40 Must-Watch Movies That Defined The Early 2000s

The year 2000 was 25 years ago? While that might not seem right to everyone, it is true, meaning it is an excellent time to look back on the first decade on this millennium. The 2000s saw advancements in CGI and the meteoric rise of the superhero movie, and it is still the decade with the highest-grossing film ever (while the $2,923,706,026 at the box office is impressive, 2009’s Avatar didn’t make this list). The best movies of the 2000s come from multiple markets, as many different international markets were in full swing by the start of the 21st century. From classic 2000s movies to underrated gems, great 2000s films come from many genres, from action to romance. In many ways, the 2000s feel like a transitional decade, with early 2000s movies feeling immensely Y2K and later films in the decade barely registering as nostalgic. So put down your flip phone, pull out the Blu-ray collection, and enjoy the best 2000s films.

Top Films From The Early 2000s

The highest-grossing film of all time is 2009’s Avatar. However, the decade was filled with many more box office smashes. The overall box office hit a decade-high in 2002 (adjusted for inflation) with a total take of $9,156,106,691 on 1,575,921,670 tickets sold. Films like Spider-Man, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers took top spots.

Many of the most prominent directors of today also made their mark on the decade, including Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson. Actors like Orlando Bloom, Samuel L. Jackson, Owen Wilson and Cate Blanchett ruled the box office. A list like this is hard to compile. By definition, this list has to compare comedies to Chinese epics and scary movies to Disney animation. The tastes of this writer have thus highly influenced this list, but it also considers how successfully each film achieves what it tried to accomplish. This might mean a great comedy can beat a great drama, which feels important on a list that considers so many different genres.

40. Love & Basketball (2000)

Love & Basketball is a classic romance about two young hoopers turned lovers who share the dream of getting to the NBA. Written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the film stars Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan.

It is far from the best-reviewed film on this list. However, it has become a cult classic, especially in the Black community. Jenni Miller wrote for the A.V. Club in 2015, “Love & Basketball is a nearly perfect modern romantic drama,” even if Quincy and Monica didn’t have the best relationship. Here’s where you can find Love & Basketball.

39. Big Fish (2003)

Big Fish follows a young man who tries to separate the fact from the fiction of his dying father’s life, only to see magic and reality blend. The film was based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 book, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions. Directed by Tim Burton, it stars Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Robert Guillaume, Marion Cotillard, Steve Buscemi and Danny DeVito.

There is a lot happening in Big Fish: witches, circuses, time disruptions and a mythical town in the woods. However, it still feels authentic and grounded emotionally. It is a fairytale that uses magical realism in a beautiful way. Here’s where you can find Big Fish.

38. Monsoon Wedding (2001)

Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding feels impossible not to like. It is a gorgeous and infectious romance about a hectic wedding week for an arranged Punjabi Hindu marriage in modern-day Delhi. The film stars Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Shefali Shah and Vasundhara Das.

The film premiered at the Marché du Film section of the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and went on to win a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. While it was well reviewed and did well at the box office (with help from its low budget of just around $1.2 million), it still feels a bit like a hidden gem of world cinema. Monsoon Wedding walks an impressive line between building tension and its feel-good film status. Here’s where you can find Monsoon Wedding.

37. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

While the 2000s were a little before the true superhero era in film, there are several great comic book films from the decade, including X-Men, Unbreakable, Iron Man, V for Vendetta and The Dark Knight. While any of these films could (and possibly even should) have taken this spot, Spider-Man 2 is so well worth a rewatch. A direct sequel to 2002’s Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 is better than the first. It adds emotional depth and introduces an iconic villain, Alfred Molina as Doc Ock. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film also stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco.

Spider-Man 2 is one of the very few superhero films to win an Oscar: it won for Best Visual Effects and was also nominated for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing. It also cemented that the superhero genre could be good in a pre-MCU era of filmmaking. Here is where you can find Spider-Man 2.

36. Shaolin Soccer (2001)

The 2000s saw many martial arts films, from Kill Bill vol. 1 to Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior to House of Flying Daggers. While Shaolin Soccer isn’t the most noted or conventional martial arts film, it is infectiously fun. Written and directed by Stephen Chow, the film is an underappreciated gem. It follows a group of monks who use their superhuman abilities to play soccer. It stars Chow, Zhao Wei, Ng Man-tat, Patrick Tse and Danny Chan Kwok-kwan.

