The 2010s are full of elements representative of popular culture. One notable film was 2010's Inception. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it grossed approximately $828 million and debuted in first place at the box office on its opening weekend. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a thief who steals secrets from people's subconscious. He is offered to eradicate his criminal history in exchange for planting an idea in someone's mind. Inception is the representative text of the 2010s for its original interpretation of the science fiction/action genre, for the theories it generated that are still being discussed today, and for the amount of popular culture it influenced after its release . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Inception is representative of the 2010s because it was a different take on the science fiction/action genre. Previous films included concepts such as extraterrestrial life, robots, technological takeovers, and other action scenes. While Inception also had action-based scenes, everything was experienced in the mind of a character. Disasters were depicted as emotional catharsis and personal development was shown in a therapeutic sense while still eliciting the same excitement and adrenaline that sci-fi/action films usually do. This unique take on a genre is representative of how Inception helped shift this decade's popular culture to start thinking outside the box, inspiring films like Shutter Island and Source Code and influencing a new wave of popular culture emerging after the decade previous. The plot of Inception also had a huge impact on audiences. The film incorporated many difficult details and concepts that required a deeper level of thinking. The concept of "dream within a dream" and the mechanics of each dream state had people confused but intrigued. It sparked the public's imagination and they began to wonder whether reality was actually a dream. The theories that emerged after the film are still an ongoing debate. Inception ended on a cliffhanger as everyone was left wondering if the main character was still dreaming since his spinning top kept spinning when the camera stopped. Discussions on this topic have been substantial, and Nolan has been extremely vague about it, even years after the film's release. The secret and unusual aspects of the film keep it relevant in popular culture. Inception implemented the concept of critical thinking in this decade. Finally, Inception influenced many other aspects of popular culture following its release. References began to surface in songs including the Black Eyed Peas' "Just Can't Get Enough," Jennifer Lopez's "On The Floor" and the video for Ariana Grande's "No Tears Left to Cry." TV shows such as South Park have also referenced the film. Inception also coined an alternative meaning to the term "beginning", which is used in popular culture to describe a layering effect that is occurring, similar to the layering of the dream in the film. The term soon became more generalized to the suffix "-ception". Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay To conclude, Inception is a representative text of this decade due to its unique take on science fiction/action, its complex plot that provoked many long-standing theories, and the influence it had on other elements of popular culture.