Finding a movie to watch can be daunting, but with all the streaming platforms that are available with the click of a finger, there’s surely something that would catch your eye. Whether it’s something you’ve never watched before or a comfort movie — we’ve got you covered.
We’ve put together a list of movies from the 2000s that everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime. Trust us when we say the list includes some classics that you don’t want to miss.
The Princess Diaries (2001)
Director: Garry Marshall
Writer: Meg Cabot (novel), Gina Wendkos
Cast: Julie Andrews, Anne Hathaway, Hector Elizondo, Mandy Moore
Shy high school student Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is thrown for a loop when she learns that she’s a real-life princess. As the heir apparent to the crown of Genovia, Mia begins her transformation and journey to the throne — princess lesson with her strict and formidable paternal grandmother, Queen Clarisse Renaldi.
Orphan (2009)
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Alex Mace
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Isabelle Fuhrman, Peter Sarsgaard
Kate (Vera Farmiga) and John (Peter Sarsgaard) adopt a little girl named Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) at an orphanage after they lose their unborn child. Soon after the couple brought the girl home, and a dangerous series of events unfold, Kate starts suspecting that Esther isn’t as innocent and angelic as she appears to be.
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Writer: Catherine Johnson
Cast: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Christine Baranski
Donna (Meryl Streep), a hotelier in the Greek Islands, prepares for her daughter’s wedding with the help of her two close friends. While Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the bride-to-be has other plans — inviting three men from her mother’s past, in hopes that one of them will turn out to be her father so that he could escort her down the aisle on the big day.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Director: David Frankel
Writer: Lauren Weisberger (novel), Aline Brosh McKenna
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, Adrian Grenier
Recent college graduate Andy (Anne Hathaway) has big dreams — landing an assistant job at a prestigious high fashion magazine. Andy soon questions her abilities when demanding editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) as she’s brought along through a grim tour as Miranda’s whipping girl while avoiding getting scorched.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Director: Michel Gondry
Writer: Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Pierre Bismuth
Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson
When their relationship goes sour and a painful breakup ensues, Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergoes a medical procedure to erase all memories of her former boyfriend Joel (Jim Carrey). When Joel discovers the extreme measures Clementine goes through to forget about their relationship, he decides to undergo the same procedure to forget the woman that he once loved.
Spy Kids (2001)
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Writer: Robert Rodriguez
Cast: Alexa PenaVega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino
Two kids become spies when their OSS top spy parents get taken by an unknown evil mastermind. Armed with high-tech gadgets, Carmen (Alexa PenaVega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) travel the globe — a series of adventures — to save their parents, and the world.
Constantine (2005)
Director: Francis Lawrence
Writer: Jamie Delano (comic), Gath Ennis (comic), Kevin Brodbin
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Djimon Hounsou
As a suicide survivor, supernatural exorcist and demonologist John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) has been to hell and back. Constantine becomes caught up in a plot involving both demonic and angelic forces when he helps Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) investigate her sister’s apparent suicide.
Enchanted (2007)
Director: Kevin Lima
Writer: Bill Kelly
Cast: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden
In the fairy-tale land of Andalasia, young maiden Giselle (Amy Adams) falls in love with and is set to marry Prince Edward (James Marsden), when his evil stepmother sends the princess-to-be to a place where “happy ever afters” don’t exist —- New York City. When cynical divorce lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey) comes to her rescue, true love and happiness ever afters may be a thing that exists.
13 Going on 30 (2004)
Director: Gary Winick
Writer: Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa
Cast: Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Judy Greer, Christa B. Allen
Thirteen-year-old Jenna (Christa B. Allen) fantasizes about being an adult with a well-adjusted life. Little did she know that that wish she made on her birthday would change her life for good — waking up the next day she transformed into thirty-year-old Jenna (Jennifer Garner). But as life would have it, adulthood isn’t as simple as little Jenna had thought it’d be with its own set of male-female challenges.
Love Actually (2003)
Director: Richard Curtis
Writer: Richard Curtis
Cast: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Martine McCutcheon
Examining the complexities of love — following the lives of eight couples in London as they deal with their love lives — in various loosely interrelated stories, set during the frantic month before Christmas.
