25 Best Films of the 21st Century Thus Far?

THERE WILL BE LIST

It seems frightfully early to be discussing this post's title. Especially in the random time of early June 2017. What possessed the New York Times to do this beyond clickbait? OOPS, it worked. We immediately clicked on the link. There's not specific criteria or info on how the list was composed. We just know Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott were involved and that they also asked a few directors and a couple of actors (very randomly Robert Pattinson and Michelle Williams) to speak up as well. The list is composed of 10 foreign language films, 2 documentaries, and 12 proposed new additions to the American canon including two Best Picture winners Moonlight  and Million Dollar Baby. You can see their full write-ups here.

Just the lists for fun after the jump, mine included as it only shares 4 titles with the New York Times...

NY Times List
* the film made my own top ten list in its year
nominated for Best Picture at the Oscar

1. There Will Be Blood (2007)*
2. Spirited Away (2001)
3. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
4. A Touch of Sin (2013)
5. The Death of Mr Lazarescu (2006)
6. Yi Yi (2000)
7. Inside Out (2015)*
8. Boyhood (2014)*
9. Summer Hours (2009)*
10. The Hurt Locker (2009)*
11. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
12. Timbuktu (2015)
13. In Jackson Heights (2015)
14. L'Enfant (2006)
15. White Material (2010)
16. Munich (2005)
17. Three Times (2006)
18. The Gleaners and I (2000)**
19. Mad Max Fury Road (2015)*
20. Moonlight (2016)*
21. Wendy and Lucy (2008)
22. I'm Not There (2007)
23. Silent Light (2008)
24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)*
25. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2004)

Relatively mystified by the inclusion of Three Times (just hypnotically gorgeous but so uneven, even given the mandatorily uneven terrain of experimental art films) and Munich (not sure I'll ever understand its appeal) but otherwise I dig or understand. Though I should note that I'm Not There (2007) is my least favorite Todd Haynes feature (...speaking of uneven though its highs are remarkable).

Nathaniel's List

1. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
2. Carol (2015)
3. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
5. I Am Love (2009/2010)
6. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
7. Far From Heaven (2002)
8. In the Mood for Love (2000/2001)
9. A Separation (2011)
10. Under the Skin (2013/2014)
11. Talk to Her (2002)
12. Rachel Getting Married (2008)
13. Mad Max Fury Road (2015)
14. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000)
15. A History of Violence (2005)
16. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
17. Mulholland Dr (2001)
18. There Will Be Blood (2007)
19. Vera Drake (2004)
20. The Class (2008)
21. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001/2002)
22. WALL•E (2008)
23. Before Sunset (2004)
24. The Hurt Locker (2008/2009)
25. Hunger (2008/2009)

** Note: I absolutely L-O-V-E The Gleaners and I but I never rank documentaries with narrative features as I find them impossible to compare in both their goals and their form. They share very few of the things that can make a narrative feature transcendent magic (acting, costumes, production design, etcetera).

So... what the hell a Favorite Documentaries List of the New Century too. I don't see a ton of documentaries.  I'm still hopelessly behind on the last couple of years of Oscar nominees in this category -- but these are my 10 favorites from the past 17 years unless I've forgotten something (very possible).

1. The Gleaners and I (2001)
2. Grizzly Man (2005)
   🔺 They'd both make my top ten fav docs of all time list, surely, though I've never made one. Paris is Burning would be #1 as it is EVERYTHING.
3. The Missing Picture (2013)
4. Prodigal Sons (2008)
5. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
6. Last Train Home (2009)
7. How to Survive a Plague (2012)
8. Stories We Tell (2012)
9. Waltz With Bashir (2008)
10. The House I Live In (2012)

But again, for documentaries, I defer to Glenn or Daniel who see a ton of them.

The New York Times also polled a few filmmakers for their top tens of the century thus far and you can see their individual lists here. But I thought we should share one of them because I find it so interesting...

Sofia Coppola's Top 12 of the new century

• Force Majeure (2014)
• The White Ribbon (2009)
• The Savages (2007)
• Head-On (2005)
• Daddy's Home (2015)
• Under the Skin (2014)
• The Incredibles (2004)
• Together (2001)
• Grizzly Man (2005)
• Ida (2014)
• Fish Tank (2010)
• Ex Machina (2015)

The only one of these I haven't seen is Daddy's Home (she says she loves it because her kids love it) but every other film is just fantastic.

