The 2000s were a transformative decade for cinema, marked by technological advancements, diverse storytelling, and a blend of genres that pushed the boundaries of filmmaking. From groundbreaking visual effects to compelling narratives and unforgettable characters, the films of this era left an indelible mark on the industry and audiences alike. It didn’t feel like it at the time but it was most certainly a mixture of the best elements of the previous two decades. Some of the best films of any genre were produced during this period and it was the last time movies felt like they were made by artists, not products cranked out by a money-hungry machine. This list celebrates the greatest movies of the 2000s, highlighting those that defined the decade and continue to influence the art of cinema today. Whether it’s epic blockbusters, poignant dramas, or innovative indies, these films represent the best of what the aughts had to offer.
These are the 100 Greatest Movies of the 2000s.
50. Almost Famous (2000)
You would think after a string of failures, Cameron Crowe would realize the only thing he’s good at is telling coming of age stories that have amazing soundtracks that are drawn from his own experiences. When he writes about anything else, he fails every single time. He’s clearly a journalist that could’ve been a great documentarian that somehow fell into the roll of a director and he’s been falling upwards for the last quarter of a century. His career is built off of this film’s success pure and simple. Every producer that bankrolls one of his films wants this again and he’s never been able to recapture the magic and I suspect he never will. This is lightning in a bottle and he’s lucky he was there to bottle it.
A semi-autobiographical tale based on Crowe’s own experiences as a teenage journalist for Rolling Stone magazine, Almost Famous follows 15-year-old William Miller (Patrick Fugit), an aspiring music journalist who’s life changes when he lands an assignment from Rolling Stone to write a cover story on the up-and-coming rock band Stillwater. William joins the band on tour, experiencing the highs and lows of rock-and-roll life. Along the way, he befriends the charismatic but troubled lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) and the enigmatic band-aid (not groupie), Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). It captures a time and place perfectly and expertly weaves in themes of identity, integrity, and the loss of innocence. William’s journey is one of self-discovery, as he navigates the complexities of the music industry and the moral dilemmas that come with it. The film also examines the concept of family, both biological and chosen, highlighting the bonds that form among the band members and their entourage. If a film is like an album, with each individual element being a different track, this would be a perfect album.
–Sailor Monsoon
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
The first word that comes to mind when I think of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is: majestic. Everything about the way Ang Lee directs this movie is defined by beauty and grace. The action, the drama, and everything in between are majestic beyond belief. This is the movie that solidified Lee as one of the best working directors in Hollywood (or elsewhere) in the early 2000s. Merging the worlds of Hong Kong martial arts films of yesteryear and the 90s indie arthouse sensibilities of Lee’s early career, this movie seems to have something for everyone. It’s no surprise this movie received all of the acclaim from the Academy Awards and beyond. And it still stuns today, almost 25 years later.
–Raf Stitt
48. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
On my shelves, Little Miss Sunshine sits right between Lifeforce and The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue. I’m mostly a horror guy, is what I’m trying to say. Little Miss Sunshine, though, manages to pierce my black, undead heart with wit, black humor and characters you love, no matter how dysfunctional they (or you) are. Abigail Breslin is the standout as Olive, the unlikely child beauty contestant, but all the characters (including an early – if not first – movie role for Steve Carrell) are endearing schmucks in one way or another. (I particularly loved Alan Arkin as the foul mouthed, heroine loving Grandpa.) A road trip featuring a most dysfunctional family, it’s a film that says that you can lose and still be a winner.
–Bob Cram
47. The Fall (2006)
Within every genre, there’s a debate over which film is the best representation of that specific genre. Star Wars and Star Trek nerds have been arguing over which film is the best science fiction story for decades, Freddy heads and Jason fans fight over which is the best slasher and so on and so forth. My point being, no one can ever agree what is the best of any type of film because each genre has its own passionate fans. While it most certainly has its share of diehard defenders, few would claim that The Fall is the best fantasy but I doubt anyone would disagree with it owning the title of the most visually arresting film of all time. Makoto Shinkai is the only director to ever make anything as eye poppingly gorgeous and he’s an animator. There’s just nothing else that can even compete. From the impeccable costumes; breathtaking cinematography, which was shot in over 20 countries, including India, Italy, and South Africa, showcasing a variety of landscapes and architecture and its stark black and white scenes that — while used sparingly, leave an impression — everything about Tarsem Singh’s magnum opus is designed to look as opulent as possible.
The story is set in a Los Angeles hospital in the 1920s, where a bedridden stuntman named Roy Walker (Lee Pace) forms an unlikely friendship with a young girl named Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), who is recovering from a broken arm. Roy, depressed and suicidal after a serious injury, begins to tell Alexandria an epic tale of five heroes on a quest for revenge against an evil governor named Odious. As the film progresses, the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur. Roy’s motivations for telling the story become more apparent; he manipulates the narrative to persuade Alexandria to steal morphine for him in a bid to end his own life. The fantastical story and the reality of Roy’s despair intertwine, leading to a climax where Alexandria’s belief in the heroes helps her confront the challenges she faces in her own life. It’s a story filled with emotional depth that has visuals you’ll never forget. It’s like going to the Wonka factory and leaving with your heart broken and your emotional intelligence changed forever. There’s simply nothing else like it.
