Can a watch last 20 years

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated December 20, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Screen Rant

Summary

Hollywood has changed so much in the past 20 years, becoming an industry centered on franchise-building and IP, with blockbusters dominating the box office and leading online conversations.
The best movies of the past 20 years have gotten bigger and bigger, with larger-than-life films making a significant impact compared to those from earlier years.
Looking back on the past two decades, several films have cemented themselves as the best of all time, such as The Return of the King, Up, and Arrival.

So much has happened in the 21st century, it's difficult to choose the best movies that have released in the past 20 years, but we've done it for Screen Rant's 20th anniversary. Looking back on the past two decades, Hollywood clearly has become an industry driven by IP and focused on franchise-building. Much of that began decades ago when blockbusters like Jaws blew people away; it's now been perfected. Still, having franchise-starters, sequels, and movies based on other IP doesn't mean those films aren't great, nor does it mean original stories aren't also being made at the same time.

In the last two decades, audiences have seen series like Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, Twilight, Transformers, and, of course, the Marvel Cinematic Universe begin and end, rise and fall. Blockbusters have dominated the list of highest-grossing movies at the box office each and every year, with new installments in franchises and shared universes leading the conversations online. It's easy to see how the best movies of each year got bigger and bigger, almost larger than life compared to films from the early 2000s. It's what made selecting the best movies of the past 20 years an eye-opening experience -- seeing the sheer amount of changes Hollywood has undergone.

RelatedFrom superhero to horror, thriller to historical, here are the 25 greatest movies released in the 2010s decade (as voted for by SR editors).

21 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Selection written by Amanda Mullen, Features Editor

Release Date: December 3, 2003
Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, David Wenham, Karl Urban, John Noble, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, Sean Bean

Every movie in Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings trilogy is packed with emotion and action, but The Return of the King is the best installment by far and it holds up as one of the greatest movies of the past 20 years. The high-stakes finale to Frodo Baggins story, The Return of the King follows the Hobbit into the depths of Mount Doom, where he nearly fails to finish his quest. Needless to say, The Return of the King features some of the bleakest moments of the entire trilogy. However, its ending delivers a poignant message about the power of hope and friendship in the face of adversity.

It's not easy to wrap up an epic story like The Lord of the Rings, but J.R.R. Tolkien does an impressive job of it in his books. By remaining true to the source material, The Return of the King manages the same feat, bringing every member of the Fellowships story to a heartfelt and satisfying conclusion. From Aragorns epic speech outside the gates of Mordor to Sam and Frodos difficult climb up Mount Doom, many scenes from The Return of the King will stick with viewers long after the credits roll. The fantasy film is a masterclass in storytelling, and its visuals, performances, and action sequences are equally impressive.

20 2004: Before Sunset

Selection written by Jordan Williams, Features Editor

Romance movies rarely return with a sequel that not only matches the originals charm and sentiment but exceeds it, and Richard Linklaters Before Sunset is perhaps the greatest example of this such achievement. While Before Sunrise (1995) was about hope, youth, and what could be, Before Sunset (2004) brings back Jesse and Cline nine years after their first encounter to explore what could have been. Revealing that the pair never met up as intended those nine years ago, Jesse and Cline meet again in Europe and reveal what became of their lives over the near-decade since seeing one another, with the spark still remaining all these years later.

Will Jesse and Cline actually make it work this time? Will the people that they have become over the past nine years change their love for one another? Or, will love slip away again just as it did nine years ago? Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpys screenplay, Hawke and Delpys chemistry, and Lee Daniels cinematography combine to form a flawless romantic drama with even higher stakes than the original. More than the other two in Linklaters trilogy, Before Sunset offers one of the most enticing, perhaps tormenting endings in romance movie history.

19 2005: Brokeback Mountain

Selection written by Graeme Guttmann, Lead News Editor

Release Date: January 13, 2006
Director: Ang Lee

Ang Lee, fresh off his divisive but excellent Hulk adaptation, returned with another soulful take on a beloved piece of literature. Brokeback Mountain is based on a short story by Annie Proulx and though it is underscored by tragedy, the film is much more than a tale of two ill-fated cowboys who fall in love against the backdrop of the American West. Sporting a stellar cast, including Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger at the height of their powers, Brokeback Mountain is, in part, responsible for bringing queer American cinema to the mainstream.

