My 25 Favorite Television Shows of the Decade: 2010-2019

Just as with my movies and songs posts, I started aiming for a lower number, but when I made the list there were just some I couldn't leave off. This was the decade where t.v. simply exploded, and I watched a LOT of it. I know that all the t.v. choices out there seem daunting, so this is my best attempt to deem what qualifies as "must see."

To make the top 25, a show had to run primarily in the 2010s and I had to have seen all (or nearly all) the episodes. Because doing something well for a long time should be given more weight, I disqualified anything that didn't/hasn't run for at least three seasons. This also means I'm not going to rank "limited series," but I'll list the ones that I loved; their appeal may lie in not being as much of a time investment. I'm going to list the network that originally broadcast the show, but be aware that many of these have moved to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc. and can be streamed.

Limited series/not enough seasons to qualify:
The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix), O.J.: Made in America (ESPN), American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. Simpson (FX), Unbelievable (Netflix), Godless (Netflix), Atlanta (FX), Black Mirror (Netflix- technically it has more than three seasons, but it's an anthology, so you don't need to watch all the episodes), Homecoming (Amazon), Fleabag (Amazon), American Vandal (Netflix), Watchmen (HBO), Chernobyl (HBO), Succession (HBO), The Girlfriend Experience (Starz), Enlightened (HBO), Now They See Us (Netflix), Master of None (Netflix), Mindhunter (Netflix), Killing Eve (BBC America), Mr. Inbetween (FX), Years and Years (HBO), Waco (Paramount), Barry (HBO) The A Word (BBC America), What We Do In the Shadows (FXX), The Night Of (HBO), Derry Girls (Netflix).

Honorable Mentions:
Parks and Recreation (NBC), Big Mouth (Netflix), Silicon Valley (HBO), Narcos (Netflix), Glow (Netflix), The Goldbergs (ABC), Brooklyn 99 (Fox/NBC), Archer (FX), The Good Place (NBC), Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central), Review (Comedy Central), Workaholics (Comedy Central), Nathan for You (Comedy Central), Girls (HBO), Insecure (HBO), Catastrophe (Amazon), The Deuce (HBO), Boardwalk Empire (HBO), The League (FX), Shameless (Showtime), Star Wars: Rebels (Disney), The Newsroom (HBO), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO).

25. The Expanse (SyFy/Amazon)
Often called "Game of Thrones in space," which does a disservice to both shows. The Expanse, although it has supernatural alien elements, is much more grounded in reality than Thrones. It's a nice balance of space action and political wrangling for power and resources between planetary factions. It's easily the best sci-fi series since Battlestar Galactica, although there's not a ton of competition there.

24. Rick and Morty (Cartoon Network)
Or maybe this is the best science fiction series since Battlestar? Except that the sci-fi in Rick and Morty is mostly fi, and the sci is played for laughs. There are entire episodes that fall flat, but there are at least two or three per season that become instantly iconic.

23. You're the Worst (FXX)
Ostensibly a (very funny) comedy, You're the Worst actually contains insightful and honest looks into weighty topics such as depression, PTSD, and the death of one's parents. Every character is memorable, but Kether Donohue's Lindsey is the GOAT.

22. Broad City (Comedy Central)

I didn't think we needed another "young people in NYC" story, but I was wrong. Abbi and Ilana's arrested development never ceased to amuse me, and they were smart enough to end the show before their inability to transition into full time adulting became tiresome. The finale is a splendid conclusion to their relationship with each other as well as a love letter to the other main character: the City itself.

21. Louie (FX)
I've seen a lot of critics leave this off their end-of-decade lists, despite singing its praises at the time. The fact that Louie C.K. seems to have an issue keeping his penis in his pants does put a bit of a damper on this brilliant show, which provides many laughs and tackles serious issues with introspection o' plenty. Some of my favorite moments of television this decade came from Louie, and it seems priggish to try and deny that.

20. Stranger Things (Netflix)

At its worst (that one episode during Season Two), it's pretty terrible. But at its best, Stranger Things is the most fun you can have on television. Season Three was a remarkable comeback, but I hope the Duffer Brothers resist the urge to undo the consequences of the finale. It's probably time to leave Hawkins, which will make it tricky to keep the gang all together. I don't have a ton of confidence in the show moving forward, but what a ride it's been.

19. Brockmire (IFC)
Almost certainly the show on this list the casual t.v. viewer would not have heard of. That's too bad; it's an outstanding baseball show, a great portrait of addiction, and it's profanely funny as hell. Hank Azaria's washed-up announcer is a national treasure; put his plaid sport coat in the Hall of Fame.

18. Peaky Blinders (Netflix)
My enjoyment of this show increased exponentially once I realized, despite the characters speaking in English, that I should be watching with the subtitles on. I'm not sure I ever really figured out what was going on in Season Three, for instance. But the last couple seasons have been outstanding, and my man crush on Cillian Murphy knows no language barriers.

