From Kill Bill to Zodiac, these are the best movies you should watch from the 2000s (2024)

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Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

This 2002 release from the revered Paul Thomas Anderson painted Adam Sandler in a shade none of us really thought possible. He plays Barry Egan, a role that asked the actor to be serious and introspective instead of offering his usual silly demeanor. And he knocked it out of the park, becoming the focal point of a complex movie that’s beautifully shot and has brilliant moments of dark humor.

Gangs of New York (2002)

This vintage flick has all of the hallmarks of director Martin Scorsese, from violence and betrayal to racism and the American immigrant perspective. With blistering performances from both Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis, the movie has zero dull moments, remarkable set and costume design, and offers a faction-filled look at the American experiment that seems eerily applicable to today.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

One of Wes Anderson’s greatest films hit theaters in 2001. The Royal Tenenbaums boasts an all-star cast including the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Gene Hackman as well as a fantastic soundtrack and Anderson’s impressive attention to detail. Family drama has long been the inspiration for all kinds of artwork but this Alec Baldwin-narrated movie is truly unique in its ability to weave together so many emotions and distinctive characters.

Sideways (2004)

The greatness of this 2004 movie is that it’s a brooding comedy masquerading as a wine-fueled adventure. Sure, there are scenes of tasting room debauchery and the glorification of Pinot Noir, but the Sideways really excels because of its darker, more honest moments that focus ideas like infidelity and death. Paul Giamatti is nothing short of brilliant in the lead role, a perfect blend of cerebral and self-deprecating.

The Hangover (2009)

The Hangover is one of best movies of the 2000s, as the amnesia-fueled mystery surrounding a lost groom and a bachelor party gone wrong offered a fresh comedic concept. The cast, particularly Zach Galifianakis as the unpredictable Alan, delivered laugh-out-loud moments with their impeccable comedic timing and chemistry (with Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms). The film keeps a good pace, juggling the mystery element with outrageous situations and witty dialogue. The Hangover tapped into the “Vegas bachelor party” trope, a concept familiar to many viewers, and took it to an absurd extreme. The humor pushed boundaries with its raunchy jokes, appealing to a specific audience.

No Country for Old Men (2007)

This Coen Brothers classic took home the Best Picture award in 2007. Since then, we’ve never looked at a cattle gun in quite the same way. Commanded by an outstanding Javier Bardem performance, the film is haunting and twisted in a fashion that’s so authentic it feels like the most beautiful, haunting documentary you’ve ever seen.

Bowling for Columbine (2002)

Michael Moore’s most famous documentary deals with school shootings, a topic our country knows all too well. Made in 2002, the movie takes a deep dive into gun culture, offering pointed takes on its history and how it interacts with big business. It’s hard to watch at times but required viewing nonetheless. The movie set a new standard for popular documentaries, paving the way for future great ones like An Inconvenient Truthand the countless dramatic docs that continue to come out of the Netflix moviepipeline.

Adaptation. (2002)

The year 2002 was clearly a great ope for film. This Spike Jonze joint, written by the incomparable Charlie Kaufman, features stunning performances by Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper. The intersection of the many characters is immensely thoughtful and the way it portrays rural Florida is both romantic and near-mystical.

Memento (2000)

This Christopher Nolan classic is an elongated think piece, full of head-scratching wonder. It’s a lesson in discontinuity, with time pretty much thrown out the window from the start. As such, it’s engaging throughout, requiring your close attention as the story unravels its many, many threads.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Kill Bill almost instantly brought samurai culture back to the fore, in a rock star style built around the one and only Uma Thurman. The movie has pizazz, excellent fight scenes, and director Quentin Tarantino’s signature stylishness throughout. The late David Carradine shines here, as does some unrivaled choreography, and a prevailing coolness.

Ray (2004)

This 2004 biopic highlights the remarkable life of Ray Charles, with deft acting by Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington, especially. Covering three decades of the iconic piano man’s life is no small task but the film does it rather effortlessly. It was almost ahead of its time, given the recent trend of musician-based films (Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody, etc.).

Amélie (2001)

One of the most imaginative popular films of the decade, Amélie is a French rom-com that resonates even more today, given the closed-off nature of the pandemic. The eponymous protagonist lives a life of solitude, prescribed early by her parents for health reasons. But she compensates for the loneliness by letting her mind wander into some wondrous, dream-like territory.

Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher is one of the great directors working today, and Zodiacmay go down as his magnum opus. The film tells the story of the Zodiac killings in the 1970s, and the way those killings reverberated out to the many men who became obsessed with uncovering who the killer was. For all of its extended runtime,Zodiacis both unsettling and smart about the way that obsession can drive someone mad. The Zodiac killings were never solved, and that unsatisfying ending is part of what makes the movie so appealing whether you’ve seen it before or not.