2005 was a big year for film, as shown by the fact that so many big movies are celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2025. Today, the landscape of film has somewhat moved on from what it looked like two decades ago. While there remains an eclectic selection of movies constantly being released, the size of Hollywood has expanded beyond the city.

Today, numerous production studios produce major motion pictures for the big screen and streaming platforms. Today, IP is king, with most of the biggest successes coming out of theaters being part of a larger franchise. And today, the world of cinema is more global than ever, with movies from everywhere being distributed worldwide. But to step back for a moment and celebrate some of the most remarkable films of 2005, it’s worth revisiting a year that changed cinema forever.

10

Capote

Biographical films have always been a part of cinema, but Capote was a true spectacle. Based on the life of Truman Capote, a popular novelist and journalist who wrote many remarkable short stories and contributed to the world of true crime. In 2005, Philip Seymour Hoffman played Capote in the duly тιтled film, and dug deeper into the story which led to the release of the novel and subsequent film, In Cold Blood.

Capote was a character who acquired a great deal of fame for his work, but today, with the sheer volume of true-crime documentaries, it’s easier to forget such an influential figure. The movie is a wonderful depiction that is equally challenging, heart-breaking, and informative, as it looks at a great tragedy. And Hoffman is spectacular, perfectly capturing the character of the man.

9

Walk the Line

Musical biopics have been on the rise in recent years, but in 2005, Johnny Cash had his life immortalized in Walk the Line. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Cash, and looks not just at the spectacular and lavish life, but also the challenges, strains, and pains of the man he depicts. The story is confronting, and it deals with difficult topics, but it paved the way for many more musical biopics to take an honest look into the lives of iconic celebrities and musicians.

Today, musical biopics have been made about numerous icons, both living and ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. But Walk the Line was special in its own way. Perhaps because it was released ahead of many of these other тιтles, it was depicted more as a drama, but the film does a great job at balancing difficult scenes with lighter moments. And Phoenix delivers a captivating performance as the lead.

8

Batman Begins

Batman Begins is incredibly important for two primary reasons. For one, the film redefined the superhero genre. Up to this point, superhero movies had their audience, and they could lean into being dark and intense, like Blade, or they would be a little less serious, and more comical, like early Batman films. However, with director Christopher Nolan at the helm, and Christian Bale donning the suit, Batman Begins shattered the walls between comic book films and classic films.

Second, this movie served as one of the most important in launching Nolan’s career, from being an obscure director with interesting movies, to making him a mainstream, household name. Today, Nolan’s films have racked up an impressive number of awards, including numerous Oscars, and the director continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in film and storytelling. Batman Begins wasn’t his first movie, but it may well have been a breaking point in his career.

7

The Descent

The Descent is a tense horror movie that created claustrophobia, anxiety, and unease by placing the characters inside a cave. The film also explores supernatural horror, as the explorers encounter monstrous creatures in the depths of the cave. And while it may not have been the highest earner, or even the most popular movie of the year in 2005, it’s well worth watching for fans of horror.

The movie does an incredible job at creating an uneasy and challenging situation. The actors all excel in their roles, and the film does a lot in just one hour and 39 minutes. Despite being a small British production, the film does feel indicative of the types of horror movies that come from the British Isles, and excels at creating an atmosphere despite the budgetary restrictions.

6

Sin City

Another comic book film, Sin City, features a star-studded cast in a black and white noir crime thriller. The movie is divided into six chapters, with each following new sets of characters until the narrative concludes. It’s dark, gritty, and intense, as well as providing beautiful visuals in an artistic way.

Having been adapted from the popular comics by the legendary Frank Miller, the movie is clever, dynamic, and with Robert Rodriguez serving as co-director, the out of this world styling amplifies the comic book source material. Sin City explored a different direction for what comic book movies could look like, and what they could accomplish.

5

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

After decades of setting up the expansive story of the Skywalkers, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith finally resolved and concluded the Skywalker Saga. Of course, the sequel trilogy expanded on these stories, but the monumental payoff from 1977 to 2005 was huge with the release of Revenge of the Sith. And Hayden Christianson and Ewan McGregor’s chemistry as Anakin and Obi-Wan, respectively, made for an even more compelling story.

This film was the end of an era, and one that was potentially scrutinized too harshly upon its initial release. Regardless, the film holds up, and it stands out as one of the best modern entries to the Star Wars universe. And now that it is hitting 20 years old, it’s worth going back to the foundations of the series and appreciating the incredible conclusion and the dark twists that led Anakin to become Darth Vader.

4

King Kong

In 2005, fresh off the success of his work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, director Peter Jackson took on yet another sizable challenge when he released King Kong. The film was not particularly successful upon its release, but the incredible vision, and the way the story took an old familiar narrative right up to date was spectacular.

King Kong also features a star-studded cast including Jack Black, Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Colin Hanks, Jamie Bell, and more. The epic film comes in at a little over three hours long, but considering Jackson had just made one of the longest trilogies of all time with TLotR, it makes sense that he found it challenging to condense the story. Regardless, it’s a great film to revisit.

3

Fantastic Four

In 2025, Marvel Studios is bringing Marvel’s first family into the MCU. However, these heroes have been adapted a handful of times already. In fact, one of the first and best adaptations came in 2005, when the heroes appeared, played by Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, and Jessica Alba.

The film certainly had its flaws, and the representation of Doctor Doom in particular was a let-down, but the movie has its charm. It undeniably captures some of the incredible hope and inspiration that The Fantastic Four are best known for. It also did a great job of delivering the visual effects for what has continually proved to be some of the most challenging powers to adapt to the big screen. All things considered, it’s worth revisiting this one ahead of the MCU’s latest update.

2

V for Vendetta

Another comic book movie which goes to show how much of an influence these тιтles were beginning to have in the cinema space, V for Vendetta, is inspired by the brilliant mind of Alan Moore. And while he is not personally ᴀssociated with the film, his genius for storytelling and creating complex, twisty, and tense narratives is brought to life with great effect here.

In addition, the casting of Hugo Weaving as the masked V, and Natalie Portman as his accomplice Evey was inspired. The film is political, intense, and inspiring. And while the movie was made two decades ago, and the comic initially came out in 1982, the story remains even more prescient today.

1

Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy

Finally, Douglas Adams is one of the greatest minds and storytellers of the last hundred years. His incredible Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series of novels were truly groundbreaking, and when it was first adapted into a short series in 1981, it was wonderfully charming. However, the 2005 film starring Martin Freeman brought the story to the mᴀsses in a whole new way.

From Marvin, the eternally depressed robot, to the hunt for the mythical planet of Magrathea, and the meticulous Vogon’s with their dreary and ᴅᴇᴀᴅly poetry, the film is a spectacle. It’s endlessly fun, quirky, and thrilling. It also saw Freeman become an even bigger star than he already was, and launched Zooey Deschenel to new heights as well. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of all of these тιтles, its time for a movie marathon of the 2005 classics.