With the 2010’s behind us we can look back at the best of the decade in film, covering all from high concept sci-fi’s to sensitive independent dramas, hilarious quirky drama/comedies and the best of world cinema; this is REEL’s best films of the last decade.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

director: Denis Villeneuve | runtime: 2h 44mins | Sci-fi, Action

Sequels don’t often match the same heights and originality of the films they’re successors to, opting for a cheap rehash of the same stories and characters in an attempt for an easy cash grab. Sometimes they match the quality in unique ways and continue the story in a exciting way – and then there’s Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 neo-noir masterpiece Blade Runner often regarded as one of the best films of all time – with which director Denis Villeneuve decided to create another best-of-all-timer with 2049.

It owes much to its predecessors themes but takes fresher, more contemporary variations whilst also keeping the timeless aspect the original has. By following a replicant in K (Ryan Gosling), a blade runner whose position is to hunt down other artificially created replicants and ‘retire’ them. He knows his memories are implanted, either completely constructed or based on someone else’s, much of the film has K battling with himself about his own humanity. He discovers the possibility of a replicant reproducing (previously thought impossible), and is told to destroy the evidence and retire the child. We’re given a beautifully and elegantly woven epic trying to stop a civil war between the humans and the replicants, slow burning but incredibly rewarding by the closing credits.

If nothing else, the film is visually stunning, Villeneuve pulling out every stop possible and increasing the scale of just about everything, a step away from the noir inspired world of the first. K always feels lost the in vast sweeping landscape around him. Everything feels almost dreamlike, from the visuals to the music, to the unrelenting narrative unfolding, each turn causing K to further question everything around him. Villeneuve is an artist fully in control of his craft, and for a director whose filmography could easily fill many lists like this, it’s impressive to say this is likely his best.

Roma (2018)

director: Alfonso Cuaron | runtime: 2h 15mins | Drama | Language: Spanish

Not only does Roma come out as one of the decades greatest achievements, but it’s importance for foreign cinema and contemporary relevance argue that it’s likely to define this decade as well (something we already touched upon). Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, Roma’s is a detailed and moving story about living, and surviving, in Mexico. It’s a modern masterpiece that rightly won a number of Oscars and wrongly didn’t win the Best Picture, but the win really belongs to Cuaron, who’s personality and emotions are ingrained into his film giving the moments of everyday life layers, and in turn giving it more depth than than the surface suggests.

There are standouts scenes, the riot, the fire scene and the heart-wrenching beach scene that proves just how essential Yalitza Aparicio is to the authenticity of the movie. These are the explosive scenes that give the film juice, but where it gets it’s plaudits are in the scenes with seemingly nothing to say but rather show us the beauty in everyday conversation and relationships. It’s cinematography and direction delicately realise the film’s attention to detail all while accentuating the beauty of it’s setting, and the ingenuity on display is a testament to the ability of Cuaron, who adds yet another masterpiece to his already stacked filmography.

Moonlight (2016)

director: Barry Jenkins | runtime: 1h 51mins | Drama

Probably one of the biggest news stories in the world of film was the controversial way in which Moonlight was announced as Best Picture, as Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway said the wrong film, leading to an eruption of confusion and taking away from the glory of the celebrations. But one thing that is not controversial is the win itself, despite La La Land being a welcome winner as well, as Barry Jenkins’ feature debut is ripe with affection and a visual subtlety that finds beauty in the broken surroundings his characters find themselves in. Jenkins really became a director to relish in, and while his next feature was similar in mood, it didn’t quite capture the beauty of it’s story as well as Moonlight does.

Make no mistake though, while there is beauty consistently flowing, Jenkins fills his films with range that never damages the tone of his film but rather controls it. Separated into three parts of his main characters life, each part is lit perfectly with vibrant purply-blue to give a hint of progression but also subtle enough to go nearly unnoticed. It’s such a delight to see a feature film debut cut so deep into our core, and while you can never capture relatability 100% across the board, Jenkins has faith in his own experiences and in doing so manages to capture the hearts of it’s audience and give a voice to people who need one.

