It's "Parasite" at No. 1
June 27, 2025 1:40 PM Subscribe
The New York Times conducted a massive poll of “directors, actors, and notable Hollywood names” to come up with the Best 100 Films of the 21st Century. Individual ballots from folks like Mel Brooks, Sofia Coppola, John Waters, and Stephen King have been published as well. (NYT link for those with access.)
Four Lions is missing.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 1:50 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 1:50 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
Seen about half, so that's good, definitely saw more of the early 2000's stuff than the newer, but it feels really weird to see some of them on there because they feel of a completely different period to me.
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:59 PM on June 27
posted by drewbage1847 at 1:59 PM on June 27
I.. actually liked this?
I mean, everyone has their favorite horse, and we can all argue about ordering. (I liked Parasite, LOVE Bong Joon Ho, but think the fact that it had an Oscar moment is playing too heavily into where it is placed. The Host was a better movie there I said it.)
But overall, this is a good list. There were a lot that I've seen and thought were great, and a lot more that I haven't seen and now want to. What more could you ask for from a dumb opinion listicle?
posted by heyitsgogi at 2:03 PM on June 27 [12 favorites]
I mean, everyone has their favorite horse, and we can all argue about ordering. (I liked Parasite, LOVE Bong Joon Ho, but think the fact that it had an Oscar moment is playing too heavily into where it is placed. The Host was a better movie there I said it.)
But overall, this is a good list. There were a lot that I've seen and thought were great, and a lot more that I haven't seen and now want to. What more could you ask for from a dumb opinion listicle?
posted by heyitsgogi at 2:03 PM on June 27 [12 favorites]
I have not yet made my way through the whole list, but Michael Clayton should be higher. How can a movie about lawyers be so beautiful and moving? well I would say due to the absolutely incredible cast, great writing etc., it's just such a gorgeous, tragic movie.
posted by supermedusa at 2:06 PM on June 27 [8 favorites]
posted by supermedusa at 2:06 PM on June 27 [8 favorites]
Pleased to see Zodiac at 19. That seems about right. The list is valid!
posted by mazola at 2:08 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by mazola at 2:08 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
My list...
Parasite
Children of Men
Get Out
Sorry to Bother You
Man on Wire
The Act of Killing
28 Days Later
Spirited Away
Amelie
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Pan's Labyrinth
Let the Right One In
Another Year
La La Land
Moonlight
I can't stop!
Shout out to the people who nominated comedies!
posted by latkes at 2:08 PM on June 27 [5 favorites]
Parasite
Children of Men
Get Out
Sorry to Bother You
Man on Wire
The Act of Killing
28 Days Later
Spirited Away
Amelie
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Pan's Labyrinth
Let the Right One In
Another Year
La La Land
Moonlight
I can't stop!
Shout out to the people who nominated comedies!
posted by latkes at 2:08 PM on June 27 [5 favorites]
hm this is minimal differences but parasite above mulholland dr? does not compute
posted by sapagan at 2:10 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
posted by sapagan at 2:10 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
oops. my link only goes to 61. let me see if i can find the rest.
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 2:10 PM on June 27
posted by a non mouse, a cow herd at 2:10 PM on June 27
Ah forgot Ladybird! Portrait of a Lady on Fire! May December!! The Gleaners and I!
posted by latkes at 2:12 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
posted by latkes at 2:12 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
honestly pretty upset that fast five didn't make it into the top twenty
posted by i used to be someone else at 2:16 PM on June 27 [5 favorites]
posted by i used to be someone else at 2:16 PM on June 27 [5 favorites]
Personally, I do not believe that there have been 30 movies better than "Rachel Getting Married" released this century. Very male-centric list.
posted by HunterFelt at 2:35 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
posted by HunterFelt at 2:35 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
As lists go this is an excellent list.
I don't think Tennenbaums ranks as the top Wes Anderson movie of the 20th century, and might not even rank #5 (Grand Budapest, Fantastic Mr Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and Isle of Dogs all eclipsed it)
Mad Max Fury Road in all its post-apocalyptic feminist sci-fi glory deserves every bit of that #11 spot.
posted by mcstayinskool at 2:39 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
I don't think Tennenbaums ranks as the top Wes Anderson movie of the 20th century, and might not even rank #5 (Grand Budapest, Fantastic Mr Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, and Isle of Dogs all eclipsed it)
Mad Max Fury Road in all its post-apocalyptic feminist sci-fi glory deserves every bit of that #11 spot.
posted by mcstayinskool at 2:39 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
hm this is minimal differences but parasite above mulholland dr? does not compute
I agree, but I'm also one of those few people who actually disliked Parasite.
I did have a lot of fun browsing through the lists though! Played a little game in my head where I struck off people's lists if it had one movie that I disliked. Of course a few movies I haven't seen, so I disregarded those. Really funny to see how many and whom I actually agreed with.
posted by extramundane at 2:41 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
I agree, but I'm also one of those few people who actually disliked Parasite.
I did have a lot of fun browsing through the lists though! Played a little game in my head where I struck off people's lists if it had one movie that I disliked. Of course a few movies I haven't seen, so I disregarded those. Really funny to see how many and whom I actually agreed with.
posted by extramundane at 2:41 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
Wow, two of the top five (Parasite and There Will be Blood) would be on my list of movies so unwatchably boring that I skipped to the end to see what all the fuss was about. I still regret the time wasted. It's a short list. I sat through Tarkovsky's Solaris for fuck's sake! Maybe the movies were better in the theater.
posted by surlyben at 2:49 PM on June 27 [3 favorites]
posted by surlyben at 2:49 PM on June 27 [3 favorites]
I don't hate the top 5 pics at all. Interesting that #1 Parasite and #2 Mulholland driveare both arguably horror movies. Says something about the current moment, but I'm also glad that In the Mood for Love made it to #4.
