10 Most Perfectly Acted Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

The 21st century has seen a remarkable evolution within the history of Hollywood, as the film industry has become more reliant than ever before on developing blockbuster franchises that generate massive financial success. While this is a significant change from the way in which the industry used to be operated, film fans can still have hope for the future based on the extraordinary number of great actors that are still working.

Although it may be easy to bemoan the lack of movie stars, there have been many fresh faces that have emerged throughout the 21st century, and many living legends that have continued to do great work. Every franchise will ultimately fade from relevance at some point, but it is the great characters and the performers that embodied them that will ultimately stand the test of time. Here are the ten most perfectly acted movies of the 21st century, ranked.

10 ‘Mystic River’ (2003)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Mystic River is one of the best films that was directed by Clint Eastwood, a former actor who has a keen ability to get the most out of his talented cast. Mystic River is a deeply unsettling crime drama about the ramifications of generational trauma and childhood abuse; Sean Penn has never been as starkly terrifying or completely heartbreaking as he is in Mystic River, as his performance won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Although the great Kevin Bacon shows once again why he’s among the most “in-demand” character actors working today, the devastating performance by Tim Robbins is what makes Mystic River more impactful than most crime thrillers. Robbins won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Mystic River, and dedicated his victory to the victims of abuse that he so beautifully embodied with his soul-shattering performance.

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9 ‘The Holdovers’ (2023)

Directed by Alexander Payne

The Holdovers has instantly solidified itself as a modern Christmas classic, even if it does not have a scale comparable to the ensembles in Love Actually or The Holiday. What The Holdovers does have is three amazing performances from actors that completely embody their characters; by the time that Alexander Payne’s heartfelt dramedy wraps up, the characters begin to feel a little bit like family.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as she completely embodied a sense of optimism and kindness that is rarely seen on screen. While Paul Giamatti is just as brilliant as one may imagine from one of the greatest living actors, it was the discovery of breakout star Dominic Sessa, making his debut with the first film role of his entire career, that truly made The Holdovers feel like something special.

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8 ‘Marriage Story’ (2019)

Directed by Noah Baumbach

Marriage Story is among the most devastating movies ever made about a broken family, as it succeeds in showing that both warring parties may still have affection for each other. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson do the best work of their respective careers, as the non-linear way in which Noah Baumbach constructs his story allows for them to both show moments of affection and difficult arguments.

Although both Driver and Johansson were nominated for their work, Laura Dern won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a vindictive lawyer who threatens to tear the couple apart in the most bitter way possible. Marriage Story is also a real “who’s who” when it comes to legendary character actors that pop up in small roles, as legends like Ray Liotta and Wallace Shawn are gifted with scenes that allow them an opportunity in the spotlight.

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7 ‘The Brutalist’ (2004)

Directed by Brady Corbet

The Brutlalist has already established itself as one of the best films of the 21st century, and could feasibly be remembered as a classic in the vein of The Godfather or The Deer Hunter in the years that come. At the center of the film is an outstanding performance by Adrien Brody as a Jewish architect trying to achieve the American dream; while Brody famously became the youngest actor ever to win the Best Actor Oscar for his work in The Pianist, his work in The Brutalist indicates just how much he has grown on screen.

Brody’s work is nearly impossible to forget, but The Brutalist features one of the most terrifying villains in recent memory thanks to the performance by Guy Pearce, an actor who has always deserved more credit for the versatility that he has shown himself to be capable of.

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6 ‘Lincoln’ (2012)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Lincoln is a powerful biographical drama about one of the most important moments in American history, and Steven Spileberg put together an amazing cast of actors to embody many of these iconic historical figures. There isn’t a bad performance in Lincoln, but it was the career-defining performance by the great Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th President of the United States that won him the third Academy Award for Best Actor in his career.

Day-Lewis manages to capture the softness, humanity, and charisma of Lincoln, and Sally Field is just as compelling as his embittered wife, Mary Todd. Although Day-Lewis is impossible to look away from whenever he is on the screen, Lincoln also features impressive work from Tommy Lee Jones, Walton Goggins, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adam Driver, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Jared Harris, David Strathairn, Lee Pace, Jackie Earl Haley, and Jeremy Strong.