Remarkably, the film made $178 million against its $14 million budget. It also sparked a wave of LGBTQIA+ centric movies and television shows in the years to follow. Even without this lasting impact, though, Brokeback Mountain is a stirring film, punctuated by Lees tenderly observant lens and aching performances from Gyllenhaal and Ledger. The film cuts deep, incisive in its depiction of repression and longing, and, eventually, heartbreaking in its depiction of forbidden desire realized.

18 2006: Little Miss Sunshine

Selection written by Kara Hedash, Junior Lead Features Editor

Critics and movie audiences dont tend to agree very often, but they did just that when it came to the stellar reception surrounding 2006s Little Miss Sunshine. Following a dysfunctional family road-tripping from New Mexico to California in a VW van, Little Miss Sunshine certainly brought the laughs. The film also hit on some very tragic elements. The Hoover family, of course, came together after young Olive qualified for a beauty pageant. During their journey to get her to the competition, they were all forced to face personal issues they had all been bottling up. The movie may not have been flashy, but it turned out to be one of the best films in the past 20 years.

After a limited release, Little Miss Sunshine became a box office hit, making over $100 million off of the $8 million budget. More impressive was the fact that the movie was the directorial debut of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Paris. Granted, the dark comedy worked well due to the notable ensemble cast highlighted by veterans and actors gaining momentum in their careers. Aside from the late great Alan Arkin, the cast included Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, and Steve Carell in key roles.

The performances from Abigail Breslin as Olive and Paul Dano as Olives older brother Dwayne in Little Miss Sunshine were emotionally brilliant. Though they were very different, they each learned the importance of family support as they overcame life's challenges. With family being the central theme at the center of Little Miss Sunshine, it was extremely fitting that the ending brought the Hoovers together for a wacky performance of Rick James' Super Freak. Not only did it serve as Little Miss Sunshines most hilarious sequence, but it also embraced the notion that even the most dysfunctional of families can come together during hard times.

17 2007: There Will Be Blood

Written by Graeme Guttmann, Lead News Editor

Release Date: December 26, 2007
Cast: daniel day-lewis, Russell Harvard, Ciarn Hinds, Dillon Freasier, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor

In the last 20 years, Paul Thomas Anderson has made at least two films worthy of the masterpiece label. One of them, 2007s There Will Be Blood, marked a significant departure for the writer-director, and its one of his boldest works to date. A dark anti-Western loosely based on the novel Oil!, by Upton Sinclair, Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Daniel Plainview opposite Paul Danos Eli Sunday.

Like the black gold that erupts from the California desert, Daniel Plainview is a man on the edge of rage, and when it bubbles to the surface, his outbursts are as captivating as they are terrifying. Danos Eli Sunday is often on the receiving end and, though his character serves as a passive foil to Plainview, Dano is just as powerful here. With an all-timer of a final scene that brings together the films meditations on greed, faith, and family, there is nothing else like There Will Be Blood in Andersons filmography.

Related"I drink your milkshake!" is a famous quote from There Will Be Blood for its absurdity, but the line disturbingly reveals the cruelty of capitalism.

16 2008: The Dark Knight

Selection written by Cooper Hood, Features Editor

Release Date: July 18, 2008
Cast: Nestor Carbonell, Morgan Freeman, Ritchie Coster, Cillian Murphy, Chin Han, Gary Oldman, Eric Roberts, William Fichtner, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Christian Bale, David Dastmalchian, Michael Caine, Anthony Michael Hall, Heath Ledger

Building on the success of Batman Begins, Christopher Nolans highly-anticipated sequel was everything comic fans could have hoped for and then some. The Dark Knight flies so high thanks in large part to the performance of Heath Ledger as Joker. It is a true tour-de-force performance that rightfully secured him a posthumous Oscar and set a new bar for what a comic book movie villain could be. Of course, The Dark Knight would not work nearly as well if Ledgers Joker was not the perfect counterpart to Christian Bales Batman and how the movie props up Harvey Dents Two-Face turn in the process.

There are also several standout action sequences done on the size and scale viewers have come to expect from Nolan, which helps the movie deliver on its superhero spectacle. The difference here is that The Dark Knight manages to remain grounded in its story and characters through it all. Nolans second Batman movie revolutionized Hollywood in terms of shepherding in the superhero boom and forcing the Oscars to make rule and category changes, giving it an impact that is still felt today. Its no wonder DC has been chasing this level of success ever since.

