Oscar Winner Mikey Madison Lists This Movie By Anora Director With 96% RT As One Of The 21st Century’s Best Films

Mikey Madison has become a household name after a Best Actress Academy Award win for Anora and she was one of many chosen by The New York Times to provide their picks for the best movies of the 21st century. Among Madison’s selections was a film by Sean Baker, who directed her in Anora.

The picks made by the actors, producers, and others who were polled are a varied bunch. For Madison, she named classics like Almost Famous and Mad Max: Fury Road, but also great international films like Portrait of a Lady on Fire. She made sure to pay homage to Baker, who worked with her to earn that Best Actress Oscar.

Mikey Madison and Sean Baker are actually an ideal pairing in Hollywood right now. She’s an actor on the rise with a lot of momentum and he’s a director with a great track record who just won several Oscars. They’re a perfect duo when it comes to NYT’s best movies of the 21st century list.

Mikey Madison Voted The Florida Project As One Of The Best 21st Century Movies

The Film Made The Top 100 List

Released in 2017, The Florida Project solidified Sean Baker as a director on the rise. He helmed good movies early in his career and really made people take notice with 2015’s Tangerine but two years later, he truly broke out. He’s known for making films about marginalized people, including sex workers.

The Florida Project focuses on a group of kids and their misadventures at a budget motel during the summer while the adults around them struggle. Brooklynn Prince delivers a phenomenal performance and carries the film alongside Willem Dafoe and Bria Vinaite, despite her young age. Ultimately, the film was met with widespread acclaim.

After being a hit at the Cannes Film Festival, The Florida Project was named on many year-end top 10 lists and received nominations at several major award shows. That made the film a popular one when it came to those polled for The New York Times‘ list as Mikey Madison wasn’t the only person to name it.

Actor and director Bryce Dallas Howard, New York City Ballet choreographer Justin Peck, and Emmy winner/Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein all named The Florida Project. That led to the movie finding a spot on the official list, placing 74th overall.

Sean Baker Directed Three Of The Best Movies From The 21st Century

Three Of His Four Most Recent Movies Are Modern Classics

As noted, Sean Baker really started to gain traction as a director to keep an eye on with 2015’s Tangerine. Shot entirely on iPhones in impressive fashion, Tangerine tells the story of a transgender sex worker who discovers that her boyfriend (also her pimp) has been cheating on her and ended up being a critical darling.

Tangerine was praised for Baker’s direction, the performances of the cast, and the depiction of transgender individuals. It’s an important movie within the LGBTQ+ community and nearly made the NYT list as it was named by actor Justice Smith, Mikey Madison, and writer/director Gia Coppola. Of course, his follow-up, The Florida Project, actually made the list.

After those films, Baker helmed Red Rocket, which was well-received but not on the same level. However, 2024’s Anora was Baker’s biggest hit from both a commercial and critical standpoint. It took home Best Picture at the Oscars along with Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Director.

Ultimately, Anora was only named by three individuals (Naomie Harris, Dolly de Leon, and Tom Quinn) so it didn’t quite crack the list. However, given its major accolades, it’s the kind of movie that could find itself on a similar list in the future. Regardless, Tangerine, Anora, and The Florida Project prove how special Baker is as a director.