Shaolin Soccer is a ridiculous film in many ways, but it always lets the audience in on the joke. It was initially banned in China, but did well in Hong Kong. It earned $42.8 million internationally on a $10 million budget. The film influenced Edgar Wright and his film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, as well as Avatar: The Last Airbender. Chow followed up the film with another 2000s martial arts classic, 2004’s Kung Fu Hustle. Here’s where you can find Shaolin Soccer.

35. Bring It On (2000)

Bring it On is a sleepover classic. It will feel deeply nostalgic, especially for millennial women. However, it still holds up better than many comedies of the era. Bring It On follows two rival cheerleading teams who must face off at regionals. Roger Ebert once even called it the “Citizen Kane of cheerleader movies.” Directed by Peyton Reed, it stars Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford and Gabrielle Union.

The film surprisingly explores systemic inequality, cultural appropriation and intersectional feminism while still being a “feel-good” film. Katie Barnes wrote for ESPN.com, “The entire film is an exploration of appropriation and the way whiteness works in our culture. It tackles race, gender and sexuality in stunning ways. Somehow within 98 minutes, queer politics gets addressed too. It’s a breakneck cultural mirror.” Here’s where you can find Bring it On.

34. Catch Me if You Can (2002)

Catch Me if You Can is about the alleged life of the American con-man Frank Abagnale Jr. While it is hard to say how much of the film is actually true, it is an engrossing and beautifully acted film about the pursuit of the American dream by any means necessary. The film follows a teenager who starts to run scams, including check fraud and impersonation, to escape his quiet but slowly eroding home life.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye and Amy Adams. It was nominated for two Oscars. Here’s where you can find Catch Me if You Can.

33. ​​​​​​Thirst (2009)

One of two films on this list from Korean director Park Chan-wook, Thirst is a vampire romance film that masterfully blends sex and horror. It follows a priest who selflessly elects to be infected with a virus in hopes of helping cure it. However, the virus triggers a lust for blood and sex, leading to an intense affair.

Thirst stars Song Kang-ho​​ and Kim Ok-bin and was Park’s first film to screen in the U.S. Roger Ebert said of the film and its director after Thirst won the Jury Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, “Park Chan-wook of South Korea is today’s most successful director of horror films, perhaps because there’s always more than horror to them. He seems to be probing alarming depths of human nature. Maybe that’s why he can simultaneously be celebrated on fanboy horror sites and win the Jury Prize.” Here’s where you can find Thirst.

32. Election 2 (2006)

A sequel to 2000’s Election, Election 2, also sometimes called Triad Election, is the rare sequel that eclipses the original. The film follows a boss who runs for an unheard-of second term to hold on to the top spot in a crime syndicate. Directed by Johnnie To, the film stars Louis Koo, Simon Yam, Nick Cheung, Cheung Siu-fai, Lam Suet and Gordon Lam.

It is a deeply political organized crime thriller that is a must-see for any fans of the “gangster movie” genre. The film was shown at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival; however, it has only developed a larger cult audience since. Here is where you can find Election 2.

31. Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003)

Goodbye, Dragon Inn is a prime example of slow cinema, as well as the “Second New Wave” of Taiwanese cinema. It is a small story, but a really affecting one. It follows several movie theater patrons during its final screening before shutting down. The film takes place in real time and revolves around the last 90 minutes of the 1967 film Dragon Inn.

Directed by Tsai Ming-liang, it stars Lee Kang-sheng, Chen Shiang-chyi and Kiyonobu Mitamura. It also features Jun Shih and Miao Tien (two actors who appeared in the original Dragon Inn) as themselves. Here’s where you can find Goodbye, Dragon Inn.

30. Persepolis (2007)

Persepolis is a beautiful animated film based on the graphic memoir of the same name. It is a biographical drama about writer and co-director Marjane Satrapi’s life after the Iranian revolution. The film is also animated in a graphic, mainly black-and-white style that brings the original book to life in a very satisfying way.

It was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars after winning the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. There are a lot of fantastic animated films that came out in the 2000s. However, in many ways, the 2000s were a transitional decade for animation as the market shifted from 2-D to CGI animation. Persepolis captures the beauty of traditional animation in a profoundly unique way. Here’s where you can find Persepolis.

29. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Pride and Prejudice is an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel of the same name. Directed by Joe Wright, the film stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. The film follows the famous plot of a young woman who must reconsider her biases as she navigates a love triangle between a distant, wealthy man and an impossibly smooth military man.

