Nothing makes a plot better than an unexpected, well-timed twist. For the crime genre, an unforeseen bait-and-switch is crucial in making viewers walk away feeling not only that their time was well-spent, but that they couldn’t possibly have seen that plot change coming. The 2010s were a fantastic time for crime films that did just this, with viewers in awe of what they missed and wanting to go back and investigate the film further.
The decade boasts a ton of great films that were big successes both with audiences and at the box office. With the genre including acting performances by the likes ofGary Oldman,Emily Blunt,Ryan Gosling,Rosamund Pike, andMargot Robbie, and direction by talents likeMartinScorsese,David Fincher,Rian Johnson, andSteven Soderbergh, here are the most rewatchable films of the 2010s.
10’The Girl on the Train' (2016)
Directed by Tate Taylor
Based on the novel byPaula Hawkins,The Girl on the Trainwas a highly anticipated film when it was released in 2016, and it quickly became a hit at the box office,grossing $173 million worldwide. Directed byTate Taylor(The Help), the film tells the story of Rachel (Emily Blunt), a recent divorcee struggling to part ways with her past. When she becomes obsessed with watching a house and its occupants on her morning commute, her life begins to unravel in ways she could’ve never imagined.
Girl on the Trainis captivating due to its unreliable narrator:a woman who struggles with drinking and memory loss, beautifully played by Blunt (Fall Guy). The story is complex and layered in its narrative, and demands a rewatch after its wild and unpredictable ending, so that viewers can go back and see what pieces of Rachel’s story they believe.
The Girl on the Train
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9’I, Tonya' (2017)
Directed by Craig Gillespie
Based on the true 1994 assault ofNancy Kerrigan,I,Tonyawas written for the screen bySteven Rogersand stars Margot Robbieas figure skaterTonya Harding, the woman responsible for the hit on fellow skater Kerrigan. The film follows Tonya up until the events in a mockumentary, black comedy style, with creative directing byCraig Gillespie(Lars and the Real Girl).
I, Tonyais a masterclass in acting, with leads Robbie,Sebastian Stan,Allison Janney, andJulianne Nicholsongiving show-stopping performances as their real-life counterparts.With anAcademy Award-winning performance from Janney,I, Tonyais a joy to rewatch, as its sure to spark debate over how much guilt each character involved deserves in the chaos that ensues. Perhaps viewers can even use their second viewing ofI, Tonyato take an acting lesson by studying the incredible performances of its cast.
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8’Side Effects' (2013)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh (Behind the Candelabra)’s 2013 crime film,Side Effectstells the story of a young woman named Emily (Rooney Mara) who is put on new medication that causes her to act in strange ways. When Emily’s husband Martin (Channing Tatum) gets killed, all eyes are on Emily and her new pills.
Side Effectshas such a twisted ending that it demands a second watch.During the first viewing of the film, the performances of each actor may appear deceivingly subtle; however, it becomes clear upon a second look that this subtlety is actually calculation on the part of the characters and their motivations. Looking at the film through each character’s individual experience will have viewers feeling like the investigators of Martin’s death.
Side Effects
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7’The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' (2011)
Directed by David Fincher
Based on the best-selling book byStieg Larson,The Girl With the Dragon Tattoofollows disgraced journalist Mikael (Daniel Craig) as he attempts to get his career back on track by figuring out what happened to a young woman who disappeared forty years prior. With the help of an intelligent hacker (Rooney Mara), Mikael gets into the mystery deeper than he ever thought he would.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoohas a lot of going for it: incredible directing by David Fincher(Zodiac), fantastic acting by its cast, and a heart-pounding plot that will leave audiences on the edge of their seats.The film was a triumph at the box office,grossing $232 million worldwide, and earning five Academy Award nominations, winning for Best Editing.The plot ofThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoois much more complex than it initially seems, and a second watch allows for details of the crimes and who the true villain is to be better noticed by the viewer.
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
6’All Good Things' (2010)
Directed by Andrew Jareki
Andrew Jareki’sAll Good Thingsis a true-crime fan’s dream. Based on the chilling true story of real estate mogulRobert Durstand his descent into madness and murder, the film stars Ryan Gosling(Drive) as Durst andKirsten Dunst(Spider-Man) as his late wife, Kathy, who mysteriously disappeared in the 1980s.
