“In the Year 2000…” sang Late Night with Conan O’Brien band member Richie “LaBamba” Rosenberg in a falsetto during one of the better-known skits of the 1990s. Conan and sidekick Andy Richter would then humorously imagine what the year 2000 would be like, including that “magic markers will smell worse” and presidential campaigns running ads “accusing their opponent of coming up with the idea for Jar Jar Binks.”
Turns out that the actual year 2000, being the last year before the world irrevocably changed after 9/11, and a year when hardly any computer systems crashed due to a whole lot of hard work, was a year in which there were a metric ton of good movies.
Knowing what we know now, this list of the 100 Best Movies of 2000 is a starting point for numerous huge franchises, and a coming-out year for many of our favorite actors, actresses, and directors. Most especially, it’s the year when the world transitioned from VHS video tape into DVD, greatly enhancing resolution, sound, and the uncanny ability to find any scene you wanted.
Movies moved from something you bought or rented into something you collected. Built-in commentaries provided the layperson with crucial insight into the filmmaking process. Deleted scenes gave the fans glimpses into what got left on the cutting-room floor. For the first time, people started to understand that “widescreen” meant black bars on the top and bottom of your picture tube until TV dimensions caught up with the size and shape of movie theater screens.
Our criteria for this Top 100 of 2000 is threefold. First, Certified Fresh movies sorted by Tomatometer (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memento, Gladiator). That’s followed by Fresh movies on with 40 or more critic reviews and 60% or higher on the Popcornmeter (Snatch, Remember the Titans, Unbreakable). And, finally, there’s Rotten movies with those same stats, with this last group considered cult classics and audience favorites (Miss Congeniality, The Way of the Gun, Pitch Black).
#1
Critics Consensus: The movie that catapulted Ang Lee into the ranks of upper echelon Hollywood filmmakers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon features a deft mix of amazing martial arts battles, beautiful scenery, and tasteful drama.
#2
Critics Consensus: The Taste of Others is a fresh, witty comedy about the attraction of opposites. The characters are well-drawn and engaging and their social interactions believable.
#3
Critics Consensus: Chicken Run has all the charm of Nick Park’s Wallace & Gromit, and something for everybody. The voice acting is fabulous, the slapstick is brilliant, and the action sequences are spectacular.
#4
Critics Consensus: In its depiction of one family, Yi Yi accurately and expertly captures the themes and details, as well as the beauty, of everyday life.
#5
Critics Consensus: A feel good movie without an abundance of mush.
#6
Critics Consensus: A darkly funny thriller that’s reminiscent of Hitchcock.
#7
Critics Consensus: You Can Count On Me may look like it belongs on the small screen, but the movie surprises with its simple yet affecting story. Beautifully acted and crafted, the movie will simply draw you in.
#8
Critics Consensus: Christopher Nolan skillfully guides the audience through Memento’s fractured narrative, seeping his film in existential dread.
#9
Critics Consensus: Critics are raving about Last Resort, saying it’s a convincing, touching tale. Particularly impressive is the lack of script during the film’s shoot.
#10
Critics Consensus: Bleak, yet powerful, The Circle offers a searing indictment of the oppressive conditions experienced by women in Iran.
#11
Critics Consensus: The brutality of Amores Perros may be difficult to watch at times, but this intense, gritty film packs a hard wallop.
#12
Critics Consensus: Soderbergh successfully pulls off the highly ambitious Traffic, a movie with three different stories and a very large cast. The issues of ethics are gray rather than black-and-white, with no clear-cut good guys. Terrific acting all around.
#13
Critics Consensus: A fine example of writer-director-star Christopher Guest’s gift for improv comedy, Best in Show boasts an appealingly quirky premise and a brilliantly talented cast.
#14
Critics Consensus: An exquisitely shot showcase for Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung that marks a somber evolution of Wong Kar-wai’s chic style, In the Mood for Love is a tantric tease that’s liable to break your heart.
#15
Critics Consensus: Rampling carries the film with her finely nuanced performance of a woman coping with her husband’s death.
#16
Critics Consensus: Almost Famous, with its great ensemble performances and story, is a well-crafted, warm-hearted movie that successfully draws you into its era.