15 2009: Up

Selection written by Rose Graceling-Moore, Evergreen Lead Editor

Release Date: June 11, 2009
Director: Pete Docter
Cast: Ed Asner, Bob Peterson

Up is unique, in that it is best known not for the lovable characters, dramatic plot, or engaging villain (although it has all of those things), but for a near-silent opening sequence that does a full films worth of emotional damage in ten minutes. Known as Married Life (when referring to the silent portion) or The First Ten Minutes of Up (including the spoken scenes at the start), this sequence could be a standalone short, telling the story of Carl and Ellie as they fall in love, get married, and grow old together. The piece has become a cultural milestone, proving that Pixar is still past master of emotional manipulation.

Outside of Married Life, Up remains a sweet Pixar movie about a grumpy old man going on a big adventure - and learning how to become part of the world again thanks to the irrepressible Russell (Wilderness Explorer in Tribe 54, Sweat Lodge 12), the presumed-fictitious Snipe, Kevin, and Dug, the golden retriever. Making sure that no Pixar film is released without a non-human character that has feelings, Dug is one of many dogs in the movie who are equipped with special collars, allowing them to talk - leading to some of the most quotable moments in the - SQUIRREL!

Up is charming, whimsical, and speaks to everyone who wishes they could simply pull up their home and run away to a slightly more magical place.

14 2010: The Social Network

Selection written by John Orquiola, Star Trek Lead Editor

Release Date: October 1, 2010

The Social Network isnt just the best film of 2010, but it remains a defining mirror of the early 21st century. Directed by David Fincher at the height of his powers, the brash and perceptive screenplay by Aaron Sorkin reveals that the birth of social media, which has come to dominate our lives, was because Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) was dumped by his girlfriend (Rooney Mara).

The rapid rise of Facebook and the narcissism and greed of Zuckerberg and the key players of Facebooks beginnings, from Andrew Garfield as the hapless Eduardo Saverin, Justin Timberlake as Napster co-founder Sean Parker, and Armie Hammer in playing the Winklevoss twins, dramatizes societys fundamental shift in ways more powerful today than it was when the film was released. The ominous, tech-y score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross gives The Social Network a propulsive dread, and Finchers film remains a master class of acting, writing, and directing.

RelatedDavid Fincher's The Social Network chronicles the founding of Facebook, and while it got many things right, it changed a couple of details.

13 2011: Moneyball

Selection written by Cooper Hood, Features Editor

Release Date: September 23, 2011
Director: Bennett Miller

It took 10 years for the true story of the Oakland As and Billy Beanes magical turnaround of the Major League Baseball franchise to become a movie, and it proved to be worth the wait. This is not the prototypical sports movie in a sense where the story is focused on the man behind the team instead of the players actually competing. Bennett Millers direction and the screenplay from Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian work magically together to create an inspirational story and intriguing look at the analytical side of managing a baseball team. With analytics becoming an even greater part of the sports world in the years since Moneyballs release, the movie has become even more relevant.

The charming performance from Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, a fist-pumping turn from Jonah Hill as Peter Brand, and a wonderfully angry Philip Seymour Hoffman are among the highlights of the cast. Its no surprise the movie became an awards contender and earned six Oscar nominations, although it still stings that it did not secure a win in any category. Moneyball is the type of movie Hollywood doesnt make much anymore, but its crowd-pleasing nature has helped it continue to stand the test of time.

12 2012: Zero Dark Thirty

Selection written by Mansoor Mithaiwala, Lead Features Editor

Release Date: December 19, 2012
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Joel Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Chris Pratt2, Jennifer Ehle

Zero Dark Thirty was one of many movies "based on a true story" to release in 2012, yet despite the greatness seen in Argo, Lincoln, and others, the story of the tracking and assassination of Osama bin Laden ended up being the best of the bunch. This could've easily been a film that lost its way to unnecessary action, become too much of a political message by propping up President Obama, or have fallen into one of several, typical pitfalls found in four-quadrant blockbusters -- none of that happened, though. Instead, a story so captivating and harrowing as this required no embellishments. Simply showing things as they happened, with an expert like Katheryn Bigelow at the helm, turned a complex tale into an astounding one.

