The Top 25 Films from the Last 25 Years – America Magazine

On March 22, 1895, the Lumire brothers screened their first projected motion picture at the Society for the Development of National Industry Conference in Paris, triggering an innovative visual art form that has entertained critics and casual moviegoers for more than a century.

One hundred years after the birth of cinema, the Vatican released a commemorative list of 45 films that the Holy See found either spiritually significant, morally compelling or artistically meritorious. These films range from the universally acclaimed (Its a Wonderful Life, Citizen Kane, Schindlers List) to the more obscure (Thrse, Lavender Hill Mob, Monsieur Vincent).

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While the Vaticans film recommendations are excellent, 25 years have passed since the lists publication, and it could use an update. Luckily, a few of the office cinephiles at America Media are here to expand the Vaticans list with the most groundbreaking, impressive and beautiful films released since 1995. Ryan Di Corpo, Colleen Dulle and Isabelle Senechal have selected 25 films that are verifiably (by us) the best from the last 25 years. (If your favorite modern film didnt make the list, let us know in the comments in our movie club on Facebook.)

Our criteria for this list loosely follows the Vaticans three categories for their film choices: religion, values and art. We intentionally picked films that have overt religious themes or Catholic subtext; movies that are distinguished by their special moral worth (this includes works with morally complex storylines or content that may not be obviously virtuous but does add to the philosophical conversations these films are having with their audiences); and features that will stand the test of time for their artistic achievements. All of these films fit into at least one of those categories, although some do overlap into two or all three. These films are presented in chronological order.

Good Will Hunting(1997). Matt Damon is wicked smaht as the titular charactera brilliant but troubled college janitorin Gus Van Sants box-office hit Good Will Hunting. A quintessential film of the 1990s and prime candidate for the title of most Boston film of all time, it succeeds in large part because of an intelligent, insightful screenplay by 20-somethings Damon and Ben Affleck and a masterful performance from Robin Williams. The two-time Oscar-winning film also marked a turning point in the career of Van Sant, launching the director of My Own Private Idaho and Drugstore Cowboy into the mainstream of American cinema.

Saving Private Ryan (1998). Stephen Spielbergs epic World War II drama about an American squads courageous campaign to find a paratrooper (Matt Damon), who is the last surviving brother of three servicemen killed in action, has been lauded as a modern classic and one of the greatest anti-war movies of all timewith good reason. From its gritty violence and unflinching portrait of modern warfare to the morally gray situations that its characters must navigate as they plunge deeper into the heart of Nazi-occupied France, the film actively works to dispel the glamorized fantasy of war that its cinematic predecessors relished in, offering instead a realistic horror show that underscores the troops trauma and sacrifice. Complete with an unforgettable performance from Tom Hanks and impressive cinematography from Janusz Kamiski,Saving Private Ryan is a visceral experience that will haunt you long after you watch it.

In the Mood for Love (2000). Reminiscent of classic Hollywood romances (and with more than a nod to Sirkian interiors), In the Mood for Love tells the tale of a couple (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) drawn together by their respective partners affairs. Shanghai-born director Wong Kar-wai marries exquisite production design with a complex color palette to produce a veritable visual feast. A masterclass in tone, In the Mood for Love is one of the most stirring romantic pictures in recent memory.

Spirited Away(2001). A masterpiece from the celebrated Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away transports audiences to an imaginative, supernatural world that is as beautiful as it is mystifying. Every frame in this film is a visual treat for the eyes, and Studio Ghiblis impeccable animation allows the scenes to materialize like a moving painting. In addition to its gorgeous cinematography, Spirited Away features a cast of offbeat but lovable characters and a surprisingly adult story that is nearly perfect in every beat. If you havent experienced this Oscar-winning animated classic yet, do yourself a favor: Turn off the lights, get comfortable, and allow this film to spirit you away for two hours.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind(2004). Perhaps the most surreal yet earnestly sincere love story ever committed to film, Charlie Kaufmans indie darling Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an imaginative odyssey backward through one couples relationship from devastating breakup to classic meet-cute. When Joel (Jim Carrey) discovers that his quirky but impulsive ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has decided to undergo a neurological procedure that effectively erases her memory of him, he spitefully resolves to do the same, only to realize that obliterating his painful memories of her also means losing the happy ones. With its affecting story, captivating visuals and exquisite meditation on love and heartbreak, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one romantic dramedy you wont soon forget.