#17
Critics Consensus: The deft hand of director Stephen Frears and strong performances by the ensemble cast combine to tell an entertaining story with a rock-solid soundtrack.
#18
Critics Consensus: Critics are impressed with The Widow of St. Pierre’s intriguing story and beautiful cinematography.
#19
Critics Consensus: This quirky little film about a gangster in therapy feels fresh and well-crafted.
#20
Critics Consensus: With the aid of a witty script and a well-acted ensemble, Dinner Rush is a tasty dish.
#21
Critics Consensus: The strong female cast and biting satire of teenage life makes Ginger Snaps far more memorable than your average werewolf movie — or teen flick.
#22
Critics Consensus: Battle Royale is a controversial and violent parable of adolescence, heightening teenage melodrama with life-or-death stakes.
#23
Critics Consensus: Flawed but fascinating, Cast Away offers an intelligent script, some of Robert Zemeckis’ most mature directing, and a showcase performance from Tom Hanks.
#24
Critics Consensus: Sexy Beast rises above other movies in the British gangster genre due to its performances — particularly an electrifying one by Ben Kingsley — and the script’s attention to character development.
#25
Critics Consensus: Michelle Rodriguez gives a compelling performance, despite lack of a boxing background; Karyn Kusama packs a punch with this directorial debut.
(Photo by Artisan/ Courtesy Everett Collection. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM.)
The 73rd Academy Awards, broadcast March 25, 2001, honored movies released in theaters during the 2000 calendar year. Unlike the hesitant and hand-wringing 2002 broadcast, just a few months after 9/11 and featuring Tom Cruise giving a speech about how it’s still OK to like movies, this early 2001 event was full of optimism and verve. Steve Martin hosted for the first of three times.
In an extraordinary and unusual event, Steven Sodberbergh competed against himself for Best Picture, clearly at the top of his game and nominated for two very different films: drug-trade thriller Traffic and earnest real-life legal drama Erin Brockovich. The other Best Picture nominees were Chocolat, a film that combined sweets and sensuality to a delicious degree; Hong Kong martial-arts wuxia blockbuster Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (and many viewers’ first experience with Chow-Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh and director Ang Lee), and Best Picture winner Gladiator, one of five statues that Ridley Scott’s epic historical film would take home that night.
Snubbed from Best Picture were movies like the love letter to 1970s rock-n-roll and Rolling Stone Almost Famous, Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending Memento, the crowd-pleasing Tom Hanks desert island film Cast Away, and the downbeat psychological trip Requiem for a Dream.
#26
Critics Consensus: The Emperor’s New Groove isn’t the most ambitious animated film, but its brisk pace, fresh characters, and big laughs make for a great time for the whole family.
#27
Critics Consensus: Chunhyang brings a classic love story to life with a period romance whose savory visuals are enhanced by a sincerity that transcends folktale formula.
#28
Critics Consensus: Taking full advantage of Julia Roberts’s considerable talent and appeal, Erin Brockovich overcomes a few character and plot issues to deliver a smart, thoughtful, and funny legal drama.
#29
Critics Consensus: Despite sometimes sitcom-like execution, Meet the Parents is a hilarious look at familial relationships that works mostly because the chemistry between its two leads is so effective.
#30
Critics Consensus: Billy Elliot is a charming movie that can evoke both laughter and tears.
#31
Critics Consensus: State and Main offers plenty of wit and laughs in its lampoons of the movie industry.
#32
Critics Consensus: This brooding, measured look at adultery is ultimately emotionally riveting, thanks to its script and performances.
#33
Critics Consensus: Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.
#34
Critics Consensus: As poignant as it is unsettling, Chuck & Buck uses the complex dynamic between two men as fuel for untangling a rich assortment of thought-provoking themes.
#35
Critics Consensus: Languid and melancholy, George Washington is a carefully observed rumination on adolescence and rural life.
#36
Critics Consensus: Boasting a masterful performance by Huppert, Merci Pour Le Chocolat is a suspenseful psychological thriller.
#37
Critics Consensus: Quirky in the best sense of the word, Nurse Betty finds director Neil LaBute corralling a talented cast in service of a sharp, imaginative script.
