The Dark Knight
2008 · TMDB 8.5/10 · 36,252 votes
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Curated by SceneIt · United States
Best 2000s Movies
Revisit standout releases from 2000 through 2009, selected for viewers who want a strong starting point instead of an exhaustive catalog.
Updated 2026-08-03 · Ratings from TMDB
How we chose these titles
Titles are ranked by TMDB audience rating with a minimum vote threshold, then checked for relevance to the release decade.
Spirited Away
2001 · TMDB 8.5/10 · 18,618 votes
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003 · TMDB 8.5/10 · 26,972 votes
As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001 · TMDB 8.4/10 · 27,975 votes
Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
City of God
2002 · TMDB 8.4/10 · 8,307 votes
In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2002 · TMDB 8.4/10 · 24,247 votes
Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
A Dog's Will
2000 · TMDB 8.4/10 · 1,231 votes
The lively João Grilo and the sly Chicó are poor guys living in the hinterland who cheat a bunch of people in a small town in Northeastern Brazil. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Howl's Moving Castle
2004 · TMDB 8.4/10 · 11,254 votes
Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Pianist
2002 · TMDB 8.4/10 · 10,284 votes
The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Oldboy
2003 · TMDB 8.2/10 · 10,022 votes
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Gladiator
2000 · TMDB 8.2/10 · 21,182 votes
After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Inglourious Basterds
2009 · TMDB 8.2/10 · 24,486 votes
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Prestige
2006 · TMDB 8.2/10 · 17,846 votes
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Innocent Voices
2005 · TMDB 8.2/10 · 528 votes
A young boy, attempting to have a normal childhood in 1980s El Salvador, is caught up in a dramatic fight for his life when he desperately tries to avoid the war that is raging all around him. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Memento
2000 · TMDB 8.2/10 · 16,491 votes
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Departed
2006 · TMDB 8.2/10 · 16,422 votes
To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
WALL·E
2008 · TMDB 8.1/10 · 20,567 votes
After hundreds of years doing what he was built for, WALL•E— a robot designed to clean up the earth—discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2004 · TMDB 8.1/10 · 16,522 votes
Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
In the Mood for Love
2000 · TMDB 8.1/10 · 3,314 votes
In 1960s Hong Kong, two neighbors form an intimate bond after making a discovery about their spouses in this visually stunning tale of unrequited love. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Prayers for Bobby
2009 · TMDB 8.1/10 · 641 votes
Bobby Griffith was his mother's favorite son, the perfect all-American boy growing up under deeply religious influences in Walnut Creek, California. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.