The Best Movie of the Decade Is a Holocaust Drama You Haven't Seen

But according to a major new poll, the best film of the 2020s so far is The Zone of Interest — a quietly devastating Holocaust drama that most people missed.

Directed by Jonathan Glazer and released in late 2023, the film earned widespread critical acclaim for its harrowing portrayal of ordinary life under extraordinary evil. It currently holds a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was recently ranked #12 on The New York Times' list of the best films of the 21st century — the highest placement of any film from the 2020s, beating out more widely known titles like Oppenheimer.

That's right: Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning juggernaut came in at #65, far behind Glazer's stripped-down, quietly horrifying drama. At the Oscars, The Zone of Interest won Best International Feature, while Oppenheimer took home Best Picture. But two years later, it's Glazer's film that seems to be rising in reputation.

Here's what we know about The Zone of Interest:

• Director & Writer: Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin)
• Release Date: December 15, 2023
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Drama, History, War
• Worldwide Gross: $52 million
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
• Oscar Win: Best International Feature

The movie may not have made headlines the way Oppenheimer did, but critics have rallied behind it as one of the most significant films in recent memory. Some are even calling it one of the most powerful Holocaust dramas of the last 25 years.

That growing acclaim speaks to the continued relevance of World War II as subject matter for filmmakers. Decades after Casablanca, Schindler's List, and Saving Private Ryan, directors are still finding new ways to confront the war's horrors — and audiences are still listening.

Whether The Zone of Interest will ultimately land in the same cinematic canon as those earlier classics remains to be seen. But as far as this decade is concerned, it just took the top spot.