The past twenty years have been an outstanding time for movie lovers. Iconic filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro have created some of their best works. Other, newer filmmakers have already cemented themselves as legends in the world of cinema in a short period of time, such as Jordan Peele, Damien Chazelle, and Greta Gerwig.
Related:The Best Movie Soundtracks To Study To
While the movies of the past two decades stray further and further from relevancy, some will remain iconic for future decades to come. Some of the many great movies that turn 20 in 2023 are still well worth watching. As time continues to pass, people will always remember these movies, good or bad.
1The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King
Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy is one of those fantasy adaptations that’s hard to overcome. The director achieved some truly remarkable feats of filmmaking, particularly in this finale, featuring the end of Frodo’s journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. There’s a good reason it’s one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
While the movie has many visual effects and epic fantasy battles to marvel at, the real part of this movie that stands out is its characters. Particularly, the friendship between Frodo and his best friend Samwise will make any grown adult cry, even 20 years after first seeing the movie.While the entire trilogy is masterful, this final entry appeals most to Middle-Earth movie lovers.
2Kill Bill
Quentin Tarantino knows how to direct a good action movie. That’s never more true than inKill Bill, the first volume in a revenge fantasy starring Uma Thurman as the nameless Bride, who survives an assassination attempt from the unseen titular character at her wedding. What ensues is one of Tarantino’s bloodiest and most stylistic movies to date.
Though it’s incomplete without its second volume, the movie is the culmination of Tarantino and Thurman’s work together. Inspired by Uma Thurman’s relationship with her daughter Maya, this movie finds the actress in her most career-defining role. Plus, she gets to kick some serious butt in a Bruce Lee-esque jumpsuit.
3The Last Samurai
Ken Watanabe is one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, but few movies of his have reached more audiences than 2003’sThe Last Samurai. Watanabe stars as the titular character, who befriends a PTSD-ridden American captain, played by Tom Cruise, and instructs him in the way of the samurai during the 19th century.
Related:Forgotten Samurai Games
The movie was directed by Edward Zwick, who has cut his teeth in war movies before with the Civil War dramaGlory. Although contemporary audiences have criticized the movie’s messaging, especially its use of the “white savior” trope, it still remains an entertaining, thrilling movie that opened a lot of doors for Asian representation in western media.
4Love Actually
2003 was also responsible for introducing one of the most iconic romantic comedies of all time to the public.Love Actually, directed by Richard Curtis, stars an ensemble cast of British actors participating in ten different stories, all of which intersect and intertwine in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
One of the movie’s best stories,starring Keira Knightley and Andrew Lincoln, centers on a recently married couple who believe the groom’s best friend (played by Lincoln) doesn’t like her. In a twist, it’s revealed that Lincoln’s character is actually in love with Knightley’s, prompting him to show up at her door and profess his love via cards.
5Bruce Almighty
By the time the early 2000s rolled around,Jim Carrey was a reliable star for studio comedies, having found success with the likes ofLiar Liar,Dumb and Dumber, andMe, Myself and Irene. However, in 2003, he’d gain even more success with the comedy movieBruce Almighty. It stars Carrey as a news reporter who is given the job of being God for a week, using it to change his life.
Bruce Almightywas even more successful than audiences at the time expected, surpassingThe Matrix Reloadedat the box office. It’s a great vehicle for Carrey’s comedic abilities, with some strong supporting cast members in Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carrel, the latter of whom starred in the poorly-received sequelEvan Almighty.
6The Cat In The Hat
Much like Jim Carrey, Mike Myers had a lot of strong comedy movies in his filmography by the time he starred in the 2003 adaptation of Dr. Seuss' most famous book. Nevertheless, the movie was panned by critics, as well as Seuss' widow Audrey, who refused to permit a live-action adaptation of her husband’s source material ever again.
Related:Comedy Shows To Watch If You Love Netflix’s The Pentaverate
While the movie has never appealed to movie-going audiences, it has found its community through internet memes. Several moments from the movie have inspired online meme-creators to do their best work, thanks to Myers' eccentric performance and the movie’s overt absurdity. At the very least, it’s still making people laugh in some way.
7How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
When it came to romantic comedies in 2003, it’s hard to go wrong with Kate Hudson. This movie finds her opposite Matthew McConaughey as romantic interests. However, they’re both unaware of each other’s ulterior motives: for Hudson, it’s to write an article about a break-up, while for McConaughey, it’s to prove he can make any woman fall in love with him.
It ends up being a pretty strong rom-com thanks to the chemistry between its two leads. It also features a strong supporting cast, including comedians Thomas Lennon and Kathryn Hahn. Hahn and Hudson would later star together in 2022’sGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, making this movie a source of nostalgia for many moviegoers.
8Lost In Translation
After making her directorial debut withThe Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola wowed audiences with her movieLost in Translation. It starred Bill Murray as an American movie star who sparks a strange friendship with an exchange student in Japan played by Scarlett Johansson, in one of her earliest, most-acclaimed roles.
Sofia Coppola went on to win Best Original Screenplay at the 2004 Academy Awards, while the movie’s legacy has remained intact. Many critics have called it one of Murray’s best roles, while it also jump-startedJohansson’s thriving career in Hollywood. Furthermore, the movie’s content has subjected it to countless theories and speculation, particularly its ending.
9School Of Rock
Writer Mike White has been the center of attention lately for his HBO anthology seriesThe White Lotus, but he previously wrote many iconic movies of the early 2000s. One of those is 2003’sSchool of Rock, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Jack Black as a washed-up musician who masquerades as a substitute teacher at a strict prep school.
Related:Music Videos That Star Hollywood Actors
There, Black’s character discovers the musical potential of his class, prompting him to form an impromptu rock band with them, recruiting other students as crew members. Although the movie could’ve easily been absurd and slapstick, Black’s performance and Linklater’s direction keep it humble, emotional, and earnest about his connection with these kids.
10Holes
Holesis based on the novel by Louis Sachar, who also wrote the screenplay for the Andrew Davis-directed movie. It follows Stanley, played by a young Shia LaBeouf, as a teen sentenced to a juvenile detention camp, where he spends his days digging holes and bonding with his fellow “inmates.”
The movie received rave reviews from critics,most of whom praised its faithfulness to Sachar’s original novel. It also helped kickstart LaBeouf’s career in movies after he had spent several years starring in the Disney Channel showEven Stevens, with supporting actors including Sigourney Weaver and Patricia Arquette.
More:Horror Movies To Watch If You Loved Hulu’s Fresh