Into Great Silence(2005). A labor of patience and love, this German-language documentary ranks easily in the canon of classic Catholic films of the 21st century. Director Philip Grning waited 16 years for a response from the silent Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery in the French alps, who acquiesced to his request to film there only if he would agree to use no artificial light or any sound that did not naturally occur in the daily life of the monastery. The result is an almost completely silent, nearly three-hour immersion into the monasterys cycles of work and prayer that puts the viewer in touch with his or her own spiritual longings and the deep silence within.

Pans Labyrinth(2006). Set in Spain during Francisco Francos dictatorship, Guillermo del Toros dark fantasy film masterfully weaves historical drama with fairy tales, forging an ingenious commentary on the destruction of innocence in the face of inexorable violence. Each of the trials young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is given by the enigmatic faun (Doug Jones) in the overgrown, eponymous labyrinth functions as a parable for the turbulence of adolescence and the real world traumas inflicted by war. There are some truly terrifying moments in Ofelias questthe Pale Man scene will have you squirming in your seatbut the real horror in Pans Labyrinth stems from mans ability to dehumanize his enemy and follow orders without question.

There Will Be Blood (2007). Daniel Day-Lewis is a cunning, ruthless oilman in Paul Thomas Andersons There Will Be Blood, which pits Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis) against a young charismatic preacher (Paul Dano) in the early 20th century. Day-Lewis, in his second Oscar-winning role, is something to behold: sneering at the preacher, mocking his religious superstition, thrashing him in the mud. But the preacher holds his own, demanding that Plainview be baptized and publicly admit to abandoning his child. Complemented by Johnny Greenwoods pulsating score and shining vistas of the Texan landscape, courtesy of cinematographer Robert Elswit, There Will Be Blood is an enthralling ride into the dark heart of America.

Of Gods and Men(2010). Xavier Beauvoiss haunting and austere drama follows the true story of the martyrs of the Tibhirine, a group of Trappist monks who were kidnapped and murdered in 1996 by an Islamic extremist group during the Algerian Civil War. Much of the films two hours centers on the daily monastic and liturgical life of the monastery, which remains largely unchanged even as the fighting ratchets up and the monks must decide whether to accept protection from corrupt forces. Fully aware of the threats of violence and death, the brothers turn down the protectionthough they receive it for a time anyway, until the tide of the war turnschoosing to remain in Algeria for the sake of their neighbors to whom they minister.

The Tree of Life (2011). Terrence Malicks masterpiece, no stranger to best-of-the-century lists, plunges the viewer into a philosophical exploration of grief, theodicy and the duality of grace and human nature as a mid-century Texas family learns about the death of one of their three sons. The films experimental cinematography, replete with gratuitous nature shots, along with its extended special-effects sequence depicting the creation of the universe, cemented Malicks signature aesthetic as well as his reputation for creating soul-searching films. This Palme dOr winner earns a special mention on this list for its final beach scene, which we humbly but confidently laud as the greatest film depiction of eschatological bodily resurrection ever.

Amour(2012). Dont let the title of this film fool you: Amour is a tough sit, and all the better for it. Revered French actors Jean-Louis Trintignant (Z, The Conformist) and Emmanuelle Riva (Hiroshima mon amour, Three Colors: Blue) team up with the Austrian auteur Michael Haneke to portray a married couple navigating the complexities of age. When the elderly Anne (Riva) suffers a stroke, her husband Georges (Trintignant) must care for Anne as she becomes increasingly sick and unable to tend to herself. A meditation on suffering and the hardships of providing for a dying loved one, Amour and its unexpected conclusion challenge the viewers concept of love. For her extraordinarily vulnerable performance, an 85-year-old Riva received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

