Best films of the 2000s

[Howard Beale]

In the "Last Movie You Watched and Rate It" thread, Puck posted a link to an article about the "23 best films of the 2000s".

Washington Post has published their 23 best films of the 2000s. I disagree with some, you might too. The lists are always fun. Some I haven't seen, I'll be scouring the bit torrents hoping to find them.

From ‘Children of Men’ to ‘Spirited Away,’ here are the 23 best movies of the 2000s.

If you hit a WaPo paywall, try opening in a new private window.

That sparked a couple people to post their lists, so I'm thinking this topic probably warrants its own thread and discussion.

Go ahead and post your own list of the best films from the 2000s. I suspect we'll see a pretty wide variety of answers...

(And if you don't like the idea of ranking the "best" films, then just list your favourites instead)

Click to read more...

 

[Howard Beale]

Since 23 seems a bit random, here's my list of the 25 best films of the 2000s so far:

1. Her (2013)
2. Boyhood (2014)
3. Memento (2001)
4. City of God (2003)
5. The Lives of Others (2006)
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
7. A Separation (2011)
8. There Will Be Blood (2007)
9. Mulholland Drive (2001)
10. Force Majeure (2014)
11. Amelie (2001)
12. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
13. Hero (2002)
14. The Departed (2006)
15. Gone Girl (2014)
16. Birdman (2014)
17. Before Sunset (2004)
18. WALL-E (2008)
19. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
20. The Dark Knight (2008)
21. Lady Bird (2017)
22. Victoria (2015)
23. La La Land (2016)
24. Inception (2010)
25. Looper (2012)

A few honourable mentions: Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The Pianist (2002), No Country for Old Men (2007), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

 

[kihei]

Here is my list from the movie thread rounded to 25:

1) Still Life, Jia, China (2006)
2) I Don't Want to Sleep Alone, Tsai, Taiwan (2006)
3) Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Weerasethakul, Thailand (2010)
4) Loveless, Zvyagintsev, Russia (2017)
5) The Assassin, Hou, Taiwan (2015)
6) In the Mood for Love, Kar Wai, Hong Kong (2000)
7) Amour, Haneke, Austria (2012)
8) 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, Mungiu, Romania (2007)
9) Gravity, Cuaron, Mexico/US (2013)
10) L’enfant, Dardenne brothers, Belgium (2005)
11) Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Ceylan, Turkey (2011)
12) Alexandra, Sukorov, Russia (2008)
13) Revanche, Spielmann,Austria (2008)
14) Mulholland Drive, Lynch, US (2001)
15) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Lee, Hong Kong (2000)
16) Somewhere, Coppola, U, (2010)
17) No Country for Old Men, Coen brothers, US (2007)
18) City of God, Meirelles, Brazil (2002)
19) Love Exposure, Sono, Japan (2009)
20)The Death of Louis XIV, Serra, Spain (2017)
21) Police, Adjective, Porumboiu, Romania (2009)
22) A Simple Life, Hui, Hong Kong (2012)
23) Tropical Malady,Weerasethakul, Thailand (2004)
24) Werkmeister Harmonies, Tarr, Hungary (2000)
25) Mother, Bong Joon-ho, South Korea (2009)

HMs: Old Boy; The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Mommy; Goodbye to Language; On the Beach at Night Alone; Blue Is the Warmest Color; Norwegian Wood; Like Father, Like Son; Horse Money; Three Times; Life of Pi; Ponyo; Victoria; Memories of Murder; Blade Runner 2049; Talk to Her; Kung Fu Hustle; Upstream Color; Lost in Translation; Y Tu Mama Tambien; In Bruges; The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Nobody Knows; Let the Right One In; Kung Fu Hustle

 

[Nalens Oga]

f*** you guys my watchlist is already at like 2,500. Can't say I gave much thought to the exact order but something like this roughly

1. Inception (2010)
   
2. Frances Ha (2013)
3. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
   
5. Interstellar (2014)
6. Manchester By The Sea (2016)
   
7. The Lives of Others (2006)
   
8. Nightcrawler (2014)
   
9. The Dark Knight (2008)
10. Adaptation. (2002)
11. A Separation (2011)
    
12. About Time (2013)
13. Dunkirk (2017)
14. Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
    
15. City of God (2003)
16. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
17. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
    
18. Lady Bird (2017)
    
19. The Big Short (2015)
20. Gone Baby Gone (2007)
21. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
22. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
23. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
24. Dogville (2003)
25. Ex Machina (2015)

Have yet to see these highly rated 00s films: Oldboy, ....Lily Chou-Chou, Winter Sleep, Yi Yi, Best of Youth, ... Anatolia, Phantom Thread, A Prophet, Amour, Talk To Her, MI Fallout, Blue Is The Warmest Colour, The Past, In The Bedroom, Gladiator, Million Dollar Baby, A History of Violence, Sideways, True Grit

