The 2000s were an interesting time in movie history. It's perhaps most well known for giving rise to the modern superhero blockbuster, with movies like Spider-Man and Iron Man popularizing the concept of the superhero movie. CGI and other forms of inventive visual effects were also being perfected, resulting in an enormous leap in terms of blockbuster filmmaking and convincing visuals.
However, it was also a good time for quiet and introspective films, resulting in a fairly solid list of Best Picture winners. Some may have deserved the win, others not so much. Regardless, they are all remembered as solid pieces of movie history.
Gladiator (2000) - 67
It may prove somewhat surprising, but Gladiator holds a relatively low score of 67. Directed by Ridley Scott, this period epic follows Russell Crowe's Maximus Decimus Meridius, a Roman military officer who becomes a gladiator and seeks revenge against Emperor Commodus after Commodus has his family killed.
While the movie received middling critical reviews, it ended up taking home five Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Picture. It was also the first movie in fifty years to win Best Picture without winning either Best Director or Best Screenplay.
Crash (2004) - 69
There have been many controversial Oscar Best Picture winners throughout the years, and Crash is certainly one of them. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast, Crash tells an expansive story about racial tensions in Los Angeles, with many individual storylines coming together in emotional and tragic ways.
The movie's filmmaking and acting was widely acclaimed, but many critics took issues with the movie's depiction and oversimplification of otherwise complex race relations. It ended up winning three Academy Awards, infamously beating Brokeback Mountain for Best Picture.
A Beautiful Mind (2001) - 72
Russell Crowe was the biggest movie star in the world in the early 2000s. Immediately following the success of Gladiator, Crowe starred as mathematician John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. Nash is widely known for his complex mathematical theories and for suffering from schizophrenia.
Crowe's performance as Nash was widely acclaimed, and he was awarded his third consecutive Oscar Best Actor nomination (following The Insider and Gladiator). Crowe lost to Denzel Washington in Training Day, but the movie took home Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture.
Chicago (2002) - 82
One of the most beloved musicals of the 2000s, Chicago takes place during the American Jazz Age and concerns a group of female convicts who become national celebrities through their greedy lawyer. The movie is adapted from the musical of the same name, which debuted on Broadway in 1975.
The movie received strong reviews and was nominated for thirteen Oscars, winning six (Best Sound, Editing, Costume Design, Art Direction, Supporting Actress for Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Picture). It was also the first musical to win Best Picture since Oliver!, which was released in 1968.
The Departed (2006) - 85
Widely regarded as a crime masterpiece, The Departed was directed by Martin Scorsese and was adapted from a Hong Kong film titled Infernal Affairs. It concerns an Irish Mob member infiltrating the Boston police and a Boston police officer infiltrating the Irish Mob. The two moles are then forced to uncover each other's identities.
The movie took home four Academy Awards - Best Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Director, and Picture - and it proved Scorsese's first Oscar win for Best Director.
Million Dollar Baby (2004) - 86
Serving as one of Clint Eastwood's greatest movies, Million Dollar Baby sees him playing an elderly boxing trainer who works with Hilary Swank's Maggie Fitzgerald.
The movie is adapted from a collection of short stories titled Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner, which was written by fight manager Jerry Boyd (writing under the pen name F.X. Toole). The movie was widely acclaimed for its tender story and stellar acting, winning Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor, Actress, Director, and Picture.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - 86
Danny Boyle has directed numerous acclaimed films throughout his career, and Slumdog Millionaire is arguably his best. Based on the novel Q&A, the movie concerns a young teenager named Jamal who wins the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? owing to his numerous life experiences.
The movie earned a stellar eight Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Director, and Picture. It proves Boyle's first and only win for Best Director.
No Country For Old Men (2007) - 91
Serving as the Coen brothers' masterpiece, No Country for Old Men was released in 2007 to enormous acclaim. The movie was faithfully adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name.
No Country for Old Men won four Academy Awards (Best Adapted Screenplay, Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem, Director, and Picture) and earned stellar reviews from professional critics, resulting in a 91 Metascore. Of the 37 collected reviews on Metacritic, 20 are perfect 10s.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) - 94
All three Lord of the Rings movies are fantastic, with many considering The Return of the King's slew of awards to be a celebratory recognition of the entire trilogy. It tied the record for most Oscar wins, taking home all 11 awards it was nominated for (setting the record for the biggest clean sweep in Academy Awards history).
Most of the awards were technical in nature, but the movie also took home Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture.
The Hurt Locker (2009) - 95
Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker is the highest-rated Best Picture winner of the 2000s. The movie holds a stellar 95 rating on Metacritic, with 20 of the 37 collected reviews being perfect 10s. The movie is a harrowing and exciting depiction of bomb disposal in the Iraq War, with Jeremy Renner starring as Sergeant First Class William James.
Befitting its strong critical reception, The Hurt Locker performed exceptionally well at the 82nd Academy Awards, taking home six trophies (including the trifecta Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay).