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The 2000s, in some ways, culturally feel neither here nor there: They don’t have the neon vibe we associate with the 1980s, and lack the grunge appeal of the ‘90s. There’s plenty to appreciate, however, in movies over the decade that was bookended by blockbusters: Lord of the Rings in the early years, and Iron Man, Dark Knight, and Avatar at the end. None of those feel particularly cookie-cutter in the way that their successors would often be, and, in the middle years, there were many successful movies of the kind they don’t really make anymore: mid-budget movies with personal, rather than galactic, stakes, that still managed to do brisk business at the box office. It was a decade on the cusp of our mega-blockbuster era, and that tension between the indie-loving ‘90s and the present kept things interesting.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Coen Brothers' magnum opus won four Oscars, including one for Best Picture and for Javier Bardem's performance as merciless killer Anton Chigurh. The noir western finds Josh Brolin's Llewelyn Moss stumbling upon, and making off with, the cash left behind when a drug deal goes wrong. He's pursued by not only Chigurh, but Tommy Lee Jones' Sheriff Bell. You can stream No Country for Old Men on Peacock and MGM+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Ghost World (2001)
Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) face high school graduation, and a crush on Steve Buscemi, in Terry Zwigoff’s indie dark comedy. You can stream Ghost World on Tubi, Kanopy, and Prime Video.
Dreamgirls (2006)
The cast here is incredible: Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, and Beyoncé, just for starters. Even more incredible are the absolutely electric musical numbers, including, and especially, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.” You can stream Dreamgirls on Kanopy and Peacock or rent it from Prime Video.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Meryl Street is one of cinema's all-time great villains as boss from hell Miranda Priestly, facing down (and tearing down) Anne Hathaway's put-upon personal assistant, Andy Sachs. You can rent The Devil Wears Prada from Prime Video.
Almost Famous (2000)
Cameron Crowe’s ‘70s-era comedy/drama about a young music journalist going on the road with a major band is a funny, touching crowd pleaser that’s not afraid to veer off in some unexpected and idiosyncratic directions. Hold me closer, tiny dancer. You can stream Almost Famous on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video.
The Incredibles (2004)
This Pixar triumph hit before the superhero movie wave really crested, and is all the better for it. If only they were all this good. You can stream The Incredibles on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ang Lee’s cowboy drama has a big heart and a minimal understanding of the mechanics of gay male sex, while also deserving far better than its fate as an Oscar also-ran to the inferior Crash. You can rent Brokeback Mountain from Prime Video.
Love & Basketball (2000)
Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps play next-door neighbors who, over the course of several years, struggle with their growing attraction to each other, even while their basketball ambitions pull them apart. Off-the-charts chemistry here. You can rent Love & Basketball from Prime Video.
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Wong Kar-wai's lush, extravagant story of sex and yearning finds Chow (Tony Leung) and Su (Maggie Cheung) developing feelings for each other after their spouses have affairs. The '60s-set movie is much more than just style, but that style is impeccable. You can stream In the Mood for Love on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
Only the real ones knew what to do with Jennifer’s Body in 2009, and the film took a long time to become the cult classic it was probably always destined to be. Here, popular teenager Jennifer (Megan Fox) is turned into a succubus by abusive men, gleefully killing boys around school to the general horror of her friend, Needy (Amanda Seyfried). You can rent Jennifer's Body from Prime Video.
Mean Girls (2004)
Given the movie’s impressive longevity, it’s tempting to call Mean Girls a cult classic—except that it made boatloads of money back in the day, as well. When Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) gets accepted into the cool clique at her public school, she quickly realizes that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. You can stream Mean Girls on Kanopy and Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Barbershop (2002)
Everything from sex, to relationships, to O.J. and civil rights is on the agenda in this comedy/drama, and the cast of lively and entertaining characters make it a fun place to spend time. You can rent Barbershop from Prime Video.
American Splendor (2003)
Starring greats Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis as underground comic creators Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner, Splendor is a stylish portrait of a couple of everyday people who also happen to be great American artists. You can stream American Splendor on Max or rent it from Prime Video.
