The New York Times recently ran a massive poll asking actors, directors, and writers to name their favorite films released since 2000. The results were compiled into a Top 100 list based on how often certain films popped up.
The roster of participants included Jason Bloom, John Turturro, Alex Winter, Julianne Moore, and dozens more. Naturally, Stephen King joined in too, and as you might expect, his list stood out, but maybe not for the reasons you’d think.
While some participants leaned into deep-cut arthouse picks. Bloom named Moneyball and There Will Be Blood, Turturro listed Oldboy and Spirited Away, King’s list was surprisingly traditional. It’s like the cinematic version of comfort food. You won’t find any obscure festival gems here, just a solid mix of dramas, big-name directors, and a couple of genre surprises.
Here’s a quick look at what made the cut: Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and the Coen brothers‘ O Brother, Where Art Thou? and No Country for Old Men.
King also included Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby, which may raise an eyebrow considering Eastwood’s expansive output over the last two decades. The horror legend could’ve easily leaned toward Mystic River or Gran Torino, movies that arguably hit harder thematically, but he went for the heavy-hitting Hollywood drama that won four Oscars and a truckload of tears.
It’s the story of a down-and-out boxing trainer and the fierce young woman he reluctantly trains, and it packs an emotional uppercut that sneaks up on you. No one walks out of that movie feeling fine.
Interestingly, the horror master only put two genre films on his list: the Korean zombie thriller Train to Busan, and The Rule of Jenny Penn, a 2025 New Zealand psychological horror flick that hasn’t hit wide release yet but apparently features “one of John Lithgow’s greatest performances.”
There’s no accompanying essay from King explaining why these were his choices, but the vibe is clear, he went with films that left a mark on him emotionally. That makes sense. For all his terrifying tales, King has always had a soft spot for heartache, friendship, and stories about people pushed to the edge.
What are some of your favorite movies from the last century of films?
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