In addition to witnessing the release of the iPod, the arrival of Netflix, and the early stages of what would go on to become a social media frenzy, the first decade following the dawn of the new millennium played host to the debut of some ofthe best movies of all time. The 2000s saw the likes of behemoth franchises likeThe Lord of the RingsandHarry Potterfirmly establish themselves as cinematic titans, carving out an indelible niche in popular culture and attaining iconic status that persists to this day.
In addition to some of the decade’s more universally age-appropriate offerings,the best films of the 2000sare also notable for including a number of top-tier R-rated movies that simply never get old. Leveraging a blend of compelling subject matter, unforgettable performances, and glorious technical elements with a healthy sprinkling of adult themes to produce a timeless classic, the decade’s finest R-rated offerings account for some of the most beloved and enduring films that the entirety of wider cinema has to offer.
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One of cinema’s influential political offerings, the lasting cultural impact of 2005’s dystopian action-thrillerV for Vendettaextends far beyond popularizing the use of the Guy Fawkes mask by real-life anti-establishment groups. Following an alternate reality sans democracy that sees Britain ruthlessly brought to heel under a fascist totalitarian regime, James McTeigue’smovie keeps getting better with ageand has arguably never been more relevant than it is today.
“I Don’t Think He Expected Me to Go Along With It”: V for Vendetta’s Iconic Mask Started Out as a Joke
V for Vendetta artist David Lloyd thought Alan Moore would hesitate to model their central character off Guy Fawkes; Moore, of course, loved the idea.
Not withstanding the movie’s cutting political commentary,V for Vendettais an expertly constructed piece of cinema, loaded with memorable action set pieces and jaw-dropping revelations to maintain the audience’s investment from start to finish. Hugo Weaving produces an iconic performance as the titular anarchist, breathing life into one of his finest characters despite never actually showing his face. To paraphrase V’s own memorable words, the film’s"ideas are bulletproof"; a status quo underlined by the fact that it retains revered status as of 2025.
Collateral
Directed by Michael Mann, the crime thriller Collateral features Tom Cruise as a hitman hired to take out witnesses before a big trial and Jamie Foxx as the cab driver who unwittingly becomes his accomplice. With Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, and Javier Bardem in its cast, the 2004 film received critical acclaim for its direction, performances, and suspenseful plot.
The man behind 1995’scrime movie masterpieceHeat, Michael Mann knows how to produce a first-rate action thriller, a state of affairs exemplified perfectly by the neo-noir tour de force that is 2004’sCollateral. Starring Jamie Foxx as cab driver Max Durocher, the Academy Award-winner’s charge endures a nightmarish shift for the ages after picking up Tom Cruise’s Vincent, a ruthless hit man carrying out a slew of assassinations across Los Angeles.
A white-knuckle thriller that ups the stakes early and invariably leaves audiences hanging off the edge of their seats for its duration,Collateralmore than justifies its R-rating through numerous instances of supremely graphic violence. Carried by a pair of knockout performances by the leading duo,Mann’s visually arresting thriller is a timeless classic that holds up seamlessly more than two decades after it was initially released.
No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men is a western crime-thriller based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy and directed by the Cohen Brothers. Following three protagonists, the film centers around a large $2,000,000+ cache of dirty money lost near the Rio Grande. With a veteran who finds it, a hitman who will stop at nothing to get it, and a sheriff trying to investigate the crimes connected to it, all roads lead to death and mayhem as they find themselves in each other’s crosshairs.
Based on legendary author Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name, 2007’sNo Country for Old Menis one of the greatest Western movies of all time. Following the hunt for $2 million in cartel drug money from the perspective of three vastly disparate characters, the Coen brothers' masterful outing has lost none of the luster that saw the movie win the Academy Award for Best Picture, in addition to a slew of other prestigious awards.
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Breathing life into one of thegreatest Western movie villains of all time,No Country for Old Menis also notable for featuring a generational bow from Javier Bardem as the psychotic hitman Anton Chigurh, a performance that saw him collect the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and one that only gets better with every subsequent rewatch. A gritty, visceral Western that sees the Coen brothers at their masterful best, this R-rated gem remains an indispensable classic.