You know what it's time for in the comments? YOUR LISTS!

Comments

[Anonny]

Mad Max is going to age very well. Will that be the fun of this decade that ppl consider their favorite 20 yrs from now? I bet it'll be a popular choice

[ferdi]

Far From Heaven
Carol
The Hours
Moulin Rouge
Brokeback Mountain
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Jane Eyre
Black Swan
Bright Star
Rachel Getting Married
Bridesmaids
In the Mood for Love
Shame
Closer
Blue Valentine
Under the Skin
Rust and Bone
Coraline
The Devil Wears Prada
Three Will Be Blood
Cheri
Arrival
Maps to the Stars
Notes on a Scandal
Albert Nobbs

[Michael R]

Love the mentions for Rachel Getting Married. Rosemarie DeWitt was robbed of an Oscar nomination.

[Sean C.]

I alphabetized my list, rather than trying to rank them (it's been a while since I've seen a number of them, so it would be difficult to do it just off the top of my head):

A Serious Man (2009)
Almost Famous (2000)
Atonement (2007)
Before Sunset (2004)
Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013)
Boyhood (2014)
Downfall (2005)
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Incendies (2011)
The Incredibles (2004)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Mustang (2015)
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
The Prestige (2006)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Two Days, One Night (2014)
True Grit (2010)
WALL-E (2008)
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Your Name (2016)

When initially trying to put this together, I debated trying to limit myself to one film per director, but the list wouldn't be honest without Anderson's two efforts, especially. The Coens and Linklater also manage multiple entrants.

[MrW]

This is hard

My Top 5, a group of perfect films:
City of God (2002)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Drive (2011)
Holy Motors (2012)
Y tu mamá también (2001)

And then these 20:
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
8 Women (2002)
Talk to Her (2002)
Toni Erdmann (2016)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Mommy (2014)
Head-On/Gegen die Wand (2004)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Oh Boy (2012)
The Fog of War (2003)
Amores perros (2000)
Cabin in the Woods (2012)
Dogville (2003)
Yi Yi (2000)
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Laurence Anyways (2012)
Atanarjuat (2001)
Bin-Jip (2004)
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Zatôichi (2003)

Just throwing in another eight I just hated to exclude:
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Match Point (2005)
In the Loop (2009)
Ghost World (2001)
Grizzly Man (2005)
2046 (2004)
The Lives of Others (2006)
Elephant (2003)

I must apologize for including so few recent films. It usually takes a few years for a film to really grow on me, so this list is clearly skewed towards the Aughts.

[Cash]

I love that Inside Out and Boyhood are right by each other on the NY Times list. They make good companion films.

[Mareko]

Had to alphabetize mine as well:

20th Century Women (2016)
Amour (2012)
A Separation (2011)
Birth (2004)
Bridesmaids (2011)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Carol (2015)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Erin Brockovich (2000)
The Hurt Locker (2009)
I Am Love (2010)
Kill Bill (2003)
Last Night (2010)
Lost in Translation (2003)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Mean Girls (2004)
Moonlight (2016)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Shame (2011)
Sideways (2004)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Volver (2006)
X2 (2003)
Young Adult (2011)

Honorable mentions to The Devil Wears Prada, Gone Girl, Moon, and Spider-Man 2—all masterworks of their respective genres!

[Tr]

There Will Be Blood
Traffic
Gravity
Selma
The Social Network
Children of Men
Zero Dark Thirty
Minority Report
Return of the King
Mulholland Drive
Shame
Steve Jobs
Team America
The Dark Knight
No Country for Old Men
Inglorious Basterds
Arrival
United 93
The Departed
A History of Violence

[Tr]

Whoops, 5 more....

Inside Out
Lincoln
The 40 Year Old Virgin
The Fellowship of the Ring
Wall-E

[lylee]

Pleasantly surprised to see that Summer Hours made the NYT list. I think it's a wonderful film (perhaps Assayas' best?) that didn't get quite the level of attention it deserved - maybe in part because it's so quiet.

But yeah, it's way too early to be making this kind of list. At least wait till 2020 or 2025!

[NATHANIEL R]

Lylee -- i love that one too. a lot. But with only 25 slots...

