8 Most Perfect Movies of the Past 6 Years, Ranked

The world has changed quite a lot over the last six years, with ups and downs in every facet of human existence, but during all that time, there’s been one thing we can all agree has been as great as ever: the movies. Sure, there have been plenty of terrible movies made in the 2020s, but there have also been some truly amazing works of art — films that transcend their time, place, and medium to deliver powerful messages that become an indelible part of our shared culture.

They may not all have made a great mark at the box office, but each of these masterpieces has pushed the boundaries of cinema, challenging preconceptions and transforming the way we see the world. Award-winners and hidden gems alike, these films may be relatively recent, but they’re classics-to-be that are sure to be remembered with warmth and adoration by future generations of audiences and filmmakers. Without further ado, here’s our ranked selection of the eight most perfect movies of the last six years.

8

‘Asteroid City’ (2023)

Image via Focus Featuers

A sci-fi comedy drama written, directed, and co-produced by Wes Anderson, Asteroid City follows a group of students and their parents who have gathered at the titular desert town for the Annual Junior Stargazer Convention in 1955. When certain unforeseen circumstances develop, leading to a military quarantine, it affects the lives of all the people attending the convention. The film’s ensemble cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, and Tony Revolori in major roles.

Through his hallmark visual and narrative styles, Anderson brings his unique cinematic voice to the UFO sighting myths of the post-war American Southwest. Presented through an electric blend of comedy, romance, drama, and a bit of sci-fi, Asteroid City works like a vibrant vignette about art, grief, and human connection, framed by an inventive meta-narrative. Headlining the summer of 2022, Asteroid City earned critical acclaim with its poignant themes, artistic storytelling, and quirky characters, and it’s widely considered to be Wes Anderson’s best film since The Grand Budapest Hotel.

7

‘Babylon’ (2022)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, Babylon is an epic period black comedy drama that chronicles the rise and fall of several characters in the Golden Age of Hollywood as the industry prepares itself for the transition from silent films to talkies. Centering on Nellie LaRoy, a brash and ambitious starlet, and Manny, a resourceful Mexican immigrant dreaming of making it in Hollywood, the film explores the era of unbridled decadence and depravity that marked a turning point in the industry’s history. The movie boasts a star-studded ensemble cast, with Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, and Li Jun Li in major roles.

Capturing a watershed moment in the history of cinema through a wild tale of decadence, depravity, and outrageousness, Damien Chazelle pays his most heartfelt and emotional tribute to cinema while simultaneously critiquing its excesses and flaws. The film examines the destructive, rapidly changing, and often brutal nature of showbiz while simultaneously highlighting its magical, lasting power. Even though it met with divisive reviews and reactions on its release, Babylon has been widely praised for the music composition by Justin Hurwitz and is now considered to be a cult film of the decade.

6

‘Nosferatu’ (2024)

Image via Focus Features

Written and directed by Robert Eggers, Nosferatu is a Gothic horror reimagination of 1922’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, which in turn is an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In the film, Ellen, a young woman, accidentally connects with the spirit of a terrifying vampire who becomes obsessed with her, terrorizing everyone in his way as he comes to claim her. Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen with Bill Skarsgård as the titular monster. The movie also features Nicholas Hoult, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe in other lead roles.

Gorgeously shot in black-and-white, Nosferatu is a cinematic treat that draws elements and inspiration from German Expressionism, silent cinema, and 1960s/’70s horror. Unlike the classic adaptations of Dracula, Nosferatu is more intricate in its storytelling, diving deeper into the concept, characters, and horror. A remarkable combination of psychological horror and supernatural gore, the movie is Eggers’ highest-grossing and most critically acclaimed film so far, and was widely hailed as one of the best films of 2024.

5

‘Poor Things’ (2023)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things is a reimagining of Alasdair Gray’s novel, in turn a reinterpretation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. An epic black comedy fantasy, the film follows the journey of self-discovery of Bella Baxter, a woman who is brought to life by an eccentric scientist. Beginning with her life as an infant inside an adult body, the movie follows Bella as she grows into her own person, seeking knowledge, adventure, love, and sexual awakening on a wild globe-trotting romp with a degenerate lawyer. Emma Stone stars as Bella, with Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Suzy Bemba in significant roles.