La La Land (2016)

director: Damien Chazelle | runtime: 2h 8mins | Musical, Romance

Fresh off another stellar entry on this list (we’ll get to that in a bit), writer/director Damien Chazelle cemented himself as the next one to watch in Hollywood with 2016’s musical romance La La Land. Opening on a exciting and enchanting dance and song piece beautifully choreographed (setting the stage for the rest of the wonderfully designed and executed musical numbers) we immediately get the tone and style from the get go; a throwback to Golden Age Hollywood musicals with a flavour of modern cinema.

The next two hours make for some of the most romantic entertainment put to screen, with the infallible Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling absolutely raising the bar with not only their performances as actors, but wonderful song and dance sequences. That being said, they may not be the most incredible singers or be comparable to the highest quality dancers, but that does seem to be the point. It’s realistic and relatable, something many musicals miss the mark for nowadays, instead opting for hyper realised characters and performances. But Gosling and Stone, lead by Chazelle, create one of the most romantic and real relationships on screen, set in the harsh world of showbiz LA.

Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

director: Wes Anderson | runtime: 1h 49mins | Comedy

Wes Anderson has been making and cementing his unique style since the latter stages of the 90s, and while some filmmakers start to decline as their career continues (it happens to the very best), there is something to be said for his consistency. Not only does Grand Budapest Hotel show off said consistency but gives the director his best work since Rushmore (1998). The comedy, characters and colour palette are rich with uniqueness and, if Boyhood (2014) and Birdman (2014) hadn’t been so popular, it would have given Anderson some well deserved gold.

His all-star cast fluidly fit into the entire story, finding room for each character while never losing focus of Zero and Gustave’s relationship, and letting Ralph Fiennes be the driving force for the whole narrative. While you can’t state enough just how original Anderson’s style is, something he manages to do in Grand Budapest Hotel is create a sense of nostalgia despite being a fictional world. It’s a testament to the world-building of this film that, even with the use of slapstick and stop-motion inspiration, it still manages to capture the heart of a worn-down Europe in all it’s beauty.

Spotlight (2015)

director: Tom McCarthy | runtime: 2h 9mins | Drama, Biography

When telling a story that needs to be heard sometimes people walk the line to save controversy, but the ones that don’t deserve all the more praise for having the balls to do so. This kind of sub-genre of journalism thriller has pretty much been dominated quality-wise by All the Presidents Men (1976), and we were long overdue another until the emergence of Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight. Not only does it tell a gripping story, it saves the ‘cinematics’ and melodramatic emotional punches, and rightly deserves to be mentioned as one of the greats in it’s specific brand of storytelling.

Although it’s ‘spotlight’ may be dying slightly as the years go on, it’s quality should never be forgotten. What it does so brilliantly is balance the importance of it’s message with the strength of it’s performances and direction, it doesn’t necessarily have heroes but people who just want the world to know what is happening. McCarthy wants this to be a discovery, we know everything the journalists know, and other than an explosive scene with Mark Ruffalo, it doesn’t go for big moments of tears and gratification but rather lets the story continuously rattle you to your core. And if the story wasn’t enough, just watch the final list appear of all the cities with the same problem, a fact that will not easily be shaken.

Get Out (2017)

director: Jordan Peele | runtime: 1h 44mins | Horror, Thriller

Comedic-turned-horror expert Jordan Peele shocked just about everyone with his directorial debut, taking a stride away from his apparent type in the duo Key & Peele, creating one of the most unique and refreshing films in a genre that falls for too many tropes and cliches on a frequent basis. A fairly simple story following Daniel Kaluuya’s Chris as he meets his white, rich girlfriends (Allison Williams) family, it takes a hard turn into social thriller, entirely a commentary on racism in today’s culture with a incredibly revealing and intelligent narrative – small moments such as his partners dad saying he would have voted for Obama for a third time if he could ease us into the white knuckle tension later on.

The encounter with Lakeith Stanfield (who nearly steals the film with hardly any screen time) is an excellently uneasy in it’s construction, but its the elements of subtle foreshadowing in sequences like this that solidified Peele as one to watch in the coming years. Not just in his direction however, as he rightly won the Academy Award for original screenplay with plenty of this down to the uniqueness of the story but also with how Peele deals with the themes in a contemporary way, hopefully opening the eyes of those who think they’re progressive, but in reality are as racially insensitive as those they denounce.

