Best Movies of the 2000s?

Reflections on IndieWire’s ‘The 100 Best Movies of the 2000s’

Ah yes, yet another bold list.

Let’s dig in.

At #99, Battle Royale. A disturbing film that is unforgettable because it is, well, disturbing.

92. The House of Mirth. I’ve been meaning to see this. Great book. The cast for this is a stunning lineup.

87. Shocked and pleased to see Morvern Callar on this list. It’s a unique film and I don’t use the word “unique” lightly.

82. Ocean’s 12. Somewhat unpopular opinion—the Ocean’s films are among my all-time favorites. Not just because they’re heist films but because they’re lighthearted heist films. Great casting. Funny. Good use of the actor’s abilities. All around perfection.

78. Sean of the Dead. Like Ocean’s films, SotD is a movie I’ve seen an absurd number of times. It’s a personal favorite and in my Top 25 of films. Why? Rewatchability. Humor. And, um, sheer brilliance.

75. Wet Hot American Summer. Such a good movie. And the series that followed is also fun. But the film is the real deal and stand alone. It’s whacky and has an amazing cast. Nearly 25 years later it still feels fresh.

74. Rachel Getting Married. Maybe it’s getting older. Probably it’s about getting older… but I’ve really started to appreciate Rom-Coms. They are essentially my favorite genre now. A really fun and delightful flick that I highly recommend. It doesn’t hurt when you have a solid director like Jonathan Demme.

69. David Lynch’s Inland Empire. I’m actually including this to say that I did not much like this film. Maybe I had too high expectations when it came out after Mulholland Drive (also probably overrated… but individual scenes and artful shots make it worth checking out).

This aptly expresses how I feel about my vague recollections of sitting through this:

“The film’s three-hour runtime and non-linear plot have led some to brand “Inland Empire”’ as an indecipherable work of late career weirdness”

68. The Royal Tenenbaums. One of the best Wes Anderson films.

65. Miranda July’s films really messed with me when I was in my 20s. That includes Me and You and Everyone We Know. I found her films deeply depressing. I can handle her writing a bit better. July is very talented and interesting… but the work is hard to palate.

64. Almost Famous. Almost underrated.

62. Grizzly Man. Brutal. I’m not even sure if I recommend watching it at this point.

61. Persepolis. Really good just like the graphic novel it’s based on.

44. Punch-Drunk Love. If I recall correctly, this was our introduction to Adam Sandler playing a serious character. It’s a really interesting, weird, and thought-provoking film. Highly recommend.

36. No Country for Old Men. Since it was released in 2007 and I saw it in theaters, it’s been my belief that No Country and The Matrix are the defining films of my generation. Some find this film hard to watch… I suppose it is rather violent. It’s truly a masterpiece. It very closely follows Cormac McCarthy’s book by the same title. You can always read the book. I’d recommend doing both.

35. Fantastic Mr. Fox. It’s cute. I’m not sure if it should make this list.

30. Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Above, I mentioned I’ve fallen for Rom-Coms. This is a crazy good one.

23. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Really good movie. Really sad movie. Probably in the intro of the “manic pixie dream girl” concept into mainstream culture. I watched this a few times when it came out… I don’t think I’ll ever watch it again.

21. Y tu mamá también. Great movie. It’s very sexy. That’s basically the point.

19. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. One of the select films that I saw repeatedly in theaters. Beautiful. Stunning. Did things audiences did not know were possible at the time.

17. A Serious Man. Good film. Coen Bros really can’t miss. That being said, I’m not sure this deserves a top spot on the list. Coen Bros have done better. I also doubt this film is for everyone.

16. The Lord of the Rings. The OG LotR films are killer. Peter Jackson really crushed it. Watched these relentlessly for a time. Very millennial.

15. Waltz with Bashir. Memorably powerful.

14. Children of Men. Great film. I do question its high placement on this list. Probably because it seems like a potential dystopian future. At the time this list is coming out, there’s a lot of talk about birth rate declines.

10. Spirited Away. Miyazaki is great and this is well-known.

8. Lost in Translation. Among my favorite films.

3. Mulholland Dr. Overrated. As stated earlier in conjunction with talk of Inland Empire.