Best Movies of the last decade streaming now

Here’s a chronological list of the best movies of the 2010s that you can stream right now with a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription, or for free using apps like Tubi, Vudu, Hoopla, and Kanopy (the last two might be free with your local public library membership). As we’re now based in the U.S. this list is customized for all of you living in the U.S. So, if you’re living in another country, head to JustWatch.com and search to find out where to watch the film where you are.

I Am Love – Tubi, Hoopla

Starting with 2010, you can watch Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love on Tubi for free with ads, or on Hoopla for free without ads (the app is free with most public library memberships). Like his Call Me By Your Name, this movie is also set in Italy, features a controversial romantic relationship, and is beautifully shot.

A Useful Life – Tubi

A Useful Life is a short feature (1h 7m long) about a single man that runs an art-house cinema in Uruguay. It’s an ode to cinema of the past and how it, and the single man, are being forced to adapt to a new digital world. It’s currently streaming for free on Tubi (with ads). Read our full review here.

A Separation – Netflix

A Separation was probably the most popular Iranian film featured in critic’s best of the decade lists. Great for those who enjoyed watching Marriage Story – this film is about a couple seeking a divorce – and it’s also great for anyone who has Netflix, where it’s currently streaming.

The Orator – Amazon Prime

For something different, check out The Orator. It features a Samoan little person who struggles to protect his wife and family honor from rival tribe members. It’s currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Read our full review here.

The Look of Silence – Netflix, Hoopla

Following on from The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence is an even more gut wrenching and unbelievable documentary. You’ll meet death squad killers as they boast and laugh about the people they killed. Slowly, in their re-enactments, they seem to gain an awareness of the atrocities they’ve committed. Does it change them? Find out by watching it on Netflix or Hoopla (free with most public library memberships). You can also read the full review here.

Force Majeure – Hulu, Hoopla, Tubi, Kanopy

This Swedish comedy, from the guy that won Cannes with The Square a few years later, is built of one of the most unlikely concepts. The fallout starts when a father runs from his family as an avalanche approaches their ski resort. However, when the avalanche turns out not to be deadly, he has to face the family he cowardly ran away from.  Watch the drama on Hulu (subscription), Tubi (free), Hoopla (free with most public libraries), or Kanopy (free with some public libraries).

Under the Skin – Netflix, Kanopy

Watch this if you want to watch a film in which Scarlett Johansson is an alien that seduces and kidnaps men off of the streets in Glasgow. It’s currently streaming on Netflix and Kanopy (free with some public libraries).

Embrace of the Serpent – Amazon Prime, Vudu, Hulu, Kanopy

Embrace of the Serpent is many things at once. It is a beautifully shot film set deep in the Amazon jungle that delves into many themes, including Life and Death, Culture, Civilization, Religion, and Exploration. One of my personal favourites from the decade and it’s currently streaming everywhere. You can catch it on Amazon Prime, Hulu, Vudu (free with ads), and Kanopy (free with some libraries). Read our full review here.

Under the Shadow – Netflix, Hoopla

Under the Shadow layers the context of the Iraq-Iran war and female oppression onto a potent horror narrative. It’s perfect if you want something more from the horror genre without skimping out on the scare tactics. This Iranian horror film is currently streaming on Netflix and Hoopla (free with most public libraries). Read our full review here.

Moonlight – Netflix, Kanopy

Moonlight is one of the strongest contenders for the best Floridian films of all time. It’s beautiful cinematography and vulnerability sets it apart. Plus it actually won the Best Picture Academy Award – a rare example of the Academy getting it right. Watch it now on Netflix or Kanopy (free with some public libraries).

Neruda – Netflix, Kanopy

If you’re a fan of the poetry of Pablo Neruda, you should give this film a watch. In the movie, the director (Pablo Larrain) fuses the work of Neruda with Don Quixote to turn this into something very meta. It’s not so much a celebration of Neruda’s work than a celebration of poetry and creativity in general. Plus it’s also a chase movie which takes place all across Chile. Watch it on Netflix or Kanopy (free with some public libraries). Read our full review here.

