5) The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan’s third film in The Dark Knight trilogy is a flawed epic that never reconciles its social commentary with the bleak portrait of its world. However, it has ambition, touching moments and a steadfast commitment to the broken portrait of its main character.

4) The Wolverine

While it’s tempting to put its superior older sibling (Logan) or its ’60s hipster cousin (X-Men First Class), The Wolverine has resonated for me most out of the entire X- franchise. In a decade that’s seen the genre take on daring dives into character study waters, The Wolverine stands tall as a meditation on purpose, death and loss. It may have a third act that’s the work of someone who didn’t understand let alone watch the first two, but it’s got Wolverine fighting ninjas in the snow.

3) Snowpiercer 

Bong Joon-ho’s adaptation of the French graphic novel- Le Transperceneige is a exceptionally well made high concept picture. The film balances social commentary, impressive action sequences and decisive cinematography that makes the audience complicit in whether to go left or right. This is compounded by a fiendishly sly sense of humour that makes the film feel like a fumbling political speech.

2) Black Panther

What’s this you say: a comic book movie with interesting themes, an Afrofuturist ascetic and a fierce central antagonist, who has a point in his villainous intentions. Compounded by an array of fascinating female characters, a hero in mourning and intriguing world building. No, that’s too fiery and won’t hook audiences or mainstream critics. Oh wait…

1) Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

No film this decade has done more to embrace the comic book medium then Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. At the same time, it tells an engrossing story about Miles Morales’ search for identity. The story line has personal and postmodern implications as Morales tries to stamp his identity against the backdrop of a franchise that movie audiences are accustomed to seeing. But like him, we’re amazed by the various incarnations of the character. Quite simply, that’s how you do a team-up movie.