The Top 25 Movies of the 21st Century So Far

With the first quarter of the 21st century coming to an end, here are the century’s top 25 movies so far in chronological order.

“American Psycho” (2000) — Dir. Mary Harron

“American Psycho” is a satire that critiques ’80s Wall Street culture. The film follows Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a man who has lost himself entirely to the goal of conforming to the extreme standards of the finance world: A world where “eggshell-with-Romalian-type” business cards and Valentino suits carry the utmost importance. In a perfect world, this film would be irrelevant today. Unfortunately, its messaging is more relevant than ever.

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004) — Dir. Michel Gondry

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” takes place in a fictional world where memories of relationships can be completely erased. After their relationship goes south, Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) both undergo the procedure. The film follows their relationship as they meet again, now with their memories wiped, and asks the question: With no memory, will you always come back to the person who broke your heart? The film explores tensions between fate and free will, suggesting that while memories shape identities, the emotional imprints of love and loss are inescapable even with no recollection of the past relationship.

“Mean Girls” (2004) — Dir. Mark Waters

“Mean Girls” is undeniably one of the most iconic movies of the 21st century, following the classic popular high school friend group trope. While it’s light, fun, and comedic, it also serves as a cautionary tale, showing that popularity is a construct, and therefore, conformity is futile.

“Before Sunset” (2004) — Dir. Richard Linklater

“Before Sunset” is the sequel to “Before Sunrise”: The story of two strangers who meet on a train and spend the day together, building a romantic connection that must be cut short. “Before Sunset” takes place nine years later when Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy)find each other again in Paris and wander the city, contemplating all that has changed from who they were the day they met on the train — all the innocence they lost and their now-cynical perspective on love. “Before Sunset” is even better than “Before Sunrise,” providing a more mature and realistic, yet still hopeful, take on romance than its youthful and innocent predecessor.

“The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) — Dir. David Frankel

It wouldn’t be fair to make a highly concentrated film-bro list while excluding the cult classic, “The Devil Wears Prada.” The film follows the life of Miranda Priestly’s (Meryl Streep) — assumed to have been based on Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour — and her assistant Andy (Anne Hathaway), exploring the tension between one’s career and one’s personal values through both characters. Featuring dialogue about everything fashion-related, from the history of cerulean blue to florals in spring, the film has some of the most iconic lines and monologues in pop culture.

“The Prestige” (2006) — Dir. Christopher Nolan

One of Nolan’s most underrated films, “The Prestige” tells the story of two magicians who compete with each other to become the best. The film opens by describing the three parts of a magic trick: the pledge — presenting an item, the turn — making that item disappear, and the prestige — making the item reappear. The film itself is set up as a magic act, with its finale as the prestige.

“Inglourious Basterds” (2009) — Dir. Quentin Tarantino

This is the movie you show to someone who didn’t like “Pulp Fiction” to convince them of Quentin Tarantino’s brilliance. “Inglourious Basterds” is a historical fiction piece about World War II and has some of the best screenwriting of the 21st century. Engaging throughout its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, “Inglorious Basterds” is a go-to film for anyone looking for a war drama that strikes a balance between light-hearted and heavy content.

“The Social Network” (2010) — Dir. David Fincher

“The Social Network” has garnered significant acclaim, telling the dramatized story of Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook. It is a “Gatsby”-esque story of the East and West set at Harvard, complete with final clubs, finance kids, and the conflict between old money and new money. The film presents a conflict between desire and satisfaction — one that doesn’t necessarily get a resolution.

“Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol” (2011) — Dir. Brad Bird

Even for haters of the action genre, “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol” is bound to excite everyone. Every scene of the film, from breaking into the Kremlin to climbing up the Burj Khalifa, is stressful and enticing, and provides a breath of fresh air amid the hundreds of unoriginal action movies of this century.

“About Time” (2013) — Dir. Richard Curtis

“About Time” is a rom-com with sci-fi elements, following Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), who travels back and forth in time to secure the love of his life. It’s a funny, heartwarming, and comforting love story that also makes one pause and appreciate the preciousness of time. Even in this fantasy world where time-traveling exists, the ultimate joy lies in the present.

“Her” (2013) — Dir. Spike Jonze

“Her” is one of those films that, upon its release, provoked thought on how it might become a reality in the future. The film is about a man named Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with a robot, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson): a premise that has become a reality, with AI becoming more and more humanlike in its ability to form interpersonal relationships. Despite a premise centered around AI, “Her” is about human connection and its irreplaceable nature. The most moving words Samantha tells Theodore will never match the sincerity of the letter that he writes to his ex-wife, Catherine (Rooney Mara).

“Whiplash” (2014) — Dir. Damien Chazelle ’07

“Whiplash,” is one of the most popular obsessed-artist-trope films of the 21st century, follows drummer Andrew (Miles Teller) as he works toward greatness. Each shot, jazz piece, and line of dialogue forces the viewer into constant stress, much like Andrew. If you’re looking for a film about a tortured artist, this one is one of the best.

“Interstellar” (2014) — Dir. Christopher Nolan

“Interstellar” has created one of the most contentious film debates: whether it’s underrated or overrated. The discourse in itself makes it worthy of this list. “Interstellar” is slow at times and overly explicated at others. Past its first act, however, it’s hard to deny the film’s greatness in its incredible space visuals, heartfelt plot, masterful acting by Matthew McConaughey, and brilliant score by Hans Zimmer.

