2000s movies to stream at home

By Megan Riedlinger 8:00am PDT, Jun 10, 2020

As we continue to stay safer at home, we all need a little more movie-watching inspiration! Wonderwall.com is rounding up the best movies from the first decade of the 2000s that you can stream anytime, ranging from rom-coms to thrillers! First up, an offering from Hulu — "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Stream this 2004 drama starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet that tackles the topic of romantic memories. Critics adored this unique tale, which picked up an Academy Award for best original screenplay and boasted an impressive soundtrack. Keep reading for even more awesome '00s suggestions…

If you're looking for an aughts film for the whole family, 2005's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is currently streaming on Netflix. The revamp of the family classic saw Johnny Depp as the eccentric chocolate maker Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as young Charlie, who wins a tour. Critics and audiences both were big fans of the Tim Burton "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" remake, which earned more than $475 million worldwide.

Next up, we've got one of our favorite Will Smith movies of all time — "Hitch"! The 2005 film, which is currently streaming on Netflix, sees the movie star in an unexpected genre — romantic comedy — with Eva Mendes playing the object of his affection. We loved seeing this side of Will, who plays a professional dating coach who falls hard for Sara, a writer and workaholic.

RELATED: Our favorite Netflix rom-coms

In the mood for a musical? The 2007 adaptation of "Hairspray" transports you to Baltimore in the '60s, where you can follow Tracy Tunblad (played by Nikki Blonsky) and her trajectory to teen sensation after she lands a role as a dancer on "The Corny Collins Show." Packed with killer music and a star-studded cast that includes Zac Efron, John Travolta, James Marsden, Amanda Bynes and Brittany Snow. Watch this fun one on Netflix next time you need an escape!

If you're missing sports, "The Longshots" is a comedy-drama hybrid from 2008 that you can currently catch on Netflix. The movie is about the first girl to play Pop Warner football — she's brought to life by Keke Palmer — with Ice Cube as her former footballer uncle who convinces her to play the male-dominated sport. This touching tale wasn't a box office smash but still has a whole lot of heart.

Though the latest "Batman" installment has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, you can still watch 2008's "The Dark Knight" on Hulu. The Christian Bale-led version served as the sequel to "Batman Begins" and included the late Heath Ledger's phenomenal turn as The Joker.

They don't make teen movies like they did in the '00s! Case in point: "What a Girl Wants." This 2003 film starred Amanda Bynes as an American teen who heads to London to spend time with her father (played by Colin Firth) after graduating from high school. If you feel like enjoying this lighthearted pick, check it out on Netflix.

"Julie and Julia" saw Amy Adams playing a modern woman, Julie, who tackles the recipes in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," which was co-authored by culinary expert Julia Childs in the early '60s — and she learns a lot about herself along the way. Julia was brought to life by Meryl Streep, who earned a best actress Oscar nod and a best actress in a motion picture musical or comedy Golden Globe for her performance in the 2009 film. Catch this one on Netflix tonight!

It's nice to have a good laugh in while staying safe at home, and 2006's "Nacho Libre" is the perfect flick to take your mind off things. Jack Black's comedy about a priest who secretly moonlights as a luchador will keep you chuckling. Stream this one on Netflix anytime.

Two things that went together perfectly in the '00s? Matthew McConaughey and romantic comedies. We love "Failure to Launch," the 2006 rom-com that paired him with Sarah Jessica Parker and saw him playing a 35-year-old man who won't move out of his parents' house. Though it didn't get the best reviews, audiences flocked to see the film, which you can check out on Netflix.

Remember 2009's "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past"? It's another Matthew McConaughey rom-com, but this time the actor starred as Connor, a serious lady's man who attends his brother's wedding and bumps into old friend Jenny (played by Jennifer Garner)… who also happens to be the one that got away. Throughout the course of the movie, he's visited by romances from his past, present and future and ultimately reforms his playboy ways. Stream it on Netflix tonight!

