Smells Like '10s Spirit
“Smells Like ’10s Spirit” takes a look at the decade in movies through the lens of success stories only made possible by unique trends that emerged. This series explores ten films – one from each year of the 2010s – and a single social, economic or cultural factor that can explain why it made an impact or lingers in the collective memory. Each piece examines a single film that tells the larger story of the tectonic forces reshaping the entertainment landscape as we know it.
The Latest
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Smells Like '10s Spirit
Smells Like '10s Spirit: 'The Irishman' is Cinema's Past, Present and Feared Future
Netflix has not killed the movies, to be clear, but it has reset expectations of them. -
Smells Like '10s Spirit
Smells Like '10s Spirit: 'Black Panther' and the Shattered Myth of the Unbankable Black Film
The global success of Black Panther film industry should begin to diversify who can make and serve as the subject of major tentpole features. -
Smells Like '10s Spirit
Smells Like '10s Spirit: How Memes Cemented 'Get Out' Firmly in the Cultural Lexicon
Get Out is at once a tale of liberal white America's contemporary blind-spots, and also an acknowledgement of a centuries-old uncomfortable truth about race relations. -
Smells Like '10s Spirit
Smells Like '10s Spirit: How The Existence of 'Deadpool' Exemplifies the Power of Fan Culture
It took the "Merc with a Mouth" well over a decade to escape from development hell, but once he did, the biggest R-rated superhero franchise of all-time took flight. -
Hollywood has weaponized intertextuality this decade.
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Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's real genius lies in the way that this movie ultimately bridges together two generations.
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Smells Like '10s Spirit
Smells Like '10s Spirit: How 'Blackfish' Epitomizes the Era of Hashtag Activism
Even Ariana Grande got in on the action! -
Smells Like '10s Spirit
Smells Like '10s Spirit: How 'The Avengers' Assembled the First Successful Cinematic Universe
Why did The Avengers succeed while Divergent sputtered? -
Bridesmaids is the second-highest grossing comedy of the 2010s, but it's almost certainly the most GIF'd movie of the decade.
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The first 50 seconds does not feature a lick of footage from the film. Just a black screen punctuated by a children's choir singing Radiohead's "Creep."