Best Movies of the 2000s — The Entire Decade Ranked

Best Movies of the 2000s Ranked

35. In Bruges (2007)

In Bruges is one of the most underappreciated films of the 2000s -- but hey what would one expect from a movie written and directed by Martin McDonagh, one of the most underappreciated artists of this generation?

I should say that McDonagh was underappreciated -- in 2017 he finally received widespread recognition he deserves for writing and directing Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

There were a lot of great animated movies in the 2000s, including but not limited to: Shrek, Howl’s Moving Castle, Up, Monsters Inc., and Wall-E -- but we’re going to give the spot here to Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.

We don’t often see animated movies comment on subject matter outside the form’s assumed restraints -- but Persepolis, along with Waltz with Bashir the following year, revitalized the idea that animated movies can be more than all-ages audience pleasers.

Romantic 2000s Movies

33. Lost in Translation (2003)

Clint Eastwood made some great films in the 2000s, like Mystic River, Letters from Iwo Jima, and Gran Torino, but his most acclaimed 2000s film was Million Dollar Baby.

Million Dollar Baby was a hit with the Academy in 2005, winning Best Actress for Hilary Swank, Best Supporting Actor for Morgan Freeman, Best Director for Clint Eastwood, as well as Best Picture.

J.J. Abrams has proven to be the go-to-guy for rebooting dormant franchises. Just think about it: what are the chances that Abrams would be the directing force behind rebooting the two most popular sci-fi franchises of all-time, Star Wars and Star Trek.

I think most can agree that Abrams did a much better job with Star Trek than he did with Star Wars. The 2009 reboot of Star Trek was a huge hit with critics and moviegoers, more than doubling its budget at the box-office.

Underappreciated 2000s Gem

29. The Lives of Others (2006)

The Royal Tenenbaums is a masterclass on how to use mise-en-scene. In other words, it’s a lesson on how to distinctly set the stage for scenes in bold and creative ways. Wes Anderson has made a career out of using colorful props and costumes, so it should come as no surprise that’s exactly what he does with The Royal Tenenbaums.

When I think of The Royal Tenenbaums, I think of Ben Stiller in his red Adidas tracksuit, Gwyneth Paltrow in her fur-coat, and Luke Wilson rocking his sunglasses-and-headband combo. That’s a testament to Anderson’s signature production design.

2000s Movie Revenge Tale

26. Oldboy (2003)

Brokeback Mountain was a landmark film for the representation of sexuality in Hollywood. It’s no secret that some of Hollywood’s biggest stars flirted with same-sex relationships, but for a long time, they weren’t made public.

Will Ferrell was perhaps the biggest star in the world in the 2000s -- starring in wildly popular comedies like Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, as well as acclaimed dramas like Stranger Than Fiction. But his most famous film from this era was Anchorman.

Ferrell not only starred in the title role of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, but he co-wrote its script as well.

No Country for Old Men is a beautifully, beautifully shot film. Perhaps that’s a given -- it was shot by the great Roger Deakins after all. But still, everything from sweeping shots of the desert to intimate shots of interiors, is aesthetically astounding.

Can the same praise be given to its story? Well, it depends who you ask. Most critics would say yes -- citing complex themes and captivating characters as its greatest strengths. Personally, I find the narrative a bit hollow -- but there’s no denying the film’s visual splendor.

Acclaimed 2000s Comedy

20. Borat (2006)

It’s impossible to talk about 2000s movies without bringing up Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Sacha Baron Cohen stars in Borat as a Kazakh journalist who goes to the U.S. to make a documentary about life in America.

Borat was a huge box-office success, grossing over $260 million against an $18 million budget. Baron Cohen’s comedic style in Borat has been cited as a major influence on 21st century comedy.

Jay Roach’s all-star comedy Meet the Parents is one of the best comedies of the 21st century. Not just because of its cast, which includes Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner, but because its script is excellent as well.

The Meet the Parents screenplay is a masterclass in comedy writing. The structure is pretty standard, but the execution is flawless. It’s proof that formulaic doesn’t have to feel formulaic.

Fifteen years before Bong Joon-ho was winning Academy Awards left and right for his work on Parasite, he was making great movies like The Host and Memories of Murder. You’d be hard-pressed to find many film programs that don’t study Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder.

2000s Music and Movies

14. Almost Famous (2000)

In 1984, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and director Rob Reiner popularized the term “mockumentary” with This is Spinal Tap. After Spinal Tap, Guest took over directing duties from Reiner making other mockumentaries like Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show.

Guest co-penned the Best in Show screenplay with fellow comedy legend Eugene Levy. If you’ve ever watched a dog show and thought “this is kind of ridiculous,” then you should definitely watch Best in Show.

At first glance, American Psycho may seem like a story about America today. That’s a testament to the prescience of the themes outlined in Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same, which is set in the 1980’s. Every year, the wealth gap in the United States grows wider, and the stranglehold that Wall Street has on our society constricts tighter.

American Psycho is a brilliant example of how to use satire in film -- it satirizes the moral and systemic corruption that pervades Wall Street. Be warned though, American Psycho doesn’t hold anything back in its attack on America’s financial system.

10 Best Movies of 2000s

10. Memento (2000)

Memento is like a cinematic onion that’s peeled layer by layer until the core is exposed. There aren’t many movies that I’d say you have to watch twice, but Memento is definitely a movie you have to watch twice.

Christopher Nolan became a critical-darling for his work on Memento, which he released at the age of 30. In the years since, Nolan has continued to expound on many of the ideas and themes from Memento in films like The Prestige and Inception.

Spirited Away is widely regarded as one of the best animated movies of all-time and the best work of renowned Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki. It’s easy to get swept away in Miyazaki’s works because of their visual splendor, but the stories are often exceptional as well.

Miyazaki finds a rare balance between fantastical imagery and humanistic storytelling with Spirited Away.

The Pianist, a film about Polish composer Władysław Szpilman’s survival through the Holocaust, is absolutely gut-wrenching. There aren’t many films more gut-wrenching than The Pianist; save for Schindler’s List and The Deer Hunter.

For his work in The Pianist, Adrien Brody received the Academy Award for Best Actor -- to this day he remains the youngest actor to ever win the award.

Catch Me If You Can is proof that big-budget cinema can be as emotionally touching as it is thrilling. Start to finish, everything about Catch Me If You Can is masterclass -- in my list of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best movies, I gave it the top honor.

It’s weird to say that Catch Me If You Can is underrated -- the film has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is widely considered one of Steven Spielberg’s best movies -- but for whatever reason, it tends to get lost in the shuffle of the best 2000s movies.

Most Iconic Movies of the 2000s

4. The Dark Knight (2008)

A serious case could be made that Before Sunset is the best movie-sequel ever made (sorry The Godfather: Part II and Empire Strikes Back). If you haven’t seen Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, I implore you go watch it. The Before trilogy follows two characters named Jesse and Celine, who over the course of twenty years deal with an explosive, yet endearing relationship with one another.

Before Sunset picks up with the story of Jesse and Celine nine years after they first met, and follows them as they take an afternoon stroll through Paris.

Cuaron’s Allegorical Masterpiece

2. Children of Men (2006)

PTA’s Magnum Opus

1. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s undisputed masterpiece There Will Be Blood has been climbing on lists of the best movies of all-time in recent years -- so it should come as no surprise that it takes the top honor here.

Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano deliver powerhouse performances in There Will Be Blood, captivating us throughout its near three-hour runtime. It’s fair to say that There Will Be Blood is PT Anderson’s best movie.