The 20 most surprising movies of the decade

Anora is very much the little indie film that could, and its success at both the box office and with the critics is all the more surprising given the extent to which Hollywood remains dominated by franchises and major studios. In this case, the story revolves around Mikey Madison’s Anora, a young stripper who ends up getting married to the son of a Russian oligarch, only for things to go very awry. Liberally laced with profanity, it’s an unruly and sometimes unhinged film that is filled with surprises, not least the fact that it managed to take home several Oscars, including for Best Picture.

There has probably never been a Best Picture winner quite like Everything Everywhere All at Once.  Starring Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Quan Wang, it follows her as she is brought into a multiverse-spanning fight against the destructive being known as Jobu Tupacki. It’s a film that plays with genre, temporality, and everything else, and it surprisingly manages to make it all hang together. It is, at its core, about the bond between a mother and her daughter, and it has garnered numerous Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress. 

Nimona is one of those animated films that managed to slip through the cracks, yet it remains a genuine delight. The film centers on the title character, a shapeshifting being who ends up forging a remarkable partnership with the knight Ballister Boldheart. It is in some ways an allegory for the persecution of the LGBTQ+ community, but it’s also a heartwarming story about the power of a found family and the ability of those who are different to fight back against those who would destroy them. 

Given his extensive work in comedy, it makes sense that Andy Samberg would appear in Palm Springs,  a time loop comedy. What is more surprising, however, is just how much heart he puts into the role. He’s matched in this regard by his co-star, Cristin Milioti, who plays his love interest and fellow prisoner in the time loop. The film manages to put a fresh spin on a tried and true genre formula, and it manages to be equal parts heartwarming and funny.

June Squibb has long been a reliable supporting actress, but in her ninth decade, she has been securing more and more leading roles. In Thelma, for example, she plays the title character, an elderly woman who sets out to get her money back from the crooks who stole it from her. The film is undoubtedly hilarious, but it also has its fair share of poignant moments, particularly those focusing on Thelma’s relationship with her grandson, Daniel. Thelma surprisingly demonstrates the extent to which Squibb really does have what it takes to be a leading lady.

Joy Ride was one of the true unexpected delights of 2023. Focusing on a group of friends who go to China, it combines the pleasures of the raunchy comedy with the emotional depth of a maternal melodrama. It thus provides more than a few laughs and more than a few tears as the various characters contend with both the mishaps of their journey — many of which are great comedic moments — as well as family revelations that force them to rethink who they are and what they want out of life.

Flow is one of those animated films that demonstrates the extent to which a simple story told well can go on to become a success. Taking place in a world without humans, it focuses on a cat and its various companions as they try to survive a mass flooding. Its simple story and the remarkably accurate depiction of its animal protagonists give it a potent if understated emotional authenticity, and so it’s easy to see why it would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the first independent animated film to do so.

Many people raised an eyebrow when it was announced that Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was getting a prequel. Despite the doubts, however, Wonka ended up being a surprise hit with both critics and audiences. Not only does Timothée Chalamet give a surprisingly warm and charming performance as the title character, but the film is also an entertaining and heartfelt musical. When it comes down to it, it’s quite simply a very enjoyable piece of family entertainment that Hollywood rarely produces these days.

In Babylon,  director Damien Chazelle once again demonstrated that he is more than a little fascinated by Hollywood history. The film takes place during a pivotal moment when sound is being introduced to Hollywood, and it is as bloated and overwrought as any silent melodrama. Still, despite (or perhaps because of) its excesses, it manages to be a rather melancholy take on a period of filmmaking that no longer exists, and it features some remarkable performances from the likes of Margot Robbie and Diego Calva.

Raunch comedy has made quite a comeback in the 2020s, and one of the best examples of the newly resurgent genre is Bottoms.  It stars Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott as a pair of lesbian teens who start a girls’ fight club to get closer to their crushes. It’s a sublimely ridiculous film, and it more than leans into the absurdity of its premise. This is precisely what makes it so hilarious, and it certainly helps that it features a number of great supporting performances, including a campy turn from Nicholas Galitzine. 

