Cinemaos 100 Best Films of the 21st Century, according to Rolling Stone

It has passed a quarter of a century since the early 21st century and to say that cinema has been in a different place now than it was 25 years ago would be an euphemism. Technological innovations, transformations in industry, the emergence of the expression “cinematic universe”, as a form of art and mass entertainment, cinema has changed in both subtle and monumental ways. Even the way we watched movies has evolved (and entered) several times. The cinema has been declared dead a half dozen times. And, many others, considered more alive than ever. Stars emerged and disappeared, intellectual properties ascended and fell, and the dispute for the public’s attention was never so fierce. Go back in time for the year 2000 and see people face you strangely before asking: “Wait… what is Tiktok?! ”

What has not changed, however, is the power that a great film can still exert on viewers willing to let themselves become when the lights go out (in the movies or in the room – although we are sincere, the ideal is the cinema). The following 100 films represent what a group of collaborators from Rolling Stone who still believes in the cinema, which is still obsessed with him, who still finds in it intense emotions and even redemption, consider the best of this, which is a young age. It’s a living list, of course, we will certainly revisit it and update it over the years. But each title here reminded us why cinema is still able to reflect our humanity, light our imagination, make us laugh, cry, sigh or act, and why we fall in love with the moving images first. From comedies to tragedy, from movie themories, from foxes, from foxes to Stop-Motion to tycoons who drink milkshakes, these are our choices for the highest points of cinema in this century until now.

100º to 91º

100. Margaret (2011), from Kenneth Lonergan
99. Soul winter (2010), Debra Granik
98. North, the end of history (2013), from LAV DIAZ
97. Node (2012), Pablo Larraín
96. City of God (2002), Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund
95. Toni Erdmann (2016), MAREN ADE
94. Terror (2008), Kathryn Bigelow
93. Lingu (2021), from Mahamat-Saleh Haroun
92. Impediment (2006), from Jafar Panahi
91. Faithful copy (2001), from Kiarostami Abbas

90º to 81st

90. Paris Commune, 1871 (2000), from Peter Watkins
89. Departing (2022), from Park Chan-Wook
88. The Fantastic Mr. Raposo (2009), WES ANDERSON
87. The murder of Jesse James for cowardly Robert Ford (2007), Andrew Dominik
86. OPPENHEIMER (2023), from Christopher Nolan
85. Lincoln (2012), Steven Spielberg
84. Canine tooth (2009), Yorgos Lanthimos
83. Hereditary (2018), Ari Aster
82. Portrait of a young girl on fire (2019), CELINNE SCIAMMA
81. The white ribbon (2009), Michael Haneke

80º to 71º

80. The best of the show (2000), from Christopher Guest
79. The tiger and the dragon (2000), from Ang Lee
78. Drunken of Love (2002), Paul Thomas Anderson
77. Zone of interest (2023), from Jonathan Glazer
76. 35 doses of rum (2008), Claire Denis
75. Gross jewelry (2019), Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie
74. John Wick – Back to the game (2014), Chad Stahelski
73. Risk conduct (2007), Tony Gilroy
72. Murder in Gosford Park (2001), from Robert Altman
71. The host (2006), from BONG JOON-HO

70º to 61º

70. Encounters and mismatches (2003), from Sofia Coppola
69. The Bear Man (2005), from Werner Herzog
68. The Souvenir (2019), Joanna Hogg
67. She (2013), from Spike Jonze
66. Leviathan (2012), LUCIEN CASTING-TAYLOR and Paravel Verena
65. The eccentric teenbaums (2001), from WES ANDERSON
64. I’m not your black (2016), Raoul Peck
63. Florida Project (2017), Sean Baker
62. The 40 -year -old virgin (2004), Judd Apatow
61. Ai – Artificial Intelligence (2001), from Steven Spielberg

60º to 51º

60. Dogville (2003), from Lars Von Trier
59. Bastards English (2009), Tarantino Quentin
58. The Tree of Life (2011), from TERRENCE MALICK
57. The prophet (2009), JACQUES AUDIARD
56. Call me by your name (2017), Luca Guadagnino
55. Past (2023), from Celine Song
54. Amnesia (2000), from Christopher Nolan
53. Extermination (2002), Danny Boyle
52. Black panther (2018), Ryan Coogler
51. The shortcut (2010), Kelly Reichardt

50th to 41st

50. Hunger (2008), Steve McQueen
49. The Anchor: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), from Adam McKay
48. Nickel Boys (2024), from Ramell Ross
47. Wall-E (2008), Andrew Stanton
46. Selma: A struggle for equality (2014), AVA DUVERNAY
45. Under the skin (2013), from Jonathan Glazer
44. The master (2012), Paul Thomas Anderson
43. Tar (2022), from Todd Fields
42. Batman: The Dark Knight (2008), Christopher Nolan
41. Spring Breakers: Dangerous Girls (2012), Harmony Korine

40th to 31st

40. On fire (2018), Lee Chang-Dong
39. In the heart of darkness (2017), Paul Schrader
38. 12 years of slavery (2017), Steve McQueen
37. Pain and glory (2019), Pedro Almodóvar
36. Manchester by the sea (2016), Kenneth Lonergan
35. Ghost plot (2017), Paul Thomas Anderson
34. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003), from Peter Jackson
33. Brands of Violence (2005), from David Cronenberg
32. Uncle Boonmee, who can remember their past lives (2010), Apichatpong WeeraSethakul
31. Where the weak have no time (2007), Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

30th to 21st

30. The Irish (2019), Martin Scorsese
29. Lady Bird: The Time to Fly (2017), Greta Gerwig
28. Drive My Car (2021), from Ryusuke Hamaguchi
27. Children of Hope (2006), from Alfonso Cuarón
26. Before sunset (2004), from Richard Linklater
25. The Grande Hotel Budapest (2014), WES ANDERSON
24. The last night (2002), Spike Lee
23. FACES PLACES (2017), AGNES VARDA
22. Run! (2017), Jordan Peele
21. Pomegranate (2018), Alfonso Cuarón

20th to 11th

20. The act of killing (2012), JOSHUA OPPENHEIMER
19. Zodiac (200), from David Fincher
18. Inside Llewyn Davis: Ballad of an ordinary man (2013), from Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
17. Eternal brightness of a mind without memories (2004), from Michel Gondry
16. Once upon a time in … Hollywood (2019), Tarantino Quentin
15. Chihiro’s trip (2001), from Hayao Miyazaki
14. Carol (2015), Todd Haynes
13. The social network(2010), David Fincher
12. The separation (2011), from Asghar Farhadi
11. OJ: Made in America (2016), Ezra Edelman

10th to 1st

10. BOYHOD: From childhood to youth (2014), Richard Linklater
9. Dream City (2001), from David Lynch
8. The simple things in life (2000), from Edward Yang
7. Mad Max: Road of Fury (2015), George Miller
6. 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days (2007), CRISTIAN MUNGE
5. And your mother too (2001), from Alfonso Cuarón
4. Parasite (2019), Bong Joon Ho
3. Moonlight: In the light of moonlight (2016), Barry Jenkins
2. Skin Flower Love (2000), from Wong Kar-Wai
1. Black blood (2007), Paul Thomas Anderson

This article was originally published by Rolling Stone USA, on July 1, 2025 and can be checked here.

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