The 2010s was a decade that gave birth to many outstanding movies that are still relevant and popular today. Redditors believe that some movies within that time period should be considered modern classics with their ability to redefine storytelling and filmmaking.
These movies have pushed many boundaries by tackling complex themes, exploring new worlds, and challenging audiences to think deeply about the world around them. A few notable movies of the 2010s that will continue to be remembered and celebrated for years to come would include a wannabe journalist in Nightcrawler, saving the world from alien invasion in Marvel's The Avengers, and finding a new home in Interstellar.
1 The Social Network (2010)
A biographical drama movie based on the 2009 Ben Mzerich's book The Accidental Billionaire, portrays Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) as he creates the global social network, Facebook. Due to his unprecedented success, he finds himself in two legal battles, including one against his former friend, Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).
The brilliant script, exceptional direction, and outstanding performances make this a cultural touchstone that reflects the impact of social media on modern society. Redditor Debinthedez believes the movie "captures a moment in time that most of us all remember." The reason that they like it so much is that "we lived through it, you know it's a recent thing that was so huge and still is." Another Redditor can definitely see how this movie has what it takes to become a classic.
2 The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
An epic biographical based on Jordan Belfort's 2007 memoir of the same name. It follows Belfort's (Leonardo DiCaprio) career as a stockbroker in New York City. In order to get rich quickly, his firm known as Stratton Oakmont got caught in corruption and fraud on Wall Street. He takes on a mentee, Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) in order to show him the ways to success meanwhile using his own clients for personal gain.
This recount of Belfort's rise and fall is considered a satirical masterpiece that is a must-watch for film lovers. Considered one of Martin Scorsese's highest-rated movies, he successfully addresses gluttony and corruption through an experience that feels like a guilty pleasure. Redditor dpenitrizzle believes that The Wolf of Wall Street "will be what Scarface is today in about a couple of decades."
3 Marvel's The Avengers (2012)
The release of Marvel's The Avengers became a defining moment of the superhero genre. This movie brings together the iconic Marvel superheroes: Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in order to save the world from an alien invasion started by Loki (Tom Hiddleston).
This cultural phenomenon shook the industry, broke box office records, and proved that an impossible concept such as superheroes in a movie can actually work. The surprise of no one mentioning Marvel's The Avengers in the thread led to a deleted Redditor user saying that it "was an unprecedented result of an enormous experiment, and it blew everybody away." This classic exceeded expectations in which the Redditor believed it is "the true beginning of the superhero boom."
4 Inception (2010)
Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a professional thief who uses his ability to enter people's minds and steal their secrets from the subconscious. Given the chance to have his criminal history expunged, he must plant an idea in someone's mind through dream-sharing technology.
Based on lucid dreaming and the idea of dream stealers, Christopher Nolan creates a mind-bending plot that has its audience still talking about it a decade and some years later. Redditor CryptidGrimnoir mentions Inception as being "visually stunning and requires multiple viewings just to completely understand." Being considered one of the best films of the 2010s along with four Academy Awards, this one is a true modern classic.
5 Ex Machina (2014)
For Alex Garland's directorial debut, he creates a stunning science-fiction thriller about artificial intelligence. The movie revolves around a young programmer, Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson), who is selected by his CEO (Oscar Isaac) to participate in an experiment that involves testing the artificial intelligence of a humanoid robot, (Alicia Vikander) with the Turing test.
The movie brings to light the consequences of creating intelligent machines and summing up the ethics of artificial intelligence. Redditor Sheriff_Bigby_Wolf says Ex Machina "deals with the answer that we will soon have (or already have) on how to deal with artificial intelligence." The simplicity of four characters being secluded in a private estate made for an excellent story that contained a brilliant script and stunning visuals.
6 Whiplash (2014)
An ambitious young jazz drummer, Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) enrolls in a prestigious music school, Shaffer Conservatory, in the hopes of rising to the top. He is pushed to his limit by his abusive instructor, Terence Fletcher (J. K. Simons).
Whiplash is a captivating movie that involves obsession destroying the artist. The idea of artistic ambition and passion to be the best can get in the way of reaching the artist's full potential. This movie has electrifying musical performances and intense character development that won the audience ten times over. It even gave the Redditor alduck "the goosebumps" as they watched it.
7 Interstellar (2014)
Interstellar focuses on the idea of Earth being uninhabitable in the future. A brilliant NASA physicist Professor Brand (Michael Caine) comes up with a plan to save mankind by moving everyone to a new home through a wormhole. In order for the plan to work, former NASA pilot Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), Amelia Brand (Anne Hathaway) and a team of astronauts must embark on a mission to find a new home for humanity in a distant galaxy.
A great combination for a modern classic would include, space, time, and the human condition. The involvement of no green screens and the use of CG sparingly makes this movie even more spectacular. A deleted Reddit user believes that Interstellar will have a following similar to - Moon and that "there will be a good chunk of people recommending them for years to come." Others agree that it will be remembered as one of the three hard science-fiction in space from the 2010s.
8 Parasite (2019)
As the first South Korean film to receive an Academy Award recognition, this dark comedy thriller follows the low-income Kim family as they infiltrate the lives of the wealthy Park family. The Kims come up with a well-thought-out plan to get jobs working for the Parks in order to better their lives. In the midst of taking over, chaos ensues between the long-time housekeeper, Gook Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun), and the Kims.
Bong Joon Ho's project focuses on the theme of class struggle and the lengths people will go to in order to survive. The Redditor who began the discussion, SnooMacaroons1942 listed Parasite as one of the films from the past 20 years that are undeniably great. Its exceptional storytelling, masterful direction, and superb acting is what made many critics consider it one of the best Asian films of the 21st century.
9 Nightcrawler (2014)
A thief, Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes a freelance crime journalist after recording a violent event and selling the footage to a local television news station. After unsuccessful attempts of recording incidents, he begins to tamper with crime scenes in order to get the special graphic footage that morning news directors are looking for.
This modern masterpiece is mentioned as the top comment of the Reddit thread, proving many people praise it as a modern classic. Redditor LacklusterMeh believes "Nightcrawler is one of those psycho-thriller movies like Taxi Driver, The Shining, and American Psycho that (they) think will stand the test of time." Its exploration of the dark side of the media and unethical journalism feels too close to home that fans end up rooting for its antihero.
10 Her (2013)
Marking Spike Jonze's solo screenwriting debut, this romantic science-fiction movie that tells the story of a man named Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) who writes personal letters for other people. When his marriage ends, he looks to an artificially intelligent virtual assistant named Samantha (Scarlett Johansson) for guidance as their relationship grows into love.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Her is one of Joaquin Phoenix's best movies. The movie explores themes of human connection and the role of technology in our lives. With an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, it is often praised for its thought-provoking plot, outstanding performances, and beautiful cinematography. The Redditor SilentRansom thinks very highly of the movie as "it perfectly captures loneliness."