The New York Timesasked over 500 directors, actors, and other Hollywood professionals to name thebest movies of the 21st century so far, and some of their choices were surprising.Several Oscar-winning movies were left off the top 100 list,and in their place were more genre films than expected. The top 100 includes some major prestige pictures, like the number one film, theBest Picture winnerParasite.Other major award-winning films on the list includeNo Country for Old Men,There Will Be Blood,Interstellar,The Departed,and more. However, the list also included comedies, art-house films, and cult favorites.
Checking in at the final spot at no. 100 is the Greg Mattola comedySuperbad.Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg,Superbadtells the story of two high school friends who are about to go in different directions after graduation, and they struggle to deal with the ramifications as the final party of the school year approaches. It is no surprise that people love the movie — however, it is an R-rated comedy that fits comfortably into the old-school raunchy comedy genre, similar to theAmerican Piefilms.
With that said, the film has always had a reputation for rising above its genre. When looking at the voting,it is also surprising to see who choseSuperbadas one of their favorites.Julianne Moore picked it, as well as a similar movie inThe 40-Year-Old Virgin(which didn’t make the list). Other people who voted for it include Sean Evans, Eric Roth, Shea Wingham, Joe Wright, and Mike Birbiglia.
Gravitywas a huge Oscar contender upon its release. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the film is impressive in terms of its visual style and atmosphere. Sandra Bullock stars asan abandoned astronaut who has to find a way to get back to Earth.It has a high critical Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%, but a lower audience rating of 79%. This is largely a surprise when other Oscar-winning films were not included on the list, including notable titles such asSlumdog Millionaire,Argo,andThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
However,Gravitymade the list,although it lost Best Picture to12 Years a Slave. Yet when examining who voted for it, it is clear that it remains highly respected as a work of art. The most notable voter who lovedGravitywas director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz).
The fact that a Steven Spielberg movie made the top 100 list is no surprise. However, that out of all his films from the 21st century,Minority Reportwas the one chosen to represent his work is shocking. This sci-fi movie, starring Tom Cruise as a cop on the run in a futuristic society, is Spielberg’s only entry here.Minority Reportis based on the Philip K. Dick storyand is a good movie that does many things right. However,is it better than Spielberg’s other films of the 21st century?
Missing from the list were films likeCatch Me If You Can, Munich, Lincoln, Bridge of Spies,andWest Side Story.This isn’t so much a case ofMinority Reportnot belonging; it is the other films that are missing. Some voters tried, including Bong Joon-ho (who voted forWar of the Worlds), David Krumholtz (Munich), and Rachel Zegler (Lincoln), but Spielberg remains highly underrepresented.
For me,Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundywas the first genuine surprise onThe New York Timeslist.This is a broad comedy that sees Will Ferrell at his best,with Adam McKay directingtheAnchormancast, who were willing to do anything to get a laugh from the audience. It is a beloved cult classic and a worthy addition to the list.
This is a movie that is all about comedic moments, as the story makes almost no sense, and the plot is just there to put these characters into absurd situations. However, it worked. Critics didn’t like it (66%) as much as the audience (86%), but the Hollywood professionals clearly side with the fans on this one.
Melancholiais another unexpected addition to the list, given its relative obscurity, even at its low ranking of no. 84.Lars Von Trier directed this filmabout the end of the world, focusing on a woman (Kirsten Dunst) who is about to get married before a rogue planet crashes into the Earth, ending all life on the planet. This movie is also part of Von Trier’s Depression Trilogy.
Critics mostly likedMelancholiaupon its release,earning it an 80% RT score, while audiences were ambivalent, giving it a 67% rating. This film is primarily a showcase for Dunst, who delivers an excellent performance and even won Best Actress at Cannes for her work. However, it is also an overall underappreciated art-house film with a moody atmosphere and poignant themes.
Much likeMelancholia,The Tree of Lifeis an arthouse film that received critical acclaim (80%) but was dismissed by audiences (60%).This Terrence Malick release, unlikeMelancholia,was at least an Oscar contender,earning nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematographer.The Tree of Lifetells the story of a suburban family in Texas during the 1950s, as well as the troubled son (Sean Penn) from that family decades later. What threw off some audiences was the sequence of the movie whereMallick explores the “history of the universe,“which critics called both beautiful and pretentious.
Much likeAnchorman,Ocean’s Elevenis more of a fan-favorite movierather than a critically acclaimed one. However, as this list of the best movies of the 21st century shows, the voters chose their genuine favorites among the best movies, andSteven Soderbergh’s most mainstream releasemade the list at no. 71.This is easily Soderbergh’s most accessible movie, a remake of a Rat Pack heist film that surpasses the original in every way.
Ocean’s Elevenstars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and more as a group of thieves planning a major casino vault heist in Las Vegas on the night of a huge prize boxing fight. It was a huge success, grossing over $450 million at the box office, and spawned a franchise. However, it seems to be a strange fit among the prestige films and critically acclaimed darlings that surround it in the rankings. Instead, it is proof that fan-favorite releases are just as important as message films.
It says a lot about Jonathan Glazer’s sci-fi film that it was voted the 69th best movie of the 21st century, despite being amostly forgotten 2010s box office failure.Scarlett Johansson stars in the movie as an alienwho disguises herself as a human woman and preys on men in Scotland. Most of the other actors were amateurs, but most fans ignored it. Despite the box office failure,Under the Skinwent on to receive several critics' awards and ended the year on many best-of lists.
It has since gone on to become more of a cult classic, thanks to its story of an alien witnessing the human condition, and contains more than one disturbing moment. It is no surprise that Hollywood talent found a lot to love about the film. When explaining why he voted forUnder the Skin, director Todd Field wrote: “This hypnotic sci-fi horror show is a miracle of economy. You simply can’t escape the spell Glazer casts. Like all good art, it scalds you.”
Many of the most surprising additions toThe New York Times’list are comedies. It takes a lot for both comedies and horror movies to make best-of lists since there are so many different takes on what is considered funny or scary. A film likeSuperbadmakes these lists because it transcends its genre. But when it comes toBorat,it is a different beast.
This movie featuresSacha Baron Cohen pretending to be from the fictional country of Kazakhstan.He then “arrives in America” and approaches real people as this character, with cameras capturing their reactions to him, exploring the racism that is prevalent in the country. Patton Oswalt worked on the movie and also included it on his list. He wrote: “It’s just a great example of a lot of your favorite movies that started as disasters. Not only did they rescue that movie, but they took it to this other level.”
One of the highest-rated comedies on the list of the best movies of the 21st century isBridesmaids.What is most impressive about this is that, when the film was released, many people referred to it as a “female version” ofThe Hangover.WhileThe Hangoverwas the most popular R-rated comedy in decades, it didn’t make the list. However,Bridesmaidsstands on its ownthanks to its impressive cast and great direction by Paul Feig. It was nominated for a Golden Globe, and Melissa McCarthy received an Oscar nomination. Now, being part ofThe New York Timeslist solidifies its standing in Hollywood.