Agreeing with latkes that the Gleaners and I is one of the great docs of the age.
posted by Playdoughnails at 2:52 PM on June 27 [4 favorites]
Agreeing with latkes that the Gleaners and I is one of the great docs of the age.
posted by Playdoughnails at 2:52 PM on June 27 [4 favorites]
I can't believe neither of the Spiderverse movies made the list. I hate Up with a white-hot passion, and can think of so many animated films from this time frame that are better.
posted by OHenryPacey at 2:54 PM on June 27 [10 favorites]
posted by OHenryPacey at 2:54 PM on June 27 [10 favorites]
And surlyben, YES, I think both those movies need to be seen on screen. The difference between an absorbing and a boring movie is often that in the theater it's filling your entire field of view and not letting you distract yourself. LOVE Fellini, can't imagine watching him on my laptop. It'd be boring.
posted by Playdoughnails at 2:55 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by Playdoughnails at 2:55 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
I hate Up with a white-hot passion
OK, not just me. Do not like the manipulation to create teardrop volcanos.
Maybe it isn't a critical masterpiece to everyone, but Master and Commander: Far Side of the World is some Weir I can't manage without seeing start to finish more than once in a while. I always seem to find something new to enjoy. Then again, I'm a repetition monkey...
posted by datawrangler at 3:11 PM on June 27 [12 favorites]
OK, not just me. Do not like the manipulation to create teardrop volcanos.
Maybe it isn't a critical masterpiece to everyone, but Master and Commander: Far Side of the World is some Weir I can't manage without seeing start to finish more than once in a while. I always seem to find something new to enjoy. Then again, I'm a repetition monkey...
posted by datawrangler at 3:11 PM on June 27 [12 favorites]
I have nothing to complain about - Fury Road is probably my favourite film of all time, and most of my favourites are on the list somewhere. I suppose if I object to anything, it's that while at least one Marvel movie ought to be on there, the best Marvel movie is, surely, Infinity War/Endgame, which is an absurd three-ring circus, but absolutely glorious and unashamed in its absurdity. But it's not my list.
posted by Grangousier at 3:31 PM on June 27
posted by Grangousier at 3:31 PM on June 27
I didn't think there was anything too surprising here, which is a downside to polls. I think personal lists are much more interesting because they leave room for some spice.
@surlyben I was actually with you until you came for solaris which I love. I didn't finish parasite because I didn't think the opening was interesting enough to continue (I do plan to revisit it though). And I saw blood in theater but it was right after no country which made blood look like amateur hour (sorry). I should probably give that another chance too, to be fair.
I do think a critic poll would be very different. This is just industry people I guess. Lots of "what's hot right now," like nolan (who I think is overrated).
posted by Flaffigan at 3:38 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
@surlyben I was actually with you until you came for solaris which I love. I didn't finish parasite because I didn't think the opening was interesting enough to continue (I do plan to revisit it though). And I saw blood in theater but it was right after no country which made blood look like amateur hour (sorry). I should probably give that another chance too, to be fair.
I do think a critic poll would be very different. This is just industry people I guess. Lots of "what's hot right now," like nolan (who I think is overrated).
posted by Flaffigan at 3:38 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
In the Mood for Love is 3 places too low, being the Most Besutiful Movie Ever Made, but… fine, list, whatever.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:44 PM on June 27 [4 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:44 PM on June 27 [4 favorites]
This is one of the least outrageously wrong top-100 lists I've seen posted here.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 3:46 PM on June 27 [4 favorites]
posted by paper chromatographologist at 3:46 PM on June 27 [4 favorites]
Personally, I do not believe that there have been 30 movies better than "Rachel Getting Married" released this century. Very male-centric list.
Fuckkkk I forgot Rachel Getting Married. That is an incredible, devastating, hyper-realistic portrayal of mental illness and family dysfunction amidst one of the most realistic "unconventional" bougie bohemian multicultural wedding backdrops I've seen that also provides a great snapshot of the early aughts indie era ("oh hey she's marrying the guy from TV on the radio!") So much chaotic yelling and messiness. Rachel Getting Married walked so movies like Uncut Gems could run, thank you for reminding me that masterpiece exists.
posted by windbox at 3:51 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
Fuckkkk I forgot Rachel Getting Married. That is an incredible, devastating, hyper-realistic portrayal of mental illness and family dysfunction amidst one of the most realistic "unconventional" bougie bohemian multicultural wedding backdrops I've seen that also provides a great snapshot of the early aughts indie era ("oh hey she's marrying the guy from TV on the radio!") So much chaotic yelling and messiness. Rachel Getting Married walked so movies like Uncut Gems could run, thank you for reminding me that masterpiece exists.
posted by windbox at 3:51 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
I expected Everything Everywhere All at Once to be in the top 10. What really blows my mind about this list is how many of the early 2000s movies just feel like 90s movies to me, like they're just from so far in the past to no longer be relevant in 2025. People are making really cool different movies now, and it's great! But then I realized that a lot of the people involved in the list are even older than me (I'm 48), and I guess are pretty nostalgic for things like Eternal Sunshine, The Departed, and Minority Report.
(Also, yes, super dude heavy list, and throwing in that Kathryn Bigelow movie that's about dudes doesn't really change that.)
posted by hydropsyche at 3:52 PM on June 27 [11 favorites]
(Also, yes, super dude heavy list, and throwing in that Kathryn Bigelow movie that's about dudes doesn't really change that.)
posted by hydropsyche at 3:52 PM on June 27 [11 favorites]
Disappointed that Guy Maddin's "Rumours" was not on the list!
posted by crazy_yeti at 3:54 PM on June 27 [4 favorites]
posted by crazy_yeti at 3:54 PM on June 27 [4 favorites]
There's a lot of "meh" in this list. Just as one data point among many, "Gravity" has no business being on this list, and "Blade Runner 2049" has no business not being on it.
posted by outgrown_hobnail at 4:00 PM on June 27 [10 favorites]
posted by outgrown_hobnail at 4:00 PM on June 27 [10 favorites]
That's a lotta Scarlett Johansson.