The Departed (2006)
Martin Scorsese’s remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs finds Leonardo DiCaprio going undercover in a crime organization, while Matt Damon infiltrates the police. It’s all very twisty-turny, and provides a last, great performance from Jack Nicholson (barring a surprise un-retirement). You can rent The Departed from Prime Video.
Infernal Affairs (2002)
Or you could watch the Hong Kong original from directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak—a smart, emotional crime thriller in its own right. You can stream Infernal Affairs on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video.
Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig’s first Bond outing is one of the series’ very best, introducing a leaner, meaner 007 in the first formal adaptation of the very first Ian Fleming book. You can rent Casino Royale from Prime Video.
Secretary (2002)
There’s genuine heat here between Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader—but also a sense of humor that makes the passionate intensity of their relationship that much more titilating. You can rent Secretary from Prime Video.
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Proving there’s still a place for traditional animation at Disney, the gorgeously animated film set in New Orleans of the 1920s introduced Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) to the pantheon of Disney princesses. You can stream The Princess and the Frog on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Y Tu Mamá También (2001)
Two teenage boys set out on an impromptu road trip with the slightly older (and married) woman on whom they both have a crush. Alfonso Cuarón’s film is a sweet, funny, and sad coming-of-age movie. You can stream Y Tu Mamá También on Hulu and Netflix or rent it from Prime Video.
Brown Sugar (2002)
Brown Sugar finds Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan as friends, and sometimes rivals, in the music industry who very gradually come to recognize their mutual attraction. You can stream Brown Sugar on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
There are a couple of love stories in the margins of Ang Lee's martial arts masterpiece (and international blockbuster), but the most poignant is in the central story of retiring swordsman Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-fat) and his confidante and associate, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh). Despite a mutual attraction, honor and loyalty keep the two apart until a lovely, tear-soaked final act. You can stream Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on Max or rent it from Prime Video.
Rec (2007)
This Spanish import is top-tier found footage, involving a group of firefighters on an emergency call who wind up trapped inside a building at the center of a creeping zombie infection. That limited, specific geography is key to the movie's brisk, efficient, and nerve-jangling effectiveness. You can stream Rec on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video.
Shrek (2001)
The filmmakers behind Shrek turned the Disney formula on its ear by blending some slightly crass but very funny humor with a genuinely heartfelt story about self-acceptance. In the process, they won the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and the movie picked up an Adapted Screenplay nomination—the first ever for an animated film. Not bad for a gassy ogre. Plus: The movie opens with a montage set to Smash Mouth, and it doesn't get more 2000s than that. You can stream Shrek on Peacock or rent it from Prime Video.
How High (2001)
Pals Method Man and Redman get some help from their dead friend after smoking his ashes, acing their college entrance exams and winding up at Harvard. A goofy stoner classic. You can stream How High on Tubi and Peacock or rent it from Prime Video.
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
In plenty of other stoner-type comedies, Indian- and Korean-Americans are most likely to show up as secondary characters and broad stereotypes—here they’re in the lead. It doesn’t hurt that the movie is pretty damn funny. You can stream Harold & Kumar on Peacock or rent it from Prime Video.
Session 9 (2001)
A bona fide horror cult classic, Session 9 stars David Caruso as part of an asbestos abatement crew working at abandoned mental asylum. The location is appropriately creepy, but the movie is ultimately a psychological mind-bender, with the experiences of the work crew beginning to parallel those of former patients. You can rent Session 9 from Prime Video.
Eating Out (2004)
The kick-off to a series, this one’s a convoluted, Three’s Company-esque series of mix-ups involving gay guys pretending to be straight and straight guys pretending to be gay, with the right amount of dorky charm and nudity that this kind of movie needs to succeed. You can stream Eating Out on Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video.
Up (2009)
Ed Asher plays cantankerous widower Carl Fredricksen, who finds an unlikely ally in a 13-year-old wilderness explorer in his plan to relocate his entire house to Paradise Falls in South America to honor his late wife. You can stream Up on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Like the best heist movies, this one works at least as well when things are going wrong for our crew as when they're going right. The all-star cast adds panache. You can rent Ocean's Eleven from Prime Video.