17. Community (NBC/Yahoo)

I can't think of a weirder network t.v. show; it's a miracle that Community lasted as long as it did on NBC. Perhaps more famous for off-screen drama involving Chevy Chase and creator Dan Harmon, Community paved the way for way for more great television (Rick and Morty, Atlanta), even as it remains exceptional on its own terms.

16. Better Things (FX)

I've called this gem "the best show nobodoy's watching." I'll admit that I found myself thinking its quality would suffer when the Louie C.K. stuff blew up and he disassociated himself from the show. However, creator Pamela Adlon's vision was clearly the star all along, as Better Things hasn't missed a beat and has even evolved in really interesting ways. Alternately funny and tender, its episode-to-episode unpredictability is a large part of its allure.

15. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (FX)

The spiritual heir to Seinfeld's brand of cynical comedy, it's now the longest-running live action sitcom in American history. It gets penalized a bit because lots of its classic episodes ran in the century's first decade, but there was more than enough to cement its legacy in this one. Last season was a bit rough, but I'll continue to watch as long as "The Gang" keeps going. It's just so much fun to wallow in their disdain for each other...and themselves.

14. Key & Peele (Comedy Central)
It would be impossible to write the story of the decade without this satirical sketch show. Its reach spans from NFL celebrations to forever altering name pronunciations to performing one of the characters alongside the President of the United States. Enter in "Key & Peele gif/meme" into Google, and see how many results you get. Oh yeah, its success also allowed Jordan Peele to make Get Out and Us. So, kind of a big deal.

13. Fargo (FX)

Although I enjoy the film, I had zero interest in revisiting this world when I saw the first previews. I couldn't have been more wrong. If you gave me the choice between being able to watch the Coen Brothers' film or Season One of the show, I'd take Noah Hawley's version with Billy Bob every time. Key and Peele also play bit roles here, which may have subconsciously pushed me to juxtapose them. Season Two is also outstanding (except for the silly flying saucer), and Season Three started rough but wrapped up nicely. I eagerly await Season Four.

12. Hannibal (NBC)
I was even less enthused about the prospects of this show than I was a about Fargo. I like Silence of the Lambs well enough, but I hadn't enjoyed or hadn't seen any of the follow up films. Plus, NBC? A broadcast network is going to make a dark, grim, bloody show work? Well, I still don't know how it happened, but the three seasons of Hannibal are unquestionably great, even if I'm not always sure what Mads Mikkelsen is saying. He somehow even makes cannibalism look appetizing.

11. Mad Men (AMC)
Penalized a bit because its early brilliance came at the end of the last decade, but there was still enough good stuff during the 2010s to merit inclusion here. If nothing else, it gave us the decade's best saying/meme: "Not great, Bob!" I liked the ending well enough, and Elizabeth Moss is a natural treasure (minus the scientology).

10. Rectify (Sundance)
A spare, lovely little show that never got the attention it deserved. The hook is protagonist Daniel's early release from prison due to new DNA evidence after being convicted of his girlfriend's murder, and the resulting whodunnit. That mystery is satisfyingly wrapped up by the end of the show's run, but it's all the languid moments in between that give the show its wrenching impact. I would have never believed watching a man give a swimming pool a new paint job would be mesmerizing, but such is Rectify's power.

9. BoJack Horseman (Netflix)
This is Netflix's best show (no, not Orange is the New Black- that sputtered out...and no, definitely not House of Cards, which was a bad show even before the Kevin Spacey disgrace). Alternately funny and full of pathos, BoJack takes an absurd premise (animals live among us and act as humans while maintaining many of their native qualities) and delivers an incredibly relatable, hilarious show about our weaknesses, fallibilities, and the trappings of fame. It also boasts the broadest range of celebrity voices in recorded history; if there's an actor you like, he/she has almost certainly guested on BoJack.

8. Better Call Saul (AMC)
The show was obviously created to capitalize on Breaking Bad's popularity and momentum; old villains are featured and callbacks abound. But a funny thing happened: Slippin' Jimmy McGill became as equally fascinating as Walter White. And the people in his orbit, such as his older brother Chuck and love interest/legal partner Kim, are better drawn than most of the supporting characters on Bad. Better Call Saul lacks the violent adrenaline of its parent show, but its portrayal of flawed people and their relationships with each other is equally as rewarding. It would not surprise me in the slightest if once BCS finishes its run that I'll have it ranked higher than Breaking Bad.

7. Justified (FX)
I'm not sure what took the entertainment industry so long to come around on Timothy Olyphant, but between this and Deadwood he's as clear a t.v. leading man that exists. Pure pulp goodness, Justified does an excellent job of mixing story-of-the-week episodes with season-long overarching serialization. The unquestioned supreme Big Bad was of course Emmy-winner Margot Martindale, but don't sleep on Neal McDonough's psychopath Robert Quarles in the insanely enjoyable Season Three. Keeping Walton Goggins active for the entire run of the show is a masterstroke.

