The 20 most influential movies of the 2000's
by seph82 | created - 01 Oct 2010 | updated - 01 Oct 2010 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. 28 Days Later (2002)
R | 113 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Alex Palmer
Votes: 446,041 | Gross: $45.06M
*English is not my primary language
*Feel free to bash, that's what lists are made for :)
Responsible for the zombies craze wave.
2. X-Men (2000)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen
Votes: 646,827 | Gross: $157.30M
Although Spawn (1997) and Blade (1998) made a strong impression, X-Men is the real reason why nowaday, 5 superheroes movies are made evey minute.
3. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 281,671 | Gross: $128.08M
Brought the oriental art of fighting back in the lights and led ultimately to great inspired movies, such as Kill Bill and Hero.
4. Superbad (2007)
R | 113 min | Comedy
Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.
Director: Greg Mottola | Stars: Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader
Votes: 633,051 | Gross: $121.46M
There were The 40 years old virgin and Knocked up before, but Apatow hilarious movie Superbad is really the one that redefined comedy.
5. Juno (2007)
PG-13 | 96 min | Comedy, Drama
Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes a selfless decision regarding the unborn child.
Director: Jason Reitman | Stars: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
Votes: 549,374 | Gross: $143.50M
Reitman's refreshing comedy was the surprise of the year and led to numerous comedy with lead females with an attitude.
6. The Ring (2002)
PG-13 | 115 min | Horror, Mystery
A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone one week to the day after they view it.
Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, Brian Cox, David Dorfman
Votes: 375,170 | Gross: $129.13M
Japanese can make horror movies. Creepy and deeply emotionnal ones as well. This remake took America by surprise.
7. Sin City (2005)
R | 124 min | Crime, Thriller
An exploration of the dark and miserable Basin City and three of its residents, all of whom are caught up in violent corruption.
Directors: Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba
Votes: 793,954 | Gross: $74.10M
A piece of art in itself, this moving strip cartoon inspired many films to come (300 among others)
8. The Bourne Identity (2002)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and attempting to regain his memory.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen
Votes: 576,463 | Gross: $121.66M
This movie redefined the action genre with a normal Joe as the lead character and clever plots.
9. Batman Begins (2005)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After witnessing his parents' death, Bruce learns the art of fighting to confront injustice. When he returns to Gotham as Batman, he must stop a secret society that intends to destroy the city.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson
Votes: 1,579,164 | Gross: $206.85M
If X-Men brought back the superhero genre, Batman Begins and its sequel simply raised the bar, with the unmatched talent of Christopher Nolan
10. Saw (2004)
R | 103 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.
Director: James Wan | Stars: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung
Votes: 466,923 | Gross: $56.00M
Although I am not a fan of the serie, Saw came one year prior to Hostel and should be considered the movie that relaunch the exploitation, torture porn wave.
11. Gladiator (2000)
R | 155 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Votes: 1,620,968 | Gross: $187.71M
Ridley Scott oscar winner brought back the peplum into the spotlight, with numerous (and unfortunately unequal) imitators.
12. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
R | 140 min | Crime, Drama, Musical
An Eastern European US immigrant with a love for musicals has to cope with the gradual loss of her vision.
Director: Lars von Trier | Stars: Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse, Peter Stormare
Votes: 116,825 | Gross: $4.18M
I think that Lars Von Trier should be credited for relaunching the musical movie genre, despite Chicago oscar and Moulin Rouge effort. Maybe not as accessible, but the best (and the first) effort in this category in years.
13. Bowling for Columbine (2002)
R | 120 min | Documentary, Crime, Drama
Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.
Director: Michael Moore | Stars: Michael Moore, Charlton Heston, Marilyn Manson, Salvador Allende
Votes: 148,764 | Gross: $21.58M
Yes there was Roger and me prior to this movie and Moore's approach can be debated, but we can't argue that Bowling for Columbine simply redefined the documentary genre.
14. Jarhead (2005)
R | 125 min | Biography, Drama, War
A psychological study of Marine's state of mind during the Gulf War. Told through the eyes of a U.S. Marine sniper who struggles to cope with boredom, a sense of isolation, and other issues back home.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Foxx, Lucas Black, Scott MacDonald
Votes: 206,643 | Gross: $62.66M
Before the hurt locker, Mendes tried to illustrate the (non?) war from a realistic point of view, from the emotionnal point of view of its protagonists.
15. Mystic River (2003)
R | 138 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The tragic murder of a 19-year-old girl reunites three childhood friends still living in Boston--the victim's gangster father, a detective, and the disturbed man they both suspect of killing her.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Emmy Rossum
Votes: 485,994 | Gross: $90.14M
First major Dennis Lehane book to be ported on screen, the other two adaptations (gone baby gone and Shutter Island) created a genre in themselves.
16. Sideways (2004)
R | 127 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
Votes: 204,348 | Gross: $71.50M
Even if I didn't like the movie, I have to admit that this movie is finally talking to a specific generation and dipected them with a true honesty.
17. Finding Nemo (2003)
G | 100 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.
Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich | Stars: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe
Votes: 1,113,819 | Gross: $380.84M
It's hard to point out which animated movie has been the most influential. Spirited away and Persepolis among others, were piece of art, but I guess I'll have to go with Finding Nemo, a near perfect family film from Pixar and the best until Wall-E came out.
18. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
The eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons.
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller
Votes: 313,286 | Gross: $52.36M
Before Little miss sunshine, there was the Tenenbaums as the typical dysfunctionnal family. This overlooked movie inspired many dark comedies to come.
19. Road to Perdition (2002)
R | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A mob enforcer's son in 1930s Illinois witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Paul Newman
Votes: 284,604 | Gross: $104.45M
This other Mendes entry brought a new light on the early 20th century mob scene. Inspired with its form many 2000 movies to come.
20. Cloverfield (2008)
PG-13 | 85 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A group of friends venture deep into the streets of New York on a rescue mission during a rampaging monster attack.
Director: Matt Reeves | Stars: Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan, T.J. Miller
Votes: 420,838 | Gross: $80.05M
Cloverfield inspired many handheld camera movies (for the best and worst), as paranormal activity among others. A strong start from a director we will hear of a lot in the future.
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