A film with an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score may just secure the top spot on The New York Times‘ latest list. After polling more than 500 actors and filmmakers, The New York Times has 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 to The New York Times‘ list each 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 the New 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 official New York Times reveal.

Mulholland Drive Would Be An Unsurprising, But Worthy, Winner

Despite Its Criticisms, Hollywood Respects Lynch’s Film

As made apparent by The New York Times‘ polling of filmmakers and actors, quite a few people in Hollywood have been mesmerized by the dreamlike style of Mulholland 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 include Mulholland Drive.

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 Drive is still viewed as one of Lynch’s best films. The late filmmaker earned widespread recognition for the film, including a Best Director Oscar nomination, and Sight & Sound named it second in its own “best movies of the 21st century” list. A subversive pick Mulholland Drive is not, but it is one that comes with a huge wave of consensus.

Still, Mulholland Drive isn’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 pervades Mulholland Drive that has allowed it to captivate audiences throughout the years, with it being argued as one of the 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 predicted New York Times top 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 puts Lost in Translation in the top 20, whereas Sofia Coppola’s introspective 2003 piece has already been unveiled as NYT‘s number 30 pick. Nevertheless, our predicted top 10 is filled with movies that have a very realistic chance of glory.

Parasite and Moonlight are 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, and There Will Be Blood could easily be considered Daniel Day-Lewis’ greatest movie performance. Get Out and Spirited Away broke the Hollywood glᴀss ceilings for horror and anime, respectively.

The only partially surprising entries here would be In the Mood for Love and Children of Men. As a product of France and Hong Kong, In the Mood for Love has 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 by The New York Times to follow, Mulholland Drive was included on several lists for one reason or another. This signifies Lynch’s greater impact as a filmmaker. Lynch’s puzzling characters and unique visuals have sparked conversations among movie fans for years, especially with a film as obscure as Mulholland Drive.

By reason of its strangeness, much of Lynch’s work, packed with unforgettable surreal imagery and mysterious characters, calls for multiple viewings and is just as emotionally resonant as it is alluring. Regardless of Mulholland Drive‘s final placement on The 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.

Source: The New York Times