We're a quarter of a way into the 21st century and it's been...mostly a complete nightmare! 9/11, War in Iraq, Trump, COVID, the return of low-riding jeans. A nightmare!!
But at least we've had some darn good movies, right?
The failing New York Times has crafted a list of the best films of the 21st century. Below is the list, with the movies I've seen bolded. Then, I'll rank the ones I've seen in order of MY favorite, with commentary.
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100: Superbad
99: Memories of Murder
98: Grizzly Man
97: Gravity
96: Black Panther
95: The Worst Person in the World
94: Minority Report
93: Michael Clayton
92: Gladiator
91: Fish Tank
90: Frances Ha
89: Interstellar
88: The Gleaners & I
87: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
86: Past Lives
85: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
84: Melancholia
83: Inside Llewyn Davis
82: The Act of Killing
81: Black Swan
80: Volver
79: The Tree of Life
78: Aftersun
77: Everything Everywhere All at Once
76: O Brother, Where Art Thou?
75: Amour
74: The Florida Project
73: Ratatouille
72: Carol
71: Ocean's Eleven
70: Let the Right One In
69: Under the Skin
68: The Hurt Locker
67: Tar
66: Spotlight
65: Oppenheimer
64: Gone Girl
63: Little Miss Sunshine
62: Memento
61: Kill Bill vol. 1
60: Whiplash
59: Toni Erdmann
58: Uncut Gems
57: Best in Show
56: Punch-Drunk Love
55: Inception
54: Pan's Labyrinth
53: Borat
52: The Favourite
51: 12 Years a Slave
50: Up
49: Before Sunset
48: The Lives of Others
47: Almost Famous
46: Roma
45: Moneyball
44: Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
43: Oldboy
42: The Master
41: Amelie
40: Yi-Yi
39: Lady Bird
38: Portrait of a Lady on Fire
37: Call Me By Your Name
36: A Serious Man
35: A Prophet
34: Wall-E
33: A Separation
32: Bridesmaids
31: The Departed
30: Lost in Translation
29: Arrival
28: The Dark Knight
27: Adaptation
26: Anatomy of a Fall
25: The Phantom Thread
24: Her
23: Boyhood
22: The Grand Budapest Hotel
21: The Royal Tenenbaums
20: The Wolf of Wall Street
19: Zodiac
18: Y Tu Mama Tambien
17: Brokeback Mountain
16: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
15: City of God
14: Inglourious Basterds
13: Children of Men
12: The Zone of Interest
11: Mad Max: Fury Road
10: The Social Network
9: Spirited Away
8: Get Out
7: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6: No Country for Old Men
5: Moonlight
4: In the Mood for Love
3: There Will Be Blood
2: Mulholland Drive
1: Parasite
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I've seen 84 on the list! But, of course, I'd rank them differently. Here is *my* ranking of the ones I've seen (with commentary):
These are the ones that I am actively mad are on the list. I don't like them (at least not enough to be on a "top 100" list) and could replace them with other films I do like:
84: Ocean's Eleven
83: Minority Report
82: Under the Skin
81. Gladiator
80: Interstellar
79: Gravity
78: The Tree of Life
Now we get to the ones that I'm not crazy about, but I "get" why they are on the list. Many of these are films I've seen once and really need to watch again. I haven't watch Spirited Away and City of God in 20 years and I know I'm doing them dirty by ranking them so low, but I can't remember them.
77: The Hurt Locker
76: Arrival
75: Inside Llewyn Davis
74: Little Miss Sunshine
73: Up
72: City of God
71: Spirited Away
70: Lost in Translation
69: Black Panther
68: Superbad
67: Melancholia
66: Frances Ha
65: Best in Show
64: Pan's Labyrinth
63: Oppenheimer
62: Anatomy of a Fall
At this point, we enter the "meh" zone. These are good movies and I enjoyed them, but I don't really think about them much. They don't excite me the way others on the list do.
61: Memento
60: Let the Right One In
59: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship the Ring
58: The Florida Project
57: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
56: A Separation
55: A Serious Man
54: Y Tu Mama Tambien
53: Borat
52: Oldboy
51: In the Mood for Love
50: The Zone of Interest
49: The Favourite
48: The Phantom Thread
47: Almost Famous
Here, we enter into the "yes, this is actually good and I also do like them zone". These are all good movies, most of which I've watched multiple times...although some I do need to revisit.
46: Portrait of a Lady on Fire
45: Moonlight
44: Everything Everywhere All at Once
43: Uncut Gems
42: Mulholland Drive
41: Punch-Drunk Love
40: Children of Men
39: Volver
38: Her
37: Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
36: Adaptation
35: Fish Tank
34: Grizzly Man
33: The Dark Knight
32: Bridesmaids
31: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
30: Tar
29: Spotlight
28: Inception
27: The Grand Budapest Hotel
26: Before Sunset
25: Whiplash
24: Mad Max: Fury Road
23: Amelie
22: Kill Bill vol. 1
21: The Wolf of Wall Street
20: There Will Be Blood
19: The Master
18: Carol
17: 12 Years a Slave
Finally, we come to the pure pleasure zone. These are all movies I LOVE, have seen multiple times, would easily watch again, and would recommend to others without hesitation.
16: The Royal Tenenbaums
15: Lady Bird
14: Brokeback Mountain
13: The Social Network
12: The Departed
11: Parasite
10: Black Swan
9: O Brother, Where Art Thou?
8: The Lives of Others
7: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6: Gone Girl
5: No Country for Old Men
4: Get Out
3: Zodiac
2: Call Me By Your Name
1: Inglourious Basterds
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What's missing? Some of my favorite movies from the 21st century which didn't make the list at all include:
The Duke of Burgundy
The Prestige
Magic Mike
Moonrise Kingdom
Green Room
Midsommar
The Ring
Quills
Secretary
Bernie
Wonder Boys
American Splendor
Kinsey
Challengers
Ghost World
The Love Witch
The Lobster
Dogville
Donnie Darko
The Forty Year Old Virgin
The Wrestler
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
The Lighthouse
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