12 Years a Slave (2013). Based on the 1853 memoir by abolitionist Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave provides a brutal retelling of Northups enslavement in the antebellum American South. As evidenced by his previous feature Shame, a no-holds-barred portrayal of sexual addiction in New York City, director Steve McQueen is not afraid of tackling challenging subjects with honesty and compassion. 12 Years a Slave is no exception, and McQueens fearlessness is shared by commanding lead actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, a terrifying Michael Fassbender and the revelatory Lupita Nyongowhose shattering performance won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Her(2013). The most remarkable thing about Spike Jonzes eye-catching sci-fi romance Her is that you can almost perceive two films nestled into one: one a meditation on persisting loneliness and isolation in a technologically advanced society; the other an honest portrait of a loving relationship that evolves to transcend some boundaries while erecting others. Both ideas would work well on their own, but together they create a special film experience unlike anything youve ever seen. The chemistry between sensitive Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) and Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), his artificially intelligent virtual assistant, is palpable, though invisible, and the memorable soundtrack by indie rock band Arcade Fire will make your heart sing with the highs and lows of their relationship.

Grand Budapest Hotel(2014). This snappy, candy-colored dramedy from Wes Anderson packs innumerable plot twists and a star-studded 17-person ensemble into its breathless 100 minutes. The film follows Zero Moustafa, the hotels lobby boy, as he wins the trust of his boss, the punctilious concierge Monsieur Gustave, over the course of a murder accusation, Renaissance art heist, prison break and a confrontation with fascist troops who take over the hotel. Relentlessly funny and endlessly quotable, the film offers as much stylistic and narrative genius as it does the aesthetic and cinematographic innovations for which it is so often praised.

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)(2014). Reality mirrors art mirrors reality mirrors art in Alejandro G. Irritus brilliant satirical black comedy Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Michael Keaton stars as Riggan Thomson, a washed-up blockbuster actor from a soulless Hollywood who attempts to revitalize his career (and his reputation) by adapting a Raymond Carver short story for Broadway. The more Riggan sacrifices for his art, the more reality unravels around him. With its smart, snappy dialogue, crisp comedy and continuous one-shot sequences, Birdman is perhaps the closest cinema will get to resembling a stage play.

Son of Saul(2015). The Hungarian director Lszl Nemes made the cruelty of the Holocaust the subject of his Oscar-winning debut film. The film follows, literally and in tight close-ups, the fictional Auschwitz prisoner Saul Auslnder, who cleans gas chambers and removes the bodies of the executed as a member of the Sonderkommando. Relentless, claustrophobic and uncompromising, Son of Saul finds traces of humanity in the most inhuman of situations.

Silence (2016). Martin Scorseses quarter-century passion project, based on Shsaku Ends 1966 novel of the same name, stars Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield as two 17th-century Portuguese Jesuits who set off to Japan to find their mentor (Liam Neeson), who has disappeared, and to minister to that countrys hidden Christians. The film eschews any easy moral judgments, examining with compassion Rodriguess (Garfield) decision to step on an image of Christ, publicly denying his faith while still believing in his heart, in order to save others. America editor at large James Martin, S.J., led Garfield through St. Ignatius Spiritual Exercises in preparation for the role, which had a lasting effect on the actor.

Get Out (2017). Jordan Peeles genre-defying, satirical thriller wrests viewers into a perpetual state of unease and dread when a young black man (Daniel Kaluuya) goes upstate with his white girlfriend (Allison Williams) to meet her wealthy, woke parents, who are harboring a dark secret. Through inventive hypnotic sequences and superbly unsettling performances from its cast, the film nimbly captures the anxiety of navigating benevolent racismsuperficially positive racism in which members of other races are perceived as sympathetic, but incompetentin America. Top it off with a tight, darkly funny original screenplay that earned Peele an Oscar, and Get Out becomes a fun, eerie horror romp that will influence scary movies for years to come.

