A film with an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score may just secure the top spot onThe New York Times' latest list.After polling more than 500 actors and filmmakers,The New York Timeshas compiled a list of the 100 best movies of the 21st century, pulling from individual lists by people like Sofia Coppola, Toni Collette, Barry Jenkins, and more.
20 additional movies have been added toThe New York Times' listeach day, with the final 20 set to be unveiled at the end of the week. Along with tracking what movies have made the top 100 so far,readers can also see what important figures in Hollywood determined were the 10 best movies released since the start of 2000.
To predict what theNew York Times' top 10 could look like, as well as which movie might come out on top, we scraped the various top 10s of those voting.David Lynch’s 2001 surrealist mystery film,Mulholland Drive, emerged victorious in an extremely varied bunch, being cited more than any movie. Applying that methodology to the remainder of the nominations, we were able to draw up a potential top 10 movies of the 21st century ahead of the officialNew York Timesreveal.
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Mulholland Drive Would Be An Unsurprising, But Worthy, Winner
Despite Its Criticisms, Hollywood Respects Lynch’s Film
As made apparent byThe New York Times' polling of filmmakers and actors,quite a few people in Hollywood have been mesmerized by the dreamlike style ofMulholland Drive, deeming it one of the best films of the 21st century. Halina Reijn, Joachim Trier, Brian Cox, and Robert Eggers are just a few notable names whose top 10 ballots includeMulholland Drive.
Joe Wright
Director
Despite a rough start —Lynch had initially developed the film as a TV show before it was ultimately scrapped by ABC— and an unconventional narrative that’s left audiences and critics theorizing its meaning,Mulholland Driveis still viewed asone of Lynch’s best films.The late filmmaker earned widespread recognition for the film, including a Best Director Oscar nomination, andSight & Soundnamed it second in its own “best movies of the 21st century” list. A subversive pickMulholland Driveis not, but it is one that comes with a huge wave of consensus.
Still,Mulholland Driveisn’t without its detractors, some of whom have found the film to be incoherent and its ambiguous sequence of events frustrating. However,it’s the mystery that pervadesMulholland Drivethat has allowed it to captivate audiences throughout the years, with it being argued as one ofthe best films of all time.
How The Rest Of Our Predicted NYT “Best Films Of The 21st Century” Top 10 Breaks Down
The 21st Century Has Been Fantastic For Movies
Calculating a predictedNew York Timestop 10 based solely on how many times a movie is cited in the voting system is, of course, not a wholly accurate reflection of what the final list will look like. That methodology putsLost in Translationin the top 20, whereas Sofia Coppola’s introspective 2003 piece has already been unveiled asNYT’s number 30 pick. Nevertheless, our predicted top 10 is filled with movies that have a very realistic chance of glory.
ParasiteandMoonlightare both Best Picture winners that earned acclaim from peers and audiences alike. The Coens’No Country for Old Men, also a Best Picture winner, was an awards favorite throughout the 2008 season, andThere Will Be Bloodcould easily be considered Daniel Day-Lewis' greatest movie performance.Get OutandSpirited Awaybroke the Hollywood glass ceilings for horror and anime, respectively.
The only partially surprising entries here would beIn the Mood for LoveandChildren of Men. As a product of France and Hong Kong,In the Mood for Lovehas somewhat of a lower profile among casual movie fans in the west, despite its widespread acclaim.Children of Men, on the other hand, defies the stereotypical industry pick. A Clive Owen action thriller doesn’t naturally sit alongside Asian romance and philosophical love stories, but those who have watched it will know it’s so much more.
Our Take On Mulholland Drive’s Response From Hollywood
The Continued Recognition Of Lynch’s Film Shows His Impact
While there’s no set rubric for those polled byThe New York Timesto follow,Mulholland Drivewas included on several lists for one reason or another. This signifies Lynch’s greater impact as a filmmaker.Lynch’s puzzling charactersand unique visuals have sparked conversations among movie fans for years, especially with a film as obscure asMulholland Drive.
By reason of its strangeness,much of Lynch’s work, packed with unforgettable surreal imagery and mysterious characters, calls for multiple viewingsand is just as emotionally resonant as it is alluring. Regardless ofMulholland Drive’s final placement onThe New York Times' list of the 100 best movies of the 21st century, there’s no denying Lynch’s enduring influence on the film industry.
