SerpApi.Org
Between 2011 and 2020, Hollywood produced some of its greatest movies of the 21st century, from war epics to thrilling horror gems. An era defined by brilliant directors like Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve and Jordan Peele, it unleashed one modern classic after another. As modern audiences wax nostalgic about an era that changed how people look at filmmaking, it's essential to remember the best stories it released.
The space between 2011 and 2020 is a period of cinema not discussed enough, especially as it continues to take a backseat to the resurgence of '80s franchises. However, with some of the most talented people in Hollywood bringing to life some of its finest modern stories, it's an essential chapter in the industry's history. These are among the most artistic, dynamic, and unique projects of the 21st century.
Get Out Is Peak Satirical Horror Cinema
After beginning his directorial career, Jordan Peele gave audiences a Hitchcockian horror-thriller perfect for the 2010s in Get Out. Here, David Kaluuya plays Chris Washington, a black photographer who, while visiting his white girlfriend's family, begins to suspect something sinister is going on. As the weekend is fraught with awkward moments and racial tension, it doesn't take long for his worst fears to be proven right.
A movie that revived satirical horror-thrillers when audiences craved it most, Peele's film became a cultural touchstone still relevant today. Flawlessly directed and acted alike, it managed to convey themes of anxiety, identity struggle, and helplessness masterfully, transcending even the creator's intent. A decade later, it's still among the most original of the century, and proof of the versatility of comedy and evolution of horror.
Dunkirk Is Christopher Nolan's Most Realistic Film
In 2017, Christopher Nolan brought his eye for epic cinema to the war genre when he made Dunkirk. Assembling an all-star ensemble cast, he showed audiences the true story behind the British invasion and evacuation of the French beach after being overwhelmed by German forces. What follows is a national rallying cry to bring as many troops home as possible, forming a veritable armada of civilian vessels to rescue the stranded soldiers.
The 2010s saw an elevation in war cinema alongside the likes of 1917 and Fury, but Nolan's Dunkirk emerged as one of its best-shot and most immersive. Boasting all the usual realism of his work, right down to real Spitfire planes taking to the skies, it serves up a comprehensive look at a battle not typically explored through cinema. Few movies of its type are as atmospheric as this one, and it will make people feel like they're trapped on the beaches alongside the British Expeditionary Force.
Sicario Proved Denis Villeneuve A Master of Suspense Cinema
Denis Villeneuve helped define the 2010s, but none of his masterpieces stood out quite like Sicario. Written by Taylor Sheridan, the story follows FBI agent Kate Macer as, after a run-in with Mexican cartels, she is recruited by a shady CIA-led task force. Their stated objective is to disrupt drug operations south of the border, but Macer soon realizes there's a darker ulterior motive behind the team.
By far and away the greatest action-thriller of the decade, Sicario is a movie that manages to blend noir, espionage, and organized crime into a story that shocks its audience. The genre took something of a hit going into the 2010s, but Villeneuve was there to keep it alive, something this 2015 masterpiece did incredibly well. More than anything, it's a masterclass in building and maintaining tension better than just about any film of its era.
Spotlight Is An Ensemble of Masterful Acting
During the 2000s, the world was shaken by revelations of a sex crimes cover-up within the Catholic Church, a story broken by the Boston Globe's Spotlight team. In 2015, director Tom McCarthy set out to bring that scandal to life in Spotlight, which follows the team's harrowing investigation into the church. Interviewing witnesses and tracking down accused priests, they gradually begin to realize the story is so much bigger than they could have expected.
True to both its title and mission statement of its characters, Spotlight put the focus on a catastrophic scandal just as the world was still reeling from it. One of the best-acted movies of the last 20 years, stars like Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, and Mark Ruffalo showed the world how it's done. Between McCarthy putting viewers through the emotional spectrum and brilliant attention to detail, it champions investigative journalism and the value of the truth.
Interstellar Is A Cosmic Odyssey That Never Lets Up
Christopher Nolan's career was taken to a whole new level when he made what many view as his magnum opus, Interstellar. Set in a future where Earth is in the throes of a blight that could wipe out humanity's food supply, it focuses on former astronaut Joseph Cooper as he's recruited to search for a habitable planet. Venturing into deep space through a wormhole, he and his crew retrace the steps of the last mission, all while time slips away back home.
