Greetings 6 Degrees readers, and Happy New Year! Here is our list of some of the films recommended for the 21st Century Film Buffs “Must-see” list.
How was the list compiled and what were the criteria in choosing this cross selection of films? There’s a diverse array in this group, as you see that some of the films are documentaries, and some are children’s films. But what they have in common is that all have made an impact in some way on the way we think about films and movie-going in the 21st Century.
Some are science-fiction entries, and some are just well-crafted stories with exceptionally good actors. Some are comments on the changes in our society, and how we look at the world we live in. And a few of these are simply popular culture flicks, commenting on our times and the entertainment we know and love as we immerse ourselves in cinematic history.
Some of these are best experienced on the big screen. I would recommend Gladiator, Slumdog Millionaire, The Aviator, Lez Miserable, Arrival, There Will be Blood and Gravity to be seen at the movies. There are many ways to see these films, but this is a list I would recommend for anyone who is simply looking for a good solid list of films to round out their Netflix/Hulu or Armchair Film Fest viewing lists…
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In the coming weeks, we’ll preview some of these, and include past reviews too of the films of the past two decades that have made an impact or lasting impression focusing on the zeitgeist of our era. The Lost Generation was one that was born from the nihilism and pain of a world war. In our modern era, where nothing matters, and yet everything is on the table, we need to focus on those films that not only show us where we have been, but also look at what we have become in the modern age.
The films that deal with loneliness, isolation, our response to the technological advances, the violence that is common in our society, the changing roles of women, the way we deal with children, our relationships, and even the changing roles of characters such as James Bond and the way African Americans are portrayed on film are just some of the reasons these films made the cut.
There is a recurring segment in Film Comment that offers a deep focus on some segment of film history each month. These changing cultural norms give us insight as 6 Degrees also strives to focus deeply when we can to spot the trends in films of our recent past as well as those from fifty or more years back.
The book I wrote in 2013: 6 Degrees of Film: The Future of Film in the Global Village, takes a look at some of the changes that effect the ways we perceive film. Here’s an excerpt:
“No doubt in the twenty first century, certain parts of the cinematic experience will continue to decline. Foreign markets have made a huge difference in the way films are being released and marketed. Now more than ever, films occupy a Global Village…
George Lucas spoke once about the possibilities for drug enhancing experiences in which individuals could become a part of a virtual-reality film playing in their minds. These ideas may not be the same as conventional movie theater films; however, we cannot dismiss the possibility of these events coming to pass in the distant future. This experience would not be standard movie theater filmmaking as we have come to know it, but at any rate it would be a reality far removed from our own near future world. As long as humans aspire to dream and to create, we will be interested in watching movies in whatever form that might be”
The ways in which we view movies continues to evolve. The cinematic experience is unique, and needs to be preserved for those of us who appreciate the unique pull that viewing a film in the theater as the director intended it to be seen is an art form that does need to continue and to be encouraged and promoted.
Here is our list:
Coco 2017
Arrival 2016
The Big Short 2015
Ex Machina 2015
Spectre 2015
The Grand Budapest Hotel 2014
Gravity 2013
Her 2013
Frozen 2013
Life of Pi 2012
Les Miserable 2012
Inception 2010
The Social Network 2010
The Hurt Locker 2009
Avatar 2009
Up 2009
Slumdog Millionaire 2008
The Dark Knight 2008
No Country for Old Men 2007
There will be Blood 2007
Juno 2007
Pan’s Labyrinth 2006
Capote 2005
The Aviator 2004
The Lord of the Rings 2003
Lost in Translation 2003
Finding Nemo 2003
The Fog of War 2002
Bowling for Columbine 2002
A Beautiful Mind 2001
Gladiator 2000
The Matrix 1999*
The Matrix series did extend into the 21st Century, and the first film was really the only one that we can recommend as part of this list.
Six Degrees of Film 