CinemaSins Best of the 2010s Bracket

I don’t make the rules, I just pick a winner.

(I’m only devoting one post to this because dragging it out would be a pointless exercise; if you don’t already know what my favorite movies are, please go back and read some of my blog. For more explanation behind any of the choices, feel free to get in touch.)

North Region

#1 Mad Max: Fury Road vs. #16 Sinister (I will never understand how Toy Story 3 lost to the latter, but it makes the competition easier)
#2 Hell or High Water vs. #15 Locke
#3 Roma vs. #14 Under the Skin
#4 The Nice Guys vs. #13 Annihilation
#5 Nightcrawler vs. #12 The Revenant
#6 La La Land vs. #11 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
#7 Phantom Thread vs. #10 Gone Girl
#8 Blindspotting vs. #9 The Master

#1 Mad Max: Fury Road vs. #8 Blindspotting
#3 Roma vs. #6 La La Land
#4 The Nice Guys vs. #12 The Revenant
#10 Gone Girl vs. #15 Locke

#1 Mad Max: Fury Road vs. #4 The Nice Guys
#6 La La Land vs. #15 Locke (almost had either Hardy vs. Hardy or Gosling vs. Gosling, but it wasn’t meant to be)

#1 Mad Max: Fury Road vs. #6 La La Land (both movies should’ve won Best Picture in their respective years)

East Region

#1 Inception vs. #16 Deadpool (apparently they hate Pixar because Coco also lost)
#2 The Martian vs. #15 Booksmart
#3 The Raid 2 vs. #14 Spider-Man: Homecoming
#4 Whiplash vs. #13 The Town
#5 Spotlight vs. #12 Lady Bird
#6 Black Panther vs. #11 The Intouchables
#7 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol vs. #10 Moonrise Kingdom
#8 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse vs. #9 12 Years a Slave (could two movies be more diametrically opposed?)

#1 Inception vs. #8 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (don’t do drugs)
#3 The Raid 2 vs. #6 Black Panther (one of the best action films of the decade knocks out two MCU movies in a row)
#4 Whiplash vs. #12 Lady Bird
#7 Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol vs. #15 Booksmart

#3 The Raid 2 vs. #15 Booksmart
#4 Whiplash vs. #8 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

#4 Whiplash vs. #15 Booksmart (never thought Booksmart would be among the final eight, but that goes to show how much I love it)

South Region

#1 The Social Network vs. #16 The Avengers
#2 Arrival vs. #15 Edge of Tomorrow (two alien-centered films, how about that?)
#3 The Big Short vs. #14 Game Night
#4 The Cabin in the Woods vs. #13 Eighth Grade
#5 Gravity vs. #12 Boyhood
#6 Birdman vs. #11 Steve Jobs
#7 Her vs. #10 Star Wars: The Force Awakens
#8 Parasite vs. #9 The Florida Project

#1 The Social Network vs. #8 Parasite (I’M SORRY, BONG JOON-HO)
#2 Arrival vs. #7 Her (isn’t Amy Adams talented?)
#5 Gravity vs. #13 Eighth Grade
#6 Birdman vs. #14 Game Night

#1 The Social Network vs. #13 Eighth Grade
#2 Arrival vs. #14 Game Night (AKA Adams vs. McAdams)

#1 The Social Network vs. #14 Game Night (see Booksmart comment)

West Region

#1 Ex Machina vs. #16 Planet of the Apes (I love the whole trilogy, but this is absolutely cheating)
#2 Get Out vs. #15 Looper
#3 Interstellar vs. #14 Manchester by the Sea (double the Affleck)
#4 The Wolf of Wall Street vs. #13 Bad Times at the El Royale
#5 Inside Out vs. #12 Paddington 2 (HOW DARE YOU, both should be in the next round)
#6 Zero Dark Thirty vs. #11 BlacKkKlansman
#7 The Descendants vs. #10 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
#8 Black Swan vs. #9 Dunkirk

