Cinema lists are usually just a recipe for internet shouting matches. Honestly, we’ve all seen them. You scroll down, find a movie you hate at number five, and suddenly your keyboard is on fire. But when The New York Times dropped its massive NYT best 100 movies of the 21st century poll in June 2025, the reaction wasn't just noise—it was a full-blown cultural autopsy.
This wasn't just two critics in a dark room. They polled over 500 industry heavyweights. Directors like Guillermo del Toro and Sofia Coppola had a say. Actors like Julianne Moore and John Turturro threw in their ballots. The result? A list that basically tries to map out what we’ve been doing for the last 25 years.
It's messy. It's bold. And yeah, it’s kinda weird in places.
The Top Tier: What the Pros Actually Think
At the very top of the NYT best 100 movies, we find Parasite. Bong Joon Ho’s masterpiece taking the #1 spot feels right. It's one of those rare moments where the "experts" and the people actually agree. It’s funny, it’s terrifying, and it’s a brutal look at class that feels even more relevant in 2026 than it did in 2019.
Right behind it at #2 is Mulholland Drive. David Lynch’s 2001 neon-noir is the ultimate "I need to watch a YouTube video to explain this" movie. It’s a polarizing choice for the silver medal, but the industry loves it because it captures the dream-like (or nightmare-like) essence of Hollywood better than almost anything else.
📖 Related: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
The top ten is a heavy-hitter parade:
- Parasite (Bong Joon Ho, 2019)
- Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
- There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
- In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai, 2000)
- Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016)
- No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
- Get Out (Jordan Peele, 2017)
- Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
- The Social Network (David Fincher, 2010)
Wait. No Lord of the Rings in the top ten? The Fellowship of the Ring didn't even crack the top 80 on the expert list, landing at #87. Fans were livid. If you look at the companion "Readers' Choice" list, the tone shifts dramatically toward blockbusters, showing a massive gap between what directors value and what we actually watch on a Saturday night.
Why Christopher Nolan Owns This Century
If you're looking for the king of the NYT best 100 movies, it’s Christopher Nolan. No contest. Between the expert poll and the reader's favorites, he has more entries than almost anyone. The Dark Knight (#28) remains the gold standard for superhero films that aren't really about superheroes—they’re about chaos and morality.
Then you have Inception (#55), Memento (#62), and Oppenheimer (#65). Some critics argued Oppenheimer was ranked way too low for its historical impact, but that’s the problem with these lists—they’re a snapshot in time.
👉 See also: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
Leonardo DiCaprio also cleaned up. He’s the most-represented actor on the list, appearing in everything from The Departed (#31) to The Wolf of Wall Street (#20). It’s a reminder that even in an era of indie darlings and "elevated horror," star power still carries a lot of weight in the industry's collective memory.
The Snubs and the Head-Scratchers
Every list has its "Wait, what?" moments. For many, the omission of The Shape of Water or RRR felt like a huge blind spot. The New York Times has a reputation for being a bit "snooty," and while they included some comedies like Bridesmaids (#32) and Superbad (#100), the overall vibe leans heavily toward prestige drama.
Only three documentaries made the cut. The Act of Killing (#82), The Gleaners and I (#88), and Grizzly Man (#98). When you consider how much the documentary genre exploded with streaming in the 2010s, that feels like a massive undercount.
And then there's the animation problem. Aside from Spirited Away and a few Pixar classics like WALL-E (#34) and Up (#50), the medium is largely ignored. It’s a common critique: the industry still treats animation like a "category" rather than just... movies.
✨ Don't miss: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
How to Use the List Without Getting Annoyed
Don't treat the NYT best 100 movies as a definitive Bible of what is good and what is bad. That's a trap. Treat it as a discovery tool.
If you’ve seen everything in the top 20, look at the bottom 20. Films like Fish Tank (#91) or The Worst Person in the World (#95) are absolute gems that didn't get the Marvel-sized marketing budgets but will stick in your brain for weeks.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit Your Watchlist: Go through the rankings and find the "international" titles you've skipped. Start with Yi Yi (#40) or A Separation (#33). These offer perspectives you won't find in a Hollywood writers' room.
- Compare the Polls: Look up the "Readers' Choice" version of this list. It’s fascinating to see where the public disagrees with the pros—like the readers' obsession with Interstellar versus its lower ranking by critics.
- Host a "Blind Spot" Marathon: Pick three movies from the list you've never heard of. It’s the best way to break out of the algorithm-driven bubble that Netflix tries to keep you in.
Cinema is changing fast. By the time the next big list comes out in 2030, we might be looking at a completely different landscape of AI-integrated features or interactive narratives. For now, this collection represents the high-water marks of a very weird, very creative twenty-five years.