[Joe]

I love everyone's lists! So I can't claim these are the "best," but these are all movies that stayed with me. I'm a sucker for certain themes and kinds of films--films that capture a sense of wonder; films that deal with loss in poignant moving, and funny ways; films about struggle and trauma; films that teeter between dark comedy and drama. This list probably says way more about me than the quality of the actual films! Here goes--I ordered mine based on year of release:

You Can Count on Me (2000)
Moulin Rouge (2001)
Spirited Away (2001)
The Piano Teacher (2001)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
The Hours (2002)
Far From Heaven (2002)
Birth (2004)
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
Mysterious Skin (2005)
The Savages (2007)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Black Swan (2010)
Fish Tank (2010)
Bridesmaids (2011)
Young Adult (2011)
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
Rust and Bone (2012)
Her (2013)
Stranger by the Lake (2013)
Room (2015)
La La Land (2016)
Moonlight (2016)
Arrival (2016)
20th Century Women (2016)

Honorable mentions: Shame, The Virgin Suicides, Ratatouille, Carol, Beginners

[Kelly Garrett]

In no particular order other than slightly descending by year:

Star Wars Force Awakens
Rogue One
Timbuktu
Under the Skin
Song of the Sea
The Great Beauty
The Invisible War
A Separation
Marwencol
Precious
The Dark Knight
Once
Half Nelson
Walk on Water
Team America: World Police
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Far From Heaven
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Mullholland Drive
Memento
Almost Famous
Kubo and the Two Strings
Mysterious Skin
Inside Llewyn Davis
Hero

[Manuel]

Amores Perros
Amour
Best in Show
Der Untergang
Dogville
Force Majeure
Hero
I Am Love
In The Mood For Love
Infernal Affairs
Memories of Murder
Mulholland Drive
Sicario
Stranger by the lake
Talk to her
The Fountain
The Handmaiden
The Son's Room
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
The Tree of Life
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tom at the farm
Under the Skin
Waltz with Bashir
Zodiac

[TheBoyFromBrazil]

My TOP 20:

Mulholland Dr.
Brokeback Mountain
Playing (Jogo de Cena)
Moulin Rouge!
Spirited Away
In the Mood for Love
Talk to Her
Y Tu Mamá También
Frances Ha
Moonlight
Mad Max: Fury Road
Boyhood
Moonrise Kingdom
Let the Right One In
Love Songs (Les Chanson D'amour)
Wall•E
Inside (À l'intérieur)
Neighboring Sounds (O Som ao Redor)
Drive
Elephant

I have only one doc in my list (Playing), which I consider the best "women who lie to themselves" movie of all time. And this movie is also a feast to actressexuals!

[natalie]

@Joe. I love your list. If these movies say what you are all about, we would

Probably be good friends.

[ferdi]

I forgot Children of Men and The Piano Teacher!!!

[thevoid99]

No Lost in Translation? This list is booty.

[Arghavan]

Without order:
Her
Boyhood
Arrival
Nebraska
About elly
Wiplash
The others
Lion
The fountain
Wall-E
Doubt
Hurt locker
Eternal sunshine of an spotless mind
Once
Donnie darko
Grand budapest hotel
Night crawler
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Inception
Prisoners

[John]

Not sure why barely 17 years into the century we're making these lists, but anyway:

Mulholland Drive
Morvern Callar
Dancer in the Dark
Russian Ark
The Tree of Life
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Carol
The New World
Birth
Grizzly Man
Werckmeister Harmonies
Margaret
Tabu
Inland Empire
Amour
Junebug
In Jackson Heights
Toni Erdmann
Son of Saul
Synecdoche, New York
Things to Come
Silvered Water: Syrian Self-Portrait
Blue Valentine
Far From Heaven
Erin Brockovich

[Suzanne]

My top 5 of the century, in alphabetical order:
Black Swan
Boyhood
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lost in Translation
The Royal Tenenbaums

Beyond that:
Amelie
American Hustle
American Psycho
Beginners
Before Sunset
Blue Jasmine
Bowling for Columbine
Bridesmaids
Exit Through the Gift Shop
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Grizzly Man
Inglourious Basterds
Jackie
The Lives of Others
Michael Clayton
Moulin Rouge!
The Social Network
Talk to Her
Zero Dark Thirty

[Mytops]

So many great choices guys. My favorite 25 as best as I can but I am assuredly leaving some out by accident.