Oldboy (2003)
Park Chan-wook's revenge classic is not for the faint of heart on any level—it's a disturbing action spectacle leading to an all-time shocker of a last-act reveal. You can stream Oldboy on Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
Nia Vardalos and company kicked off an unlikely franchise with this beloved rom-com about a young Greek-American woman (Nia Vardalos) who falls in love with a non-Greek man (John Corbett). Shenanigans ensue when she struggles to get her family (including Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, and Joey Fatone) to accept her husband-to-be. You can stream My Big Fat Greek Wedding on Max.
Spy Kids (2001)
A smart, family-friendly action classic in which a couple of kids learn the spy ropes when they're forced to save their parents—themselves former spies. The best of a franchise that's still going. You can stream Spy Kids on Max or rent it from Prime Video.
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Sofia Coppolla's candy-colored historical drama is positively loaded with willful anachronisms—all of which serve to erase the distance between us and the story of France's clever, tragic queen (Kirsten Dunst). You can stream Marie Antoinette on Pluto TV or rent it from Prime Video.
Cloverfield (2008)
Yeah, it's a monster movie—but in Cloverfield, we got something unique. There are plenty of low-budget, scrappy found footage-style movies; this is a big budget spectacular, and a very effective one at that. You can stream Cloverfield on Tubi and Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video.
Unbreakable (2000)
M. Night Shyamalan's take on superheroes was seen as a slightly disappointing follow-up to the director's breakthrough with The Sixth Sense. Time, though, has been kind to the distinct and deliberately paced story of a man (Bruce Willis) who discovers that he's nearly indestructible following a train crash. Samuel L. Jackson is fabulous as his extremely brittle counterpart. You can stream Unbreakable on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.
Juno (2007)
Diablo Cody won an Academy Award for her screenwriting debut in this sweet, quirky story about an independent-minded teenager dealing with an unplanned pregnancy and the various ways in which it complicates her life. Elliot Page stars, with Michael Cera, Allison Janney, and J. K. Simmons are among the pretty flawless cast. You can stream Juno on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.
The Descent (2006)
Getting lost in those caves is scary enough, even before we discover that we're not alone down there. The ultimate in spelunking horror. You can stream The Descent on Tubi or Prime Video with ads.
Gladiator (2000)
Ridley Scott's sword-and-sandals revival didn't spark a new flourishing of the genre, but it did make a ton of money and win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. And inspire a two-decades-later sequel. You can stream Gladiator on Paramount+, MGM+, and Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video.
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
The Clint Eastwood-directed boxing picture felt like a throwback, even in 2004, but a good old-fashioned boxing drama is always welcome, especially as they've become more rare. The movie won four Academy Awards, including for lead Hilary Swank. You can rent Million Dollar Baby from Prime Video.
Beauty Shop (2005)
This Barbershop spin-off follows widowed hairstylist Gina Norris starting over in Atlanta with her daughter, and opening her own shop when a job doesn't pan out. Queen Latifah is as delightful as ever, and is joined by a great cast including Alfre Woodard, Della Reese, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon, and Djimon Hounsou. You can stream Beauty Shop on Tubi, Pluto TV, and Prime Video with ads.
Ray (2004)
Jamie Foxx gives a memorable performance (and won an Oscar) in this biopic covering three-or-so decades in the life of legendary musician Ray Charles. You can stream Ray on Starz or rent it from Prime Video.
Donnie Darko (2001)
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this memorable emo mind-bender about a troubled teenager who dodges disaster thanks to a bit of sleepwalking. An instant cult classic, it's the movie all the cool kids were talking about back in the day. You can stream Donnie Darko on Tubi, Kanopy, The Criterion Channel, Hulu, and Prime Video.
Training Day (2001)
Director Antoine Fuqua and company crafted a tense, brutal crime drama that won Denzel Washington his single Best Actor Oscar. Is it his best performance? Probably not, but he's memorably over-the-top as thoroughly corrupt cop Alonzo Harris. You can rent Training Day from Prime Video.
Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
The sweetest, most charming movie about the romance between a man and his life-like love doll that you're likely to encounter. You can stream Lars and the Real Girl on Tubi, Kanopy, and Prime Video.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
This love/hate letter to Hollywood has come to be (justly) regarded as one of director David Lynch’s best, and most oddly crowd-pleasing, works: an L.A. noir about murder and obsession and a blue box that’s very significant of, well, something or other. You can rent Mulholland Drive from Apple TV+.
Lost in Translation (2003)
A declining American movie star in the midst of a midlife crisis and a young grad student facing a similarly uncertain future meet while staying at an upscale hotel in Tokyo. The movie that cemented director Sofia Coppola’s spot in the filmmaker pantheon. You can stream Lost in Translation on Prime Video.
Drumline (2002)
A classic comedy-drama set in the high-stakes world of college marching bands, starring Nick Cannon as a guy with more talent than social skills. You can stream Drumline on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
A movie musical about a gender-queer punk rocker with a title referring to the results of a botched gender affirmation procedure, the movie has a huge heart and a score that genuinely rocks. You can rent Hedwig and the Angry Inch from Prime Video.
The Great Debaters (2007)
Set in 1930 and directed by, and starring, Denzel Washington, this genuinely engaging drama brings inspirational-sports-movie tropes to the more unlikely theme of college debate societies. You can stream The Great Debaters on Tubi or rent it from Prime Video.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
It’s not necessarily Spielberg’s best-loved film, but this sweet and poignant story of a robot boy (Haley Joel Osment) searching for a family at the end of the world is as heartbreaking as it is humane. You can stream A.I. on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Whale Rider (2002)
Pai is a 12-year-old Māori girl and the direct descendant of their tribe’s traditional notable ancestor, the Whale Rider—except that, traditionally, women can’t lead. Star Keisha Castle-Hughes became the youngest nominee for a Best Actress Oscar for her open, genuine performance. You can stream Whale Rider on Tubi, Kanopy, and Shout Factory TV or rent it from Prime Video.
Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Josie gained an audience over time because of its goofy charm, but also because it came to feel increasingly more relevant in its satirizing of the crass commercialization of mass entertainment. You can rent Josie and the Pussycats from Prime Video.
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), each looking to have sex before graduation, but with a surprising amount of heart. You can stream Superbad on Hulu or rent it from Prime Video.
Star Trek (2009)
J.J. Abrams’ reboot brought a blockbuster budget to Trek, giving the then-sleeping franchise the kick in the pants it needed to fly into the 21st century. You can stream Star Trek on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video.
Children of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón’s dystopian thriller is a truly great high-concept science fiction film, and offers up as depressingly prescient a vision of the near future as we’ve seen. Still: It’s beautiful, exciting, and often moving. You can stream Children of Men on Starz or rent it from Prime Video.
Bring It On (2000)
An endlessly repeatable teen comedy, Bring It On is also a secret sports movie and a stealth musical (if you consider elaborate dance sequences set to music in the same light as characters bursting into song), two genres with comforting formulas that stand up to repeated viewings. As much fun as it is to witness the literal gymnastics on display, it's also a kick to watch young Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union snipe at one another. You can rent Bring It On from Prime Video.
District 9 (2009)
With parallels to South African apartheid, writer/director Neill Blomkamp crafted the kind of smart, pointed sci-fi film that studios think audiences don’t care for—except that District 9 was a blockbuster, earning many times its budget at the box office. You can rent District 9 from Prime Video.
Spirited Away (2001)
After her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba, 10-year-old Chihiro takes a job working in her bathhouse with the hope of finding a way to free them. This might be my favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie, but I say that a lot. You can stream Spirited Away on Max or rent it from Prime Video.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
Tyler Perry (who wrote and starred in this one, but didn’t direct) introduced the street-smart Madea, brought over from his stage plays featuring the character. The box office hit kicked off a franchise that’s still going strong. You can stream Diary of a Mad Black Woman on Starz or rent it from Prime Video.
Avatar (2009)
People like to neg James Cameron’s film (right before buying tickets), but he’s the only director operating at this budget point who can make exactly the movie he wants. There’s something remarkable about that, whether you love the finished product or not. You can stream Avatar on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video.