Espionage films can rely too much on thrills and heart-pumping action to keep people interested in the mystery; it's a core part of the genre. Zero Dark Thirty didn't need to do any of that. Rather, it slowed everything down, took the investigation step by step and showcased how mundane and dangerous spycraft can be, particularly when hunting down the most notorious terrorist in history. Zero Dark Thirty didn't pull its punches, nor did it overextend, and because of its raw nature, the film became so unnerving, it was difficult to believe it was real -- but it was, and it was a true triumph in filmmaking.

11 2013: Inside Llewyn Davis

Selection written by Mansoor Mithaiwala, Lead Features Editor

Virtually everyone knows who Oscar Isaac is nowadays, but he didn't have his breakthrough until 2013's Inside Llewyn Davis -- a spectacular period film by Joel and Ethan Coen that examines the life of a struggling musician in the early 1960s. It's a simplistic tale of an artist, Llewyn Davis, who experiences the joy of creating beautiful music and the subsequent disappointment of failing to share that music with as many people as possible. Sometimes things just don't work out, but it goes against our nature to not root for the underdog -- fictional or not.

There's something comforting about a movie that begins and ends with the same scene, being able to revisit a key moment with added context that opens it up to deeper interpretation. It's what Inside Llewyn Davis does so well, but there's more to it: The movie forces viewers to care for an unpleasant person, to mourn with him when he fails, and to accept his fate as someone who won't one day compare to Bob Dylan, whom he sees perform live in the same room he gave his soul singing the song that would define him, "Fare Thee Well."

RelatedThe Coen Brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis ends with a mysterious musician taking the stage, in what turns out to be a cameo by the great Bob Dylan.

Inside Llewyn Davis is a warming, yet harrowing story of someone who pursued a romance with the arts, an entanglement that would seal his fate because, on some level, he feels consumed by the music -- and the music is soothing to the ears. Ultimately, this might be the best movie the Coen brothers ever made; it rightfully earns its place alongside their other classics.

10 2014: Boyhood

Selection written by Jordan Williams, Features Editor

Richard Linklaters experimental coming-of-age drama is a monumental moment in the power of cinema and filmmaking, with an ingenious story that is as close to a documentary as a fictional drama can be. Following the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr. (Ellar Coltrane), Boyhood follows his life from ages six to 18 in Texas with his divorced parents and older sister. Revolutionarily, Linklater filmed the movie from 2002 to 2013 with the same actors, adjusting the story and screenplay as the actors lives themselves changed over the years. Linklaters vision allows for a genuine, intimate portrayal of the experience of growing up, with Boyhoods epic nature being one of cinemas greatest spotlights on the human condition.

9 2015: Mad Max: Fury Road

Selection written by Kara Hedash, Junior Lead Features Editor

Release Date: May 14, 2015
Director: George Miller

By the time Mad Max: Fury Road was released, 30 years had passed since George Millers original post-apocalyptic trilogy ended. Not only were expectations exceedingly high due to the excitement surrounding the franchises epic return, but Miller was tasked with reinventing the story after Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome was widely deemed the weakest in the film series. Oddly, decades of developmental hell worked in Fury Roads favor since it allowed for a massive budget and a brand-new cast in focus. Mel Gibson certainly made his mark as Max Rockatansky, but Tom Hardys interpretation perfectly fit into Millers new vision.

The rumors of Hardy not getting along with co-star Charlize Theron were reportedly true. However, that tension was brilliantly masked by the initial distrust between Max and Furiosa as they eventually come together against Immortan Joe and his followers. What ensued was an exhilarating adventure on wheels, acting as part rescue mission and part road battle in typical Mad Max fashion. Millers visuals throughout the movie were absolutely stunning despite the wasteland in which the movie was set. It also incorporated some genuinely bizarre characters and environmental aspects that would only work in the world of Mad Max.

The Mad Max movies were already classics before Fury Road, but the 2015 movie brought the franchise back to life while infusing the franchise with a bigger following than ever before. While it was considered one of the best movies of 2015, in reality, its one of the best movies to be released in the last 20 years, if not longer. Fury Road didnt win Best Picture, but it did bring home six Academy Awards, solidifying itself in awards history. Aside from the Furiosa prequel, a sequel to Fury Road is still in development. It may be taking longer than expected, but its safe to say Mad Max rediscovered its glory thanks to Fury Road.

