10 Forgotten 2010s Movies That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

While the 2010s gave us many fantastic films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Get Out, and Parasite, some truly great movies from that decade have been forgotten and deserve another look. Like any ten-year period in cinema, not every film was a hit, but the 2010s produced a wealth of memorable titles.

Lots of movies labeled as failures actually gained a dedicated fanbase. For example, Dredd is considered one of the best comic book films of the last ten years, and movies like The Nice Guys, The Guest, and Blade Runner 2049 built followings even though they didn’t perform well in theaters. Beyond those, there are many other great films that deserve to be rediscovered.

10. Silence (2016)

Often overlooked among Martin Scorsese’s films, Silence wasn’t expected to be a mainstream hit. This historical drama centers on a priest, played by Andrew Garfield, who travels to 17th-century Japan to locate his teacher, portrayed by Liam Neeson. Once there, Garfield’s character, Rodrigues, faces a severe challenge to his religious beliefs amidst Japan’s crackdown on Christianity.

Martin Scorsese’s Silence is a very personal and challenging film. It’s a sometimes bleak exploration of faith and devotion, questioning what it means to believe in God when it feels like He isn’t responding. Despite being a powerfully emotional movie, it doesn’t receive the attention it deserves.

9. The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

The Place Beyond the Pines is a film that often gets a lot of initial praise but is then quickly forgotten, which is unfortunate. It’s filled with fantastic acting and tells a powerful story where the consequences of a father’s actions directly impact his son.

The film unfolds in three distinct chapters, each led by Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Dane DeHaan. Revealing more would give away key plot points, but it’s a compelling and somber exploration of family, identity, and what it means to be a man, focusing on how a father’s choices impact his children.

8. Blackhat (2015)

Michael Mann, the director behind acclaimed thrillers like Heat and The Insider, explored the world of cyberterrorism with his film Blackhat. Unfortunately, the movie was widely criticized for feeling old-fashioned and didn’t perform well at the box office, becoming one of the biggest financial failures of the 2010s.

Even after ten years, this movie remains a visually stunning and exciting thriller. While the plot can get a bit complicated and slow down at times, it’s saved by its fantastic atmosphere, intense action, and strong performances from Chris Hemsworth and Viola Davis. It’s no surprise critics are now looking at it with fresh eyes and appreciating it even more.

7. Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017)

Following his popular Western, Bone Tomahawk, S. Craig Zahler created this film with a 1970s style. It stars Vince Vaughn as a criminal who finds himself in a violent and dangerous situation after crossing a drug lord, leading to a brutal fight for survival within the notorious cell block. Similar to Bone Tomahawk, this thriller blends intense violence with a dark, dry sense of humor.

This film has some shockingly violent moments, as the main character is headed for a grim fate. However, Brawl in Cell Block 99 also has a surprising amount of emotional depth, and the director delivers his signature, cool dialogue. Despite being dark and gritty, it’s a surprisingly fun action movie to watch again and again.

6. Nightcrawler (2014)

Known mostly for Jake Gyllenhaal’s unsettling portrayal of a driven and morally questionable freelance videographer, Nightcrawler is a harsh critique of sensationalist journalism. The film blends dark humor, thriller elements, and surprisingly, even some inspirational themes, as it follows Lou, Gyllenhaal’s character, who finds what seems like his dream job by observing unscrupulous news photographers.

Lou is a natural for this job, and he’s willing to do almost anything to get ahead. Nightcrawler is a complex film with a lot to say. It sharply criticizes the excesses of capitalism and how the media takes advantage of situations, and it’s unsettlingly believable that a person with no morals could succeed in that environment.

5. MacGruber (2010)

I still can’t believe how hilarious MacGruber is! It started as a silly Saturday Night Live sketch making fun of MacGyver, and honestly, it shouldn’t have worked as a full-length movie. But it totally does! Will Forte is brilliant as the self-absorbed secret agent MacGruber, who gets dragged back into action to stop his nemesis, played by Val Kilmer. It’s easily one of the funniest comedies of the 2010s, in my opinion.

As with most comedies that spoof other works, some jokes in this film land better than others, but the funny parts are genuinely hilarious. Will Forte is great, and the film stands out from other Saturday Night Live adaptations by truly exploring the mind of its eccentric main character. It’s no surprise that director Christopher Nolan is a fan.

4. Elle (2016)

Paul Verhoeven is known for making films that push boundaries, like his work on Basic Instinct and Showgirls. In 2016, he directed a gripping thriller about a businesswoman (Isabelle Huppert) who, after being attacked, decides not to report it to the police. Instead, she continues with her life and takes matters into her own hands to find the person who assaulted her.

Elle is a darkly comedic thriller about a woman who, after a traumatic experience, develops a strange connection with her attacker. Director Paul Verhoeven intentionally challenges sensitive subjects with this story, which is a compelling exploration of character, and Isabelle Huppert gives a remarkable performance in the main role.

3. One Cut of the Dead (2017)

Okay, let me tell you about this movie. It’s a horror-comedy that quickly gained a cult following, and honestly, it’s probably the most fun zombie film I’ve ever seen. What’s really clever is it doesn’t bother with some elaborate fictional outbreak story. Instead, it follows a low-budget film crew trying to pull off a single-take zombie movie for television. And the structure is brilliant – it starts by showing you the finished, seamless take, then reveals how they managed to do it. It’s a really inventive and enjoyable ride.

The beginning of the film is already captivating, but audiences will be even more moved when they discover how it was created. One Cut of the Dead is truly unique within the zombie genre and deserves praise for finding a new and inventive approach to a familiar concept.

2. Annihilation (2018)

Inspired by the novel of the same name, Annihilation is director Alex Garland’s take on the sci-fi film Stalker. The movie follows a team of female soldiers who venture into “The Shimmer,” a strange area created by an alien presence. Inside, this zone alters the DNA and affects the minds of every living creature.

After director Alex Garland wouldn’t compromise his vision to make it more mainstream, Annihilation landed directly on Netflix. The film is a thought-provoking and intense experience, blending action and horror—including a now-famous scene with a mutated bear—with deeper themes about self-destruction and the patterns we repeat in life and love.

1. Upgrade (2018)

This fantastic sci-fi thriller was released during a successful period for Blumhouse Productions. Although it did well in theaters, it didn’t receive as much attention as films like Get Out or the 2018 Halloween reboot, but it deserves another look. The story centers around Trace, played by Logan Marshall-Green, who is paralyzed after a brutal attack.

After receiving an experimental A.I. implant called STEM, he initially regains control of his body, but quickly finds himself in a struggle to maintain it. Despite being made on a small budget, the film Upgrade feels like a classic action movie from director John Carpenter, brimming with inventive ideas, exciting action sequences, and a genuinely shocking twist ending.

2026-03-29 01:04