Every 2000s Best Picture Oscar Winner, Ranked

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Whether you're talking about the best and worst best picture winners or the biggest best picture snubs, the most significant Oscar category almost always stirs up conversation. Everybody's got an opinion when it comes to this realm of the Oscars — even the folks who think the award show is hackneyed and irrelevant. Among the 97 movies that have scored best picture, ten received the award in the 2000s. These were the first best picture winners of a new millennium, each carving out varying reputations on top of that momentous feat.

When ranking these Oscar victors from worst to best in overall quality, it's clear that the Academy doesn't always get it right. This ceremony has awarded best picture statues to subpar movies since the days of "The Broadway Melody." It's no surprise, then, that this phenomenon would continue into the 21st century with the very worst 2000s best picture winners. However, this particular decade did drum up accolades for some incredible movies that endured as masterpieces, with or without the Oscar halo effect.

It was the best and worst of times for best picture winners across this tumultuous decade. Ranking these ten from worst to best only further crystallizes that truth.

It's a cliché at this point to place "Crash" at the bottom of an Oscar-themed ranking, but there's a reason certain clichés endure. "Crash" is just a really bad movie that's only gotten worse with time. Directed and co-written by Paul Haggis, this title explores several disparate Los Angeles lives. Each character is impacted by toxic stereotypes (largely rooted in race), whether suffering from them or assuming the worst about other communities. Conceptually, Haggis aims to show how alike these souls are, emphasizing humanity's tendency to leap first into hostile aggression.

In execution, the trite script is rife with thinly-sketched characters, with the non-white players especially getting no sense of dimension. "Crash" constantly lapses into the stereotypes it's supposedly challenging. An emphasis on excessive displays of melodrama is also severely mishandled. Everybody in "Crash" is wailing; every new development is an Earth-shattering bombshell. This barrage of noise fails to convey meaningful depth leaving its slew of talented performers (including Thandiwe Newton, Brendan Fraser, and Don Cheadle) stranded.

No amount of star power can salvage something this misguided. There aren't even any filmmaking flourishes to make the screenwriting shortcomings bearable, as "Crash's" visuals are a generic pile of mush. With all that baggage, it's easy to see why "Crash" is viewed as the nadir of best picture winners.

• Cast: Karina Arroyave, Dato Bakhtadze, Sandra Bullock 
• Year: 2005
• Runtime: 1hr 52min
• Rating: R
• Where to watch: Rent or buy on Amazon

Director Ron Howard is in strictly "respectable" mode for 2001's "A Beautiful Mind," which charts the life of mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe), his struggles with schizophrenia, and his life-changing romance with Alicia Nash (Jennifer Connelly). Howard and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman refuse to deviate from the standard biopic format, meaning intriguing visual, storytelling, or thematic flourishes are largely absent. It's so formulaic that it inspires yawns rather than awe over Nash's intellectual prowess.

The way Nash's psychology evokes suspense in certain scenes adds a mild jolt, but these flickers tend to sensationalize rather than humanize Nash's interior struggles. Meanwhile Goldsman, the writer behind titles ranging from "Batman & Robin" to "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," struggles to deliver believable dialogue for these characters. Even Crowe, whose modern performances delight in his go-for-broke tendencies, is on autopilot here as he squeezes into the stock aesthetic Howard has conjured up. Only Connelly and supporting performer Paul Bettany exude anything resembling tangible humanity amongst the ensemble cast.

In the scope of Howard's filmography, "A Beautiful Mind" certainly doesn't sink to the pits of "Inferno" or "Hillbilly Elegy." However, it's still a tedious slog. How this won best picture over "Mulholland Drive" or "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" is anyone's guess.

• Cast: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly
• Year: 2001 
• Runtime: 2hr 15min
• Rating: PG-13
• Where to watch: Amazon

Among the biggest Clint Eastwood movies of all time is the 2004 feature "Million Dollar Baby," his second directorial effort to win best picture after 1992's "Unforgiven." Decades later, the best word to describe this sports drama is "serviceable." This saga of amateur boxer "Maggie" Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) coaxing grizzled trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) to improve her skills has some engaging scenes to its name. The performances are largely satisfactory, and its quietly sad final shot is immensely memorable.

If anything keeps it from really knocking viewers out, though, it's Paul Haggis's screenplay. There's little here, either in basic storytelling beats or execution, that generates much surprise. Eastwood's surface-level filmmaking style amplifies the "been there, done that" sensibility that "Million Dollar Baby" can't shake. A well-worn tragic ending for Fitzgerald doesn't help. There's also a distracting caricatured approach to many of the supporting characters, particularly Fitzgerald's manipulative family, that makes it hard to stay invested.