 

[Babe Ruth]

Since 23 seems a bit random, here's my list of the 25 best films of the 2000s so far:

1. Her (2013)
2. Boyhood (2014)
3. Memento (2001)
4. City of God (2003)
5. The Lives of Others (2006)
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
7. A Separation (2011)
8. There Will Be Blood (2007)
9. Mulholland Drive (2001)
10. Force Majeure (2014)
11. Amelie (2001)
12. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
13. Hero (2002)
14. The Departed (2006)
15. Gone Girl (2014)
16. Birdman (2014)
17. Before Sunset (2004)
18. WALL-E (2008)
19. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
20. The Dark Knight (2008)
21. Lady Bird (2017)
22. Victoria (2015)
23. La La Land (2016)
24. Inception (2010)
25. Looper (2012)

A few honourable mentions: Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The Pianist (2002), No Country for Old Men (2007), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

I liked Mulholland Dr a lot. Around the time it was in theaters, I checked it out from a branch of the LA public library. I hadn't heard anything about it's plot, but a friend who had screened it recommended it. It was basically in an unmarked DVD case. It just had a small white slip: Mullholland Drive. Submitted for Oscar consideration. It was great. I assume it was donated by the studio who made it (?)

Two other 21st Century flicks I liked:
Troy (Brad Pitt)
Risen

 

[Trap Jesus]

1. Under the Skin
2. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
3. City of God
4. Children of Men
5. Mulholland Drive
6. Mad Max: Fury Road
7. The Witch
8. In Bruges
9. There will be Blood
10. The Raid 2

I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton, those are just the first ones to spring to mind.

 

[montreal]

not in any order, my favorites

The lord of the rings trilogy
Harry Potter series
The Hobbit series

Seabiscuit
Talk to Her (Spanish)
The Constant Gardner
The Fountain
Serenity
Castaway
The Da Vinci Code
Punch Drunk Love
City of God
The Departed
Gangs of New York
Catch Me if you Can
Almost Famous
Blow
From Hell
Into the Wild
Master and Commander
Cinderella Man
Gladiator
Dancer in the Dark
Walk the Line
O Brother Where art Thou?
August Rush
Before Night Falls
Flags of our Fathers
Erin Brockovich
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Garden State
Yes Man
Black Hawk Down
Wonder Boys
Super Troopers
Old School
Shaun of the Dead
Holes
Miracle
National Treasure
Invincible
Sweet Home Alabama

 

[Shareefruck]

1. In The Mood For Love
2. No Country For Old Men
3. Loveless
4. Ponyo
5. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
6. Spirited Away
7. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
8. Mulholland Drive
9. Triplets of Belleville
10. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
11. Force Majeure
12. The Assassin
13. Upstream Color
14. Amour
15. Love Exposure
16. Tropical Malady
17. Kung Fu Hustle
18. This is Not a Film
19. Tale of Princess Kaguya
20. Shaolin Soccer
21. Leviathan
22. A Separation
23. Let the Right One In
24. Oldboy
25. Mother

 

[Dont Toews Me Bro]

Not in any order:

Boyhood
Dunkirk
Mullholland Dr
Social Network
The Departed

 

[frisco]

Not in order:

Lost In Translation
Moneyball
Mulholland Drive
The Social Network
American Hustle
Wolf Of Wall Street
American Psycho
Boiler Room
High Fidelity
Requiem For A Dream
Shame
Munich
Zodiac
Chicago
Tree Of Life
American Beauty
Walk The Line
Traffic
Sound City
Boiler Room
Vicky Christina Barcelona
Sideways
United 93
Shame
Vanilla Sky

My Best-Carey

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I need to think harder about a more thorough list but off the top of my head Zodiac, Under the Skin, Mad Max: Fury Road, Boyhood and There Will Be Blood all would be way up there for me.

 

[Desdichado93]

No specific order:

Lord of the rings trilogy
Some of the Harry Potter movies
Wall-E
Good Vibrations
Dunkirk
Bale - Batman movies.

 

[YNWA14]

Dayum, trying to make even a top 10 of the 2000s would be tough. Top 25? I don't even know, but off the top of my head these movies would be on it, in no particular order:

V for Vendetta
Boyhood
Inception
Ex Machina
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Gangs of New York
Memento
Interstellar
Gladiator
The Illusionist (maybe one of the few that preferred this one to The Prestige)
Requiem for a Dream (even though I think it's a bit overrated)
Snatch (guilty pleasure)

I can't remember if I really liked Apocalypto or if I just thought it was cool. It's been a while. If nothing else it's one of the best visual movies I can remember along with Alpha.

I also enjoy most animated films. Inside Out, Up and Ballerina in particular I thought were really good.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

very disappointing lack of "Drive" so far...