“The Big Short” (2015) — Dir. Adam McKay

A story of the 2008 great recession and housing crisis, “The Big Short” is powerful, comedic, and engaging. Despite telling the story of one of the worst recessions in recent history, the film sets itself up as the success story of financial genius Michael Burry (Christian Bale), who decides to short the housing market. But the film is great because it never lets you feel the eventual success of Burry; it instead forces you to feel the tragedy of the recession. The film’s fantastic and humorous explanations of financial terms make it fit for both someone with no previous economics knowledge and the biggest economics nerd.

“Arrival” (2016) — Dir. Denis Villeneuve

“Arrival” tells the story of linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) working to decipher a new language of aliens who have landed on Earth. The film plays with time and structure to highlight the excitement of having an alien lifeform before you that is entirely unknown. With a beautiful score, engaging screenplay, and unsurprisingly impressive directing by Villeneuve, “Arrival” is a must-watch.

“Moonlight” (2016) — Dir. Barry Jenkins

“Moonlight” is a beautifully shot film that explores themes of sexuality and masculinity through its queer protagonist, Chiron (Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes). The three-act structure poignantly follows Chiron's growth from childhood into adulthood as he follows in the footsteps of his parent-like mentor, Juan (Mahershala Ali). The performances, cinematography, and writing are intimate and powerful. Despite its low budget, the film is an impressive feat and marks itself as one of the best A24 films yet.

“Manchester by the Sea” (2016) — Dir. Kenneth Lonergan

“Manchester by the Sea” tells the story of a grieving, divorced father who has recently been given guardianship of his nephew after his brother’s passing. Arguably one of the best depictions of depression and loss in film, with an outstanding performance by lead actor Casey Affleck, the slow-burn film is at the top of the list for dramas of the 21st century.

“Get Out” (2017) — Dir. Jordan Peele

“Get Out” is one of those films that genuinely deserves all of its hype. The film follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), a Black man, staying at his white girlfriend’s, Rose’s (Allison Williams), parents’ house for the weekend. As the title suggests, the stay will make you scream, “Get out!” the entire time. The film carries important messaging on rhetoric and racist stereotypes of Black people, but even setting the powerful themes aside, it entertains from beginning to end. “Get Out” is one of the best social commentaries and horror movies not just of the 21st century, but of all time.

“Lady Bird” (2017) — Dir. Greta Gerwig

“Lady Bird” explores the complicated relationship between a mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf), and daughter, Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan), as the Lady Bird’s high school graduation date approaches and their years of living under the same roof come to an end. The most concise way to describe the film: You either love it or you and your mother have a great relationship. There is no in-between.

“Parasite” (2019) — Dir. Bong Joon-ho

Although a popular pick, “Parasite” is considered one of the greatest films for a reason. Its simplistic symbolism from the semi-basement to the mansion to the scholar’s stone forces a thorough critique of capitalism and class structures — a common theme in Bong Joon-ho’s filmography. At different points in the movie, it’s horrifying, disturbing, and unsettling, but it needs to be: It aims to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comforted.

“Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (2019) — Dir. Céline Sciamma

A queer reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice’s tragic romance, “A Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is devastatingly beautiful. Although slow-moving, every shot and line is significant, and just as the movie title suggests, each frame looks like a painting.

“Little Women” (2019) — Dir. Greta Gerwig

Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of “Little Women” is innovative and creative, giving a fresh take to the novel over a century after its publication. Gerwig plays with time, alternating between Jo’s (Saoirse Ronan) adulthood and childhood, forcing the audience to experience the magnitude of childhood innocence amid the disappointment and stuffiness that comes with adulthood.

“Promising Young Woman” (2020) — Dir. Emerald Fennell

“Promising Young Woman” explores the grief of Cassandra (Carey Mulligan) whose best friend has presumably died by suicide after being raped. The film separates itself from the classic dark, female rage archetype with its distinct light, feminine atmosphere; it’s not an exaggerated and violent revenge arc, but an honest depiction of sexual assault. Without showing any graphic scenes or explicitly stating specifics about the rape, Fennell proves that even with no overt information, sexual assault is implicit; the ones who claim oblivion in reality just choose to turn a blind eye from it as though they are exempt from responsibility.

“Babylon” (2022) — Dir. Damien Chazelle ’07

“Babylon” is perhaps the most controversial pick on this list, with overwhelmingly negative reviews. Although some scenes may be overly grotesque or fall flat, others are some of the best of the century, most notably the ones that take place on set in the first half of the film. Even with its three-hour runtime, the film stays engaging through quick and witty dialogue, interesting cinematography, and an incredible jazz score that guides the entire film. “Babylon” forces the audience to contemplate the awe of cinema amid the horrors of Hollywood, posing the question: Is the greatness of film worth the pain of its industry? In asking the question, “Babylon” is ultimately an expression of a deep love for cinema.

“The Zone of Interest” (2023) — Dir. Jonathan Glazer

“The Zone of Interest” is a Holocaust movie that follows the perspective of the perpetrators rather than victims, centering around a German, Nazi family that lives right across from the Auschwitz concentration camp. The film might not land for someone who is hoping to learn more specifics about the Jewish experience. However, for those with deep knowledge of the atrocities, this might be one of the best and most haunting Holocaust movies they’ll see.