6. The Americans (FX)
Not nearly as fun as network sibling Justified, but a whole lot more poignant and tension-filled. The Americans' thrilling concept (two deep-cover Soviet spies living a seemingly normal life in the suburbs of D.C.) masks the show's excellent portrayal of something much more mundane: marriage and family and all the complications those entail. The two leads are brilliant: Matthew Rhys as the world-weary Philip, who'd probably rather just forget all the espionage and be a normal husband/father, and Kerri Russell as Elizabeth, the true believer with enough passion to keep the guise going and even expand it to her daughter. Set in the '80s, this show will likely age incredibly well as people discover it on Amazon Prime.

5. Game of Thrones (HBO)
We're about eight months out from the disastrous series finale, which I hope is enough perspective to settle on the show's proper placement. This feels about right. When it's good, which is often, Game of Thrones dwarfs (pun lamely intended) everything else on television. Season Eight wasn't the only time the show fell short of its dizzying highs, but the failure to stick the landing will unfortunately be a big part of the show's legacy. Which is too bad, for this is the defining t.v. show of the decade.

4. Banshee (Cinemax)
I tried to temper myself from ranking this too high but finally just gave in. It's total guilty pleasure entertainment; there's nothing all that poignant, thematic, or hell, believable about this show. But holy shit, is it fun. It is so fun. I would go into the premise, but it's largely preposterous. Banshee is like if you took all the great things about The A-Team and added sex and much better action set pieces. I would've watched these four characters punch/shoot/stab their way out of trouble for roughly 20 seasons. This will absolutely be the next show I re-watch.

3. Breaking Bad (AMC)
Here's another fun show, much more grounded in reality. I don't have anything new to say about the tense, thrilling descent of Walter White from science teacher to crime lord. It began in 2009, but the first season is easily its weakest. From there, every season got more intense and stakes-filled until those last few gripping episodes. Probably the decade's second-most defining show, after Thrones.

2. Veep (HBO)
It's probably the funniest and is definitely the meanest show of all time. It cements Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the Mt. Rushmore of t.v. comedians. It has the most "holy crap, I need to rewind that to hear the joke again" moments of any show, ever. It has a brilliant ending that perfectly encapsulated the show's cynical sensibilities and Selena Meyer's endless, craven quest for fame. It makes literally any actor on it seem like one of the funniest people alive. Other than that, meh.

1. The Leftovers (HBO)
Critically praised but criminally underseen, I guess this show, about the aftermath of an event where 2% of the world's population inexplicably and abruptly vanishes, is not for everyone. But holy hell, is it for me. Nothing else on t.v. this decade comes close to the emotional impact The Leftovers packs, with its meditations on grief and loss. It's hard to even begin to tally up the chill-inducing scenes it provides over its sublime three-season run. Darkly humorous, beautifully shot, and wonderfully acted (Carrie Coon wins the decade with her haunted, moving portrayal of Nora Durst), the ambiguity of The Leftovers makes it endlessly re-watchable. I plan to do so once every few years, whenever I need to have all the feels.

My 20 Favorite Movies of the Decade: 2010-2019

Just as with my favorite songs blog, my favorite movies list grew from the entry I did a decade ago. I couldn't abide sticking with just 10 this time around, and unlike with my music opinions, I will vouch for the quality of every choice on this list. These are all great films, and you should see them. To make that easier to do, I've noted where they are streaming with subscription, if available.

I forced myself to follow strict criteria when putting this list together. The first rule was that I've seen the movie at least twice in order to include it on the list. Thus, there is a lengthy honorable mentions list full of films that I've only seen once, either because they're fairly new or I just haven't gotten around to re-watching them.

The second rule is that the film had to be released in the 2010s, which eliminated a couple of movies that were released late in 2009, even though I didn't see them until 2010: 500 Days of Summer and Inglorious Basterds, the latter of which would've easily been in my top five.

This is the same reason for the lack of entries from 2019; I either haven't seen the movie yet (Parasite, 1917), or I haven't had the chance to see it again (The Irishman, Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood).

First, the Honorable Mentions:
Easy A (2010), Booksmart (2019), 50/50 (2011), The Raid: Redemption (2011), Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood (2019), Manchester by the Sea (2016), The Irishman (2019), Mission: Impossible- Fallout (2018), Roma (2018), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Rogue One (2016), Logan (2017), Black Panther (2018), Baby Driver (2017), Before Midnight (2013), Us (2019), 12 Years a Slave (2013), Sinister (2012), It Follows (2014), Midsommar (2019), It: Chapter One (2017), Let Me In (2010), The LEGO Movie (2014), Her (2013), Looper (2012), Winter's Bone (2010), Call Me By Your Name (2017), The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), The Edge of Seventeen (2016), The Town (2010), Gone Girl (2014), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Fault in Our Stars (2014).

20. The Spectacular Now (2013) Netflix

The best complement I can play this delightful little teen romance is that it has Say Anything in its DNA. It also showed that Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley are bona fide movie stars. The easy chemistry they share while passing a flask of whiskey over the top of a car is worth the watch by itself. There's great stuff here about the legacy and character traits our parents saddle us with and the need to be loved.

19. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Horror is my favorite genre, but to move off the Honorable Mentions and onto the main list, a horror film has to transcend its genre. This clever satire does that in spades. Meta horror has been around since at least Scream, but Cabin takes it to a new level by getting us to examine what primal forces really drive us (horror movie fans, anyway) to watch people be terrified and slaughtered ad nauseam. It features a pre-Thor Chris Hemsworth, a Sigourney Weaver cameo, and is funny as hell.

18. The Big Short (2015)
This movie's kind of a miracle. There's no way to make an incredibly complex financial crisis caused largely by the housing market entertaining, right? Well, Adam McKay and friends did. No moment better encapsulates the reckless optimism of the time just before the recession like the Florida stripper revealing to an incredulous Steve Carell that she owns "five houses...and a condo."

17.Goon (2011) Netflix
The sport of hockey has produced some great flicks, but this one is my favorite. Yeah, even over Slapshot (which it certainly owes a debt to). Sean William Scott is alternately lovable and terrifying as the titular goon. You don't have to love hockey to appreciate the film; it's a great underdog tale about achieving one's dream, only to realize that the dream has changed from what it begun as. It also contains one of the best sports movie lines ever: "Two rules, man: Stay away from my fuckin' percocets, and do you have any fucking percocets, man?"

16. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
I already wrote about this (and nine other essential teen movies).

15. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Ok, categorizing this as a "great" movie might be a bit of a stretch, but how about "best movie in proportion to awful title"? This flick is unabashedly dumb but also has its heart in the right place. It has a surprising lot to say about maturity and regret. Oh, and it's freaking hilarious and the soundtrack full of 80s cheese unashamedly rocks.

14.Creed (2015)
I doubt many people were pining for more Rocky movies, but director Ryan Coogler (Black Panther) found a way to make a fresh, fun story out of this franchise and gave Sly Stallone a meaty comeback role to boot. Michael B. Jordan is great as Adonis, but Coogler's vision is the real star; this film definitely transcends "sports movie." It's all the good parts of the series projected through a new lens.

13. Deadpool (2016)
The Marvel Comics Universe dominated the 2010s, which is why Deadpool was such a breath of fresh air. Yeah, it's still a superhero movie, but it's much like Cabin in the Woods in that it's self-aware of the genre and sends itself up. The entertainment industry tried to make Ryan Reynolds a thing for over a decade; it's deliciously ironic that he's finally made it by disfiguring his handsome mug and then slapping a mask on it. This is probably the funniest movie of the decade.

12. Dunkirk (2017)
I called this film "fantastic" when I first saw it, but it probably wouldn't have made the list if I hadn't gone back and watched it again a week ago. The tension is incredible, right from the harrowing opening scene. Hans Zimmer's score ratchets it up throughout the film, along with the ticking clock effect that dovetails with the film's warped chronology, which is a lot easier to follow the second time around. I was also able to better distinguish between the largely similar-looking pasty British boys, which is arguably the film's only flaw. I love that you never actually see any of the Nazis; they're just this terrifying, omniscient, malevolent force.

11. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
There's a plot somewhere in here, but it doesn't matter. The movie is basically one massive chase scene. They race across the terrain away from the bad guy to someplace that doesn't really matter. Then they go back. It's all the cool shit that happens along the way that makes this a modern classic. Charlize Theron's brilliance makes up for...whatever the hell Tom Hardy's doing here. Some of the most jaw-dropping, realistic stunts ever put on celluloid.

10. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2017) Disney +
The MCU is indeed a wondrous creation. The fact that all these disparate films culminated in the satisfying triumph that is Avengers: Endgame is truly one of most remarkable achievements in filmmaking history. And yet...Martin Scorsese had a point when he criticized the films as having "no stakes." If you were surprised by Tony Stark dying or Cap giving up his shield, then you weren't paying attention to entertainment news: Both of the actors' contracts were due to expire.  

GG2, to me, is the one MCU film with stakes, and thus, emotional resonance. The universal themes of family and what qualifies as one sets it apart from its comic book brethren. The climax starts with Quill's battle with the father who abandoned him, kicks up a notch with Rocket preventing Gamorra from going back for Quill ("Sorry, I can only lose one friend today"), and crescendos with Sean Gunn's triumphant, teary celebration as the other ships appear for the "Ravager funeral" (set to a tear-jerking Cat Stevens tune). I've liked a lot of the MCU movies. This is the only one that gives me the feels.

9. Hereditary (2018) Amazon Prime
This is both a traditional horror film and a work of art. Director Ari Aster borrows the best stuff from other horror classics (most notably Rosemary's Baby) to create a classic of his own. His use of sound, especially, sets him apart as an auteur. It's scary and gory, but it's also a parable about a family fracturing under the weight of recent tragedy and its own sordid history. Hereditary announced Aster as a major talent; Midsommar confirmed his genius. I can't wait to see what he does next.