#1 Ex Machina vs. #9 Dunkirk
#2 Get Out vs. #10 Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
#3 Interstellar vs. #11 BlacKkKlansman (Nolan has had the worst luck in this bracket)
#4 The Wolf of Wall Street vs. #5 Inside Out

#1 Ex Machina vs. #5 Inside Out (2015 was a great year)
#2 Get Out vs. #11 BlacKkKlansman (ironically, Jordan Peele produced both)

#2 Get Out vs. #5 Inside Out (I literally couldn’t choose since both were on my personal “top 10 of the decade” list, but I also really wanted one animated film to make it)

Final Four

#1 Mad Max: Fury Road vs. #4 Whiplash
#1 The Social Network vs. #5 Inside Out

Championship Match

#4 Whiplash vs. #5 Inside Out

These two films are literally perfect; I can’t find a single element out of place in either of them. But if I have to break a tie, I’m going with the one that spoke to me on an emotional level and it’s not the one whose characters are actual emotions. Whiplash isn’t just personal because I happen to play the drums; the central theme of ambition applies to anyone who has ever dreamed of accomplishing something considered to be the highest honor. The ambiguity posed by the ending, where you’re left questioning whether Andrew should’ve overextended himself in order to win Fletcher’s approval, proves Damien Chazelle’s masterful ability to tell a story without needing to explain everything to the audience. Drawing your own conclusion plays a large part in my love for cinema and Whiplash, at least from the past decade, is the greatest example.

CinemaSins Marvel vs. DC Bracket: Finale

Elite Eight

#5 Logan vs. #7 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
With only eight films remaining, it’s going to come down to the tiniest of details; that may not matter when determining overall quality, but there isn’t a better way to separate two great comic book movies. In the battle between Wolverine and Spider-Man, I choose the latter if only because of the slightly off-putting nature of the hard R-rating in Logan. After never using the f-word (except that one hilarious line in First Class), it’s a bit strange to hear Hugh Jackman suddenly curse like a seasoned pro. Along with the gratuitous shot in the back of the limo where a drunk party girl flashes Logan, it’s enough to end Logan’s run (wait, that’s a different movie) and award Into the Spider-Verse a spot in the Final Four.

#1 The Dark Knight vs. #2 Black Panther
I didn’t notice at first, but the overuse of CGI in the final “rhino battle” does start to stick out like a sore thumb after you’ve seen Black Panther six times (actual count). While Batman’s stiff fighting style also doesn’t hold up particularly well, at least you’re not looking at something fake. The Dark Knight was always going to end up among the last ones standing and for good reason; it might be Nolan’s best overall film…OK, tied with The Prestige. Sometimes his technical accomplishments overshadow the storytelling (Interstellar, Dunkirk), but The Dark Knight is a complete package.

#5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier vs. #7 Thor: Ragnarok
I know, I used the light and comedic tone of Ragnarok to its advantage last time. But we’re dealing with a double-edged sword; on one hand, they had to switch up the style to fit Thor’s character better and it works to great effect. But in doing so, they also pretended that the other Thor films don’t matter. The Warriors Three? Dead. Thor has an evil sister? Somehow that never came up until right before Odin’s death. With Captain America, The Winter Soldier seemed like the next logical step for a character only now coming to grips with an unfamiliar world. Learning about Hydra and going undercover not only matures Cap, but also utilizes his skillset better.

#4 Deadpool vs. #6 Guardians of the Galaxy
The easiest matchup of the Elite Eight; while I love Deadpool, it’s not one I constantly revisit. You can only see Ryan Reynolds make fun of Green Lantern so many times, you know? Not only is the first Guardians infinitely rewatchable, I often seek out the soundtrack when I’m looking for some upbeat background music. It’s easy to look back now and say they nailed each casting decision, but they absolutely did; Pratt, Saldana, Bautista, and the voices of Cooper/Diesel are perfect.

