There is real power in storytelling, and even in film, it all starts with the blueprint: a screenplay.

As the 21st-century rolls on, we have seen some phenomenal stories — and storytellers — speak to our changing times. We can see this on full display in the WGA's recently released 101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century, a list voted on by a host of industry writers in film and television. This is truly something to marvel at: a pure and unadulterated finger on the pulse of the industry as decided by guild members from all over.

There's a little bit of everything here: a myriad of genres, styles, and subjects, but the common thread among each selection is the impact they've made on us over the past two decades. In fact, many writers have actually made their impressions on us more than once. Alfonso Cuarón, Quentin Tarantino, Greta Gerwig, Charlie Kaufman, and Paul Thomas Anderson all have repeat screenplays in this list, but Joel and Ethan Coen show up a whopping four times, proving they've got a presence in cinema these past 21 years that can't be denied!

This list features some great groundbreaking narratives, as well as those that are truly heartwarming, but one has proven to be a favorite of the most voters — a number one screenplay to stand above the rest. We'll let you get to Number One on your own, but a fair warning: if you want to read the winner for yourself, you probably shouldn't do so in the dark.

Okay, let's get to it!

More info coming soon  |  Remind Me

The WGA's 101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (*so far)

1. Get Out
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3. The Social Network
4. Parasite
5. No Country for Old Men
6. Moonlight 
7. There Will Be Blood
8. Inglourious Basterds
9. Almost Famous
10. Memento
11. Adaptation
12. Bridesmaids
13. Brokeback Mountain
14. The Royal Tenenbaums
15. Sideways
16. Lady Bird
17. Her
18. Children of Men
19. Lost in Translation
20. Michael Clayton
21. Little Miss Sunshine
22. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
23. Promising Young Woman
24. Juno
25. The Grand Budapest Hotel
26. The Dark Knight
27. Arrival
28. Jojo Rabbit
29. Inside Out
30. The Departed
31. Spotlight
32. Whiplash
33. Up
34. Mean Girls
35. WALL-E
36. Pan's Labyrinth
37. Inception
38. Slumdog Millionaire
39. Before Sunset
40. In Bruges
41. Mulholland Dr.
42. A Serious Man
43. Amélie
44. Toy Story 3
45. The Favourite
46. Zodiac
47. Gladiator
48. The Incredibles
49. Knives Out
50. Ex Machina
51. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
52. The Lives of Others
53. Nightcrawler
54. 12 Years a Slave
55. The Big Short
56. Moneyball
57. Black Panther
58. You Can Count on Me
59. Boyhood
60. Finding Nemo
61. The Hurt Locker
62. Roma
63. The Wolf of Wall Street
64. Hell or High Water
65. Manchester by the Sea
66. A Separation
67. Spirited Away
68. Mad Max: Fury Road
69. Booksmart
70. City of God
71. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
72. Inside Llewyn Davis
73. The King's Speech
74. Django Unchained
75. Ocean's Eleven
76. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
77. Shaun of the Dead
78. Erin Brockovich
79. Call Me by Your Name
80. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
81. The Lobster
82. The Prestige
83. Midnight in Paris
84. The Master
85. Argo
86. Y tu mamá también
87. Phantom Thread
88. Superbad
89. Little Women
90. BlacKkKlansman
91. The Farewell
92. La La Land
93. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
94. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
95. Ratatouille
96. Lars and the Real Girl
97. Nomadland
98. Winter's Bone
99. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
100. Legally Blonde
101. Silver Linings Playbook

David Wayne Young is an independent film producer and screenwriter with years of experience in story analysis, even providing coverage for multiple international screenwriting competitions. David's obsessions include weird fiction and cosmic horror, and he's formally trained in the art of tasting and preparing gourmet coffee in various worldly traditions, from Turkish coffee to hand-tamped espresso — all enjoyed while writing, of course.