8. Warrior (2011) Free w/ ads on Vudu
Every time I recommend this movie, I cringe when someone asks what it's about. "It's about these two brothers who both turn into mixed martial arts fighters..." The person usually tunes me out right about then. I get it! Most people don't like M.M.A. Here's the thing: I don't like M.M.A.! I don't watch or follow it at all. But this movie is outstanding and transcends the genre, even better than Creed and Goon do. It's layered and believable, features a vintage Nick Nolte, and it's easily Tom Hardy's best acting performance. The ending, which feels totally inevitable yet completely earned, had me choked up and wishing I had a brother.

7. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015) Disney +
It's easy to dismiss this as derivative of the original movie, as lots of fanboys did. Then they complained about Last Jedi being too different. It's almost like there's no pleasing a certain segment of Star Wars fans! But I digress. J.J. Abrams had a seemingly impossible task: Reboot one of the most successful franchises of all time after a fallow period that had lasted decades. Do it by blending the old cast with a bunch of unknowns. Don't panic, but the fate of the franchise is in your hands. 

And he made something fun. It's not a perfect movie by any means; the whole Starkiller Base concept is completely illogical, for one thing. But damn, if it isn't a good time. 'Member when Kylo Ren held the blaster bolt in midair in front of a wise-cracking Poe? 'Member when we got to see the Millenium Falcon take flight again? 'Member the X-wings flying across the lake to confront the First Order TIEs? That was awesome!

The Force Awakens reminded us that Star Wars is meant to be fun. Forget all the prequels' convoluted nonsense about trade disputes and clone armies, and give us that chill-inducing moment where the light saber flies through the snowy forest, past the outstretched hand of Ben Solo, into the shocked, raised hand of our righteous new protagonist, Rey. It was the most fun I had at the movies this decade, and even the trilogy's underwhelming conclusion can't take that away.

6. John Wick (2014)
It's the best action flick of the decade, and it's driven by an incredibly simple premise: Legendary hit man retires and then un-retires because these assholes (including a mob boss' son) kill the dog his recently-deceased wife left him. Keanu Reeves plays the titular character as a largely silent and inevitable force of nature. It also introduces the charmingly ridiculous world of assassins who (mostly) adhere to strict codes of conduct and whose currency is gold coins. This works much better in the relatively limited confines of the Continental Hotel in the first movie; the sequels get a bit overstuffed. However, the original is an endlessly re-watchable bullet-filled ballet. As for Keanu's decade, he says it best in character: "Yeah, I'm thinking I'M BACK!"

5. Hell or High Water (2016) Netflix
I knew this was one of my favorite films of the decade when it first came out. I watched it again last week, and particularly in the last hour, I just kept thinking, over and over: "This movie is incredible." It's part heist flick, part neo-Western, and most powerfully, an observation of the ravages of capitalism in small town America. It features an all-time Jeff Bridges role (I comprehend the weight of that statement) and a live wire performance from Ben Foster, who should be in more movies. The last scene is hold-your-breath perfection.

4. Eighth Grade (2018) Amazon Prime
This movie hits home on three levels. First, as a teacher of teens, I can recognize accurate portrayals of them on film or television, and how seldom they get it right (such as the awful Thirteen Reasons Why). Perhaps writer/director Bo Burnham's relative youth (he was only 27) helped him relate, but he absolutely nails what it's like to be a young person in today's world.

Secondly, I can still remember the turmoil of middle school, by far my least favorite childhood era. Eighth Grade agonizingly depicts the pubescent insecurity which is the defining element of that period and updates it for today's social media generation. The film starts with a earnest YouTube post by protagonist Kayla Day (a fantastic Elsie Fisher) about "being yourself." She does her best to come off as confident, but her crippling lack of self esteem is bubbling right below the surface.

Lastly, I've recommended this movie to several parents of junior high-aged kids, whose ranks I will join in a short couple years. There's a brilliant, moving connection between Kayla and her single dad (Josh Hamilton), as he struggles to relate to this brand-new adolescent being that has invaded his daughter. Paradoxically, she wants to be left alone but needs him more than ever, and it's absolutely heart wrenching.

3. The Florida Project (2017) Amazon Prime
I don't cry at movies. The last one to make me legitimately sob was Marley & Me, which is manipulatively designed to make dog lovers weep, so that almost doesn't count. The ending of this film made me pretty emotional the first time I saw it. I watched it again last week to see if it would affect me the same way...and I cried like a little kid whose ice cream fell on the sidewalk. I was even more affected because I was doubly invested in the characters.

I'm not recommending it solely on the basis of its emotional impact. It's also a beautiful film about a segment of society that most of us would rather pretend doesn't exist. It centers on six-year-old Moonee (brilliant newcomer Brooklynn Prince) and her transitory existence living in a motel room with her reckless, irresponsible single mother in Orlando, only a couple miles from Disney World. Willem Dafoe plays the hotel manager who becomes invested his tenants' lives despite himself. He's a handyman who can fix a leaky ice machine but can't cure the ills of these broken lives. 

Above all, The Florida Project is a superlative examination of childhood. It depicts the resilience and imagination of little kids, how all they really need are a couple friends, a welcoming environment, and a supportive provider in order to thrive. And ultimately what a betrayal it is to their innate innocence when those things are stripped away. This movie will absolutely rip your heart out, but you will be glad you saw it. 

