Take a step back in time with the 10 best movies of 2000.
There was a lot of anticipation around what was going to happen in the year 2000. Maybe it was the ominous Y2K computer bug or the changing of the century, but we looked at 2000 with some pretty BIG expectations.
When you scan the list below, it’s hard to believe these amazing movies were all from that same year. They didn’t just meet the bar for what the next century would bring, they redefined it.
We researched the top grossing, award-winning, and fan favourites to bring you a bucket list full of great movies to enjoy again.
10 best movies of 2000 and how to stream them in Australia.
1. Gladiator
The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an empire.
If you saw this on the big screen, you know the stunning special effects captured in Ridley Scott’s modern epic that was Gladiator (2000). Scott’s stunning visual style (Alien, Prometheus) took us on a hero’s journey … from the massive military encampment deep in the forests of northern Europe, to vast desert dunes of North Africa and finally to the roar of the crowds in the Roman Colosseum.
This was a revenge movie set on a massive scale. Russell Crowe walked away with the Best Actor statue for this one, and it took home the prize for Best Movie of 2000.
It definitely takes its place at the top of our list.
Stream now on netflix.com.
2. Erin Brockovich
Ed Masry: In a law firm you may want to re-think your wardrobe a little.
Erin Brockovich: Well, as long as I have one ass instead of two, I’ll wear what I like if that’s alright with you. You might want to re-think those ties.
This sassy, hard-hitting underdog movie revealed to the world what a serious actress Julia Roberts was. She walked out of the Academy Awards that year with an Oscar for Best Actress and an entirely new direction for her career.
The story of the plucky, desperately-poor, single mom bringing down the evil big corporation struck a chord with viewers. There were so many poignant scenes, especially from the cancer-ravaged families and her talented costars.
It has just enough laughs to keep it from getting too heavy and still holds its own after all these years.
Stream now on binge.com.au.
3. Traffic
Directing both Erin Brockovich AND grabbing an Oscar for Best Director for Traffic (2000)? This was definitely Steven Soderbergh’s year.
With witty banter and fast-paced scenes (a trademark of all his films), it became more than another morality tale about the “war on drugs”. This was a complex movie, with three overlapping stories and a large cast.
It starred Michael Douglas in one of his few roles of the new millennium before battling throat cancer and withdrawing from acting for several years. He’s at the top of his game in this twisting story about the high risk world of the drug trade.
Stream now on stan.com.au.
4. Best in Show
“Bratwurst And Shillelaghs… Paging Dr. Freud.” – Scott Donlan
This is another improv comedy masterclass from writer/director Christopher Guest (SNL, A Mighty Wind). Guest put together an ensemble cast of Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Jane Lynch, Parker Posey and a dozen other veteran comedians, then turned them loose to improvise the quirky and endearing world of professional dog shows.
The result is a movie that will keep you laughing right to the very end.
Rent or buy on primevideo.com.
5. High Fidelity
Jack Black (Barry): “There’s no WAY your daughter likes that music (Stevie Wonder)–oh! Is she in a coma?”
Romance in an old record store? Yes, please.
This might be a surprise to some in our best movies of 2000 list. This sweet, goofy movie stars John Cusack (Say Anything, Being John Malkovich) as the owner of a failing record store, surrounded by a band of misfits all trying to find love. It costars a young Jack Black, who is hilarious and sweet as the bumbling, music-obsessed nerd who just won’t shut up.
This was a sleeper hit, so give it a watch if you missed it the first time around.
Rent or buy on primevideo.com.
6. Snatch
Avi: Why is he called Boris the bullet dodger?
Doug the Head: Because he dodges bullets, Avi
Our original ‘Friday Night Movie Recommendations‘ pick — Brad Pitt stars in one of his best roles ever in Snatch.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, Snatch just seems to get better with age (much like Brad) filled with an all-star cast and continuous one-liners as unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers and supposedly Jewish jewellers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.
Stream now on binge.com.au.
7. Memento
Leonard: I take it I’ve told you about my condition.
Teddy: Only every time I see ya.
Memento (2000) was Christopher Nolan’s breakout film as a director. He would go on to take over the Batman franchise starting with Batman Begins and launch his string of blockbuster successes (The Prestige, Inception).
Memento was a psychological thriller about Lenny (Guy Pierce), a man with a traumatic brain injury that causes him to forget everything he learns after 15 minutes. He is on the hunt through a shadowy world of low-lifes, searching for his wife’s killer. He tries to grasp onto the clues he discovers through a patchwork of tattoos, polaroids, sticky notes and motel messages. It’s both fascinating and creepy watching him spiral into paranoid madness.
A must-watch, even the second time.
8. Cast Away
“WILSON!!!!! …”
Of course, a Tom Hanks movie is going to make the best movies of 2000 list.
This was a tour de force for Tom Hanks in one of his most iconic roles. This quiet study of a man trapped for years on a desert island was mesmerizing, hilarious, and of course … tear-jerking.
Who knew we could cry over a volleyball??
Stream now on binge.com.au.
9. Almost Famous
William Miller: Russell, think about your last words wisely
Russell Hammond: Ok. Um…I dig music……And I’m on drugs!
Sex, drugs and rock and roll. This movie was a memoir of it all and is no doubter one of the best movies of 2000. Set in the early ’70s, it chronicled the adventures of an aspiring, much-too-young writer (Patrick Fugit), who managed to get a job from Rolling Stone magazine following around the fictional rock band “Stillwater” on their latest tour. He gets an education, along with an amazing story.
Based on the real-life story of the film’s director Cameron Crowe.
Stream now on netflix.com.
10. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Li Mu Bai: I would rather be a ghost drifting by your side as a condemned soul than enter heaven without you…
This lush, beautifully filmed story from Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility, Brokeback Mountain) influenced so many martial arts movies that came after it.
It was a masterpiece of cinematography and of the new awe-inspiring “wire effects” that became the standard in martial arts battles. It’s scene after breathtaking scene in this epic romance-adventure story that makes it one of the best movies of 2000.
A true classic, not to be missed.
Stream now on netflix.com.
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