The 2000s, in some ways, felt culturally neither here nor there: they didn't have the intense neon vibe we associate with the 1980s, and they lacked the grunge appeal of the '90s. Yet there's a lot to like about the decade's blockbuster-ending films: The Lord of the Rings in its early years, Iron Man , The Dark Knight and Avatar in its final years. None of these films seem particularly cookie-cutter like their successors, and in middle age there are a lot of successful films they don't really make anymore: mid-budget films with a personal touch, not Galaxy, Betting Still doing well at the box office. It was the decade on the cusp of our mega-blockbuster era, and the tension between the indie-loving '90s and the present keeps things interesting.
What is your favorite?
Ghost World (2001)
In Terry Zwigoff's indie black comedy, Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) are about to graduate high school and develop a crush on Steve Buscemi .
Where to stream: Prime Video, Tubi, MGM+, Roku Channel
Dreamgirls (2006)
The cast here is incredible: Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, and that's just for starters. Even more incredible are the decidedly electronic tracks, including, and especially "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going."
Where to stream: Paramount+
Almost Famous (2000)
Cameron Crowe's '70s comedy/drama about a young music journalist touring with a big band is a funny, heartwarming crowd-pleaser that's not afraid Go in some unexpected and unique directions. Hold me tight, little dancer.
Where to stream: Paramount+
The Incredibles (2004)
This Pixar film succeeded before the superhero movie wave had really hit its peak, and it's all the better for it. If only they were this good.
Where to stream: Disney+
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ang Lee's cowboy drama has a big heart but little understanding of the mechanics of gay sex, and is far better off than its fate as an Oscar loser and inferior "Crash."
Live broadcast location: Starz
Love and Basketball (2000)
Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps star as next-door neighbors who have struggled with their growing attraction to each other for years, even as their basketball ambitions drove them apart. There is extraordinary chemistry here.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Jennifer's Body (2009)
In 2009, when only real people knew what to do with Jennifer's body , the movie took so long to become a cult classic that it was probably destined to become. Here, popular teen Jennifer (Megan Fox) is turned into a succubus by her tormentor, gleefully murdering boys around school, much to the dismay of her friend Needy (Amanda Seyfried) There is a general feeling of fear.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Mean Girls (2004)
Considering the film's impressive longevity, it would be easy to call "Mean Girls" a cult classic — except that it also made a lot of money at the time. When Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) is accepted into the cool crowd at public school, she quickly realizes things aren't all they're cracked up to be.
Where to stream: Paramount+, MGM+
Barbershop (2002)
From sex to relationships to orange juice and civil rights, everything is on the agenda of this comedy/drama, and the lively and entertaining characters make it a fun place to spend time.
Where to stream: Max
American Splendor (2003)
Starring Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis as underground comic creators Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner, respectively, "GLOW" stylishly depicts a Stylish portraits of ordinary people who also happened to be great American artists.
Where to stream: Max
The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese's remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs stars Leonardo DiCaprio as undercover in a criminal organization and Matt Damon infiltrating a police department. It's all very twisty and offers one of Jack Nicholson's last great performances (aside from a surprising non-retirement).
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Alternatively, you could check out directors Lau Wai-keung and Mak Yau-lun's Hong Kong original - a crime thriller that's smart and emotional in its own right.
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig's first Bond outing was one of the best in the series, introducing a new twist in the first official adaptation of Ian Fleming's first book A leaner, meaner 007.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Secretary (2002)
There's a real passion between Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader, but there's also a sense of humor that makes their relationship passionate and all the more exciting.
Where to stream: Tubi, Freevee, Plex
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
This gorgeously animated film set in 1920s New Orleans introduced Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) to the pantheon of Disney princesses, proving that traditional animation still has a place at Disney.
Where to stream: Disney+
You are Mama Tambien (2001)
Two teenage boys go on an impromptu road trip with an older (married) woman they both have a crush on. Alfonso Cuaron's film is a sweet, funny and sad coming-of-age film.
Where to stream: IFC Unlimited via Apple TV
Brown Sugar (2002)
Brown Sugar discovered that Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan were friends and sometimes competitors in the music industry, and they gradually recognized their attraction to each other.
Live broadcast location: Starz
Record (2007)
This video from Spain is top-notch found footage and involves a group of firefighters responding to an emergency call who end up trapped inside a building at the center of a zombie infection. The limited, specific geography is key to the film's brisk, efficient and nerve-wracking effect.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Shrek (2001)
The filmmakers of "Shrek" revolutionized the Disney formula by blending some slightly raunchy but hilarious humor with a heartfelt story about self-acceptance. In the process, they won the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and the film was nominated for Adapted Screenplay—a first in animated film history. Not bad for a panting ogre. Also: The movie opens with a montage of Smash Mouth, and there's nothing like it for over 2,000 seconds.
