My Favorite Scenes of the Decade

When I thought of making this list, I had about five scenes that I knew I had to include. Those were the easy ones. After that I came up with about 20 different scenes worthy of inclusion and I had a very hard time whittling them down to just ten. In the end, these are my picks as of right now, but they would probably change if you asked me next week.

I want to note that all of these scenes are from movies I really enjoy. I gathered the list of options from going through my titles of the decade that I rated on IMDB. I saw almost 700 movies from this decade and about a third of those were rated 7/10 or higher and those were the only ones I considered for this list. I'm sure there are some wonderful scenes in lesser movies that might deserve inclusion, but I had to narrow the list somehow. Maybe I'll do another list sometime down the line of my favorite scenes from movies I don't actually like all that well!

I tried to find good clips of each scene from YouTube, but some aren't exactly what I hoped for. Like the clip from Room cuts off about 30 seconds or so too soon, but it was the best available. And for Sing Street, all I could find was the music video which doesn't show the scene like in the movie, but cuts all sorts of different stuff together. Oh, well...

*** SPOILERS AHEAD ***

My Favorite Scenes of the Decade (in alphabetical order):

Avengers: Endgame - "Undoing the Snap"

I was beyond excited for this movie back in April of this year. I had been counting the days (and even minutes towards the end) until our showtime started. It was too much pressure to put on any movie and I was disappointed by the end result. One part that didn't disappoint, though, was this scene where Captain America is ready to take on Thanos's army and he's surprised by all of the "snapped" heroes coming back via Doctor Strange's portals. Hearing Falcon say "Cap... on your left" and then seeing Black Panther appear through the first portal gave me goosebumps. Falcon then flies through and dozens of other portals open, revealing practically every hero from the MCU. It's a magical moment that shows just how effective a movie can be - I was 2.5 hours into a mostly lackluster experience and this scene blew me away. The icing on the cake is hearing Cap utter the iconic line "Avengers, assemble". It's a glorious moment. I've watched this particular scene probably a dozen times in the last 8 months and it never fails to thrill me.

Baby Driver - "Opening Getaway"

Edgar Wright is becoming one of my favorite directors and his opening scene to his most recent film might be the best he's ever filmed. With the music, action, and fast paced editing, this sets the tone for everything that follows while also introducing our main character in a supremely interesting way. Baby's a great wheel man with a passion for music, sunglasses, and driving at a speed that would kill most people.

Django Unchained - "The KKK Hoods"

Even though Django Unchained isn't an outright comedy, there are loads of funny scenes sprinkled among the shockingly violent or emotionally draining scenes. No scene from this movie (or maybe from any movie from this decade) is as funny as this one where Don Johnson, Jonah Hill, and others (including director Quentin Tarantino) argue about their chosen head-ware. It's such a ridiculous, over-the-top scene and everything comes together just perfectly. It's brilliantly written, fantastically acted, and funnier than it had any right to be, considering the subject matter. 

Room - "Jack Escapes" 

Some movies lose their emotional punch if you know what's coming or have seen them too often. Room is not an example of this, though.  I had read (multiple times) Room before seeing the movie and it didn't lessen the impact of this scene in the slightest. It was still thrilling and nerve jangling, even though I knew how it was going to end! Watching little 5 year old Jack pretend to be dead, get bundled in a carpet, loaded into a pickup truck, and then make his escape by running to a couple of bystanders in the street for help left me emotionally drained like few other scenes have done. The entire scene is flawless and just thinking about it now while typing this has made my eyes fill with tears. It's the ultimate example of a "happy-sad" moment and I love it beyond what my paltry words can describe. 

Sing Street - "Drive It Like You Stole It" 

The musical numbers in Sing Street are all terrific, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest. The music and lyrics themselves are great, but the choreography and how it incorporates story elements into the lead character's daydream are even more interesting. It's a brilliant three or four minute sequence and one of the best musical moments ever, in my humble opinion. Sing Street is probably the least seen movie on this list (which is really saying something since a Korean horror flick also appears) and if I can inspire even one person to check it out, I'll be a happy man.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - "Rey and Finn Battle Kylo"

I'm writing this the day after I sat through Rise of Skywalker (which was devoid of any scene anywhere near as entertaining) and that may be influencing my memory of how awesome this scene was. Watching Rey and Finn battle the much more powerful (but injured) Kylo Ren in the snow while the planet crumbles around them was thrilling and reminded me of the joy I got out of Star Wars as a child. It's a fun, energetic scene with some powerful emotional moments and it builds to a wonderful crescendo when Rey surprisingly uses her Force powers to pull the lightsaber into her hand. The musical cue (from the master John Williams) is the perfect touch. Much like the Avengers: Endgame moment, it never fails to give me goosebumps. It's a shame that the two sequels following The Force Awakens have been so middling (The Last Jedi) or mostly miserable (Rise of Skywalker).  

Toy Story 3 - "Andy Plays Again" 

I'm an easy crier and I freely admit this. Movies, songs, books, hell even TV commercials, can easily make me shed a tear or two. Even things that I've seen multiple times can get to me each time and the ending of Toy Story 3 is one such example. Literally every time I've seen it, even if I'm just watching this particular scene and haven't watched the buildup, I cry. It's just such a beautiful moment watching Andy, on his way to college and adulthood, stop and play again. He enjoys it, but the toys themselves (especially Woody) get even more out of the experience. They get the joy of being played with by their special person one last time and then get donated to another little girl who will be able to devote several more years of playtime with them. When Andy goes back to his car and waves goodbye to Woody, my heart breaks. It was the perfect way to cap off a nearly perfect trilogy.

Train to Busan - "The Sacrifice"

Train to Busan is a  lot of things: the best zombie movie ever, the greatest horror movie from the last decade or two, thrilling, heartbreaking, and devastating. This scene isn't the scariest or the goriest or even the saddest, but it combines everything together in a perfect package. 

Whiplash - "Final Performance" 

Whiplash is a story of passion and dedication taken to the extreme. Andrew is a promising drummer who is "lucky" enough to train under the demanding Fletcher. By the end of the movie, Andrew has evolved to a whole new level of talent, but at what cost? The ending is a bit ambiguous, but I've always thought it shows how Andrew has gone over the edge into madness, sacrificing his family and personal life for his art and turning into exactly what Fletcher wants. While his father looks on in horror, Andrew abuses his body, mind, and soul as he hits every note perfectly. Everything about the scene is intense and wonderfully constructed - a fantastic ending to one of the best films of the decade. 

The Wolf of Wall Street - "Adventures on Quaaludes"

Leonardo DiCaprio delivered a career best performance as the money hungry, drug fueled, womanizing Jordan Belfort and this scene in particular showcases something I don't think I had ever seen from the actor before: a gift for physical comedy. After the 'ludes kick in and he's rendered damn near immobile, it's a hilarious journey watching him try to make it back home. Leo's voice over narration is great, as well, and his confrontation with Jonah Hill (on this list twice!) might be the highlight of the film. 

Well, those are some of my favorite scenes from the past decade! What are some of yours? Has watching any of these clips inspired you to check out any of the movies? 

Thanks for reading!