Best Films Of 2005
by TheAnimalMother | created - 08 Dec 2012 | updated - 03 Feb 2023 | PublicEvery list of this nature is obviously a continuous work in progress...
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1. New York Doll (2005)
PG-13 | 75 min | Documentary, Music
A recovering alcoholic and recently converted Mormon, Arthur "Killer" Kane, of the rock band The New York Dolls, is given a chance at reuniting with his band after 30 years.
Director: Greg Whiteley | Stars: Arthur Kane, David Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain, Nina Antonia
Votes: 1,826 | Gross: $0.22M
See the film, thank me later.
If I'm acting like a king / Well that's cause, I'm a Human Being / And If I want too many things / Don't you know that, I'm a Human Being / And if I've got to dream / Baby baby yeah, I'm a Human Being
2. V for Vendetta (2005)
R | 132 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In a future British dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow the tyrannical government - with the help of a young woman.
Director: James McTeigue | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves, Stephen Rea
Votes: 1,178,183 | Gross: $70.51M
"Ideas are bulletproof"
3. The Skeleton Key (2005)
PG-13 | 104 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.
Director: Iain Softley | Stars: Kate Hudson, Peter Sarsgaard, Joy Bryant, Gena Rowlands
Votes: 122,824 | Gross: $47.81M
A twisted love story at its heart. 6.5 out of 10? What's up with these voters? I feel like Mr. Hand. "What are you people, on dope!?". 8.5/10
4. I'm Going to Tell You a Secret (2005)
Not Rated | 128 min | Documentary, Music
Chronicles Madonna's 2004 Re-Invention World Tour and "new" Madonna
Directors: Jonas Åkerlund, Dago Gonzales | Stars: Madonna, Stuart Price, Steve Sidelnyk, Monte Pittman
Votes: 2,185
5. Lord of War (2005)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama
An arms dealer confronts the morality of his work as he is being chased by an INTERPOL Agent.
Director: Andrew Niccol | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Ethan Hawke, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan
Votes: 336,505 | Gross: $24.15M
Best Cage film in years. "ATF", "Let me guess, this isn't about the alcohol or the tobacco.". 8/10
6. Thank You for Smoking (2005)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Drama
Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his 12-year old son.
Director: Jason Reitman | Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Maria Bello, Joan Lunden
Votes: 228,803 | Gross: $24.79M
Comedy of the year, but one with a very serious side too.
7. Walk the Line (2005)
PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Votes: 265,610 | Gross: $119.52M
Shot her down because she made me sore I thought I was her daddy but she had five more
8. The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
R | 91 min | Biography, Drama
The life of Bettie Page, a 1950s pin-up model and one of the first sex icons in America, who became the target of a Senate investigation because of her risqué bondage photos.
Director: Mary Harron | Stars: Gretchen Mol, Lili Taylor, Chris Bauer, Jared Harris
Votes: 11,636 | Gross: $1.41M
? Underappreciated!
9. Match Point (2005)
R | 124 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for an actress who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode
Votes: 227,878 | Gross: $23.09M
10. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
R | 91 min | Comedy, Drama
A lonely shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggle to connect in this unique take on contemporary life.
Director: Miranda July | Stars: John Hawkes, Miranda July, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff
Votes: 37,416 | Gross: $3.89M
This film is so out of leftfield in its delivery. It seems at times that if it was written by a man, he may in fact be arrested for it. Nonetheless the film is interesting in a very human, yet off beat and sometimes quite hilarious way. If you're not a prude and you have some connection to your heart left, you'll probably enjoy this. If you currently have young children, I would advise you to wait until they've grown up a good bit before watching. Just a hunch I have. 8/10
11. The Constant Gardener (2005)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A widower's transcontinental quest to find answers about his wife's death leads him to explosive secrets.
Director: Fernando Meirelles | Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, Danny Huston, Hubert Koundé
Votes: 148,374 | Gross: $33.58M
8/10
12. Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story (2005)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Music
Documentary film based on the life of the late Andrew Wood, Singer/Songwriter for the legendary Seattle based band Mother Love Bone, a band that would later become Pearl Jam.
Director: Scot Barbour | Stars: Andrew Wood, David Wood, Mother Love Bone, Charles Cross
Votes: 163
If you're a big Mother Love Bone fan, it's a must watch!
13. Crash (I) (2004)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.
Director: Paul Haggis | Stars: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Thandiwe Newton, Karina Arroyave
Votes: 448,809 | Gross: $54.58M
14. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
R | 103 min | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
After being mistaken for an actor, a New York thief is sent to Hollywood to train under a private eye for a potential movie role, but the duo are thrown together with a struggling actress into a murder mystery.