#38
Critics Consensus: Thirteen Days offers a compelling look at the Cuban Missile Crisis, and its talented cast deftly portrays the real-life people who were involved.
#39
Critics Consensus: If you want lots of laughs and don’t mind some profanity, The Original Kings of Comedy can deliver.
#40
Critics Consensus: Shadow of the Vampire is frightening, compelling, and funny, and features an excellent performance by Willem Dafoe.
#41
Critics Consensus: Faithful to the comics and filled with action, X-Men brings a crowded slate of classic Marvel characters to the screen with a talented ensemble cast and surprisingly sharp narrative focus.
#42
Critics Consensus: Despite being a period piece, The House of Mirth’s depiction of social cruelty still feels chilling and relevant for today.
#43
Critics Consensus: A beautifully acted, quietly moving little film.
#44
Critics Consensus: Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire do wonders in this clever dark comedy.
#45
Critics Consensus: While not everyone will be entertained by Gladiator‘s glum revenge story, Russell Crowe thunderously wins the crowd with a star-making turn that provides Ridley Scott’s opulent resurrection of Rome its bruised heart.
#46
Critics Consensus: Although the plot is really nothing to brag about, Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson work well together. The cinematography looks great, and Jackie delivers a hilarious performance. This is an old-fashioned crowd-pleaser.
#47
Critics Consensus: The Tao of Steve puts a fresh spin on the rom-com formula with its rousingly offbeat energy, charming ensemble, and unique insights into the battle of the sexes.
#48
Critics Consensus: Though Pollock does not really allow audiences a glimpse of the painter as a person, it does powerfully depict the creative process. Harris throws himself into the role and turns in a compelling performance.
#49
Critics Consensus: Though not as good as Coen brothers’ classics, the delightfully loopy O Brother, Where Art Thou? is still a lot of fun.
#50
Critics Consensus: Though the movie may be too intense for some to stomach, the wonderful performances and the bleak imagery are hard to forget.
(Photo by Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection. X-MEN.)
Aside from critical acclaim, the year 2000 is notable that almost all the highest-grossing films that year were not sequels, but rather the start of franchises that would continue for many years afterward.
The lone exception is also the worldwide box office leader in 2000: Mission: Impossible 2, known by fans as “the weird one” in the impossibly long-running franchise and the only one directed by slow-mo and doves fan John Woo. This one’s an honorable mention, falling just outside this top 100.
Other franchise starters include X-Men, 20th Century Fox’s ambitious kick-in-the-pants to the Marvel movie revolution. Many X-sequels and spinoffs followed before Disney’s acquisition of Fox slowly integrated the mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with 2024’s Deadpool vs. Wolverine and continuing with 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, which includes dozens of Marvel characters from every universe.
Box office titans Meet the Parents, Unbreakable, Chicken Run, Final Destination, and honorable mentions Charlie’s Angels and Scary Movie would kick off one or more sequels in succeeding years. Even Pitch Black, which only made $53 million worldwide, became a cult classic, introduced the world to Vin Diesel, and launched a series of Diesel pet projects and video games set in the same universe.
#51
Critics Consensus: While the plot is overly cliched, the suberb acting by the stars (especially the tense interactions between Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones) and the spectacular special effects make this a movie worth seeing.
#52
Critics Consensus: The Contender wears its political heart on its sleeve, but strong performances and a solid screenplay help the end result add up to a gripping drama from either side of the aisle.
#53
Critics Consensus: Eric Bana’s performance as the charming but twisted Chopper is the highlight of this disturbing portrait about Australia’s notorious author/criminal.
#54
Critics Consensus: When the Rugrats go to Paris, the result is Nickelodeon-style fun. The plot is effectively character-driven, and features catchy songs and great celebrity voice-acting.
#55
Critics Consensus: Though hard to watch, this film’s disturbing exploration of freedom of expression is both seductive and thought-provoking.
#56
Critics Consensus: An impressionistic, fragmented look at Reinaldo Arenas, Before Night Falls’ imagery manages to evoke a sense of the writer’s artistry, and Bardem’s strong performance holds the film together. Finally, a biopic done well.
#57
Critics Consensus: Despite the predictability of its plot and its similarity to Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester has an honest, solid feel to it and good rapport between Connery and Brown.