While there are a lot of adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, the 2005 version is arguably the best film (however, if you include miniseries, especially the 1995 BBC series version, that argument gets more heated). It was nominated for four Academy Awards and has been credited with influencing the resurgence of the period romance genre in the 2000s. Wright and Knightley would even work together again on another fabulous period romance of the 2000s, 2007’s Atonement. Here’s where you can find Pride and Prejudice.

28. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

There were many queer films before the mid-2000s. 2005 even brought several LGBTQ+ classics, including Kinky Boots, the Irish Film Breakfast on Pluto, Gregg Araki’s Mysterious Skin and the Philip Seymour Hoffman-led Capote. However, it is hard to talk about American LGBTQ+ cinema and 2000s films without Brokeback Mountain. Based on Annie Proulx’s short story of the same name, the film is a heartbreaking Western about two ranchers and their 20-year-long love affair.

Directed by Ang Lee, the film stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams and Randy Quaid. It was nominated for eight Oscars, winning Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. Possibly more importantly, it was also a box office success, grossing over $178 million worldwide against a $14 million budget, proving that prestige LGBTQ+ films could be a bankable genre. Brokeback Mountain was chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2018. Here’s where you can find Brokeback Mountain.

27. Legally Blonde (2001)

The 2000s were, in many ways, the golden age of female-led comedies. There are so many great ones, including Ms. Congeniality, The Devil Wears Prada, Mean Girls and Bridget Jones Diary; however, arguably the best is Legally Blonde. The movie follows a California girl who goes to Harvard Law School to chase after her ex-boyfriend; however, she falls in love with something “so much better.”

Directed by Robert Luketic, the film stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber and Jennifer Coolidge. While some have criticized Legally Blonde for being formulaic, it has so much going for it. It has an endlessly quotable script, great comedic performances (especially from Witherspoon and Coolidge) and a message about overcoming the devaluation of femininity. Here’s where you can find Legally Blonde.

26. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Shaun of the Dead is one of two zombie films on this list. Zombie movies saw a significant resurgence in the 2000s post-9/11. While this era brought several good zombie horror comedies, including Zombieland and Dead Snow, Shaun of the Dead is easily the best. The film is deeply influential in both the comedy/horror genre and arguably the comedy genre more generally. The film follows a slacker and his friend on a mission to save his girlfriend from a zombie outbreak in suburban London.

Directed by Edgar Wright, the film stars Simon Pegg (who co-wrote it with Wright), Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Nick Frost, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton. The film is part of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (three unconnected comedies co-written by Wright and Pegg) with another great 2000s film, 2007’s Hot Fuzz, and 2013’s The World’s End. Here is where you can find Shaun of the Dead.

25. Amélie (2001)

Amélie is a modern French film classic that introduced many to French cinema. The film follows a shy waitress who endeavors to improve the lives of those around her by helping them fall in love. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the film stars Audrey Tautou.

Amélie is a deeply charming film. However, it is notable for its visuals. The film is beautiful, and the BBC even called it the “most stylish film ever made.” It was nominated for five Academy Awards and won four César Awards. Maybe more notably, the film did exceptionally well at the box office, earning $174.2 million worldwide against a budget of $10 million. Here’s where you can find Amélie.

24. No Country For Old Men (2007)

Joel and Ethan Coen had an incredible cinematic run in the 2000s, with films like O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Burn After Reading and A Serious Man. However, their most celebrated film of the era is easily No Country for Old Men. The neo-western follows a man who stumbles across drug money, a brutal killer and a local sheriff as their fates collide in 1980s West Texas.

The film stars Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin. The film is specifically good for Coen Brothers fans as it contains many references to their earlier films. However, it was one of their most stylish pieces at the time of its release. It was nominated for eight Oscars, winning four, including Best Picture. Here’s where you can find No Country for Old Men.

23. Zodiac (2007)

There are a couple of great true crime films from the 2000s, including 2003’s Monster, 2007’s American Gangster and 2000’s Beautiful Creatures. However, among the best is 2007’s Zodiac. The film follows the search for San Francisco’s so-called Zodiac Killer in the late 1960s.

The true crime genre often has issues with sensationalism and exploitation, but Zodiac doesn’t fall into these traps as it largely focuses on a reporter’s perspective on the investigation. The film is based on two books by Robert Graysmith, which posit an idea of who the culprit was, but there is still room for mystery in a film about this unsolved case. Directed by David Fincher, the slow-burning thriller stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr. and Brian Cox. Here’s where you can find Zodiac.

22. Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Bend It Like Beckham is a delightful sports movie that explores culture and changing attitudes through the lens of women’s sports. The film follows Jesminder “Jess” Bhamra, a British Punjabi Sikh, as she secretly follows her dreams of playing soccer. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, the film stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Bend It Like Beckham did incredibly well at the box office, earning over $76.5 million against a $6 million budget. It was also praised for its queer themes; however, the film isn’t explicitly queer. It won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film as well as an ESPY Award for Best Sports Movie. Here’s where you can find Bend It Like Beckham.

21. Coraline (2009)

The 2000s were a fabulous decade for stop motion animation. 2009, specifically, saw Fantastic Mr. Fox, Max & Mary and Coraline. While any of these films could have taken this spot, Coraline is a fan favorite of the animation genre. Directed by Henry Selick, the film is a children’s horror masterpiece. The film follows a young girl who discovers an alternate dimension behind a suspicious door in her new home.

Coraline was the first feature-length film from Laika Studios. The studio has become one of the biggest names in stop-motion animation, and it makes sense with films as impressive as Coraline. Here is where you can find Coraline.

20. 28 Days Later (2002)

28 Days Later is an essential film for the zombie genre, but probably more importantly, it influenced the course of modern horror films. However, director Danny Boyle didn’t really consider 28 Days Later as a zombie film. In many ways, it may have more in common with the disaster genre than the shambling zombies from directors like George A. Romero. The film follows a man who awakens from a coma in the middle of an outbreak that turns the infected into fast-paced monsters.

The film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, and Brendan Gleeson. It was a critical and box office success. It earned $82.8 million worldwide on a budget of $8 million, making it one of the most profitable movies of 2002. It was followed by sequels 2007’s 28 Weeks Later and 2025’s 28 Years Later. Here’s where you can find 28 Days Later.

19. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Any one of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy could have made this list. However, the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring, is truly magical. Based on the J. R. R. Tolkien fantasy novels of the same name, the film follows a hobbit named Frodo who is tasked with destroying a powerful ring.

The Lord of the Rings stars an ensemble cast including Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, and Andy Serkis. It was nominated for 13 Oscars, winning three. It is a big epic with amazing visuals and the perfect start to a great franchise. Here’s where you can find The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

18. Infernal Affairs (2002)

While many “Best of the 2000s” film lists will include Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, the Hong Kong film that it’s based on is actually better. Infernal Affairs follows a police cadet who goes undercover in the Triad, and a mole who infiltrates the police. However, when news of a leak spreads, both covers become in danger of being blown.

Directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, the film stars Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang. It is a mob movie classic that is as visually rich as it is emotionally complicated. Infernal Affairs was nominated for 16 Hong Kong Film Awards and won seven, including Best Film. Here’s where you can find Infernal Affairs.

17. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Napoleon Dynamite is a polarizing film. It garnered mixed to poor reviews. Roger Ebert even gave it just 1.5 stars. However, it took America by storm and was even called a cultural phenomenon. It is a deeply strange film but easily one of the funniest of the decade (for those who get its off-beat humor).

Napoleon Dynamite is a coming-of-age story about a deeply awkward teenager in small-town Idaho. Directed by Jared Hess, the film stars Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino and Diedrich Bader. The film was made on a shoestring budget and without many established actors, but that is part of the charm of Napoleon Dynamite. There is an almost a cinema verité quality to the film as it captures the ordinary lives of ordinary people. Here’s where you can find Napoleon Dynamite.

16. Y tu mamá también (2001)

Director Alfonso Cuarón made two amazing films in the 2000s, 2006’s Children of Men and 2001’s Y tu mamá también (surprisingly, between these two masterpieces, he also directed 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Y tu mamá también is a striking and complex film about two teens who go on a road trip with a woman in her late 20s against the backdrop of late 1990s Mexican politics. The film stars Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.

The film earned an NC-17 rating in the U.S. due to its very explicit sex and drug use. However, its 18+ rating in Mexico didn’t stop it from setting a record for the highest box office opening in Mexican cinema during its first weekend in theaters. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Here’s where you can find Y tu mamá también.

15. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

The Royal Tenenbaums is a family tragicomedy about three former child prodigies now struggling in adulthood and their difficult father, who reenters their lives. Directed by Wes Anderson, the film stars Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson (who co-wrote the film with Anderson).