Director: Shane Black | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen
Votes: 237,212 | Gross: $4.24M
15. War of the Worlds (2005)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An alien invasion threatens the future of humanity. The catastrophic nightmare is depicted through the eyes of one American family fighting for survival.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto
Votes: 474,645 | Gross: $234.28M
16. 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: 206,180 | Gross: $62.66M
17. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
PG-13 | 119 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A lawyer takes on a negligent homicide case involving a priest who performed an exorcism on a young girl.
Director: Scott Derrickson | Stars: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Campbell Scott
Votes: 139,951 | Gross: $75.07M
7.5/10
18. The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
PG | 120 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In the 1913 U.S. Open, twenty-year-old Francis Ouimet played golf against his idol, 1900 U.S. Open champion, Englishman Harry Vardon.
Director: Bill Paxton | Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, Elias Koteas, James Paxton
Votes: 33,414 | Gross: $15.33M
7.5/10
19. Broken Flowers (2005)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
As the extremely withdrawn Don Johnston is dumped by his latest woman, he receives an anonymous letter from a former lover informing him that he has a son who may be looking for him. A freelance sleuth neighbor moves Don to embark on a cross-country search for his old flames in search of answers.
Director: Jim Jarmusch | Stars: Bill Murray, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone, Julie Delpy
Votes: 106,729 | Gross: $13.74M
20. Serenity (2005)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The crew of the ship Serenity try to evade an assassin sent to recapture telepath River.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alan Tudyk
Votes: 305,468 | Gross: $25.51M
21. 12 and Holding (2005)
R | 94 min | Drama
After his twin brother is accidentally killed by vengeful bullies, a 12-year old boy and his friends face the harsh realities of death, teenage hormones, and family dysfunction.
Director: Michael Cuesta | Stars: Conor Donovan, Jesse Camacho, Zoe Weizenbaum, Annabella Sciorra
Votes: 7,114 | Gross: $0.10M
22. White Noise (I) (2005)
PG-13 | 101 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
An architect's desire to speak with his wife from beyond the grave becomes an obsession with supernatural repercussions.
Director: Geoffrey Sax | Stars: Michael Keaton, Deborah Kara Unger, Ian McNeice, Chandra West
Votes: 50,751 | Gross: $56.39M
23. A History of Violence (2005)
R | 96 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt
Votes: 252,600 | Gross: $31.49M
7.5/10
24. Edmond (2005)
R | 82 min | Drama, Thriller
A fortune-teller's teasing rumination sends Edmond Burke lurching into New York City's hellish underworld.
Director: Stuart Gordon | Stars: William H. Macy, Julia Stiles, Joe Mantegna, Frances Bay
Votes: 12,425 | Gross: $0.13M
25. Munich (2005)
R | 164 min | Action, Drama, History
After the Black September capture and massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, five men are chosen to eliminate the people responsible for that fateful day.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Marie-Josée Croze, Ciarán Hinds
Votes: 238,086 | Gross: $47.40M
26. The Ringer (2005)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Sport
A young guy's only option to erase a really bad debt is to rig the Special Olympics by posing as a contestant.
Director: Barry W. Blaustein | Stars: Johnny Knoxville, Katherine Heigl, Brian Cox, Jed Rees
Votes: 38,807 | Gross: $35.42M
27. Waiting... (I) (2005)
R | 94 min | Comedy
Young employees at ShenaniganZ restaurant collectively stave off boredom and adulthood with their antics.
Director: Rob McKittrick | Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, John Francis Daley, Justin Long
Votes: 106,022 | Gross: $16.12M
28. Revolver (2005)
R | 111 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Gambler Jake Green enters into a game with potentially deadly consequences.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Jason Statham, Ray Liotta, André 3000, Vincent Pastore
Votes: 102,580 | Gross: $0.08M
29. Game 6 (2005)
R | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Combining real and fictional events, this movie centers around the historic 1986 World Series, and a day in the life of a playwright who skips opening night to watch the momentous game.
Director: Michael Hoffman | Stars: Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Griffin Dunne, Ari Graynor
Votes: 2,968 | Gross: $0.10M
I think it would be fair to call this a cult film to some degree. It really will work best for a certain audience. If you like offbeat films and baseball, this is something you'll almost definitely enjoy. 7/10
30. The Ice Harvest (2005)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A shady lawyer attempts a Christmas Eve crime, hoping to swindle the local mob out of some money. But his partner, a strip club owner, might have different plans for the cash.
Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Lara Phillips
Votes: 24,994 | Gross: $8.82M
7/10
31. Hustle & Flow (2005)
R | 116 min | Crime, Drama, Music
With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.
Director: Craig Brewer | Stars: Terrence Howard, Ludacris, Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning
Votes: 43,195 | Gross: $22.20M
32.
