Top 10 Films of 2010

For a year that began with me only being truly excited for a few films (Shutter Island, Inception and Toy Story 3), 2010 shaped up to be one of the best years for cinema in some time. for the first time in as long as I can remember, I really struggled to make my list of the ten best films to come out last year. However, after much consideration and shuffling my list is complete.

Number 10 - How to Train Your Dragon

This is as close as I have ever seen Dreamworks come to achieving a Pixar quality film. How to Train Your Dragon delivers an exciting, fun and heartfelt adventure here. The animation is top notch and the film finds the perfect balance between funny and sweet.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

Number 9 - Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky delivered one of my top five favorite films of 2009 with The Wrestler, so it was no surprise that Black Swan is another impressive film from a very talented director. I went into this movie not knowing exactly what to expect, and after about 20 minutes I was fully drawn into this very dark and disturbing story. Natalie Portman gives an excellent performance here, in a role that I never would have pictured her in. This film is great on so many levels, and the shoestring budget is never once obvious. I can't wait to see what Aronofsky has in store for us next.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

Number 8 - Let Me In 

When I read that "Let The Right One In" was being redone, I immediately passed it off as being another awful american remake that was watered down and ruined. I couldn't have been more wrong. Let Me In is one of the strongest and most faithful remakes I have ever seen, while still able to be its own movie. Chloe Moretz is fantastic here, and is establishing herself as one of the best young actresses in Hollywood. The twisted and disturbing love story here is far better than anything you will ever find in any other vampire films that were released this year.


Score: 8.7 out of 10

Number 7 - The Town

When Ben Affleck gave us Gone Baby Gone in 2007, I began to respect him as a filmmaker, but at the same time I was wary that it may have been a fluke. While The Town is not quite as close to perfection as his last effort as screenwriter/director, it is still one of the best films of 2010. This film is intense, very well acted (Especially from Jon Hamm and Rebecca Hall) and wonderfully directed.

Score: 9.0 out of 10

 Number 6 - Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass was bad-ass. That about sums up how awesome this movie was. It was the perfect balance of tongue-in-cheek humor and classic superhero fable. Aaron Johnson was great as loser turned Superhero Dave Lizewski, but for the second time in my top ten list I have to mention the amazing work by Chloe Moretz. Her portrayal of Hit Girl is outstanding and I can't even describe how awesome it was seeing her kick so much ass in this movie. The score was cool, the action was fast and bloody, and the story was familiar But fresh. This may not be my number one film of the year, but it may have been the best time I had watching any movie throughout 2010.

Score: 9.3 out of 10

Number 5 - Toy Story 3

Who would have thought a story featuring toys that come to life when nobody is around could turn out to be one of the greatest film trilogies of all time. Toy Story 3 was a beautiful movie and the perfect end to this now 15 year old tale. I was worried that they were doing another Toy Story movie, especially since the first 2 were so amazing. I was nervous that it wouldn't fit in with the other two, and would not be near as powerful. The minute I started this film though, all my worries were gone as it felt like a proper and very justified farewell to Andy's toys. The story is as strong and even more heartwarming than the other two, and I have no problem admitting that this movie made me tear up quite a bit at one point. I don't know how Pixar does it with just about every one of their features, but I hope they can keep delivering movies like this for years to come.

Score: 9.5 out of 10

Number 4 - Inception

Inception caught my attention from the first teaser trailer I watched almost a year before its release. I had no idea what it was but I knew that I wanted to see it. As more about the movie was revealed, I grew more anticipated. I went into the movie with ridiculously high expectations, but instead of being let down, my expectations were exceeded. Christopher Nolan has crafted one of the best science fiction movies since The Matrix. Inception has a simple idea moving it forward, but as the movie progresses, things become more complex. Everything in Inception is done beautifully. The action set pieces are phenomenal, the performances are superb (especially Cillian Murphy) and the score is one of the best this year. The thing I like best about this movie is how the viewer can interpret things the way that they want to, and it isn't wrong. This is a fantastic movie that begs for multiple viewing.

Score: 9.5 out of 10 


Number 3 - True Grit 

Wow! I'm not a huge fan of Westerns, but this movie blew me away. I shouldn't be surprised, as The Coen's were responsible for my favorite film of 2007, but they have brought their A-game back once again for this movie. There are so many great things I can say about this movie, but I will keep it to a select few. The cinematography is outstanding here. Never have I been so drawn in to the setting of a period piece like with True Grit. It seems like it was filmed in the late 1800's. Nothing looks like a set, or out of place at all. I also have to mention that every single performance here was excellent, especially newcomer Hailee Steinfeld who gives a terrific debut performance. Jeff Bridges is hilarious as Rooster Cogburn and Matt Damon shines as Labeouf. The Coen's have added another AAA title to their already impressive library.

Score: 9.6 out of 10 


Number 2 - 127 Hours

127 Hours, in my opinion is Danny Boyle's best film. It is full of his unique style, but it also does something new. The majority of viewers knew the story of Aron Ralston before going into the theater and I think that is what made the movie so intense. The fact that I knew what he needed to do, and watched him try so many other things was terrifying. James Franco gives an outstanding performance that very well may be the best in his career so far; this is made even more impressive by the fact that about 80% of the movie is focused on him alone. The score is very moving, the direction is standard fare from Boyle (Amazing) and overall the film is damn near perfection.

Score: 9.8 out of 10


There really was no fair competition for the number one film of 2010. Sure, 127 Hours and True Grit were close, but my pick for best film of 2010 was clear from the moment I saw it.


Number 1 - The Social Network 

This movie is a masterpiece. David Fincher has delivered a very smart, extremely beautiful movie here, and the film deserves every bit of praise that it can get. The direction and cinematography are both incredible, and the score suits the film perfectly. There is rarely a movie where every single aspect works, but this is an example of such a movie. I remember before seeing The Social Network, hearing comparisons to Citizen Kane, and thought that was a little bit ridiculous; I can now say without a doubt in my mind that this film is in fact on the same level as Orson Welles' classic. Both leads give excellent performances that differ drastically from each other. Even Justin Timberlake is terrific here as the creator of Napster. The Social Network is not only my favorite movie this year, it also makes it into my top 10 films of all time.

Score: 10 out of 10 

Well there you have it. In a year that started out very slow, we were given some truly incredible films. As I mentioned before, I had trouble making this list, and there are a few movies that I have not seen yet that may affect this list. I still need to see The King's Speech and a few others, so keep that in mind.

Honorable Mentions:


Scott Pilgrim Vs The World 

Shutter Island 

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

The Fighter


Thanks for Reading,
Benjamin Garrett