In this episode, hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins are joined by The Ringer's Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, and Rob Mahoney for an elite movie redraft of the year 2010. The group reflects on where they were in their careers and lives in 2010, analyzing a transitional cinematic era just before streaming services and the Marvel machine fully dominated the industry.

The conversation moves chronologically through a seven-round draft across categories like franchise, original, comedy, and blockbuster. The participants debate the literary origins of films like The Scarlet Letter and True Grit, while highlighting the enduring legacy of modern classics like Shutter Island and Never Let Me Go. They also examine the cultural impact of documentaries like Inside Job and the evolution of directors like Martin Scorsese, whose cinematic influences are explored in A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies.

The Defining Cinematic Masterpiece of 2010

Mallory selected The Social Network first overall, calling it the defining movie of the century so far.

Sean defended his 6 out of 10 rating for Inception, arguing that Christopher Nolan began a trend of overexplaining his premises: "This movie bends over backwards to justify its structure." - Sean

Van noted that The Social Network served as "an encyclopedic map to how you get your idea off the ground and what it costs you." - Van

Literary Adaptations and Genre Exercises

Chris selected the adaptation of Shutter Island, praising Dennis Lehane's source novel and noting that the film "stands up to such thorough interrogation on repeat viewing." - Chris

To understand Scorsese's stylistic choices in the film, Chris recommends watching A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies to see his deep appreciation for classic noir.

Chris also recommended Dennis Lehane's other famous mystery novel, Mystic River, as another masterclass in gripping, water-themed suspense writing.

Joanna drafted the Coen brothers' adaptation of True Grit, highlighting Charles Portis's novel and noting that the film grossed an impressive $171 million domestically.

Joanna selected the Swedish film adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, reflecting on the experience of reading Stieg Larsson's original trilogy.

The Great Originality Debate in Modern Cinema

The group engaged in a fierce debate over whether Easy A was an original screenplay or too heavily reliant on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter.

Joanna selected Salt in the original category, noting that the film was originally written for a male lead named Edwin Salt before being adapted for Angelina Jolie.

Rob drafted Somewhere in the original category, praising Sofia Coppola's subdued portrait of Hollywood life: "I find a lot of movies about movies to be a lot... this one is so subdued." - Rob

The Bleakness of 2010 Foreign and Dystopian Films

Joanna selected Never Let Me Go, based on Kazuo Ishiguro's dystopian novel, which Chris had previously drafted second overall in the original 2020 draft.

Sean selected Incendies (referred to as On Sunday), praising Denis Villeneuve's film about a "poison inheritance" and its deeply unsettling ending.

Sean drafted Bong Joon-ho's Mother, describing it as a great thriller about "what a mother will do for her son" that reveals dark comedic elements on repeat viewings.

Amanda drafted Dogtooth, describing the Yorgos Lanthimos film as residing on the "more fucked up spectrum" of the director's filmography.

The Financial Crisis and Real-World Horrors

Joanna selected the Oscar-winning documentary Inside Job, which details the systemic failures of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Mallory drafted Winter's Bone, noting that the harrowing, Ozark-set drama officially "announced J-Law as an Oscar force" and earned her a Best Actress nomination.

Nostalgia, Personal Memories, and Pop Culture Lore

Chris recalled reading Irving Stone's biographical novel The Agony and the Ecstasy during a memorable trip to Florence with his mother before starting college.

The hosts joked about the pronunciation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth lore collection The Silmarillion during a tangent about fantasy world-building.

Rob selected MacGruber, calling it one of the funniest movies ever made, while Van strongly disagreed, calling the film "fucking ass." - Van