So this was a big thing that happened on the movies-people corner of the internet this week. The New York Times asked filmmakers and others (seemingly at random) to contribute their votes for the best movies of the 21st century so far. For those without calendars handy, that would represent the 25 years between 2000 and 2025. The Times’ ultimate top 100 is very solid, but very “basic,” as the kids’ parents say. (That was a generation or two ago.) The Times also did a cool thing and invited people to share their own top-ten ballots. Lord, do film-types love their lists!
So here are a few of our own lists. I think for a real-deal cinemaniac, choosing just ten movies out of 25 years is next to impossible. Personally, I had just one or two titles that were definites. The rest were waffles, right up until the last second we posted. Leggo my Eggo. The way I did it was to look over my top ten lists (I’ve only been making them since 2008, though), and to hone in on what my number-one choice was that year. But even that doesn’t really get you anywhere, because we’re looking at more years than there are available listing positions. And of course, your favorite movies always change over the years. We change, and so do our relationships to the things that we love.
Out of the DG gang, most everyone was sluggish from the heat this week, I guess. But Sam and Brett contributed their top tens, and then Bee did something incredible and picked 250 movies from the last 25 years. One reason why that’s cool is that we linked to every movie that has been written about here on Daily Grindhouse, so you really get a sense of, putting the ego aside, how great this site is and has been for a long time. Just the facts. Click on any link and see!
Anyway, we’ll start with my list. Judge me the harshest if you must, but be kind to my pals.
JON ABRAMS
(in chronological order)
COLLATERAL (2004)
SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)
ONLY GOD FORGIVES (2013)
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) / FURIOSA (2024)
GREEN ROOM (2016)
THE NICE GUYS (2016)
THE NIGHT COMES FOR US (2018)
TITANE (2021)
DECISION TO LEAVE (2022)
GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2023)
ADAM BUCHANAN
RILEY CASSIDY
BRETT GALLMAN
PARASITE
CREED
I SAW THE TV GLOW
EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!
LICORICE PIZZA
NOPE
INCEPTION
MULHOLLAND DRIVE
ZODIAC
ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD
SAMANTHA SCHORSCH
CHILDREN OF MEN
OLDBOY
THE LORD OF THE RINGS (The Trilogy)
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?
SINNERS
PARASITE
MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
BEE DELORES
The New York Times posted its list of 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century – and caused quite a kerfuffle. Countless critics, writers, and general film fans, myself included, shared their own truncated lists on social media. But Daily Grindhouse thought it would be fun to compile our picks right here. I decided to expand to 250 films and focus primarily on horror or horror-adjacent releases.
I don’t think I’ve ever attempted such a massive list, but I guess I did it to myself. Over the past 25 years, ever since I was 14, there have been some great trendsetting and landmark films that have changed the game entirely. Whether we’re talking about Blumhouse bombshells or A24’s iconically artistic or even a few indies that have made a big splash on the scene, my list captures the breadth of horror movies in a quarter of a century. I’m sure I have some controversial picks, but I stand by this list.
Without further adieu, here are my picks for the 250 Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century. Sit back, get angry at my selections, and let me know what you think on Bluesky.
1. THE OTHERS
2. HEREDITARY
3. GET OUT
4. SINNERS
5. IT FOLLOWS
6. SAW
7. SINISTER
8. THE WITCH
10. SUSPIRIA
12. HOST
13. MARTYRS
14. THE BABADOOK
15. SAINT MAUD
16. THE DESCENT (2005)
17. A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT
18. MAY
19. INSIDIOUS
21. THE WAILING
22. RELIC
23. I SAW THE TV GLOW
24. LONGLEGS
25. CREEP
27. THE CONJURING
28. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY
29. TRAIN TO BUSAN
30. REVENGE
31. SHAUN OF THE DEAD
32. MANDY
33. THE RING
34. ANTICHRIST
35. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
36. OLDBOY
37. NIGHTCRAWLER
38. PAN’S LABYRINTH
40. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
41. GODLESS: THE EASTFIELD EXORCISM
42. WHEN EVIL LURKS
43. EVIL DEAD (2013)
44. AMERICAN PSYCHO
45. THE HANDMAIDEN
46. CANDYMAN (2021)
47. THE NIGHT HOUSE
48. STRANGE DARLING
49. A GHOST STORY
51. WHAT LIES BENEATH
52. YOU’RE NEXT
54. DONNIE DARKO
55. THE FINAL GIRLS
56. PARASITE
57. BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON
58. CALVAIRE
59. THE LODGE
60. BRAID
61. RIFT
62. CHERRY FALLS
63. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
64. WATCHER
65. X
67. SLAY (2024)
68. MadS
69. THE SUBSTANCE
70. REDUX REDUX
71. MALIGNANT
72. THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN
73. READY OR NOT
74. SUMMER OF ‘84
76. THE PERFECTION
77. KNIFE+HEART
78. DANIEL ISN’T REAL
79. SWALLOW
80. LA LLORONA
83. SPONTANEOUS
84. VIOLATION
85. mother!
