# NY Times Readers' 100 Top Movies of the 21st Century **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [July 3, 2025, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441 "2025-07-03T12:46:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/21 "2025-07-03T16:07:43Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > It was an ambitious failure, which to me can be better than a mundane success. I’ll grant that it was an ambitious experiment, but I can simultaneously admire a film’s ambition while also recognizing the result of the experiment as a failure. Meanwhile, some of the films on a list like this (which earned their place on it) are ambitious experiments that worked very well, such as Pan’s Labyrinth. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/22 "2025-07-03T16:09:18Z")
I just said I liked it - I didn’t say it belonged on the list ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/23 "2025-07-03T16:28:44Z")
I haven’t seen most of them. The ones I saw and didn’t care much for: Social Network, Her, Black Swan. Should have been listed: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Green Book. Indian Films: Jai Bhim, Maharaja Animated films that are at least as good as Up or The Incredibles: Inside Out, Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3, the other two Spider-Man movies. There should also be at least one Harry Potter movie represented; the last was the best IMO. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/24 "2025-07-03T17:04:30Z")
A bit too highbrow for my tastes. I’d find room for Shaun of the Dead, Training Day, The Bourne Ultimatum, Collateral and Edge of Tomorrow on that list. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/25 "2025-07-03T18:29:23Z")
Looking only at the top 10, I haven’t seen _Parasite_. _Mulholland Drive_ was an overextended _Twilight Zone_ episode senselessly switching character identities to pad it out after it failed to sell as a TV pilot. _No Country for Old Men_ was premised on an act of stupidity. _Interstellar_ (boring and pretentious, but with a cool robot), _The Dark Knight_ (lame) and _Max Max: Fury Road_ (just one long chase) do not belong on such a list, imo. Haven’t seen 8-10. Though falling a bit short of greatness, _There Will be Blood_ is definitely a worthy inclusion. _The Grand Budapest Hotel_ should be in the top five. Many movies on the list clearly do not belong at all, a bunch of others I have not seen (and/or have successfully avoided) and where are _Hero_ (2002) and _Alienoid_ (2022)? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/26 "2025-07-03T18:31:11Z")
Off the top of my head, EX MACHINA seems worth a mention. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/27 "2025-07-03T18:34:19Z")
Strangely, I put Men from the same director in my top 10(probably, anyway). Not Ex Machina. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/28 "2025-07-03T18:34:54Z")
**I Saw The Devil** is another movie that should be in the top 10 or 20. Ignore the title; it isn’t a horror or supernatural movie. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/29 "2025-07-03T18:43:12Z")
Mulholland at #2 is strikingly high, but I understand that some young male cinephiles really love that movie (I mean, better than Inland Empire?). I’m glad to see The Worst Person in the World landing. I suspect Sentimental Value will surpass it the next time they do a list. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/30 "2025-07-03T18:49:04Z")
No **John Wick** (personally, I’d go with 3, but they’re all deserving)? If you don’t include any of them, that’s as good as saying that the entire action genre isn’t worthy of consideration, because there were no better action movies this century. Also, where’s **Moulin Rouge!**? ---
**Author:** ![iamatractorboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iamatractorboy/32/21261_2.png) [@iamatractorboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamatractorboy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/31 "2025-07-03T19:03:56Z")
> [@iamatractorboy](#): > > _Zodiac_ and _The Incredibles_ too low, _Fury Road_ wayyyyy too high (sorry Mahaloth!), and _Lion_ and _The Father_, both of which made me weep at the end, nowhere to be seen, when they are right up there for me. Can’t see _Casino Royale_ either, and as a massive Bond fan, that is criminal because it is top notch Bondage. Can’t believe I forgot this one… _Hot Fuzz_. One of my favourite films ever, and not made the cut. Not sure if it counts, but _Apollo 11_ from a few years back was breathtaking. Yes, everyone knows the story, but what’s better than the actual moonlanding? Stunning. Might get some pushback for this one, but I’ve always loved _Minority Report_. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/32 "2025-07-03T19:09:41Z")
Perhaps it was too recent to make the list, but I think **Flow** is a better film than at least half of the animated films listed. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/33 "2025-07-03T19:14:53Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Perhaps it was too recent to make the list _Sinners_ is on the list, so recency shouldn’t be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/34 "2025-07-03T19:30:49Z")
No **Morvern Callar**? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/35 "2025-07-03T19:35:24Z")
It’s a shame that none of the _Star Wars_ movies are on there. Not because they deserve to be on there, which they don’t. But they did deserve to be have been made better, so that they could have been on there in some alternate universe where better versions were made. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/36 "2025-07-03T19:44:51Z")
I’ve seen about 80% of the list. As such lists go, its not bad. Missing films IMHO are: Shoplifters (the final scene still haunts me) Close Revoir Paris Ex Machina is another good suggestion from above. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/37 "2025-07-03T19:54:16Z")
Glad to see _Aftersun_ (2022) on this list. I can’t even think about that film without getting choked up. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/38 "2025-07-03T20:01:38Z")
Looking at the list, it’s hard to spot any pattern. Usually, you can get some sense of an audience, when you look at ratings across a wide body of people (e.g. IMDB top ratings, Yahoo ratings, Yelp ratings, etc.) From this particular assortment, in this particular order, I feel like it just means that they didn’t have enough respondents to allow some hive mind concurrence to amass and reveal itself. Who knows why Mean Girls is better than Barbie but lower than Get Out. I can’t spot an underlying logic that maps to cinematics, storytelling, fame, wokeness, personal experience, etc. It’s good to have a sense of the predilections of the hive, so you can translate over to your own inclings. Minus that and I have no real idea of what to do with such a list. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/39 "2025-07-03T20:16:56Z")
These lists are always subjective, who knows what they based ‘top’ on but Fury Road is way, waaaay too high. In fact, that Into the Furnace isn’t on the list and FR was says a lot about the list. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441/40 "2025-07-03T22:37:17Z")
So, almost all of the people who took the poll probably read the film reviews in the NY Times. I doubt this list strays far from what a handful of NY Times film reviewers think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ny-times-readers-100-top-movies-of-the-21st-century/1020441.md?page=3)