Arrival (2016)

director: Denis Villeneuve | runtime: 1h 56mins | Drama, Sci-fi

Our second entry for the ever brilliant Denis Villeneuve, his work directing the adaption of Ted Chiangs novella ‘Story Of Your Life’ a much less daunting undertaking than a sequel to a 80’s cult classic. In it’s own right Arrival is a modern sci-fi classic, challenging many of the tropes the genre has become known for; there’s no exciting space battles or evil alien race invading. Instead, much like the title suggests, they just ‘arrive’. The challenge is to figure out why they’re here – enter Amy Adams as Louise Banks, the linguist professor who still has military clearance from some translation she did a few years earlier. With scientist Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), she must find a way to communicate with the extra-terrestrial beings before the world collapses around them.

In fact, the film isn’t about the aliens (known as heptapods due to their 7 limbs), but rather the pain of a parent losing their child, as the opening sequence shows Louise having to deal with the death of her daughter Hannah. The remainder of the film, she is never quite the same as her happy self we see before the untimely loss. With beautifully simple precision, Villeneuve cuts back to Louise and Hannah in different times in their relationships, and their many ups and downs, though always some reflection in the story unfolding in the present. The sequence in which Adams describes why they’re asking specific sentence to the military is incredibly riveting, breaking down every elements and the important of each of these tiny parts – even more so when they must decifer if the heptapods statement and the difference between ‘tool’ and ‘weapon’.

It plays with the conventional structure with apparent ease, the accompaniment of Max Ritchers ‘On The Nature Of Daylight’ woven excellently throughout doesn’t feel out of place with the late Jóhann Jóhannssons score and a phenomenal central performance from Amy Adams makes it a easy addition to the best of the past decade – that being said, you likely aren’t prepared for the emotional hit Arrival has.

Manchester By the Sea (2016)

director: Kenneth Lonergan | runtime: 2h 17mins | Drama

You will have realised now just how much we like the films of 2016, from the fantastical to the downright spectacle, it’s the variety in style that make it such a strong year. Much like Moonlight though, what Kenneth Lonergan did was juxtapose the sprawling epics with a grounded approach to the human experience. Maybe not speaking for a specific voice but rather for the talent of it’s cast and director, Manchester By The Sea is yet to be beaten for it’s authentic approach to dialogue and the organic feeling that oozes from scene to scene.

It’s deadpan – but for good reason, using it not just for humour but to express the sheer lack of emotion that flows through the main character. This level of emotion allows scenes to go from bitterly funny to genuine heart-break, something that puts it waves above any kind of ‘tear-jerker’ label. All of this style would be enough but Lonergan still allows for a small reveal as well, building his film and main character (a career defining role for Casey Affleck) to some of the most harrowing scenes you’ll ever see. It’s easy to make a character feel sad but what Lonergan does it make Lee Chandler an empty vessel, a hollow shell of his former self (something that is reinforced by flashbacks) and in doing so creates a breathtaking film that will tear you apart from the very beginning.

Your Name (2016)

director: Makoto Shinkai | runtime: 1h 46mins | Animation, Fantasy | Language: English, Japanese

On paper, there’s much of Shinkai’s animation that should make it another forgettable romantic tale, the use of teenagers as they explore the idea of real love for the first time seemingly one reason why. There’s a body swapping element which, early on, is fairly light hearted, but instead it evolves into one of this decades most honest explorations of adolescence through a wonderfully written narrative oozing with pure originality, becoming more about yearning, separation and a crashing together of love and melancholy.

The body swapping element may put some off – but this isn’t Freaky Friday. At first, our young duo Taki and Mitsuha (Ryûnosuke Kamiki and Mone Kamishiraishi, respectively) wake up in each others bodies, not knowing how or why it’s happened. Taki has his light hearted fun in Mitsuha, and reacts as you’d expect any teenage boy would in a similarly aged girls body. The mystery is later revealed in excellent fashion, but the route we take is incredibly enthralling as Mitsuha explores Tokyo for the first time with Taki as her conduit, and vice versa for Taki in the beauty of a fictional Japanese rural town. Each time they swap, leaving messages for the other through smartphone messages and writings on their arm, slowly learning much about each other without ever truly interacting.