City of God
City of God is a Brazilian crime drama directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund. Set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the film chronicles the rise of organized crime through the eyes of a young boy named Rocket. As Rocket grapples with the harsh realities of his surroundings, the film explores themes of poverty, violence, and survival, offering a poignant and unflinching look at the impact of crime on a community.
Also known by its Portuguese title ofCidade de Deus, 2002’sCity of Godchronicles the insidious rise of organized crime in the eponymous Rio de Janeiro favela. An intense deep dive into the world of Rio’s slums, Fernando Mereilles and Katiá Lund’s picture was critically acclaimed, earning four Oscar nominations and a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This revered status has persisted to this day; IMDb currently hasCity of Godlisted as the 25th-highest-scoring film of all time.
City of Godserved as the first major film role forI Am LegendandPredatorsstar Alice Braga.
An unflinching examination of hugely relevant social themes and issues that never gets old,City of Godproduces an enthralling perspective on the rampant criminality and levels of poverty historically associated with favelas. Gloriously shot and masterfully edited,this forgotten gangster epic’sno-holds-barred window into Rio’s underworld retains all the evocative shock factor that helped launch it into the mainstream more than two decades later.
Gladiator
Gladiator follows Maximus, a Roman general betrayed by the new emperor Commodus. After escaping execution, he is enslaved and becomes a gladiator. Set in ancient Rome, the story portrays his struggle for survival and quest for vengeance as he battles for his freedom in the arena.
Taking home five Academy Awards, Ridley Scott’sGladiatoris a leading candidate for thegreatest swords-and-sandals movieof all time. Following the vengeful tale of Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius, Scott’s blood-soaked epic chronicles the general-turned-slave-turned-gladiator’s quest for retribution following the murder of his family at the hands of Joaquin Phoenix’s tyrannical Emperor Commodus.
Featuring some of the most unforgettable action sequences in cinematic history,Gladiator’sjaw-dropping arena scenes have lost none of their considerable"wow"factor. Revenge is a cinematic concept that also never gets old, a status quo reflected by the fact that the movie still retains every bit of its considerable entertainment factor, more than 20 years after it burst onto the scene. A thrilling gladiatorial pièce de résistance from Scott, an iconic soundtrack from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard serves as the cherry on the cake forGladiator’sreputation as a timeless triumph.
The Departed
The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, depicts the tense interplay between the police and the Irish Mafia in South Boston. As an undercover officer infiltrates the criminal underworld, a syndicate informant rises within the police force, culminating in a high-stakes struggle to uncover the dual moles within their ranks.
A remake of 2002’sInfernal Affairsthat is loosely based on the real-life Boston Winter Hill gang, 2006’sThe Departedremains one of Martin Scorsese’s most critically acclaimed movies to this day. The Oscar-winning film is rarely mentioned alongside genre titans likeThe Godfather, but is still widely regarded as amovie that has helped define the modern gangster genre. A gripping tale of deception and betrayal, this star-studded gangster drama boasts a level of human authenticity unlike anything Scorsese has produced to date.
Best Film Editing
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Leonardo DiCaprio utterly loses himself in bringing undercover trooper Billy Costigan to life, lending his charge an air of near-feral intensity. This sense of desperation permeates into the wider movie to imbue proceedings with an air of near-unbearable suspense, while Jack Nicholson’s delightfully wicked bow as mob boss Frank Costello is one of his most underrated performances. The quintessential example of a great movie remade into a classic,The Departedcontinues to age like a vintage cognac.
Shaun of the Dead
From director Edgar Wright, Shaun of the Dead stars Simon Pegg as Shaun, an ambitionless slacker who one day finds his world overrun by zombies. From a script by Wright and Pegg, Shaun of the Dead injects comedy into a typically horror-focused subgenre as Shaun and his lazy friend Ed (Nick Frost) attempt to rescue Shaun’s estranged girlfriend and make it through the apocalypse unscathed.
Gleefully ripping up the genre’s established playbook, Edgar Wright’s zombie-comedyShaun of the Deadsubverted just about every creative element required to make a zombie movie with knockout results onscreen. Launching the fan-favoriteThree Flavours Cornettotrilogy, the 2004 cult classic proved to be a critical and commercial success, serving as the international breakout vehicle for the beloved comedy pairing of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
Widely regarded as one of thebest British dark comediesever made,Wright’s unrestrained zombie parody invariably holds up in terms of unabashed entertainment,no matter how many times one might have seen it. Drawing consistent guffaws of laughter from audiences of all generations, this satirical masterpiece somehow manages to be one of the best zombie pictures of all time while simultaneously poking fun at everything about the wider genre in merciless fashion.
