An independent Korean film made on a modest $11 million budget has just been crowned the best film of the 21st century, surpassing cinematic heavyweights from the likes of Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and David Fincher. The New York Times recently unveiled its list of the 100 greatest movies of the 21st century, compiled through a meticulous voting process involving over 500 acclaimed directors, actors, and global film industry professionals. In a surprising outcome, the top spot went to Bong Joon Ho’s Oscar-winning masterpiece Parasite (2019), which also topped the readers’ poll conducted by the publication.
Parasite, a darkly comedic social thriller, follows a poor family that schemes to infiltrate a wealthy household, exposing deep-rooted class divisions along the way. Premiering at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, it won the prestigious Palme d’Or and went on to become a global phenomenon, grossing over $258 million worldwide. It made history at the 92nd Academy Awards by becoming the first non-English language film to win Best Picture, alongside awards for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film.
The NYT praised Bong Joon Ho as a genre-defying auteur, noting how Parasite seamlessly blends broad comedy with biting social satire, culminating in a tragic and explosive finale. The film edged out David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (#2) and Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood (#3). The top 10 also featured celebrated works like Moonlight (#5), No Country for Old Men (#6), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (#7), Get Out (#8), The Social Network (#10), as well as international gems like Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love (#4) and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away (#9).
