty, chaos, and sometimes grotesqueness of Jep's city (Rome) and lifestyle. But Sorrentino's film is no mere piece of eye candy. Jep's search for meaning in his life provides moments of true profundity, while the film is also biting in its critique of the lavish material lifestyle of its protagonists. Toni Servillo turns in one of the performances of the decade in the starring role.

3. Boyhood (Dir: Richard Linklater, 2014)

The passage of time as never shown before in cinema, in Linklater's 12-years-in-the-making epic. Ellar Coltrane plays Mason from a 6-year-old to a young man leaving for college, with the film picking out key moments from his early life to highlight the trials of adolescence. Coltrane is ably supported by Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater and the excellent Patricia Arquette in a film that captures the highs and lows of Mason's life with warmth and humanity. Ambitious in scope, Linklater's film expertly draws you into the lives of its characters, but at the same time is sure to make you reflect on your own childhood, and the events that shaped you.

2. A Separation (Asghar Farhadi, 2011)

The separation of the title, of a middle class Iranian couple, is the catalyst for a series of events that allow for Fahadi to scratch the surface of class and gender roles in his home country. Simin wants she and her husband, Nader, to move abroad to raise their child, but Nader insists on staying in Iran in order to look after his sick father. The film then takes an unexpected turn when a tragedy befalls the woman who Nader hires to help with his father, and what we are essentially left with is a high class mystery thriller. This is an excellent piece of filmmaking; intelligent, without beating you over the head with it, well-acted, and insightful, painting a picture of Iranian life that we don't often get to see.

1. The Tree of Life (Dir: Terrence Malick, 2011)

The most ambitious, thought-provoking, mesmerizing, poetic and profound film of the decade so far, as Malick takes his stylistic and thematic concerns to the extreme. After an expressionistic first 20 minutes, in which we journey into space, and back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth, the film settles into its narrative, as three young brothers are raised by a harsh father, and an ethereal mother in 1950s Texas. In the present, the oldest of the three boys struggles to make sense of his place in the world. Said to be based somewhat on his own upbringing, Malick uses his film to muse on issues such as faith (the voice-over narration is partly addressed directly to God), and the interconnectivity of all living things. It probably isn't a film for everyone, and it certainly requires some work to make sense of some of the (beautiful) imagery, but if you're a fan of a more experimental style of filmmaking, this is quite the cinematic experience. Malick has made some of the most beautiful films in American cinema, and this stands on, or close to, the top of the pile.