Interstellar at 89? Oppenheimer at 65? NYT's 100 best films of 21st century leaves cinephiles divided
As we near the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, The New York Times has done what cinephiles love most, compiled a “best of” list. This time, it isn’t for the past year, but for the past 25 years in cinema. While some movie lovers eagerly tallied how many titles they’ve seen and bookmarked the rest, others were quick to object to the absence of their personal favourites.
How did they come up with the list
To determine the best films of the past 25 years, The New York Times polled over 500 filmmakers, actors, and other prominent figures from the film industry. Each participant was asked to name their 10 favourite films released since January 1, 2000. The responses were then compiled by the NYT, in collaboration with The Upshot, to create the final list of 100.
Notable voters included Oscar-winning directors like Bong Joon Ho, Pedro Almodóvar, Sofia Coppola, Barry Jenkins, and Guillermo del Toro, along with actors such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julianne Moore, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and John Turturro.
Key takeaways from the list
Franchise fatigue is real
The list barely has reboots, remakes, and franchise-driven films - which have become a staple in Hollywood. Traditional star vehicles, too, were limited.
OTT films are nearly absent
While streaming platforms have significantly reshaped how we consume movies, their presence on the list is minimal. Only one film produced by a streaming service, Netflix, made the cut: Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma at No. 46.
Only 11 films directed by women
Only 11 of the films were directed by women, including Lost in Translation (2003) by Sofia Coppola, Lady Bird (2017) by Greta Gerwig, Past Lives (2023) by Celine Song, and none were in the Top 20.
World cinema is thriving
Cinephiles are no longer confined to English-language films - world cinema has become a compelling destination. The list reflects this shift, with titles like Parasite (Korean), Roma (Spanish), Anatomy of a Fall (French), The Zone of Interest (German), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (French), and The Worst Person in the World (Norwegian) earning spots. Even Everything Everywhere All At Once blends Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, while much of Céline Song’s 2023 drama Past Lives unfolds in Korean.
Diverse voices are there, but not many
Only four Black directors have movies on the list, Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Jordan Peele (Get Out), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther).
The auteurs dominate
Christopher Nolan (Inception, Memento) leads the pack with five films - a clear nod to his unmatched grip on both critics and audiences. Not far behind is Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread, Punch-Drunk Love), followed by Alfonso Cuarón and David Fincher with three entries each.
Cinephiles debate films on the list
As with any “best of” list, consensus is elusive. Cinephiles have taken to social media to debate the rankings. Some were shocked by certain placements, “Interstellar at 89???” wrote one Instagram user, while others questioned the inclusion of titles in the Top 10, “The Social Network and Get Out… really?”
While some viewers were thrilled to see their tastes reflected by renowned filmmakers, others were quick to share what they felt was missing. Among the frequently mentioned omissions are Blade Runner 2049, Joker, Anora, Pride and Prejudice.
A new list based on readers’ view
After the original list, NYT did a readers’ poll, in which over 200,000 people participated. In the readers’ list there are several films that didn’t make it to the original 100 – Sinners, Barbie, Mean Girls, not one but two Dune movies, Django Unchained, Little Women, Hereditary, Blade Runner 2049, Avengers: Endgame — and international films like Drive My Car and The Handmaiden. Christopher Nolan crushed it again, landing two titles in the top 10 — Interstellar and The Dark Knight — and an impressive seven films in the Top 100. Films like Parasite, Mulholland Drive, The Social Network stood firm in their rankings.