8 2016: Arrival

Selection written by Tom Bacon, Star Wars Lead Editor

Release Date: November 10, 2016
Cast: Michael Stuhlbarg, Forest Whitaker, Tzi Ma, Amy Adams, Mark O'Brien, Jeremy Renner, Nathaly Thibault

Directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Amy Adams as a linguist called in to help when alien ships arrive across the Earth, Arrival is easily one of the most powerful science-fiction movies of the last 20 years. At its best, sci-fi offers a opportunity to shine a light on aspects of life and human nature, allowing viewers to explore common human experiences through unfamiliar, fantastical lenses. In this case, Arrival plays with the perception of time and discusses grief in quite a beautiful and profound way.

Arrival is particularly impressive because of its focus on language and communication, as Adams' character learns to communicate with these aliens and finds this conversation transformative. The effects are stunning, effortlessly realizing the kind of high-concept sci-fi that's so often dismissed and yet makes a movie utterly engrossing. This is a movie that leaves viewers with a lot to think about and reflect on, one that's so very rewarding for a rewatch.

7 2017: Blade Runner 2049

Selection written by James Hunt, Deputy Lead Features Editor

Release Date: October 6, 2017
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jared Leto, Ana De Armas, Robin Wright, Lennie James, Dave Bautista, Carla Juri, Hiam Abbass, Barkhad Abdi, David Dastmalchian, Mackenzie Davis, Sylvia Hoeks
Franchise(s)

Denis Villeneuve may not be the most iconic or defining director of Screen Rant's 20-year history - an honor that could long be debated, but probably falls to Christopher Nolan - but he's increasingly making the case for being the best, and certainly when it comes to Sci-Fi. Case in point: Blade Runner 2049. Coming off the back of Arrival, this only confirmed he is a true master of the genre, able to blend stunning visuals and heady ideas with real human (or replicant) heart underneath them.

Much of the praise for Blade Runner 2049 falls on Roger Deakins, and he'll absolutely get more here: his cinematography creates a stunning world that at once feels of a piece with the original movie, yet updates it, making it feel like it has been fully lived in and changing in the 30 year in-universe gap that exists between the movies. But that's really Blade Runner 2049 as a whole. This is exactly what a sequel should be doing: honoring the original, adding greater depth to it, and telling its own great story at the same time.

Blade Runner 2049 is filled with great performances, including, by far, the best outing from one of Harrison Ford's returns to his most iconic characters. It may be long, but not a minute is wasted as it grapples with questions around what it means to be human, and what it means to love, which builds to that surprising, beautiful ending. Blade Runner 2049 not only improves the original Blade Runner, it outdoes it too.

6 2018: Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Selection written by Nicholas Raymond, Features Editor

2018 saw no shortage of great movies, ranging from Black Panther to Annihilation, but none stand out more than Mission: Impossible Fallout. Whereas most long-running franchises run the risk of growing stale with each installment, Mission: Impossible proved that it still had plenty of thrills to offer. Whats more, it managed to outdo all of its predecessors in more ways than one. Like all Mission: Impossible movies, Fallout puts the focus on action and daring stunts performed by Tom Cruise himself. But for this one, the movie ups the ante considerably. The helicopter chase scene and the HALO jump are among the most ambitious action sequences the franchise has ever attempted.

Amazingly, Mission: Impossible -- Fallout managed to maintain the sense of intensity found in its signature scene throughout its story. Aided by a plot fueled by its emotional stakes, the movie kept the excitement at a high level through surprise twists and perilous situations that took full advantage of the stars reputation for making the action look as real as possible. Fallout kept the action coming, all the while telling a deeply compelling, personal story for Cruises Ethan Hunt that exposed fascinating, rarely seen layers of the character. With Mission: Impossible Fallout, the series exceeded expectations by delivering not only its best entry yet, but also the best movie of 2018.

5 2019: Marriage Story

Selection written by Rose Graceling-Moore, Evergreen Lead Editor

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson deliver stunning performances in this Oscar-winning film about the breakdown of love. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story jumps in time, drawing together the earlier days of Charlie and Nicoles relationship and marriage, and their eventual separation and divorce, as both hire lawyers, and struggle to find a way to share custody of their young son.

The plot itself is straightforward, and secondary to the incredibly raw emotional scenes as the characters struggle to find the right way forward. Action is sparse, with the focus instead on the conversations between the couple, and with their lawyers, where Driver and Johansson beautifully capture how devastated the characters are - and how anger and love and sorrow coexist. While Marriage Story arguably has a happy ending, its a gut-wrenching and intimate portrait of a family splitting apart.

