Top 25 Movies from 2000 – 2025: It seems that lists for the quarter century for movies have been published on many different outlets. And even though there are still five more months left in 2025, I have decided to provide my list. This is not a simple undertaking, and I will readily admit that I have likely missed many movies. My list is 25, and that’s only one movie per year. It’s funny that it didn’t work out this way since some years had none, while others had multiple films listed. My process was to look at some directors over the past twenty five years, along with some actors, the Oscar nominations and winners and compile a list. Then comedies and horror films were reviewed and I needed to do some searching since generally these movies are not Oscar nominated. I looked at my preliminary list, which was 66 films, which I needed to cull down to the final list. In looking at the list I wanted to then focus on those movies that were re-watchable and enjoyable for me. I am asked often to recommend a movie from time to time and these would be movies I would suggest. I suspect that many would disagree either with the movies on the list or their placement on the list. I welcome any discourse. I will provide some context for the first five and leave the rest, because this post doesn’t need to be many, many pages.
So here is the list:
- Imitation Game (2014) – my top movie of the last 25 years. Chosen because it is a compelling story, well told and well acted. Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent as Alan Turning, the inventor of the modern day computer. This movie works on a number of levels, both as a compelling war story as a team tries to solve the Enigma encryption machine invented by the Nazis. Interlaced with this story is the role of women, and notably portrayed by Keira Knightley included in the team. There is internal conflict, and then the issue of military intelligence and how to deal with this type of sensitive information. All of it becomes one of the most memorable and watchable movies for me. This movie remains in my Best Picture for 2015 instead of Birdman, and this movie will be long remembered and re-watched than the Winner.
- Gladiator (2000) – when first released, I saw this Ridley Scott film in the theatre. I was underwhelmed by the CGI used, and especially for the scenes of the Coliseum in Rome. It looked cartoonish. I wasn’t a fan of Jacquin Phoenix’s portrayal of an Emperor who seemed weak and whiny trying to eclipse his slain father. Russell Crowe won for his incredible portrayal of the Spaniard, and gladiator Maximus. This won Best Picture. It didn’t win for Best Director, nor for Best Original Score composed by the remarkable Hans Zimmer. For me, this movie grew on me over time, and the music especially became more near and dear. So this movie has risen steadily in my best list and twenty five years later is second. Ridley Scott remains one of my favourite directors, as you will see later in my list.
- Arrival (2016): Denis Villeneuve made a big splash with this movie, which I saw in a theatre in California. My first viewing was derailed by the seeimgly lazy plot device of using time shifts. The alien crafts had made themselves known in various locations around the world. In the US Amy Adams is brought in as a translator to work on communicating with the alien ship hovering in the US. Beyond the science fiction, this story is deeper as a woman explores her relationship with her daughter and her husband. As a parent, over time and rewatching the power of the story became more apparent. I like this. I see more upon every viewing of this film and enjoy it more. Moonlight won Best Picture this year. Amy Adams wasn’t even nominated. Despite the snub, this movie remains one of my favourites.
- Tree of Life (2011): This is one of the most divisive of films. For me, Terrence Malick’s emotional visually stunning film is a disjointed series of images that tells (generally) the story of a family in Texas in the 1950s. Why does this work for me? I think that this movie works because it seeps into the viewer’s psyche. With pictures and music, images piece together memories. Time passes, children grow, and we see this family move forward. But this plot takes a back seat to feelings. Experiencing the pictures. Many will disagree, and I am okay with that. Oscar nominated for Best Picture, Director and Cinematography. None of these won. This was a year for The Artist for Oscar, and I feel, yet again, that this was a miss.
- The Dark Knight (2008): Christopher Nolan, I think, is one of the most impressive directors for this quarter century. His body of work is recognized a number of times in my list. I like that he works in IMAX and real film, as opposed to digitally. His films should be watched on the biggest screen the audience can find. Many would question having a superhero movie in my top 5. There are so many superhero movies ever since CGI has allowed more impressive story development. But seeing Christian Bale as Batman, and the unforgettable performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker, Nolan had elevated the superhero movie to be hard hitting social commentary. For me, this is the best superhero movie. The Dark Knight series of three films with Batman Begins, this and Dark Knight Rises were all excellent.
The rest of the Top 25.
- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
- Ford v Ferrari (2019)
- CODA (2021)
- Inglorious Basterds (2009)
- Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
- Hereditary (2018) – horror film
- Interstellar (2014)
- Selma (2014)
- There Will Be Blood (2007) – Daniel Day-Lewis in an incredible role
- Inception (2010)
- Bridesmaids (2011) – comedy
- Lord of the Rings (2001) – trilogy which began in 2001, and eventual Best Picture
- All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
- The Martian (2015)
- Finding Nemo (2003)
- 1917 (2019)
- Minority Report (2002) – Steven Spielberg film
- Casino Royale (2006) – the reboot of a tired James Bond genre which reinvigorated the franchise with Daniel Craig as Bond.
- Kingdom of Heaven (2005) – Ridley Scott once again in an underrated and underappreciated film
- 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) – comedy
Other notables: Boyhood (2014), Up (2009), Big Fish (2003), Before Sunset (2004), Oppenheimer (2023) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
So there it is. Let the debate begin. Feel free to comment. Any favourites missing? Why does my list not work? Each of these films are ones that I would recommend, and I have seen multiple times.
Mondays With Robbie 