Debating the best movies is always a fun endeavour, especially when you put certain parameters on it.
If we’re talking best movies of all time, classics like The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather would dominate the conversation.
What if we’re only looking for the best movies of the 21st century? The New York Times recently polled actors for their thoughts, so it got us thinking.
The Social Network
I remember seeing this at midnight on opening night, being blown away by it. A movie about the founding of Facebook that’s compelling, dramatic, and entertaining?
That’s what happens when you fill the room with immense talent. Between Aaron Sorkin’s script, David Fincher’s directing, and the talented cast of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake, this is the movie that should have won Best Picture over The King’s Speech.
Zodiac
I could talk about David Fincher’s work in the 21st century all day, but let’s give him props one more time before moving on.
Despite floundering at the box office and being shut out during awards season, Fincher’s Zodiac is as tense and uneasy as life in San Francisco was during the Zodiac killings.
If you ever had any doubts about Jake Gyllenhaal’s ability before, this puts him to rest. He outshines the ensemble cast and elevates the script.
There Will Be Blood
Okay, so maybe one reason a film as good as Zodiac was shut out come award season was the quality of movies in 2007.
Take, for example, There Will Be Blood, which didn’t even win Best Picture or Director. Daniel Day-Lewis did take home a much deserved award for Best Actor, though. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better performance in the 21st century by any actor.
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No Country For Old Men
Okay, one more 2007 movie and then we can move on.
No Country For Old Men is the Coen Brothers’ magnum opus. Every second is perfectly crafted, with the lack of musical score only adding to the tension. Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh is one of the most menacing villains in movie history. The adaptation does the Cormac McCarthy novel justice. If, for some reason, you haven’t seen this movie, stop what you’re doing and watch it right now.
The Founder
In a world where a movie about Facebook is an all time great, you better believe the same can be true about the growth of McDonald’s.
Michael Keaton steals the show in The Founder. You can’t help but root against him, despite his constant success, and the way he crushes the dreams of the McDonald brothers is heartbreaking to watch. It may not be as widely beloved as The Social Network, but it’s just as good.
Minority Report
For the most part, Steven Spielberg’s track record in the 21st century has paled in comparison to his work in the 20th century, with 2002 featuring his best work.
As much fun as Catch Me If You Can is, I have to give the nod to Minority Report. With Tom Cruise in the lead, Spielberg’s sci-fi action thriller is non-stop fun that reminds you why Spielberg’s best movies outshine nearly everything else.
Get Out
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut is one of the smartest horror movies ever made.
Peele does an excellent job of playing on audience expectations, subverting our minds into thinking the movie is content to fall into the trappings of popular horror tropes while throwing curveballs our way that keep us guessing. Oh, and it does all this while doubling as an important message on modern white supremacy in America today!
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Am I biased because this is my favorite movie of all time? Sure, but it’s well worth a spot on our list of the best 21st century movies.
Watching Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet’s relationship progress inversely, as they fall in love despite having broken up, leads to one of the most profound and touching movies I’ve ever seen. Combined with the equally enjoyable and intriguing B-plots, it culminates in the romantic message that true love conquers all.
The Departed
A lot of people, including those on the New York Times list, rank The Wolf of Wall Street above The Departed, but I’m here to say that you are all wrong.
The former tends to drag on at a 180-minute runtime. While The Departed isn’t exactly a short movie (151 minutes), it’s so tightly edited and well paced that it flies by. Every second is filled with Scorsese magic.
WALL-E
Pixar’s original run is one of the greatest in cinematic history, with 2008’s WALL-E arguably being the high point.
Yes, it may feel a little preachy by the end, but the movie’s early sequences have little to no dialogue, and yet we can’t help but fall in love with WALL-E as a character.
Ratatouille
For me, if WALL-E isn’t one of Pixar’s best in the 21st century, the answer is Ratatouille.
Dare I say that it’s one of Disney’s best movies of all time? It absolutely is, with an ending featuring Peter O’Toole’s iconic monologue that should have at least earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Moneyball
I like to joke that, as a Red Sox fan, my favorite part about Moneyball is the ending, which reveals that the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004.
In reality, though, my favorite part is the entire movie. Surprise, surprise, we have a script co-written by Aaron Sorkin, and the way Brad Pitt exudes confidence in his plan is perfection.
Inception
It would be impossible to talk about the 21st century’s best films without any mention of Christopher Nolan.
His adaptation of The Dark Knight helped elevate the comic book movie genre, but I have to give the nod to Inception. It’s an incredibly clever, unique, and exciting thriller that holds up exceptionally well today. It’s endlessly entertaining from start to finish.
Spotlight
Winner of Best Picture at the 88th Academy Awards, Spotlight shines a light (pun not intended) on the systemic abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.
Spotlight succeeds because it stays focused on the task at hand, following the Boston Globe investigative team as they cover the story. The film does such an excellent job of following not just the story, but the journalist chasing it.
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