As one of the greatest actors of our generation, Joaquin Phoenix deserves the recent triple mention in the New York Times' list of the "100 Best Movies of the 21st Century." While his role in Gladiator, whose sequel had the best movie costumes of 2024, is minor, he has a leading role in the two other movies on the list.

The Master, a 2010 box-office flop that is now a cult classic, features one of Joaquin Phoenix's greatest performances. From not blinking in the most uncomfortable scene in the film to , Phoenix fully commits to the role.

However, the Joaquin Phoenix movie that's highest on the list, within the first 25 films, is his second most popular film after The Joker. Known for his chameleon-like talents, Phoenix is nearly unrecognizable in the Spike Jonze film. It is scarily relevant today, and might even be a movie to avoid if you're nervous about AI.

As an exploration of the impact of AI on society, what had felt like pure science fiction in 2013 no longer feels so. Based on the director's divorce, the film explores the impact of estrangement on a lonely man. brilliantly explores every facet of a relationship with AI instead of taking a stance on the subject:

"Is it real machine love or just a grown man’s pathological avoidance of intimacy? “Her” refuses easy answers, though the many questions it raises, alas, feel a lot less theoretical today than they did in 2013." (via the New York Times)

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Theodore in Spike Jonze's 2013 film, which follows his journey of falling in love with an Artificial Intelligence voiced by Scarlett Johansson. He is , only to experience heartbreak after she is upgraded and eventually moves on.

Her isn't the only Spike Jonze film on the list either, and the director's 2002 film Adaptation happens to be on the list just three spots below Her. Among other notable famous people who voted for the movie to be on the New York Times' list is Bryce Dallas Howard, widely renowned for her work as both an actor and director.

The New York Times' list of 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century recognizes the biggest contributions to filmmaking, and one can't deny that Her has captured the imagination of audiences over the last 12 years. It is frequently mentioned in discussions on the most compelling romantic movies ever made, and deserves to be on the prestigious list.

Phoenix delivers a heartfelt response to discovering the AI as Theodore, whose life becomes vibrant afterward, which is complemented by the color palette of the film. The movie's depiction of heartbreak, buoyed by Phoenix's performance, makes it a complex study of attachment and is even more relevant today, when .

Beyond the beautiful cinematography, editing, acting, and writing, the film is memorable because of its ability to cause an emotional reaction. Rewatching it today, with the relevance in mind, elicits the strangest feelings of familiarity, alienation, wistfulness, and empathy. Though it sounds awful when explained, Her is a great movie that appeals to viewers who appreciate its exploration of emotional entanglement.