There have been plenty of great movies to release in the 2010s, but quite a few movies either went below the radar or have perhaps been unfairly criticized, thus leading to a wide range of underrated movies throughout the decade. Overall, the 2010s was a strong decade for film, from blockbusters (the explosion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe) to indies (the rise of independent studios like A24).
Of course, the standard Oscar-bait fare was sprinkled throughout, with every year delivering something worth discussing in great detail. The 2010s also led to the rise of a new breed of actors and filmmakers, some of whom received worthy attention and while others are still waiting for their spotlight.
But in the end, a variety of movies hit the big screen over the past 10 years. However, not all of those movies got the praise and recognition they deserved. Whether those movies failed to make a splash at the box office or didn’t strike the right chords with critics, there were plenty of hidden gems in the 2010s, films that were much better than their reputation.
15. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises faced an impossible task: follow what was perhaps the greatest superhero movie of all time. The final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy was always going to be held to an impossible standard, released four years after The Dark Knight won Oscars and became a cultural phenomenon. Without the late Heath Ledger reprising his role as the Joker, some questioned what the third installment would have in store. Luckily, Tom Hardy was able to shoulder the load as Bane, adding another iconic villain to the lexicon. The film itself was thrilling, complex and visually stunning, and provided a satisfying conclusion for DC’s premier film franchise.
14. Upgrade (2018)
Those who didn’t see Upgrade can be forgiven - Blumhouse’s cyberpunk action flick was shot on a mere $3 million budget, had a limited cinema run, and counted the criminally underrated Logan Marshall-Green as its most marketable star. In the film, Marshall-Green is severely wounded and his wife is killed after an attack. Using an AI implant that allows him to regain control over his body, he vows revenge. Despite the minuscule budget, director Leigh Whannell (who wrote many of the Saw and Insidious films) created a visually stunning sci-fi world, and orchestrated some truly thrilling action sequences. And if that’s not enough, there’s a brain - and some humor – behind all of the action.
13. The Voices (2014)
Ryan Reynolds plays a delusional, mentally unstable factory worker whose talking cat wants him to commit murder in The Voices. Even though the movie received mostly positive reviews and has an appealing cast (Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, and Jacki Weaver co-star), director Marjane Satrapi’s black comedy horror film made a microscopic $5,000 during its limited opening weekend release. Some may have been turned off by its bizarre premise and dark undertones, but Reynolds gives one of the best performances of his career, and the film is certainly unique in style, content, and execution. It might not be for everybody, but there is a lot to like.
12. Inherent Vice (2014)
Paul Thomas Anderson, the man responsible for films such as There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights, brings his traditionally quirky flair to Inherent Vice. An adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel, the film follows Joaquin Phoenix as a pothead private detective who becomes embroiled in the criminal underworld after his ex-girlfriend disappears. It had all the elements of an awards season favorite, including a top-billing supporting cast (Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro), but it wound up polarizing both critics and audiences, pulling in $6 million less than its budget. Despite the 2.5-hour length and the somewhat challenging narrative, Anderson’s film is still funny, beautifully shot, and an ultimately rewarding experience that deserves to be mentioned among his better films.
11. Sleeping With Other People (2015)
Before writer/director Leslye Headland scored a hit with the Netflix show Russian Doll, she produced a number of underrated films, including Bachelorette, About Last Night and especially Sleeping With Other People. The rom-com stars Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie as a pair of romantically troubled New Yorkers who, having each lost their virginity to each other in college, meet years later and become best friends while struggling to ignore their attraction to each other. The film is consistently elevated by a sharp script and strong performances by the entire cast - not just the well-matched leads, but also notably Adam Scott as the film’s smarmy villain and the typically-hysterical Jason Mantzoukas as Sudeikis’ friend. It’s believable, it tackles heavy subjects in a way many other rom-coms don’t, and - most importantly - it’s hilarious.
10. Interstellar (2014)
There was loads of hype behind Interstellar, a Christopher Nolan IMAX film released during Matthew McConaughey’s career resurrection. And while it was a success with the box office and the Oscars (Best Visual Effects recipient), it didn’t strike the same chord with every cinemagoer or critic. Some accused Nolan of biting off more than he could chew with the themes and intellectual reach, and reception for the film seems to have waned over time. But the criticism might have come from a combination of hype and Nolan simply setting too high of a standard for himself. He has released so many great movies that he is fundamentally judged through a different lens, but at its core, Interstellar is a thrilling, beautiful, envelope-pushing sci-fi epic – well worth its nearly three-hour runtime.
9. Locke (2013)
Locke is essentially a one-man show, featuring 85 minutes of Tom Hardy behind the wheel of a car talking to an assortment of other voices (including Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, and Tom Holland). It needed a phenomenal performance from Hardy to carry it, and luckily that’s what it gets. Hardy is magnetic throughout the entire film, so much so that it’s easy to forget that the whole thing is essentially one long shot. Considering the concept and the way it was filmed, it was never going to be a huge hit - it made only $5 million at the box office (against a budget of $2 million). But it’s a unique story that challenges many preconceived notions of filmmaking, and it manages to entertain as the experiment comes to life.