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:00 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by The corpse in the library at 4:00 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
This is a good collection, though I always feel like it’s better to just go chronologically and not attempt to rank them. It’s definitely too Hollywood-heavy, which probably reflects the people who were polled. Christopher Nolan is way overrepresented and I’m surprised to see nothing by Kelly Reichardt, Lucrecia Martel, Hirokazu Kore-eda and a few other heavyweights. Some additions I’d make (the first two are a couple of all-time favorites):
American Splendor (2003) - Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
Morvern Callar (2002) - Lynne Ramsay
Sexy Beast (2000) - Jonathan Glazer
Still Life (2006) - Jia Zhangke
Nobody Knows (2004) - Hirokazu Kore-eda
Shoplifters (2018) - Hirokazu Kore-eda
Winter’s Bone (2010) - Debra Granik
Holy Motors (2012) - Leos Carax
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) - Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Elephant (2003) - Gus Van Sant
Caché - (2005) - Michael Haneke
Zama (2017) - Lucrecia Martel
First Cow (2019) - Kelly Reichardt
Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016) - Bill Morrison
(yeah, I could go on with like a dozen more…)
posted by theory at 4:11 PM on June 27 [16 favorites]
American Splendor (2003) - Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
Morvern Callar (2002) - Lynne Ramsay
Sexy Beast (2000) - Jonathan Glazer
Still Life (2006) - Jia Zhangke
Nobody Knows (2004) - Hirokazu Kore-eda
Shoplifters (2018) - Hirokazu Kore-eda
Winter’s Bone (2010) - Debra Granik
Holy Motors (2012) - Leos Carax
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) - Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Elephant (2003) - Gus Van Sant
Caché - (2005) - Michael Haneke
Zama (2017) - Lucrecia Martel
First Cow (2019) - Kelly Reichardt
Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016) - Bill Morrison
(yeah, I could go on with like a dozen more…)
posted by theory at 4:11 PM on June 27 [16 favorites]
until you came for solaris which I love
I never said I didn't like it, its just that it can be a little slow at times.
posted by surlyben at 4:25 PM on June 27
I never said I didn't like it, its just that it can be a little slow at times.
posted by surlyben at 4:25 PM on June 27
Sing Sing belongs on this list. It's such a beautiful, poignant movie. Kinda kills me that more people haven't seen it.
posted by ishmael at 4:29 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by ishmael at 4:29 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
from my list:
The Fall (2006) Tarsem Singh
The Host (2006) Bong Joon Ho
Jesse James etc (2007) Andrew Dominick
The VVitch (2015) Robert Eggers
The Green Knight (2021) David Lowrey
posted by ovvl at 4:33 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
The Fall (2006) Tarsem Singh
The Host (2006) Bong Joon Ho
Jesse James etc (2007) Andrew Dominick
The VVitch (2015) Robert Eggers
The Green Knight (2021) David Lowrey
posted by ovvl at 4:33 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
I've seen 44 of them, which seems like a lot until you consider this isn't specifically a critics' list. It's mostly a bunch of mainstream films. I don't see a lot here I violently disagree with (there's like four fucking Christopher Nolan movies here, which is embarrassing and lame but not a surprise). I don't think it's a very interesting list, but it's not a bad list. It's a fairly uncontroversial list. It's boring but hard to criticize.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:36 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:36 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
@theory, nice list. I voted for Morvern Callar in the reader poll, so I'm with you. I'd love to see your dozen more, I've been getting back into really good movies and seeing people's lists has been a great source of ideas.
@surlyben totally fair, you're not wrong about that. I kind of love Tarkovsky's slowness, but I'm not sure I could explain why.
posted by Flaffigan at 4:39 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
@surlyben totally fair, you're not wrong about that. I kind of love Tarkovsky's slowness, but I'm not sure I could explain why.
posted by Flaffigan at 4:39 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
Shirkers (2018) Sandi Tan
My Winnipeg (2006) Guy Maddin
Marie Antoinette (2006) Sofía Coppola
Carol (2013) Todd Haynes
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) Ana Lily Amirpour
Every Everything (2013) Gorman Bechard
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) Celine Sciamma
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2013) Wes Anderson
Mulholland Dr (2001) David Lynch
Hundreds of Beavers (2022) Mike Cheslik
posted by pxe2000 at 4:43 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
My Winnipeg (2006) Guy Maddin
Marie Antoinette (2006) Sofía Coppola
Carol (2013) Todd Haynes
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) Ana Lily Amirpour
Every Everything (2013) Gorman Bechard
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) Celine Sciamma
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2013) Wes Anderson
Mulholland Dr (2001) David Lynch
Hundreds of Beavers (2022) Mike Cheslik
posted by pxe2000 at 4:43 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
We didn't need two Wes Anderson movies on this list.
posted by vverse23 at 4:49 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by vverse23 at 4:49 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
Hundreds of Beavers (2022) Mike Cheslik
Seconded.
posted by vverse23 at 4:50 PM on June 27 [10 favorites]
Seconded.
posted by vverse23 at 4:50 PM on June 27 [10 favorites]
I'd rather two Wes Andersons than the interminable boredom of that many Christopher Nolans.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:22 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:22 PM on June 27 [7 favorites]
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned "The White Ribbon" yet. Another fantastic Michael Haneke film.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:49 PM on June 27 [3 favorites]
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 5:49 PM on June 27 [3 favorites]
There are a half-dozen on the list that reminded me of my ex-father-in-laws review of, "Black Swan."
"What the hell did we just watch and why did we do that?"
posted by ITravelMontana at 6:08 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
"What the hell did we just watch and why did we do that?"
posted by ITravelMontana at 6:08 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
Rachel Getting Married
Hm, I just learned today that some people like Rachel Getting Married. The dishwasher loading scene - the bougiest wedding ever. Robyn Hitchcock just wandering around. It keeps laying on 'can you believe this?'
