Several of the biggest filmmakers working today have multiple movies appearing on the list of the best films of the 21st century. The New York Times has released its own industry-led poll looking for the 100 greatest movies of the last 25 years. Taking in the votes from various actors and filmmakers, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite topped the list.

As with many of these “best of” lists, there are plenty of controversies in the aftermath. There are a number of unexpected inclusions among the rankings. The list also highlights an issue with the Oscars, as 15 Best Picture winners were omitted. Some legendary and acclaimed filmmakers were also underrepresented on the list.

While it is shocking that the likes of Steven Spielberg only have one entry among the best movies of the 21st century, other filmmakers have multiple тιтles included. A total of 13 directors (or directing teams) have two or more movies on the list, with one of the most popular filmmakers in Hollywood beating out the compeтιтion with five movies.

13

Spike Jonze

Number Of Ranked Movies: 2

Ever since debuting in 1999 with his mind-bending directorial debut, Being John Malkovich, Spike Jonze has made one acclaimed movie after another. However, he is also not the most prolific filmmaker, as he has only made four movies to date (as well as one documentary).

Spike Jonze has also appeared as an actor in movies like Three Kings and Moneyball.

That is all the more impressive that two of his movies have been named among the best of the 21st century. Jonze’s meta-Hollywood story Adaptation ranks at #27 on the list, beaten only slightly by his sci-fi rom-com Her at #24.

Both movies are examples of Jonze’s draw towards the absurd and bizarre, while also showing how he is able to find great humanity in these movies that could easily get lost in their own weirdness. The high ranking for these тιтles only makes the wait for a new Spike Jonze movie harder.

12

Richard Linklater

Number Of Ranked Movies: 2

Richard Linklater is one of the indie filmmakers who emerged from the early 1990s. Like his iconic teen project, Dazed and Confused, Linklater has continued to make movies about likable characters that feature stories that have become universal to any audience. This is reflected in both of Linklater’s movies on The New York Times‘ list.

Before Sunset is the second movie in his beautiful Before trilogy, often regarded as the best. It is an intimate story focusing on lost and found love. Meanwhile, Boyhood was a movie from Linklater over a decade in the making, as the director filmed sections of the movie over the course of 12 years to show the ultimate coming-of-age story.

The two movies capture the kind of quiet and moving stories that can be told by just observing characters living their lives. It is interesting how the movies differ in approach, one chronicling an entire young life and the other told in real-time within a couple of hours, yet both pack an emotional punch.

11

Wes Anderson

Number Of Ranked Movies: 2

Wes Anderson is a filmmaker who is sometimes criticized for making movies that look and feel too similar. However, both his movies that ranked on this poll show just how different these stories can be, despite Anderson’s very distinct approach.

Ranked back to back at #21 and #22, respectively, The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest H๏τel invite audiences into the elevated world of Anderson’s mind. The Royal Tenenbaums is the ultimate comedy-drama about a dysfunctional family, while The Grand Budapest H๏τel is a sprawling period adventure with crime elements.

They are filled with eccentric characters and a quirky sense of humor that makes them laugh-out-loud comedies. However, Anderson is also able to build his stories to an ending that might take the audience by surprise with how bittersweet they can be.

10

Ang Lee

Number Of Ranked Movies: 2

Ang Lee has won two Best Director Oscars in the 21st century already, though only one of those movies is included on The New York Times list. Lee had already established his ability to tackle American stories, with movies like The Ice Storm. However, he returned to his native China for the ground-breaking Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

The kung-fu movie elevates the genre by combining truly extraordinary fight sequences with a fairy-tale-like story that is filled with emotion. The way Lee was able to bring such a story to American audiences and make it a hit helped push international movies forward.

Even more impressive, Lee was able to come back a few years later to tackle a deeply American story with Brokeback Mountain. Lee went for a much more grounded feel to this movie, creating one of the most heartwrenching, tragic love stories that was still filled with a sweeping vision and immense beauty.

9

Jonathan Glazer

Number Of Ranked Movies: 2

Jonathan Glazer is perhaps a director not as well-known as some of the other names appearing on The New York Times list. He is certainly not a commercial director, with his movies sometimes flying under the radar. However, two of his movies have been impossible to ignore.

Glazer is another filmmaker with a limited filmography to date, having directed only four movies so far. Under the Skin was his haunting alien story starring Scarlett Johansson that was a stealth favorite among certain film lovers, even if it was not completely appreciated upon release. Its placement at #69 shows how much its reputation has grown since then.

