There are a ton of great '00s movies that didn't quite get the attention they deserved upon their release. Considering the decade saw the launch of Marvel's first phase, and major franchises like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars were pulling big numbers at the box office, some smaller movies fell under the radar, or have since been a bit lost to time.
Still, those underrated films from the 2000s deserve attention today, so we rounded up the decade's forgotten movies that are worth watching. The titles on this list might have been successful at the time and later forgotten by modern audiences, misunderstood by audiences, improperly marketed, or simply didn't find their audience until later on. Regardless, now's the perfect time to catch up on these hidden gems—spanning from heartwarming rom-coms to gruesome horror movies to surprising murder mysteries. Below, find 32 forgotten, incredibly underrated '00s films.
'12 Rounds' (2009)
Before he became the best part of Trainwreck and a host of other comedic movies, John Cena was an up-and-coming movie star after a long career as a professional wrestler. And this early work, while it was reviewed poorly, has a nifty concept: a cop, whose fiancée has been kidnapped, must play a game of "12 Rounds" to free her.
'American Gangster' (2007)
This Ridley Scott film is a fictionalized telling of gangster Frank Lucas, played impressively by Denzel Washington. It's an epic, meaning we get the whole trajectory of Lucas' rise and fall from power; the historical drama is long and can be uneven, but it's also incredible storytelling.
'Beerfest' (2006)
The Broken Lizard comedy group (makers of the wildly successful Super Troopers) made Beerfest in a follow-up to their early success. It was not reviewed well—seen as a pale comparison to the earlier film—but fans have since reclaimed its offbeat humor.
'Better Luck Tomorrow' (2003)
If you like the Fast & Furious movies, this is considered to be Han's origin story. In Better Luck Tomorrow, the character appears as a teen, and he's played by the same actor from the franchise, Sung Kang. It follows a group of Asian American youths, and (even without the larger connections to the original series) is a very compelling crime drama.
'Big Fat Liar' (2002)
This is one of those kids' movies that falls under the if you know, you know category. If you watched this as a child, it's high art, and if you didn't, it's a bit lost on you. But Big Fat Liar—especially Paul Giamatti's performance as a comically awful Hollywood producer who steals a kid's (Frankie Muniz) idea—has been reclaimed as a cult classic.
'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind' (2003)
George Clooney's directorial debut has always been an underrated classic: It stars Sam Rockwell (relatively unknown at the time) as a fictionalized version of game show host and creator Chuck Barris. Chuck is recruited to be an assassin for the CIA, and (fascinating) shenanigans ensue.
'Drag Me to Hell' (2009)
This film, from Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi, came off the heels of his Spider-Man films. While this was a commercially successful film, it got a bit lost amongst other horror films. Which is a shame, because it's so much more gruesome and stressful than expected.
'Eastern Promises' (2007)
Iconic horror filmmaker David Cronenberg makes some very intense movies, and this is no exception. Viggo Mortensen turns in an absolutely fearless performance as a Russian mob henchman who's more complex than he appears.
'Ella Enchanted' (2004)
This film (technically adapted from a book, although, it changes a lot of the source material) didn't review particularly well. But on its own merits, it's a fun and magical one, set in a fairy tale-inspired world. Ella (Anne Hathaway) has been cursed with the "gift" of obedience, meaning she has to obey every single command given to her.
'The Fountain' (2006)
This Darren Aronofsky is—like so much of his work—trippy, beautiful, and a mix of despairing and hopeful. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz play various iterations of themselves: tragic lovers across time and reality fighting against death. It's way more cohesive than it sounds.
'Happy-Go-Lucky' (2008)
This incredibly feel-good movie features Poppy (Sally Hawkins), who maintains a cheery attitude despite a multitude of challenges, from getting her bike stolen to dealing with judgmental relatives. It's a smaller British film, but it helped Hawkins become known to a larger audience. Plus, it's the pick-me-up everyone needs when they're feeling blue.
'I Love You, Man' (2009)
This movie was reviewed well and did relatively well at the box office, but it features a less over-the-top performance than normal from both Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. In hindsight, it's quite sweet, with Rudd's character facing the very real struggle to make male friends.
'Igby Goes Down' (2002)
Before Kieran Culkin was a Succession star, he was in this underrated movie. He is the titular Igby, who hates just about everything about his wealthy family and commits to a life of rebellion. It becomes sweeter and slightly more hopeful than expected; critics loved it, and this indie deserves even more contemporary eyes on it.
'It's Complicated' (2009)
Who doesn't love seeing Meryl Streep as a romantic lead? This Nancy Meyers film rightly places her center stage, thrust into a love triangle between her ex (Alex Baldwin) and a new guy (Steve Martin). It was a hit, but it sometimes doesn't get as much love as other Meyers projects.
'Kill Zone' (2005)
SPL: Sha Po Lang (released as Kill Zone in the U.S.) is a fantastic Hong Kong action film that wasn't necessarily well-known to American audiences at the time of its original release. Fans of the genre praise it—especially the epic final fight sequence.
