The Century So Far in Film Part One
The Best Movies of the Century (So Far) #50-26
Okay, when I saw the “best” movies of the century so far, I am referring to my personal favorite movies of the century so don’t dig too deep into the whole idea. I’m just posting the ones that I really enjoyed. So with that, this is the first part of a two part list. I am listing my 50 favorite movies that were released between 2000 and 2024. And unlike my favorite albums lists, these lists are actually ranked. Based on these favorites, you might see a clear picture of the type of movies that I like. Or, perhaps you might look at this list and ask yourself “what the fuck?” So, without further ado, here they are, in descending order, #s 50 through 25….
50. Saw X (2023)
One of the few horror movies that you are going to see on this list. While I do like some horror movies, they are not my favorite genre and even the ones that I really like weren’t my favorites of the century. This one was released in September 2023 and was directed by Kevin Greutert. I really enjoyed this franchise for some reason. It performed pretty well at the theater although it was not one of the top 10 highest grossing films of the year.
49. Snowden (2016)
I like a good biopic. This one was directed by Oliver Stone and was released in September 2016. If you aren’t aware, it is a biographical film about the American whistleblower that worked as a contractor for the CIA and NSA. It is based on the book The Snowden Files. It starred Joseph Gordon-Lewitt as the title character (I thought he did a really good job as the character), Shailene Woodley, Zachary Quinto, and Nicholas Cage.
48. John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
One of my favorites of this franchise, it was directed by Chad Stahelski (who was the director on all of the films) and released in March of that year. In addition to the title character played by Keanu Reeves, it also starred Donnie Yen as the blind assassin Caine, Bill Skarsgard, and Laurence Fishburne. It was the 9th highest grossing film of 2023 in the United States.
47. Oppenheimer (2023)
Another biopic, this one is about the theoretical physicist and father of the atomic bomb. The plot mostly surrounds his 1954 security hearing and his time at the Los Alamos Lab in New Mexico where the bomb was first tested. It is based on the 2005 book American Prometheus. It was the 3rd highest grossing film of the year and won quite a few awards for the year including the Academy Awards best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan), best actor (Cillian Murphy), best supporting actor (Robert Downey Jr), and best cinematography, among many others. I remember when the movie was first announced I was really excited and when it finally hit theaters I was not disappointed.
46. The King’s Speech (2010)
Another biopic. Hmm…….This one came was directed by Tom Hooper and starred Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is about the British king George VI and his relationship with his speech therapist Lionel Logue and his work to overcome his speech impediment. It won several awards that year including the Oscar for best picture, best director, and best actor (Firth).
45. Saw (2004)
The only other movie of this franchise to make this list, this James Wan directed film was the first of the franchise.
44. The Last Castle (2001)
Although this is not a biopic, it kind of feels like one for some reason. It was directed by Rod Lurie and starred Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, and Mark Ruffalo. It is the story of a highly decorated Army general that gets court martialed and sent to a military prison for insubordination. It depicts the challenge between the general and the “warden” of the facility due to his treatment of the prisoners under his care.
43. A Knight’s Tale (2001)
Described as a medieval action comedy, this one stars Heath Ledger as a peasant squire that takes up the mantle of his knight after the death of the latter. It was directed by Brian Helgeland. Other members of the cast included Alan Tudyk, and Paul Bettany (as the hilarious historical figure Geoffrey Chaucer).
42. Spy Game (2001)
This is another one that felt like a biopic but wasn’t. It was directed by Tony Scott and featured Robert Redford and Brad Pitt as CIA operatives. A lot of the film takes place during flashbacks but is set toward the end of Redford’s characters career in the CIA as he attempts to circumvent the system to secure the release of his protege (Pitt’s character) after he is captured in China during an unauthorized mission.
41. The Boondock Saints (2000)
This one was released in January 2000 in the United States so it barely qualifies (because it was released in other parts of the world the previous year). It was directed by Troy Duffy and stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as the MacManus brothers who become vigilantes. It also stars Willem Dafoe as the FBI agent that attempts to bring them to justice….sort of.
40. Underworld (2003)
An action vampire film directed by Len Wiseman. It is based on a secret society of vampires that are embroiled in a war against a werewolf society and revolves around the character Selene, played by Kate Beckinsale, that teams up with a human that was infected by a werewolf and her decision to go against her clan.
39. A Star is Born (2018)
This musical drama is a remake of a 1976 film, which itself is a remake of a 1954 film (and a 1937 film). It was directed by one of its stars, Bradley Cooper and also features Lady Gaga in the other main role. It follows the relationship of an alcoholic musician and a younger singer that he discovers. It was nominated for the best picture, best actor, and best actress Oscar awards but only wound up winning the Oscar for best original song with “Shallow.”
38. The Departed (2006)
This crime thriller was directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on a 2002 Hong Kong film titled Infernal Affairs. While not a biopic, it is loosely based on real life events and characters. The casting of this movie is phenomenal and they all perform brilliantly. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin, and more. It takes place in the Boston area and depicts the attempt of Massachusetts State Police to infiltrate the Irish Mob while the Irish Mob itself has a mole inside the State Police and the attempts of each to discover the others identities. It won the Academy Award for best picture that year as well as for best director. DiCaprio was nominated for best actor as was Wahlberg for best supporting actor.
