It might be hard to believe, but it has now been almost a full decade since 2011 ended. Though that 10 years passed by like lightspeed, it was still enough time to reflect on the movies that came out back then.

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2011 was full of incredible movies of all genres, whether it was Horrible Bosses or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but there were other comedies more envelope-pushing and other thrillers more provocative. These are the movies that first spring to cinephiles' minds when it comes to 2011 movies, and they're some of the most rewatchable, heartwarming, and clever films of the decade.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (Available To Stream On Paramount+)

Ethan Hunt climbing up the Burj Khalifa in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol

Director Christopher McQuarrie took over the reins of the entire Mission: Impossible franchise with Rogue Nation, and he'll be directing the next two in the series as well. But before that happened, each movie was directed by vastly different filmmakers, which meant each film had a unique style and aesthetic. For the fourth movie, Ghost Protocol, Brad Bird was behind the camera.

The Pixar alum turned the espionage spy series into a more whimsical and exciting adventure, and it was like an animated movie come to life. The set pieces and action sequences were choreographed and edited in a way that was both nail-bitingly thrilling and comedic. It was a perfect blend that has continued in the following movies, but Ghost Protocol remains the best Mission: Impossible movie.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (Available To Stream On Fubo)

Caesar roars as he leads a group of apes in Rise of the Planet of the Apes

After Tim Burton's remake in the early 2000s, which made a mockery of the source material and was critically scathed, it seemed like that was the last that audiences would see of the franchise for a long time. But Rise of the Planet of the Apes arrived in 2011, and it was more than just a promising start to a trilogy.

The 2011 movie, along with its two sequels, is often in contention for the greatest trilogy of all time. There hasn't been a more attention-grabbing scene in recent memory that's as powerful as when Caesar first stands up and screams, "No!" It's a moment that's as shocking as the reveal of the Stature of Liberty in the original (almost). And the apes' uprising that follows is truly epic.

Drive (Available To Stream on IMDb TV)

Driver in his car looking out his window

Few might argue that there isn't much going on in Drive, but the subtlety and quietness of the film are what make it so unique. Unlike other gangster movies and crime thrillers, it isn't loud or brash, but that helps build the hair-raising tension.

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The music does a lot of the heavy lifting too, as the soundtrack is so intrinsically tied to Drive's whole aesthetic. And on top of all that, it's one of the most beautiful-looking movies of recent times. Even when Driver is smashing in a gangster's head until it's completely concaved, audiences still can't help but admire the way it looks.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Available To Stream On Hulu)

Lisbeth stands by a window in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Thriller auteur David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo isn't an American remake of the Norweigan version like a lot of people think, but instead, it's a direct adaptation of the original novel. It's almost as if the source material was written with David Fincher in mind to direct the adaptation. There are a lot of parallels between the novel and the filmmaker's approach to filmmaking, and in more ways than people think.

Though Fincher's movies have tons of great female protagonists, none are like Lisbeth, the take-no-prisoners vigilante. And as Fincher is always pushing technical advancements in his movies, it's fitting that Lisbeth is a hacker, and both she and Mikael uncover the truth using technology. On top of that, as is Fincher tradition, it has one of the best movie opening credits too.

The Raid (Available To Rent On Amazon)

Mad Dog punching rama's brother The Raid

Before all of the John Wick-influenced movies, and even before John Wick, there was The Raid. The 2011 martial arts movie follows a task force working its way up a high-rise building to take down a feared drug lord, and it has some of the most impressive stunt work in a movie to date. It's also to thank for the copious amounts of martial arts found in movies of late.

Fans are still waiting for a third movie, but until that happens, there are still tons of Raid-like action sequences in modern movies to enjoy. The Raid has left its mark on the cinema landscape, as it seems like every film with a modicum of martial arts features the cast. The cast has had roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Snake Eyes, John Wick, Fast & Furious 6, and Mortal Kombat.

The Intouchables (Available To Stream On Netflix)

Omar pushes Francois through the park in The Intouchables

The concept of The Intouchables is overly familiar, as it's about two very different men with conflicting ideologies who become closer over a period of time, which has been done to no end. However, the movie nails the concept better than almost any movie that came before or after it.

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The French film follows a young black man who becomes a live-in caretaker for a quadriplegic aristocrat. And there's nothing more heartwarming than the respect that the two characters gain for each other. There was an American remake of the movie in 2017 called The Upside, but it didn't quite capture the magic of the original.

Fast Five (Available To Stream On Peacock Premium)

 Brian and Mia smiling at each other in Fast Five

Calling a Fast and Furious movie a classic is almost like an oxymoron. A film where two cars drive at high speeds through Rio with a vault attached to them doesn't exactly align with the term "classic."

But Fast Five pulled off an impossible task, which was to turn an out-of-date street racing series into a high-octane action saga full of thrills and excitement. The fifth film in the franchise is a landmark for the long-running series. Though it might not be perfect, it's one that many return to, it's endlessly rewatchable, and this was before the Fast series jumped the shark.

Bridesmaids (Available To Rent On Amazon)

The Bridesmaids stand together in a dress shop.

Bridesmaids has become one of the best comedies of the 21st century, and together with Mean Girls, it's a classic female-led comedy written by an SNL alumni. What elevates the 2011 movie above other comedies is that it both plays into the cliches of relationships between female best friends and, at the same time, flips the tropes on their heads.

The movie mixes toilet humor with genuine characters, and that's what helped it become one of the few comedies nominated for an Academy Award. Few other raunchy comedy movies of the 2010s have come close to its laugh-out-loud sequences, and Bridesmaids has since become the gold standard of crudeness and vulgarity.

We Need To Talk About Kevin (Available To Stream On Amazon)

Eva hugs Kevin in We Need To Talk About Kevin

Though it's this Tilda Swinton movie should only be watched once, that doesn't mean that the psychological drama We Need To Talk About Kevin isn't great or shouldn't be regarded as a classic. It's more unnerving than anything Hollywood has put out in the past 10 years, as it revolves around a teenager who trapped his classmates in a classroom and killed them.

However, the movie by no means exploits the public fear of mass school shootings in America, but instead explores the feelings Kevin's mother still has with him after the massacre. With the mother being the real protagonist in the movie, the concept is groundbreaking.

The Help (Available To Rent On Amazon)

Minny holds a chocolate pie in The Help

Over the past decade, there have been so many great movies that have shined a light on America's sordid racist past, whether it's Green Book, BlacKkKlansman, or even Django Unchained. But one of the most honest, uplifting, and memorable of them all is 2011's The Help. The movie follows the lives of two black maids who serve an all-white family.

But even though the movie tackles racism, unlike 12 Years A Slave or any other movie with the same concept, there are still some brilliant moments of levity in The Help. Because of the movie, anybody who has seen it will always be dubious whenever they're offered a slice of chocolate pie.

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