Special Report

Movies So Important They Are Studied in College

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Occasionally, a film is so striking or poignant that it becomes the topic of study for students across the country. Films, at their best, can be cultural objects used to reflect on society and human relations. Many have been immortalized in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry, which catalogs those films that it has deemed to be of cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance. (These are the 55 best movies ever made.)

To determine the most influential movies of the 21st century so far, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on syllabus citation counts from the non-profit Open Syllabus, an open-source project tallying the number of times a movie, book, or other media has been assigned across a corpus of millions of college syllabi. Movies released in 2001 or later were ranked based on the number of times they appear as assigned films on university syllabi, considering the movies that have been assigned the most to be the most influential. Documentary films were not considered. Supplemental data on IMDb user reviews and Rotten Tomatoes audience and Tomatometer rankings are current as of July 2023. Only movies with at least 2,000 IMDb user ratings were included. Director information is from IMDb.

Click here for a list of the most influential movies of the 21st century so far

Many of these films are indie masterpieces that look at the daily and family lives of marginalized people, including “Moonlight,” which follows a gay Black boy from his tumultuous childhood to an isolated adulthood, and “Fish Tank,” a British film about a teenager living in public housing who can’t keep herself out of trouble.

Several films that university students may study for their superb production design made the list, including “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Moulin Rouge!,” and “Hugo.” Science fiction films that are studied for their ability to project where humanity could be headed include “Arrival,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “Minority Report.” (These are the best R-rated sci-fi movies of all time.)

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

50. Arrival (2016)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 102
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (633,887 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 82% (83,786 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 94% (440 reviews)
> Directed by: Denis Villeneuve

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49. Samson and Delilah (2009)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 104
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (3,675 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 76% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 94% (54 reviews)
> Directed by: Warwick Thornton

Courtesy of IFC Films

48. Fish Tank (2009)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 105
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (63,924 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 79% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 91% (151 reviews)
> Directed by: Andrea Arnold

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

47. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 106
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (683,967 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 91% (250,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 95% (243 reviews)
> Directed by: Guillermo Del Toro

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Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

46. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 108
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (1,333,240 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 88% (776,325 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 89% (332 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

45. Australia (2008)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 110
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (121,769 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 65% (261,547 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 55% (223 reviews)
> Directed by: Baz Luhrmann

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

44. WALL·E (2008)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 111
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1,042,798 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 90% (598,663 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 95% (260 reviews)
> Directed by: Andrew Stanton

Courtesy of IFC Films

43. Hunger (2008)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 114
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (71,139 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 83% (50,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 90% (133 reviews)
> Directed by: Steve McQueen

Courtesy of Focus Features

42. Far From Heaven (2002)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 115
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (45,393 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 80% (23,277 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 87% (221 reviews)
> Directed by: Todd Haynes

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41. The Social Network (2010)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 117
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (708,395 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 86% (204,423 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 96% (329 reviews)
> Directed by: David Fincher

Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

40. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 117
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (745,547 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 86% (97,896 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 92% (310 reviews)
> Directed by: Wes Anderson

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Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

39. Marie Antoinette (2006)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 119
> IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (113,465 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 56% (262,562 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 57% (214 reviews)
> Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

38. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 120
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (818,017 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 90% (1,155,878 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 91% (289 reviews)
> Directed by: Danny Boyle

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

37. Cachè (2005)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 121
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (82,717 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 78% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 89% (135 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Haneke

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36. Hugo (2011)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 121
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (313,007 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 78% (82,996 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 93% (229 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

35. Django Unchained (2012)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 122
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1,427,183 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 91% (429,752 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 87% (291 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

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Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

34. The Road (2009)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 124
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (230,284 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 68% (248,535 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 74% (217 reviews)
> Directed by: John Hillcoat

Courtesy of Big World Pictures

33. Distant (2002)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 125
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (21,719 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 82% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 87% (46 reviews)
> Directed by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Courtesy of Lions Gate Films

32. Crash (2004)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 126
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (427,361 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 88% (442,396 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 74% (242 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Haggis

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Courtesy of Focus Features

31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 126
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (338,254 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 82% (520,031 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 87% (247 reviews)
> Directed by: Ang Lee