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5 ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005)

Directed by Ang Lee

Brokeback Mountain is one of the greatest romantic dramas ever made, and broke new ground for Hollywood in terms of LGTQIA representation; although it infamously lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to the overrated drama Crash, Brokeback Mountain will continue to be cited as a masterful classic in the years to come.

The chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger is absolutely extraordinary; both actors were nominated for their performances, and were able to play their characters over the course of many decades as their relationship evolves, and becomes more tragic. Ang Lee is a filmmaker who is sensitive to giving every character a chance to shine, as Brokeback Mountain still spends time dedicated to the female characters portrayed by Anne Hathaway and Michelle Williams. The intimacy, honesty, and timely message about acceptance and love make Brokeback Mountain a truly heroic feat of filmmaking.

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4 ‘The Social Network’ (2010)

Directed by David Fincher

The Social Network is the film that seemingly defined a generation, as David Fincher was able to capture the unique ways in which communication and relationships had changed through the development of technology and the Internet. Although it promises to be an epic origin story about how Facebook changed the world, The Social Network reveals itself to be a very personal character drama about the splintering of a single relationship.

Jesse Eisneberg is able to capture all the mannerisms of Mark Zuckerberg, and pulls off a performance that is surprisingly empathetic before it becomes completely terrifying. Although Eisenberg received his first and only Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance, it is unfortunate that Andrew Garfield was not also recognized by the Oscars for his amazing work, as Eduardo is in many ways the heart of the film.

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3 ‘The Departed’ (2006)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

The Departed is a masterpiece that only Martin Scorsese would have been capable of, as he managed to remix elements of the classic Infernal Affairs action trilogy and turn it into an epic, sprawling crime saga about the development of the mafia in modern day Boston.

Jack Nicholson is aboutley unleashed with his role as Frank Costello, a character that certainly ranks among the most memorable villains in recent memory. Although it was surprisingly Mark Wahlberg that received an Oscar nomination for his hilarious performance as the scene-stealing, foul-mouthed Sergeant Dignam, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a very dynamic, dark hero, and Matt Damon was able to show one of the more despicable characters of his career. Between Alec Baldwin as a police captain and Martin Sheen as a lifelong cop, The Departed was able to cast amazing performers in even the most minor of roles.

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2 ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood’ (2019)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Once Upon A Time in Hollywood was the ultimate love letter by Quentin Tarantino to the “Golden Age of Hollywood,” as the film celebrates an age of innocence before the murder of Sharon Tate triggered significant changes within the way that the industry developed new projects.

Brad Pitt deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Cliff Booth, a charismatic stuntman who ends up being able to change history for the better. However, DiCaprio was also nominated for what may have been the most vulnerable performance of his career; playing a struggling actor facing anxieties about his future may have been a role that he could relate to. As with every Tarantino film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood features an amazing ensemble; some of the memorable supporting players in the film include Kurt Russell, Timothy Olyphant, Margaret Qualley, Bruce Dern, Dakota Fanning, Sidney Sweeney, and Lena Dunham.

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1 ‘There Will Be Blood’ (2007)

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

There Will Be Blood features a performance by Day-Lewis that is often cited as one of the greatest of all-time. Although winning the Academy Award for Best Actor was certainly recognition of his great work, Day-Lewis’ performance in There Will Be Blood has continued to age well as the ultimate example of what a great anti-hero should look like.

Day-Lewis showed an extraordinary amount of vulnerability, rage, and entitlement playing a character that was utterly revolting, yet never less than completely compelling to watch. While spending the entirety of a historical epic in the company of a character that was so vile may have been a challenge, the strong supporting performance by Paul Dano helps ensure that There Will Be Blood is more balanced in terms of its division of time. It is because of his work in There Will Be Blood that every new Day-Lewis movie feels like an event.

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