Top 10 (in no order):

The Incredibles
Inglorious Basterds
The Social Network
You Can Count on Me
Animal Kingdom
Zodiac
Grizzly Man
The Fellowship of the Ring
I Love You, Man
History of Violence

Remaining 15:
Thirst
Ex Machina
Eastern Promises
City of God
The Pianist
Zero Dark Thirty
A Prophet
Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind
The 40-year old virgin
Kill Bill
Mad Max: Fury Road
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
The Departed
Requiem for a Dream
Minority Report

Honorable Mentions
Memento
Rust and Bone
Casino Royale

[Keith]

Thirty that I love, in alphabetical order:

A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Amour
Away From Her
Duck Season
The Fast Runner
The Five Obstructions
Get Out
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Inside Out
Kubo and the Two Strings
Melancholia
A Monster Calls
Moonlight
Moulin Rouge
Mysterious Skin
Pan's Labyrinth
Punch-Drunk Love
Rams
Ratatouille
Room
A Separation
Sita Sings the Blues
The Station Agent
Stories We Tell
Tears of the Black TIger
Ten Canoes
United 93
Up
Weekend
You, the Living

[Cesar Gaytan]

This is my list. I write the original titles because i don't like much how it sounds (or looks) many translations, is just one of my weird ideas so i put the name of the director as reference.

Holy Motors (Leos Carax)
Kasi Az Gorbehaye Irani Khabar Nadareh (Bahman Ghobadi)
Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky)
Russkiy Kovcheg (Aleksandr Sokurov)
Pequeñas Voces (Oscar Andrade, Jairo Eduardo Carrillo)
El Incidente (Isaac Ezban)
Birdman (Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry)
Irreversible (Gaspar Noe)
Temporada de Patos (Fernando Eimbcke)
Les Triplettes de Bellevile (Sylvain Chomet)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell)
Crimen Ferpecto (Alex de la Iglesia)
Contracorriente (Javier Fuentes-Leon)
Mary and Max (Adam Elliot)
Te Doy Mis Ojos (Iciar Bollain)
May (Lucky McKee)
Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
Dancer in the Dark (Lars Von Trier)
Bom Yeoreum Gaeul Gyeoul Geurigo Bom (Kim Ki-Duk)
WALL-E (Andrew Stanton)
Best in Show (Christopher Guest)
Adiós Mundo Cruel (Jack Zagha Kababie)
Medianeras (Gustavo Taretto)
Sen to Chihiro No Kamikakushi (Hayao Miyazaki)

[Edward L.]

Here are mine, in rough chronological order:

Gladiator
Our Lady of the Assassins
Wonder Boys
Moulin Rouge!
Mulholland Drive
Le Fils
The Pianist
Peter Pan
Before Sunset
A History of Violence
Match Point
Terror's Advocate
Quantum of Solace
The Silence of Lorna
Inglourious Basterds
Father of My Children
Le Havre
Hugo
Life of Pi
Skyfall
The Great Beauty
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mad Max: Fury Road
Spotlight

[goran]

I'd forgotten that you love The Class. Good man

[Marcos]

Nathaniel: Your list is far better than the NYT's!

[Marcos]

Nathaniel: Your list is far better than the NYT's!

[Edwin]

Good to see Jonathan Glazer getting so much love from the directors who participated. All three of his films were mentioned by at least one person! Good on him.

[Jon]

Well...

2000 - In the mood for love
2001 - The Lord of The Rings (also 2002 and 2003)
2002 - Far from Heaven, Spirited Away, Talk to her
2003 - Finding Nemo
2004 - Million Dollar Baby, The Incredibles, Eternal Sunshine
2005 - Brokeback Mountain, Munich, Cinema Aspirins and Vultures, Le Enfant
2006 - Volver, Pan's Labyrinth, The lives of Others, Children of Men
2007 - Ratatouille, Atonement, Jesse James, Zodiac, 4 weeks, The Dinving Bell, no country for Old men
2008 - The Class, Let the right one in
2009 - The white ribbon, up, a serious man
2010 - toy story 3, dogtooth, the way back, the social network
2011 - a separation, melancholia
2012 - Amour, Skyfall, Les mis, zero Dark Thirty
2013 - Blue is the Warmest Collor, Inside llewyn Davis, the Wind rises
2014 - Gone Girl, Leviathan, Wild Tales, mommy
2015 - Mad Max Fury Road, 45 years, Inside Out
2016 - Arrival

[Jon]

Aldo

A history of violence (2005)
The pianist (2002)
Waltz with bashir (2008)

[Jon]

*Also

[Volvagia]

If I were to do 25, just counting finished years?