At least the 2005 best picture winner works plenty well as a showcase for Swank's talents, who aptly lends specificity and humanity to a role far less fleshed out on the page. The sequences that effectively tug at the heartstrings are also commendable. What a shame that the production as a whole is too derivative for its own good.

• Cast: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman
• Year: 2004
• Runtime: 2hr 12min
• Rating: PG-13
• Where to watch: Rent or buy on Amazon

"Gladiator" left an immense impact on pop culture, particularly in reviving the swords-and-sandals movie for the 21st century. Unfortunately, to accomplish those feats, "Gladiator" delivered a straightforward piece of epic cinema with little personality of its own. Ridley Scott's grand saga concerns Maximus (Russell Crowe) defying the odds and using his increasing notoriety as a gladiator champion to execute a secret plan for revenge. At its heart, "Gladiator" carries on the tradition of classic titles heavy on blood and vengeance-fueled motivation. Perhaps that's why "Gladiator" co-writer John Logan dubbed the film "timeless."

While its craftsmanship is exceptional, the drama on-screen isn't especially engaging. "Gladiator" struggles turning its players into believable humans, making its 155-minute runtime more arduous than captivating. That's not a massive problem when the camera captures epic wide shots or clanging swords. But when things slow down, the shortcomings of "Gladiator's" script become unavoidable. The Roman crowds may love Maximus, but he's not as transfixing as a film protagonist.

The visual pizzazz here (realized deftly through Scott's assured hand) is commendable, but the inert drama keeps "Gladiator" from truly triumphing. It doesn't help that there are far better historical epics in Scott's filmography, including the oft-overlooked "The Last Duel."

• Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen
• Year: 2000
• Runtime: 2hr 35min
• Rating: R
• Where to watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, Paramount+ 

If ever there was a movie at war with itself, it's "Slumdog Millionaire," the best picture victor at the 81st Academy Awards. The film sees Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) recall the many obstacles he endured growing up in Mumbai's Juhu slum while answering seemingly impossible questions on a Hindi version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Director Danny Boyle's trademark propulsive filmmaking lends real verve to every new challenge presented in the lengthy flashback sequences. Our protagonist is the quintessential underdog, and we can't help but root for him to triumph.

Dev Patel, already a transfixing performer in one of his first film roles, certainly makes things extra absorbing. However, he's tasked with anchoring a script that often traffics in shallow stereotypes and a vision of Mumbai lacking lived-in reality. The very same surface-level crowd-pleaser elements that inspire brief bursts of serotonin are also often rooted in those superficial details, not to mention cloying sentimentality. Watching this is a jarring experience, as Boyle's handling of the cathartic material wildly oscillates from smile-inducing to groan-worthy in the span of one scene.

"Slumdog Millionaire" has its share of charms, particularly Boyle's vibrant touches and the star-making turns from Patel and Freida Pinto. However, it's also too calculated to hit its intended target of being an all-time great feel-good experience.

• Cast: Dev Patel, Saurabh Shukla, Anil Kapoor
• Year: 2008
• Runtime: 2hr
• Rating: R
• Where to watch: Rent or buy on Apple TV

After years of industry struggle in showcasing the Iraq War on film, director Kathryn Bigelow delivered "The Hurt Locker," a best picture winner that depicted this conflict in an evocative light. Following Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner) and his team's obsession with the thrill of disarming bombs in Iraq, "Hurt Locker" used Bigelow's gift for suspense to create impactful, nail-biting sequences. No wonder the soldiers chronicled suffer from immense psychological anguish, given the intense scenarios Bigelow puts them through.

Nevertheless, Bigelow and cinematographer Barry Ackroyd's visual instincts lack the filmmaker's former command of suspense. The whole production is intentionally shot in a quasi-documentary style emphasizing handheld camerawork. The jaggedness of the imagery is intentional, but doesn't automatically make "Hurt Locker" interesting. Meanwhile, Mark Boal's screenplay struggles to lend tangible dimension to its supporting players. While great chess pieces to move around when bomb timers are counting down, they're not quite as riveting in more low-key confines.

Combined with the film's troublesome approach to its fleetingly-seen Iraqi characters means that "The Hurt Locker" at times frustrates as often as it engrosses. However, its greatest set pieces are truly impressive and encapsulate Bigelow's tremendous prowess as a filmmaker.

