I’ve shown you what will soon be known as classics, you discovered overlooked movies, and were hiding under the covers from the villains. My final Best of “The Oh’s” list is simply my personal favorite films of the past 10 years.  I’m not trying to sell you on any of these. I don’t care if you disagree. There is no debate. This decade saw me thrown into the working world post-college graduation, it witnessed my engagement and wedding. It saw my transition from “Tall, Dark, and good looking” to “Tall, Dark, and handsome.”  The decade had many ups and the inevitable downs.

The below list are films that moved me in some way as I grew up as an adult.  I saw Requiem for A Dream 3 times in the theater (yes, I’m a glutton for punishment). I watched a special back to back Arclight screening of Kill Bill 1 and Kill Bill 2.  I saw Oldboy without knowing anything about it — man, was that shocking. The score for Road to Perdition still moves me when I hear it.  You won’t find Lord of the Rings trilogy on this list as I’ll never watch those again. These are all films that only get better each time I see them.

Through movie magic, some helped me find clarity during the bad times. Others simply helped my mind run wild in imagination. They all were thought provoking, inspiring, haunting, and creative pieces of work that I really appreciated.

30. High Fidelity (2000) – A love letter to the audiophiles, this film will make you laugh, cringe, and make you realize you relate to John Cusack’s character maybe a little too much.

29. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) – There’s a special place in my heart for the imagination of kids (see #13 and #17) and this one is no exception. It sets up an amazingly creepy fantasy world that let’s your imagination run wild.

28. Munich (2005) – Seth Rogan’s character says it best in Knocked Up, “If any of us gets laid tonight, it’s because of Eric Bana in Munich.”  Inglorious Basterds was great, but this is the ultimate Jewish revenge flick. This is a great Spielberg film that oddly was forgotten.

27. Road to Perdition (2002) – The rain scene shootout and amazing score put this in my top 30 list. Can’t wait to see this film again.

26. Memento (2000) – On paper, this film is as gimmicky as they come. The whole film is backwards so each plot point is revealed in reverse order. Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight) gives the audience a pitch perfect murder mystery and doesn’t get wrapped up in the gimmicks. Solid cast, perfect script, this is a thriller-noir that everyone must see.

25. Juno (2007) – The buzz around this movie made it unbearable to even hear the name Diablo Cody or Juno. Somehow, this film still holds strong through annoying buzz. Funny, heartfelt, with an all-too-real subject matter.

24. Sideways (2004) - I can never look at a bottle of Merlot the same again. Hilarious movie that deserved all of the accolades and buzz it got. It’s just too bad Thomas Haden Church couldn’t parlay his nominated role into more. His Spiderman 3 was a TRAINWRECK!

23. The Dark Knight in IMAX (2008) – If you haven’t seen this movie, I doubt you’re reading this. Quite simply, this is the best superhero movie made. Period. If you saw it in IMAX, your balls are probably just healing up from the swift kick they took from the kickassity of it all. Yes, I just said that.

22. Away We Go (2009) – Maybe it hit close to home, but I thought this movie was fantastic. Sam Mendes quietly made one of his best films and no one really saw it. It’s a shame.  Here is my review from initial screening.

21. Let the Right One In (2008) – I reviewed it HERE. This Swedish Vampire flick is fantastic. “Eli” would kick Robert Pattinson’s ass. But so could I.

20. Finding Nemo (2003) – Many will argue that Pixar’s best films are The Incredibles, Wall-E, or Up. I don’t think any of them compare to Finding Nemo. It’s heartfelt, funny, and swimmingly brilliant.

19. Talk To Her (2002) – One of Almodovar’s best films, this Oscar Winner (Screenplay) and Nominee (Director) will catch you by surprise. All you need to know is the basic plot: Two men share an odd friendship while they care for their girlfriends who are both in deep comas

18. Adaptation (2002) – Charlie Kaufman: Writer; Spike Jonze: Director; Meryl Streep: Actress. What more do you need?

17. Spirited Away (2001) – Beat out Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. for the first ever Best Animated Picture Academy Award. It would beat out any Pixar movie ever released. Place some imagination in a crack pipe, light it, and smoke it. That’s what you’ll get here. Alice in Wonderland meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets a low level street drug.  Amazing film.

