Best Movies of the Decade: 2000-2008

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 ?



3 Responses to “Best Movies of the Decade: 2000-2008”

1. Circus80 says:

   November 14, 2009 at 3:48 pm

   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.
2. Pjdawgworg says:

   December 7, 2009 at 4:28 pm

   shut up nobody likes you. no one even asked you about what movies you like. so just never speak again.
3. Itsy says:

   December 28, 2009 at 3:13 pm

   Stardust was definitely one of my favorites of the decade. Oh, and most recently…Avatar.