{"id":14753,"date":"2019-12-10T16:48:26","date_gmt":"2019-12-10T22:48:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/noteworthy\/?p=14753"},"modified":"2026-01-12T15:35:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T21:35:48","slug":"staff-picks-jamess-top-20-films-of-the-2010s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libblogs.luc.edu\/noteworthy\/2019\/12\/10\/staff-picks-jamess-top-20-films-of-the-2010s\/","title":{"rendered":"Staff Picks \u2014 James’s Top 20 Films of the 2010s"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the month of December, Loyola Libraries staff make lists and check them twice. What are these lists about? Anything! You can look at past years’ lists here<\/a>, and stay tuned for more lists all month long! Without further ado…<\/em><\/p>\n

Best of the Decade: Top 20 Films of the 2010\u2019s<\/h1>\n

By James Conley, Media Services Librarian<\/p>\n

The years from 2010-2020 have brought us a slew of new artistic achievements in cinema. Sure we\u2019ve also had plenty of duds and schlocky cash-grabs, but we\u2019ve also had the rise and endurance of entirely new sub-genres. The 2010\u2019s were as much defined by franchise films like those of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Expanded Universe as they were by the deep diversity of first time directors and actors, taking chances to push the boundaries of genre film and to explode audiences\u2019 expectations about what going to the theater meant. As more and more films and shows were released by and on platforms like Netflix and Amazon the worry of cinema becoming something for the small screen permeated the platforms of auteur directors and classicists. In the end we\u2019ve found something of a hybrid- films produced by streaming services getting both a home and theatrical release won accolades from the Academy and we began to see that one does not necessarily require the death of the other. Like most things in this world cinema found a way to adapt. <\/p>\n

This list, while in my personal order of impact, could have ended up in many different configurations. I started with ten films, then twenty, then I though about fifty. I ended up back at twenty because it seemed to strike a balance for my absolute favorite titles. The first ten also contain my thoughts on the experience of the film and the bottom ten are just accompanied by stills I think encapsulate great cinematic moments. I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts and your picks, feel free to reply at the bottom of this post or e-mail me directly!<\/p>\n