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A Filmmaker's Guide to: 20 Films of the 2000s

The New Millennia

By Annie KapurPublished 4 years ago 4 min read
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I grew up with 2000s film and most of these I remember seeing in the cinema as a teenager or young adult. The films of this era can only be explained as innovative. As we approach our own times, we see innovation take another step into the world of immersive cinema - things like 3-D, IMAX 3D and other sights that give me a headache are coming out now. Yes, from the 1990s we carry on our backs the fact that everyone is still trying to create the next great classic film because instead of being at the end of the millennia, we're at the start of a brand new one.

Heath Ledger as The Joker in "The Dark Knight" (2008)

Innovation in this era also means exploring new genres and storylines. Christopher Nolan would do just this with his famous backwards movie "Memento" (2000) and then again with his incredible remake of the "Batman" series into a gritty, hyper-realistic trilogy in which Heath Ledger would go down in history as the first actor to win an Oscar for a Comic Book Movie. Unfortunately, he would pass away before that happened and for years, there would be talk of what actually haunted him to his untimely and accidental death at the age of 28 years' old.

Adrien Brody in "The Pianist" (2002)

Epic dramas were still on the rise as well with Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" (2004) becoming one of the best selling foreign language films of all time. Only surpassed recently by "Parasite" - a Korean, Academy Award winning film. Adrien Brody would team up with the now controversial Polanski for the war drama "The Pianist" (2002) which, set to rival films like "Schindler's List" (1993) with their emotional out-pouring, became one of the most successful war time epics of all time.

Elijah Wood in "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001)

But, it would be Peter Jackson that would come to release one of the most beloved epics of our age. The fantasy world of JRR Tolkien came to life with his adaptation of "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" in 2001. The series would go on to win multiple awards with the third instalment becoming one of the most Oscar-decorated films in recent history. But whilst Peter Jackson was making his fantasy epic, so were the people at Studio Ghibli with their magical and unforgettably moving drama "Spirited Away" (2001). It was sure to become one of the most memorable animated movies since the Disney Renaissance.

Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" (2000)

Christian Bale, meanwhile, was terrifying everyone with his performance as Bret Easton Ellis's Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" (2000). A thriller and technically a slasher film, it is still to date, one of Christian Bale's most memorable and successful performances after his portrayal of Christopher Nolan's Batman. Horror was becoming more popular, and that's exactly why that in 2002, Danny Boyle would hire Cillian Murphy to be his last-man-standing in the cult-classic "28 Days Later" (2002). It became one of the most imitated horror films in recent years with its post-apocalyptic vibe having an incredible impact on the film world.

Sir Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (2007)

This was also the age of Sir Daniel Day-Lewis winning all the film awards ever. With his stunning performance in the film that was called our generation's "Citizen Kane" - Sir Daniel portrays a wealthy but tyrannical oil dealer in "There Will Be Blood" (2007). But far before that, he would be the villainous Bill Cutting in Scorsese's American Epic "Gangs of New York" (2002) opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. He would not only win the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal as Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood" (2007), but it would also be named the greatest film of the 21st Century.

20 Films of the 2000s

Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain" (2005)

Films of the 2000s were clearly still trying to make the next great American epic film and the Oscars were becoming bigger than ever with movies of great innovation and difference getting the awards and becoming nominated. Hollywood was advancing in its approaches to storylines with films such as "Brokeback Mountain" (2005) becoming giant blockbusters without any censorship at all. Everything became more advanced physically, emotionally and in terms of different cinema techniques. Directors such as: Christopher Nolan, Guy Ritchie, James Cameron, Ang Lee and Paul Thomas Anderson were on the rise and for film, everything was looking up towards the future. It would only be a matter of ten years before the world around them would come plummeting down in a tale of sexual misconduct and other serious criminal allegations against some of the biggest names in distribution, acting, directing and production.

These films are in no particular order.

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

2. American Psycho (2000)

3. Iron Man (2008)

4. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

5. Avatar (2009)

6. There Will Be Blood (2007)

7. Spirited Away (2001)

8. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

9. Memento (2000)

10. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

11. Gladiator (2000)

12. The Passion of the Christ (2004)

13. 28 Days Later (2002)

14. The Prestige (2006)

15. Vanilla Sky (2001)

16. The Pianist (2002)

17. Snatch (2000)

18. The Machinist (2004)

19. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

20. Gangs of New York (2002)

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About the Creator

Annie Kapur

190K+ Reads on Vocal.

English Lecturer

🎓Literature & Writing (B.A)

🎓Film & Writing (M.A)

🎓Secondary English Education (PgDipEd)

📍Birmingham, UK

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