It's the beginning of a new year and a whole new decade – meaning we're now, somehow, 20 years into the 21st Century. It's already been a transformative era for cinema, from the advent of digital photography, to the democratisation of filmmaking technology, to the rise of online streaming; two decades that saw a superhero blockbuster boom, increased distribution for international movies, and the arrival of vital, diverse new filmmaking voices.
To mark a milestone in the modern era of moviemaking, Empire is counting down the 100 greatest movies of the 21st Century so far – and it's not just our critics behind the list. We asked you to submit lists of your personal favourite movies to hit the big screen since the year 2000, and you replied in your thousands. Combining your picks with those from the Empire team, we have arrived at a definitive list of the greatest movies this side of the millennium.