# Best films of the 00s: Help me compile a master list **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 4, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955 "2009-12-04T05:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/1 "2009-12-04T05:31:03Z")
I am trying to compile a master list of the best films of the 00s, which I can then winnow down to a best 100, or best 50 or whatever. I am concerned that I may be forgetting some good ones. Below are the movies I have so far. Please take a look and suggest others that ought to be included (including your reasons, if you like, to kick-start some discussion). Thanks! (500) Days of Summer 1408 28 Days Later 3:10 to Yuma A History of Violence A Serious Man Adaptation All the Pretty Horses Almost Famous Along Came Polly Amélie An Inconvenient Truth Apocalypto The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford The Aviator Baby Mama Bad Santa Batman Begins Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead Before Sunset Being John Malkovich Bend It Like Beckham Black Hawk Down The Bourne Identity Bowling for Columbine Boy A Brokeback Mountain Broken Flowers Bubba Ho-tep Burn After Reading Capote Capturing the Friedmans Cast Away Catch Me If You Can Children of Men City of God Cold Mountain Control Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Danny Deckchair The Dark Knight Dawn of the Dead The Departed The Devil’s Backbone District 9 Dog Soldiers Donnie Darko Doubt Eagle vs. Shark Enchanted Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Finding Neverland The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara The 40 Year Old Virgin Frailty Frozen River Gangs of New York Ghost Town Gladiator Gone Baby Gone Grizzly Man The Hangover Hard Candy Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince High Fidelity Horton Hears a Who Hotel Rwanda In Bruges The Incredibles Infamous Inglourious Basterds Into the Wild Iron Man Jimmy Carter Man from Plains Junebug Juno The Kite Runner Lars and the Real Girl Last King of Scotland Let the Right One In Little Miss Sunshine The Lives of Others The Lookout The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Lost in Translation Love Actually Me Myself and Irene Meet the Parents Memento Michael Clayton Milk Million Dollar Baby Minority Report Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Mongol Munich Mystic River Napoleon Dynamite No Country for Old Men Nueve Reinas (Nine Queens) O Brother Where Art Thou? The Orphanage Pandorum Persepolis Pirates of the Caribbean The Reader Requiem for a Dream Rescue Dawn The Ring The Royal Tenenbaums Se, Jie (Lust, Caution) Serenity Session 9 Shaun of the Dead Shrek Sideways Slumdog Millionaire Snatch Spider-Man Spider-Man II Spirited Away The Squid and the Whale Star Trek Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith The Station Agent Stranger Than Fiction Sunshine State Superbad Syriana The Tale of Despereaux Talk to Her Talladega Nights (Shut up. I thought it was hilarious.) The Tao of Steve The Transporter The Valet Vanilla Sky The Visitor Wall-E The Wedding Crashers The Wrestler Y Tu Mamá También Zombieland Zoolander Still another few weeks in 2009, so if you see any good candidates that are in theaters now, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/2 "2009-12-04T06:19:08Z")
**[Auto Focus](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298744/)** - Starts off looking like **Herbie the Love Bug** , finishes off looking more like **Deadwood**. You won’t realize that the first and last scenes belong to the same movie. Having the film quality degrade along with Bob Crane’s circumstances could have been tacky, but it isn’t. **[There Will Be Blood](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469494/)** - I could still be aglow from having just seen it last week, but it’s really an acting coup. I thought the creepy faith-healer would make a great serial killer. Hmmm. Both my choices are about men descending into their own little worlds o’ hurt. I wonder if that means something. ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/3 "2009-12-04T07:27:13Z")
I think the following are all excellent films that I didn’t see listed: Oldboy Downfall The Lives of Others Pan’s Labyrinth The Pianist Antichrist Letters From Iwo Jima Walk the Line Atonement ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/4 "2009-12-04T07:49:37Z")
A few I thought of that ought to at least be on the initial list, although I’m not sure how many would go on to the final cut: Dancer in the Dark Bus 174 (_Ônibus 174_) Nobody Knows (_Dare mo Shiranai_) The Host (_Gwoemul_) Good Bye, Lenin! Winged Migration (_Le peuple Migrateur_) Moon Whale Rider Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle I also think Prisoner of Azkaban should go on ahead of Chamber of Secrets ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/5 "2009-12-04T08:06:57Z")
I pulled some titles from my voted list on imdb: 2000 American Psycho Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Requiem for a Dream 2001 Amelie Black Hawk Down Conspiracy The Devil’s Backbone The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Y Tu Mama Tambien La Pianiste (The Piano Teacher) 2002 Adaptation Better Luck Tomorrow City of God The Pianist Roger Dodger 2003 Kill Bill vol. 1 The Station Agent 2004 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Hotel Rwanda Million Dollar Baby Primer Super Size Me 2005 Batman Begins Brick Ong Bak 2006 Children of Men The Fountain Pan’s Labryinth 2007 The Kite Runner There Will Be Blood 2008 The Dark Knight The Fall 2009 Star Trek Up ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/6 "2009-12-04T09:10:21Z")
The first thing that came to mind for me was In Bruges, so kudos for having it in your initial list. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/7 "2009-12-04T09:41:54Z")
