10 Movies From The 2010s That Are Already Considered Classics

When people think of “classic” movies, they typically think of older material. Whether it be vintage black and white films from the ’30s and ’40s to more gritty dramas from the ’70s and ’80s, “classics” are generally meant to refer to films that are firmly established in the canon. These are the movies that have been extensively written about and that have accrued millions of fans thanks to the passage of time.

But the 2010s saw the release of many exceptional films, some of which have already been established as classics. Going forward, these movies will define the decade.

The Witch (2015)

The Witch is one of those sleeper horror films from the 2010s that you need to watch. The movie performed moderately well at the box office, grossing $40 million on a $4 million budget. But it accrued an even larger and more devoted audience once it was released to streaming.

The movie is regarded as a stellar example of slow-building independent horror, and it’s one of the finest horror films of the decade. It also helped popularize distributor A24 and made Anya Taylor-Joy a movie star. For both those reasons alone, The Witch can be considered a modern day classic.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Mad Max: Fury Road is easily one of the weirdest action movies of the 2010s, but also one of the best. The film was an instant critical success, with many praising virtually all aspects of its production.

At a time when action cinema is filled with CGI and trick stunt work, Fury Road exhilarated viewers with its old school action. It was fantastically shot and edited, and the movie’s production work was simply outstanding, resulting in six technical Academy Awards.

Parasite (2019)

Parasite will forever have its spot in the history books, being the first non-English movie to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. That alone signifies Parasite for classic status. The movie’s script is easily one of the best in years.

Not only does it produce strong characters and an exciting story, but it is expertly layered with meaning, symbolism, and topical themes. Parasite is a great movie about class struggle – perhaps even the greatest – and it will easily go down as one of the finest movies of its generation.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Birdman is an exercise in technical filmmaking, featuring some of the most talented people in the world in their respective roles. Alejandro G. Iñárritu proves himself among the greatest directors working today, and actors Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone all give career-high performances (and that’s saying something).

But perhaps the biggest star of the movie is Emmanuel Lubezki’s Oscar-winning cinematography, which is a technical masterpiece bound to be studied in future film school classes.

Get Out (2017)

No one really knew what to expect from Get Out. Jordan Peele is obviously a very talented man, but his passion primarily lay in comedy. Not only that, but everyone knew him from sketch work, not directing films. So hearing that he was writing and directing a horror movie inspired a fair amount of doubt.

No matter. Get Out proved an instant hit owing to its capable filmmaking, unique story, and scathing social satire. The movie is already a classic, and it turned Peele into a respectable filmmaker with something to say.

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Based on André Aciman’s novel of the same name, Call Me By Your Name wowed critics with its touching (yet melancholic) story and the lead performance of newcomer Timothée Chalamet.

Chalamet made himself an international star with his incredible performance, and the movie was renowned for its screenplay and direction. Call Me by Your Name is also one of the best summer movies ever released, a perfect on-screen recreation of school breaks and meaningful summer flings.

Inception (2010)

Inception barely squeaked into the 2010s, but it has proven one of the decade’s most enduring films. It is widely heralded as one of Christopher Nolan’s greatest and most imaginative works, and many of its visuals have become iconic mainstays of popular culture.

Its ambiguous ending is still debated to this day (complete with numerous fan theories), and even the term “inception” (or x-“ception”) has entered the common parlance. This is the movie that will forever define Nolan’s career.

The LEGO Movie (2014)

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have slowly established themselves as a dominant creative team throughout the decade. One of their finest works is undoubtedly The Lego Movie, which, despite the hesitance surrounding its very concept, was met with widespread enthusiasm.

The film’s satire was both biting and hilarious, and the movie also told a heartwarming story and wowing viewers with state-of-the-art animation. It proved successful enough to launch a franchise, although none of its successors have even come close to its quality.

Skyfall (2012)

The James Bond franchise was effectively rebooted with Casino Royale, and arguably perfected with Skyfall. The movie celebrated the franchise’s 50th anniversary while also flipping its age-old tropes on their heads.

It featured no gadgets to speak of, and Bond was depicted as an aging action hero fighting relevance in a modern world – much like the franchise itself. But this type of self-aware winking and intelligent thematic angle proved delightfully refreshing, and Skyfall is now regarded as one of Bond’s finest outings.

Toy Story 3 (2010)

Toy Story 3 is arguably the greatest animated movie of the 2010s, and maybe even one of the best movies, period. Like many movies on this list, there was some hesitance regarding its existence, as many questioned the viability of a third Toy Story – especially coming ten years after the second.

But the movie was smart enough to recognize its own hesitancy and worked the passing of time into its story. The result was a deeply touching portrayal of growing up and moving on, all of which was told through a funny and exciting story about talking dolls.

About The Author

Nathan Sharp
(852 Articles Published)

Nathan Sharp is a writer from outside Toronto, Ontario. He has a love of movies and television, having enjoyed them for more than twenty years. His preferences include drama, action, and horror, with the former being a particular point of interest and fascination.

He also has a love of video games, particularly those of Rockstar.

Whether it be about film, television, or video games, Nathan loves a good discussion and has written hundreds of articles for Screen Rant.

More From Nathan Sharp