The New York Times' list of the 100 best films of the 21st century includes five French features

Sorry to spoil, but in first place is Parasite by Bong Joon-ho (2019), in second place is Mulholland Drive by David Lynch (2001), in third place is There Will Be Blood , by Paul Thomas Anderson (2007), in the hundredth Superbad , by Greg Mottola (2007)… It is an ambitious and risky project that the New York Times has embarked on by publishing, in the last few days, its ranking of the 100 best films released since January ¹ , 2000. The final top 20 was revealed on Friday, June 27.

For the moment, "cocorico": The Gleaners and I by Agnès Varda (2001) is in 88th position, Amélie by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (2001) – which spread a certain image of Paris around the world before the series Emily in Paris redefined the model in 2020 – is in ^41st position, A Prophet by Jacques Audiard (2009), occupies 35th place, Portrait of a Lady on Fire by Céline Sciamma (2019, in ^38th place) and Anatomy of a Fall , by Justine Triet (2023), is ^26th . We could also add – why not – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , an American film directed by Michel Gondry (2004, in ^7th position), or more daring, Ratatouille , by Brad Bird (2007, in ^73rd position), since the action takes place in France...

As for the methodology, "more than 500 directors, actors and influential figures from Hollywood and around the world voted for the best films released since January ^1, 2000," writes the daily, which explains that "between the arrival of streaming platforms and the dominance of superhero blockbusters, our way of watching and thinking about cinema has radically changed over the last twenty-five years." And to ask: "Which films have truly stood the test of time?"

It remained to establish a representative casting , with recognized directors – that is to say Oscar winners – like Pedro Almodovar, Sofia Coppola, Barry Jenkins or Guillermo del Toro, award-winning actors like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mikey Madison, John Turturro or Julianne Moore, or even cinema professionals. They had to designate the ten best films – according to their own criteria – released since January ^1, 2000. Based on their responses, The Upshot , New York Times- style data journalism, has compiled a list of the 100 best films of the 21st century.

Like all lists – Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Records of All Time, the best albums of the 1960s and 1980s from the American music website Pitchfork – the New York Times' list is subjective, provokes reactions, and gnashes teeth. But rest assured: everyone can choose their own list of their ten favorite films .