Where to stream: Netflix
Legally Blonde (2001)
Reese Witherspoon's law student Elle Woods was so charming and funny that a series was born that continues to exist more than two decades later. What's interesting here is that Elle just seems like a typical stupid sorority girl...all she lacks is the confidence to show everyone how smart she is. After you've seen the sequels, reboots, TV movies, musicals, and live-action shows, come back here to watch the still-amazing original.
Where to stream: Max
How High (2001)
Friends Methodman and Redman got some help from ingesting the ashes of their deceased friends, aced their college entrance exams and ended up at Harvard. Silly stoner classic.
Where to play: Prime Video
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
In many other pothead-genre comedies, Indians and Korean-Americans are most likely to appear in minor roles and broad stereotypes—here they take the lead. It doesn't hurt that the movie is very entertaining.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
9th Meeting (2001)
Episode 9 is a true horror cult classic starring David Caruso as a member of an asbestos abatement team working in an abandoned mental hospital. The location is pretty creepy, but the film is ultimately a psychological twist, and the experiences of the staff begin to resemble those of former patients.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Buba Hotep (2002)
Bruce Campbell plays an aging Elvis Presley in a nursing home alongside Ossie Davis' John F. Kennedy Presley, which is plagued by ancient Egyptian mummies. For such an offbeat premise, the film can be surprisingly touching.
Live broadcast location: Tubi, MGM+
Eating Out (2004)
The beginning of the series, an intricate, threesome-esque hybrid series involving gay people pretending to be straight and straight people pretending to be gay, with just the right amount of goofy glamor and nudity. The movie needs to be successful.
Where to watch: Tubi, Here TV
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Sofia Coppola’s candy-colored historical drama is filled with intentional anachronisms — all designed to remove the distance between us and the story of France’s brilliant yet tragic Queen (Kirsten Dunst). distance.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Cloverfield (2008)
Yes, it's a monster movie - but, in Cloverfield , we have something unique. There were a lot of low-budget, scrappy celluloid-style films; it was a big budget, and it was very effective.
Where to stream: Max
Unbreakable (2000)
M. Night Shyamalan's interpretation of the superhero was considered a breakthrough after "The Sixth Sense" , but it was slightly disappointing. However, time has been kind to the unique and deliberate story of a man (Bruce Willis) who finds himself nearly indestructible after a train crash. Samuel L. Jackson does an excellent job playing his extremely vulnerable antagonist.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Juno (2007)
Diablo Cody won an Academy Award for her screenwriting debut, a sweet and quirky story about a fiercely independent-minded teen dealing with an unexpected pregnancy and the various ways it complicates her life. s story. Starring Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Allison Janney and JK Simmons are all perfectly cast .
Where to play: Hulu
Arrival (2006)
Getting lost in those caves was scary enough, even before we discovered we weren't alone there. The ultimate horror of spelunking.
Where to play: Prime Video
Gladiator (2000)
The revival of Ridley Scott's Swords and Sandals didn't spark a new boom in the genre, but it did make a lot of money and win the Academy Award for Best Picture. and inspired a sequel twenty years later.
Where to stream: Paramount+, Apple TV+, AMC+
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Even in 2004, a Clint Eastwood-directed boxing movie had a retro feel, but a good old-fashioned boxing drama is always welcome, especially as they become increasingly rare in the case of. The film won four Academy Awards, including for its star, Hilary Swank.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Beauty Shop (2005)
The Barber Shop spin-off follows widowed hairstylist Gina Norris as she takes her daughter to start over in Atlanta and open her own barber shop when her job isn't going well. Queen Latifah is as delightful as ever and stars Alfre Woodard, Della Reese, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon and Jay Mann Hounsou and other outstanding actors join the cast.
Where to stream: Max
Pitch Black (2000)
The resulting franchise got weird quickly, but the first Riddick movie was a smart and very effective sci-fi horror story. A prisoner transport lands on a desolate planet filled with creatures that feed after dark. A solar eclipse is coming. Luckily for the survivors, criminal Vin Diesel also works better with the lights out.
Where to watch: Peacock
Ray (2004)
Jamie Foxx delivers an unforgettable performance (and an Oscar) in this biopic about three decades of legendary musician Ray Charles' life.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Donnie Darko (2001)
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this hauntingly emotional film about a troubled teen who escapes disaster by sleepwalking. It was an instant cult classic and the movie all the cool kids were talking about at the time.
Where to stream: Tubi, Shudder, AMC+, Roku Channel
Training Day (2001)
Director Antoine Fuqua and his team crafted a tense, brutal crime drama that earned Denzel Washington a Best Actor Oscar. Is this his best performance? Maybe not, but his performance as thoroughly corrupt cop Alonzo Harris is impressive.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
It's one of the sweetest, most charming movies about a romance between a man and a lifelike love doll you're likely to encounter.
Where to watch: Tubi, MGM+, Roku Channel
Waitress (2007)
Before you watch another performance of this pop adaptation, revisit the source material starring Keri Russell as a small-town diner waitress who is secretly pregnant with a Disgusting husband. A romance with the town doctor, Nathan Fillion, may be the problem.