A deep space epic that plays out like a sci-fi reimagining of Homer's The Odyssey, Interstellar brings the beauty, mystery, and terror of the universe to life like never before. More an audiovisual experience than it is a deep character study, the movie sets out to make its audience feel in awe of what lies beyond the Solar System. Praised by many for its groundbreaking special effects depiction of space, it's one of the most captivating films of its genre in decades.
Hacksaw Ridge Is A Uniquely Visceral World War II Movie
Mel Gibson's return to directing throughout the 2010s culminated in his best work since Apocalypto when he made Hacksaw Ridge. It tells the true story of World War II medic Desmond Doss as his pacifist convictions set the rest of his company against him. From training for the army to the titular battle against the Japanese, it highlights the fact that courage comes in different forms, building him up as the greatest unsung hero of the war.
Hacksaw Ridge is the most outstanding war movie of its decade, in no small part thanks to its unparalleled emotional drive. While following Desmond Doss, Gibson shows the world the true meaning of courage under fire, and its powerful supporting cast manages to push viewers to tears. The gritty detail of the battlefront is sure to stand out to fans for years, and Andrew Garfield turned in one of the decade's greatest performances as the war hero.
The Martian Is Peak Hard Science Fiction
The Martian begins when a US-led mission to Mars is forced to abandon the Red Planet amidst a storm, only to be forced to leave botanist Mark Watney for dead. As the rest of his crew begins the long journey back to Earth, the survivor must apply his scientific knowledge to survive the isolation with the few resources left behind. When NASA realizes he's still alive, they rally an international effort to bring him home.
Based on the first novel by Andy Weir, Ridley Scott's The Martian is easily the best hard sci-fi movie of the 21st century. Watching it makes the audience all the more appreciative of its incredible scientific accuracy, something scientists around the world praised it for. Ultimately, it's the way the movie makes those watching feel connected and unified that speaks to its real strength, and few stories have delivered that level of stakes and emotional investment since.
Whiplash Shows the Cost of Pursuing Perfection
Whiplash follows the journey of Andrew Neiman, a jazz drummer and musical student who is taken under the wing of the harsh conductor Fletcher. Eager to please his new mentor, he joins his ensemble, only to realize that he's an abusive teacher. However, as his intensity takes hold, it drives Neiman to throw himself into his music, only to make an enemy of Fletcher when he realizes his methods have gone too far.
Whiplash is a drama that shows its audience the dangers and costs of ambition, exploring the thin line between perfectionism and self-destruction. Neiman and Fletcher represent two sides of the same coin, pursuing greatness even if it means their own downfall. It's a visceral experience that delivers exceptional use of sound and thrilling acting to make it the kind of story that lingers on the mind for years.
Argo Drove Realism Back Into Espionage Thrillers
Ben Affleck continues to prove that he's one of Hollywood's best actors-turned-directors, and his masterpiece Argo is the best proof of that. Based on the true story of the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979, it follows him in the role of Tony Mendez, a CIA officer tasked with rescuing six embassy workers in hiding. To pull it off, he creates a fake movie production as a cover, infiltrating revolutionary Iran in a daring mission to save their lives.
Argo is easily the most pulse-pounding thriller of the 2010s, one that reminds everyone of Affleck's mastery over the genre since The Town and Gone Baby Gone. As intense and high-stakes as it gets, it does a phenomenal job of making its audience share in the anxiety of its characters at every turn. Earning a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Picture, it added some much-needed realism back into spy cinema, and is impossible to stop watching until the end.
Mad Max: Fury Road Proves How Epic Action Can Be
36 years after beginning his dystopian epic, George Miller returned to the tale of Australia's greatest hero when he made Mad Max: Fury Road. Recasting Max Rockatansky with Tom Hardy in the role, the long-awaited sequel focuses on the drifter as he's taken by the warriors of warlord Immortan Joe. The second he can escape, he takes up arms with a band of women searching for sanctuary, leading to an epic desert chase that never stops moving.
The gas-guzzling action thrill ride the world didn't realize it needed, the 2015 reboot raised the bar on its genre better than anything else. Outshining every dystopian movie of its era, watching Max and Furiosa tear a path through the wastelands somehow gets better with each new watch. Mad Max: Fury Road is the most stunning action movie ever shot, a masterpiece of editing and choreography, and still dares Hollywood to do better 11 years later.