From my IMDB list… Drag Me to Hell Cloverfield Gran Torino Taken Trick 'r Treat Tropic Thunder Wanted Reign Over Me Vacancy Borat Slither Red Eye V For Vendetta Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle Kill Bill Volume 1 Saved! Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Panic Room Joy Ride Pitch Black Unbreakable Wonder Boys ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/8 "2009-12-04T17:43:43Z")
Good catches on these: Whale Rider Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle Walk the Line There Will Be Blood Auto Focus American Psycho Some of the others I haven’t yet seen, and some I didn’t care for, but I recognize that tastes vary, and they should probably all be included on the master list. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/9 "2009-12-04T17:54:42Z")
Wow, am I really the first to submit **Mulholland Dr.**? The Triplets of Belleville Mirrormask I’m Not There A Mighty Wind ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/10 "2009-12-04T18:14:44Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Wow, am I really the first to submit **Mulholland Dr.**? You’re the first to _admit_ to **Mulholland Dr.** , yes. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@Wash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wash)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/11 "2009-12-04T18:27:05Z")
I doubt any of them would go much further, but Casino Royale, Crash and Sin City should probably all be on the master list. ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/12 "2009-12-04T18:56:33Z")
**The Life Aquatic** **Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Good Night and Good Luck Big Fish The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.** And while I wouldn’t expect it to get into the top list, I think **Kiss Kiss Bang Bang** is fun enough to at least deserve a mention. ---
**Author:** ![Zoinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zoinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoinks)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/13 "2009-12-04T19:17:21Z")
Well, I think **Infernal Affairs** (2002) is better than its adaptation The Departed since it’s inherently harder to create something original than it is to adapt someone else’s work. It certainly had a better ending, since the bad cop gets away with it at the end, there’s no Mark Wahlberg character to punish him. If you think about it, he doesn’t do anything in the movie at all besides killing Good Will Hunting. Good guy dies, bad guy lives, how often do you see that? In that vein, the original **Shutter** (2004) was a nice Thai twist on the horror film, it’s good to see the growing status of Thai cinema internationally. And what about **House of Flying Daggers** (2004)? Or \*\*High Tension/Haute Tension \*\*(2003) for showing what an old school slasher film is like without the self-awareness of recent films in the genre. I’m not sure how wide a net is being cast but if we’re going unlimited then I’d also have to include **Linda Linda Linda** (2005), a nice unhurried look at a Japanese high school band’s scramble to get something together for the school festival - don’t believe the back of the DVD which makes it sound like a screwball comedy, it’s definitely funny but in a quieter way. It’s kind of hard to remember movies from the early part of the decade now, though. Let’s see, **The Descent** (2005) was also a good horror movie which is quite deep, repeat watchings are fruitful. Additionally, **The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros** (2005) is a story about a young gay boy which is refreshingly _not_ about the struggle for acceptance (he already has that), rather it’s about his first crush and how that conflicts with his family’s position in their poor neighbourhood. **Seraphim Falls** (2006) is a nicely compact Western, it’s like the Western distilled to its essential characters. Note that I’m specifically covering movies that haven’t been mentioned, I definitely agree with some of the previous ones listed. I’ll probably think of something else later. And before someone mentions it, I have to say I specifically don’t include **Battle Royale** (2000). It was interesting but the premise was just too much for me to take. ---
**Author:** ![Zoinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zoinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoinks)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/14 "2009-12-04T19:33:37Z")
I just knew I’d add stuff, I forgot about Donnie Darko (2001) and Redbelt (2008). The first is trippy and demands repeat viewings, the second is I think the first serious movie depiction of mixed martial arts. And no one likes Kill Bill vol 2 (2004)? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/15 "2009-12-04T19:36:15Z")
> [@Zoinks](#): > > And no one likes Kill Bill vol 2 (2004)? Kill Bill Vol 2 is alright and would probably be a good movie if it wasn’t for the existance of Vol 1, which (IMO) it pales in comparison to. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/16 "2009-12-04T22:31:36Z")
_Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai_ probably deserves a mention on the master list. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/17 "2009-12-04T22:37:29Z")
Coraline should at least be on the list. Reason: if we can specify the 3-D version it’s the best movie ever made. Even if we don’t, it’s in my top 5 favorites of the decade. My others are already in the list. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/18 "2009-12-04T22:49:41Z")
I would add: Amores Perros Gosford Park Russian Ark Rabbit-Proof Fence Far From Heaven Where the Wild Things Are ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/19 "2009-12-04T23:13:54Z")
_Once Best In Show_ ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955/20 "2009-12-04T23:20:12Z")
_The Prestige Charlie Wilson’s War_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-films-of-the-00s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/519955.md?page=2)