Final Four

#1 The Dark Knight vs. #7 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Whoever emerges triumphant, they will be worthy of the title; I just want to lead with that before I shockingly pick Into the Spider-Verse over the presumed favorite. It comes down to a mood issue again; The Dark Knight requires a specific one whereas Spider-Verse transcends such a concept. As my sister once said, this movie is art. It’s also insanely quotable (not that TDK isn’t, mind you), from “He took the bagel” to “We don’t pick the ballroom, we just dance.” I could go on…

#5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier vs. #6 Guardians of the Galaxy
Time to consult my personal ranking of the MCU; as it stands, I still rank the former over the latter. Amazingly, both of these excellent films came out in 2014; at the rate they’re putting out films, we’re probably going to start talking about what was the best year for the MCU and this is already up there.

Championship Match

#5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier vs. #7 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Brooklyn faces off against Brooklyn! It seems appropriate to acknowledge Stan Lee at least once during this whole tournament because not only did he have a hand in creating most of the Marvel characters, he also briefly appeared in every movie. This might be the best or worst deciding factor, but I’m going to decide a winner here based on his best cameo and that’s easily Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Not only does it carry extra weight due to his passing, but in the film itself, he inspires Miles (albeit unintentionally) to take on the mantle of Spider-Man by telling him the suit “always fits, eventually.” Accuse me of recency bias all you want, but this film has already carved out a special place in my heart. I adore the animation style, the voice cast, the “leap of faith” scene, the way it feels like an actual comic book with its incorporation of panels and text boxes. I know they’re not the only ones responsible for this gem, but Lord and Miller turn almost everything they touch into gold. Congratulations on a well-deserved “win” that definitively settles the best superhero movie debate.

CinemaSins Marvel vs. DC Bracket: Part 5

Let’s just knock out the Sweet Sixteen in one go; I’m experiencing some writer’s block as I inch closer to 300 posts, but I won’t play cheap by dragging this tournament out longer than it needs to be.

#5 Logan vs. #8 The Lego Batman Movie
Even with an upset on par with Golden State beating Dallas in the first round of the 2007 NBA playoffs, the run for Lego Batman ends here thanks to the power of Hugh Jackman. I can’t think of two movies on more opposite ends of the spectrum here, but despite some gruesome deaths, Logan is still something I can revisit multiple times.

#3 X2 vs. #7 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
I mean…do I need to explain the choice here? We’ve certainly seen better from the X-Men franchise since X2, but Into the Spider-Verse might be the best Spider-Man movie ever made.

#1 The Dark Knight vs. #4 Doctor Strange
The former is the wheat; the latter the chaff. Prepare to be separated…that’s how the saying goes, right?

#2 Black Panther vs. #6 X-Men: First Class
Remember when I referenced better X-Men movies? Well, their best is still not enough to beat Black Panther (in ritual combat). Instead of just praising the obviously great elements, I want to highlight one of the more understated yet important scenes between Nakia and Okoye after Killmonger seemingly defeats T’Challa. Not only is the acting perfect, but the moral dilemma posed by Okoye of choosing love or duty speaks to a universal issue (Jon Snow certainly chose the latter). This scene could’ve easily devolved into crying over a man, but Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, and a sharply written script elevate the material.

#1 The Avengers vs. #5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
#3 Avengers: Infinity War vs. #7 Thor: Ragnarok
I grouped these two matchups together because they both pose a difficult question: Would I rather rewatch a standalone superhero movie or one where they all team up? I think I have to go with the former, not because it’s significantly better, but because I have to be in the “right mood” to watch any of the Avengers movies. I can pop in Winter Soldier or Ragnarok any time I want and experience two different flavors of the MCU as opposed to the uniformity of a bunch of heroes beating up a faceless army. Hey, it’s not an exact science, but it’s what I’m forced to do in this exercise.

