Steven Spielberg is one of the most renowned directors of the 20th Century, having helmed classics such JawsRaiders of the Lost Ark, and Close Encounters of The Third Kind. The director has still been prolific well into the 21st Century, albeit with a more mixed reception to his recent output.

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With the release of his remake of West Side Story, it's worth looking back on some of the best films Spielberg released this century, although it remains to be seen how many of them will be considered classics fit to rival his earlier works.

The Post (2017) - 7.2

Meryl Streep wears eyeglasses in The Post

One of the more recent additions to the director's filmography, The Post is Spielberg's love letter to print journalism, taking on the story of The Washington Post's uncovering of Vietnam War secrets that exposed corruption in not one, not two, but five different presidential administrations.

The film was critically successful and was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress. The lead performances from Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, and Bob Odenkirk are particularly memorable, as is the intimate montage showing the painstaking printing process in its analog glory. As the newspaper's publisher Katharine Graham, Meryl Streep had one of her best roles and won Best Actress from the National Board of Review critics organization.

The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn (2011) - 7.3

Captain Haddock points at something to Tintin in The Adventures Of Tintin

An adaptation of the comics by Hergé, The Adventures of Tintin was significant as Spielberg's first foray into motion-capture and 3-D filmmaking, a trend that dominated cinema of the early 2010s.

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Spielberg's Tintin is quite different from Hergé's, using the computer-generated landscape to direct impossible camera movements and transitions that highlight his technical skill. Narrative-wise, the story is one of his weakest though, and is perhaps enjoyed best as a theme-park spectacle.

Lincoln (2012) - 7.3

Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln sitting while it rains behind him.

While not one of Spielberg's most renowned films, Lincoln is a period piece perfectly executed in narrative and performance. The film shows a snapshot of Abraham Lincoln's life during the height of the American Civil War, as he attempts to pass the Thirteenth Amendment before the Confederate States surrender.

It is Daniel Day Lewis' chameleon-like performance as Lincoln that stands out most, although he is surrounded by terrific performances from the likes of Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, who bring so much emotional weight and gravitas to the film.

The Terminal (2004) - 7.4

Viktor sleeping in chairs in The Terminal

A beloved film in Spielberg's recent catalog, The Terminal is a biopic starring Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski who is denied entry into the US due to an expired passport while being unable to return to his home country due to a military coup.

The film is a careful blend of comedy and drama and is inspired by the life of Mehran Karimi Nasseri, an Iranian refugee who spent sixteen years living in the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Inspired by Frank Capra movies of the 1930s and 1940s, The Terminal artfully blends social commentary with observant comedy.

Ready Player One (2018) - 7.4

Wade playing the game in Ready Player One.

Spielberg's adaptation of Ernest Cline's Ready Player One is a nostalgia-filled toybox of a film, taking place in a future where many humans spend their lives in a virtual reality system that distracts them from real life.

Ready Player One is a film that divided critics. While some enjoyed the fun Spielberg made out of the film's digital playground, others found the excessive references to films like Back to the Future or The Iron Giant to detract from the overall experience. Audiences seemed to like the film overall, with a particular fondness for the film's many pop culture references and engaging lead characters.

Munich (2005) - 7.5

Eric Bana and Daniel Craig in a scene from Munich.

Alongside Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's ListMunich remains one of Spielberg's darkest films, taking place in wake of the Munich massacre during the 1972 Olympics. The film follows a team assembled by the Israeli government set to kill leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Front in retaliation to the massacre.

While the film was a box office disappointment, proving to be one of Spielberg's weakest commercially, it remains one of his most emotionally resonant. While Munich tackles violent subject matter, its meditation on the nature of revenge and justice succeeds in walking such a fine line with intelligence and grace.

Bridge of Spies (2015) - 7.6

Tom Hanks on the bridge rendezvous in Bridge Of Spies.

One of Steven Spielberg's more recent triumphs, Bridge of Spies follows the attempts of American insurance lawyer James B. Donovan who is trusted with negotiating the exchange of a KGB spy and a US Air Force pilot.

Like many of Spielberg's historical dramas, it is the threat of violence and the trials taken to avoid it that take center stage here. While it may be a more subtle anti-war film than Saving Private Ryan, it is undoubtedly one of the director's most impressive efforts in recent years and has one of Spielberg's best opening shots in all of his films.

Minority Report (2002) - 7.6

Tom Cruise holds Samantha Morton in Minority Report.

Perhaps one of the most iconic Spielberg films of this century, Minority Report is based on a 1956 short story by Philip K. Dick and is informed by the simple concept of 'Precrime', where police departments seek to apprehend criminals before a crime has even been committed.

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It was a more successful foray into science fiction than A.I. Artificial Intelligence, released the previous year, being a much more direct action thriller than its predecessor, with Tom Cruise appearing in a Spielberg film for the first time.

West Side Story (2021) - 7.8

The Jets face the Sjarks in a school gym in West Side Story.

Spielberg's latest release is the first musical of his career, and while it has struggled at the box office, it has received warm praise from critics and won the Golden Globe for Best Musical in 2022.

West Side Story takes on the narrative of the 1957 play, retaining Leonard Bernstein's lush score and Stephen Sondheim's intricate lyrics, providing a canvas for Spielberg to paint on his cinematic vision. It's no easy task reworking one of the most acclaimed musicals of all time, but it seems like this version has pulled it off, with some breathtaking cinematography and a wealth of enchanting performances in West Side Story.

Catch Me If You Can (2002) - 8.1

Frank Abagnale in pilot uniform with flight attendants in Catch Me If You Can.

Released during the height of Leonardo DiCaprio's stardom in the early 2000s, Catch Me If You Can makes use of the best of his talents in a comedy-drama based on the autobiography of conman Frank Abagnale.

The film was in development since the '80s, with several directors considered to helm the project before Spielberg ultimately took it on himself. It's a fun, fast-paced caper driven by the cat-and-mouse chase narrative between Abagnale and Tom Hanks' FBI Agent Carl Hanratty that has only gotten better over time.

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