French Critics’ 21st-Century Film Poll Is the Most Interesting One Yet — ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’ at #2

Here’s another poll inspired by The New York Times’ recent 21st-Century list, which was topped by Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite,” a film that didn’t even crack the top 25 in the Spanish poll published a few months later. That discrepancy alone already hinted at how national taste and critical culture can shape these kinds of rankings.

Now, France has concocted its own take on the best films of the 21st century, and I think I might like this one the best of the bunch. Some singular choices that stray from the usual suspects that are regulars in U.S. polls.

The French outlet Tsounami polled critics, directors, programmers, and producers to arrive at something closer to an industry-wide consensus. Over 121 lists were submitted. I want to thank one of their writers for sending me the results, which still haven’t been published on the site.

It turns out the French really love David Lynch — “Mulholland Drive” topped the list. And yes, they are fully committed to the idea that “Twin Peaks: The Return” is an 18-hour movie, as it finished in second place overall. That bold classification alone makes this poll feel distinctly French in spirit.

There’s always been over whether Lynch’s final statement, which aired on Showtime, should be classified as a film or a television series, a divide reflected among critics, though its cinematic stature is undeniable—evidenced by its placement on this poll and Jim Jarmusch’s praise of it as the “best American cinema of the decade.”

Initially seen through an incomplete lens when only the first two episodes screened at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, the work revealed its full power only when experienced in its entirety at home. The truth of the matter is that ‘The Return’ radically defied conventions, eclipsing so called “prestige TV,” and presenting a vision so bold and otherworldly it seemed to originate from another dimension. If that’s not cinema, I don’t know what is.

Another wildcard in the top 10 was Gus Van Sant’s “Elephant,” the Palme d’Or winner from 2003, landing in sixth place. I was also pleasantly surprised to see James Gray’s “Two Lovers” crack the top 10 — the French have long championed Gray, more so than in his home country, and they’re absolutely right in recognizing this film as the peak of his career.

Kelly Reichardt received a great deal of love as well. “Certain Women” finished just outside the top 10 at #11, while her debut feature, “Old Joy,” and “First Cow,” managed to crack the top 40, further cementing her standing among French critics.

Interestingly, several perennially acclaimed titles from the NYT list — including “Moonlight,” “Get Out,” “The Social Network,” “Brokeback Mountain,” and “Children of Men” — are nowhere to be found in the French top 50. Even “Parasite,” which topped the NYT poll, finished in a comparatively modest 20th position here.

It’s also striking to see Wong Kar-wai’s “In the Mood for Love” outside the top 20, given how frequently it appears near the very top of UK and US polls. Notably, six French films were among the top 20 most cited, reinforcing home territory.

The most recent film was Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” (#4). In fact, only two films from the 2020s made the top 20 — Triet and Albert Serra’s “Pacifiction.”

I should have a top 50 coming in soon — for now here are the 30 most cited films.

Mulholland Drive (David Lynch) — 32 mentions
Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch) — 19
Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer) — 16
Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet) — 15
Holy Motors (Leos Carax) — 15
Elephant (Gus Van Sant) — 14
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Céline Sciamma) — 14
Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) — 13
Melancholia (Lars Von Trier) — 13
Two Lovers (James Gray) — 13

Certain Women (Kelly Reichardt) — 12
Yi Yi (Edward Yang) — 12
Once Upon Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino) — 12
Pacifiction (Albert Serra) — 11
Tropical Malady (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) — 11
Mektoub: Canto Uno (Abdellatif Kechiche) — 11
Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki) — 10
La Graine et le Mulet (Abdellatif Kechiche) —10
Werckmeister Harmonies (Béla Tarr) — 10
Parasite (Bong Joon ho) — 10

Gerry (Gus Van Sant) — 9
The Host (Bong Joon ho) — 9
There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson) — 8
In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai) — 8
Blissfully Yours (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) — 8
Boyhood (Richard Linklater) — 8
Annette (Leos Carax) — 8
Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson) — 8
La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel) — 8
West of the Tracks (Wang Bing) — 8

Onoda (Arthur Harari) — 7
Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade) — 7
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry) — 7
Memoria (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) — 6
Carol (Todd Haynes) — 6
Old Joy (Kelly Reichardt) — 6
Birth (Jonathan Glazer) — 6
Uncle Boonmee (Apichatpong Weerasethakul) — 6
Inland Empire (David Lynch) — 6
Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho) — 6

Ce Cher Mois d’Août (Miguel Gomes) — 6
La Captive (Chantal Akerman) — 6
Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson) — 6
La Chimera (Alice Rohrwacher) — 6
Trenque Lauquen 6
First Cow (Kelly Reichardt, 2021) — 6