Makala – Amazon Prime, Kanopy

This documentary film is on another level. You’ll rarely get this close to a life completely different to the one you’re used to. Not just because you probably have no idea about the lives of charcoal miners in DR Congo, but because you rarely get films that are this intimate. There are so many close ups and shots where Kabwita’s emotion is so clearly visible that you’ll feel like you’re there right beside him. The only problem is that you’ll feel even worse for not being able to help him up those hills. Experience it on Amazon Prime or Kanopy (free with some public libraries). Read our full review here.

Roma – Netflix

If you want to be guided around 1970s Mexico City, you’ve come to the right place. The stream of consciousness narrative in Roma feels like life and memory, and the acting and cinematography is a visual treat. Open your mind and immerse yourself in it. Watch it now on Netflix. Read our full review here.

Burning – Netflix, Hoopla

Burning is both a love triangle film and a mystery – nothing is ever clear and transparent. It’s a slower, eerie, and more subtle version of the class boundaries of Korean society than those depicted in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. It’s also probably one of the better adaptations of Haruki Murakami’s work. Watch it on Netflix, or for free with Hoopla (free with most public libraries).

Happy as Lazzaro – Netflix

Happy as Lazzaro may look like your typical Italian movie, but it features time traveling and magic in small doses. It centers on Lazzaro, a share cropper that doesn’t realize he’s oppressed by the rich people he serves, even after he wakes up from a long coma. It may sound strange, but it never feels unbelievable. Watch it now on Netflix.

Shoplifters – Hulu, Hoopla

If you’re looking for a heart-warming family to guide you around contemporary Japan, check out Shoplifters. Everyone is welcome in this oddball family to find beauty and wonder in life’s simple pleasures. It’s currently streaming on Hulu and on Hoopla (free with most public libraries). Read our full review here.

Border – Hulu

This is one of the weirdest films from the last decade. It’s hard to describe it without giving away any spoilers, so if you like weird, give it a watch on Hulu.

Atlantics – Netflix

What happens to a community in Senegal when the young men (half of the future of the country) take to the Atlantic Ocean in search of better opportunities in Europe?  Watch Atlantics on Netflix now to find out.

Sweet Sixteen

Sweet Sixteen Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

What were you doing on your sixteenth birthday? Hopefully something better than Liam. Sweet Sixteen came out three years before MTV’s My Super Sweet Sixteen and shows a semi-orphaned teenager waiting for his mum to get released from prison. It’s another brilliantly bleak depiction of working class youth in the U.K. from Ken Loach and a perfect reality check to the super rich spoiled kids which took over MTV screens a few years later.

From: U.K., Europe
Watch: Trailer, Tubi, Amazon Prime
Next: Trainspotting, Girlhood, This is England
Read the Full Review
King Bull from A Chinese Odyssey

A Chinese Odyssey Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

I haven’t read Journey to the West and I’m completely unfamiliar with the story line, so I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this adaptation of the Chinese Classic. However, if you’re looking for pure cinematic mayhem, Chinese Odyssey Part One and Part Two are as good as you get.

From: Hong Kong, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Tubi, Vudu, Buy on Amazon
Next: Life of Brian, Star Wars, Kung Fu Hustle
Read The Full Review
 Dieter Surviving

Little Dieter Needs to Fly Film Difficulty Ranking: 1

This documentary from German master Werner Herzog explores the balance between life and death in the epic survival story of Little Dieter.

From: Germany, Europe
Watch: Trailer, Watch on YouTube, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon, Tubi
Next: Rescue Dawn, The Great Escape, The Marriage of Maria Braun
Continue reading “Little Dieter Needs to Fly – Another Epic Survival Story”
Ilo Ilo

Ilo Ilo Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Follow a 28 year old Filipino maid as she starts work for a dysfunctional family in Singapore. They all have their problems and bad habits, but they’re all human, just like us. Ilo Ilo perfectly captures the up and down emotions of everyday life in this family’s home and the immigrant experience in Singapore.

From: Singapore, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Tubi, Kanopy, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: Roma, Scent of Green Papaya, Shoplifters
Continue reading “Ilo Ilo – Help Out A Dysfuntional Family in Singapore”