Only one movie from the 21st century has made it into ‘top 10 movies of all time’ on Letterboxd

It’s been said, “They don’t make them like they used to”. While it’s a dated phrase, it applies to almost everything. For example, only one 21st-century film has made it into the 10 movies of all time, according to Letterboxd. 

Letterboxd Highlighted Films

The movie, Parasite, featured in Letterboxd as one of the 10 films of all time, was released in South Korea in 2019 and follows a struggling family who resort to unconventional survival methods. One by one each member becomes part of the personal staff of a wealthy couple but greed consumes them and they become “parasites.”The movie was inspired by the widening class divide in South Korea at the time, which is not unlike some of the issues the U.S. faces, currently. 

Praise for the Director

Bong Joon-ho was praised for his film, instantly becoming a critically acclaimed box office success. It won 4 Academy Awards, including “Best Film.” Interestingly, it was the first non-English language film to win the award, making history for South Korean film. Additionally, it was the first Korean film to win another award, the Palm d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and scored a 4.6 on Letterboxd. 

Public Responses

Letterboxd notes the film’s success, which is the current record holder for the most-watched film on Letterboxd. Meanwhile, internet users have happily expressed their sentiments regarding the film. 

 “Our expectations were high but HOLY F***.” Said one blown-away fan. 

“Easily, without a doubt, the best hook of 2019,” added another. 

 “A question to people who rate this 4.5: what more do you want, literally what more do you want?” Questioned a third person. 

“Yup……. this is the best movie that has ever been f***ing made,” said a final person. 

For anyone who may not know, Letterboxd is a renowned site where fans and experts, connect over their love of cinema and share the highest-ranked and most popular movies of all time. The website features over 870,000 films with fan reviews. Here are the top 20 films of all time, according to Letterboxd. 

1. Letterboxd Number 1 Film

 In 1962, Japan released Harakiri, the number one movie on the Letterboxd list. The dark tale follows a veteran who’s down on his luck and plans to commit suicide. The movie touches on sensitive topics such as honor, respect, and “legendary foundations of the Samurai code.” 

2. Come and See

Come and See was released in 1985 and is a harrowing tale about the German invasion of Byelorussia, or modern-day Belarus. A young man named Florya joins the Resistance and meets a girl. Upon returning to his home with her, Florya discovers his family and other nearby peasants have been murdered and he continues to overcome every obstacle along the way. 

3. 12 Angry Men 

Making its debut in 1957, 12 Angry Men is the 3rd most popular movie of all time, according to Letterboxd. It follows the story of a young Spanish-American who is on trial for murdering his father. 

4. Seven Samurai 

More than 200 minutes long, this film was released in 1954. In the film, a samurai down on his luck comes to the rescue of a village when they recruit him for protection. He gathers a team of 6 people, teaching them how to defend themselves against the bandits plaguing the village. 

5. The Godfather Part 2

Al Pacino starred in this saga in 1972 and 1974, before a third movie was filmed in 1990, featuring many original cast members. Part 2 is a continuation of the Corleone crime family’s attempts to expand the family business. 

6. Letterboxd Film Number 6

Next, High and Low was released in 1963 and, ranks number 6 on the top 20 list of all time. The Japanese film is a “modern perfect crime with more excitement than Alfred Hitchcock could make,” raves Letterboxd. The movie follows a company executive ordered to pay a large ransom when his servant’s son is kidnapped. 

7. Human Condition Part 3

Furthermore, the 1961 film follows Kaji after Japan defeated Russia. Kaji and the remaining soldiers return home to Manchuria but are forced to sneak behind enemy lines. 

8. The Shawshank Redemption 

A more recent film, The Shawshank Redemption, came out in 1994 and follows a man imprisoned in the 1940s for killing his cheating wife and her lover. However, during his time in prison, “upstanding banker” Andy Dufresne catches the attention of inmates and the warden for his intelligence and integrity. 

9. Parasite

As mentioned above, Parasite is a popular film among cinema lovers. It takes place in South Korea and is a fictional film based on true events.

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10. Letterboxd Film Number 10

Next, The Godfather, is the first part of the saga and covers the years 1945-1955 in the lives of the fictional Italian American Corleone family. When the family’s patriarch nearly dies, his youngest son Michael steps in to seek vengeance. 

11. Yi Yi 

A family in Taipei faces hard questions such as life’s meaning. 

12. Letterboxd Film Number 12

In the film The City of God two young men set out on very different journeys in a poor 1970 Dio de Janeiro. One becomes a photographer, while the other becomes a prominent drug dealer. Ultimately a “turf war” erupts, shedding light on the harsh realities in underfunded communities. 

13. Schindler’s List

Moreover, Schindler’s List is a film based on the true story of Oscar Schindler, a man who single-handedly saved thousands of Jews from the Holocaust by employing them in his factory. 

14. Letterboxd Film Number 14

In a Japanese drama, a man learns he has terminal cancer and aims to make his final days meaningful. As such, he attempts to repair broken relationships and learns to bring happiness to others. 

15. La Haine

In this 1995 film, a young Arab is beaten unconscious by police. As such, a riot erupts and the story follows 3 people around the victim’s age, who “wander aimlessly” around their homes following the incidents. 

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16. Letterboxd Film Number 16

Lord of the Rings is a fantasy adventure based on the trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkien. 

17. Human Condition Part 1

Also part of a saga, the Human Condition trilogy is a Japanese war drama, based on a novel of the same name. 

18. Letterbod Film Number 18

Additionally, in 1985, Ran was released based on William Shakespeare’s King Leer intertwined with Japanese culture featuring segments based on legends of the daimyō Mōri Motonari.

19. Brighter Summer Day 

The movie, airing in 1991 is nearly four hours long. However, it is on the Letterboxd top 20 movies of all time, for good reason. The film follows the life of an adolescent boy facing the hardships of life in 1960s Taiwan. 

20. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is a fascinating tale about an unlikely and tumultuous partnership between a Mexican outlaw and Joe, played by Clint Eastwood and the audience is taken through a series of unexpected turns in the Southwest during the Civil War. 

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