#1 Batman Begins vs. #4 Deadpool
I enjoy my fair share of dark superhero movies, but I usually gravitate towards the comedic ones. The opening credits, the “McAvoy or Stewart” line, and the “sixteen walls” joke are just some of the reasons I love the first Deadpool. I did give Batman Begins another chance if that’s any consolation…yeah, still not The Dark Knight.

#2 Spider-Man: Homecoming vs. #6 Guardians of the Galaxy
Can I find something major to knock Homecoming down a peg? Yes, the final fight with Vulture (and the action sequences in general). Can I do the same for Guardians? Hmm…nope. The “dance-off to save the world” is a bit ridiculous, but now that we’ve spent so much time with the group, doesn’t it make a lot of sense in hindsight?

CinemaSins Marvel vs. DC Bracket: Part 4

East Region

#1 Batman Begins vs. #8 Ant-Man
Apparently Ant-Man is also as good as Endgame…cool. Paul Rudd is a national treasure, but the first Ant-Man (and its sequel for that matter) are very derivative. I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: I wish we could’ve seen Edgar Wright’s unique take on this miniscule hero because it would certainly be more intriguing. While I don’t subscribe to the absurd contrarian opinion that Batman Begins is better than The Dark Knight, it’s still a refreshing origin story for the masked vigilante after the Schumacher films nearly destroyed all goodwill.

#4 Deadpool vs. #5 Watchmen
Both R-rated, but very different in tone and execution. People keep reiterating that the Watchmen graphic novel would work better as a TV show (and soon HBO will fulfill that request), but Zack Snyder thought it would be possible to cram everything into a 3-hour movie. He was wrong. Whereas Deadpool slides in at under two hours and doesn’t overstay its welcome (until the sequel, which repeats many of the same beats). Ryan Reynolds perfectly encapsulated the fourth-wall-breaking character that was almost tarnished in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It might have given too many comic book movies the idea to go the self-aware route, but the majority of jokes in the first Deadpool still land.

#2 Spider-Man: Homecoming vs. #7 The Dark Knight Rises
I remember the palpable excitement for Nolan’s final Batman movie; I even paid to see it twice in theaters, a rarity for me back in 2012. Looking back, TDKR is still a decent film, but it’s entirely too long and largely rests on Tom Hardy’s incredible Bane. And that Robin reveal? Completely unnecessary. We had seen a whopping SIX Spider-Man movies before Homecoming, but this one finally nailed the high school side of Peter Parker. Tom Holland breathes new life into the character, Michael Keaton as Vulture could not be more perfect, and the “Captain America patience speech” is possibly the greatest post-credits scene so far. Yes, the climactic battle atop the flashing plane is cut to death and may cause epilepsy, but we finally got a Spider-Man movie that works on every level.

#3 V for Vendetta vs. #6 Guardians of the Galaxy
A 3 seed? I remember Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman (who are always good), but nothing else about V for Vendetta. Certainly not as memorable as the first Guardians, which came out of nowhere to surprise us all. My sister and I had basically placed our trust in Marvel at this point, but we went in still a little skeptical since this was an unknown group of characters. We ended up leaving the theater smiling from ear to ear. James Gunn made us care about the death of a tree who only says three words! I mean, how is that possible?

Here are your Sweet Sixteen matchups:

#5 Logan vs. #8 The Lego Batman Movie
#3 X2 vs. #7 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

#1 The Dark Knight vs. #4 Doctor Strange
#2 Black Panther vs. #6 X-Men: First Class

#1 The Avengers vs. #5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
#3 Avengers: Infinity War vs. #7 Thor: Ragnarok

#1 Batman Begins vs. #4 Deadpool
#2 Spider-Man: Homecoming vs. #6 Guardians of the Galaxy

(Yes, I know the bracket is already dominated by Marvel with only three DC movies left standing, but that’s just the nature of the game. If Wonder Woman had been given a more favorable matchup than Spider-Verse, it would’ve easily made the cut over some of the middle-tier Marvel films like X2 or Doctor Strange. If the CinemaSins guys had seen Shazam in time, that would’ve been another strong contender. When you’re forced to make the first round Marvel vs. DC, you open yourself up to the possibility that future rounds won’t follow the same path.)

