From Wong Kar-wai to… Ice Cube! Do You Agree with Luca Guadagnino’s Unexpected Best Films Choice?

Luca Guadagnino, best known for bringing refined arthouse sensibilities to films such as Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria, has just ignited quite the cinematic debate.

Recently asked by The New York Times to list the ten greatest films of the 21st century, Guadagnino naturally chose some refined masterpieces — among them Wong Kar-wai’s exquisite In the Mood for Love and Hou Hsiao-hsien’s mesmerising Millennium Mambo. Impeccable selections, surely most cinephiles would nod approvingly?

But here’s the curveball: sitting confidently at number three on Guadagnino’s list is none other than John Carpenter’s much-maligned Ghosts of Mars. Yes, you heard correctly — the 2001 sci-fi western starring Ice Cube and Natasha Henstridge, famously draped in harsh red lighting, industrial-metal aesthetics, and even Jason Statham sporting a hairdo. Not exactly the stuff of Cannes retrospectives, is it?

Perhaps Guadagnino sees something we’ve all missed. Could this be a subtle critique of Hollywood’s taste-making elite, or is Luca genuinely championing Carpenter’s space-bound genre mashup? Given his inclusion of Catherine Breillat’s equally provocative Fat Girl, it’s tempting to imagine Guadagnino weaving a grand narrative around films that dare to disrupt conventions. Or perhaps he simply enjoys the audacity of putting Carpenter’s critically scorned film next to Wong Kar-wai’s universally celebrated classic. Either way, the director has certainly made us think — and laugh — a bit.

So, what do you think? Is Guadagnino boldly challenging the boundaries of cinematic taste, or simply reminding us that even the most unlikely films deserve a second look? Maybe Ghosts of Mars isn’t a guilty pleasure after all, but a misunderstood gem hiding in plain sight. Either way, the conversation is open — and we’d love to know where you stand. Choose an emoji below that best sums up your reaction.