Back in 2008, audiences met the man who ages backwards in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." Brad Pitt starred and Cate Blanchett played his love interest throughout his unconventional life. The flick was a smash hit with critics and audiences alike and picked up an impressive 13 Academy Award nominations. You can currently stream it anytime on Netflix.

If you head to Disney+, you can spend some time with Tony Stark! The wildly successful first installment in the "Iron Man" Marvel franchise came out in 2008 and starred Robert Downey Jr. in the titular role with a supporting cast made up of Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow. The American Film Institute picked the flick as one of the 10 best that year — and it earned two Academy Award nominations before spawning two sequels.

Next up? The 2005 romantic comedy "Just Friends" starring Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart. This one sees Ryan playing a former overweight teen who gets to reconnect with his old crush over the Christmas holidays. Though the movie got mixed reviews, decide for yourself while streaming it on Netflix.

When "Little Miss Sunshine" hit theaters in 2006, it was a massive sleeper hit that earned over $100 million at the box office despite its small budget and independent status. The film starred Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano and a young Abigail Breslin as a beauty pageant contestant. The comedy-drama is available to stream on Hulu anytime.

Turn on "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" if you want a good scare! The 2004 action-horror flick — a sequel to "Resident Evil" — starred Milla Jovovich as Alice, a woman who recently escaped from an underground facility and now has to find other survivors and try to escape from a zombie apocalypse. Let this one terrify you on Netflix tonight!

2005's "Yours, Mine and Ours" is fun for the whole family. The remake of the classic 1968 film starred Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo as a couple merging their massive families — which results in 18 kids between the two of them. You can watch this sweet family comedy on Netflix now.

"Cast Away" was a smash hit when it was released in 2000. The drama followed Tom Hanks' character after he's stranded on a deserted island in the South Pacific, chronicling his journey to survive. The performance earned Tom a best actor Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe for best actor in a drama. Relive this one by streaming it on Hulu.

"Austin Powers in Goldmember" came out in 2002, and now you can watch it anytime on Netflix. This installment of the silly spy series starring Mike Myers also included another major star — Beyonce! — in her movie debut. The film is the third and final installment in the franchise, which included a killer soundtrack with a tune from Bey herself, "Work It Out."

"Jarhead," a 2005 biographical war drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal, came out in 2005. Jamie Foxx and Peter Sarsgaard also star in the film, which is based on a memoir of the same name: It tells the story of Anthony Swofford's time serving during the Gulf War. You can watch this one on Netflix.

If you're looking for a quintessential teen romance, 2004's "A Cinderella Story" is currently on Netflix. Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray star in this updated take on the classic fairy tale — a boy and girl from different high school worlds collide in the mid-'00s (think AIM conversations and texts).

For adventure and intrigue and beautiful people, look no further than the 2002 Bond film "Die Another Day." This Pierce Brosnan-as-007 installment — the 20th film in the iconic film franchise — also featured Halle Berry as Bond girl Jinx. Watch it on Netflix.

"Something's Gotta Give" follows Harry (Jack Nicholson) and his messy love triangle with a mother and daughter (played by Diane Keaton and Amanda Peet, respectively). The 2003 rom-com gave us a different perspective and charmed critics and audiences alike: It did big numbers at the box office and picked up a number of major award nominations. Watch this one on Netflix.

"Scary Movie" tackled the funnier elements of, well, scary movies! The original film — which spawned five movies in total — came out in 2000 and starred Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans as they parodied popular scary movies of the era like "Scream" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer." Cue this one up on Netflix and get ready to laugh!

If you enjoyed 2020's "Bad Boys for Life," you can revisit the characters in 2003's "Bad Boys II" now on Netflix. The second film in the franchise starred Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as detectives Burnett and Lowrey as they investigated the Miami drug trade. This installment actually grossed double the amount of the original film in its early-'00s release.