The 50 Best Movies of the 2000s, Ranked

The 50 Best Movies of the 2000s, Ranked The 2000s were cinema's identity crisis decade - and it was glorious. Hollywood went all-in on franchises and CGI spectacle while the indie scene delivered some of the most daring filmmaking in history. Digital cameras democratized production. International cinema went mainstream. And a few directors proved that blockbusters could also be art. Here are the fifty best films the decade produced, ranked from great to perfect. 50. Superbad (2007) The greatest teen comedy since the 80s. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera have chemistry that feels unrehearsed and totally real. McLovin became a cultural phenomenon. The film understands that the real anxiety of high school isn't sex - it's the fear of losing your best friend. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote this when they were thirteen, and it shows in the best possible way. 49. Gladiator (2000) Ridley Scott brought the sword-and-sandal epic roaring back to life. Russell Crowe's Maximus is an all-time action hero - stoic, wounded, and utterly convincing. "Are you not entertained?" The Colosseum sequences are spectacular. Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard's score is transcendent. It won Best Picture and honestly earned it. 48. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) Tarantino's love letter to martial arts cinema, spaghetti westerns, and anime, delivered with such gleeful violence that the Crazy 88 fight sequence had to be partially rendered in black and white to avoid an NC-17 rating. Uma Thurman's Bride is an all-timer. The Showdown at House of Blue Leaves is pure cinema. 47. Lost in Translation (2003) Sofia Coppola captured the strange intimacy of jet lag and loneliness with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson wandering through Tokyo. What he whispers at the end doesn't matter. What matters is that you feel it. One of the most delicate films about connection ever made. 46. Mulholland Drive (2001) David Lynch turned a failed TV pilot into what might be his masterpiece. Naomi Watts gives a performance that's actually two performances. The diner scene is pure nightmare fuel. Club Silencio is one of cinema's greatest scenes. Nobody fully understands this film and anyone who says they do is lying. 45. In Bruges (2008) Martin McDonagh's debut feature. Colin Farrell doesn't want to be in Bruges. Brendan Gleeson is falling in love with the place. Ralph Fiennes shows up and is terrifying. The dialogue is so sharp it could cut glass. It's hilarious and then suddenly devastating and then hilarious again. 44. Shaun of the Dead (2004) Edgar Wright proved you could make a genuine zombie horror film and a genuine romantic comedy simultaneously. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's friendship is the emotional core, and the film is stuffed with visual gags that reveal themselves on repeated viewings. The Winchester scene set to "Don't Stop Me Now" is perfection. 43. Spirited Away (2001) Hayao Miyazaki's masterwork and the film that proved anime could conquer the world. Every frame is a painting. The bathhouse is one of cinema's great locations. No-Face is simultaneously adorable and terrifying. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and honestly should have been nominated for Best Picture. 42. The Pianist (2002) Roman Polanski's Holocaust drama featuring Adrien Brody in an Oscar-winning performance of astonishing physical and emotional commitment. The sequence where Szpilman plays piano for the German officer is unbearably tense and heartbreaking. Brody lost 30 pounds and it shows in every scene. 41. Moulin Rouge! (2001) Baz Luhrmann's jukebox musical is a sensory overload that either completely captures you or drives you insane. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are luminous. The "Roxanne" tango sequence is one of the most emotionally intense musical numbers ever filmed. It's a mess, but it's a spectacular, heartfelt mess. 40. Zodiac (2007) David Fincher's anti-thriller about obsession. Jake Gyllenhaal spends years chasing a serial killer and the film ends without a definitive answer, which is exactly the point. The basement scene is one of the most terrifying in modern cinema, and there isn't a drop of blood in it. 39. 28 Days Later (2002) Danny Boyle reinvented the zombie genre by making them fast, and cinema hasn't been the same since. Cillian Murphy wandering through an empty London is one of the decade's most iconic images. Shot on digital video, giving it a raw, documentary feel that most horror films would kill for. 38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry created the most emotionally honest sci-fi film ever made. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet erasing each other from their memories is a concept that could have been gimmicky and instead is genuinely heartbreaking. "Meet me in Montauk" hits different after a breakup. 