The New York Times’ list of the 100 best movies of the 21st Century has been the talk of the town since its publication on the 22nd of June 2025. Imminent celebrities, actors, directors, songwriters, novelists, and producers participated in a poll that was then used to create the list of the 100 best films of the last 25 years.
From a scarily relevant Joaquin Phoenix movie to a movie filmed secretly inside Walt Disney World, the list includes many expected films of great renown and many surprising picks that don’t often find their way onto such lists. Despite the contentions over what movies made it to the list, it is undoubtedly a celebration of 21st-century cinema.
The votes reveal what films celebrities consider to be the greatest of the 21st Century, and even if they aren’t on the final list of 100, they’re great films worth watching and celebrating. Many great movies that should have made it onto the New York Times’ list of top films have been recognized by the voters in their individual selections.
Gabourey Sidibe Picked Pariah As A Top Movie Of The Century
She Is Most Famous For Her Role In Precious
Gabourey Sidibe won an Academy Award nomination in 2010 for her incredible performance as the protagonist in the harrowing drama Precious. She has since appeared in films like Grimsby, Tower Heist, Seven Psychopaths, and most recently, in the 2025 Lifetime movie, Give Me Back My Daughter. Sidibe was among the voters chosen by the New York Times.
Gabourey Sidibe chose five films for the poll of the 100 best movies of the 21st Century, and among them was Pariah, an underrated film that deserved to be on the list. There are many surprising films on the New York Times’ list, and Sidibe’s pick makes one wonder if it deserves a spot in place of one of them.
The most frequently discussed LGBTQ-themed films are on the New York Times’ list, but most of the niche films are missing.
Seven Psychopaths, in which Sidibe plays a minor role, is the only film on her list that she appears in. The James Mangold thriller Identity is also among her choices. One of the other films is the 2023 remake of The Color Purple. Her list is closed out by what many are saying is 2025’s best film, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
Pariah Was A Breakout Movie For Both Its Star & Director
Both Have Had Strong Careers Since Then
Pariah, written and directed by Dee Rees, follows a 17-year-old Brooklyn girl, Alike, played by Adepero Oduye, who grapples with her identity as a lesbian. It is a moving exploration of queer sexuality and expression, the roles of family and environment in shaping who we become, and the importance of individuality and experimentation in claiming one’s identity as their own.
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14 years ago, both Dee Rees and Adepero Oduye broke out onto the scene with Pariah. Dee Rees has since directed films like the biopic Bessie, starring Queen Latifah, the post-War drama Mudbound, and the political thriller The Last Thing He Wanted. Most recently, she was one of the five directors of the war drama miniseries Masters of the Air.
Pariah was an influential film, but it remains underrated.
Meanwhile, Adepero Oduye has nabbed herself roles in films like The Big Short, 12 Years A Slave, Half Nelson, Galveston, The Dinner, Geostorm, and Widows. She has also appeared in the MCU miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and most recently in the 2024 Netflix miniseries Eric. So, Pariah was an influential film, but it remains underrated.
