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Cinema · 2010s Ranked

Best Films of the 2010s, Ranked by IQ Score

The streaming-era decade, and the decade Marvel, A24, and Netflix all became cultural forces. Ranked by IQ Score.

The 2010s in cinema is the decade three structural changes happened simultaneously: A24 emerged as the prestige-independent label, Netflix moved into theatrical-quality original production, and Marvel made superhero filmmaking the dominant commercial register. The rubric reads what each of those tracks actually produced, not the marketing.

Anchor picks: Parasite (2019) is the canonical decade-closer, Best Picture winner, first non-English-language film to win the category. Moonlight (2016), The Social Network (2010), Get Out (2017), and Phantom Thread (2017) are the Masterclass-tier American entries. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is the genre-elevating entry. Roma (2018) and The Master (2012) round out the decade's most-philosophically-committed work.

35 titles · ranked by IQ Score

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Questions about this ranking

What is the best film of the 2010s?

By IQ Score on TV Intelligentsia, Parasite (2019) anchors the decade. Moonlight (2016), The Social Network (2010), and Phantom Thread (2017) are the canonical American entries.

How does TVI rank films from the 2010s?

Every 2010s film in the database is scored on the same rubric: Cognitive Stimulation (40%), Educational Value (35%), Craft & Quality (25%). The decade saw three simultaneous structural shifts (A24, Netflix theatrical, Marvel franchise dominance); the rubric reads what each track actually produced.

Which 2010s film is most underrated by IQ Score?

The Master (2012), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013), Phantom Thread (2017), and Burning (2018) consistently score higher than their reputational position. The rubric reads structural rigor and philosophical commitment, markers these films meet at register more famous decade entries don't always reach.

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