Fierce and feminine, Poor Things is a delightfully weird take on the Frankenstein story, translated through a woman’s discovery of her freedom and finding her place in a chaotic world. Lanthimos’s unconventional storytelling takes shape through its surreal style, whimsical artistry, and dark, biting humor, not to mention the beautiful cinematography that leaves the audience in awe with every frame. Elevated by Emma Stone’s mystifying and brazen performance that earned her an Academy Award, Poor Things is easily one of the finest films of the 2020s so far.

4

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

Image via A24

An absurdist sci-fi action comedy directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once follows the fantastic multiversal experiences of Evelyn Wang, a Chinese-American woman struggling with her business, stale marriage, and complicated family dynamics. During a tax audit, Evelyn suddenly finds herself caught up in a crisis involving alternative universes and is called on to stop an evil entity from destroying everything that exists. Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn, with Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, and James Hong in supporting roles.

A wild sci-fi adventure, Everything Everywhere All at Once fantastically incorporates motifs and elements of everything and everyone that inspired it, from Wong Kar-wai and Mary-Jane Rubenstein to the video game Everything and the children’s book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Using strong elements of surrealism, absurdism, and existentialism in its narrative, the film presents a heartfelt story of a woman’s journey of reconnecting with herself. Through this, the film explores broader themes of Asian American identity. Acclaimed for its conceptual and visual magnitude, Everything Everywhere All at Once ranks among the top sci-fi films of the last decade, and it broke several records and earned numerous accolades.

3

‘One Battle After Another’ (2025)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Written, directed, and produced by Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another is a black comedy action thriller that reimagines Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland. The film follows Bob Ferguson, a has-been revolutionary who lives off the grid with his young daughter, Willa. When he is unexpectedly separated from her, Bob is forced to return to his roots and embark on a paranoia-fueled search for his child while dodging a ruthless military officer. Leonardo DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti star as the father-daughter duo, with Teyana Taylor, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, and more starring in key roles.

One of the most celebrated films of 2025, One Battle After Another balances a high-energy narrative and screwball humor with the intimate parent-child relationship at its heart. Fun and exciting, with strong performances and well-choreographed action pieces, it is arguably one of the most entertaining films of the 2020s so far, and unarguably one of the most acclaimed films of Anderson’s career. One Battle After Another is noted for the phenomenal reception and acclaim it received, earning 458 nominations and 227 wins, including six Academy Awards.

2

‘Flow’ (2024)

Image via Janus Films

The first Oscar-winning Latvian film, Flow is an animated dystopian adventure film directed and co-written by Gints Zilbalodis in his feature film debut. The independent animated movie follows the story of a solitary, anonymous cat whose home gets destroyed by a massive flood, forcing it to seek refuge on a boat. Surrounded by creatures of various species on the boat, the lonely feline is forced to adapt to its new environment and cohabitants. The film is noted for featuring no dialogue, and the movie takes inspiration from Zilbalodis’s previous work, Aqua, as well as the work of French filmmaker/mime artist Jacques Tati and the anime series Future Boy Conan.

A tender, melancholic film with a post-apocalyptic theme, Flow brings nostalgia and hope to the narrative while treating the audience with spectacular, dreamy visuals. Told through the perspective of a solitary cat, the narrative successfully expresses the core sentiments without needing the help of sentimentality or words, speaking volumes in its silence. Flow made history as the most-viewed film ever in Latvian theaters and became the first Latvian film to be nominated at the Academy Awards, where it won the award for Best Animated Feature. It also received the Golden Globe Award in the same category.

1

‘Sinners’ (2025)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

A period horror film written, directed, and produced by Ryan Coogler, Sinners follows the story of twin brothers, Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore, who return to their home in 1932 Mississippi after seven years in Chicago working for the mob. As the brothers set out to make a new life with new dreams, an evil supernatural entity starts terrorizing the town, threatening their lives. Michael B. Jordan plays the dual roles of Smoke and Stack, alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Delroy Lindo, and Miles Caton in his film debut.

Sinners was an instant commercial and critical hit when it premiered, earning universal acclaim for its masterful and artistic storytelling, acting, cinematography, and music composition. Not only is Michael B. Jordan’s gripping performance in the movie one of his career bests, but the film has also earned recognition as Coogler’s most acclaimed film so far, winning several accolades, including a record 16 Academy Award nominations, of which it won four. Sinners also made history with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman of color in Academy history to be nominated, and the first woman ever to win an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

Release Date

April 18, 2025

Runtime

138 minutes

Director

Ryan Coogler