Where to watch: Hulu, Starz
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
"Napoleon Dynamite" was a mesmerizing cultural artifact that rocked pop music for a year or two, and there wasn't a person in the world who didn't appreciate Jon Heder's unforgettable lines. All that aside, this is a cute, funny, and sometimes surprisingly perceptive take on high school awkwardness.
Where to play: Hulu
Spider-Man (2002)
Luckily, in an era when superhero movies are few and far between, Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man movie feels like a revelation: a fast-paced, delightfully wacky tale of a nerd who becomes a hero . The 2004 sequel was even better.
Where to watch: Disney+, Fubo, FX Now
American Psycho (2000)
Director and co-writer Mary Harron uses exaggerated satire to mock and bury misogyny rather than celebrate it. However, there are still some viewers who think Christian Bale's Patrick Bateman is a cool guy.
Where to watch: Peacock
Super Soldier (2001)
A movie cobbled together with scenes that somehow spawned not only a bunch of jokes, but sequels and subplots that have sprung up over the decades ( Super Troopers 2 , Oktoberfest , Horror Club , Grand Slam Salmon "wait).
Live broadcast location: Starz
Cinderella Man (2005)
Director Ron Howard teams up with Russell Crowe for a crowd-pleasing role in this film inspired by real-life Cinderella James J. Braddock.
Live broadcast location: Starz
Mulholland Drive (2001)
This love-hate letter to Hollywood is (justly) regarded as one of director David Lynch's best and most strangely crowd-pleasing works: an L.A. noir about murder and obsession. , and a very important blue box of, um, something or other.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel
Lost in Translation (2003)
An American movie star in a mid-life crisis and a young graduate student facing an equally uncertain future meet in an upscale Tokyo hotel. The film cemented director Sofia Coppola's place in the pantheon of filmmakers.
Where to stream: Max
Drumline (2002)
A classic comedy set in the high-stakes world of college marching band, starring Nick Cannon as a man with more talent than social skills.
Live broadcast location: Starz
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
A movie musical about a genderqueer punk rocker whose title refers to the results of a botched gender confirmation procedure, the film has a huge heart and a truly powerful soundtrack.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel
The Great Debater (2007)
Set in 1930, this riveting drama directed by and starring Denzel Washington brings inspirational sports movie tropes to the unlikely subject of a college debate club.
Played at: Freevee
AI Artificial Intelligence (2001)
It's not necessarily Spielberg's most popular film, but the film's sweet and poignant story of a robot boy (Haley Joel Osment) searching for a family in an apocalyptic world is both heartwarming and heartwarming. Broken yet full of humanity.
Where to stream: Paramount+, Prime Video
Whale Rider (2002)
Pai is a 12-year-old Maori girl and a direct descendant of the tribe's traditional illustrious ancestor, the Whale Riders, but women are not traditionally allowed to lead. Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes became the youngest nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her open, sincere performance.
Live broadcast location: Starz
Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Over time, "Josie" won audiences for its goofy charm, but also for its growing importance in satirizing the crass commercialization of popular entertainment.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Superbad (2007)
High school is awkward as hell, and Superbad is another classic of the genre: a movie about two nerds (Michael Cera and Jonah Hill) who each want to have sex before graduation , but all with a surprising heart.
Where to watch: Fubo, USA
Star Trek (2009)
J.J. Abrams' reboot brought a massive budget to Star Trek , giving the then-sleepy franchise the boost it needed to fly into the 21st century.
Where to stream: Paramount+
Children of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuaron's dystopian thriller is a truly great high-concept sci-fi film that offers a frustratingly prescient glimpse into the near future as we see it. Still, it's beautiful, exciting, and often moving.
Live broadcast location: Starz
High Voltage (2003)
A horror film that culminates the "new French extreme" genre, this film doesn't feel cliche. It's brutal, tense, and uncompromising—even if it doesn't always make complete sense.
Where to watch: Tubi, Freevee, Roku Channel
District 9 (2009)
Writer-director Neill Blomkamp made a smart, edgy sci-fi movie with parallels to South Africa's apartheid regime, but the studio figured audiences wouldn't care, except for District 9 was a blockbuster film that grossed many times its budget at the box office.
Where to stream: AMC+
Spirited Away (2001)
After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba, 10-year-old Chihiro takes a job at her bathhouse in hopes of finding a way to free them. This is probably my favorite Miyazaki movie, but I say that all the time.
Where to stream: Max
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
Tyler Perry (who wrote and starred in the show, but did not direct it) introduced the street-smart Madea, a character brought from his stage play. The box office hit kicked off the series, which is still going strong to this day.
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Avatar (2009)
People love to write off James Cameron's movies before buying a ticket, but he's the only director who can make the movies he wants at this budget point. Whether you like the finished product or not, this is a pretty cool thing.
Live broadcast location: Max, Disney+
