Here it is, ladies and gentlemen: the top 10 films of 2010, as ranked by you — the users of Criticker. It’s a great, highly varied list. Two animated films get in, a documentary, a western, and a mind-twisting psychological horror film set in the world of ballet (I’ll let you guess which that is).
Did your favorites all make the cut? Please leave a comment letting us know your Top 10 of 2010!
10) Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – Avg Tier 7.52
“Not just canny commentary on how this generation’s experiences are inextricably mediated through the prism of pop culture; it captures an attendant myopia, too. Any coincidence the film parallels Scott’s fundamental narcissism w/ the endless parade of exclusionary inside jokes? Or that Scott (and by extension the audience) finds it impossible to separate his culture-saturated inner world from the world at large? It’s all exhilaratingly, uninhibitedly hyperreal: Baudrillard would have a field day” – theficionado
9) The Social Network – Avg Tier 7.76
“You might get wrapped up in the fact that Sorkin writes more for story-telling than 100% factual accuracy but if you do then you’ll miss out on a superb film. More than anything The Social Network captures how ill-equipped every involved was the the explosion of Facebook. The entire cast is superb, the soundtrack is terrifyingly good and Fincher masterfully directs a film about nerds suing one another into a emotionally gripping and tension filled movie. Incredible.” – doctor7
8) True Grit – Avg Tier 7.77
“This movie carries the veneer of light adventure, one which it does deliver upon, but that isn’t what the movie’s really about. This one is about the subtleties and what the characters don’t say – it is a Western after all.” – Bmunise
7) The King’s Speech – Avg Tier 7.89
“A based-on-a-true-story Weinstein-Produced Historical Piece about a protagonist who, when inevitably faced with crisis brought about by a period of immense historical change, is forced to overcome personal adversity against everyone else’s expectations, and, ultimately, learn to believe in himself. In other words, most definitely a Shoo-In for a Best Picture Nomination, for sure.” – CosmicMonkey
6) 127 Hours – Avg Tier 7.92
“This film is an experience as much as a film can be an experience rather than a detached series of scenes. It succeeds putting you in the shoes of Aron, a man with a zest for life and solo adventure. It took me back to a time when I wasn’t too busy to spend all my time biking and hiking. Some parts of this movie (including the part everyone knows about by now) are very difficult to watch unless you have a stomach of steel, but they are all very necessary to complete experience.” – somnivore
5) The Illusionist – Avg Tier 7.96
“Seen in twice in the last 5 days, fearing my local cinema would pull it out to pave way for some Hollywood hogwash. It’s sad to witness this tale of friendship come to an end. Luckily, life is composed of these bittersweet moments, meaning another one is right behind the corner. Chomet’s attention to detail and comedic tone manifest themselves throughout. Recommended and pay close attention during the film, you might miss its nod to ‘The Old Lady and the Pigeons’.” – frederic_g54
4) Exit Through the Gift Shop – Avg Tier 8.00
“A fascinating documentary about an ongoing cultural phenomenon. Manages to be thought-provoking and hilarious at the same time. I can’t say I’d be willing to deface another man’s property in the name of art; nonetheless, I would be very slow to persecute any of these undercover artists for doing their best to make everyone’s life a little less normal in a day and age where mindless conformism seems the norm. Best goddamn movie of 2010 so far” – Stain
3) Inception – Avg Tier 8.31
“Inception is not a lot of things. It’s not a psychological examination into the subconscious nor is it a complex character study. So don’t expect it to be one. Instead, the film aspires to be a mindbending adventure heist film set in the realms of dreams and in this regard, the film is flawless. With jawdropping and visceral sequences, it not only engages the intellect but also the emotions as it deals with guilt and loss and being haunted by your past. The best of the year so far.” – RaymundLi
2) Toy Story 3 – Avg Tier 8.32
“Pixar is the only American animation studio that can take some of our most iconic characters, have them swim in existentialism, get tortured by a villain who refuses redemption, and send them to a literal hell and back – but do it with such undeniable tact, grace and aplomb nobody even bats an eye. Actually, it might make the ending that much more stirring. It’s a good thing there are credits videos for those… um, other people, clearly… who teared up.” – jacobb1313
1) Black Swan – Avg Tier 8.43
“Obsession is Aronofsky’s forte: taking the subtle neuroses destroying a person and holding them in the spotlight for the viewer to be shaken to their very core by. It is clear from the first scene where the film is going, but it’s HOW Aronofsky and Portman reach it that is so remarkable. The surreal metamorphosis of Nina is one of the most mesmerizing character developments I’ve ever seen. An emotional crescendo of how brutal and deranged the life of a dancer can be – it’s all in the details.” – alecec24
I’m surprised at Black Swan @ #1. Anyway, Inception at 3 is a bit of a let down. Guess this site is not without their obsessive fans.