It's boring but hard to criticize.
I don't know, I don't think it was a bad list, but I find it easy to criticize:
One Upon a Time in Hollywood is fantasy trash. Like you can imagine rewriting Hollywood history and beating Bruce Lee and saving Sharon Tate is all you come up with?
Wolf on Wall Street - much like many Scorsese movies, is a paean to being a villain. I guess it fits with our time, but it's just a rich people party movie.
I don't get Ladybird, but it was ok. Not sure it was one of the best movies of the 00's though.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:17 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
Hm, I just learned today that some people like Rachel Getting Married. The dishwasher loading scene - the bougiest wedding ever. Robyn Hitchcock just wandering around. It keeps laying on 'can you believe this?'
It's boring but hard to criticize.
I don't know, I don't think it was a bad list, but I find it easy to criticize:
One Upon a Time in Hollywood is fantasy trash. Like you can imagine rewriting Hollywood history and beating Bruce Lee and saving Sharon Tate is all you come up with?
Wolf on Wall Street - much like many Scorsese movies, is a paean to being a villain. I guess it fits with our time, but it's just a rich people party movie.
I don't get Ladybird, but it was ok. Not sure it was one of the best movies of the 00's though.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:17 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
Let's be real here - Anchorman is not a better movie than Fellowship of the Ring. It may however be better than Return of the King.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 7:35 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 7:35 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
I honestly don’t understand the love for There Will Be Blood. And for it to be #3 on this list is utterly baffling. I found it to be a nearly unwatchable slog. Oh, well.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:47 PM on June 27 [3 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 7:47 PM on June 27 [3 favorites]
I was a film buff for a decade, from about 1992 through 2003, in film societies in DC and elsewhere and going to director talks and all that... and then the kids were born and it became movies on DVD on the rare nights we weren't exhausted.
So this list is fun in two ways: revisiting my film nerd days and seeing "Amelie" and "Mulholland drive" early and with some real fanatics, and also seeing films on the list and on individual ballots (yay, Mikey Madison and Luca Guadagnino!) that I saw well after the fact and thought were good to great, and glad to see them getting some love: "The Florida Project," "Almost Famous" and "A History of Violence."
And getting some ideas for movie nights with the kiddos, or with my partner after the kids head back to college -- judging by the ballots, I need to see "Moonlight" and "You Don't Get to 500 Million Friends..." among others. Thanks to Clustercuss for putting this together.
posted by martin q blank at 7:53 PM on June 27
So this list is fun in two ways: revisiting my film nerd days and seeing "Amelie" and "Mulholland drive" early and with some real fanatics, and also seeing films on the list and on individual ballots (yay, Mikey Madison and Luca Guadagnino!) that I saw well after the fact and thought were good to great, and glad to see them getting some love: "The Florida Project," "Almost Famous" and "A History of Violence."
And getting some ideas for movie nights with the kiddos, or with my partner after the kids head back to college -- judging by the ballots, I need to see "Moonlight" and "You Don't Get to 500 Million Friends..." among others. Thanks to Clustercuss for putting this together.
posted by martin q blank at 7:53 PM on June 27
I am disturbed that Gleaners and I, Mulholland drive and Memento are all from less than 25 years ago.
(OK, checking, all three are barely in the 21st Century, and not at all per your local pedant, but still, OMG time flies)
posted by intermod at 7:56 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
(OK, checking, all three are barely in the 21st Century, and not at all per your local pedant, but still, OMG time flies)
posted by intermod at 7:56 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
No Pink Flamingos, no peace.
(Though I agree that Hundreds of Beavers is an even more glaring omission.)
posted by delfin at 8:00 PM on June 27
(Though I agree that Hundreds of Beavers is an even more glaring omission.)
posted by delfin at 8:00 PM on June 27
The last time I thought through my overall list was in 2022, and from the 21st century was Green Room, Fury Road, and Moonrise Kingdom. And I still stand by those tbh.
posted by Carillon at 8:08 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
posted by Carillon at 8:08 PM on June 27 [1 favorite]
I was impressed to see that Zodiac made it as high as #19, and actually shocked that There Will Be Blood made it as high as it did. I was expecting it to be relatively overlooked, especially considering the proximity of its release to No Country For Old Men. For me, it's probably P.T. Anderson's best. I agree with Grand Budapest Hotel, but I think that The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou should also be there. Also, Un prophète is an incredible film, but The Sisters Brothers is almost as good. And I absolutely agree about Rachel Getting Married.
A few more that were missing for me:
Hereditary and Midsommar
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Hail, Caesar!
Rogue One
Scott Pilgrim
Eastern Promises
BlacKkKlansman
The Death of Stalin
The 2011 version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
And while Get Out was amazing, I think NOPE deserves to be on this list even more.
I keep thinking of films that are missing from this list that turn out to be from 1999, like The Thin Red Line, or Beau Travail, or Topsy Turvy, or Titus, that were actually released in 1999. God damn, 1999 was a good year for movies.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:05 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
A few more that were missing for me:
Hereditary and Midsommar
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Hail, Caesar!
Rogue One
Scott Pilgrim
Eastern Promises
BlacKkKlansman
The Death of Stalin
The 2011 version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
And while Get Out was amazing, I think NOPE deserves to be on this list even more.