2. Get Out (2017) 
We've now entered "defining film of the decade" territory. When we finally emerge from the cursed hellscape that is the Trump era, this will be one of the works that best explains what the fuck happened. Writer/director Jordan Peele even changed the ending after the 2016 election to make it happier; he thought Chris getting imprisoned for the murder of his white tormentors along with the country choosing an overt racist to be the most powerful man in the world was just too damn depressing. 

Although I don't consider this a horror film, it definitely has those elements in its DNA (Rosemary's Baby is again an influence here; if you haven't seen it, time's a wasting). But what elevates the film transcends any easy labels. The metaphor of "the sunken place" is an all-timer, and the performances are all top notch. There's a reason the movie sprung 1,000 memes; it touched on themes that are typically hard to make into something this entertaining and mainstream. The film is near perfection; I can't think of a single weak moment or anything I'd change about it (although checking out the alternate ending is a must). 

1. The Social Network (2010) 
This is as good a time as any to express my frustration with the Academy Awards, which theoretically should award Best Picture to the film that will hold up best as the most important and lasting, the one people will remember that defined that year. Without looking it up, do you know what film won Best Picture for 2010? It was The King's Speech, which you likely saw once, enjoyed, and proceeded to never think about again for the rest of your life. 

Whereas, The Social Network was a masterpiece when it debuted at the start of the decade and has aged spectacularly. The dream team of writer Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher produced something that felt incredibly relevant when it came out and now feels more prescient than ever. Consider that at the time the film was criticized for taking liberties with the truth and going too rough on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Jesse Eisenberg's depiction was deemed by some to be unfair to Zuckerberg. 

You know what? Those points were half right. The incredible thing is that time has revealed Zuckerberg to be even more of a cold space alien who will not let ethical concerns get in the way of growing his company into a global behemoth. There's a good argument to be made that he's one of the five most powerful people in the world, and Trump wouldn't have been elected without Facebook's platform. If anything, Eisenberg's portrayal humanizes Zuck in a way that feels impossible while he robotically dodges questions in Congressional hearings. 

This film cautioned us about the rise of social media and tech culture in its early stages. As a society, we found ourselves unable to adapt, and now entire swaths of the population get 100% of their information from biased, misleading, flat-out dishonest sources. They treat it as gospel and share it into their echo chambers. Meanwhile, online interaction makes it all too easy to dehumanize and "other" those who don't share our point of view. 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go share this blog on Facebook with all my friends who loathe Donald Trump.

My 25 Favorite Songs of the Decade: 2010-2019

I started out trying to keep this to 20, like I did last decade, but there were some vital entries that were going to get relegated to the "Honorable Mention" section, and I couldn't abide that. Turns out that even though album listening is out of vogue, there are more songs than ever! And even as I move into middle age, I still love lots of them. That's heartening!

I had two kids this decade, which definitely affects some of these choices. Not because I started listening to Barney or Raffi or whatever, but because I still play what I like in the car, so John (born in 2010) and Rory (born in 2012) are exposed to it. There are songs that probably wouldn't have made this list, except that one or both of them kept requesting that I play it over and over. I'll put an asterisk (*) next to the ones my kids love and demand. Of course, there were songs that they adored that DIDN'T make the list and I grew to loathe, such as three-year-old John's constant demand that I find "Light 'em Up, Daddy! I want Light 'em Up!" on the radio. In contrast, we have an adorable video of him singing "You Belong With Me" on the fireplace mantle.

As usual, Honorable Mentions are in no particular order:
Chvrches: "Get Out," "Clearest Blue," and "Recover," The Maine: "Heaven, We're Already Here" and "Flowers on the Grave," The Struts: "Primadonna Like Me*,"Only Just a Call Away," and "Put Your Money on Me*," The Wombats: "Turn," "Emoticons," and "Lemon to a Knife Fight," Weezer: "Da Vinci," "Mexican Fender," "L.A. Girlz" and their cover of "No Scrubs," Strumbellas: "Spirits," Robyn: "Dancing on My Own" and "Call Your Girlfriend," Selena Gomez: "Come & Get It," Lorde: "Team" and "Green Light," Katy Perry: "Teenage Dream," "Firework," "TGIF," "Roar*," and "Never Really Over," Kate Nash: "Do Wah Doo," Waxahatchee: "Be Good" and "Takes So Much," Flo Rida ft. David Guetta: "Club Can't Even Handle Me," Pink: "Raise Your Glass," Lupe Fiasco: "Show Goes On" and "Things I'd Never Say," Bruno Mars: "The Lazy Song," Christina Perri: "Jar of Hearts" and "A Thousand Years" The Black Keys: "Lonely Boy" and "Little Black Submarines," Grouplove: "Colours," "Tongue Tied," "Itchin' on a Photograph," and "Ways to Go," Kanye West: "All of the Lights," Walk the Moon: "Anna Sun," The Killers: "Runaways," Paramore: "Still Into You," Pearl Jam:"Sirens," Kendrick Lamar: "HUMBLE," Bastille: "Pompeii," Kodaline: "All I Want," Rachel Platten: "Fight Song*" (would've made actual list, but I now associate it with Hillary Clinton somehow losing an election to Donald Trump), Jason Derulo: "Trumpets," M83: "Wait," and "Go!*," Counting Crows: "Possibility Days," Courtney Barnett: "Pedestrian at Best," Car Seat Headrest: "Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales," Alvvays: "Archie, Marry Me," Sharon Van Etten: "Seventeen," White Reaper: "Might Be Right," Jimmy Eat World: "The End is Everything," "Sure and Certain," "Littlething," "I Will Steal You Back," Taylor Swift: "Back to December," "Story of Us," "Ronan," "22," "Everything Has Changed," "WANEGBT," "Blank Space," "The New Romantics," "Getaway Car," "Cornelia Street," and "Cruel Summer."

