What are “the films of this century”? Perhaps it is the best films of any given year, or those that experimented the most with cinematic genres, techniques and styles? Perhaps it is the ones that dived the deepest into their subject matters or explored previously unexplored subject terrains? Inspired by Sight & Sound magazine’s list of the “films of the century” (Summer Issue, 2024), below is my personal, highly subjective list of films that “defined the century”.

Though the purpose is to list those films that are “high watermarks” of the years 2000-2024 and “representatives” of these years, the choices below are much “safer”, more predictable and some may even be considered as simply “the best” of any given year (rather than being provocative, esoteric or “limit-pushing”). But then, is not it also the truth that, most of the time, films that are considered the best in any given year are also the ones that aim to push the limits of cinema or show what cinema is truly capable of?

2000: In the Mood for Love (dir. Wong Kar-wai): a masterwork in the genre of subtle romance; the best ever portrayal of romantic and sexual longing on screen.
2001: Mulholland Drive (dir. David Lynch): a film-conundrum where “Hollywood Dream” becomes a nightmare, while Lynch puts on display the unconscious processes.
2002: Être et avoir (dir. Nicolas Philibert): an epitome of a great realist documentary.
2003: Oldboy (dir. Park Chan-wook) (the same as the S&S choice): refreshingly delirious and explosive, Oldboy is not for the faint of heart, but for the lovers of darkness.
2004: The Consequences of Love (dir. Paolo Sorrentino): poetic, subtle, stylish and character-centred, Sorrentino’s second feature is about a man seeking a connection.
2005: A History of Violence (dir. David Cronenberg) (the same as the S&S choice): Canadian director juggles his favourite themes of sex, violence and haunting past so perfectly here, A History of Violence shimmers with stylistic brilliance.
2006: The Departed (dir. Martin Scorsese): a thrilling, cerebral remake that makes the best of its star ensemble cast; among Scorsese’s very best.
2007: There Will Be Blood (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson): with probably the best performance of the century from Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood is a cinematic masterpiece.
2008: Revolutionary Road (dir. Sam Mendes): an elegant and considerate adaptation of the novel of the same name by Richard Yates; our cinematic future is bright if all adaptations follow suit.
2009: The Secret in Their Eyes (dir. Juan José Campanella): one of the best cinematic murder mysteries ever.

2010: The Illusionist (dir. Sylvain Chomet): long live hand-drawn animations! Sylvain Chomet’s touching story of a magician and a girl he adopted is what animation should be all about.
2011: Melancholia (dir. Lars von Trier): Tarkovsky is everywhere in von Trier’s sci-fi that is also a film of staggering, haunting beauty.
2012: Amour (dir. Michael Haneke): heart-breakingly mesmerizing, Amour delivers cinema at its most personal and transcendent.
2013: Hard To Be a God (dir. Aleksei German): a profound cinematic experience from the legendary Russian director.
2014: The Babadook (dir. Jennifer Kent) (the same as the S&S choice): one of the very best horror films of the 21st century that also explores deeper themes of coming to terms with trauma and overcoming grief. 
2015: Francofonia (dir. Aleksandr Sokurov): a complex, unusual, contemplative film that is also a cinematic ode to art and its preservation.
2016: I, Daniel Blake (dir. Ken Loach): a triumph of “individual vs. the system” cinema.
2017: First Reformed (dir. Paul Schrader): inspired by Bresson’s Diary of a Country Priest, Paul Schrader’s film is a masterful portrayal of internal despair and questioning of faith.
2018: The Favourite (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos): the film is brilliant as an exaggerated satire, which at times slides into deliciously-morbid and fascinatingly-obsessive character portrayals.
2019: Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho): this black comedy about class divisions and social-climbers is a delightful whirlpool of the funny and the macabre. 

2020: First Cow (dir. Kelly Reichardt): tender story-telling that shines with authenticity and understated performances.
2021: The Power of the Dog (dir. Jane Campion): a film of uncanny beauty and subtle power, whose biggest asset is the curious interplay of contrasts of all kinds.
2022: The Beasts (dir. Rodrigo Sorogoyen): the film is the “revelation” of the 21st century’s thriller-drama genre, a cinema of palpable tensions and unwavering conviction.
2023: The Boy and the Heron (dir. Hayao Miyazaki): this is Miyazaki’s “fever-dream”, a symbolism-driven animated tour de force.

🎦 Do you agree (disagree) with some of my entries? What would be your “films of the century”?