• Cast: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty 
• Year: 2009
• Runtime: 2hr 11min
• Rating: R
• Where to watch: Netflix

"The Departed" was the movie that finally got Martin Scorsese a best picture Oscar after nearly 40 years in the game, reinforcing his legendary reputation. Still, in the pantheon of Scorsese's work, it's easy to consider this Boston-set crime tale as one of his lesser efforts. That's not because it's especially bad or incompetent in its craft; it just can't hope to measure up to all-time greats like "Taxi Driver" or "Killers of the Flower Moon." "The Departed" is a more accessible Scorsese title that doesn't have the same subversive storytelling accentuations of his greatest creations.

With that said, any director would kill for their "lower" works to be as entertaining as "The Departed." This is still a rip-roaring crime yarn full of gasp-inducing twists and compelling performances, including Jack Nicholson as gangster kingpin Francis "Frank" Costello. Even smaller supporting players like Ray Winstone leave an impression. There's a thoughtful soul at the center of the proceedings about the cost of duplicity. Everybody is working multiple identities and allegiances, leaving them incapable of developing actual human connections.

The deeply intimate consequences of crime, or even trying to snuff it out, are fascinatingly explored here. While not as powerful an experience as "Silence," "The Departed" is still noteworthy even beyond Scorsese's historic Oscar wins.

• Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon
• Year: 2006
• Runtime: 2hr 31min
• Rating: R
• Where to watch: Rent or buy on Amazon

Director Rob Marshall's later efforts haven't quite lived up to the 2002 best picture-winning movie that put him on the map. Subsequent works like "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and "Into the Woods" were hampered by distracting creative choices. But his breakthrough feature "Chicago" demonstrated Marshall's panache for realizing musical cinema in all its glitzy glory. This prison-set project follows convicted murderers Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) and Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) competing for both the aid of lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere) and the media spotlight.

Littered with musical numbers manifested as dream sequence cutaways, the film bursts at the seams with visual imagination. Lead performers Zellweger and Zeta-Jones are magnificently captivating, delivering the kind of maximalist performances perfectly suited for a musical. The energy of the Jazz Age marvelously echo throughout this period piece, which is rife with unforgettable supporting turns. Gere is a delight as Flynn, while Queen Latifah's Matron "Mama" Morton will leave even the most cynical viewer dazzled.

The best musical movies in history boast the pervasive creative confidence to lean into the larger-than-life imagery and emotions that only this genre can conjure. Award season darling "Chicago" carried on that tradition with flair, even if Marshall never recaptured its creative heights.

• Cast: Taye Diggs, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger
• Year: 2002
• Runtime: 1hr 53min
• Rating: PG-13
• Where to watch: Rent or buy on Amazon

If only all blockbusters were as sublime as "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Peter Jackson's grand capper to his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is a spectacular achievement. While countless franchises stumble in delivering cathartic conclusions (see: "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker"), "Return of the King" excels in sending its Middle-earth characters home with bombast and emotional impact. How Jackson and company juggle so many characters and perspectives in this epic motion picture is a remarkable display of artistic finesse.

Better yet, this installment doesn't sacrifice dramatically compelling characters for oodles of CGI. "Lord of the Rings" actors like Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Miranda Otto, and especially Sean Astin are all riveting. Even the lengthy ending, once lampooned during its initial release, today feels inspired. The deluge of epilogues demonstrates the lengthy fallout of great battles and quests. Not everything gets wrapped up in an immediate bow. The ripple effects of these events stretch far into the future.

No wonder "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" came out on top of its best picture competitors in 2004. Like its Hobbit protagonists, this movie "bows to no one."

• Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen
• Year: 2003
• Runtime: 3hr 21min
• Rating: PG-13
• Where to watch: HBO Max

From their worst to best movies, the Coen Brothers consistently deliver audacious adventure. Not all of them work (hello "Ladykillers"), but there's no questioning who created them, with wildly different approaches to American cinema. One of their most idiosyncratic works was 2007's "No Country for Old Men," the feature that scored the duo their first best picture Oscar. This story of a bag of money, an assassin, and bloodshed is one of the bleakest works in the Coen Brothers' canon, subverting the western's proclivity for depicting older white men "taming" the rough, rugged terrain.

Instead, folks like Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) are out of their depth while Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) comments on the world passing him by. Fate, mankind's violent tendencies, the passage of time are the terrifying forces informing the riveting yet grim atmosphere. The Coens masterfully execute such a bleak ambiance with impeccable levels of artistry. Cinematographer Roger Deakins delivers some of his finest imagery within "Old Men's" mournful tableaus, while every performance (even the one-scene turns) is unforgettable.

Movies like "No Country for Old Men" are rare. It's all too appropriate that the Academy bestowed this remarkable achievement with a best picture Oscar.

• Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin
• Year: 2007
• Runtime: 2hr 2min
• Rating: R
• Where to watch: Tubi, Pluto TV