The best movies of the century so far
Deep Dives
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Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66
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Directly referenced in the review of 'The Act of Killing' (2012), which documents mass-murderers reenacting their crimes during Indonesia's anti-communist purges. The reader mentions learning about Indonesian anti-communism from the film, making this historical context highly relevant.
People keep making these lists and they’re all foolish and embarrassing blunders, so I thought I’d make my own blunder, as foolish and embarrassing as it may be. I let the year 2000 count as this century (because I don't believe in math), and I was open to letting 2025 count as well, but no current movie, not even the ones you like so much, cracked the top 25, which is where I stopped.
I limited things to one entry per director, for reasons unclear to me. This post is of course too long for an email, so click through to find out what is number one (“…will surprise you”).
As always: FIGHT ME!
25 Boyhood (2014)
I love a good gimmick, and spending a decade slowly making a film (you know, like they did with Stranger Things ha ha) is even better than a Tingler. Epic in the way that’s hardest to fake.
24 Another Year (2010)
Perhaps not the best Mike Leigh film, but his best of this century, a quiet, pleasant, melancholy year in the life of a couple and their friends. Compare this movie to the frenetic, unpleasant, implausible Four Seasons mini-series. Back in 2010 people could make movies about a worthwhile life that wasn’t overstocked with signifiers of wealth.
23 Samaritan Girl (2004)
Like many a Kim Ki-duk film, this is partially a horror story, partially a portrait of strange psychology, and partially…just weird. But unlike in most movies—not most KKD movies, I mean, but in most movies—the characters’ insane actions gel into something more than just the arbitrary requirements of the the three-act structure.
22 Primer (2004)
I’m not sure most movies should require a viewer to take so many notes, but maybe it’s good at least one does. Time travel without the nonsense.
21 Apocalypto (2006)
There’s a story beat I love, when the barbarian from the hinterlands enters Rome (or fantasy-Rome-analog) and looks around with that just where on Earth am I? only it doesn’t quite work because for viewers few things are less alien than Rome (or fantasy-Rome-analog). Well, Apocalypto squares that circle because the city our barbarians come to is nothing like Rome or (for most of us) like anything previously encountered.
Everyone got mad at this movie when it came out because Mel Gibson is a bad guy (although perhaps not the worst guy to direct
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