25. Jenny Lewis: "On the Line" On the Line (2019)

I loved Jenny Lewis when she was with Rilo Kiley, and now I'm a huge fan of her solo career. This was my favorite song between the two albums she dropped in the 2010s; it's a shame she hasn't made a video for it yet.

24. Green Day: "Still Breathing" Revolution Radio (2016)

One of my four favorite bands couldn't replicate their supernova success of the past two decades, but as this song aptly demonstrates, they haven't gone anywhere and are still capable of bursts of greatness like this fist-to-the-sky anthem. This album wasn't one of my favorites, but the tour promoting it produced one of the best shows I've ever been to, so there's that.

23. Blink 182: "Bored to Death*" California (2016)

Like Green Day, they are royalty of the pop/punk genre. Unlike Green Day, they're a shell of their former selves after Tom DeLonge left the band. Mark Hoppus can still craft a banger, though. The rest of this album is a bit of a mess, but "Bored to Death" is a top tier Blink tune. *Rory LOVES this song.

22. Taylor Swift: "Lover" Lover (2019)

I was so goddamn relieved when this tune dropped ahead of the album release. The first two singles were ok, but here, finally, was vintage Taylor. I'm still mildly annoyed by the fact that she seems to think it's rebellious to leave your Christmas lights up...until JANUARY (gasp). But the rest of it's sublime.

21. Adele: "Someone Like You" 21 (2011)

"Rolling in the Deep" announced her presence, but this is one of the best breakup ballads ever. You know you've got emotional resonance when Saturday Night Live can pen an entire sketch around how sad a song is.

20. The Maine: "Slip the Noose*" You are O.K. (2019)

 

A former student breathlessly proclaimed this on Twitter as "the best album opener ever." My first response was to (rightfully) mock her with responses like Kurt Cobain wanting a word with her from the great beyond. Then I actually listened to the song. Hot damn, she was onto something. This is a great opening salvo to a fantastic album. 

19. The Mountain Goats: "The Diaz Brothers*" Transcendental Youth (2012)

This rollicking piano tune's upbeat tempo belies the nasty underbelly of the lyrics. Which are seemingly about two scoundrel brothers attempting to evade frontier justice determined to lynch them. It's one of my kids' early (incredibly inappropriate) favorites. 

18. Billie Eilish: "Bad Guy" When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019)

 I work with teenagers, so I was aware of Billie Eilish before most of the rest of America was. I'd even heard "You Should See Me in a Crown" before her album dropped. I bought it the day it came out, and the instant the bass line of "Bad Guy" pulsed through the speakers, I knew she was onto something. It's easily the song of Summer 2019, and never before has "Duh" been used with more surgical precision. 

17. Bleachers: "Rollercoaster" Strange Desire (2014)

Jack Antonoff should probably get some kind of "Best of the 2010s" award for his contributions to the musical canon. Between fun., Bleachers, and all the songwriting/producing work he did (particularly for my girl Tay-Tay), he had himself a decade. And despite the latter half of the decade being a pretty huge downer for the more sane among us, his songs pulse with a much-needed optimism. 

16. Katy Perry: "The One That Got Away" Teenage Dream (2010)

As I wrote in my Top 10 albums post, this album was ubiquitous and produced five #1 singles. This wasn't one of them, which is probably the reason it remains my favorite; it didn't get quite the overplay that the others did. Plus, the video has Diego Luna!

15. fun.: "Carry On*" Some Nights (2012)

I guess everyone from this band got too famous to make music together, which is a shame. They have a talent for huge, harmonizing anthems. This one was often sung in our car with "carry" replaced by "Rory" when she was an infant ("Rory on, Rory on!"). I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to punch me at this point.

14. Miley Cyrus: "Wrecking Ball" Bangerz (2013)

I couldn't find a way to post the original video, which is either a blessing/curse because it is A LOT. Song and video will be forever intertwined, but the tune stands on its own, I think. Miley's been wronged, and I am here for it. Fun Fact: On a trip to Atlanta, we stopped at a tavern called "The Wrecking Bar." You're never gonna believe this, but I annoyed the piss out of everyone that day with my bleating, pun-filled renditions.