Glazer’s next movie, following a 10-year hiatus, was The Zone of Interest. This harrowing Holocaust drama found Glazer some of the widest acclaim of his career, earning Best Picture and Best Director nominations at the Oscars. Both movies show Glazer’s complete confidence as a filmmaker in creating immersive stories.

8

Martin Scorsese

Number Of Ranked Movies: 2

Often regarded as one of the greatest directors of all time, it might be surprising that Martin Scorsese only has two films on the list of the best movies of the 21st century. It is true that Scorsese’s masterpieces like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas came earlier in his career, but he continues to make brilliant movies.

The movie that finally earned Scorsese his first Best Director Oscar, The Departed, ranks as #31. The film sees Scorsese take a more commercial approach to a mob movie, but also delivers one of the genre’s most entertaining entries. However, it is a crime movie of a very different kind that ranks higher.

The Wolf of Wall Street lands at #20 on the poll, also delivering something unexpected from Scorsese. While the true story of The Wolf of Wall Street sounds like it could make for a Goodfellas-like story, Scorsese embraces his comedic side with one of the wildest and hilarious comedies of the last 25 years.

7

Bong Joon-ho

Number Of Ranked Movies: 2

Bong Joon-ho is one of the filmmakers on this list who started his professional career in the 21st century and has built an incredible body of work since then. This is especially true as Joon-ho has scored the top spot on The New York Times poll with his Best Picture winner, Parasite.

Like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Parasite is a movie that helped make American audiences more interested in the international movie offerings. More than that, it is a brilliant display of Joon-ho’s masterful control of tone, starting the story off as a madcap caper, becoming something much darker, and tying it all together as a profound satire.

On the opposite end of the list, Joon-ho’s true crime thriller Memories of Murder ranked at #99, but can stand toe-to-toe with Parasite as a haunting and gripping mystery that also takes big, effective swings with its tone.

6

Quentin Tarantino

Number Of Ranked Movies: 3

As fans await what will be Quentin Tarantino’s final movie, the hugely influential director has delivered some truly great films in the last 25 years. It feels as though the era marked when he really became a talented director on top of being an innovative storyteller.

This started with Kill Bill Vol. 1, ranked at #61 on the poll, in which Tarantino proved himself as an action director. The brilliant and bloody kung-fu revenge story made way for him to make an even more epic movie, with his World War II adventure, Inglourious Basterds, which takes the place of 14th on the list.

Inglourious Basterds also started Tarantino’s trend of breaking from historical fact with his endings, something he memorably repeated in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His 1969-set hangout movie, which ranks at #44 in the poll, might not be as sprawling as his other work, but it is perhaps his most ᴀssured work as a filmmaker.

5

David Fincher

Number Of Ranked Movies: 3

David Fincher delivered some of the most beloved movies of the 1990s, but his work in the 21st century can easily stand against those classics. Gone Girl ranks at #64 on The New York Times poll, with Fincher delivering a mystery with so many twists that it has become one of the most rewatchable movies of the last 25 years.

Fincher stepped into the world of real-life serial killers in exploring the notorious unsolved case of Zodiac, ranked at #19. Of all of Fincher’s work, Zodiac is the one that has gained more popularity over time. It came and went without much notice in 2007, only to be considered a modern masterpiece years later.

However, it is The Social Network that kicks off the top 10 of the 21st century. Some have called this examination of greed and ambition in the tech world the 21st century’s Citizen Kane. While many would likely take issue with such high praise, it is undeniably a brilliant modern story of greed.

4

Alfonso Cuarón

Number Of Ranked Movies: 4

Like Ang Lee, Alfonso Cuarón has won two Best Director Oscars in the 21st century, both of which landed on The New York Times’ list, along with two other brilliant тιтles from the filmmaker. The Mexican director is a talent at staging unbelievable sequences that defy explanation, yet is just as successful at smaller character moments.

At #97, Gravity is a stunning technical feat from Cuarón, delivering a sci-fi survival adventure about an astronaut stranded in space that is sH๏τ like one continuous take. The movie won Cuarón his first Best Picture Oscar, while his second came from a small black-and-white Mexican story, Roma, which ranks at #46.

Cuarón kicked off the 21st century by restablishing his immense talents with the Sєxy, moving, and layered coming-of-age story, Y tu mamá también ranks at #18. However, his highest-ranked movie, at #13, was sadly overlooked in its time, as Children of Men presents an immense and powerful dystopian story that is bold and exciting.