16. The Royal Tennenbaums (2001) – My favorite of Wes Anderson’s films.

15. Blackhawk Down (2001) – This film disturbs me beyond belief. A true war story which proves that the same mistakes keep being made over and over in the world. We didn’t learn from either of the World Wars. We didn’t learn from Vietnam.  Pure madness. A brilliant and haunting film from Ridley Scott.

14. Oldboy (2003) - My spoiler free review is HERE. I wish I never saw this movie…so that I can see it again without knowing anything.

13. Where the Wild Things Are (2009) – This could move up or down the list upon future viewings.

12. Knocked Up (2007) – I was completely surprised at how honest and hilarious this was. And it still holds up with multiple viewings.

11. No Country For Old Men (2007) – Easily one of the best Coen Brothers movies.

10. Children of Men (2006) – Haunting, personal, and way underrated. This is a must watch film.

9. Lost In Translation (2003) – This movie could have easily been in my Top 5. Emptiness and neglect bond two intriguing characters. Sofia Coppola is at her best here, juggling the strange and vibrant world of Japan with the solemn sadness of her characters.

8. Almost Famous (2000) -  A deeply personal film for Cameron Crowe showcases what he knows best – music. This movie never gets old.

7. There Will Be Blood (2007) – As I’ve mentioned many times, this is a masterpiece from my favorite modern director. It gets better with each viewing.

6. Into the Wild (2007) – Another underrated film. It will make you want to quit your job, introduce your middle finger to “the man”, and walk the Earth. Sean Penn does a great job in leaving it up to the audience to determine whether Chris McCandless was a spoiled brat or a youth trying to blaze his own trail. I listen to this Eddie Vedder soundtrack all the time. Amazing film.

5. 25th Hour (2002) - One of the first New York based films that includes 9/11 as one of its characters. This is Spike Lee at his best. Not too heavy handed, but hammering his points home. We all make mistakes in life. When should they stop being forgiven?

4. City of God (2002) - An unflinching look at life in the slums of Rio de Janiero. This ain’t Slumdog Millionaire. Kids with guns. Gangs on all corners. I wish I had two more hands so I could give it 4 thumbs up.

3. Requiem for a Dream (2000) – This is easily the best anti-drug film I’ve ever seen. It never tells you “Don’t do drugs” or gives any type of After School special message. It just shows you, this can be your life when drugs rule you. And who knew Marlon Wayans can actually act!  The haunting score from Clint Mansell has been used numerous times in other films. Watching the trailer HERE not only makes me sad, it makes me want to see this film again. One of the best…ever.

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - One of the most simple yet creative scripts I’ve had the opportunity to read. It was carefully directed to keep Charlie Kaufman’s stamp all over it. Jim Carrey at his dramatic best. This gets better each time I see it (which has been alot). This is on my Top 10 films of all time. That’s how much I loved it. Here is a heartbreaking scene.

1. Kill Bill Series (2003/2004) – One of the greatest things about movies is that you can escape to another place, another time, solve a murder, fly through space…you can do anything when the lights are dimmed and the projector starts to rumbling. The Indiana Jones series (except the last one) brought you a sense of adventure in a real world environment with things that could never happen in the real world. Kill Bill 1 & 2 does the same thing. True, you can’t take your samurai sword on a flight to Japan. But in Quentin Tarantino’s universe, you sure as hell can. True, one person, no matter how much of a badass they are, can’t take out an entire team of 88 ninjas. But you can in QT’s universe.  The Kill Bill movies are everything that film should be about. Imagination. Fun. Unforeseen twists. Head’s rollling. If you didn’t enjoy this movie, you probably missed the point.

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