A Look Back at the Top Movies to Watch from the 2000s
Settle in, there are some real gems in the mix.
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The term "classic film" doesn't necessarily mean the works of Alfred Hitchcock, Howard Hughes, or Orson Welles (though we certain love many of those.) The early 2000s just so happened to be rife with Hollywood blockbusters and indie flicks that more than earned their slots amongst the classics with masterful stories and culture-shifting narratives that advanced the trajectory of film. From cult classics to Academy Award nominees, whether you're feeling nostalgic or want brush up on some films you've never seen before, here are some of the best movies from the first decade of the 2000s.
2000: Cast Away
When Tom Hanks played a modern-day businessman marooned on a deserted island, audiences everywhere begged the question– what would I need to survive?
2000: Almost Famous
A sheltered 1970s high school kid gets the chance of a lifetime when he gets to join one of the biggest rock bands of the day on the road to write a profile of them for Rolling Stone magazine, in the process getting swept up in the whirlwind joys and dramas of the band's glamour, romances, and in-fighting in this Cameron Crowe-directed classic.
2000: Traffic
Traffic portrays the stark reality of America’s war on drugs as it focuses on the interconnected stories of the characters who are leading the charge on both sides. With the talented cast of Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, and Benicio Del Toro, and an intertwined dramatic plot, you’ll have a hard time figuring out who the real villain is.
2000: You Can Count on Me
In a poignant tale of family dynamics, You Can Count on Me explores the complexities of sibling relationships. Co-stars Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney remind us of the ever-annoying truth that siblings share an unbreakable bond, no matter what, in a performance that will have you reaching for the phone to call your brother or sister.
2000: Memento
Before he became a household name with Inception and his Batman films, Christopher Nolan became a director-to-watch with this thriller about a man with persistent short-term memory loss who's on the hunt for his wife's killer.
2001: The Royal Tenenbaums
The Wes Anderson film has been revered as a cult classic since its release in 2001. The eccentric antics and dark comedic undertones elevate the classic plot surrounding dysfunctional family dynamics.
2001: Spirited Away
When Spirited Away was translated to English from its original Japanese, it brought the popularity of anime to American screens. The film is considered one of the greatest anime films ever created and its coming-of-age story of a young girl has made it nearly universally beloved.
2001: A Beautiful Mind
In the telling of a true story of John Forbes Nash, the Academy-Award winning film Beautiful Mind tells the story of a genius mathematician and his rocky journey to success.
2001: Gosford Park
Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy watching the upstairs-downstairs dynamics written by Julian Fellowes in the film Gosford Park. The story of a typical 20th century aristocratic crowd gathered at a country house takes a turn for the worse when they have to investigate a murder. Filled with intrigue, period drama, and Maggie Smith– it is a must watch.
2001: Amélie
This beloved French favorite follows the titular Amélie, a young waitress in Paris who decides to make the lives of the people around her better by embarking on complicated schemes to bring them joy.
2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The first of Peter Jackson's megahit film trilogy based on the iconic works of J.R.R. Tolkien, this fantasy epic follows the beginning of mild-mannered hobbit Frodo Baggins's journey to destroy the One Ring, an object of terrible, potentially world-ending power, alongside a group of his ragtag friends and warriors.
2002: The Pianist
The Pianist tells the incredible true story of a Polish pianist who was trapped in the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw during World War II. Adrien Brody plays Wladyslaw Szpilman, as he watches as his city falls to the Nazi forces and does everything he can to avoid being captured by the occupying troops.
2002: Catch Me If You Can
In the ultimate story of cat and mouse, Catch Me If You Can portrays a the true story of an FBI agent's on-going investigation into teenage con-man Frank Abagnale Jr.
2003: Lost in Translation
The disarming trance of being an American in Tokyo leads to the unique friendship between a washed-up movie star and the young wife of a traveling photographer, both looking for more meaning out of their lives back home. The powerful drama starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson reminds us of the impact two strangers can have on the other.
2003: Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Quentin Tarantino's 2003 opus (the first half of his two-part action-soaked film series) stars Uma Thurman as a samurai sword-wielding former assassin who's out to make her former comrades and ex-boss pay for crossing her.
2003: The Fog of War
In exclusive interviews with Robert McNamara, the former Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, this documentary looks back on the American presence in Vietnam. Supplemented by historical footage, the Academy-Award winning film raises compelling questions about modern warfare and examines the cultural implications— and consequences— of war.
2004: Sideways
This hilarious oenophile flick follows down-on-his-luck wannabe writer Miles as he tries to walk his oblivious best friend Jack though a subdued wine country getaway. Naturally things go, well, sideways, in such a truly spectacular fashion that wine pros blame this movie and Miles's famous anti-Merlot rant on a real life downturn in the varietal's popularity.
2004: The Aviator
Leonardo DiCaprio transforms himself into legendary old-Hollywood director, Howard Hughes in The Aviator. The biopic aims to capture Hughes’ drive and passion by following his early career in film and his many romances with actresses such as Katherine Hepburn, all the while focusing on his passion for aircrafts.
2004: Million Dollar Baby
The journey of a female boxer starringHillary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman, swept the 2005–winning awards season with much acclaim.
2004: The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This romantic-comedy offers a dark sci-fi twist as a guy going through a break-up decides to wipe his ex-girlfriend from his memory, but as the procedure progresses he realizes he may be making a mistake. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet play the adorably quirky characters who will make you reflect on the power of a hard break-up.
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