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

30. District 9 (2009)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 126
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (654,962 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 82% (1,178,687 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 90% (314 reviews)
> Directed by: Neill Blomkamp

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

29. Inception (2010)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 128
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (2,171,143 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 91% (571,783 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 87% (361 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

28. Black Panther (2018)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 129
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (676,684 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 79% (88,211 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 96% (525 reviews)
> Directed by: Ryan Coogler

Courtesy of Wellspring Media

27. Russian Ark (2002)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 132
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (21,221 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 80% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 89% (109 reviews)
> Directed by: Aleksandr Nikolaevic Sokurov

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26. Under the Skin (2013)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 133
> IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (150,450 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 55% (25,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 84% (260 reviews)
> Directed by: Jonathan Glazer

Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

25. Melancholia (2011)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 134
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (189,141 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 67% (25,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 79% (209 reviews)
> Directed by: Lars Von Trier

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

24. Minority Report (2002)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 140
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (526,585 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 80% (481,676 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 90% (253 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

23. The Class (2008)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 143
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (35,994 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 82% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 95% (161 reviews)
> Directed by: Laurent Cantet

Courtesy of Miramax

22. City of God (2002)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 144
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (775,043 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 97% (250,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 91% (165 reviews)
> Directed by: Fernando Meirelles

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21. Avatar (2009)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 147
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (1,156,181 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 82% (1,382,993 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 81% (322 reviews)
> Directed by: James Cameron

Courtesy of Buena Vista Home Entertainment

20. Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 151
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (29,647 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 86% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 88% (145 reviews)
> Directed by: Phillip Noyce

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Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

19. The Lives of Others (2006)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 156
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (398,406 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 96% (100,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 92% (164 reviews)
> Directed by: Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

18. The Dark Knight (2008)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 158
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (2,419,864 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 94% (1,831,566 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 94% (345 reviews)
> Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

17. Spirited Away (2001)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 166
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (693,872 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 96% (337,321 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 97% (191 reviews)
> Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

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16. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 166
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (369,114 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 87% (100,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 83% (261 reviews)
> Directed by: David Lynch

Courtesy of Focus Features

15. Lost in Translation (2003)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 166
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (432,805 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 85% (337,639 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 95% (232 reviews)
> Directed by: Sofia Coppola

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14. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 172
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (1,036,991 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 86% (100,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 97% (438 reviews)
> Directed by: George Miller

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

13. The Tempest (2010)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 178
> IMDb user rating: 5.4/10 (7,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 28% (19,176 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 30% (89 reviews)
> Directed by: Julie Taymor

Courtesy of GEM Entertainment

12. Her (2013)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 195
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (567,662 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 82% (101,810 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 94% (283 reviews)
> Directed by: Spike Jonze

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11. No Country for Old Men (2007)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 198
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (900,943 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 86% (399,547 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 93% (288 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

10. Persepolis (2007)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 203
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (91,738 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 92% (50,465 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 96% (162 reviews)
> Directed by: Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud

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9. Let the Right One In (2008)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 214
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (221,995 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 90% (50,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 98% (195 reviews)
> Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

8. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 223
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (273,711 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 89% (505,354 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 76% (201 reviews)
> Directed by: Baz Luhrmann

Courtesy of Focus Features

7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 239
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (948,653 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 94% (571,910 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 92% (250 reviews)
> Directed by: Michel Gondry

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6. Atonement (2007)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 243
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (262,734 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 80% (227,243 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 83% (219 reviews)
> Directed by: Joe Wright

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

5. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 245
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (616,488 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 91% (1,922,847 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 92% (269 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Greengrass

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Courtesy of HBO Films

4. Elephant (2003)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 251
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (92,824 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 79% (59,193 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 73% (161 reviews)
> Directed by: Gus Van Sant

Courtesy of Paramount Vantage

3. There Will Be Blood (2007)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 258
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (544,988 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 86% (255,474 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 91% (243 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

2. Adaptation. (2002)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 274
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (194,759 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 85% (188,786 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 91% (211 reviews)
> Directed by: Spike Jonze

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1. Moonlight (2016)
> Est. no. times assigned on college syllabi: 339
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (288,673 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience rating: 79% (45,830 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer rating: 98% (392 reviews)
> Directed by: Barry Jenkins

 

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