A Cinderella Story (2004)
Director: Mark Rosman
Writer: Leigh Dunlap
Cast: Hilary Duff, Chad Michael Murray, Julie Gonzalo, Jennifer Coolidge, Regina King
Routinely exploited by her stepmother (Jennifer Coolidge), Sam Montgomery (Hilary Duff) becomes excited to meet with the boy that she accidentally swapped phones with, as they decided to anonymously start messaging each other. The pair agree to meet each other at the school Halloween dance, but when San finds out that her secret pen pal was none other than Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray), the cutest most popular boy in school, she panics.
The Proposal (2009)
Director: Anne Fletcher
Writer: Peter Chiarelli
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Mary Steenburgen
Faced with deportation, high-powered and high-strung book editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) forces her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her — for her to keep her visa status and avoid deportation back to Canada. While Andrew agrees to the charade, he imposes conditions of his own. The pair must stick to their plans and deal with whatever mishaps go their way as not only do they have to deal with Andrew’s eccentric family, but also an overly suspicious immigration official.
Definitely, Maybe (2008)
Director: Adam Brooks
Writer: Adam Brooks
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks
Political consultant Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) is in the middle of an impending divorce when his young daughter (Abigail Breslin) asks him about his life and how he met her mother. Recounting his past romances with three women, he changes the women’s names so that his 11-year-old daughter can guess which of the women became his wife.
Spirited Away (2001)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki
Cast: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Takashi Naitô
During their move to the suburbs, 10-year-old Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi) and her parents (Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi) stumble onto a seemingly abandoned amusement park — ruled by gods, witches, and spirits. As her parents are turned into beasts, and with the guidance of mysterious Haku (Miyu Irino), little Chihiro must work at the park to free her and her parents.
Made of Honor (2008)
Director: Paul Weiland
Writer: Adam Sztykiel, Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont
Cast: Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd
Tom (Patrick Dempsey) has always been a serial dater, shy of commitment. His best friend, Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), has found her Mr. Right. Just as she asks Tom to be her maid of honor, he realizes that he’s always been in love with Hannah. Tom takes the opportunity to be part of his best friend’s bridal party, in an attempt to woo her and stop the nuptials.
National Treasure (2004)
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writer: Jim Kouf, Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight, Sean Bean
Benjamin Gates (Nicolas Cage) races against time to steal the Declaration of Independence before a team of mercenaries do when hidden clues are spread around the country, leading them to the fabled national treasure in America.
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writer: Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley, Gregory Poirier
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Helen Mirren, Jon Voight
Surprised and outraged by the claims of Mitch Wilkinson that the Gates ancestors were conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) with the help of his family and friend, heads to Washington and Europe to collect clues to prove the Gates family honor.
Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
Director: Gabor Csupo
Writer: Katherine Paterson (novel), Jeff Stockwell, David Paterson
Cast: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Bailey Madison, Zooey Deschanel
Jesse’s (Josh Hutcherson) life turns upside down when he befriends the new girl in school, Leslie (AnnaSophia Robb). The friends imagine a whole fantasy world to escape reality as Terabithia is inhibited by all forms of magical creatures. And although the pair go through difficulties in the real world, at least Jesse and Leslie rule as King and Queen in their fantasy escape. When tragedy strikes, one of the friends musters up their courage and strength to cope with the loss.
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Director: Joe Roth
Writer: John Grisham (novel), Chris Columbus
Cast: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julie Gonzalo
With their daughter Blair (Julie Gonzalo) away for the holidays, Luthor (Tim Allen) and Nora Krank (Jamie Lee Curtis) plan to take a cruise in the Caribbeans instead of following their yearly Christmas traditions. The idea doesn’t sit well with their Christmas-obsessed neighbors — determined to win the annual “Best Decorated Street” competition. And when Blair decides to come home for the holidays, the Kranks must put together a celebration last minute — causing a bit of an uproar.
Freaky Friday (2003)
Director: Mark Waters
Writer: Mary Rodgers (novel), Heather Hach, Leslie Dixon
Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Julie Gonzalo, Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray
Overworked single mother Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her daughter Anna (Lindsay Lohan) couldn’t be any more different — always driving each other insane. When they receive cryptic fortunes at a Chinese restaurant, the pair wake up to their bodies somehow switched. Unable to switch back, the mother-daughter duo is forced to adapt to the other’s life — developing a new sense of respect and understanding for one another.