Like much of Japanese cinema, there’s a undercurrent of natural disaster waiting to happen, but without knowledge of Your Name‘s narrative before it’s hard to see the twist and turns coming, expertly blending the existential themes with young romance to create an animation worthy of more than just a comparison to the anime legend Miyasaki.

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

director: Luca Guadagnino | runtime: 2h 12mins | Drama, Romance

The coming-of-age genre has many exceptional entries, but it’s difficult to say many of these are sophisticated – a title Luca Guadagnino can claim for his 80’s romance set in rural Italy, arguably one of the most sensitive romances of the decade. Timothee Chalamet plays opposite Armie Hammer as they wrestle with their love for each other through a seemingly endless summer. Hammer’s Oliver has not only physical maturity over Chalamet’s Elio, but emotional too, handling his feelings better, concealing them with ease, often finding woman to explore romances with in a far more public manner than his one with Elio.

Elio lives in a very cultured household, his father renown for his work in archeology is the reason Oliver stays with them for the summer, helping him with his work for a few months. Elio spends much of his time refining his musical skills, transcribing and composing piano pieces of his own. This isn’t the only catalyst for the sophistication of Call Me By Your Name though, as this really centres around how Elio deals with realising his sexuality and the elegance of the love between the two, the pure beauty of the pair as they can’t help themselves, and the crushing fleetingness of the entire situation. Mixed with the stunning landscapes, everything is impossibly gorgeous, each moment between Elio and Oliver taking its time, the pace is far removed from of many of the previous entries. Everything is tender, stunning, wonderful in the portrayal of a true first love and the heartbreak that always follows.

Whiplash (2014)

director: Damien Chazelle |runtime: 1h 46mins | Drama, Music

One of the decade’s proudest accomplishments is the introduction of so many auteurs with such a specific voice. One voice that emerged was the incredible talent of writer/director Damien Chazelle. While we have already mentioned La La Land his breakout to the mainstream came in the form of Whiplash. Aside from one of the best third acts of all time, Whiplash blends it’s musical passion with the technical creativity of it’s director, as well as two performances that feel as raw as the music they are playing.

Whiplash is less about the beauty of the music like La La Land is, but about the technical prowess Jazz takes and the respect you need to give it when playing. Scene after scene is a showcase of a unique vision, along with two stellar performances most notably from JK Simmons, who’s Fletcher is one of the more terrifying performances in a long time. Even if you put the music aside, Chazelle finds tension in the simplest things, whether it be in the character relationships and even in his dialogue. While it seems like music may be Chazelle’s passion, his talent behind the camera is simply expert. He has set a standard for all music/film hybrids, and he has done from his first feature.

Shoplifters (2018)

director: Hirokazu Koreeda | runtime: 2h | drama | Language: Japanese

With Roma being such a success in the same year, most international attention was directed towards that and not to Koreeda’s heart-warming tale about family, that just so happens to be some of the best work he’s ever done. One thing that’s made evidently clear is that Shoplifters is so ingrained into the society it’s trying to portray, but Koreeda finds the universal language of family to create a simultaneously heart-warming and breaking piece that can, and should, be loved by all.

Koreeda has been hailed as a modern day Ozu, which is one of the greatest compliments a director can have. But a seasoned veteran himself Koreeda follows his own style to tell a story about the most loving criminals you’ll ever meet. Less about the crime itself and more focused on the family, he takes a long time to build each person and their relationships with each other, to then flip our expectations on their head. It’s a stroke of genius that deserves to be experienced, and thanks to a fantastic cast (Sakura Ando gives one of the best performances of the decade) he manages to shift the films entire premise but maintain the theme of ‘choosing family’. Koreeda’s control and delicacy with story are genius, and Shoplifters is a masterpiece through and through.

Inside Out (2015)

director: Pete Docter | runtime: 1h 35mins | Comedy, Fantasy, Animation

The spectrum of animation has grown exponentially since the days of classic Disney and in fact this decade has seen some of the most original animated films come to light, but the constant driving force of all mainstream animation continues to be Pixar. While this decade may not be as strong with the quality as their 2000’s catalogue, their dominance is still there and through that dominance they gave us the delightful Inside Out.