Almost Famous (2000)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
City of God (2002)
Far From Heaven (2002)
Oldboy (2003)
Before Sunset (2004)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
There Will be Blood (2007)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Social Network (2010)
The Fighter (2010)
Melancholia (2011)
Drive (2011)
Looper (2012)
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
12 Years a Slave (2013)
The World's End (2013)
Under the Skin (2014)
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Moonlight (2016)

[Volvagia]

The one A grade movie I had to painfully cut from a list of just 25 movies? The Ghost Writer.
The movies from 2009 (yes, The Hurt Locker is the best "respectable" movie that year, but it's also the worst overall year this century, with no flat-out masterworks) I most wish I could include, even though the best I can give them are A-? Observe and Report, A Serious Man and In the Loop.
The switch that would probably happen if I was also counting this year? Under the Skin traded for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

[Volvagia]

So, if I were to do it #1-25, and not chronological order?

1. Far from Heaven
2. Before Sunset
3. Oldboy
4. City of God
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6. There Will Be Blood
7. Moonlight
8. Mad Max: Fury Road
9. 12 Years a Slave
10. Looper
11. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
12. Zero Dark Thirty
13. Shaun of the Dead
14. The Dark Knight
15. Hot Fuzz
16. The Social Network
17. Melancholia
18. The World's End
19. Drive
20. No Country for Old Men
21. The Royal Tenenbaums
22. Pan's Labyrinth
23. Almost Famous
24. The Fighter
25. Under the Skin

[brandz]

I agree, Nathaniel's list is far, far better than the NYT. I think my very favorite film would be A Separation.

[Jon]

I forgot

Under the skin (2014)

[eurocheese]

Since you're really going to spring this on the Saturday night of Pride when I didn't even plan on glancing at the site before going back, you get a list of 26 and I'm not caring if Excel auto correct did the annoying A/The alphabetization (shade!):

A Prophet
An Education
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Black Swan
Brokeback Mountain
Erin Brockovich
Far From Heaven
Finding Nemo
Gravity
Hairspray
Inception
Inside Out
Juno
Kill Bill
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
La La Land
Les Miserables
Little Miss Sunshine
Memento
Milk
Moonlight
Moulin Rouge!
The Dark Knight
The Departed
The Hours
The Tree of Life

BTW, loved your lists. :)

[brookesboy]

Zero Dark Thirty
Birdman
12 Years a Slave
Moonlight
There Will Be Blood
Sideways
The Hurt Locker
Nebraska
The Dark Knight
Million Dollar Baby
About Schmidt
The Social Network
Spotlight
Mad Max: Fury Road
Inside Llewyn Davis
Lincoln
La La Land
Take Shelter
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Gravity
Little Miss Sunshine
Midnight in Paris
Ex Machina
Snowpiercer
The Grand Budapest Hotel

[Tallsonofagun]

Million Dollar Baby is such a subpar film in so many ways. It was a crime when it won the Oscar and it is shocking to find it listed as number 3 on their list. It has graceful moments and a few strong performances, but it's flaws are deep and problematic. Just do not get it.

[The Jack]

I'm amazed that The Lord Of The Rings (or even just Fellowship if we're being strict) got no love on the official list and barely any in these comments. Is it just The Hobbit movies and Peter Jackson's post-Rings career that killed the passion? Because that would be a huge shame. Fellowship is still a marvel 16 years later.

[Volvagia]

The Jack: I'm more surprised that I'm the only one who's included anything Edgar Wright. Honestly, LOTR is a weird thing, because the collective impact (A+ as a collective) is stronger than the films judged individually (each are kind of just B+s on their own).

[Joseph]

The NYT list is definitely clickbait but nothing wrong with that when it causes a discussion, makes us think about our favorite films and has your average moviegoer seeking out films they otherwise would not watch. I also appreciate their willingness to shine a light on either less-appreciated films from great directors (i.e. Munich, Inside Llewyn Davis) or less-appreciated art-house films (i.e. White Material, Touch of Sin).