American Masters (1985– )
Episode:
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan
(2005)
Not Rated | 208 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Bob Dylan, B.J. Rolfzen, Dick Kangas, Liam Clancy
Votes: 12,103
33. The Quiet (2005)
R | 96 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Following the unexpected death of her father, a deaf teenager moves in with her godparents, where she discovers the cruel behaviour of their daughter may be indicative of a dark secret within the family.
Director: Jamie Babbit | Stars: Camilla Belle, Elisha Cuthbert, Edie Falco, Martin Donovan
Votes: 17,521 | Gross: $0.38M
34. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Three years into the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi pursues a new threat, while Anakin Skywalker is lured by Chancellor Palpatine into a sinister plot to rule the galaxy.
Director: George Lucas | Stars: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson
Votes: 844,369 | Gross: $380.26M
35. Dead Fish (2005)
R | 98 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Traitors, killers and lovers collide in London.
Director: Charley Stadler | Stars: Robert Carlyle, Gary Oldman, Anouska Bolton Lee, Cassandra Bell
Votes: 3,484
36. The Chumscrubber (2005)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama
A darkly satiric story about life crumbling in the midst of a seemingly idyllic suburbia.
Director: Arie Posin | Stars: Jamie Bell, Allison Janney, Rory Culkin, Glenn Close
Votes: 19,170 | Gross: $0.05M
7/10
37. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
R | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: John Beard, Tim Belden, Barbara Boxer, George W. Bush
Votes: 20,101
38. Commune (2005)
Not Rated | 78 min | Documentary
A documentary on the Black Bear Ranch Commune, an alternative living community founded in 1968 in the remote North Californian wilderness.
Director: Jonathan Berman | Stars: Mahaj Seeger, Peter Coyote, Cedar Seeger, Mel Kramer
Votes: 430
39. The Devil's Rejects (2005)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
The murderous, backwoods Firefly family take to the road to escape the vengeful Sheriff Wydell, who is not afraid of being as ruthless as his target.
Director: Rob Zombie | Stars: Sid Haig, Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Moseley, William Forsythe
Votes: 105,678 | Gross: $17.04M
It seems I'm actually one of the few people who liked House of 1000 Corpses better. I definitely find this film a little less interesting overall, but it has some good moments nonetheless. 7/10
40. The Great New Wonderful (2005)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The Great New Wonderful weaves five stories against the backdrop of an anxious and uncertain post-9-11 New York City.
Director: Danny Leiner | Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Seth Gilliam, Jim Parsons, Martha Millan
Votes: 1,562 | Gross: $0.15M
Call me sexist if you must, but all you women do it too. Note films where the men are extra sexy to you or whatever, so you know, bite me. I'm a big Maggie G fan, and she's great here as usual and looks fabulous as well. I find her attractive, smart, talented, interesting and beautiful! Anyway, of special note here...I didn't realize quite how spectacular of an ass Judy Greer had until I saw this reasonably good film. Guys, check out the booty shorts here! I've always liked her too, from Californication and many other things, but now I'm definitely in love, lol. Now with both Judy and Maggie, haha. 6.5/10
41. Junebug (2005)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama
A dealer in "outsider" art travels from Chicago to North Carolina to meet her new in-laws, challenging the equilibrium of this middle class Southern home.
Director: Phil Morrison | Stars: Embeth Davidtz, Alessandro Nivola, David Kuhn, Alicia Van Couvering
Votes: 23,422 | Gross: $2.68M
I'm actually a fan of writer Angus MacLachlan already. However this, his by far most recognized and praised work is actually so far the film I feel is the weakest from what I've seen so far. He only wrote this one, but did not direct. Stone is a film of his from 2010 that is such a brilliant film, but few people seem to understand it very well.
42. Capote (2005)
R | 114 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
In 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.
Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clifton Collins Jr., Catherine Keener, Allie Mickelson
Votes: 140,639 | Gross: $28.75M
Another film overly praised by almost all critics, but without much good reason. Aside from the acting, there really isn't anything all that great about this film. For one, it's a biographical film that claims to be based on a true story. However there are tons of things in this film that don't add up to the truth, and much of the film itself feels very unconvincing. The film is extremely unfocused, especially on reality. The portrayal of Capote himself is severely contradictory from the writing standpoint. This is likely very true, but it is not well explored considering how much of a contradictory look of Truman we are given. While many critics have called this a character driven film, practically all the characters in the film are very flat, generic and/or unexplored to any degree. The film is watchable for sure, however it really is nothing all that special aside from the acting itself. I don't see how this film really flushes out anything real and/or new about this historical story besides just confusing the reality of it even more. If anything, in ways this is a detrimental film to the reality of the events. Hoffman at least makes it well worth a viewing. Though I would caution everyone to take this film with a grain of salt as the more you look into the reality of this story, the more fictional aspects you find with this film. 6.5/10
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