–Sailor Monsoon
46. Gladiator (2000)
So there’s a scene in Sleepless in Seattle where… what? Yes, this is relevant. Sort of. Anyway, it’s the scene where Sam and Greg pretend that The Dirty Dozen is an emotional touchstone for them like An Affair to Remember is for Suzy (and Annie). It’s a joke, but in some weird way Gladiator really was that kind of emotional touchstone for my brother Jeff and I. I think we saw it in the theater five or six times. It was the guy version of Beaches. Does that make any sense? Ah, probably not.
ANYWAY, the heart of the film is Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius, who has to be believable as both a magnificent badass and as a loving family man and true friend of Rome. I’m not even that big a fan of Russell Crowe, but damn if I don’t I love Maximus. I’m invested from that first battle. The story is a simple one, really, about vengeance and justice and family, and there’s a heaping helping of melodrama that fattens the film considerably, but I honestly don’t care. I care about Maximus, and his friends, and about epic fights and villains defeated and about not crying when Juba (Djimon Hounsou) buries the figurines in the earth of the stadium. Oh yes. I AM entertained.
–Bob Cram
45. Juno (2007)
If she had as big a career as Wes Anderson or even M. Night Shyamalan, I truly believe Diablo Cody would be the most divisive writer in Hollywood. It’s like she sits in a coffee shop all day, listens to as many hipsters talk about whatever shit they talk about as she can, and then goes home and turns it into dialogue. It’s a specific type of quirky (for lack of a better word) that you’ll either love or hate. And if you hate it, you most likely despise it. Some viewers feel like every line and every other scene is accompanied by a giant neon sign that says, “Look at how unique and clever I am,” while others enjoy the fact that nobody talks like this. It’s artificial but so was Shakespeare. Wherever you land on it and the quality of the film itself, I can’t imagine anyone who thinks negatively about Juno can’t at least appreciate how well-written it is, especially when it comes to the movie’s title character, Juno MacGaff. The combination of Reitman’s creative decisions, Cody’s characterization, and Page’s performance make Juno — a pregnant 16-year-old who enjoys sitting on a recliner in the front yard of her house pretending to smoke out of a Sherlock Holmes pipe while drinking Sunny D as the high school track team runs by in their tight, little shorts — one of the all-time greatest characters and Juno one of the best movies to come out of the aughts.
–Sailor Monsoon
44. Waltz with Bashir (2008)
Written, directed, and produced by Ari Folman, Waltz with Bashir tells the story of his experiences during the 1982 Lebanon war. Importantly for a documentary, it feels like his story is told from a balanced point of view, considering the extremely delicate subject material. Something that elevates the storytelling to an extra level is the accompanying soundtrack from Max Richter. Richter is better known for his work on films like Arrival and Ad Astra, here his soundtrack is as important to the storytelling as the unique animation style. Speaking of which, the dark hues of the graphics give the look of rotoscoping, while still feeling like nothing I’ve seen before. All in all, Waltz with Bashir is an incredible work of art.
–Lee McCutcheon
43. The Host (2006)
Not to be confused with the dumpster fire that is Twilight + aliens, The Host is a Korean monster film that might be the greatest monster film since the original Gojira, depending on your definition of monster. Do the alien slugs from Slither count as a monster or an alien invasion film? Deadly Spawn? Tremors? What about huge ass animals like Night of the Lepus?
Whatever your definition is, The Host is probably better. Darkly comedic at times, the film plays sort of like a cross between The Royal Tennenbaums versus a kaiju but not played for laughs. This isn’t a comedy but there is humor. All the characters are well defined but their foibles make for some hilarious moments at times. At its core, it’s a rich character drama with well-written characters that could easily fill up five seasons of a TV show but instead of a TV show, they get a huge ass monster and you get an amazing movie.
–Sailor Monsoon
42. Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Very nice! Borat remains a bit of an enigma for me as it’s extremely difficult to define something exactly what it is. Yes, it’s a comedy. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a bit of a mockumentary, but not in the way that This is Spinal Tap or Best in Show are mockumentaries where everyone is performing and in on the joke. Sacha Baron Cohen pulls off a high-wire piece of performance art to expose some of the silliest aspects of very real American life. The degree of difficulty in pulling this off is apparent because so few people have even attempted to replicate it, let alone succeed in matching its hilarity. It remains a uniquely singular movie. Even though it isn’t really that funny…NOT!
–Raf Stitt
41. A Prophet (2009)
It’s a prison drama. It’s a classic underdog story. It’s a crime thriller. A Prophet amalgamates all these things into one glorious epic.
Malik is a delinquent Muslim, struggling to get by in prison when he is taken under the wing of a powerful mob boss. His gradual rise through the mob’s ranks brings him into conflict with his mentor, while he also tries to establish a name for himself. His rise has many ups and downs, with tense action and brutal violence. Tahar Rahim is scintillating in the lead role, going through a range of emotions and dragging the viewer with him through every step of his tortuous journey.
–Lee McCutcheon
60-51 | 40-31
What do you think of the selection so far? What are some of your favorite movies from the 2000s? Maybe they will show up further on the list!