13. Cold War Kids: "First" Hold My Home (2014)

Just a fun little alt-rock tune that perked me up every time it came on the radio, which was a lot. Imparted some good life lessons, too.

12. Chvrches: "Graffiti" Love is Dead (2018)

Chvrches probably wins my Best New Band of the 2010s award. Someone please notify them; I'm sure they'd be awestruck and humbled by the achievement. I had a tough time choosing which of their tunes I wanted on the list, but in the end I went with one of the lesser-known tracks. For a time I thought this song might be referencing a school shooting, but now I think that's just where the dark corners of my imagination take me.

11. Belly: "Human Child" Dove (2018)

If you're roughly my age, and you're trying to place Belly, yes, they are the "Feed the Tree" outfit. I maintain they are one of the most criminally underrated 90s bands. Tanya Donnelly is my favorite female vocalist ever and has my undying devotion. I commented on the Facebook post when this video was released that it was my favorite song of the past year (it really was), and Tanya "liked" my comment. I had to take a week off of school to recover.

10. Weezer: "Foolish Father" Everything Will Be Alright In the End (2014)

There's no way 20-something me appreciates this song on the same level that late-30s me did. I just love the themes of maturity and redemption and Weezer throwing their goddamn fastball again. When the titular album refrain bangs in at the end? Pure bliss.

9. Demi Lovato: "Skyscraper" Unbroken (2011)

Sure, we all want Demi to figure things out and be well. But man, as long as she's struggling, I hope she continues to belt out anthems like this one. You can feel the raw pain and her powerful belief in herself, even as she acknowledges how tenuous it can all be.

8. The Strokes: "Under the Cover of Darkness" Angles (2011)

Remember when the Strokes were going to "save rock n' roll"? That was literally what people were saying in the early 2000s. Limp Bizkit and Staind and Korn and their ilk made mainstream rock music so shitty that the Strokes seemed like saviors. Well, they made three pretty great albums and then Angles, where this is the only standout song. But what a last gasp it is.

7. Lorde: "Supercut" Melodrama (2017)

Lorde had a helluva decade. Two huge albums, and three singles that became part of the cultural zeitgeist. However, I always preferred this wistful tune to the bigger hits. It's like a mashup of all the best stuff of her other tunes. A..."supercut," if you will.

6.Vampire Weekend: "Step" Modern Vampires of the City (2013)

Just a wonderfully composed song. I don't totally know what it's about, but all the East Bay city shout-outs (Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda) are awesome.

5. Taylor Swift: "Long Live" Speak Now (2010)

I'll be honest: I could've slid this right down to #2, but I didn't wanna seem, you know, obsessive or anything. I love this song's underdog sensibility, the fantasy it keeps alive for all the kids who wanted to live the fairy tale high school existence but just got regular high school existence instead. It's a bit of a departure for Taylor, and it's her signature anthem.

4. The Struts: "Could've Been Me" Everybody Wants (2014)

Speaking of anthems, here's my favorite of the decade. This song perfectly encapsulates all the great things about The Struts: their ambition, audacity and go-for-broke ethos. They want nothing less than to be the biggest band in the world and make throngs of people wave their arms back and forth to songs just like this. I highly recommend obliging them. 

3. Sleigh Bells: "Rill Rill" Treats (2010)

This song just felt so delightfully different than anything I'd heard before, despite sampling an older Funkadelic tune. For standout lyrics, it's hard to top "Wonder what your boyfriend thinks about your braces." Effortlessly cool, it's the perfect song for driving around slowly with the top down. In fact, it's the decade's best cruising song, just after...

2. White Reaper: "1F*" You Deserve Love (2019)

This song was only released four or five months ago, but it was one of those rare times where the first time I heard it, I knew I loved it. It's absolutely the most fun three minutes you can spend. If the bouncy synth riff doesn't get you, the insanely catchy chorus bangs in, and all you want to do is drive around in a convertible 'Vette with these guys and listen to them come up with new licks on their guitars. My kids have played this song roughly 1,000 times on their own in the last few months, and I've never once felt like stopping them.
1. Taylor Swift: "All Too Well" Red (2012)

The contest was over the minute I heard this song, five tracks into the album, and kept hitting the back button as soon as it finished. Taylor is the queen of breakup ballads, and this is her magnum opus.

It's so incredible that sometimes I forget there's another whole verse after the devastating "You call me up again just to break me like a promise/So casually cruel in the name of being honest." That's such an unbelievable climax, and then she circles back to the beginning of the song with a bit of jealous triumph: "But you kept my old scarf from that very first week/Cuz it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me."

The strangest thing is that "All Too Well" was never released as a single, so it never blew up the way lots of her other tunes have. Now, of course, it's the one everyone screams for at her shows, and she acts all coy, as if she never knew people would love it so much. But I'm thinking even Taylor knew she wrote the song of the decade.

She knew it...all too well.

I'll just see myself out, thanks.