My list would be in no particular order:

Talk to Her
The Dreamers
Blue is the Warmest Color
The Best of Youth
Mulholland Dr.
There Will Be Blood
Before Sunset
The Raid 2
Kill Bill Vol 2
Ratatouille
Eternal Sunshine
The Hours
City of God
Lost in Translation
House of Flying Daggers
Midnight in Paris
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Sideways
Encounters at the End of the World
Away From Her
Once
Letters from Iwo Jima
Zero Dark Thirty
Y Tu Mama Tambien
The Ghost Writer

[NATHANIEL R]

Joseph -- ooh. love the inclusion of The Ghost Writer. That is not discussed enough.

Volvagia -- i really believe that's what killed love for LOTR.

Marcos -- awww thanks.

Cesar -- HEDWIG. Yaaas. 2001 was just an embarrassment of riches. so many great films.

[Anonny]

The Fellowship of the Ring is and always has been genius. It has aged very well

The Two Towers and Return of the King has such high highs but also some pretty inexcusable lows. Those have not aged nearly as well though are both still must-see great films (just not too of the century worthy). Anyone who thinks less of TFOTR due to the subsequent films (including the bloated hobbit films) needs to rewatch the one that started it all.

Unrelated, but I think Edge of Tommorrow needs to be on more of these lists. A modern classic IMHO. People will be rewatching that one for a long time.

[Cesar Gaytan]

Sorry for my english (I am mexican) but i need to take off this:

Reading lists of different people reafirms my love for cinema because even when could exist technical parameters of quality and even when you could rank a group of A+ list movies, the way to order them it will be different to every person and it's logical; if you have an A+ comedy movie and an A+ horror movie, what is best?

You choose it based on your personal preference and that is great. Every list tells you more of the person that the list for itself.

The way that movies affects every person is different and that's the real beauty of any artistic expression.

[natalie]

@Cesar Your English is very good. You expressed your thoughts wonderfully... also, I happen to agree with you 100%.

[Julie Feucht]

This is very difficult. These are in no order:

Brooklyn
Inglourious Basterds
There Will Be Blood
Wolf of Wall Street
American Hustle
Munich
A History of Violence
Boyhood
La La Land
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Amour
Inside Llewyn Davis
Spotlight
Social Network
Skyfall
Mad Max: Fury Road
Chicago
Moulin Rouge
Gone Girl
Room
A Most Dangerous Year
Creed
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Departed
Bling Ring (I know...) I think I counted wrong and put 26. Oh well.

[Jesus Alonso]

1. Hero (Zhang Yimou)
2. Mad Max: Fury Road
3. Moonlight
4. The King's Speech
5. Hedwig and the Angry Inch / Shotbus
6. The LEGO Movie / L'Inconnu du Lac (Stranger by the Lake) / Snowpiercer
7. Borat: or cultural learnings of America to benefit glorious nation of Kazakhstan
8. In the Loop
9. The Lord of the Rings trilogy
10. The Dark Knight
11. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
12. Beast of the Southern Wild
13. Little Miss Sunshine
14. Fantastic Mr. Fox / The Grand Budapest Hotel
15. American Psycho
16. Battle Royale
17. The Wolf of Wall Street / The Aviator
18. Camino (Javier Fesser) / Marshland (La Isla Mínima) / Mi gran noche (Alex de la Iglesia) / Talk to her
19. Il Divo
20. Habemus Papam
21. Hairspray
22. Pan's Labyrinth
23. The Tree of Life
24. Bowling for Columbine
25. City of God

That's full of cheating, I know... I can't decide which 2014 was the better film, nor which has been the best spanish film, nor which has been the best of Marty or Wes. Still a lot left out - don't get mad at me for leaving you fave - and unsure of the correct order - much improvised.

Still, I can say I think NY Times list has some WTF choices because...

1. Million Dollar Baby is manipulative crap. Full stop.
2. The Hurt Locker is good, for sure, and I felt related to the story given my professional past working in Angola - not in the same department - so I thought it perfectly capture the sensation of "not belonging anymore" to the western society and the addiction to risk. Still, the structure of the film is not really different from a porno, or a Friday the 13th film, set pieces barely interconnected that predate the story itself. Great film, but no masterpiece.
3. The 40 year old virgin? SERIOUSLY? Over Fantastic Mr. Fox, just to name one extremely better comedy? Or the groundbreaking Borat? Or Hairspray, which might be the most perfect movie musical after Hedwig, of this century? Sigh.

[Rachel Wagner]

Interesting lists. I disagree with separating out documentaries. A good story is a good story whether true events or fiction. Boyhood, Spirited Away and Up would make my list but will have to think about rest