CinemaSins Marvel vs. DC Bracket: Part 3

South Region

#1 The Avengers vs. #8 Constantine
Even though it stars our newly appointed Lord and Savior Keanu Reeves, I think I’ll pass on Constantine; the plot synopsis doesn’t make it sound like something I would enjoy. I still have fond memories of watching the original Avengers on a plane as my first introduction to the MCU; I remember turning to my sister and encouraging her to check it out. The “360 shot” and the subsequent one-shot of all your favorite heroes (at the time) working together was pure cinematic magic. Little did we know that having six of them together onscreen was only the prelude.

#4 A History of Violence vs. #5 Captain America: The Winter Soldier
It’s uncomfortable to admit, but the one thing that has always stuck in my brain from A History of Violence is the “hate sex.” Don’t ask me why, just be warned that there is some of that in this Cronenberg take on a graphic novel. Winter Soldier, on the other hand, represented the first major tonal shift in the MCU with the Hydra reveal and grittier action scenes. Although Viggo Mortensen delivers a fantastic performance, it’s not enough to unseat my favorite MCU movie.

#2 Superman vs. #7 Thor: Ragnarok
Maybe Superman movies only have great scores. Of course I’m kidding, but John Williams and later Hans Zimmer have certainly made more of an impact on those movies for me than any other aspect. Christopher Reeve will always be the best Superman, but I would be lying not to call the whole “flying around the Earth to reverse time” trick ridiculous. If a legacy vote counted, then the 1978 Superman would stand a better chance for ushering in a new era of filmmaking, but like Lego Batman, Thor: Ragnarok is just too much fun. The pure thrills, soundtrack, visuals, and Korg presence are too much greatness to ignore. It’s as fluffy as a movie can get, but it fits the character of Thor much better than the previous two attempts.

#3 Avengers: Infinity War vs. #6 Batman Forever
How CinemaSins ended up picking Batman Forever over Batman Returns will forever (pun intended) puzzle me. You’re really going to sit there with a straight face and tell me that the duo of Jim Carrey/Tommy Lee Jones makes a better villainous pairing than Michelle Pfeiffer/Danny DeVito? Send in the medical team again. But that’s neither here nor there because Infinity War trumps both. At the time, we couldn’t imagine how any superhero movie could top this level of spectacle; obviously Endgame proved us wrong, but this still works incredibly well on its own. The confidence of any big-budget blockbuster to end that way spoke volumes to how far Marvel had come and the outstanding job they did building a universe. Even if you could predict that the dusted heroes were somehow coming back, their deaths still carried weight because you had no idea how the remaining Avengers could bring them back.

CinemaSins Marvel vs. DC Bracket: Part 2

West Region

#1 The Dark Knight vs. #8 Avengers: Endgame
Yes, you read that correctly. Words can’t express my disappointment. How in the world is Endgame, perhaps the most satisfying comic book movie in history, relegated to the lowest possible seed??? I can understand having minor gripes, but not to this extreme. In a perfect world, it would’ve easily made the Elite Eight let alone the Final Four, but alas it’s not a masterpiece like Nolan’s second Batman installment.

#4 Doctor Strange vs. #5 Aquaman
Look, I like Doctor Strange and its subversion of the cliché third act (“Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain” gets me every time). But this just infuriates me more about Endgame; if my math is correct, the guys at CinemaSins are proclaiming Doctor Strange twice as good as Endgame and anyone with that opinion needs to be medically tested. Still, it handily beats out Aquaman, a fun and gorgeous movie but ultimately quite stupid. It’s now become mandatory for me to bring up the fact that THREE (not one or two) conversations in this movie are interrupted by explosions. Sigh…

#2 Black Panther vs. #7 Man of Steel
It’s not far-fetched to admire parts of Man of Steel (i.e. Hans Zimmer). However, it is wrong to label Man of Steel a better all-around movie than Black Panther, not only a groundbreaking cultural milestone, but also a deep and thoughtful commentary on tribalism. I will have more good things to say because it’s going far, but here’s one more: Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is still the best villain in the MCU.

