My Favourite Movies of the Past Decade

Ah…evolution.

The years pass, the years come. Each day bringing us closer to death. What joy. All this time spent living, as humans do, is boring. We need something to pass the time. Something like movies.

And in the wake of this new decade, an old one lingers by. Let us dwell on all the movies that I loved most each year. (This is list is being conducted only on the movies that I actually saw that year. So, as much as I want to sound cool and pretend I have the best taste in movies, that’s not always the case.)

Shall we?

[dreamworks animation]

2010: How to Train your Dragon

Can you believe it was that long ago? I was nine when I saw this in theatres. NINE! Whatever, it still holds up. Since 2010, I’ve seen it so many times I swear I know it by heart. I sold my nine-year-old soul to Astrid, and I’ve yet to get it back. I like this movie a lot.

[paramount pictures / bad robot]

2011: Super 8

I still don’t know if everyone saw this movie in 2011 but I did and I did not like it. But I’m biased

I saw this at least six times in one summer when I was ten. I hated going to summer camp, so after grovelling to my parents to let me stay, I quickly realized my downfall: boredom. I had nothing to do, nowhere to go. I was stuck. Until my dad rented Super 8 on demand, and I watched it. I watched it over and over during the three days that I still had it, and it gave me something to do. I never liked it, but I’m indebted to it. That’s why it’s my favourite.

[universal studios / gold circle films]

2012: Pitch Perfect

I meant it then, and I mean it now. Yes, I am a little ashamed, but not enough to make myself forget that I love this movie. When it first came out, I would not shut up about it. I knew all the songs, I worshipped Anna Kendrick (still do), and I used my personal Instagram account to scream at people who haven’t seen it. I violently loved Jesse, and I quoted lines back to my parents even though I didn’t know what they really meant. (Upon rewatching, I am horrified). I loved it. Plain and simple.

[20th century studios / regency enterprises]

2013: The Internship

This one’s embarrassing. Let me preface: I like this movie just fine by itself. I think Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson play off each other well. I enjoyed the conflicts. But, if I’m being honest, this movie is my favourite of 2013 simply because Dylan O’Brien was in it. And he’s wearing square glasses and a beanie, and he has a snarky attitude. I was twelve, and I was enchanted.

[20th century studios / marv films]

2014: Kingsman: The Secret Service

I’m not ashamed of this one! I love this movie. I love the wit and the twists and the challenges these people have to go through. It’s so well thought out. Yes, the villain is actually kind of cliché, but that’s part of the allure. A villain who vomits at the sight of blood! Brilliant! I love this movie.

[20th century studios]

2015: Spy

Don’t ask me cuz I don’t know. It’s just a feel-good spy movie. It had comedy, it had action, and it had Jude Law. I’m very okay with this movie. And besides, while making this list, I realized that 2015 was not the best movie year for me. Oh, well.

[marvel entertainment / 20th century studios]

2016: Deadpool

I watched this in theatres with my mom and her friend. It had swear words, it had sex scenes, and it had some nasty mutilations happening. It is not family-friendly, and I loved it. Mostly, I loved the humour, the banter, the satire all culminated to make a pretty solid film.

[marvel studios / columbia pictures]

2017: Spider-Man: Homecoming

I am faithful to Tobey Maguire, but I also adored this movie. It’s Spider-Man. It’s a classic superhero character, and I think Tom Holland did a good job.

[20th century studios]

2018: Love, Simon

What a heartwarming movie. What sweetness, what joy. This movie is so pure and warm that it hits right where I needed it. I praise it.

[annapurna pictures]

2019: Hustlers

And finally, the most recent movie that stole my heart; Hustlers. I watched this late last year and died. I love it so much, it’s dear to me. There’s no overly fascinating reason other than I enjoyed myself. I had such a good time watching these characters on a screen, it was music to my eyes.

That’s my list! Thanks for reading!

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Linda Deslauriers

Linda is the most “fangirly” person you will likely ever meet. She’s a second-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program. She enjoys hot chocolate, rainy evenings, literature, and cinema. If looking for her, you will find her on her bed; enthralled in whatever new addiction she’s developed since.

The Best Movies to Watch in the Wee Hours of the Morning

You know exactly what I’m talking about. Those movies that aren’t exactly horror, not exactly romance. Those movies that live in the sweet spot between “I don’t wanna watch this” and “I should watch this someday”. The kind of movies that you watch bundled up in your bed, under the blankets. Those movies that you watch beyond your better judgment at 3:00 am and regret it immediately, but by then, it’s too late. That’s what this is. They give you bad dreams (if you sleep at all). They make you question every little thing. They’re the movies that make you say; “What the hell did I just watch?”.

