Best Movie of the 2010s: The Final Four
The finals are set! I can’t believe we’ve gotten this far, you guys — after a year and a half of work we’ve narrowed it down to just two movies. Check out the last two matchups before the final! Was it Parasite or The Social Network, Moonlight or Get Out that advanced to the final?
REGAL BURLINGTON 20 REGION WINNER vs. AMC HAMILTON 24 MEMORIAL REGION WINNER
Erin’s Pitch for Parasite: I think this is pretty much a perfect movie, but was clearly brought back down to Earth yesterday, when my dad said he thought the film was “stupid.” This just goes to show you that this entire hobby side project has no meaning at all (and also that my dad, whose favorite movie of the 2010s was probably Daddy’s Home 2, has iiiiinteresting taste in movies).
Tom’s Pitch for Parasite: For this round, I’m giving you a fun piece of trivia I found on iMDb. In Parasite, stairs and vertical structures are a motif that runs through the entire film, which highlights the social divide between the Parks and the Kims. In fact, the director Bong Joon-ho called the project a "staircase movie" while filming it.
Erin’s Pitch for The Social Network: When I really sat down to think about it, I decided that this is the most 2010s movie. I want to do an experiment where I ask people to name ONE movie from that decade. My guess would be that The Social Network would be the #1 answer. *cue Family Feud sound effect*
Tom’s Pitch for The Social Network: Mark Zuckerberg originally planned never to see this movie. He ended up taking several of his employees to see it. He later remarked that, despite some of the film's inaccuracies, they got his clothing right.
Erin’s Choice: Easy choice: Parasite.
Tom’s Choice: I’ve voted for Parasite in every round, so why stop now? I’ve never seen another movie like it.
The People’s Choice: Parasite - 18 (58.1%), The Social Network - 13 (41.9%). In this clash of the final Best Picture winner of the ‘10s against what many people believe should’ve been the first of that decade (shakes fist at The King’s Speech), it’s the thriller-horror-comedy-social commentary Parasite that advances to the finals!
WINNER: PARASITE (2019)
PRINCETON GARDEN THEATRE REGION WINNER vs. MEGA MOVIES MEMORIAL REGION WINNER
Erin’s Pitch for Moonlight: It makes me sad that this movie hasn’t been seen more widely. I don’t think any of my friends or family other than the major movie buffs had the pleasure of watching this film. WATCH THIS PLEASE.
Tom’s Pitch for Moonlight: Naomie Harris had to shoot her entire role in three days, in between her promotional tour of Spectre (2015), due to a visa problem (Harris is British). The scenes spanned 15 years in the character's life and were filmed out of sequence.
Erin’s Pitch for Get Out: This is one of only three movies that I can remember seeing twice in theaters. The other two were Gone Girl and The Dark Knight. It’s also one of the only movies that provides a completely different viewing experience upon subsequent watches. A masterpiece.
Tom’s Pitch for Get Out: Jordan Peele said that the concept of the movie was inspired by a bit in Eddie Murphy’s Delirious (1983) where Murphy talks about the differences between how a white family and a black family would react in a haunted house, and that in The Amityville Horror (1979), the ghost literally tells the white family to “get out” and they don’t.
Erin’s Choice: Less easy choice but still pretty clear to me: Get Out.
Tom’s Choice: I love both of these movies equally - they’re both literary masterpieces packed with symbolism and allegory, let alone incredible performances, writing, and visual experiences - but I want to watch the world burn, so I’m going Moonlight so that we can see what the people want in the finals.
The People’s Choice: Moonlight - 12 (48.0%), Get Out - 13 (52.0%). By one vote, Get Out sends Moonlight packing to advance to the final!
WINNER: GET OUT (2017)
Oh my goodness, we’re into the finals! After all this! STAY TUNED FOR THE POLL: follow @motionpicturemadness on Instagram! It’s PARASITE taking on GET OUT for the mantle of the best movie of the 2010s!