American Psycho, Snatch and Donnie Darko as well

in no order:

The Departed
No Country for Old Men
Drive
Hateful 8
Dark Knight
The Incredibles
Memento
American Psycho
Donnie Darko
Boiler Room
Mystic River
Hero
Training Day
Snatch
Unbreakable
40 Year Old Virgin
AI
The Wrestler
Superbad
Minority Report
Devils Rejects
Cabin in the Woods
Love the Beast
Cars
Captain America: Winter Soldier

 

[Rebels57]

In no particular order, here are 25 of my favorite movies of the 2000s.

• American Psycho
• Drive
• The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• The Dark Knight
• Creed
• Silver Linings Playbook
• The Avengers
• Gladiator
• Call Me By Your Name
• Shaun of the Dead
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Juno
• Whiplash
• Kingsman: The Secret Service
• Inception
• Birdman
• Walk the Line
• 12 Years A Slave
• The Place Beyond the Pines
• Snatch
• 50/50
• The Departed
• The Secret in Their Eyes (original)
• Memento
• 25th Hour

 

[Fantomas]

In the Mood for Love
Before Sunset
Take Care of My Cat
Spirited Away
Mysteries of Lisbon
The Best of Youth
Yi Yi
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit
Kung Fu Hustle
The Man Without a Past
Machuca

I need to see Holy Motors.

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

No Order:

Blue Is the Warmest Colour
Amour
In the Mood For Love
In Bruges
No Country For old Men
Oldboy
City of God
Pans Labyrinth
Love Exposure
Mother
Let the Right One In
Amelie
Before Sunrise/After Sunset/Before Midnight
The Hunt
Sicario
Shaun of the Dead
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Sympathy for Mr Vengeance
Snatch
The Passion of the Christ
Downfall
The Wailing
Hero
What We Do in the Shadows
Cabin in the Woods

 

[montreal]

from the lists it doesn't look like the 2000s were a very strong era. Not too many really great movies there.

 

[RobBrown4PM]

Knowing far more about the Roman Empire now than I did when Gladiator came out, watching the movie now just straight up pisses me off.

It's a decent movie, but really really really bad historical fan fiction.

 

[kihei]

1. from the lists it doesn't look like the 2000s were a very strong era. Not too many really great movies there.

   Depends if you are talking Hollywood movies or international movies. It has been an absolutely great century for international cinema so far with terrific films coming from all over the place, not just from the usual suspects such as France, Italy and Hong Kong.

 

[Fantomas]

It's a good era for Asian cinema and that's about it. Many traditionally great international cinemas (e.g. Russian) have been overtaken by Hollywoodization.

 

[Savi]

very disappointing lack of "Drive" so far...

Lack of N.W. Refn in general sadly

My list;

1) The Best of Youth (M.T. Giordana, 2003, Italy)
2) 3-Iron (Ki-duk Kim, 2004, Korea)
3) Lilja 4-ever (Lukas Moodysson, 2002, Sweden)
4) About Elly (Asghar Farhadi, 2009, Iran)
5) Irreversible (Gaspar Noe, 2002, France)
6) Castaway on the Moon (Hae-Jun Lee, 2009, Korea)
7) Last Life in the Universe (Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, 2003, Thailand)
8) Drive (N.W. Refn, 2011, US)
9) No Country For Old Men (Coen Brothers, 2007, US)
10) Amelie (J.P. Jeunet, 2001, France)
11) Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001, Japan)
12) Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003, US)
13) Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe, 2000, US)
14) Into The Wild (Sean Penn, 2007, US)
15) Boyhood (Richard Linklater, 2014, US)
16) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004, US)
17) Enemy (Denis Villeneuve, 2013, Canada)
18) Cafe de Flore (J-M Vallee, 2011, Canada)
19) Confessions (Tetsuya Nakashima, 2010, Japan)
20) Blue is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013, France)
21) Isabella (Ho-Cheung Pang, 2006, Hong Kong)
22) 5 Centimeters Per Second (Makoto Shinkai, 2007, Japan)
23) Only God Forgives (N.W. Refn, 2013, Denmark)
24) I Origins (Mike Cahill, 2014, US)
25) A Separation (Asghar Farhadi, 2011, Iran)

Some (relatively) uknown HM's: Suzhou River (China), Violet (Belgium), The Consequences of Love (Italy), Starry Starry Night (Taiwan), Reconstruction (Denmark), Love Me If You Dare (France), Stockholm (Spain), Without A Name (Mexico), Victoria (Germany), Viktoria (Bulgaria), Somersault (Australia), Frozen Days (Israel), Postcards From The Zoo (Indonesia), Our Beloved Month of August (Portugal), Elena (Brasil), Frozen Land (Finland), Mustang (Turkey) etc etc

Kihei's comment of "terrific films coming from all over the place" couldn't be more true IMO.