Here’s my list of the best movies of the decade 2000-2008:
2000
American Psycho: Terrific mix of black comedy, satire, and slasher flick with a stand-out performance from Christian Bale.
Requiem for a Dream: Easily one of the most depressing movies I’ve ever seen, I’ve still only seen it once.
Almost Famous: Cameron Crowe’s affable, warm, and memorable look at a rock band and the kid who idolized them.
Best in Show: Hilarious Chris Guest mockumentary about dog shows.
Memento: Chris Nolan’s cool, convoluted film noir with excellent twists and turns along the way.
2001
Donnie Darko: Cult phenomenon with stand-out acting, storytelling, and some truly startling scenes involving rabbit named Frank.
Amelie: Delightful romantic comedy with touches of absurdist fantasy. Pure magic.
Bully: Punishingly real and revolting tale based on a true story from Larry Clark. Harrowing and unforgettable.
Royal Tennenbaums: Wes Anderson’s accomplished comedy/drama with stand out performances and some great dialogue.
Spirited Away: Hayao Miyazaki’s amazing masterpiece blows away most movies, animated or live-action.
2002
Rules of Attraction: Slick and sickly funny dark comedy with lots of sex and drugs is the best adaption of a Bret Easton Ellis novel.
Equilibrium: Christian Bale and writer/director Kurt Wimmer meld Matrix style action and an awesome take on 1984 for a tour de force.
Infernal Affairs: Slick, fast-paced, economical and gleaming with cool. It’s everything The Departed is not.
Bowling For Columbine: Arguably Michael Moore’s best documentary, certainly never less than compelling.
City of God: Violent, stylish, amazing movie about the slums of Rio De Janeiro minutes from gorgeous beaches.
2003
LOTR: Return of The King: The final chapter of the epic saga is touching, exhilarating and about 5 endings too long. It’s still great.
Dirty Pretty Things: Very good thriller about the exploitation of illegal aliens combines thrills and social commentary.
Oldboy: Amazing revenge tale from Korea with an unforgettable twist ending and a creepy bad guy with a thing for fetish gas masks.
2004
Spider-man 2: The best of the Spidey movies with improved effects, pacing, and a memorable turn from Alfred Molina as Doc Ock.
Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind: Endlessly inventive movie and the best thing Jim Carrey’s ever been in.
Dead Man Shoes: Riveting revenge tale from the UK courtesy of writer/director Shane Meadows
Napoleon Dynamite: Weird, quirky, and hilarious indie smash with catchphrases galore. I caught you a delcious bass !
2005
Mysterious Skin: A searing look at the effects of child molestation from the point of view of the victims is writer/director/Indie God Gregg Araki’s finest hour.
Batman Begins: As Roger Ebert said, its the first movie to get Batman exactly right. Roger is dead-on.
Brick: Cool and stylish film noir with a good cast led by the talented Joseph Gordon Leavitt
The New World: Beautiful look at Pocahontas and John Smith from the legendary director Terrence Malick.
Howl’s Moving Castle: Another masterful, marvelous anime from Hayao Miyazaki.
2006
Borat: The funniest movie of 2006……..very nice !
Casino Royale: Bond comes back for blood in this stylish and exciting update on the near-comatose Bond franchise.
V For Vendetta: A terrific update on the Alan Moore graphic novel well worth checking out.
The Descent: A cave-diving adventure goes horribly wrong in Neil Marshal’s excellent horror flick.
This Is England: Writer/director Shane Meadows riveting look at a skinhead gang and their recruitment of a kid he knows all too well.
2007
Stardust: The best fantasy movie of the decade.
Day Watch: Russian action/horror/fantasy film that teems with original storytelling and fast-paced action.
Bourne Ultimatium: The best of the Bourne flicks is one of the best action movies of the decade.
Into the Wild: Beautifully made by Sean Penn with a compelling performance from Emile Hirsch. Overlong, but memorable
The Simpsons Movie: Hilarious feature-length version of the beloved animated television series.
2008
The Dark Knight: Arguably the best comic book movie of the decade, if not of all time. It took comic book movies to a new realm.
The Fall: A visually stunning fantasy from the extremely talented director Tarsem. The story can’t quite match his visuals.
Sex Drive: The funniest movie of 2008 and one of the rare hilarious teen sex comedies.
I decided to hold off on 2009 till the year is complete and all the oscar contenders are released.
What are your favorite movies of the past decade ?
Circus80
Nov 14, 2009 -
That’s a good list of movies. I’d make my own list, but most of you might hate it. Don’t forget, I’m The Bad Movie Guy. 🙂
Pjdawgworg
Dec 7, 2009 -
shut up nobody likes you. no one even asked you about what movies you like. so just never speak again.
Itsy
Dec 28, 2009 -
Stardust was definitely one of my favorites of the decade. Oh, and most recently…Avatar.