#3 Batman (1989) vs. #6 X-Men: First Class
A tougher matchup than the previous one to be sure. I saw the 1989 Batman much later than most people and it’s…fine? I can see why fans gravitate towards Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson’s portrayals of Batman and Joker respectively, but there’s a lot of silliness sprinkled throughout that knocks it down a peg (“What about that time with the parade and the Prince music?”). Outside of Logan, First Class might be my favorite X-Men movie and I think it balances the dramatic and comedic elements better than Batman. McAvoy and Fassbender faced near impossible odds to match Stewart and McKellen, but they hit the casting jackpot again. Kevin Bacon also makes a great underrated villain.

CinemaSins Marvel vs. DC Bracket: Part 1

Anyone who regularly follows my blog can probably deduce that one of my go-to movie channels on YouTube is CinemaSins. I’ve referenced their podcast multiple times, in which one of their recurring segments is a March Madness-style tournament pitting the
“best” movies against each other. In their first iteration, they chose Children of Men as the best film from 1975 to 2016 while I went with Schindler’s List. Since they’re clearly trying to lose fans, they have now created the most inflammatory one possible, as every first-round matchup poses the age-old question: which is better, Marvel or DC? I disagree with many of the seeding arrangements, but this is more fun than making my own bracket because then I would just be predetermining the winner. At least with an outside perspective, I have no control over the matchups, forcing me to make some tough decisions, often between two movies I love. You can probably already guess the obvious frontrunner, but let’s see what the CinemaSins crew cooked up for this bracket that should obviously be taken seriously.

North Region

#1 Iron Man vs. #8 The Lego Batman Movie
I respect the original Iron Man and it’s easily the best of the trilogy, but upon a second viewing, I think superhero movies have evolved to the point where this already looks dated. Obadiah Stane doesn’t work for me as a villain (even though Jeff Bridges is clearly having fun). The final action scene feels clunky and uninteresting. On the other hand, The Lego Batman Movie is nonstop fun. It relies heavily on previous Batman films, but that’s where some of the best jokes come from (“What about that time with the two boats?”). For the purposes of this bracket, decisions may often come down to “which movie would I rather watch again?” and you know what? It might be controversial, but I’m picking Lego Batman as the huge upset right out of the gate.

#4 Superman II vs. #5 Logan
Even if I watch Superman II for the first time and enjoy myself, it still won’t have the same emotional impact that Logan did. Hugh Jackman’s sendoff to the character he embodied for 17 years transcends the comic book genre and works as a pure film. Dafne Keen is a revelation, Patrick Stewart shows us a different side of another well-established character, and the action is appropriately gruesome. Does Logan indulge in its R-rating a little too much? Absolutely, but almost all of it (outside of the girl flashing Wolverine in the back of the limo) is justified.

#2 Wonder Woman vs. #7 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
It baffles me that Into the Spider-Verse had to “earn” its way into this tournament via a play-in game (narrowly beating out Spider-Man 2) because it’s at worst a #3 seed in my book. I guess CinemaSins factored in recency bias, but this is an unfair fight. Sorry Gal Gadot, I love almost everything about your movie, but when I watched it again, I couldn’t help but groan when David Thewlis transformed into Ares. It’s not groundbreaking to call the third act lackluster, but it’s the correct sentiment nonetheless. There is NOTHING lackluster about Spider-Verse and it could go all the way.

#3 X2 vs. #6 Road to Perdition
I’ll just admit it: the winner here ultimately doesn’t matter because it’s losing to Spider-Verse anyway. I haven’t revisited X2 in forever outside of that awesome Nightcrawler opening and sadly haven’t even seen Road to Perdition (heard great things though). But I choose X2 because at least one scene has stayed in my memory all these years later.