I'm not entirely sure what my top ten films would be, but I'm sure 500 Days of Summer and Fight Club are on that list. Their main characters, Tyler Durden and Tom Hanson are both really fun characters, especially in contrast with one another.
Fight Club features a montage of Ikea catalogues and Tyler's Ikea filled house. Then his Johannesshov and Klipsk are blown out the side of a building. With the apartment gone, he moves into an abandoned house and starts fight club. But we really shouldn't talk about that. Frustrated with mediocrity, Tyler completely rejects a life of furniture and bad coffee. His new lifestyle is violent and self destructive. He and the other men in Fight Club destroy one another and themselves for the sake of rejecting mediocrity and society. Through extremes, the film satirizes this life. Tyler is a joke and his mannerisms are meant to make the viewer cringe.
Ikea and a nine-to-five aren't great, but neither is self destruction. Tyler lives an unrealistic fantasy where a very attractive Brad Pitt is his best friend and capitalism is the root of all his problems (it's not). Only when it's gone too far does the fantasy fall apart, leaving Tyler to witness the destruction he has caused.
Tom Hansen takes Summer to Ikea where they roleplay a married life. She cooks his favorite- bald eagle- and he takes her to bed. Unfortunately there's a Chinese family in the bathroom and none of the sinks work. Disregarding sinks and the bathroom, this is Tom's perfect fantasy. At Ikea true love is real and he's got it. As the relationship is dying, Tom and Summer return to Ikea. He jokes about the sinks not working as she walks on, ignoring him. He knows the fantasy isn't real- he acknowledges the sinks don’t work- but refuses to accept it. Tom needs summer to be the girl he thinks she is.
Tyler completely rejects his Ikea life and Tom is consumed by it. In these extremes, both men make fools of themselves and hurt the women in their lives. On one end, Fight Club satirizes a complete rejection of society. Alternatively, 500 Days of Summer criticizes romanticization of certain societal expectations like true love and a traditional marriage.
Maybe Ikea is best in moderation. It has good basics for pretty cheap. Pair that HOLMERUD with some weird crap from the thrift store and your favorite books.
HOLMERUD: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ekenabben-open-shelf-unit-aspen-white-80487813/