I keep thinking of films that are missing from this list that turn out to be from 1999, like The Thin Red Line, or Beau Travail, or Topsy Turvy, or Titus, that were actually released in 1999. God damn, 1999 was a good year for movies.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 9:05 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
The Great Beauty (2013) - Paolo Sorrentino
Manchester by the Sea (2016) - Kenneth Lonergan
One Cut of the Dead (2017) - Shinichiro Ueda
The Death of Stalin (2017) - Armando Iannucci
Yesterday (2019) - Danny Boyle
The Kid Detective (2020) - Evan Morgan
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) - Dean Fleischer Camp
Pig (2021) - Michael Sarnoski
posted by LURK at 9:15 PM on June 27
Manchester by the Sea (2016) - Kenneth Lonergan
One Cut of the Dead (2017) - Shinichiro Ueda
The Death of Stalin (2017) - Armando Iannucci
Yesterday (2019) - Danny Boyle
The Kid Detective (2020) - Evan Morgan
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) - Dean Fleischer Camp
Pig (2021) - Michael Sarnoski
posted by LURK at 9:15 PM on June 27
> Very male-centric list.Yeah, there are 13 films just from Christopher Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Alfonso Cuaron. Compared to 11 films from all the women directors in the world combined. Zero women in the top 25, and only four in the top 50.
Interstellar makes the cut, but not Nomadland? Gravity is a better film than Selma?
posted by mbrubeck at 9:19 PM on June 27 [5 favorites]
> Scott PilgrimI’m honestly surprised there was not a single Edgar Wright film on the list.
(My own personal list would also include one or more John Wick installments, but I’m not exactly shocked that they didn’t poll in the top 100.)
posted by mbrubeck at 9:27 PM on June 27 [2 favorites]
I’ve seen nearly all these 100 movies, but I also saw 200 other candidates that could easily replace half of them. So last night I watched Best in show, one of the few ones I haven’t seen before. Would recommend.
posted by growabrain at 9:45 PM on June 27 [3 favorites]
posted by growabrain at 9:45 PM on June 27 [3 favorites]
Star Trek (2009) is a hill I will die on.
posted by billsaysthis at 10:17 PM on June 27
posted by billsaysthis at 10:17 PM on June 27
Oooh! Get yer fresh Hot Takes here!
I'm a film lover, and a lover of weird movies, which mostly means non-mainstream hollywood movies. So many things to react to.
Remember: I love you all, these are just my opinions.
Here's my line in the sand: Mandy is a goddamn masterpiece, and I will die on that hill, and also talk for hours about why. That movie haunted me for months.
While I'm dying on hills: Blonde and Tar, two amazing films. Also: Tar is a comedy. Fight me! Don't, but please feel free to disagree!
Nolan: One of those flavors people love, I'm a solid meh. I disliked Dunkirk enough to skip Oppenheimer. I feel like he completely missed the historical significance of Dunkirk, of all of England coming together to mount this historical ad hoc rescue mission, and boiled it down to a rich guy in a yatch.
See also Aronofsky. His movies look better than they are. Don't get the love. Unless Requiem for a Dream is supposed to be a comedy, in which case, maybe I'll reconsider.
There are only two Tarantino films I truly like. One is Jackie Brown, and the other is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. What a love letter! Glad it's on the list.
100% with TheWhiteSkull with The Assassination of Jesse James.
I go back and forth on Wes Anderson, but there are days I feel he's become a parody of himself.
No shade on Almost Famous but...Boogie Nights, imo.
Let's pop Gus van Sant's To Die For in there, yeah?
Bong Joon Ho. Hot and cold for me. Snowpiercer and Parasite I liked. Mickey 17 was cringey, tho I laughed at every 3D printing scene. He can be preachy, and doesn't always pull it off.
Up is a phenomenal short film that has some kiddie movie tacked on to the end to pad out the running time. I would probably go with Inside/Out.
Real talk: every single Cohen Brothers movie. Like, how to even choose. Except The Ladykillers. They can't all be winners. If I had to pick one...almost impossible. Maybe Hail, Caeser! which gets funnier and funnier with each rewatch.
Another documentary and another woman director (a twofer!): Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror directed by Kier-La Janisse. Highly recommend the box-set from Severin, that includes a lot of the discussed movies. Phenomenal!
A Promising Young Woman from director Emerald Fennell.
Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow. Raw and original.
If I had one Ari Aster film on the list, Beau is Afraid. This and IStTVG will break your brain and rewire it. A+.
Oh, we need more Alex Garland on here. I would probably go with Annihilation, an Art House film disguised as a sci-fi blockbuster.
Maybe some Ben Wheatly? High Rise is my absolute favorite of his. A 70s sci-fi classic that never was.
Roy Andersson's Songs from the Second Floor is an amazing piece of work, every frame a painting. If you haven't seen a Roy Andersson film, start here.
I could go on for hours, so let me close it out with this delightfully weird gem from director Miguel Llansó, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway.
posted by chromecow at 10:22 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
I'm a film lover, and a lover of weird movies, which mostly means non-mainstream hollywood movies. So many things to react to.
Remember: I love you all, these are just my opinions.
Here's my line in the sand: Mandy is a goddamn masterpiece, and I will die on that hill, and also talk for hours about why. That movie haunted me for months.
While I'm dying on hills: Blonde and Tar, two amazing films. Also: Tar is a comedy. Fight me! Don't, but please feel free to disagree!
Nolan: One of those flavors people love, I'm a solid meh. I disliked Dunkirk enough to skip Oppenheimer. I feel like he completely missed the historical significance of Dunkirk, of all of England coming together to mount this historical ad hoc rescue mission, and boiled it down to a rich guy in a yatch.
See also Aronofsky. His movies look better than they are. Don't get the love. Unless Requiem for a Dream is supposed to be a comedy, in which case, maybe I'll reconsider.
There are only two Tarantino films I truly like. One is Jackie Brown, and the other is Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. What a love letter! Glad it's on the list.
100% with TheWhiteSkull with The Assassination of Jesse James.
I go back and forth on Wes Anderson, but there are days I feel he's become a parody of himself.
No shade on Almost Famous but...Boogie Nights, imo.
Let's pop Gus van Sant's To Die For in there, yeah?
Bong Joon Ho. Hot and cold for me. Snowpiercer and Parasite I liked. Mickey 17 was cringey, tho I laughed at every 3D printing scene. He can be preachy, and doesn't always pull it off.
