Ten Movies You Should’ve Seen In 2010

2010 was a hit or miss year at the cinema. Iron Man 2 and Clash of the Titans went bonkers at the box office, but both were piles of shit. On the flip-side, Toy Story 3 and Inception also raked in mountains of cash, but both were highly entertaining. The Harry Potter and Twilight sagas came one step closer to ending, and Prince of Persia and Knight and Day bombed horribly. The Social Network and Black Swan wowed the critics, while the The Last Airbender and Jonah Hex sent them running for the exits.

Even the most casual moviegoer either saw or is aware of the flicks that made headlines in 2010. Rather than rehash the merits of Kick-Ass or the failings of Killers, here are ten films you should’ve seen this year, but might have missed.

Roman Polanski might be a scumbag rapist, but he’s also one helluva director. In this taut thriller, Ewan McGregor plays a ghostwriter who accepts a job penning the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister. Only problem is the ex-PM has a closet packed with skeletons, including war crimes, a CIA cover-up and murder.

This 2009 South Korean film didn’t hit theaters in the States until 2010. It’s a nuanced drama about a single mother dedicated to freeing her mentally disabled son after he is arrested for murdering a high school girl. Kim Hye-ja is excellent in the titular role.

Johnny Knoxville and his gang of plucky pranksters have never been funnier or more in your face, thanks to the most ingenious use of 3D technology to date. Watching Steve-O and Dave England dressed as bears play beehive tether ball is worth the price of admission.

Casey Affleck’s ridiculous mockumentary detailing Joaquin Phoenix’s bogus transition from actor to hip hop artist is a fascinating study of celebrity in America and the media’s obsession with anything and everything celebrity related. It also proves Phoenix is certifiably insane, but in a good way.

A comedy about four bumbling Muslims from England who decide to become suicide Jihadists. What else needs to be said, really? One is named Barry. Another attempts to train crows to be bombers. The concept is brilliant and is executed to comic perfection.

Told in three films over a period of ten years, Red Riding delves into the mystery surrounding a string of serial murders that took place in Yorkshire, England during the ’70s and ’80s. The serpentine plot is challenging, complex and compelling. Stars would-be Spiderman Andrew Garfield and the always interesting Peter Mullan.

Adapted from the renowned Swedish crime novel by Stieg Larsson, the film features a disgraced investigative journalist who joins forces with a goth hacker to solve a 40-year-old mystery. Its graphic violence and multi-layered story make it one of the year’s most memorable. Followed by two sequels, and an upcoming American remake.

Even though it tanked at the box office, this visually appealing and inventive spin on the romantic comedy genre is worthy of inclusion among the Best of 2010. It pits mild-mannered Michael Cera against seven evil exes in order to win the affections of dreamgirl Romona Flowers. It’s a shoo-in to achieve cult status.

This 2009 French film was nominated for a Best Foreign Language Oscar, but wasn’t released in the US until this past summer. A young man is sentenced to six years in prison. In order to gain protection, he sides with the Corsican mafia, but uses his Muslim heritage and various contacts behind bars and on the outside to become a powerful kingpin. A masterful tale that ranks among the top prison films ever made.

Reclusive street artist Banksy’s debut film documents the transformation of French immigrant Thierry Guetta, who miraculously evolved into a world famous artist. Or did he? Some have referred to this as a “prankumentary,” indicating the entire film is a hoax. Real or fake, it serves as a instructive, and often hilarious, journey into the world of underground street art.