These are the movies that I hate the most…

Here are some of my favourites.

fight club [1999] [Fox 2000 pictures]

Fight Club: Drama/Thriller (1999)

This movie is about two friends, Tyler Durden and the Narrator, as we watch them come up with their idea of a Fight Club. A place where men can escape to let out their sorrows by consensually beating the shit out of other men. This idea takes off for our two friends, and it forms into something more and more sinister as it blooms in popularity. And we’re seeing all this for the first time through our Narrator’s eyes as he grows increasingly suspicious of the world he’s created and the man he’s become.

When I watched this, it was already 2:00 am and by the end, I had forfeited sleep for the night. I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t sad. I was simply… astonished.

Parasite: Thriller/Comedy (2019)

parasite [2019] [cj entertainment]

This movie starts out rather tame and unassuming. But that’s just what pulls you in. This young man who struggles with his family and their consuming financial problems is finally offered a way out. A golden ticket, if you will, and is all at once thrust into this world of luxury. A world he and his family members find a way to invade. One by one, they trick the family that they are working for into hiring each and every one of them. The plot really starts unravelling when they manage to ostracize the long-time caretaker out of the house, and together, they discover that the house hides a few secrets too.

I watched this movie in the middle of the night with my friend. She had already seen it, so she was watching me eagerly for my reactions. I couldn’t even tell you what was happening half the time, but I loved it. I mean, I hated it; but I loved it.

The Truman Show: Drama/Comedy (1998)

The truman show [1998] [paramount pictures]

This movie hits hard. Especially at 4:00 am.

Imagine being trapped your whole life without even knowing it. And everyone you meet and everyone you love was just pretending. Imagine being so out of the loop that your whole life exists in a different reality. 

That’s messed up. That’s The Truman Show.

What words can I use to express myself? This movie is more than just an existential crisis in the CD packaging. It has depth, it carries meaning, it carries hope. It wraps together love and betrayal and hurt so preciously and delicately that it’s heartbreaking. But it’s beautiful.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and if you haven’t seen it, you’ll thank me for it later.

The Matrix: Action/ Sci-Fi (1999)

THE MATRIX [1999] [warner bros.]

Now I can’t make this list and not include this movie. This is the big daddy of all “make you question your existence” films. And this is one of the best. This movie commences when our protagonist, a young Keanu Reeves, hacks his way to the truth, and therefore to the very heart of a rebellion. 

This whole movie has a vibe you can’t shake. It’s an uneasy, crawling feeling. The music and the acting and the tempo make you know something’s wrong; it’s there and staring you in the face. You know something’s about to erupt, and you just sit there and wrack your brain. It’s magical in its intensity.

In simple terms: I love this weird-ass science-fiction. Regardless of how much leather they wear.

That’s it for my picks! I hope you’ll enjoy them and have a good sleep afterwards. Remember, these movies are exclusively for after midnight. And I have no say in this. It’s the law.

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Linda Deslauriers

Linda is the most “fangirly” person you will likely ever meet. She’s a second-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program. She enjoys hot chocolate, rainy evenings, literature, and cinema. If looking for her, you will find her on her bed; enthralled in whatever new addiction she’s developed since.

Does The King Of Staten Island Deserve Its Crown?

The King Of staten island [2020] [Universal Pictures]

The King of Staten Island, a new addition to the long line of Judd Apatow movies, came out in June of 2020. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the audience gave The King of Staten Island a score of 85 percent, and critics have said an assortment of encouraging, if not great, things about it.

Summary

The King of Staten Island begins by introducing us to Scott (Pete Davidson), a 24 wannabe tattoo artist living with his widowed mother, Margie (Marisa Tomei) and his sister. He spends his days smoking pot and hanging out with his somewhat deadbeat friends. After the surmounting grief of his father’s passing in a fireman accident when he was seven, Scott has a very hard time with his mental illnesses, which affects his relationships. After a string of dead-end conversations and morally questionable actions, he’s surprised by the announcement of his mother being in a serious relationship, even more surprised when he finds out that the man who’s seeing his mother is Ray (Bill Burr), the rude father of the nine-year-old boy he tattooed.

Thus being where the movie kicks into high gear. At the start, Scott tried to be somewhat supportive of Margie’s new relationship, but as the movie progresses, the more he dislikes Ray and the more he tries to sabotage it. And so, naturally, he decides to dig up dirt on Ray, reveal it all to his mother, get kicked out of his childhood home, become homeless…and run right back to Ray. Little did they know it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship or at least less of a hatred. 

