The most popular movie each year of the 2010s, according to Letterboxd
Letterboxd users are usually people who really love movies. They don’t just fall in love with the biggest blockbusters or watch Oscar bait to find their best films of a given year. When you watch the website’s most popular movies each year, you’ll find an eclectic mix of genres, budgets, and more.
The 2010s are a perfect example. Each year seemingly has a different genre front and center when it comes to what’s been watched, reviewed, and discussed more than any other. You get horror, sci-fi, superheroes, drama, comedy, Oscar winners, and just about anything you can think of.
2010 – Creation
Stream on HBO Max
Arrived at the beginning of the decade, Creation accomplished a very rare feat. A totally original film not based on any existing property not only managed to be a blockbuster that grossed over $800 million, but also became a cultural staple that remains relevant today.
Christopher Nolan’s trippy film follows a thief and his team as they infiltrate a target’s dreams and implement an idea in their mind. Creation was highly praised for the solid cast, impressive visuals, Hans Zimmer’s score, and more. He won four of the eight Oscars for which he was nominated. If only fans could have a sequel after this cliffhanger.
2011 – Driving
Stream on Tubi
A single movie to rank as the most popular of its year on Letterboxd made less than $100 million and that is To drive. Always a box office success, this film helped cement Ryan Gosling as a stallion actor as he also shone in The ides of March and Crazy, Stupid, Love This year.
To drive focuses on the unnamed character of Gosling, a stuntman who works as a getaway driver next door. He embarks on a heist with his neighbor’s husband and when things go wrong, he must take a vengeful path to protect her and her child. A slow combustion of surprising violence, To drive received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.
2012 – Django unleashed
Stream on Netflix
In every decade that he’s made movies, Quentin Tarantino has had at least one rank as Most Popular on Letterboxd. For the 2010s, it was Django Unchainedhis first real foray into western directing, adding his flair for violence and revising history.
The film is set in the 1800s and sees a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) help a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) save his wife (Kerry Washington) from a plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). Tarantino’s heavy casting and signature style helped it earn five Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture.
2013 – The Wolf of Wall Street
Stream on Paramount+
For the second year in a row, an iconic director has a movie rank at the top. Martin Scorsese is known for working with Leonardo DiCaprio (his third of four years in a major film) and the wolf of Wall Street could arguably be their biggest film together.
Many thought that was when DiCaprio should have won his Best Actor Oscar (he finally got it soon after for The ghost). In it, he plays Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who used deception, bribery, and more to live a wild and lavish life. This movie also gets points for being Margot Robbie’s breakout role.
2014 – Interstellar
Stream on Paramount+ and FXNow
For the second time in the 2010s, Christopher Nolan is the filmmaker behind the most popular film. Although Creation was a colossal undertaking, just like The black Knight trilogy, Interstellar is probably the most daunting task he has ever undertaken due to its sheer scale.
Interstellar takes place in a world where Earth becomes uninhabitable, so a group of astronauts embark on a mission to find a new home for humans. The space scenes led to an Academy Award win for Best Visual Effects and feature some of the most emotional moments of any Nolan film. Add unexpected twists with time elements and it’s become iconic.
2015 – Mad Max: Fury Road
Stream on HBO Max and AMC+
One of the hardest things to do in Hollywood is to make a worthy sequel years after the original. That’s especially true when it’s been over a decade, so it was harder than ever to get Mad Max: Fury Road right given that the franchise trilogy ended thirty years prior.
Despite the difficulties, it turned out to be widely regarded as the best entry in the series. It sees the titular Max working with a female warrior to take down a ruthless leader in an apocalyptic wasteland. The film led the Oscars with ten nominations, winning an impressive six of them.
2016 – The Earth
Stream on Hulu
Damien Chazelle quickly became a notable name in the world of cinema and although he has several memorable releases, his crowning glory is The Earth. The musical drama centers on an aspiring actress and a jazz musician who fall in love in Los Angeles.
The couple of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling once again delivered electric chemistry on screen. In fact, it helped Stone win the Oscar for Best Actress, with the film also winning Best Picture – Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes. The Earth delivers stunning visuals, great music, and stellar performance.
2017 – Get Out
Stream on FXNow
For most of his career, Jordan Peele was known as a comedian who made audiences laugh on mad tv for years. Everything changed with get outwhich Peele wrote and directed and made him a thriving star of the horror genre.
get out went on to be nominated for Best Picture (a rarity for horror) and won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars. It tells the story of a young black man who discovers harrowing secrets about his white girlfriend’s family when he goes to visit them. This film had a major cultural impact upon its arrival.
2018 – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Stream on FXNow
It’s actually one of the highest rated movies on Letterboxd besides being the most popular of 2018. In fact, it’s actually one of the highest rated anime movies Spider- Highest rated man and one of the greatest regardless of genre. .
Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a huge success. It follows young Miles Morales after he gains Spider-Man’s powers and learns to become a hero with the help of Spider-People across different dimensions. The soundtrack, animation style, voice cast, etc., were all widely praised.
2019 – Parasite
Stream on Hulu and Kanopy
It’s hard to find a movie that made more history during the 2010s than Parasite. Most notably, it set Oscar records by being the first non-English film to win Best Picture, while adding Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Feature to its trophy.
The comedy-thriller centers on a poor family who infiltrate a wealthy family to find their way to surprising success. It showcases the exceptional skills of writer and director Bong Joon-ho, features a terrific cast, and is full of unexpected twists.
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