The 100 best 21st century films: global visions, auteur masterpieces, and stories that define our era
What the New York Times’ critics and filmmakers say about the cinema of our time
“Cinema is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. It tells us about life” – Federico Fellini
A new Cinematic language for the 21st century
From digital breakthroughs to multilingual storytelling and the rise of AI, the first 25 years of the 21st century have radically reshaped the way we watch – and understand – film. It’s in this evolving landscape that The New York Times gathered votes from over 500 directors, actors, and critics, including Pedro Almodóvar, Sofia Coppola, Barry Jenkins, Guillermo del Toro, and Julianne Moore, to determine the 100 best 21st century films.
The result is more than a list. It’s a reflection of taste, artistry, cultural impact, and the many ways cinema still speaks to our time.
At the top: global stories, bold perspectives
Landing in first place: Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. A genre-bending social thriller that became a global phenomenon – and the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars.
Runner-up: David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, a surreal deep dive into identity and illusion. In third: There Will Be Blood by Paul Thomas Anderson, an intense parable of ambition, greed, and oil-stained power.
Other titles in the top tier include the haunting beauty of In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai, the raw intimacy of Moonlight by Barry Jenkins, and the genre-shifting brilliance of Get Out by Jordan Peele.
A global lens on Cinema
The list is a powerful reminder that the best 21st century films are no longer the domain of Hollywood alone. From Hayao Miyazaki’s animated masterpiece Spirited Away, to the visceral energy of Fernando Meirelles’ City of God, to the personal narratives of Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men) and Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain), global storytelling defines our cinematic era.
The missing voice: Italian Cinema
One notable absence? Italy. Despite a rich cinematic legacy, no Italian films appear in the top 100. A gap that invites reflection on why contemporary Italian cinema hasn’t yet produced a universally resonant masterpiece – at least according to this international panel.
Beyond rankings: Cinema as cultural map
This list is more than a ranking – it’s a visual map of modern tensions, dreams, and contradictions. It celebrates cinema not just as entertainment, but as art, provocation, and collective memory.
This is not just a list of films – it’s a cultural atlas. A living archive of ideas, conflicts, and emotions that shaped our century so far. And a powerful reminder that cinema still has the ability to challenge, reflect, and connect us all.