'Lars and the Real Girl' (2007)
This film was simply too edgy for film-goers. It underperformed at the box office but was a critical darling, and more fans have come across this early Ryan Gosling performance as he's become a movie star. In brief: Shy, reclusive Lars gets an adult doll, dresses her up, and pretends she's his real-life human girlfriend. It's more heartfelt and tragic than it sounds.
'The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou' (2004)
This Wes Anderson film was a big box office flop, which is funny since so many fans now hail it as one of his best works. If you happen to like Anderson's films, you should seek it out, but even if you don't, it's a pretty funny satire of Jacques Cousteau and Moby Dick.
'The Man Who Wasn't There' (2001)
This Coen brothers film might not be as well-known as some of their others; it's a black and white neo-noir that stars Billy Bob Thornton as a man who attempts to blackmail the man he suspects is sleeping with his wife (and, per usual for the Coen brothers, things go badly). Critics liked it; audiences did not, although it's more appreciated now.
'The Midnight Meat Train' (2008)
Bradley Cooper was still somewhat early in his film career when he made this horror movie. He plays a photographer who tracks down a mysterious murderer through the city. It gets a lot more disturbing than you first expect, but it's an interesting twist.
'One Hour Photo' (2002)
The late, lovable Robin Williams rarely dipped into true villain territory, which is what makes this film so unique. He plays a lonely, obsessive photo technician, who's become obsessed with a happy family and their photos. The movie is a bit of a historical document of when we had to develop pictures, but the concept is still compelling.
'The Savages' (2007)
If you liked Little Miss Sunshine, this is a way more adult (but just as dysfunctional) look at a family—mainly Wendy (Laura Linney) and Jon Savage (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman), as they deal with their abusive but dying dad (the late Philip Bosco).
'Saved!' (2004)
If you take a teen movie about unplanned pregnancy and set it at a highly conservative Christian school, you've got Saved! featuring Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, and Jena Malone, among others. It was an indie hit, but on a smaller scale; if you like films like Yes, God, Yes, you'll like this too.
'A Scanner Darkly' (2006)
This rotoscope film is cool to look at and even cooler to watch, given that it stars a cast of A-listers like Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder. It follows undercover agent Bob Arctor (Reeves) who infiltrates the drug world in a dystopian future.
'Spy Kids' (2001)
If you grew up in the '00s, you probably remember this highly popular kids' film (and the fact that it spawned an entire franchise). But if you didn't, you might have missed it: Spy Kids might have been marketed to kids, but it's an enjoyable, zany espionage romp regardless of your age.
'The Squid and the Whale' (2005)
This semi-autobiographical film from Noah Baumbach (and produced by Wes Anderson) is about a highly acrimonious divorce as shown through the lens of their two sons. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney are great as the divorcing couple who do terrible things to each other, but Jesse Eisenberg as the struggling older son is the real revelation.
'Stranger Than Fiction' (2006)
Wow, what a great concept for a movie: Will Ferrell plays Harold, who (mild spoiler alert) realizes he's a book character and famous novelist (Emma Thompson) is writing about his life and untimely death. It's a great premise and a pretty good execution.
'Sunshine' (2007)
The premise of Sunshine is incredible: Astronauts are headed towards the sun, not away from it, to set off a bomb that will restart the star and end Earth's ice age. It's basically a horror movie set in space, with a dose of cool sci-fi action. And it's got a completely stacked cast (Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, and Michelle Yeoh, to name a few).
'Sunshine Cleaning' (2009)
Two women (Amy Adams, Emily Blunt) in need of the money start a business where they clean up crime scenes. While that probably sounds like a capital D Drama, it's quite endearing and funny at times. Adams and Blunt have perfect chemistry together, too.
'Titan A.E.' (2000)
This is one of those films that you might have originally missed—the reviews were so-so on it, and the box office was underwhelming. But it's a unique animated movie that includes the voice talent of Matt Damon, John Leguizamo, and Drew Barrymore, among others, and features a fascinating sci-fi story.
'Treasure Planet' (2002)
This sci-fi retelling of Treasure Island is a Disney movie—but, because it was a box office bomb, you might not be familiar with it. It's now a cult classic, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jim Hawkins and Brian Murray as the pirate [Long] John Silver.
'Vanilla Sky' (2001)
You may be vaguely familiar with this as "that trippy Tom Cruise movie," but this remake is better than we gave it credit for. After a brutal car accident, a disfigured David (Cruise) begins experiencing strange, inexplicable occurrences in his waking life.
'What a Girl Wants' (2003)
This film was a box office hit despite fairly negative reviews. Amanda Bynes is the teen who travels to England to meet her dad (Colin Firth), and shenanigans ensue—all resolved happily, of course. It highlights what a comedy ingenue Bynes was at the time, and features natural chemistry between her and Firth.