Like many of Anderson’s films, The Royal Tenenbaums won’t be for everyone. It is a wry and often bizarre film. However, it drips with style and has found a cult audience. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and Hackman’s performance was especially praised by critics as well. Here’s where you can find The Royal Tenenbaums.

14. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Director Guillermo Del Toro made several great movies in the 2000s, including The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Blade II. However, his masterpiece is arguably Pan’s Labyrinth. The film follows a young girl who finds an entrance to a secret world ruled by a fawn against the backdrop of Spain’s brutal Francoist Government.

The film is a dark fantasy, with an emphasis on “dark.” However, it is a beautiful fairytale about authoritarianism and magic. The film is a spiritual successor to Del Toro’s 2001 The Devil’s Backbone, which also combines horror with Spanish history. Pan’s Labyrinth premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to be nominated for six Oscars. Here’s where you can find Pan’s Labyrinth.

13. City of God (2002)

City of God is a brutal and affecting film about violence in Brazil. The film follows two childhood friends as one grows up to be a photographer and the other a drug dealer against the backdrop of the rise of organized crime in the 1960s-1980s. It was impressively shot on location in Rio and showcases the real favela of Cidade de Deus.

Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the film stars Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino Da Hora, Seu Jorge, Jonathan Haagensen and Phellipe Haagensen. Director Robert Altman said of the film, “I don’t know how Fernando Meirelles made City Of God. It’s so courageous, so truthful. I think it’s the best picture I’ve ever seen.” It was nominated for four Oscars. Here’s where you can find City of God.

12. Memento (2000)

Christopher Nolan made several great movies in the 2000s, including The Dark Knight, Insomnia and The Prestige. However, his best film from the decade is arguably 2000’s Memento. The film follows a man with anterograde amnesia and memory loss who leaves himself notes to help solve the mystery of who killed his wife.

Memento uses non-linear storytelling to keep the audience struggling for answers, but it all pays off beautifully. It is a technically impressive film that also features terrific performances from Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano. It was nominated for two Oscars and did well at the box office; however, it has taken on a further cult following since. In 2017, it was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Here’s where you can find Memento.

11. Ratatouille (2007)

Pixar made several amazing films in the 2000s, including Up, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. and WALL-E. However, arguably the best from this impressive run is 2007’s Ratatouille. Ratatouille follows a rat who proves that “Anyone can cook” as he becomes a chef in Paris with the help of a human restaurant worker. It is the kind of sweet and emotionally resonant film that has become synonymous with the studio.

Directed by Brad Bird, it stars Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm, Lou Romano, Brad Garrett, Peter O’Toole and Janeane Garofalo. Ratatouille won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for four others. The film has been referenced in many other movies and TV shows, including a parody called Raccacoonie in the film Everything Everywhere All at Once. 13 years after its release, it also spawned an unauthorized social media-led fan musical, which led to a virtual concert that raised over $1.9 million to benefit The Actors Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s where you can find Ratatouille.

10. Juno (2007)

Juno is a coming-of-age dramedy that has only gotten better with age. The film follows a teenager who accidentally gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. Directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, the film stars Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney and J. K. Simmons.

The film was a critical darling and an impressive box office hit, earning $232.3 million on an around $7 million budget. The film was nominated for four Oscars and won for Best Original Screenplay. The soundtrack is also iconic in its own right, featuring several songs from anti-folk artist Kimya Dawson, among others. The soundtrack did exceptionally well, becoming the first number one soundtrack for 20th Century Fox since the Titanic. Here’s where you can find Juno.

9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a beautifully made epic that is a prime example of the wuxia genre. The film takes place in an imagined version of the Qing Dynasty as a warrior, his lover, a princess and a thief chase after an ancient stolen sword. Directed by Ang Lee, the film stars Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen.

It is a really fun film that feels like a mix between a comic book, a painting and a folktale. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a surprise box office hit. It was a success internationally, and in America, it became the highest-grossing foreign-produced film. It was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning four, including Best Foreign Language Film. Here’s where you can find Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

8. Chicago (2002)

Chicago is a movie musical based on the 1975 Broadway musical of the same name. Directed by Rob Marshall, the film follows two Jazz Age performers and murderers who balance fame and infamy in the 1920s. It is a beautifully made film that features iconic performances from Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The film won six Academy Awards and became the first musical since 1968’s Oliver! to win Best Picture. It is often credited with ushering in a resurgence in the musical movie genre, and it makes sense why. It is an impressive film that may actually be better than its Broadway source material. Here’s where you can find Chicago.

