The 50 Best Screenplays of the 21st Century, According to the WGA

Whether it’s sowing suspense, eliciting laughter, or causing you to contemplate life’s big questions, a great screenplay is often the key to a great movie. Over the last two decades, film buffs have been blessed with more than a few unforgettable ones.

As Deadline reports, members of the Writers Guild of America—both West and East—recently voted for their favorite scripts from the 21st century so far and compiled the top 101 entries into one mammoth list.

The blue ribbon went to Jordan Peele for his twisty allegorical horror movie Get Out (2017). Peele also earned the 2018 Best Original Screenplay Oscar for his work, making him the first Black screenwriter ever to win the award. Rounding out the top three were Charlie Kaufman for 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Aaron Sorkin for 2010’s The Social Network—just edging out 2019’s Parasite, written by Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won, which made all sorts of Oscar history in 2020.

A cursory glance at the top 50 reveals many of Hollywood’s most famous auteur, including Paul Thomas Anderson, the Coen brothers, Sofia Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Wes Anderson, Greta Gerwig, David Lynch, etc. Christopher Nolan’s penchant for creating especially confusing movies didn’t hold him back from praise at all; three of his screenplays made the top 50, including 2000’s Memento (based on his brother Jonathan Nolan’s short story), 2008’s The Dark Knight (co-written with Jonathan), and 2010’s Inception (which, each month, prompts an average of 80,090 people to ask the internet to explain the movie to them).

The list also reveals that Pixar isn’t just an industry leader in animation—it produces first-rate screenplays, too. An impressive five Pixar flicks made the top 50: The Incredibles (2004), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Inside Out (2015).

A couple notable Saturday Night Live alums also got their due. Kristen Wiig’s Bridesmaids (2010), co-written with Annie Mumolo, took the 12th spot; and Tina Fey’s 2004 teen classic Mean Girls came in 34th place.

See the top 50 below, and check out the WGA’s full list of 101 screenplays here.

1. Get Out (2017) // Jordan Peele
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) // Charlie Kaufman
3. The Social Network (2010) // Aaron Sorkin
4. Parasite (2019) // Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won
5. No Country for Old Men (2007) // Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
6. Moonlight (2016) // Barry Jenkins
7. There Will Be Blood (2007) // Paul Thomas Anderson
8. Inglourious Basterds (2009) // Quentin Tarantino
9. Almost Famous (2000) // Cameron Crowe
10. Memento (2000) // Christopher Nolan
11. Adaptation (2002) // Charlie Kaufman, Donald Kaufman
12. Bridesmaids (2011) // Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
13. Brokeback Mountain (2005) // Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
14. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) // Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson
15. Sideways (2004) // Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
16. Lady Bird (2017) // Greta Gerwig
17. Her (2013) // Spike Jonze
18. Children of Men (2006) // Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton, David Arata, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby
19. Lost in Translation (2003) // Sofia Coppola
20. Michael Clayton (2007) // Tony Gilroy
21. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) // Michael Arndt
22. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) // Quentin Tarantino
23. Promising Young Woman (2019) // Emerald Fennell
24. Juno (2007) // Diablo Cody
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) // Wes Anderson
26. The Dark Knight (2008) // Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
27. Arrival (2016) // Eric Heisserer
28. Jojo Rabbit (2019) // Taika Waititi
29. Inside Out (2015) // Meg LeFauve
30. The Departed (2006) // William Monahan
31. Spotlight (2015) // Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy
32. Whiplash (2014) // Damien Chazelle
33. Up (2009) // Bob Peterson, Pete Docter
34. Mean Girls (2004) // Tina Fey
35. WALL-E (2008) // Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon
36. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) // Guillermo del Toro
37. Inception (2010) // Christopher Nolan
38. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) // Simon Beaufoy
39. Before Sunset (2004) // Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
40. In Bruges (2008) // Martin McDonagh
41. Mulholland Dr. (2001) // David Lynch
42. A Serious Man (2009) // Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
43. Amélie (2001) // Guillaume Laurant, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
44. Toy Story 3 (2010) // Michael Arndt
45. The Favourite (2018) // Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
46. Zodiac (2007) // James Vanderbilt
47. Gladiator (2000) // David Franzoni, John Logan, William Nicholson
48. The Incredibles (2004) // Brad Bird
49. Knives Out (2019) // Rian Johnson
50. Ex Machina (2015) // Alex Garland