37. Walk the Line
Here’s another biopic on the list. This one is about the life of musician Johnny Cash. The title role is played by Joaquin Phoenix, who I thought did an incredible job as Cash and the role of June Carter is played by Reese Witherspoon. His follows his early life, his budding relationship with June Carter, and his drug addiction. Phoenix was nominated for best actor by the Academy but did not win. Witherspoon, however, won the award for best actress.
36. Godzilla Minus One (2023)
This one was a shocker. Shocking that it was as good as it was. I saw this one at least 2 times in the theater; once with the original black and white release and another with the colorized release. I actually might have seen the black and white twice. I can’t remember. I just remember how shockingly good it was. It was written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki and the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise. It is the story, mostly, of a World War 2 kamikaze pilot that flees his duty and details his journey through PTSD after first discovering the monster. It won the Academy Award for best visual effects.
35. John Wick (2104)
The film that launched the franchise. It is the story of a legendary assassin that comes out of retirement because a group of idiots decide that it’s a good idea to kill his dog. It spawned 3 direct sequels, a TV series called The Continental, and an upcoming spinoff titled Ballerina.
34. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Don’t judge me! This was a great film! It is a spinoff to the Shrek series. It was directed by Joel Crawford and features the voice cast of Antonio Banderas (returning to his role as the title character), Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, and Ray Winstone, among others. It follows the feline as he teams up to find the fabled Last Wish of the Falling Star in a quest to restore 8 of his 9 lives as others race to acquire the treasure for themselves. It was nominated for an Academy Award for best animated film that year but lost to Pinocchio.
33. Deadpool and Wolverine (2024)
The 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was directed by Shawn Levy, and starred Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular superheroes as they reluctantly team up to save the universe. It was the 2nd highest grossing film for that year.
32. Dune: Part Two
Another movie from 2024, this one was the sequel to the 2021 film that is based on the Frank Herbert novel. Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya return as Paul Atreides and Chani. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, it continues the story of Paul as he unites with the Fremen of Arakis to take the planet back from House Harkonnen. Other members of the cast includes Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, and Stellan Skarsgard. It was the 7th highest grossing film of that year.
31. Star Trek (2009)
J.J. Abrams directed this reboot of the franchise. It is the 11th film in the Star Trek franchise and is a reboot of the characters featured in the main characters from the original series. It takes place in an alternate reality which is now dubbed the Kelvin timeline. It is the story of the crew of the Enterprise as they combat the Romulan Nero who comes from the future to destroy Earth and the United Federation of Planets. The cast included Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Karl Urban as Dr Bones, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, Eric Bana as Nero, and Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike, as well as some other great performers.
30. X-Men: First Class (2011)
Another reboot, sort of, directed by Matthew Vaughn, it is the origin story of how the X-Men came out. It is set during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and focuses on the building on the team by Professor X and Magneto as they combat the Brotherhood of Mutants, led by Sebastian Shaw as they race to rush the world to the brink of nuclear war. The cast included James McAvoy as Professor X, Michael Fassbender as Magneto (in the best role of film in my humble opinion), Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, and Nicholas Hoult as Hank (aka Beast).
29. The Book of Eli (2010)
I love a good post-apocalyptic story and this is one of my favorite movies of that particular genre. It is the story of Eli, played by Denzel Washington, as he travels the country seeking to deliver a mysterious book to the West Coast. It also starred Gary Oldman as the main antagonist who hopes to retrieve the book for himself to gain power over humanity.
28. The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
I’m sure that I will take a lot of crap (especially among other Star Wars fans) for this one being on my list but fuck it, this is my favorite of the sequel trilogy. It had a more “epic” feel than the others. Directed by J.J. Abrams (who also directed the 2015 Star Wars films The Force Awakens), it is the last of the “Skywalker Saga” and follows the Resistance in their last stand against the First Order, who align themselves with the resurrected Emperor Palpatine. It was the 7th highest grossing film of 2019.
27. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The third and final installment of the Nolan Batman franchise, it follows the character as he tries to resume his role as Gotham’s protector and save it from the terrorist Bane. It was the 3rd highest grossing film of the year (behind The Avengers and Skyfall). Besides the returning Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, and Gary Oldman as Commissioner James Gordon, it also starred Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle and Tom Hardy as Bane.
26. Unbreakable (2000)
This psychological thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan is sort of a superhero film….kind of? It is about a security guard, played by Bruce Willis, that survives a train crash and is manipulated by the disabled art gallery owner and comic book enthusiast Elijah Price, played by Samuel L. Jackson into believing that he is a modern day superhero. This movie spawned the sequels Split and Glass.
So there are the first 25 in my favorite films of the century list. Agree or disagree with me all you want but they are MY favorites. Be back as I count down my favorites from #25 down to the coveted #1 spot.