As good as Pixar’s earliest films might be, there is an argument for this being Pixar’s greatest achievement. As through a slew of sequels they manage to highlight just how important their voice can be. It oozes imagination from top to bottom, using a child’s mind to find it’s liveliness and the grounded reality of mixing emotions, all while using it’s humour to draw in adults and children alike. Inside Out really is the poster-child for the ‘people all ages’ mantra that Pixar have been nailing since their very first feature effort in 1995, and while this decade really has been fierce with originality, Pixar reinforced their place at the top of the food chain reminding everyone that it’s ok to be sad, and doing it in stunning fashion.

Blue is the Warmest Color (2013)

director: Abdellatif Kechiche | runtime: 3h | Drama, Romance | Language: French

The Palme D’Or winning romantic epic has been the focus of controversy over the years, with rumours of the directors overbearing behaviour towards his actresses, making them shoot up to 100 takes before being satisfied. While you can’t condone behaviour that causes stress on-set you have to say that Kechiche’s methods really did work, giving us not only one of the best coming-of-age stories of all time, but two of the most natural performances you’ll ever see. The film’s focus delicately changes with it’s characters in it’s three hour run time, using the progression of it’s characters to highlight the major steps we take in life, not just romantically but in the mistakes we make as well.

From discovery of sexuality, the romanticism of first love, and the realisation of our mistakes in life, it’s all put on a plate for us in this epic. But, as already mentioned, the deserving praise belongs to Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux, who effortlessly flow through scenes together harmonising with every inch of the film’s tone. The confusion of sexuality is captured beautifully by Exarchopoulos, as well as the heart-breaking scenes between the two in the latter parts of the film. Despite any controversy this film may still have, there is still pride to take out of the end product, a beautiful odyssey that’s just as moving as it is raw, it’s certainly one of the best films to come from the decade.

Parasite (2019)

director: Bong Joon Ho | runtime: 2h 12mins | Comedy, Drama, Thriller | Language: Korean

The second Palme D’Or winner on this list, Bong Joon Ho became the first South Korean director win the coveted award, and it’s place in history is well deserved. Although a veteran director already, Bong Joon Ho quite possibly proved to the world how good he really is. Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017) are both honourable mentions when it comes to the decade, but it’s Parasite’s wonderful humour and genre-defying story that have already put this movie at the forefront of 2019 cinema. If you include as well numerous performances to match, Parasite’s magic isn’t just in it’s uniqueness but in it’s message as well.

Aptly named Parasite, it makes it clear from the get-go just who are meant to be the ‘parasites’, but subverts the label so delicately by the end of the film. It continues this style throughout, subtly diverting it’s tone from thriller to drama to comedy with confidence. You’ll find laughs where you least expect them as well as moments of genuine emotion, all while being one of the most fiercely entertaining films you’ll ever watch. Maybe not in the popcorn entertainment style, more because of a director in full control of his vision, knowing how and when to make you laugh but also keep you guessing to where this film is taking you. As for the ending, it’s just as good as you’d expect from a film with such genius throughout.

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

director: Derek Cianfrance | runtime: 2h 20mins | Crime, Drama

Our next pick for best of the decade may be one of less obvious choices and acts another another entry for Ryan Gosling, who may have had one of the best 10 years worth of acting choices as anyone. Cianfrance is also known for Blue Valentine (2010), one of the most grounded and heartbreaking romances of this era as well, but it’s the pure genius of how he writes the narrative of The Place Beyond The Pines that earns it a spot on this list. It’s split into three sections in a incredibly unconventional way, first following the tattooed quiet daredevil in Goslings Luke, followed by a great performance from Bradley Cooper as Avery Cross, and later his son A.J (Emory Cohen) and his troublesome teenage years.

It’s hard to describe the excellence in the story structure without giving away key plot spoilers, so it’s best left to discover yourself. What you need to know is everyone involved is at the top of their game, the acting is superb, complimented by a compelling and unique script with the wonderful visual style Cianfrance has perfected, the decision to always shoot on film rather than digitally gives a authentic and nostalgic look used beautifully throughout, and the many bold narrative choices give The Place Beyond The Pines a reason to come back to time and time again.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

DIRECTOR: George Miller | runtime: 2h | Action, Adventure

Action as a genre seems to have stilted slightly in the last few years, with the rise of CGI and the ease to be able to make a action film without hardly anyone being in the locations, its meant we’ve been treated to a slew of mediocre and unoriginal delights such as the Transformers series and almost anything with Dwayne Johnson in. Miller is still to this day known as having one of the most original and exciting action films (Road Warrior [1981]), but the director decided to come crashing back to the genre and show everyone how you make a quality film filled with high octane action.

