As the year 2020 approaches, film critics have been rounding up their picks for the best movies of the decade. This decade has been a great one for films of all kinds. This list consists of my favorite movies for the decade.

For me, the first movie that comes to mind for the best movie of the decade is Ladybird. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan, Ladybird tells the story of a young woman on the brink of independence. Main character, Christine “Ladybird” McPherson, is strong-willed and stubborn. Marion McPherson, Ladybird’s mother, is just like her and the two work to navigate their relationship everyday. Ladybird is relatable in the best way. It isn’t often that young women can see themselves accurately represented on the big screen. Greta Gerwig holds a sense of understanding of the characters she creates, she makes audiences feel seen and understood. Ladybird is a must see film of this decade for any moviegoer.

The next movie on my list is Before Midnight; the third and final installment of Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy. The Before trilogy follows Jesse and Celine through their lives and relationship over many years. Jesse, portrayed by Ethan Hawke, is a laid back American who falls in love with a strong willed french woman named Celine, played by Julie Delpy. The two begin their love story in the film Before Sunrise (1995) and meet again in Before Sunset (2004.) The final installment of the Before trilogy highlights the realistic ups and downs of love and life. Beautiful direction from Linklater and the outstanding performances from Delpy and Hawke are only a few reasons that Before Midnight is one of the best movies of the decade.

Disney has been an influential movie making industry since the 1930s. Every decade since then has been influenced by Disney’s creations. For me, Tangled was a standout Disney film in this past decade. Tangled is one of the most underrated Disney films to date, in my opinion. The movie provides beautiful visuals and an amazing take on the classic story of Rapunzel. 

I had to include a Marvel movie to close out my top movies of the decade list, for obvious reasons. Marvel began with the iconic Iron Man film in 2008. Since then, there have been 22 Marvel films completing the first phase of the MCU. The phase ended on April 26th, 2019 with Avengers: Endgame. The experience that Marvel fans all over the world experienced with the release of Endgame was unlike any other movie opening. I think Avengers: Endgame deserves a spot on this list because of the impact it made on pop culture as a whole.