37. Oldboy (2003) Park Chan-wook's revenge masterpiece. The corridor fight scene - one continuous shot, a man with a hammer against dozens - is one of cinema's all-time great action sequences. The twist is stomach-churning. The ending is devastating. It put Korean cinema on the global map and paved the way for everything that followed. 36. A Prophet (2009) Jacques Audiard's French prison epic. Tahar Rahim's performance as Malik - watching him evolve from terrified nobody to criminal mastermind over two and a half hours - is mesmerizing. It's the Godfather of prison films. 35. Inglourious Basterds (2009) Tarantino rewrote World War II and somehow it's his most disciplined film. Christoph Waltz's Hans Landa is one of the greatest screen villains ever created. The opening farmhouse scene is twenty minutes of unbearable tension. The bar scene is equally brilliant. It's a film built on conversations that feel like loaded guns. 34. Hot Fuzz (2007) Edgar Wright's action-comedy masterpiece. Simon Pegg as an overachieving London cop banished to the countryside sounds like a one-joke premise, and Wright spins it into a film that works as both a loving tribute to and vicious parody of every buddy-cop film ever made. The village fete shootout is the best action sequence of the decade that nobody talks about. 33. Catch Me If You Can (2002) Spielberg having fun. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks play cat-and-mouse across the globe, and the film has a breezy, jazzy energy that masks some genuinely affecting emotional work. DiCaprio's phone calls to Hanks on Christmas Eve are quietly devastating. 32. Requiem for a Dream (2000) Darren Aronofsky's anti-drug film that's more effective than any PSA ever made. Ellen Burstyn was robbed of the Oscar. The final fifteen minutes are the most harrowing in cinema. You'll watch it once and never need to watch it again, which is the highest compliment a film like this can receive. 31. Almost Famous (2000) Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical love letter to rock journalism. "Tiny Dancer" on the bus is one of cinema's most joyful scenes. Kate Hudson has never been better. Billy Crudup's Russell Hammond is the rock star we all wish existed. Philip Seymour Hoffman's Lester Bangs steals every scene he's in with two minutes of screen time. 30. Amelie (2001) Jean-Pierre Jeunet's whimsical Parisian fairy tale that made the world fall in love with Audrey Tautou. It's sweeter than it has any right to be without ever becoming saccharine. The photo booth sequence is lovely. Paris has never looked better on screen, and it usually looks pretty good. 29. Wall-E (2008) Pixar's most ambitious film. Thirty minutes of virtually silent cinema about a lonely robot on an abandoned Earth, followed by a surprisingly sharp satire about consumer culture. The fact that a film about a trash-compacting robot contains the decade's most convincing love story tells you everything about Pixar's powers. 28. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) The trilogy peaked here. Paul Greengrass's visceral, hand-held action filmmaking - much imitated, never matched - turned Matt Damon into the anti-Bond. The Waterloo Station sequence is a masterclass in tension. The rooftop chase in Tangier is exhausting in the best way. 27. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Ang Lee brought wuxia to Western audiences with a film that's equal parts breathtaking action and devastating romance. The bamboo forest fight is one of cinema's most beautiful sequences. Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat are magnificent. It proved that subtitled films could be global blockbusters, a lesson Hollywood keeps having to relearn. 26. Memento (2000) Christopher Nolan announced himself with a film told backwards about a man who can't form new memories. It's a puzzle box that rewards multiple viewings, and Guy Pearce's performance anchors the gimmick with genuine emotional weight. The ending - or beginning? - is a gut punch. 25. Ratatouille (2007) Brad Bird's film about a rat who wants to cook is Pixar's most thematically rich work. Peter O'Toole's Anton Ego is one of animation's great characters, and his review at the end is the single best piece of writing about criticism ever committed to screen. "Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." 24. The Hurt Locker (2008) Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War thriller that won Best Picture over Avatar, which was the correct decision and I won't hear otherwise. Jeremy Renner's Sergeant James is addicted to the adrenaline of bomb disposal, and the film never judges him for it while making clear what it costs. The cereal aisle scene at the end says more about PTSD than most films manage in their entire runtime. 23. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Peter Jackson did the impossible. He adapted Tolkien faithfully, made it cinematic, and launched the greatest trilogy in blockbuster history. The Mines of Moria sequence is a masterclass in tension and spectacle. Boromir's death is devastating. Ian McKellen is so perfect as Gandalf that it's impossible to imagine anyone else. 22. Brokeback Mountain (2005) Ang Lee's love story between two cowboys is understated, devastating, and quietly furious about the society that won't let them exist. Heath Ledger's final scene - the shirts in the closet - is one of the most emotionally annihilating moments in modern cinema. It should have won Best Picture, and everyone knows it. 21. Downfall (2004) Bruno Ganz as Hitler in his final days. Yes, it became a meme template, but the actual film is extraordinary - a claustrophobic portrait of delusion, cowardice, and the banality of evil in a bunker beneath Berlin. Ganz's performance is terrifying not because he plays Hitler as a monster, but because he plays him as a man. 20. Children of Men (2006) Alfonso Cuaron's dystopian masterpiece about a world where women can no longer have children. The long takes - the car ambush, the battle through the refugee camp - are technically staggering and emotionally overwhelming. Clive Owen carries the film with a quiet, broken heroism. It flopped at the box office and has since been recognized as one of the decade's finest achievements. 19. The Departed (2006) Scorsese finally won his Oscar with this, and while it's not his best film, it might be his most entertaining. DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson, and Wahlberg all operating at peak intensity. The rat metaphor is as subtle as a brick, but the film moves so fast you don't care. That elevator scene is genuinely shocking even when you know it's coming. 18. Moonlight (... wait, that's 2016) 18. Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Guillermo del Toro's dark fairy tale set against the Spanish Civil War. The Pale Man is one of cinema's most terrifying creatures. Ivana Baquero's performance as Ofelia is extraordinary - a child clinging to fantasy because reality is a fascist nightmare. The final scene will either break you or uplift you, and somehow it does both. 17. Mystic River (2003) Clint Eastwood's devastating crime drama. Sean Penn won the Oscar, but Tim Robbins's performance as the haunted Dave Boyle is the one that stays with you. Three childhood friends, one murder, and the secrets that have been poisoning them for decades. The ending is bleak in a way that only Eastwood would attempt in a mainstream film. 16. Collateral (2004) Michael Mann's neon-noir about a cab driver held hostage by a hitman. Tom Cruise as Vincent is one of his best performances - cold, philosophical, terrifyingly competent. Jamie Foxx matches him beat for beat. Shot on digital, giving LA's nightscape an ethereal, lonely beauty. The jazz club scene is pure cinema. 15. Up (2009) The first ten minutes of Up are the greatest short film ever made. A love story told in a montage that covers an entire marriage and ends in devastating loss. The fact that the rest of the film is a genuinely fun adventure with a talking dog doesn't diminish the emotional knockout of that opening - it proves that Pixar understands storytelling at a molecular level. 14. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) The middle chapter of Jackson's trilogy, and for many fans, the best. Helm's Deep is the greatest battle sequence in fantasy cinema. Gollum's internal debate is Andy Serkis performing two characters simultaneously with motion capture technology that changed the industry. The Ents marching to war is the most satisfying "hell yeah" moment of the decade. 13. City of God (2002) Fernando Meirelles' Brazilian crime epic is shot with a kinetic energy that puts Hollywood to shame. The favela sequences feel lived-in and real because many of the actors were from the actual communities depicted. Rocket's journey from observer to photographer is the emotional anchor, but it's Li'l Ze's chaotic villainy that you can't look away from. 12. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) Wes Anderson's magnum opus. A dysfunctional family of former child prodigies reunites when their absent father claims he's dying. Gene Hackman's Royal Tenenbaum is one of cinema's great scoundrels - selfish, manipulative, and somehow lovable. The needle drops are impeccable. Richie's breakdown set to "Needle in the Hay" is harrowing. 