4 2020: Hamilton

Selection written by Cooper Hood, Features Editor

Release Date: July 3, 2020
Director: THomas Kail
Cast: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, Christopher Jackson, Jonathan Groff, Anthony Ramos, Okieriete Onaodowan, Jasmine Cephas Jones

2020 might be mostly remembered as a time when everyone was stuck in quarantine, but Hamiltons arrival helped make that stressful time a bit more enjoyable. The recording of Lin-Manuel Mirandas hit Broadway musical came to Disney+ during the year and quickly found an entirely new audience as it resonated with viewers just as strongly as those who saw it live on the stage. The reasons for this range from Hamiltons incredible soundtrack and memorable songs to the great performances from its ensemble cast. Its ability to make Alexander Hamiltons life and Americas history both entertaining and informative is also a point in its favor, not to mention the thematic meanings at play thanks to the crafted narrative and diverse casting. While seeing Hamilton at home on a streaming service does not quite compare to experiencing it on Broadway with the original cast, the beauty of this movie is it gave everyone who couldnt afford that experience a chance to get the next best thing.

RelatedHamilton: An American Musical is now on Disney+, but how historically accurate is Lin-Manuel Miranda's adaptation, based on Ron Chernow's biography?

3 2021: Dune

Selection written by Tom Bacon, Star Wars Lead Editor

Release Date: October 22, 2021
Cast: Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Jason Momoa, David Dastmalchian, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Stellan Skarsgrd, Charlotte Rampling, Chang Chen, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Timothee Chalamet, Josh Brolin
Franchise(s)

Denis Villeneuve isn't the first to try to make a movie out of Frank Herbert's Dune, but he pulls it off because of an intensity of world-building that is absolutely unrivaled. Dune is absolutely packed with rich imagery, and the desert world of Arrakis genuinely feels like a real place. There's a phenomenal sense of scale, not least surrounding the iconic sandworms, which are truly intimidating in scenes where they threat the protagonist. Meanwhile, the mystical elements that Herbert loved to play with work out beautifully, the spiritual concepts playing off against the scientific elements in a remarkably compelling way.

Dune leans heavily on exposition, which makes sense given its inspiration. It isn't faultless; there are a couple of moments when the camera lingers a little too long over a creature or scene, as though to ensure viewers have had time to take in how much work the crew put in. But that style really fits with the overall feel; this is a movie that is unhurried, willing to take its time and allow audiences to familiarize themselves with a strange new world. Timothe Chalamet is perfectly cast as the star, Paul Atreides, while the rest of the cast are phenomenal. Some have criticized that Zendaya's character only has a small appearance, but that will be rectified in the much-anticipated sequels.

2 2022: Everything Everywhere All At Once

Selection written by Craig Elvy, Junior Lead Features Editor

Release Date: March 25, 2022
Director: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

With the medium of film going strong for more than a century, precious few modern movies can claim to be unique. Truthfully, Everything Everywhere All At Once is no different, managing to release in the very same year as another studios cinematic depiction of multiverse madness. In every conceivable sense, however, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a visual and narrative experience none before have dared attempt, and none after will be able to match.

Despite the cacophony of parallel universes on display, the Everything Everywhere All At Once concept boils down to just two narrative threads. One is the wild, multiverse-shattering adventure of Michelle Yeohs Evelyn, in which she explores an endless string of alternate selves, indulges in what if scenarios from her past, and discovers her own daughter is a despicable supervillain. The second is the very human story of Prime Evelyn, whose marriage, family life, and business are falling apart before her googly eyes.

RelatedThe 11-time Oscar-nominee Everything Everywhere All at Once ends on a satisfying yet question-prompting note. Here's the EEAAO ending explained.

The real beauty of Everything Everywhere All At Once lies in how these two conflicting threads - one beyond imagination, the other all too relatable - intertwine so perfectly. Each thread informs, complements, and strengthens the other throughout Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinerts dizzying script. The Daniels - alongside a transcendent cast led by Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu and returning hero Ke Huy Quan - then go further, achieving the near-impossible feat of genuinely delivering on the multiverses infinite promise in all its confusing, magical, frightening glory. One glance at 2022s other big multiverse movie proves exactly how challenging that can be.