Earlier this week, The New York Times revealed its official list of the 100 greatest movies of the 21st century. To create this list, the newspaper invited over 500 well-known directors, actors, and other important names from Hollywood and around the world. These experts voted in a long and careful selection process. The full list was released in stages, with the top 10 movies announced at the end of June.
Surprise at the Top: Parasite Beats Hollywood Giants
To everyone’s surprise, an independent Korean film took the top spot—beating several highly praised Hollywood productions and films by big names like Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, and the Coen Brothers.
Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite (2019) was voted the best film of the 21st century. It also ranked first in a separate readers’ poll on The New York Times website.
In its official note, the publication wrote, “Bong, a master of genre unbound by convention, fluidly shifts between broad comedy and blistering social satire throughout, then lights it all on fire with a paroxysm of tragic violence that’s as stunning as it is inevitable.”
A Small Film With a Massive Impact
Parasite is a black comedy from South Korea. It follows a poor family who gradually invade the lives of a wealthy household. The movie premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or, the festival’s highest prize. This victory gave it international visibility and led to a wider global release.
Despite its modest budget of $11 million, Parasite became a huge success, earning $258 million at the global box office.
It also made history at several major award shows. It was the first international film to win top categories at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
At the 92nd Academy Awards, Parasite won four Oscars:
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Best Picture
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Best Director
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Best Original Screenplay
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Best International Feature Film
It became the first non-English language film to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars.
Other Films in the Top 10
Parasite narrowly beat David Lynch’s thriller Mulholland Drive (2001), which took the second spot. Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood came in third.
The rest of the top 10 movies included both Hollywood and international favorites:
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In the Mood for Love
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Moonlight
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No Country for Old Men
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
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Get Out
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Spirited Away
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The Social Network
Interestingly, many of these movies also appeared in the top 10 of the readers' choice list.
Public vs Critics: Interstellar’s Surprising Ranking
One film showed a clear divide between public opinion and critic rankings. Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, a sci-fi favourite, placed fifth in the readers’ poll, showing strong fan support. However, it ranked only 89th in the official top 100 list. This gap shows how audiences and critics can have very different tastes.