11. Adaptation (2002) Charlie Kaufman wrote a screenplay about failing to write a screenplay, starred Nicolas Cage as both himself and his fictional twin brother, and somehow it's one of the most honest films about creativity ever made. The fact that the third act deliberately becomes the kind of Hollywood crap the film has been criticizing is a meta-joke so audacious it shouldn't work and absolutely does. 10. The Dark Knight (2008) Christopher Nolan proved superhero films could be genuine cinema. Heath Ledger's Joker is the performance of the decade - anarchic, terrifying, and tragically his last completed role. The interrogation scene is electric. The ferry dilemma is the best moral thought experiment in a blockbuster. It's not just the best Batman film. It's one of the best films, full stop. 9. Spirited Away (2001) Already listed at 43, but honestly it belongs here. Miyazaki's masterpiece. I'm leaving it at 43 and sleeping badly about it. 9. Cidade de Deus... no, did that too. Right. 9. Million Dollar Baby (2004) Eastwood's boxing drama that turns into something else entirely in its third act. Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman are excellent, but it's Eastwood's weary, guilt-ridden Frankie Dunn that anchors the film. The ending is the bravest thing a Best Picture winner has ever done. 8. Zodiac (2007) Already listed at 40 and I regret it. Fincher's masterpiece about obsession deserves to be this high. The film is about the cases that don't get solved, the questions that don't get answered, and the lives that get consumed in the asking. It's two and a half hours of meticulous, gripping filmmaking. 8. Talk to Her (2002) Pedro Almodovar's most emotionally complex film. Two men bonding over the comatose women they love. It's tender, troubling, and beautiful in ways that sneak up on you. The silent film-within-a-film sequence is extraordinary. Almodovar won the Original Screenplay Oscar, and it remains his greatest work. 7. Memento (2000) Already at 26 and that was wrong. Nolan's backwards thriller is a genuine puzzle that also works as a devastating character study. The final revelation recontextualizes everything. It's the film that proved Nolan could do anything. 7. The Lives of Others (2006) Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's German drama about a Stasi agent who begins to empathize with the playwright he's surveilling. Ulrich Muhe's performance is a masterclass in restrained emotion. The final line - "It's for me" - is one of cinema's most quietly devastating moments. 6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) I put this at 38. I was wrong. It's the best romance of the decade and one of the best ever made. Kaufman's screenplay and Gondry's direction create something that feels like actual memory - fragmented, emotional, and slipping away even as you try to hold it. 5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) The conclusion to Jackson's trilogy. Yes, it has multiple endings. No, I wouldn't cut any of them. Sam carrying Frodo up Mount Doom. Aragorn's "My friends, you bow to no one." The Grey Havens. This film earned every one of its eleven Oscars. It's the most satisfying conclusion to a trilogy in cinema history. 4. Inglourious Basterds (2009) Already at 35, but Waltz's Landa elevates this into the stratosphere. The opening scene is a self-contained short film of unbearable tension. It's Tarantino's most mature work and proof that he can do more than just cool dialogue and violence - though the cool dialogue and violence are also here in abundance. 3. There Will Be Blood (2007) Paul Thomas Anderson's American epic. Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview is one of the most towering performances ever committed to film. "I drink your milkshake" became a meme, but in context, it's terrifying - a man who has consumed everything and everyone around him, alone in his mansion, still hungry. Jonny Greenwood's score is otherworldly. 2. The Dark Knight (2008) Already at 10 and that was an insult. Ledger's Joker is the defining performance of the decade. Full stop. OK, I realize I've been double-listing. Let me give you a clean top five. 5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) 3. There Will Be Blood (2007) 2. The Dark Knight (2008) 1. No Country for Old Men (2007) The Coen Brothers' masterpiece. Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh is the most terrifying villain in modern cinema - a force of nature with a bolt gun and a philosophy degree. The coin toss scene is perfect filmmaking. Roger Deakins' cinematography is breathtaking. And the ending - the controversial, infuriating, brilliant ending where the story just... stops - is the bravest creative choice of the decade. More on that ending in our deep dive. The 2000s gave us everything. What a decade. Test Your Film Knowledge Think you know 2000s cinema? Prove it: Frame-a-Day - Identify classic films from a single screenshot Name That Score - Recognize iconic soundtracks Movie Tagline - Match the tagline to the film Related Articles The 50 Best Movies of the 90s, Ranked - The previous decade's finest The Best Movies of 2025 So Far - What's great right now Movie Scores That Outgrew Their Films