16 Best 2000s Movies for a Nostalgia Trip

By Vlad Zakh · August 23, 2026

United States Comedy nostalgic

Mean Girls and Napoleon Dynamite carried the era’s quotable teen-comedy boom, while Shrek and Spider-Man were its biggest studio swings. Anchorman is absurdist comedy that could only have landed then, The Hangover was the decade’s last great comedy before the genre shifted, and Juno and Superbad defined the late-2000s tone. Zoolander, School of Rock, Freaky Friday, 13 Going on 30, The Fast and the Furious, Bring It On and Pirates of the Caribbean round out the list.

Anchorman (2004) 01

Anchorman (2004)

IMDb ★ 7.1 RT 66% Metacritic 63

Absurdist comedy that could only have landed in this exact era.

Directed by Adam McKay · 1h 35m · Rated PG-13

1 win & 13 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Hangover (2009) 02

The Hangover (2009)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 79% Metacritic 73

Three friends piece together a wrecked Vegas bachelor party with no memory of the night before.

Directed by Todd Phillips · 1h 40m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award13 wins & 25 nominations total

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Juno (2007) 03

Juno (2007)

TMDB ★ 7.4

The indie-comedy voice that defined a specific late-2000s tone.

Directed by Jason Reitman · 1h 36m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Superbad (2007) 04

Superbad (2007)

IMDb ★ 7.6 RT 88% Metacritic 76

Two inseparable best friends face the reality of splitting up for college the night of one legendary party.

Directed by Greg Mottola · 1h 53m · Rated R

11 wins & 24 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Zoolander (2001) 05

Zoolander (2001)

TMDB ★ 6.5

A dim-witted male model becomes the unwitting pawn in a plot to assassinate a foreign prime minister.

Directed by Ben Stiller · 1h 29m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
School of Rock (2003) 06

School of Rock (2003)

IMDb ★ 7.2 RT 92% Metacritic 82

A failed musician poses as a supply teacher and secretly trains his class to form a rock band.

Directed by Richard Linklater · 1h 50m · Rated PG-13

8 wins & 24 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Hulu, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Freaky Friday (2003) 07

Freaky Friday (2003)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A mother and daughter swap bodies and start understanding each other for the first time.

Directed by Mark Waters · 1h 37m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
13 Going on 30 (2004) 08

13 Going on 30 (2004)

TMDB ★ 6.2

A thirteen-year-old's birthday wish instantly turns her into her thirty-year-old self.

Directed by Gary Winick · 1h 38m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Philo · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Fast and the Furious (2001) 09

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

TMDB ★ 6.6

An undercover cop infiltrates a street racing crew suspected of hijacking trucks full of electronics.

Directed by Rob Cohen · 1h 46m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Bring It On (2000) 10

Bring It On (2000)

TMDB ★ 5.9

A new cheer captain discovers that her squad has been stealing routines for years.

Directed by Peyton Reed · 1h 39m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) 11

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 79% Metacritic 63

A blacksmith teams up with an eccentric pirate to rescue a kidnapped governor's daughter.

Directed by Gore Verbinski · 2h 23m · Rated PG-13

Nominated for 5 Oscars38 wins & 104 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Spider-Man (2002) 12

Spider-Man (2002)

TMDB ★ 7.3

The Green Goblin, still one of the more genuinely unhinged superhero-movie villains.

Directed by Sam Raimi · 2h 01m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: Disney Plus, Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Shrek (2001) 13

Shrek (2001)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 89% Metacritic 84

A grumpy ogre's swamp is invaded by fairy-tale refugees, forcing him into an unlikely rescue mission.

Directed by Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson · 1h 30m · Rated PG

Won 1 Oscar40 wins & 60 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Notebook (2004) 14

The Notebook (2004)

IMDb ★ 7.8 RT 55% Metacritic 53

The gold standard for a proper cry, still working two decades later.

Directed by Nick Cassavetes · 2h 03m · Rated PG-13

12 wins & 10 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Napoleon Dynamite (2004) 15

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

TMDB ★ 6.9

An awkward small-town teenager helps his friend run for class president.

Directed by Jared Hess · 1h 35m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Mean Girls (2004) 16

Mean Girls (2004)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A homeschooled teenager infiltrates her new school's most powerful and vicious clique.

Directed by Mark Waters · 1h 37m · Rated PG-13

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

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Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.