Everyone has their favourite films and favourite characters. The past decade has thrown up some particularly memorable ones. Here’s our list of the top 10 of the last 10 years in chronological order.
2006 – Captain Jack Sparrow – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and beyond – Played by Johnny Depp
At this stage of the franchise we couldn’t get enough of the swashbuckling rascal that Johnny Depp masterfully brought to life. His unique speech, quirky mannerisms, and off-beat attitude towards life and other people were as infectious as his cheeky tendencies to get up to no good. He was funny, clever and a skilled swordsman and sailor. Underneath all that was also a tender pained heart that had the capacity to love and be brave. Despite his laid-back persona, life wasn’t always roses for Jack Sparrow and we see this as the story develops over time.
Best Moment: “Hello Beastie” when he gets eaten by the Kraken
2006 – William ‘Billy’ Costigan – The Departed – Played by Leonardo DiCaprio
Young, handsome, and deeply troubled. Isn’t that how we like all our characters? Billy also happens to be an undercover detective working for a psychopathic crime boss. The emotion and desperation that DiCaprio lends to this performance makes Billy one of the best characters of the decade. His vulnerability from being unable to escape either of the lives he’s caught in is compelling. At the same time he’s a very capable and dangerous individual.
Best Moment: Cranberry Juice
2009 – Colonel Hans Landa – Inglorious Basterds – Played by Christoph Waltz
One of the most entertaining villains you could imagine. For a villain, he’s extremely entertaining and well-rounded. That’s testament to his creation and Waltz’s special performance. Landa is an extremely sly and cunning Jew-hunter. He’s astoundingly evil, seeming to enjoy the killing that he does. But he’s so intelligent, well-spoken, and funny you can’t help but enjoy watching him.
Best Moment: Opening scene about Milk
2010 – Hit Girl – Kick-Ass and beyond – Played by Chloe Grace Moretz
The shock factor grabbed a lot of people with Hit Girl. Here was a young child who loved her daddy very much and the time they spent together. She also happened to be a potty-mouthed baddie-slicing superhero. To hear some of the words come out of her mouth and to see some of the blood she spilled was outrageous for audiences. Amongst all that was a heartening story of being raised by a single dad, only to lose him too.
Best Moment: When she drops the c-bomb before killing Rasul and his gang.
2011 – Driver – Drive – Played by Ryan Gosling
One of the most intriguing characters in cinematic history. He says very little but what he does say always holds gravitas. He’s incredibly skilled behind the wheel and with extremely dangerous when he wants to be. We’re unsure if he’s a bad guy trying to be good or a good guy that’s turning bad. At times he seems like a scared little boy, at others very much a frightening man. We don’t know much about his past but there are hints of it throughout the film. Played with absolute aplomb by Ryan Gosling. Famous for his strict getaway rules and that elevator scene.
Best Moment: The quiet menace when he sees that some bad men have given Benicio a bullet
2011 – Mystique – X-Men: First Class and beyond – Played by Jennifer Lawrence
Mystique is one of the coolest mutants out there. With the power to morph into anyone she sees, her ability to get close to the people she wants to hurt is unparalleled. She’s sexy, volatile, and a tortured soul that’s been afraid and misunderstood her whole life. She uses her pain to hurt others but is able to find her way back to the good side once again.
Best Moment: Seduction and murder in the same scene
2013 – Adam/Anthony – Enemy – Played by Jake Gyllenhaal
This film is one that probably should be watched multiple times. Adam and Anthony are two versions of the same man. He’s trying to overcome an urge that lurks inside of him. He doesn’t seem to realise that he has split in two and tries to discover himself. In the end he realises what he is but isn’t sure if he can overcome it. A very confusing film but a fascinating one in which Gyllenhaal delivers a complicated and amazing performance.
Best Moment: Meeting himself
2014 – Rocket – Guardians of the Galaxy – Played by Bradley Cooper
Everyone might be on the Groot bandwagon but it’s Rocket who steals the show as a genetically modified raccoon. He’s a smart talking gun-toting bad-ass electronics genius. Beneath his heady exterior is a very sensitive individual who has plenty of scars, physical and mental, that have influenced him.
Best Moment: His emotional release
2014 – M. Gustave – The Grand Budapest Hotel – Played by Ralph Fiennes
The best hotel concierge that ever lived essentially. He’s hilarious and abundantly eloquent; a lover of poetry. His eccentric nature alienates him from some and endears him to others. He has a penchant for older ladies but is suspected of being gay. He’s also very caring and incredibly brave. Thoroughly entertaining. Fiennes performance can’t be understated.
Best Moment: philosophising before trailing off with ‘oh fuck it’
2015 – Rat – Lost River – Played by Saoirse Ronan
One of the many lost character’s in the film, but one of the most lonely. She dedicates her life to caring for a mute and emotionally catatonic grandmother without any help whatsoever. Her only friend before meeting Bones is her pet rat. At night she sings to herself, dreaming of love, and schools herself on the history of the town and what is going wrong. She is the catalyst for a lot of the events that take place in the film. Beautifully portrayed by Saoirse Ronan.
Best Moment: Discussing the curse
https://youtu.be/FG9P5b7N_zQ
Of course, there were countless other brilliant characters who could have made it onto the list. In the end it comes down to personal taste but the above ten are definitely worthy.
Who has been your favourite character of the last decade?