8. It Comes At Night (2017)
It Comes at Night is one in a long list of acclaimed horror films released by independent film studio A24, following a family (Joel Edgerton and Carmen Ejogo) that secludes themselves in the woods after a contagious outbreak wipes out large parts of the planet. However, unlike The Witch and Hereditary, this film is subtle, slowly-paced, and largely devoid of action, focusing on setting and character intrigue instead of pure scares. That’s not to say it isn’t scary, but its methodical nature sometimes leaves it out of the conversation when discussing independent horror hits.
7. Shutter Island (2010)
Shutter Island is a minor entry in legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s filmography, and the adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel is rarely mentioned among his best films like Goodfellas and Taxi Driver. But the Leonardo DiCaprio-helmed psychological thriller is wildly entertaining in its own right, with loads of genre thrills. DiCaprio is a federal marshal assigned to investigate an asylum for the criminally insane, and plot twists emerge once he is inside its walls. It benefits from an astounding cast - including Ben Kingsley and Mark Ruffalo – and has typically Scorsesean command of the screen throughout. It was also faithful enough to the book to please fans, and didn’t lose its cinematic way through the adaptation.
6. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
One of the best films in a very good year for them, Denis Villeneuve’s sequel to the sci-fi classic Blade Runner is both a strong continuation of the original and a stunning new story that doesn’t require prior viewing. Ryan Gosling is a “blade runner,” a man sent to capture rogue replicants who live in society as slaves, and Harrison Ford reprises his original role as Rick Deckard. Despite having positive reviews, a built-in audience and a highly marketable cast, the film was a box office disappointment, with estimated losses as high as $80 million. Audiences may have been turned off by the length (163 minutes), but this film is beautiful, thrilling, and thought-provoking all at once. The runtime isn’t nearly as daunting when the content is this engaging.
5. The Riot Club (2013)
A scintillating satire on the ultra-elite dining club scene at the University of Oxford, The Riot Club hits viewers over the head with its themes from the get go. It’s an increasingly disturbing – yet darkly funny – look at a group of young men who get increasingly tangled up in a world of sex, drugs, and violence at the prestigious university. The film is bound to leave a bad taste in some viewers’ mouths, but for those who can stomach extremely bad behavior from extremely rich kids, it’s both a fascinating character study and a gripping story of privilege and excess. It is also boosted by a strong cast, which features British actors Sam Claflin, Max Irons, and Douglas Booth.
4. The Visit (2015)
M. Night Shyamalan had a rough go of it throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. But while his 2017 film Split is commonly considered his return to form, The Visit, released two years earlier, might be his best and most assured effort since Signs. A mix of found-footage horror and dark comedy, the film follows a teenage girl and her younger brother who visit their grandparents for the weekend, only to witness a series of increasingly bizarre events. Released under the Blumhouse banner and made for only $5 million, Shyamalan packs on the scares, and manages to orchestrate a uniquely effective film that is far better and more self-aware than may of his other efforts.
3. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
A common take on Popstar is that it is the spiritual successor to This is Spinal Tap. Which is high praise, but the mockumentary earns that comparison, skewering the modern music industry through biting humor and celebrity cameos. The film follows Andy Samberg as the fictional rapper Conner4Real, and his Lonely Island bandmates Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone portray his sidekicks (they also wrote and directed the film as a team). Audiences may not have seen it – it was a box office bomb – but it deserves to be named among the best comedies of the decade. The film is further boosted by its soundtrack, which punches up the Lonely Island’s SNL formula for some new comical earworms (“I’m So Humble” and “Finest Girl (The Bin Laden Song)” are standouts) and brings the camera along for their “live performances” a la Spinal Tap. On the comedy meter, this one goes to 11.
2. A Most Violent Year (2014)
J.C. Chandor’s A Most Violent Year stars Oscar Isaac as the head of a trucking company in 1980s New York, struggling to stay above water as violence and corruption plagues the industry. The title would imply that the film is bloody and action-packed, but it’s more of a slow burn, a methodical character study that is nonetheless gritty and compelling throughout. Isaac is typically excellent in the main role, as is Jessica Chastain, who plays his wife. The film was largely shut out of the 2014 award circuit, save for a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Chastain at the Golden Globes, but deserved mention among the year’s best. It’s an exercise in subtlety, showing how to create a dark, compelling crime drama without having someone shot in the head in every scene.
1. Enemy (2013)
Enemy is a fantastic film, a Rorschach test of an experience that offers something different upon each viewing. Released by director Denis Villeneuve before his run of Oscar-nominated films (Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049), it follows Jake Gyllenhaal as a man bored with his existence until he happens across his doppelgänger (also played by Gyllenhaal) in the background of a movie. The narrative jets off in wild directions from there. There is a lot to unpack in the film, and multiple interpretations exist of the ending – Villeneuve himself has been vague when asked about what it all means. It’s provocative, curious, and riveting, managing to entertain as it works through its complex themes. Villeneuve brings his usual directorial flair to the film – slow-moving camera shots, dark tones – and ties all of the bizarre plot elements together in a mesmerizing visual package.