Here are the top 10 from the new list:
1. Parasite
2. Mulholland Drive
3. No Country for Old Men
4. There Will Be Blood
5. Interstellar
6. The Dark Knight
7. Mad Max: Fury Road
8. Spirited Away
9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
10. The Social Network
The 100 best movies of the 21st century as per the New York Times
01. Parasite (Bong Joon Ho)
02. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch)
03. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
04. In the Mood For Love (Wong Kar Wai)
05. Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)
06. No Country For Old Men (Joel & Ethan Coen)
07. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry)
08. Get Out (Jordan Peele)
09. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki)
10. The Social Network (David Fincher)
11. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller)
12. The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer)
13. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron)
14. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)
15. City of God (Fernando Meirelles)
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee)
17. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee)
18. Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron)
19. Zodiac (David Fincher)
20. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)
21. The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson)
22. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
23. Boyhood (Richard Linklater)
24. Her (Spike Jonze)
25. Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)
26. Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)
27. Adaptation (Spike Jonze)
28. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
29. Arrival (Denis Villeneuve)
30. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola)
31. The Departed (Martin Scorsese)
32. Bridesmaids (Paul Feig)
33. A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)
34. WALL-E Andrew Stanton)
35. A Prophet (Jacques Audiard)
36. A Serious Man (Joel & Ethan Coen)
37. Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino)
38. Portrait of A Lady on Fire (Celine Sciamma)
39. Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)
40. Yi Yi (Edward Yang)
41. Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
42. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson)
43. Oldboy (Park Chan-wook)
44. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino)
45. Moneyball (Bennett Miller)
46. ROMA (Alfonso Cuaron)
47. Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe)
48. The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck)
49. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater)
50. Up! (Pete Docter)
51. 12 Years A Slave (Steve McQueen)
52. The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos)
53. Borat (Larry Charles)
54. Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro)
55. Inception (Christopher Nolan)
56. Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson)
57. Best in Show (Christopher Guest)
58. Uncut Gems (Josh and Benny Safdie)
59. Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)
60. Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)
61. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarantino)
62. Memento (Christopher Nolan)
63. Little Miss Sunshine (Dayton & Faris)
64. Gone Girl (David Fincher)
65. Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)
66. Spotlight (Tom McCarthy)
67. TAR (Todd Field)
68. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)
69. Under The Skin (Jonathan Glazer)
70. Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson)
71. Ocean’s Eleven (Steven Soderbergh)
72. Carol (Todd Haynes)
73. Ratatouille (Brad Bird)
74. The Florida Project (Sean Baker)
75. Amour (Michael Haneke)
76. O Brother, Where Art Thou (Joel & Ethan Coen)
77. Everything Everywhere All At Once (The Daniels)
78. Aftersun (Charlotte Wells)
79. Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)
80. Volver (Pedro Almodovar)
81. Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
82. The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer)
83. Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel & Ethan Coen)
84. Melancholia (Lars Von Trier)
85. Anchorman (Adam McKay)
86. Past Lives (Celine Song)
87. The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson)
88. The Gleaners and I (Agnes Varda)
89. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan)
90. Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach)
91. Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold)
92. Gladiator (Ridley Scott)
93. Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy)
94. Minority Report (Steven Spielberg)
95. The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier)
96. Black Panther (Ryan Coogler)
97. Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)
98. Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog)
99. Memories of A Murder (Bong Joon-ho)
100. Superbad (Greg Motolla)
How did they come up with the list
To determine the best films of the past 25 years, The New York Times polled over 500 filmmakers, actors, and other prominent figures from the film industry. Each participant was asked to name their 10 favourite films released since January 1, 2000. The responses were then compiled by the NYT, in collaboration with The Upshot, to create the final list of 100.
Notable voters included Oscar-winning directors like Bong Joon Ho, Pedro Almodóvar, Sofia Coppola, Barry Jenkins, and Guillermo del Toro, along with actors such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julianne Moore, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and John Turturro.
Key takeaways from the list
Franchise fatigue is real
The list barely has reboots, remakes, and franchise-driven films - which have become a staple in Hollywood. Traditional star vehicles, too, were limited.
OTT films are nearly absent
While streaming platforms have significantly reshaped how we consume movies, their presence on the list is minimal. Only one film produced by a streaming service, Netflix, made the cut: Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma at No. 46.
Only 11 films directed by women
Only 11 of the films were directed by women, including Lost in Translation (2003) by Sofia Coppola, Lady Bird (2017) by Greta Gerwig, Past Lives (2023) by Celine Song, and none were in the Top 20.
World cinema is thriving
Cinephiles are no longer confined to English-language films - world cinema has become a compelling destination. The list reflects this shift, with titles like Parasite (Korean), Roma (Spanish), Anatomy of a Fall (French), The Zone of Interest (German), Portrait of a Lady on Fire (French), and The Worst Person in the World (Norwegian) earning spots. Even Everything Everywhere All At Once blends Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, while much of Céline Song’s 2023 drama Past Lives unfolds in Korean.
Diverse voices are there, but not many
Only four Black directors have movies on the list, Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), Jordan Peele (Get Out), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Ryan Coogler (Black Panther).
The auteurs dominate
Christopher Nolan (Inception, Memento) leads the pack with five films - a clear nod to his unmatched grip on both critics and audiences. Not far behind is Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread, Punch-Drunk Love), followed by Alfonso Cuarón and David Fincher with three entries each.