#58
Critics Consensus: A tight blend of surprises and suspense keeps audiences spellbound.
#59
Critics Consensus: Though perhaps a case of style over substance, Guy Ritchie’s second crime caper is full of snappy dialogue, dark comedy, and interesting characters.
#60
Critics Consensus: Critics say My Dog Skip is cute, wholesome entertainment for the family. It’s especially designed to appeal to your sentiment, but you might find yourself choking up just the same.
#61
Critics Consensus: An inspirational crowd-pleaser with a healthy dose of social commentary, Remember the Titans may be predictable, but it’s also well-crafted and features terrific performances.
#62
Critics Consensus: Gangster No. 1 is brutally violent, yet also compelling.
#63
Critics Consensus: With a weaker ending, Unbreakable is not as a good as The Sixth Sense. However, it is a quietly suspenseful film that intrigues and engages, taking the audience through unpredictable twists and turns along the way.
#64
Critics Consensus: Dancer in Dark can be grim, dull, and difficult to watch, but even so, it has a powerful and moving performance from Bjork and is something quite new and visionary.
#65
Critics Consensus: Excellent cinematography and an interesting plot accompanied by a talented cast and crew make U-571 a tense thriller.
#66
Critics Consensus: If it falls short of the deadly satire of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, American Psycho still finds its own blend of horror and humor, thanks in part to a fittingly creepy performance by Christian Bale.
#67
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#68
Critics Consensus: Bread and Roses has powerful moments, but it also sometimes descends into preachiness.
#69
Critics Consensus: Its ending is disappointingly tidy, but Boiler Room boasts just enough sharp writing and brisk pacing to make getting there worthwhile.
#70
Critics Consensus: Despite the formulaic, fluffy storyline, this movie is surprisingly fun to watch, mostly due to its high energy and how it humorously spoofs cheerleading instead of taking itself too seriously.
#71
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#72
Critics Consensus: Though unrealistic, Big Eden has all the charm and sweetness of a fairy tale.
#73
Critics Consensus: Chocolat is a charmingly light-hearted fable with a lovely performance by Binoche.
#74
Critics Consensus: Tigger Movie may lack the technological flash and underlying adult sophistication of other recent animated movies, but it’s fun and charming.
#75
Critics Consensus: The plot and basis for jokes are slight, but Saving Grace is indeed saved by some charming performances, most notably Brenda Blethyn’s.
(Photo by Buena Vista/ Courtesy Everett Collection. THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE.)
Among great animated films released in 2000 are Chicken Run, the hysterical stop-motion spectacular from masters of the form Aardman, Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove, the slapstick classic that began as a dramatic musical before being overhauled, and the superlative sequels Rugrats in Paris: The Movie and The Tigger Movie.
General audiences were not yet ready for more mature animated features, so Don Bluth’s space opera Titan A.E. landed with a thud initially, but became a cult classic later in life. Similarly, The Road to El Dorado, the love triangle ode to Bob Hope’s road pictures that tried very hard to emulate a Disney movie, complete with Elton John soundtrack, may not have resonated with audiences at first, but found its way on home video.
One surprise misstep from Disney did not make this list, despite doing well at the box office: Dinosaur, an early CGI talking dinosaur picture not to be confused with Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur.
#76
Critics Consensus: David Duchovny and Minnie Driver provide heart-warming romance and comedy in this solid debut by Director Bonnie Hunt.
#77
Critics Consensus: The Patriot can be entertaining to watch, but it relies too much on formula and melodrama.
#78
Critics Consensus: Despite an interesting premise (and a starmaking turn from Vin Diesel), Pitch Black is too derivative and formulaic to fully recommend to sci-fi or action fans.
#79
Critics Consensus: Some humor is hit or miss, depending on the audience tastes, but the movie is funny overall. Mixed reviews for the cast, especially for MTV’s Tom Green.
#80
Critics Consensus: Though high on energy and great techno tunes, Groove’s characters and plotlines are too cliched to be engaging.
#81
Critics Consensus: The Family Man‘s earnest attempt to remind audiences that it’s a wonderful life too often steers into schmaltz, although Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni’s romantic rapport adds a dash of sincere sweetness.
