The iconic 2000s movies that defined the decade also permanently changed how filmmaking works, and some trends that were started as long as two decades ago are still featured prominently in films made today. From reviving older genres and using new technology to inspiring large-scale fan culture and initiating the current state of studio monopoly, it started a new era.
Films from every era have material that hasn’t aged well due to different standards at the time. The movies from the 200s that have aged poorly, though, are characterized by the intentional use of outrageous elements that were afforded by the less stringent codes of censorship and motivated by the no-holds-barred new-age sensibility that swept up the world with Y2K.
Due to the rising popularity of the internet and the endless memeability of 2000s movies, even some box office flops from the 2000s are loved by everybody. They’ve either found more appreciation later, or have such major cult following that they can be considered popular. However, many 2000s movies have completely faded from public memory and are highly underrated today.
Mary and Max (2009)
15 years before making Memoir of a Snail, which is one of the best animated movies of 2024 and is also underrated, Adam Elliot made his feature film debut with Mary and Max. With beautiful stop-motion animation, Mary and Max follows two unlikely pen pals – an 8-year-old girl from Melbourne, Mary, and a 40-year-old man from New York, Max.
Elliot’s emotionally heavy writing and the impᴀssioned performances by Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman, respectively, as the тιтular Mary and Max, create a haunting atmosphere that provides the perfect backdrop for this heartwrenching story that’s somehow also life-affirming. The film’s thesis on loneliness is devastating and will leave you unraveling more layers even after the credits have finished rolling.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Two years after he saw ᴅᴇᴀᴅ people in M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, Haley Joel Osment was a robotic 11-year-old designed to feel and express love in Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence. However, unlike the 1999 film, Spielberg’s movie is no longer as popular, despite regularly being considered one of the best films of the 2000s and all time.
Until the 1990s, Stanley Kubrick had been trying to make this movie, after which Spielberg got involved, but he didn’t change everything about the script that Kubrick intended to use. So, this film is a fascinating cross between the source material and the unique blend of interpretations by two of the most versatile directors in the history of cinema.
High Fidelity (2000)
For a movie with such a talented ensemble cast, including John Cusack, Jack Black, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins, and Lisa Bonet, High Fidelity ia ridiculously underappreciated. John Cusack plays a 30-year-old record store owner, Rob, who recounts the story of his top five breakups after his girlfriend of years dumps him, to understand why he’s unlucky in love.
High Fidelity was remade as a show in 2020, but it was cancelled after just 1 season because it underperformed.
A romantic comedy movie for new fans who may be skeptical of the genre, High Fidelity is a fun, lighthearted, and music-filled trip through the musings of a man who hilariously lacks self-awareness. It isn’t a cheesy movie, and its approach to the genre is so refreshing, it should be more famous, especially today, when traditional rom-coms aren’t as popular.
A Knight’s Tale (2001)
Everyone remembers him for delivering one of the greatest Best Actor Oscar-winning performances in the history of cinema, which was preceded by another Oscar-nominated performance, but Heath Ledger’s equally compelling performance in this fantasy movie is just as underrated as the movie itself. It is a wacky medieval adventure where peasants sing Queen’s We Will Rock You at one point.
Heath Ledger plays William Thatcher, a peasant apprentice to a Knight, who decides to take the Knight’s place after he’s killed during a tournament. In a bid to rise up the ranks, Thatcher dedicates himself to winning the tournament. With a fun romantic subplot and hilarious setpieces, especially featuring modern rock songs, A Knight’s Tale is a unique period film.
Love Liza (2002)
Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the greatest acting talents of the previous generation, and while he’s often remembered with reverence, he and his filmography continue to be underrated. Apart from some blockbusters, including the most underrated Mission: Impossible movie, and critically acclaimed indie films, most of his movies are underappreciated, including Todd Louiso’s directorial feature film debut, Love Liza.
Philip Seymour Hoffman plays website designer Wilson Joel, whose wife, the тιтular Liza, takes her own life. Wilson is left bereft and tries to deal with his grief by getting high on gasoline fumes and flying remote control planes. The utter desolation of the character is captured heartbreakingly well by Hoffman, who gives another unforgettable performance in Love Liza.
Once (2007)
Among the best comedy movies released between 2015 and 2024 is John Carney’s Sing Street, which came 3 years after his most famous movie, Begin Again, starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, and Adam Levine. However, Carney’s previous musical still remains much less popular than both these тιтles, despite arguably being the best of the three.
Once follows Guy and Girl, played by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, respectively, who are both musicians. It is a relatable romance movie, because the stripped-back style of filming and writing, and the raw performances by the leads, neither of whom is an actor in the strictest sense, make their interactions realistic, and their journey of falling in love personable.
Bug (2006)
Despite directing incredible films throughout his life, few of William Friedkin’s later movies found the kind of popularity and success that his films from the early ’70s did, like The French Connection and The Exorcist. Among the forgotten movies is Bug, a psychological horror film starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon, that depicts their unnerving psychosis for around 100 minutes.
The horror movie follows the main characters’ descents into madness, as Shannon’s character, who claims that the government has planted aphids and other bugs in their apartment, gradually pᴀsses his paranoia over to Judd’s character. With a тιԍнт screenplay and a horrifying conclusion, the film leaves an indelible mark with its close-up depiction of the dangers of believing conspiracy theories.
Matchstick Men (2003)
It might be contentious to claim that a movie that always seemed to be playing on cable is underrated. However, Matchstick Men is a lesser-known film, especially today, when it has practically faded into obscurity. It has been overshadowed by the more popular films in its cast’s and director’s filmography, and Matchstick Men is arguably Ridley Scott’s most underrated movie.
Nicolas Cage has been in fewer movies than his character has phobias in Matchstick Men. His nuanced performance, which acknowledges the psychosomatic nature of his many tics, is one of the film’s highlights. It also features an unexpected twist in the climax that blindsides you and leaves you scrambling for foreshadowing in the scenes that build up to the reveal.
Femme Fatale (2002)
From starting what is arguably the greatest action movie franchise ever, starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, to directing Al Pacino as he screams, “Say hello to my little friend”, Brian De Palma has molded much of the world’s collective imagination through his movies. However, his pulpy, sleazy, B-movie-esque, erotic thrillers have struggled to find the appreciation that they deserve.
So, Femme Fatale, starring Rebecca Romijn as the protagonist, is among the director’s most underrated movies. She plays a woman who successfully steals an expensive diamond and an idenтιтy, but is put at risk by a pH๏τograph taken by a paparazzo. Femme Fatale may feature De Palma’s trademark thrilling setpieces, but the highlight is Romijn and Antonio Banderas’ sizzling chemistry.
Brick (2005)
The highly anticipated Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man: A Knives Out Mystery finally debuted at TIFF earlier this month, and most of its reviews praise director Rian Johnson, who’s also known for creating the equally popular crime show Poker Face. However, his two-decade-old directorial feature debut, Brick, which is a crime film with noir undertones, continues to be highly underrated today.
Brick follows Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Brendan on a dark journey through the criminal underworld at his high school to find his missing ex-girlfriend. The film is a uniquely entertaining blend of the trademark cynicism and melancholy of the noir genre and the immediately recognizable 2000s teen genre. The product is a depressing world of adult children coping with severe childhood trauma.