Cinephiles debate films on the list
As with any “best of” list, consensus is elusive. Cinephiles have taken to social media to debate the rankings. Some were shocked by certain placements, “Interstellar at 89???” wrote one Instagram user, while others questioned the inclusion of titles in the Top 10, “The Social Network and Get Out… really?”
While some viewers were thrilled to see their tastes reflected by renowned filmmakers, others were quick to share what they felt was missing. Among the frequently mentioned omissions are Blade Runner 2049, Joker, Anora, Pride and Prejudice.
A new list based on readers’ view
After the original list, NYT did a readers’ poll, in which over 200,000 people participated. In the readers’ list there are several films that didn’t make it to the original 100 – Sinners, Barbie, Mean Girls, not one but two Dune movies, Django Unchained, Little Women, Hereditary, Blade Runner 2049, Avengers: Endgame — and international films like Drive My Car and The Handmaiden. Christopher Nolan crushed it again, landing two titles in the top 10 — Interstellar and The Dark Knight — and an impressive seven films in the Top 100. Films like Parasite, Mulholland Drive, The Social Network stood firm in their rankings.
Here are the top 10 from the new list:
1. Parasite
2. Mulholland Drive
3. No Country for Old Men
4. There Will Be Blood
5. Interstellar
6. The Dark Knight
7. Mad Max: Fury Road
8. Spirited Away
9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
10. The Social Network
The 100 best movies of the 21st century as per the New York Times
01. Parasite (Bong Joon Ho)
02. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch)
03. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
04. In the Mood For Love (Wong Kar Wai)
05. Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)
06. No Country For Old Men (Joel & Ethan Coen)
07. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry)
08. Get Out (Jordan Peele)
09. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki)
10. The Social Network (David Fincher)
11. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller)
12. The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer)
13. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron)
14. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)
15. City of God (Fernando Meirelles)
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee)
17. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee)
18. Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron)
19. Zodiac (David Fincher)
20. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)
21. The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson)
22. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson)
23. Boyhood (Richard Linklater)
24. Her (Spike Jonze)
25. Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)
26. Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)
27. Adaptation (Spike Jonze)
28. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
29. Arrival (Denis Villeneuve)
30. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola)
31. The Departed (Martin Scorsese)
32. Bridesmaids (Paul Feig)
33. A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)
34. WALL-E Andrew Stanton)
35. A Prophet (Jacques Audiard)
36. A Serious Man (Joel & Ethan Coen)
37. Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino)
38. Portrait of A Lady on Fire (Celine Sciamma)
39. Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)
40. Yi Yi (Edward Yang)
41. Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
42. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson)
43. Oldboy (Park Chan-wook)
44. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino)
45. Moneyball (Bennett Miller)
46. ROMA (Alfonso Cuaron)
47. Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe)
48. The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck)
49. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater)
50. Up! (Pete Docter)
51. 12 Years A Slave (Steve McQueen)
52. The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos)
53. Borat (Larry Charles)
54. Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro)
55. Inception (Christopher Nolan)
56. Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson)
57. Best in Show (Christopher Guest)
58. Uncut Gems (Josh and Benny Safdie)
59. Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)
60. Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)
61. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarantino)
62. Memento (Christopher Nolan)
63. Little Miss Sunshine (Dayton & Faris)
64. Gone Girl (David Fincher)
65. Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)
66. Spotlight (Tom McCarthy)
67. TAR (Todd Field)
68. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)
69. Under The Skin (Jonathan Glazer)
70. Let The Right One In (Tomas Alfredson)
71. Ocean’s Eleven (Steven Soderbergh)
72. Carol (Todd Haynes)
73. Ratatouille (Brad Bird)
74. The Florida Project (Sean Baker)
75. Amour (Michael Haneke)
76. O Brother, Where Art Thou (Joel & Ethan Coen)
77. Everything Everywhere All At Once (The Daniels)
78. Aftersun (Charlotte Wells)
79. Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)
80. Volver (Pedro Almodovar)
81. Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
82. The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer)
83. Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel & Ethan Coen)
84. Melancholia (Lars Von Trier)
85. Anchorman (Adam McKay)
86. Past Lives (Celine Song)
87. The Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson)
88. The Gleaners and I (Agnes Varda)
89. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan)
90. Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach)
91. Fish Tank (Andrea Arnold)
92. Gladiator (Ridley Scott)
93. Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy)
94. Minority Report (Steven Spielberg)
95. The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier)
96. Black Panther (Ryan Coogler)
97. Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)
98. Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog)
99. Memories of A Murder (Bong Joon-ho)
100. Superbad (Greg Motolla)
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