Django Unchained or 12 Years a Slave

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

I rewatched both this year for the first time since they were released, and both are even better than I remember causing me to raise their scores as obvious standouts of the decade.

Django does just about everything well. The gore is over-the-top as usual, and I don't care for the musical choices, but the story and dialogue are phenomenally funny and creative, and the acting is solid - quite humorous with solid casting selections (basically written with these people in mind). This is the type of entertaining fiction we need a lot more of today. While I don't always care for Tarantino's style, I think it's absolutely perfect for this crazy and wonderful plot. Too many unforgettable scenes to count. I think too many people criticize this for being unrealistic/cartoonish but you do need some of that as balance, and it does that well! Eminently rewatchable, citable and to be remembered for decades.

On the other hand, 12 Years a Slave is a good non-fictional adaptation with a merely mediocre script, but it's got Django beat on the acting front by a good stretch. I don't typically care all too much on acting, but Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o turned in two of the most memorable performances of the 2010s that give this movie life. Without them, this is a far less renowned work. I don't expect many people will remember this in 20-30 years unlike Django, but it's still a very strong picture about an important historical figure. Unfortunately, only a couple (of the more brutal) scenes really stick with you, and I can't decide how to feel about Brad Pitt's character.

The edge goes to Django Unchained for me.