#82
Critics Consensus: Bamboozled is too heavy-handed in its satire and comes across as more messy and overwrought than biting.
#83
Critics Consensus: Malena ends up objectifying the character of the movie’s title. Also, the young boy’s emotional investment with Malena is never convincing, as she doesn’t feel like a three-dimensional person.
#84
Critics Consensus: The idea behind John Waters’ latest has much potential, but the movie ends up being too sloppy and underdeveloped in terms of script and direction. Also, by today’s standards, it fails to shock.
#85
Critics Consensus: What’s Cooking? is well-acted, but the scenes sometimes sink into melodrama as characters scream at each other, and the movie as a whole is too lightweight and forgettable.
#86
Critics Consensus: D’Onofrio’s performance fails to do justice to Hoffman, and the depiction of the 60s also rings false.
#87
Critics Consensus: Great visuals, but the story feels like a cut-and-paste job of other sci-fi movies.
#88
Critics Consensus: Predictable story and thin characters made the movie flat.
#89
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#90
Critics Consensus: Christopher McQuarrie may exhibit a way behind the camera in the stylish The Way of the Gun, but his script falters with dull characterization and a plot so needlessly twisty that most viewers will be ready to tune out before the final reveal.
#91
Critics Consensus: While the special effects are well done and quite impressive, this film suffers from any actual drama or characterization. The end result is a film that offers nifty eye-candy and nothing else.
#92
Critics Consensus: Despite the talent involved in The Legend of Bagger Vance, performances are hindered by an inadequate screenplay full of flat characters and bad dialogue. Also, not much happens, and some critics are offended by how the film glosses over issues of racism.
#93
Critics Consensus: Despite a charming cast, The Whole Nine Yards can’t tickle funny bones consistently enough to distract from its sitcom-like story.
#94
Critics Consensus: De Niro and Goodings Jr. manage to turn in performances that make this by-the-numbers inspirational movie watchable.
#95
Critics Consensus: Though critics say Bullock is funny and charming, she can’t overcome a bad script that makes the movie feel too much like a fluffy, unoriginal sitcom.
#96
Critics Consensus: The cliched characters and obvious outcome make all the fun and excitement amount to nothing.
#97
Critics Consensus: Despite a panel of X-Files’ alums at the helm and a promising premise, flighty performances and poor execution keep Final Destination from ever taking off.
#98
Critics Consensus: Pay It Forward has strong performances from Spacey, Hunt, and Osment, but the movie itself is too emotionally manipulative and the ending is bad.
#99
Critics Consensus: Poor script and messy plot undermines the decent cast.
#100
Critics Consensus: In his second Hollywood movie, Jet Li impresses. Unfortunately, when he’s not on screen, the movie slows to a crawl. Though there’s some spark between Jet and Aaliyah, there isn’t any threat of a fire. And as impressive as the action sequences are, some critics feel they are over-edited.
(Photo by WB/ Courtesy Everett Collection. BATMAN BEYOND: RETURN OF THE JOKER.)
We mentioned Mission: Impossible 2 and Scary Movie as honorable mentions because of their critic-proof box office and their part in long-running franchises. Here are other films that bubbled under our top 100.
Children of many generations love Jim Carrey’s heavily made-up performance in the live action remake How the Grinch Stole Christmas, though it’s best watched with adults firmly out of the room. Me, Myself & Irene, the Farrelly Brothers’ attempt to recreate the success of Dumb & Dumber, may have failed in that attempt, but it’s still full of quotable Carrey lines. And who could forget the stoner comedy Dude, Where’s My Car? and its pronounced effect on pop culture for many months afterward?
Anime was still new to the average public, and most anime feature films in the early 2000s only saw limited theatrical releases, if at all, forcing hardcore otaku to hunt down the DVDs at places like Suncoast and Sam Goody. Not enough mainstream critics saw a pair of compelling and bloody vampire movies to make this list: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust and Blood: The Last Vampire.
And we couldn’t end this discussion without mentioning the ineligible straight-to-video Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. The first-ever PG-13 DC Comics animated feature, this film was heavily cut for violence in the wake of the 1999 Columbine shootings. It took until 2002 before the uncut version appeared officially, finally restoring the filmmakers’ original intent. (Steve Horton)