Up is a phenomenal short film that has some kiddie movie tacked on to the end to pad out the running time. I would probably go with Inside/Out.
Real talk: every single Cohen Brothers movie. Like, how to even choose. Except The Ladykillers. They can't all be winners. If I had to pick one...almost impossible. Maybe Hail, Caeser! which gets funnier and funnier with each rewatch.
Another documentary and another woman director (a twofer!): Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror directed by Kier-La Janisse. Highly recommend the box-set from Severin, that includes a lot of the discussed movies. Phenomenal!
A Promising Young Woman from director Emerald Fennell.
Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow. Raw and original.
If I had one Ari Aster film on the list, Beau is Afraid. This and IStTVG will break your brain and rewire it. A+.
Oh, we need more Alex Garland on here. I would probably go with Annihilation, an Art House film disguised as a sci-fi blockbuster.
Maybe some Ben Wheatly? High Rise is my absolute favorite of his. A 70s sci-fi classic that never was.
Roy Andersson's Songs from the Second Floor is an amazing piece of work, every frame a painting. If you haven't seen a Roy Andersson film, start here.
I could go on for hours, so let me close it out with this delightfully weird gem from director Miguel Llansó, Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway.
posted by chromecow at 10:22 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
This feels like the 100 best 21st century movies that people in the US with liberal arts degrees know about and would feel comfortable stumping for at a dinner party .
They are mostly very good movies, but it's light on genre fare, omits Eastern Europe and India (I think) entirely, gets most of its "art film" quotient from stuff that still features recognizable movie stars, and burns a bunch of slots on spectacle films and comedies in a way I would not myself co-sign.
It's a list of good movies that deserve acclaim. But if I said my personal top 100 would keep even half of these, that would be exceptionally generous.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:57 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
They are mostly very good movies, but it's light on genre fare, omits Eastern Europe and India (I think) entirely, gets most of its "art film" quotient from stuff that still features recognizable movie stars, and burns a bunch of slots on spectacle films and comedies in a way I would not myself co-sign.
It's a list of good movies that deserve acclaim. But if I said my personal top 100 would keep even half of these, that would be exceptionally generous.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:57 PM on June 27 [6 favorites]
some masterworks surprisingly low (lost in translation, under the skin), some absent (taylor-joy's breakout, the witch). social network pretty high for a biopic with a killer soundtrack.
overall, tho, not a terrible watchlist.
posted by j_curiouser at 1:36 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
overall, tho, not a terrible watchlist.
posted by j_curiouser at 1:36 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
"Boyhood" was a piece of shit. Glad to see "Moonlight" so high up.
posted by kensington314 at 1:50 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
posted by kensington314 at 1:50 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
11 films from all the women directors in the world combined. Zero women in the top 25, and only four in the top 50.
Yep, and one of the 11 is part of a pair: Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton for #63, Little Miss Sunshine. Used to be that a list with only 11 women out of 100 would require at least some acknowledgement of the disparity. That the NYT didn't even bother to note it as an issue is quite the sign of the times (and The Times).
I think we *really* need to know the breakdown of women to men in the "more than 500 influential directors, actors and other notable names" whose opinions were considered to matter here. Kelly Reichardt's First Cow, Certain Women and Meek's Cutoff are excellent films better then at least a dozen films on this list. Her absence is pretty damning.
posted by mediareport at 2:27 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
Yep, and one of the 11 is part of a pair: Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton for #63, Little Miss Sunshine. Used to be that a list with only 11 women out of 100 would require at least some acknowledgement of the disparity. That the NYT didn't even bother to note it as an issue is quite the sign of the times (and The Times).
I think we *really* need to know the breakdown of women to men in the "more than 500 influential directors, actors and other notable names" whose opinions were considered to matter here. Kelly Reichardt's First Cow, Certain Women and Meek's Cutoff are excellent films better then at least a dozen films on this list. Her absence is pretty damning.
posted by mediareport at 2:27 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
I could list like thirty movies that I would have included without having to think very hard, but instead let me just name one so that it is highlighted: Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days.
I think there is a solid argument to be made that it should be top ten.
It's feminist, it's about history, it's about oppression, it's about abortion, it's about brave women, it's so realist/minimalist that it borders on maximalism. The RT reviews are through the roof, so you don't have to take my word for it.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:57 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
I think there is a solid argument to be made that it should be top ten.
It's feminist, it's about history, it's about oppression, it's about abortion, it's about brave women, it's so realist/minimalist that it borders on maximalism. The RT reviews are through the roof, so you don't have to take my word for it.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:57 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
Here are a few of my personal favorites from the time period in question, and yeah, I like tough guy shit that makes me cry, along with other stuff, but this is just a few minutes of thinking about stuff that made an impression. If I had to come up with a list that was easier to agree upon or more balanced in the necessary dynamics of representation, I probably could, but it would take longer and be more of a chore and less of a fun, check these out, remember how much you like these?
First of all, I'll say I'm a sucker for the first few Bourne films. And I list flicks based on nationality because I'm not the auteur type, I think many hands go into most projects. And the Apichatpong Weerasethakul movie that I included is there because I love it, though I probably would have said Uncle Boonmee if it hadn't already been mentioned upthread. Speaking of auteurs, what a wonderful world.
So here is a short list of some of the best films from this period, in my estimation. There's a ton more because there's been an awful lot of good movie-making going on, all over the world, in the past 25 years. Technology has made film quality more accessible, so stories from around the world are being told and the things we see, oh, the things we see:
Crimson Gold (Iran, 2003)
Detroit Metal City (Japan, 2008)
Babylon (US, 2022)
The Hunt (Denmark, 2012)
Warrior (US, 2011)
Syndromes and a Century (Thailand, 2006)
The Man from Nowhere (South Korea, 2012)
Running on Karma (Hong Kong, 2003)
A Simple Life (Hong Kong, 2011)
Mid-August Lunch (Italy, 2008)
Happy as Lazzaro (Italy, 2018)
Gomorra (Italy, 2008)
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 4:14 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
First of all, I'll say I'm a sucker for the first few Bourne films. And I list flicks based on nationality because I'm not the auteur type, I think many hands go into most projects. And the Apichatpong Weerasethakul movie that I included is there because I love it, though I probably would have said Uncle Boonmee if it hadn't already been mentioned upthread. Speaking of auteurs, what a wonderful world.
