The Greatest Movie of Every Year of the 21st Century (So Far)

More than two decades of cinema are surveyed here, with one film chosen as the best for each year of the 21st century so far. Limiting the list to a single title per year means notable masterpieces such as Spirited Away, Children of Men, and Uncut Gems are set aside as runners-up — excellent films that simply fell short of the annual pick.

No director is restricted to a single mention, so filmmakers can appear multiple times. That approach lets entries such as Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sit beside other landmark works; Lee’s film is described as a martial-arts adventure that also reads as fantasy, romance and drama, and it joined 1999’s The Matrix in broadening international interest in martial-arts cinema.

The selections mix large-scale epics and intimate dramas.

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