#shutterisland

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

★★★★★ Rewatched 30 Oct 2025

You can’t really overstate how strange The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari must have looked in 1920. Even now, over a century later, it still feels alien, like it was beamed in from another dimension where geometry had a hangover. Every wall leans, every shadow has a knife edge, and even the trees look like they’re screaming. It’s the first true horror film in the modern sense, and it’s still one of the weirdest ever made.

It’s not just some old silent movie with funky sets; the entire world looks insane because the story is insane. The film’s central twist (no spoilers, even if it’s over a hundred years old) reframes everything as the product of a disturbed mind, in ways that still echo in cinema today, like Shutter Island (2010). Before Caligari, film was mostly content to show you things that were happening. After Caligari, filmmakers realized movies could also show you things that were not.

The performances are broad, in keeping with the times, but that actually fits the tone. Werner Krauss’s Caligari is like one of Tim Burton's stop-motion puppets incarnated in flesh. But Conrad Veidt, as Cesare the somnambulist, was probably the real influence on Burton, his gaunt frame and melancholic performance recalling that of Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands. But it would be a disservice to imply that it took that long for the film's influence to be felt. Cesare was reincarnated in every movie monster from Frankenstein’s creature to Count “Nosferatu” Orlok, decades before Tim Burton was even sperm in his old man's balls.

Truth and Lies in Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Unlike Shawshank Redemption's Andy Dufresne, Tony Daniels (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) in Shutter Island cannot reconcile with his painful past, pushing him to descend into insanity. It's an internal struggle of man against himself.

In the closing scene, Tony faces crucial questions that will determine his ultimate answer and resolution. Tony poses the climactic question, "Which is worse?" The two options offer no solace: either to live with the knowledge of being a monstrous murderer or to undergo a lobotomy, erasing the details of his life.

Of course, lobotomy offers him an escape, making him forget his past actions and feel virtuous. But that's the reason why Tony Daniels does not find redemption unlike Andy Dufresne. While Andy forgives and accepts his past, Tony couldn't.

“This place makes me wonder which would be worse

to live as a monster or to die as a good man?”

It’s the end of the decade, so I thought I’d join in and post a top ten.  As always, keep in mind that this is a list of my FAVORITE movies of the decade, not the “greatest”.  Now, before I get to the top ten, here are some of the runner ups.

Most Rewatchable: Take Me Home Tonight

I was one of very few people who saw this flick in theaters, (it didn’t even make the top ten at the box office its opening weekend,) but I have rewatched it a million times since.  Love the 80′s setting, the ensemble cast, and the conceit that the plot unfolds over the course of one night.  Relatable and funny, I highly recommend it, if you haven’t seen it already.

Favorite Guilty Pleasure: Hot Tub Time Machine

Who would’ve thought a movie with this stupid a premise would actually have as much depth, heart, and of course laughs, as it did.  Cusack at his most Cusackiest, again, that 1980′s setting, and a cameo from Chevy Chase; what’s not to love?

Most Marvelous Movie: The Avengers

This movie was everything a Marvel movie should be.  Rewarding if you saw the movies leading up to it, (though unlike the more recent Avengers flicks, makes sense even if you haven’t seen the other movies,) emotional depth, and most importantly, it’s entertaining as hell.

And now for the top ten list...

10.  Spotlight

No nonsense filmmaking, tight script, and a great ensemble cast, telling a compelling, true story of great investigative journalism, makes this one of the great movies of the decade.

9.  Mission: Impossible - Fallout

This Mission: Impossible is everything one of those movies should be: a non-stop thrill ride with impressive stunts, and a story with twists and turns that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

8.  Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Michael Keaton’s triumphant return to Hollywood, in an Oscar-nominated performance, in a visually immersive film, with a great ensemble cast.

7.  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Between this and the other David Fincher thriller of the decade, Gone Girl, I probably should’ve gone with Gone Girl.  It was more popular, more socially relevant, and features the amazing Rosamund Pike in an unforgettable performance, but screw it.  I enjoyed this film better.  I enjoyed the old school, mystery thriller elements of it, I enjoyed the book, and it features my second favorite non-Bond performance by Daniel Craig, (after Layer Cake). Also, Rooney Mara was great as the title character.  I love Claire Foy, but I really wish Rooney got to come back for another round as Lisabeth Salander.

6.  Black Swan

Much like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, this is a movie about obsession.  I love movies about obsession, probably because I am a bit obsessive myself.  Great performance from arguably my favorite leading lady, Natalie Portman, in a movie well directed by Darren Aronofsky, and beautifully shot in 16mm by director of photography Matthew Libatique.  This movie was an A+ theater-going experience, that has continued to hold up over the years.

5.  The Dark Knight Rises

Haters gonna hate on this one, but I don’t care.  What can I say about this movie that will help you understand why I love it...it’s a Batman movie, starring Christian Bale, the scene-stealing Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Marion Cottiliard, Joseph Gordon Levitt...AND Michael Caine, AND Morgan Freeman, AND Cillian Murphy, AND Liam Neeson, beautifully shot in IMAX, and directed by visionary director Christopher Nolan.  That’s enough for me.  But if you want more, I really responded to the emotionality of the piece, the character arc of Bruce Wayne, and the fact it concluded what I thought was an amazing trilogy.  Again, haters gonna hate, but whatever.

4.  Shutter Island

Much like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo vs. Gone Girl, I probably should’ve gone with the other Martin Scorsese-Leonardo DiCaprio pic from this decade, The Wolf of Wall Street, but I like this one better.  It’s a classic film noir/psychological thriller, (I’m a big fan of the genre,) with a tight script, beautifully shot by Bob Richardson, with what I think is Leo DiCaprio’s best performance.  And if your response is to say you saw the twist coming a mile a way and that ruined the movie for you, watch it again, because you missed the point of the movie.

3.  The Social Network

Director David Fincher firing on all cylinders, an amazing script by Aaron Sorkin, telling a socially-relevant story that defines my generation.  ‘Nuff said.

2.  Skyfall

Imagine a world where you get a top-notch Bond flick with a classic Bond villain played by Javier Bardem AND a well-crafted drama directed by Sam Mendes, shot by Roger Deakins, composed by Thomas Newman, with an Oscar-winning song from Adele.  Let the sky fall!

1.  Inception