It seems odd to be ranking or considering movie lists having to do with “the 21st century”, but indeed a lot has changed over the past couple decades. The highest grossing film of the year 2000 wasThe Grinch, a live-action family movie, followed byCast Away, a largely dialogue-less drama fronted byTom Hanks. The superhero genre wasjuststarting to become a thing, and visual effects hadn’t yet advanced to the point that every major blockbuster involved wholly CG-created environments. The rare drama can crack the end-of-year box office Top 10 nowadays, and in the case of 2014’sAmerican Snipercan even land the #1 spot, but for the most part, the movies that make the most money are the movies that cost the most money.
With this in mind, we thought it might be interesting to go back and look at the highest grossing film of each year in the 21st century so far, then rank the entire list according to quality. This list is, by design, subjective, but it’s a fun way to look back on the films that the American public became enamored of over the past decade and a half.
Note: This list was crafted according to the highest grossing film at the domestic box office of each year since 2000, not total worldwide box office.
For additional curated recommendations from the Collider staff, check out our lists for thebest comedy films of the 21st century,best documentaries of the 21st century, andbest war movies of the 21st century so far.
20.) Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Total Domestic Gross: $336,530,303
Spider-Man 3is a very bad movie, but it’s easy to forget just how highly anticipated this sequel was back in 2007. This movie wasa thing, to the point that going to see it is a plot point inKnocked Up. But ultimately it proved to be a messy, overstuffed, and bland follow-up that also serves as a harbinger for issues that would plague the superhero genre in the coming years. It’s clear thatSam Raimi’s mostly interested in the villainous story of Sandman, but he was forced to include Venom (and it shows)andhe wants to wrap up Harry’s story with a Goblin storylineandhe introduces Gwen Stacy to mix up the Peter/MJ relationship. It’s a film that’s trying to do a lot of things at once and fails at almost all of them.
19.) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Total Domestic Gross: $260,044,825
DirectorRon Howard’s adaptation of the belovedDr. Seussbook isfine, but is further proof thatThe Grinchstory is better off being told either as a TV short or with a Halloween twist a laTim Burton’sThe Nightmare Before Christmas.Jim Carreydoes as swell job as the titular character, but there’s just not a lot here in the way of substance. The production design and makeup effects are indeed impressive, but ultimatelyThe Grinchis fairly forgettable.
18.) American Sniper (2014)
Total Domestic Gross: $350,126,372
So yeah, plenty of people likeAmerican Sniper. I am not one of those people. We can laugh at the “fake baby” scene all we want but at the end of the day,Clint Eastwoodlooked at that doll, hadBradley Cooperwiggle his fingers to move its arm, and said, “Good enough.” That comes off as laziness. As for the film as a whole, there are certainly moments of tension and Cooper’s performance is solid, but the film wants to touch on PTSD without ever seriously confronting or considering the issue. It all but ignoreswhyChris Kyle suffered PTSD and instead just chooses a straightforward hero narrative and runs with it.
17.) Avatar (2009)
Total Domestic Gross: $749,766,139
We’ve learned now to never bet againstJames Cameron, but I still find it hard to believe there are legions of fans eager for moreAvatarmovies. The hoopla surrounding Cameron’s 2009 film was mostly revolving around the cutting-edge technology. Which is fair! The movie in many ways changed how directors approach CG-characters, and the landscapes Cameron conjured were stunning. But that script? Oof. It’s averysimple, predictable story with bland characters that barrels towards an inevitably cheesy ending.
16.) Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Total Domestic Gross: $380,270,577
Contrary to the prequels’ reputation as unwatchable,Revenge of the Sithis not an entirely terrible movie. It certainly has its issues—poor performances, over-reliance on CG sets, awful treatment of Padme in the final act when she literally decides to give up living because Anakin is a bad dude—but on the whole it’s the best of the prequel bunch. There are some interesting ideas at play in terms of the story’s politics, andGeorge Lucasrevels in the final turn to the dark side for Anakin. There’s a complexity of character toRevenge of the Siththat was missing inPhantom MenaceandAttack of the Clones, and it at least sent the prequels out on a semi-high note of quality.
15.) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Total Domestic Gross: $532,177,324
Rogue One: A Star Wars Storyis a pretty good movie, and a goodStar Warsmovie. Given how much the film was reworked in post-production it’s almost a miracle it turned out as well as it did, but the key creative drive from directorGareth Edwards—making a gritty, boots-on-the-groundStar Warsstory—succeeds in forging a unique enough path for theseStar Warsanthology movies. WhileFelicity Jones’ character could have used a bit more fleshing out, and some of the story beats don’t entirely work, the film is compelling from start to finish and concludes in a pretty thrilling manner. “Not bad” is basically the operative word here.
14.) Shrek 2 (2004)
Total Domestic Gross: $441,226,247
Here we start getting into the “better than good” movies on this list.Shrek 2was ahugedeal back in 2004, as the sequel to a smash-hit animated film that carved out new territory for the genre. Wrapped up inside its fairytale aesthetics was a surprisingly adult story with pop culture references and slightly NSFW jokes aplenty. At heartShrekwas a love story, and the sequel doubles down on that aspect with aGuess Who’s Coming to Dinner?twist. The follow-up continues to play on familiar fairy tale tropes to exciting results, and visuallyShrek 2offers up a more diverse and expansive palette. It’s funny, sweet, and a little naughty, and it still stands as one of the better sequels in recent memory.
13.) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Total Domestic Gross: $317,575,550
One of the knocks onHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stoneis that it feels so much like a kid’s movie in relation to the rest of the franchise. Well yeah, that’s where it all starts, and that’s whatChristopher Columbusgets right in the movie that paved the way for one of the best film franchises in history.Sorcerer’s Stonecaptures Harry’s introduction to the world of magic with a mix of awe and disbelief, and Columbus navigates that balance beautifully. In retrospectSorcerer’s Stonemay seem cheesy or even slight, but it’s essential for what would come later, and it establishes these characters as intensely lovable.
12.) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Total Domestic Gross: $936,662,225
In terms of box office,Star Wars: The Force Awakenstops this chart by a wide margin. DirectorJ.J. Abramsfaced the unenviable task of crafting an entirely newStar Warsmovie withoutGeorge Lucas’ direct involvement in a manner that would please critics and fans alike. And for the most part, he succeeded! SureThe Force Awakensis a little too familiar, and a bit unrefined in places, but it works far more often than it doesn’t and when it came to its most important challenge—creating new characters that fans care about—it succeeded tremendously.
11.) Spider-Man (2002)
Total Domestic Gross: $403,706,375
Coupled with 2000’sX-Men,Sam Raimi’s originalSpider-Manis responsible for the superhero genre as it stands today. It adapts a popular comics character with fidelity, but also artistry and maturity.Spider-Mandoesn’t deem Peter Parker’s story silly or genre or B-movie-level—it treats his arc with the same sincerity as any major dramatic protagonist, and audiences turned out in droves to see this now well-worn origin story unfold.Tobey Maguireis a surprisingly endearing Peter Parker, and Raimi’s dark humor pops up just when the movie needs it. Years later,Spider-Manstill stands as one of the best entries in the genre.