In Bruges
Directed by Martin McDonagh, In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as Ray and Ken, two Irish hitmen sent to Belgium to carry out an assignment for their boss Harry, played by Ralph Fiennes. When a previous botched mission leads Harry to give Ken unexpected orders regarding Ray, the two find themselves at odds with each other and must decide how to proceed.
Serving asMartin McDonagh’s first major movie, 2008’sIn Brugesfollows a pair of Irish hitmen lying low in the titular Belgian city after a botched assassination attempt. Featuring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in the leading roles with a masterful supporting bow fromConclavestar Ralph Fiennes as their vengeful boss,In Bruges’inimitable blend of humor and tragedy quickly established the director’s talent for exemplary film making, as well as his penchant for some of cinema’s darkest humor.
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The Banshees of Inisherin
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A nuanced commentary on the nature of guilt and redemption that also happens to feature scenes depicting Farrell’s character snorting cocaine with a racist dwarf,the timelessIn Brugesconsistently leaves viewers alternating between howls of laughter and tears of despair.Loaded with a magnificent array of modern cinema’s finest one-liners, McDonagh’s picture was the first indicator of a career resurgence for current critics' darling Farrell, a surprise that remains just as delightful in 2025 as it did in 2008.
Snatch
Snatch is a comedic crime film by director Guy Ritchie that centers on several different groups of characters' paths that begin to cross after a missing diamond becomes central to their stories. From a fight promoter trying to make pay his bookie to a group of inept bank robbers that fumble a bookkeeping heist, a stolen diamond ends up in the stomach of a dog, setting off a hectic chain of violent but darkly comedic events.
Labeled by many fans and critics asGuy Ritchie’s best movie,Snatchserves as the consensus magnum opus for Britain’s finest gangster director. Chronicling an array of converging narratives unfolding throughout London’s underworld in the aftermath of a diamond heist,Ritchie improved on virtually every aspect of 1998’s spiritual predecessor,Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, to produce an iconic crime-comedy caper for the ages.
Snatchmarked the second collaboration with Ritchie in a row for the likes of returningLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’cast members Jason Statham, Vinnie Jones, and Alan Ford.
Deftly balancing sidesplitting humor with shockingly gratuitous violence,Snatch’ssuperb array of snappy one-liners have underlined the movie’s status as one of the most quotable films of all time. Featuring a veritable laundry list of Ritchie’s most colorful and memorable characters against the backdrop of a glorious soundtrack,Snatchis a riotously entertaining crime outing that stamps its foot on the gas early and doesn’t let up until the credits roll.
Inglourious Basterds
Inglourious Basterds is a film set during World War II in Nazi-occupied France. It follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers, known as “The Basterds,” led by Lt. Aldo Raine, who engage in ruthless anti-Nazi efforts. Their actions intersect with a French-Jewish theater owner in a plot against the regime.
A gloriously subversive war outing,2009’sInglourious Basterdsisn’t just an R-rated classic that never gets old,it’s one of the most beloved, ageless, and influential movies ever made. Featuring some of themost quotable war movie charactersof all time to complement Quentin Tarantino’s usual smorgasbord of cultural references, supremely graphic violence, and interconnected narratives, the movie chronicles two converging assassination plots to dispose of German High Command at a movie premiere.
Surprisingly, This Inglourious Basterds Character Only Kills 1 Person On Screen
Inglourious Basterds has a very high kill count, but surprisingly, one of its main characters, despite his job, only kills one person on screen.
Boasting one of modern cinema’s greatest breakout bows from Christoph Waltz as the"Jew Hunter"Hans Landa, Tarantino’s picture may be spearheaded by the Austrian’s Oscar-winning turn, but he’s far from the movie’s sole shining light. Boasting knockout performances from the wider cast to complement the movie’s thrilling action sequences and iconic soundbites, Tarantino’s meticulously constructed foray into the war genre has lost none of the chaotic entertainment factor that landed it classic status in the first place.