It balances the unrelenting pace with compelling characters and a superior sense of world building that puts it above the few others that could compete for this spot (The Raid series, for example). From the get go, you have a few seconds to be introduced to our new Max in Tom Hardy and his mystery before being shot into the first of many, many superb car chase scenes – easily some of the best in cinematic history. Alongside this, we’re given a seemingly simple story on the surface, but a deeper look takes a dive into the nonsense of the testosterone driven macho competition of the patriarchy, much of the narrative centred around Charlize Theron’s Furiosa rather than the titular Max.

The clever use of heightened frame rates and purposefully removing individual frames creates rapid fire, teeth clenching sequences not only using practical effects to their fullest (whilst also using CG in the best manner too) – which are certainly excellent, but the visual treat we are given in the use of saturated colour palettes and a gorgeously bleak setting means Mad Max: Fury Road is an easy peak for the best of the 2010’s.

Black Swan (2010)

DIRECTOR: Darren Aronofsky | runtime: 1h 48mins | Drama, Thriller

Our oldest pick for the best of the decade only just makes the cut with a release in late 2010. For a director such as Darren Aronofsky, one with a career so prolific and easily a household name for many, claiming Black Swan to be his best work is certainly a bold statement – but one hard to argue with.

It certainly employs some staples he’s become known for; the shots following behind our protagonist forcing a intimacy with them from early on, and the high angled wide that captures the lack of control many of his characters feel, bringing this to a film about Swan Lake in a way you couldn’t imagine till you actually witness it. Trying to explain the amount of distress and anxiety you’ll be filled with whilst watching someone prepare for a ballet is hard to vocalise, it has deep roots in themes around perfection and complete and utter devotion – the toll this takes on a person, and what you must give up to reach this. This doesn’t just act as Aronofsky’s best however, as our lead in Natalie Portman brings the career high performance of Nina as she battles to bring out her inner black swan.

It reflects the story itself in the most entrancing of ways, not just in a metaphorical sense though, as Nina herself starts to notice similarities between her as the white swan and those around her filling in the different roles – or is it all in her mind? Much of the films superb writing is down to the blurring of the lines between reality and the effect bringing out the darker side takes on Nina.

Phantom Thread (2017)

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | runtime: 2h 10mins | Drama, Romance

To round out our list of the best of the last decade we take a look at the most recent work by the genius of Paul Thomas Anderson. Only having two entries in the 2010’s meant choosing between The Master (2012) and our last pick Phantom Thread, but it’s the sheer originality and boldness of the relationship that we follow that steals it. Lead by the ever brilliant Daniel Day-Lewis, we watch as renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock falls to his lowest under pressures from the industry and apparent issues with everyone he comes in contact with (the very few outside of his sister), until he meets a German waitress in Alma (Vicky Krieps), whose performance might have stolen the show if she wasn’t across from Day-Lewis.

The struggle Reynolds has within himself and those around him is circling his issues with power and control, he speaks of how he feels he’s losing it to Alma and demands it (“maybe the most demanding man”, she says) but their relationship works at it’s best when Reynolds needs her the most – when they first met, she pulls him from the spiral he is quickly slipping into. It only works because of how meticulous PT Anderson is with the script and each tiny progression the story makes, elegantly a reflection of the character Day-Lewis plays through his art of dressmaking. The power struggle weaves in and out of Reynolds as he tries to control every detail of Alma’s life, whilst simultaneously having his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville) quietly dominate much of his life, and not so quietly disapprove of many of his personal choices. Not only have you not seen a relationship quite like this, you haven’t seen a film like this before.

Honourable mentions

Although this is a Top 20, it would pain us not to give credit to one of the strongest decades in history. We have seen a resurgence of originality and quality, and while we stand by our list, there’s a place in your watchlist for every one of the following: