Ranking the Top Crime Films from Each Year of the 2010s
This article selects the best crime movie from every year of the 2010s. It notes that the decade mixed heist stories, revenge plots, and detective investigations across blockbuster, indie, and streaming releases. Jake Gyllenhaal appears in three of the chosen films, while Roger Deakins received nominations for at least two of them.
The article traces crime cinema from silent-era and Golden Age Hollywood through 1940s noir and 1970s gangster pictures, arguing the 2010s blended those traditions into fresh forms. It groups the decade’s crime stories around heists, revenge, and murder investigations, released as blockbusters, indies, or streaming titles.
The piece also notes Jake Gyllenhaal’s three appearances among the selected films and Roger Deakins’s at least two nominations in the genre. It praises Denis Villeneuve and Rian Johnson for directing notable genre entries. The author, Shawn S. Lealos, is an Oklahoma Film Critics Circle voting member and entertainment writer.
This ranking could shape casual viewers’ watchlists and spark debate among film fans, especially those interested in crime cinema’s evolution. It may draw renewed attention to the highlighted actors, directors, and cinematographer, potentially boosting streaming or rental interest in older 2010s titles. Critics and awards watchers might use it to revisit genre recognition, while readers may simply find a curated entry point into heist, revenge, and detective stories.