It’s not every director who could take a film about tennis and turn it into a rumination on erotic desire and thwarted yearnings, but Luca Guadagnino more than delivers. It certainly helps that he has a terrifically talented cast that includes the likes of Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist. It’s the kind of film that leans into the eroticism of sports and those who play them, and it became a minor hit, in no small part because it lent itself to memes on social media.

The 2020s have been a very good decade for Ralph Fiennes, arguably one of the greatest British actors of his generation. The twisted black comedy The Menu  gives him plenty of space to let his freak fly, as he portrays aggrieved culinary genius Julian Slowik, who invites a disparate group of people to his remote island, where he has a sinister plan in mind. It’s delicious and delightful and utterly unhinged, and Fiennes is joined by many other formidable talents, including Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Janet McTeer, and Judith Light.

One could be forgiven for assuming that a film about Barbie  might be a bit of vapid Hollywood entertainment, but that’s definitely not the case with Greta Gerwig’s take on the iconic doll. The film ends up being a powerful rumination on feminism, women’s experience in patriarchy, and even death. Margot Robbie is perfectly cast as the title character, as is Ryan Gosling as Ken, and it’s one of those movies that manages to be both hilarious and thought-provoking. It’s easy to see why it would manage to earn over $1 billion at the box office.

A film about a papal conclave wouldn’t have seemed like a breakout success, but that’s exactly what happened with the film Conclave, based on the novel by Robert Harris. However, there was something about the film’s aesthetic and its tightly woven narrative that kept the viewer on the edge of their seat from the beginning to the end. It’s a remarkably powerful and poignant film about the power and importance of doubt in religious faith, and it is one of those rare movies that never talks down to its audience.

On the surface, The Banshees of Inisherin  is a story of two men, played by Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell, who have a falling out, leading to increasing tragedy and mayhem for them both. At a deeper level, however, it’s also a film about the ravages of the Irish Civil War and its impact on both the national psyche and the lives of individual people. Despite, or perhaps because of, its geographic specificity, it became an international critical darling, managing to notch several Academy Award nominations.

Pamela Anderson is one of those performers who has often been more famous for her looks than for her acting ability, but this changed with The Last Showgirl. She plays Shelly Gardner, whose life is unexpectedly turned upside down when the revue that has been her life is about to close for good. Anderson is beautifully poignant in the role, and the film as a whole is a timely and piercing examination of how entertainment industries exploit women and then discard them when they are no longer useful.   

At first glance, Anatomy of a Fall is a legal drama like so many others, in which Sandra Voyter — a magnificent Sandra Hüller — is put on trial for the death of her husband, who died from a fall in their home. As the trial unfolds, more and more of Voyter’s life and her potential guilt come to life. It all makes for riveting drama, and it’s surprising the extent to which a film that seems so simple in its ideas could be so brilliantly and suspensefully executed.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have appeared in numerous movies, but not always with positive results. Their mixed luck when it comes to big-screen stories is precisely what makes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem such a delight. It manages to stay true to the fundamental Turtles mythology while also allowing them to act like teenagers. In addition to being quite funny, it’s also gorgeously animated, with a vibrant and kinetic visual style that is a pleasure to watch from beginning to end.

It’s not every horror film that manages to earn several Oscar nominations, but The Substance  more than delivers. Its high critical reception owes much to Demi Moore, who gives a moving and haunting performance as a fading star who ends up buying a drug that allows her to access a younger part of herself. The film is full-on body horror, but it’s also a surprisingly poignant examination of the way that American society continues to see women’s bodies as expendable, particularly once they’ve reached a certain age.

Even though Dungeons & Dragons remains one of the world’s most popular games and franchises, it’s had a very mixed history when it comes to the big screen. This is what made Honor Among Thieves  such an enjoyably surprising film. Unlike its 2000 predecessor, this one actually leans in on what makes the game so enjoyable, and it’s anchored by terrific performances from the likes of Chris Pine and Hugh Grant. It might not have ruled the box office, but it still managed to be one of the more enjoyable films of the decade.