Hi!

This week, the New York Times ranked its top 100 movies of the 21st century so far. You can read their ranking at that link; it’s a gift link, so you don’t need a Times subscription. If you’re a longtime reader of Now I Know, you know that I’ve rated every movie I’ve ever watched on Letterboxd (here’s what each level rating means to me), so this was a very fun dive for me.

Here are some random, disorganized thoughts — I’m going to spoil some of the Times’ rankings, though, so you may want to scroll through it first.

I’ve seen 24 or 25 movies on the list, and one of my top three isn’t on it. Only one of the Lord of the Rings movies makes the cut, and it’s probably the “worst” of the three (which is to say, a top 20 movie for me). Ridiculous.

The “24 or 25” above? I don’t remember watching “Little Miss Sunshine” (#63), but also vaguely remember linking it. I’ll watch it (again?) at some point.

“Best in Show” (#57) … I really like the movie, but I was very surprised to see it on this list.

I didn’t like the Borat sequel all that much, so seeing “Borat” (#53) on the list was a surprise — but I’ve never seen it, so I guess I’m missing out?

I’m a huge baseball fan but “Moneyball “(#45) isn’t worthy of being on this list. It’s a very good but not great movie, a good but not great baseball story, and a good but not great Michael Lewis adaptation. I really like it — I gave it 3.5 stars on Letterboxd — but how do you not mention the A’s incredible pitching staff?

The rankings “A Serious Man” (#36), “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (#22), and “The Royal Tenenbaums” (#21) remind me how much directors matter to the film. I like a lot of Coen Brothers movies, but “A Serious Man” isn’t in my three of their films. I’ve never liked anything Wes Anderson has made, and Grand Budapest is my “favorite” of that bunch. That said, if you’re a fan of those two filmmakers, there’s a good reason these films are so highly ranked.

I’ve long thought that “The Arrival” (#29) is a massively underrated movie — really glad to see it not only on the list, but this high. I think “Interstellar” (#89) is better, though.

“The Dark Knight” (#28) may be my favorite movie of all time. Best superhero movie ever made, with “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” and maybe “Logan” are up there. I am happy it made this list, but I have to admit, I wish it were higher.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (#11)… I need to give it another try. I watched the first ten minutes while distracted and wasn’t into it. Also, do I need to watch any other Mad Max movies first? Let me know, thanks!

I somehow haven’t seen any of their top 10. In the interest of limiting spoilers, I won’t mention any by name, but two have been on my watchlist forever, one I’ll definitely not watch because I don’t like horror movies, and one I probably won’t because it stars Daniel Day-Lewis and while he’s a fabulous actor, the number of random Daniel Day-Lewis jokes that have come my way is enough for one lifetime — I don’t need more of him in my life.

Let me know what you think of the Times rankings, and if you’re using Letterboxd, connect with me there!

The Now I Know Week In Review

Monday: The Minnesota Lettuce Eating Contest: I love this idea and I think all colleges should do it.

Tuesday: How to Buy a Hockey Team, No Money Down: I would love to own the New York Mets (who thankfully have now won two in a row after an awful ten game stretch prior). But this is going too far.

Wednesday: Why the National Animal of Scotland is… Wait, Really?: Harry Potter would approve.

Thursday: Brunch: Because We Like the Party: The etymology of the term “brunch” (and why it’s a hangover cure?)

Long Reads and Other Things

Here are a few things you may want to check out over the weekend:

1) “It Was Already One of Texas’s Strangest Cold Cases. Then a Secretive Figure Appeared.” (Texas Monthly, 12 minutes, June 2025). The subhead: “Jason Landry’s disappearance confounded the state’s top investigators. When thousands of online sleuths got involved, intrigue turned into obsession.” For what it’s worth, Texas Monthly often has a lot of stories like this. I think it’s because of the quality of their reporting and the investment they’ve made in long reads, but maybe it’s because it’s Texas? 😀

2) “A Son’s Race to Give His Dying Father Artificial Immortality” (Wired, 11 minutes, July 2017). This article is eight years old — before ChatGPT and the recent Gen AI boom. Keep than in mind when you’re reading; you’ll likely think that this could have gone much, much further in today’s tech environment. Thanks to reader Dale G. for sharing.

3) “The Great Star Wars Heist” (Popular Mechanics, 9 minutes, March 2019). The subhead: “In 2017, an uncovered toy theft ruptured the Star Wars collecting community. Two years later, the collectors—and the convicted—are still looking for a way forward.” Thanks to reader Lee C. for sharing.

Oh, and Rogue One should have made Times’ list. In the 90-100 range, but still. It’s a really good movie.

Have a great weekend, and may the Force be with you,

Dan