The Social Network (2010)

Absolutely my number 1 of the decade (though I humbly accept its placement at number 6 on this particular list), The Social Network is a timeless piece of cinematic perfection that is hard to fully articulate myself on. It’s a beautiful skewering of the assholery of Mark Zuckerberg, it’s a portrait of power-hungry ego, its capacity for corruption and ability to lose its own sense of humanity; it’s the perfect blend of David Fincher’s unique directing style with Aaron Sorkin’s equally unparalleled approach to screenwriting; it’s the only good bio-drama that exists!! Though the discourse surrounding the film’s questionably positive(?) depiction of Mark Zuckerberg as a cool, aspirable anti-hero is as ceaseless as it is daunting, Jesse Eisenberg nevertheless excels at bringing to life a fictionalized version of Zuckerberg that makes him both more human and more likable than he actually is. Still, the film does not shy from exposing Zuckerberg as a self-serving, conniving little weasel; a narrative having its protagonist be an anti-hero is not necessarily an endorsement of that anti-hero’s actions, and the film’s Best Picture Academy Award loss to the fucking King’s Speech still imbues my nightmares to this day. (Brianna Zigler)