7. ​​​​​​Memories of Murder (2003)

While most Americans know Bong Joon Ho for his later films, his second film, Memories of Murder, is well worth a revisit, especially for those interested in Korean Cinema. The film follows two small-town detectives who struggle to solve a murder with a serial killer/rapist at large in the 1980s. It is a compelling neo-noir/crime thriller featuring great performances from Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-kyung.

In 2005, Manohla Dargis wrote of the film for the New York Times, “Memories of Murder is such a taut, effective thriller it’s a shame you have to read subtitles to gauge just how good a movie it is.” However, if you can make it past the “one-inch barrier of subtitles,” it is a must-watch. The film is a favorite of director Quentin Tarantino alongside Bong’s 2006 horror film, The Host (which is another great 2000s choice). Here’s where you can find Memories of Murder.

6. Let The Right One In (2008)

Let The Right One In is a Swedish horror favorite. The film follows a young boy who befriends a mysterious girl in the 1980s, only to discover she is a vampire. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, the film stars Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Ika Nord and Peter Carlberg. It is based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also wrote the screenplay).

Let The Right One In was named the No. 1 horror film of the 2000s by Bloody Disgusting. There is an American remake, 2010’s Let Me In. While the remake is surprisingly good, the original is better. Let The Right One In is very much a horror movie, but it has a rich emotional depth that really works. Here’s where you can find Let The Right One In.

5. Oldboy (2003)

Oldboy is a Korean action classic directed by Park Chan-wook. The film follows a man who is given five days to solve the mystery of his 15-year imprisonment. It stars Choi Sik, Yoo Tae and Kang Jung.

While it is probably most famous for its iconic hammer-hallways fight scene, it is far more emotionally deep than the standard action film. Oldboy comes with some heavy content warnings (largely due to its twist and intense violence). The film is widely regarded as one of the best foreign language, Korean and 21st-century films. Here’s where you can find Oldboy.

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a sci-fi romance that follows two people who erase their memories of each other after a painful breakup. Directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman, the film is a twisty, non-linear masterpiece.

It stars Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood. While the film was well received both at the box office and critically, it has become a cult classic in the subsequent two decades. It has surprisingly also influenced several musicians. Jay Electronica’s “Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge),” Jhené Aiko’s “Spotless Mind” and “Eternal Sunshine,” Bastille’s “Remind Me” and Ariana Grande’s 2024 album Eternal Sunshine all reference the film. Here’s where you can find Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

3. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Little Miss Sunshine is a master class in dark humor. The film follows a dysfunctional family as they drive their young daughter to a children’s beauty pageant. The film features iconic performances from all of its principal cast, including Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin and Alan Arkin.

Directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, the film premiered at Sundance and received great reviews. It even started a small distribution bidding war after the premiere. It went on to be nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (Arkin). Here’s where you can find Little Miss Sunshine.

2. Spirited Away (2001)

Studio Ghibli made a couple of great films in the 2000s; however, the best of the decade (and arguably in the studio’s history) is Spirited Away. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film follows a 10-year-old girl who becomes trapped in the spirit realm and must save her parents from an evil witch after they are turned into pigs.

Spirited Away is one of the most beautifully animated films of all time. It was the first non-English-language animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and still only one of two to win the award with another Miyazaki film, 2023’s The Boy and the Heron (arguably, 2024’s Flow may also count; however, it has no dialogue). Spirited Away was also a box office success and held the record for the highest-grossing film in Japan for 19 years. Here’s where you can find Spirited Away.

1. In the Mood For Love (2000)

In the Mood For Love doesn’t feel very 2000s, mainly because it takes place in the 1960s. However, it is a deeply stylish film about two neighbors whose friendship becomes something more outside of their respective marriages.

Directed by Wong Kar-wai, the film stars Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. It is a dreamy and heartbreaking romance film. It has also influenced many other great films. Sofia Coppola credited the film as inspiration for Lost in Translation, and the Daniels, a.k.a. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, used it as inspiration as well for alternate universes in their film Everything Everywhere All at Once. Here’s where you can find In the Mood For Love.

Bottom Line

There are too many excellent films from the 2000s to count. However, from nostalgic Y2K favorites to international hidden gems, you can go wrong with these films of the 00s.

For more curated film lists by genre, language and decade, visit our full movies hub.