Andrew Shearer
Athens Banner-Herald
Dec. 10, 2025, 4:01 a.m. ET
The Banner-Herald compiled a list of the top 25 movies of the 21st century, one for each year from 2001 to 2025.
The list includes a diverse range of genres, from science fiction and horror to comedy and animation.
Filmmakers like Jordan Peele, Hayao Miyazaki, and Ryan Coogler are highlighted for their influential contributions.
The 21st century officially began in 2001, when things like smart phones, YouTube, social media and streaming services weren’t yet part of our daily lives. In the years since, movies have gone from a communal public experience in theaters to a personalized little screen that people can hold in their hand while they’re at the bus stop. Though the amount of movies made each year has increased dramatically, the number of great ones seems to have stayed the same.
To come up with the top 10 list of movies of the century so far, the Banner-Herald dug back into our archives to find our best-of lists that date back to 2011 to decide if our number one picks still hold up today. For the years prior to that, we consulted Wikipedia and the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) to look at each respective year and determine which U.S. theatrical releases have stood the test of time. As you may find, many went on to become classics.
Top 25 Movies of the 21st Century