Remember when you wanted a cool mustache to look tough like Don Corleone? And what about that famous scene in the movie Say Anything, where Lloyd stood outside Diane’s window, holding a boombox in the air, playing the song In Your Eyes?
From old-school The Lady Vanishes to the 1997 Titanic’s bold scene where Rose told Jack to “draw me like one of your French girls,” classics made it to the top for a reason. The stories and scenes stay with you as if they’re your own experiences and memories.
With all these wonderful movies, is there room for new films to be considered classics? There is! The movies made in the 2000s that have the qualities of a classic film are known as modern classics. Here are the top 10 modern classic films you should not miss.
1. Mean Girls (2004)
The teen comedy flick Mean Girls focuses on teen issues, including female high school cliques and bullying. It follows the story of a naïve teenager, played by Lindsay Lohan, trying her best to fit in school after years of homeschooling.
Someone said, “[It’s] the best teen comedy ever. [It’s] still relevant to this day. Just watched [it] with my niece and then thought they just made the movie. She made me Google it and everything to show her it came out when I was a teen. LOL.”
2. The Lord Of The Rings (2001)
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy comprises three adventure movies set in a fictional place called Middle-earth. It follows the adventure of Frodo Baggins and other brave men from different races gathered to complete a mission against evil.
A person said, “I mean, even if we ain’t counting trilogies, each individual movie is a classic on its own.”
3. No Country For Old Men (2007)
Coen brothers’ crime thriller No Country for Old Men narrates the stories of a Vietnam war veteran, a hitman, and a sheriff, who were played by Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and Tommy Lee Jones, respectively. It discusses conscience and fate, as well as the circumstances that result from people’s actions.
Someone remarked, “I really appreciate how they spotlight service-level employees in the movie. The interactions they have with the main characters are mundane, intense, and quirky. They give a context, foil, and a whole layer to the story.”
4. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is an interesting fusion of drama, romance, and science fiction. This masterpiece shows the story of a couple who erased each other from their memories after their breakup. The quirky yet adorable chemistry between Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet solidified the film’s general feel.
One person shared, “That movie hit me so hard I still haven’t managed to make myself rewatch it.”
5. Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-ho’s South Korean thriller and Oscar Best Picture winner Parasite captured the film industry like a storm. It tells the story of a poor family scheming to take advantage of a wealthy family by getting employed in the household using fake qualifications.
While many considered the film a modern classic, some said it’s overrated. They claimed, “It was 7/10, but not 11/10 like everyone says. Even his [Bong Joon-ho] other films outshine it. It’s just that for way too many Americans, it was their first real foreign film experience.”
6. Whiplash (2014)
Whiplash, a psychological drama starring Miles Teller, shows the story of an ambitious jazz drummer as he’s trained by an abusive trainer played by J.K. Simmons. It explores the concepts of dedication and perfectionism as one strives toward ambition and success.
A user described it as “one of the best music films ever made.
7. Amélie (2001)
Also referred to as Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain, which translates to The Fabulous Destiny Of Amélie Poulain, this French period romantic comedy is the story of a waitress who helps everyone to change their lives while dealing with her own issues head-on.
Someone commented, “Amelie was the cutest movie ever! Maybe too cute for some people, but I thought it was just right.”
8. Inception (2010)
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Inception is a science fiction movie that delves deeper into the mystery of the human subconscious. Someone even described it as a cinematic masterpiece.
Some people disagreed and pointed out the film’s plot holes. But an individual relented and said, “Maybe we don’t need make-believe stories to be absolutely airtight if they can resonate.”
9. Children Of Men (2006)
Alfonso Cuarón’s Children Of Men is a dystopian thriller set in 2027, where human infertility became rampant and extinction became real. The film follows the story of a UK civil servant helping a refugee escape from the government’s detentions.
Someone praised the movie and said, “Children of Men is fantastic. [It’s] one of the rare movies that’s better than the book.”
10. City Of God (2002)
City of God is a movie adaptation of Bráulio Mantovani’s 1997 novel Cidade De Deus. This crime film narrates the flourishing of organized crime in Rio de Janeiro, specifically the war between a drug dealer and a vigilante.
Somebody said, “City of god is one of the best movies ever made,” with its popular tagline, “If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you.”
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Source: Reddit
MSN Writer, Radical FIRE
Expertise: Entertainment, Travel, Interior Design, and Personal Improvement Niches
Education: Bachelor of Science in Tourism, Major in Development Tourism Management at Ateneo de Naga University
Experience: Marisa Bolivar is a content writer with 10 years of experience in creating blogs and articles across different industries on the web. She has explored many niches in her years working as a content specialist with her favorite zeroing on entertainment, from books to movies and TV shows. Marisa is also a bookworm, who has a fondness for personal improvement and philosophical authors like Paulo Coelho and Mitch Albom.