While Durst’s life events are dramatized inAll Good Things, Jareki’s directorial style perfectly tells the heartbreaking story of Kathy and her attempts to have a life with Durst. The way the tension is slowly ticked up as the film goes on, coupled with the acting performances by Gosling, Dunst,Frank Langella,Lily Rabe, andKristen Wiigare fantastic. A rewatch of the film became mandatory viewing after the release ofJareki’s two-part Durst documentary,The Jinx, a film that was born out of the opinions Jareki expressed aboutRobert DurstinAll Good Things. Taking a look back atAll Good Films, the movie that ultimately led to the imprisonment of Durst, is just as thrilling as the plot of the film.
All Good Things
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5’Knives Out' (2019)
Directed by Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson’sKnives OutstarsDaniel Craig(Casino Royale) as Benoit Blanc, the sassy detective sent to investigate the death of mystery writer Harlan Thrombley (Christopher Plumber). Little does Blanc know that in taking on the case, he is diving into the chaos that is the Thrombley family, all of whom are greedy for the massive fortune their relative left behind.
Knives Outis a spectacle, with fast-paced storytelling and hilariously dark writing by Johnson, and a fabulous and fitting musical score byNathan Johnson. The audience becomes detective Benoit Blanc when they rewatch the film, seeing the tiny details he was able to notice the first time around. Once the true killer ofKnives Outis revealed, audiences won’t be able to help but take a second look at all the clues they missed.
Knives Out
4’Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' (2011)
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
Three-time Academy Award nomineeTinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spyfollows espionage veteran George Smiley (Gary Oldman) as he is reluctantly pulled out of retirement to find a Soviet Agent hiding within MI6. Co-starringMark Strong, andJohn Hurt, the film is a slow-burn with a big payoff in the end.
Audiences will feel just like George Smiley as they attempt to solve the mystery of who the odd man out of the group is.It’s incredibly difficult to figure out, and it’s not until the final moments of the film that the viewer is clued in on the mystery.A second watch allows fans to appreciate the complexity of the script, the well-thought-out production design byMaria Djurkovic(The Imitation Game) and the direction byTomas Alfredson(Let The Right One In), which makesfiguring out whodunnitso hard to do.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
3’Shutter Island' (2010)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese’sShutter IslandstarsLeonardo DiCaprioandMark Ruffaloas two United States marshals who are sent to an asylum on a remote island to investigate the disappearance of one of its patients. Co-starring the incredibleBen Kingsley,Michelle Williams, andEmily Mortimer, the acting performances are just as good as the wild tale.
With one of the best plot twists imaginable,Shutter Islanddoesn’t just require a second look, but a third, fourth, and fifth. The reveal of the film’s true meaning, as well as where the missing patient is, is astonishing. The viewer’s reaction will be to start the film over immediately, and to take the story from the perspective of each character they may not have thought twice about in their initial watch.
Shutter Island
2’Gone Girl' (2014)
Based on the best-selling novel byGillian Flynn,Gone Girlfollows Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) as he searches for his missing wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike). It’s not long before Nick is the number one suspect in her disappearance, andhe is forced to take drastic measures to find out the truth.
Gone Girlplays out like a heart-pounding movie trailer,with constant movement that makes the two-and-a-half-hour film go by in the blink of an eye. With an unbelievable revelation midway through the film, it’s fun to go back and see what was missed in the first half, and to wonder if solving the crime in real life would’ve been possible. More than that, figuring out whose side you’re on in the mess of Nick and Amy is an added maze to figure out, asno one is as innocent as they appear.
1’Nightcrawler' (2014)
Directed by Dan Gilroy
Nightcrawler, written and directed byDan Gilroy(Andor), follows con artist Louis Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he weasles his way into a job as a night journalist. Following every siren he hears in the moonlit streets of Los Angeles, Louis slowly becomes a part of his own true-crime story as the lines between his life and the news are blurred.
Gyllenhaal’s extraordinary performance perfectly depicts a man as he becomes something else; a tricky feat to portray within the time frame of a film. Gilroy’s directing is spectacular, with viewers being taken along for the fast-paced ride as if they are in the news van with Louis.Because of the artful direction, heart-racing pacing, and brilliant editingofNightcrawler, watching the film a second time allows one to better understand Louis and his descent into hysteria.