So here is a short list of some of the best films from this period, in my estimation. There's a ton more because there's been an awful lot of good movie-making going on, all over the world, in the past 25 years. Technology has made film quality more accessible, so stories from around the world are being told and the things we see, oh, the things we see:
Crimson Gold (Iran, 2003)
Detroit Metal City (Japan, 2008)
Babylon (US, 2022)
The Hunt (Denmark, 2012)
Warrior (US, 2011)
Syndromes and a Century (Thailand, 2006)
The Man from Nowhere (South Korea, 2012)
Running on Karma (Hong Kong, 2003)
A Simple Life (Hong Kong, 2011)
Mid-August Lunch (Italy, 2008)
Happy as Lazzaro (Italy, 2018)
Gomorra (Italy, 2008)
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 4:14 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
"What the hell did we just watch and why did we do that?"
It honestly isn't often that something makes me laugh as loud as I did when I read this; thank you!
Very pleased to see both Lost In Translation and Call Me By Your Name in the upper part of the list; those are two of my top-three favorites. I'm also disappointed by There Will Be Blood being high up there - also Phantom Thread. Chalking that up to a grudge I have against Daniel Day Lewis (he's too good at playing nasty characters I wouldn't want to hang out with, and keeps on picking nasty characters for his roles, so I now have a knee-jerk repulsion). Also, The Lighthouse should be somewhere on here. ....I'm also very pleased to see Brokeback Mountain is up near the top, and Crash is nowhere to be seen (take that, 2005 Academy Award Voters).
I'm honestly a little freaked out how similar my own top-ten is to Molly Ringwald's. I'm also smacking my head over having forgotten The Green Knight when I was making my list - although, the fact that I forgot about it might be a sign it wasn't a top-ten anyway.
No Pink Flamingos, no peace.
That was from 1972 and thus ineligible for a list of 21st-Century films.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:35 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
It honestly isn't often that something makes me laugh as loud as I did when I read this; thank you!
Very pleased to see both Lost In Translation and Call Me By Your Name in the upper part of the list; those are two of my top-three favorites. I'm also disappointed by There Will Be Blood being high up there - also Phantom Thread. Chalking that up to a grudge I have against Daniel Day Lewis (he's too good at playing nasty characters I wouldn't want to hang out with, and keeps on picking nasty characters for his roles, so I now have a knee-jerk repulsion). Also, The Lighthouse should be somewhere on here. ....I'm also very pleased to see Brokeback Mountain is up near the top, and Crash is nowhere to be seen (take that, 2005 Academy Award Voters).
I'm honestly a little freaked out how similar my own top-ten is to Molly Ringwald's. I'm also smacking my head over having forgotten The Green Knight when I was making my list - although, the fact that I forgot about it might be a sign it wasn't a top-ten anyway.
No Pink Flamingos, no peace.
That was from 1972 and thus ineligible for a list of 21st-Century films.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:35 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
Oh, and how could I forget Locke (UK, 2013) and Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within (Brazil, 2010)?
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 5:46 AM on June 28
posted by Ice Cream Socialist at 5:46 AM on June 28
I don't hate the top 5 pics at all. Interesting that #1 Parasite and #2 Mulholland driveare both arguably horror movies.
Both arguably about the current state of institutions. Capitalism and Hollywood, respectively.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:02 AM on June 28
Both arguably about the current state of institutions. Capitalism and Hollywood, respectively.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 7:02 AM on June 28
After Parasite, I was shocked by how much I disliked Mickey 17. It had so much going for it. I liked some of the performances, but it was just a mess, and I love SF/fantasy.
Crash (2005) was possibly the movie that I hated the most -- of all time.
posted by SoberHighland at 7:18 AM on June 28
Crash (2005) was possibly the movie that I hated the most -- of all time.
posted by SoberHighland at 7:18 AM on June 28
Nolan drives me nuts, because he is great at visuals but doesn’t care about plot at all. Tell a story in chronological order! Have your screenwriter at least write a third draft!
posted by thecaddy at 7:42 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
posted by thecaddy at 7:42 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
I actually thought the visuals of oppie were a let down. I mean there were some great sequences like the bomb and a few after. But here you are shooting on imax in the new mexico desert and best you can do is constant closeups on people's faces. Agree about the writing issues for sure. I take solace knowing oppie at least didn't win best screenplay.
@TheWhiteSkull, also from late in '99 and just missed the cutoff: boys don't cry, ratcatcher, being john malkovich, all about my mother.
posted by Flaffigan at 8:16 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
@TheWhiteSkull, also from late in '99 and just missed the cutoff: boys don't cry, ratcatcher, being john malkovich, all about my mother.
posted by Flaffigan at 8:16 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
Every spring the guys at the Filmspotting podcast do a "March madness" 64-movie tournament bracket to select a "best" film over some domain, usually a particular decade.
This year they did the best of the 21st century (so far).
Great fun to peruse their inclusions/exclusions and what their voters picked at the various stages.
(Spoiler alert: There Will Be Blood beat Mulholland Dr in the final; No Country For Old Men and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind rounded out the final four.)
posted by AbnerRavenwood at 8:21 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
This year they did the best of the 21st century (so far).
Great fun to peruse their inclusions/exclusions and what their voters picked at the various stages.
(Spoiler alert: There Will Be Blood beat Mulholland Dr in the final; No Country For Old Men and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind rounded out the final four.)
posted by AbnerRavenwood at 8:21 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
Arrival, absolutely. But no Dune? That is a beautiful movie (I'm considering both parts together) and as good an adaptation of that work as we'll see.
And Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is/was visionary animation (in addition to being a darn good story), like, it rocked people's heads both in and out of the industry.
Minority Report and Anchorman can GTFO and make room, thanks.
posted by the sobsister at 8:32 AM on June 28
And Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is/was visionary animation (in addition to being a darn good story), like, it rocked people's heads both in and out of the industry.
Minority Report and Anchorman can GTFO and make room, thanks.
posted by the sobsister at 8:32 AM on June 28
Arrival, absolutely. But no Dune? That is a beautiful movie (I'm considering both parts together) and as good an adaptation of that work as we'll see.
Visually they're both beautiful, but how well do the two stories compare? That may be what put Arrival over the top.
Agree re Spiderverse, though. It may have been coming under the "It's one of those Marvel things, ugh" prejudice.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:57 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
Visually they're both beautiful, but how well do the two stories compare? That may be what put Arrival over the top.
Agree re Spiderverse, though. It may have been coming under the "It's one of those Marvel things, ugh" prejudice.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:57 AM on June 28 [2 favorites]
It's a pretty good list except that there are zero Mike Leigh films at all, which is an inexcusable crime against cinema. Subtract one stupid Nolan film and add Vera Drake and we're good.
posted by oulipian at 9:12 AM on June 28
posted by oulipian at 9:12 AM on June 28
Céline Sciamma got a deserved spot for Portrait Of A Lady On Fire but should have also taken one of Wes "I make the same film over and over" Anderson's spots for Tomboy from 2011, a brilliantly suspenseful film about a 10yo gender-non-conforming kid. I love this conversation for what it's done to my "watch later" lists at various sites (and my much shorter internal "oh shit you need to rewatch that cuz you liked it so much the first time" list), so offer that one in return. If you haven't seen it, it's quietly amazing.
posted by mediareport at 10:01 AM on June 28
posted by mediareport at 10:01 AM on June 28
Good list. The Beast (2023) transported me in a way few movies do, but I can imagine it dividing critics. So many parts of that I can’t get out of my head. The Guardian gave it five stars so at least I’m not alone.
posted by caviar2d2 at 10:06 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
posted by caviar2d2 at 10:06 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
Not enough time to settle in the minds of the voters but I’m saying see
Perfect Days
and get past the title of
Samurai Marathon
and you will be seeing good movies. Also have to reflect that I’ve watched Logan Lucky more than once. And 100s of Beavers but that needs to go on a diet to lose 25 minutes and get re-released.
posted by drowsy at 10:56 AM on June 28
Perfect Days
and get past the title of
Samurai Marathon
and you will be seeing good movies. Also have to reflect that I’ve watched Logan Lucky more than once. And 100s of Beavers but that needs to go on a diet to lose 25 minutes and get re-released.
posted by drowsy at 10:56 AM on June 28
Scott pilgrim is the biggest omission, what a delirious piece of brilliance that is
posted by Sebmojo at 10:57 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
posted by Sebmojo at 10:57 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
And, honestly, spiderverse over black panther if we are only allowed one marvel. That final train fight in bp was so dreary.
posted by Sebmojo at 10:59 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
posted by Sebmojo at 10:59 AM on June 28 [1 favorite]
Oh, come on, everyone, every "greatest [n] [things]" list has opportunity to argue about what should or shouldn't have been included on its merits. This one is giving us the opportunity to argue over whether the year 2000 should be considered part of the 21st century for the purposes of this list, and y'all're just skipping right past that? I expected a higher standard of pedantry from Metafilter.
(Okay, I'm kidding, but I am a bit curious to see what should replace Gladiator, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Best In Show, Almost Famous, Yi Yi, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, since I don't think anyone's nominated any of those for being cut. That's actually a kind of disproportionate share!)
posted by dick dale the vampire at 11:51 AM on June 28
(Okay, I'm kidding, but I am a bit curious to see what should replace Gladiator, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Best In Show, Almost Famous, Yi Yi, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, since I don't think anyone's nominated any of those for being cut. That's actually a kind of disproportionate share!)
posted by dick dale the vampire at 11:51 AM on June 28
As usual, the individual lists are a lot more interesting. Also, they explain how the main list came to be - the films that scored big did so because they existed in the crossover of a multi-dimensional venn diagram of lots of different people's tastes. It's not so much the 100 Best Films as the 100 Favourite Films of a lot of people who make films.
Anyway, there are some movies that have a huge effect on a lot of people - that Parasite is one of those, and Mulholland drive is another is interesting, but not really surprising. There are a number of Grand Budapest Hotel people and Royal Tenenbaums people (and at least one who favours both), so they make the list, but hardly any Fantastic Mr Fox people or Moonrise Kingdom people, so they don't.
In any case, the same thing is true of the BFI list or even the Oscars - they read as a statement of relative quality, but in fact the films weren't at any point ranked against each other. The list isn't saying that Almost Famous is better than The Lives of Others, just that more people in the industry like it enough to list it as a film they particularly like.
But yes, the individual lists are where the meat is.
posted by Grangousier at 5:00 PM on June 28
Anyway, there are some movies that have a huge effect on a lot of people - that Parasite is one of those, and Mulholland drive is another is interesting, but not really surprising. There are a number of Grand Budapest Hotel people and Royal Tenenbaums people (and at least one who favours both), so they make the list, but hardly any Fantastic Mr Fox people or Moonrise Kingdom people, so they don't.
In any case, the same thing is true of the BFI list or even the Oscars - they read as a statement of relative quality, but in fact the films weren't at any point ranked against each other. The list isn't saying that Almost Famous is better than The Lives of Others, just that more people in the industry like it enough to list it as a film they particularly like.
But yes, the individual lists are where the meat is.
posted by Grangousier at 5:00 PM on June 28
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posted by mazola at 1:50 PM on June 27 [14 favorites]