Anyway, it would be interesting to see if this top 20 remains the same once more and more people have seen the 2010 films. I guess it would change quite a bit.
Interesting list. It skews a little toward more recent pictures which makes the final list a bit suspect. The people who make the effort to see films in theaters tend to also choose films they’ll probably like. Those of us who wait for DVDs don’t get our votes of mediocrity.
However, I now have 16 movies to see. Thanks, Criticker team!
That’s an interesting observation, jacoiii.
I looked into this by comparing last year’s top 20 list with their current average tiers (which are accessible through the Criticker API’s). From that I could deduce that average tiers indeed drop down somewhat over time.
Currently these are the movies designated top 20 of 2009, ordered by their current average tiers (in brackets you see how many places they gained or lost compared to their original places in the blog post of last year).
1. Inglourious Basterds ( 2)
2. The White Ribbon (-1)
3. Moon ( 5)
4. Up (0)
5. Fantastic Mr. Fox ( 2)
6. In The Loop ( 5)
7. Anvil! The Story of Anvil ( 9)
8. District 9 ( 2)
9. A Serious Man (-4)
10. The Damned United (-1)
11. Star Trek ( 4)
12. The Hurt Locker (0)
13. (500) Days of Summer ( 1)
14. Coraline ( 3)
15. Up in the Air (-13)
16. Tyson ( 4)
17. Zombieland ( 1)
18. Avatar (-12)
19. Where the Wild Things Are (-6)
20. An Education (-1)
As you can see Up in the Air and Avatar which were both released in the second half of December 2009 both lost a hell of a lot of places compared to their original rankings on December 31st of 2009.
Using this data to calculate *estimated* rankings for the movies designated top 20 of 2010 as they could be in January 2012, I find the following rankings:
1. Toy Story 3 ( 1)
2. Inception ( 1)
3. Black Swan (-2)
4. Exit Through the Gift Shop (0)
5. 127 Hours ( 1)
6. The Social Network ( 3)
7. The King’s Speech (0)
8. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World ( 2)
9. Winter’s Bone ( 2)
10. The Illusionist (-5)
11. True Grit (-3)
12. How to Train Your Dragon (3)
13. Four Lions (-1)
14. Shutter Island ( 2)
15. Let Me In (-1)
16. Lebanon ( 1)
17. The Fighter (-4)
18. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (0)
19. Never Let Me Go (0)
20. Rabbit Hole (0)
I’m pleasantly surprised to see that I’ve actually seen many of these films this year, though due to a hiatus from Criticker (just a busy life no disrespect to the site), have yet to mini review them. Of course I’ve also missed a lot as well, guess I have some watching to do.
Nice addition to the blog by the way, as much as I enjoy knowing what DVD’s are going to be great I always enjoy these types of things too.
Actually, I can’t remember if you’ve done it before but the top 20 worst films would be rather fun. Especially to see what mini-reviews you choose to accompany them.
Interesting. Thanks, Quicky.
Now that I have seen Black Swan in #1, I dont need to see the rest of the list:) Brilliant masterpiece… Can even be #1 of the last decade