Mental Health Representation

The King of Staten Island is a uniquely genuine and relatable film. Accompanied by questionable characters, surprising growth and quite a few laughs. Something that spoke to me while watching this was the mental health representation; since you don’t always see that in drama-comedies. I liked that Scott was flawed in that way because of his father’s death as well as how that’s a prominent part of his character. However, I noticed that Scott’s mental health issues were pushed to the backseat once the movie started picking up. It’s something that I find quite unfortunate because once it was mentioned, it was practically never brought up again. Regardless, I appreciate that the movie chose to include mental illnesses, and I found that how it was represented via Scott felt very authentic to me and how I view mental health.  

The Unexpected Friendship

The king of staten island [2020] [universal pictures]

Later in the film, when Scott gets kicked out by his mother after a series of bad decisions and drifts from place to place; he finally ends up at the one spot and the one person he knows he would have a shot at staying in. The firehouse where Ray works. He convinces Ray by bargaining his mother’s love and is lent a sofa, with the agreement of helping Scott for this one night. However, when Scott is about to get kicked out once again, Papa (Steve Buscemi) agrees to let him stay in exchange for work. This is where we see Scott finally come into himself as a character. It’s where he learns to honour his father’s memory but also move on from it. We watch him learn to grow in an array of hilarious and surprisingly tender moments. 

All in all, I do think this is a good film. With hardships and flaws and love delicately interwoven between them. It’s a movie that depicts how people are not often perfect and are hard to love sometimes. Yet, it’s also about how love isn’t easy like that; it requires understanding and patience. But if you’re willing to try, it can be incredibly rewarding. Even people from Staten Island deserve love.

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Linda Deslauriers

Linda is the most “fangirly” person you will likely ever meet. She’s a second-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program. She enjoys hot chocolate, rainy evenings, literature, and cinema. If looking for her, you will find her on her bed; enthralled in whatever new addiction she’s developed since.

My Praise for 2005's Pride and Prejudice

In 2005, Joe Wright made his film debut with Pride and Prejudice, a celebrated 1800s novel by Jane Austen, starring Keira Knightley and earning the actress her first Oscar nomination. The film received a score of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of 89%; thereby, making it a beloved film.

But enough with the facts, with this blog post I will show you and not tell, why this is the best book-to-movie adaptation ever made.

Let’s begin. 

When recommending this movie, my go-to reason is always that it is faithful to the source material. As a Janeite, I have sought solace in the pages of Pride and Prejudice many times, and thus know it intimately well.

So, when I saw the 2005 adaptation of one of my most cherished classical novels, I freaked, because it holds the same kind of magic Jane Austen was so good at wielding; the same kind of magic I keep going back to, and it felt so real to me. All of my favourite scenes in the book were there, and they hold all the same, if not similar, dialogue that made the book so good; as well as made Elizabeth such an amazing character. Even the scenes that weren’t in the book, though few and far between, I adored. Like the fact that Mr. Darcy’s [first] marriage proposal was done in the rain. And the final scene with Mr. Bennet was absolute perfection. Like I said, magic.

Apart from this, Kiera Knightley is the perfect Elizabeth Bennet; she matches the wit and spit-fire energy that Elizabeth was so loved for and transforms the character into such a formidable protagonist on-screen. The scenes I try to replicate are impossible because of the sheer ferocity with how she enunciates. What I love most about Elizabeth is her passion, and Kiera Knightley has got her down pat: the looks, the dancing, the lines, all perfect.

As for the rest of the cast, like Jane, played by Rosamund Pike and Mathew McFayden who plays Mr. Darcy, or Fitzwilliam (I know right?); they were incredible at capturing the heart of their characters. Mr. Darcy’s almost awkward and timid way in regards to Elizabeth; Jane’s hurt and disbelief towards Mr. Bingley’s actions; not to mention her relationship with her sisters.

And the rest of the cast! Oh, Donald Sutherland’s performance as Mr. Bennet; his stern yet fond connection to his daughters and his obvious preference for Elizabeth made my little heart squirm— simply amazing. This is a beautiful cast. 

One of the reasons this film is such a good adaptation is the setting and tone of the movie. It really holds that nostalgic, old-timey sort of vibe that the novel was set in. Where the setting sun casts a burnt orange in the sky that never truly leaks out. This transcendent ghost of an era that I never got to see, and yet somehow can experience because of the beauty of this setting.

Praise for the score and the costumes and the tone and the direction and the cast that make this the best book-to-movie adaptation I’ve ever seen, and I hope you agree with me.

Like I said, magic.

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Linda Deslauriers

Linda is the most “fangirly” person you will likely ever meet. She’s a second-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program. She enjoys hot chocolate, rainy evenings, literature, and cinema. If looking for her, you will find her on her bed; enthralled in whatever new addiction she’s developed since.

On the Reel

Reel Reviews by Reel People

This blog aims to create content for all those movie nerds out there. From controversial pieces to Top 10s, to unwanted opinions, On the Reel’s got you covered. Sometimes, it’s nice to know you’re not the only one who cares about faithful adaptations.