Coco(2017). Pixars Academy Award-winning animated film Coco follows an ambitious young musician, Miguel, as he is accidentally transported to the mythic Land of the Dead on the Mexican holiday Da de Los Muertos. Miguel clashes with his music-hating ancestors, who refuse to let him return to the land of the living unless he promises to give up his guitar. After a rambunctious hunt for his long-lost grandfather who, legend has it, abandoned the family to become a musician, Miguel solves a decades-long mystery and brings his family, living and dead, to a heartwarming and tear-jerking reunion.

Lady Bird(2018). Beautifully simple and genuinely touching, Greta Gerwigs coming-of-age comedy about a Catholic high school girls senior year in Sacramentothe Midwest of Californiais an affectionate love letter to the little details of adolescence, burgeoning womanhood and the places we inevitably leave behind. Saoirse Ronan delights as the films eponymous heroine Lady Bird, capturing her characters stubborn, performative streak, while also delivering quiet, tender moments of compassion when the script calls for it. Laurie Metcalf likewise excels as Lady Birds strict but well-meaning mother, Marion, and the two actresses expertly play off of each others performances to create an authentic mother-daughter relationship. A film that unironically wears its heart on its sleeve, Lady Bird is the perfect watch if you want a good laugh or a good cry.

BlacKkKlansman(2018). The film that inspired the Academy to finally Do the Right Thing and give Spike Lee an Oscar, BlacKkKlansman is a triumphant, gleefully cathartic hit against white supremacists, racial propaganda and President Trumps apparent ambivalence toward the Ku Klux Klan. John David Washington comes into his own as Ron Stallworth, the first African-American police officer in Colorado Springs history, who successfully infiltrates a local chapter of the Klan after posing as a bigoted white man on the phone. What follows is a suspenseful, astonishingly true investigation that somehow manages to make white nationalists look as ridiculous as possible while still acknowledging the very real threat that these hate groups pose to marginalized communities.

Roma(2018). Alfonso Cuarns ode to his childhood nanny tells the story of Cleo, an indigenous live-in housekeeper for a well-to-do family in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City in the 1970s, who cares for her employers children while facing an unexpected pregnancy of her own. The film juxtaposes the familys comfortable urban life with student protests and the shantytowns from which Cleo, Adelathe other maidand their boyfriends hail. A masterpiece of social justice cinema, Roma provides a complex portrait of Cleo, which catapulted first-time indigenous actress Yalitza Aparicio to international fame and broke numerous awards barriers as it became the first Mexican film to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and the first foreign-language film to win for Best Director.

Parasite(2019). The film that broke the language barrier, Parasite, Bong Joon Hos wild, satirical smash, was the surprise winner of Best Picture at this years Academy Awards. At once clever parody and fast-paced thriller (courtesy of a brilliant tonal shift), the film presents a sharp contrast between the upper and lower classes in South Korea.It is the films twisting narrative, stellar performances and hard look at social inequality that have resonated across national borders.

The Two Popes(2019). Both Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins deliver performances that soar into celestial heights, as Jorge Mario Bergolio (Pope Francis) and Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) respectively, in Fernando Meirelless biographical dramatization of the events leading up to Benedicts resignation and Francis election in 2013. Pryce disappears into his role as the compassionate, yet conflicted Bergolio, while Hopkins evinces his acting dexterity by carrying Ratzigners strict demeanor and introspective nature in every step he takes and every line he utters. The Two Popes is a gorgeously shot, well-choreographed dance between two phenomenal actors, two complex protagonists and two dueling philosophies for rebuilding a church that is still healing from scandal.

A Hidden Life(2020). In his most recent film, Terrence Malick lends his spiritually searching, cinematic eye to the true story of the Austrian conscientious objector Blessed Franz Jgersttter. Based on Jgersttters writings from prison and letters to his wife, Fani, a hidden saint in her own right, the film depicts the mundane, daily refusals to cooperate with the rising nationalism of their community that ultimately lead to the Jgersttterss alienation from their rural village and Franzs death by a Nazi guillotine. A stirring reflection on the banality of evil and the quiet strength of those who resist it in unseen ways every day, A Hidden Life has become an instant Catholic classic.

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The Top 25 Films from the Last 25 Years - America Magazine