86. EDEN LAKE
87. THE MIST
88. SESSION 9
89. RESURRECTION
90. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003)
91. 28 DAYS LATER
92. A TALE OF TWO SISTERS
93. LAKE MUNGO
94. INSIDE
95. DAWN OF THE DEAD
96. GINGER SNAPS
97. HOSTEL
98. TRICK ‘R TREAT
99. [REC]
100. KILL LIST
101. Alone with You
102. I BLAME SOCIETY
103. THE COFFEE TABLE
104. THE MEDIUM
105. THE EMPTY MAN
106. POSSESSOR
107. THE LONG WALK
108. SKINAMARINK
109. BLACK SWAN
110. I SAW THE DEVIL
111. THE LIGHTHOUSE
112. HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON
113. M.O.M. MOTHERS OF MONSTERS
114. A WOUNDED FAWN
115. WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR
116. YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME
117. HIS HOUSE
118. THE MENU
119. FREAKY
120. LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
121. IMMACULATE
122. STOPMOTION
123. MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO
124. INFLUENCER
125. NOSFERATU
126. MAD GOD
127. MIDSOMMAR
128. BONES AND ALL
129. THE RIGHTEOUS
130. CAM
131. GOODNIGHT MOMMY (2014)
132. LYLE
133. TRAGEDY GIRLS
134. HAPPY DEATH DAY
135. M.F.A.
136. COLOR OUT OF SPACE
137. I SEE YOU
139. CENSOR
140. WEREWOLVES WITHIN
141. AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
142. THE STRINGS
143. NEVRLAND
144. THE PASSENGER
145. PILGRIM
146. ABIGAIL
147. CLOSET MONSTER
148. RED ROOMS
149. A QUIET PLACE
150. YOUR MONSTER
151. CADDO LAKE
153. COMPANION
154. EYE FOR AN EYE (2025)
155. HALLOWEEN ENDS
156. BLACK CHRISTMAS (2019)
157. GREEN ROOM
158. THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT
159. UNDER THE SKIN
160. ANNIHILATION
161. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
162. THE DEVIL’S BATH
163. LISA FRANKENSTEIN
164. FEAR STREET: 1978
165. IT (2017)
166. FRESH
167. WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS
168. ODDITY
170. IMPETIGORE
171. SCREAM VI
172. TOKYO GORE POLICE
173. HOUNDS OF LOVE
174. MILK & SERIAL
175. THE INVITATION
176. COBWEB
177. CORALINE
178. WARM BODIES
179. SAINT DROGO
180. HELL HOUSE LLC ORIGINS: THE CARMICHAEL MANOR
181. TOTALLY KILLER
182. BARBARIAN
183. DARK HARVEST
184. FREDDY VS. JASON
185. STARRY EYES
186. THE CURSE OF BRIDGE HOLLOW
187. INFINITY POOL
188. SICK
189. THE BLACKWELL GHOST 4
190. ATLANTICS
191. RUN SWEETHEART RUN
192. DARK WATER
193. MIDNIGHT
194. HORROR IN THE HIGH DESERT
196. THE RITUAL
197. INHUMAN KISS
198. A CLASSIC HORROR STORY
199. SOMETHING IN THE DIRT
200. HELLBENDER
201. THE HOUSE (2022)
202. THE SADNESS
203. WENDELL & WILD
204. IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE
205. MAYHEM
206. V/H/S/2
207. BE MY CAT: A FILM FOR ANNE
208. A FILM FOR FRIENDS
209. THE OUTWATERS
210. DIGGING UP THE MARROW
211. THE VERY LAST DAY
212. THE SEVERED SUN
213. BLACK BEAR
214. THE DEN
215. HOUSE OF WAX
216. JENNIFER’S BODY
217. TEETH
218. HATCHET
219. DEAD END
220. AMULET
221. HUNTER HUNTER
222. SWALLOWED
223. HELLRAISER (2022)
224. THE BLACKENING
225. ORPHAN
226. IN A VIOLENT NATURE
227. SMILE 2
228. TERRIFIED
229. RAW
230. IT COMES AT NIGHT
231. WE ARE STILL HERE
232. DON’T BREATHE
233. HUSH
234. THE BAY
235. GERALD’S GAME
237. SCREAM 4
238. KRAMPUS
239. THE NEON DEMON
240. WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE
242. INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND
243. I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE
244. THE PLATFORM
245. BASKIN
246. MANIAC
247. THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER
248. TALK TO ME
249. THE ORPHANAGE
250. PREY
For you Letterboxd users, I’ve put together a handy-dandy list.
- [THE BIG QUESTION] WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FEMALE ENSEMBLE IN MOVIES? - July 22, 2016
- [IN THEATERS NOW] THE BOY (2016) - January 24, 2016
- Cult Movie Mania Releases Lucio Fulci Limited Edition VHS Sets - January 5, 2016
Tags: Lists, Movies, The 2000s, The 2010s, The New York Times
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