With more subscribers than any other streaming service, Netflix is where the majority of people go to find movies to stream. Netflix has made a huge splash with its original content in the past few years. However, the company's roots are in films from the past, going back to the days when it was a mail service.
Thankfully, there's still a vast back catalog of great movies from previous eras. That includes the 2000s and Netflix has some of the greatest films from that decade. Looking at only the ones that are certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, you can find the best of the bunch.
Ocean's Eleven (83%)
Although the follow-up films were met with a more mixed response, the first one was a critical darling. Released in 2001, this remake of the classic from 1960 more than lived up to its predecessor. That was thanks in large part to the tremendous ensemble cast and the direction of Steven Soderbergh.
Kicking off a trilogy, plans a massive heist for $160 million from a casino owner. The film features snappy dialogue and fun scenes but it's the cast that stands out. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and others play incredibly well off of each other.
The Princess And The Frog (85%)
One of the few Disney movies to still be available on a streaming service not named Disney+ (though it's there as well), The Princess and the Frog marked a rare return to traditional animation for the company. Loosely based on The Frog Princess novel, it was both a critical and commercial hit.
This 2009 film is set in 1920s New Orleans and focuses on a waitress who dreams of opening her own restaurant. She kisses a prince who was turned into a frog, becoming one herself and they work together to turn back into humans. It was praised for the animation style and heartwarming plot. The beloved film is getting a Disney+ series in the near future.
A Single Man (86%)
Near the tail end of the decade, it felt like Colin Firth was blossoming into one of the most accomplished actors anywhere. He earned the first of back-to-back Academy Award nominations (he'd win the second time for The King's Speech) for 2009's A Single Man.
Based on a novel of the same name, this movie sees Firth star as George Falconer, an English professor struggling to cope with the death of his boyfriend. Although most aspects of the film received praise, everyone agrees that Colin Firth carries this with his stellar performance.
Kung Fu Hustle (90%)
This one came from out of nowhere. In 2002, Kung Pow! Enter the Fist was released to negative reviews. When word dropped that Kung Fu Hustle was coming out two years later, most audience believed it would fall into the same category but that wasn't the case.
Kung Fu Hustle excelled because of the way it blended martial arts with comedy and included some great visual effects. The story centers on some unlikely heroes who get involved in the gang underworld of Shangai during the 1940s.
The Departed (90%)
Martin Scorsese is one of the most accomplished directors in cinema history, helming some of the best movies of any decade. Despite all of that, it could be argued that his greatest work ever was 2006's The Departed, which earned him the only Best Director Academy Award win of his storied career.
A remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, this movie focuses on the tense cat and mouse game between a state trooper undercover in the mob and the mob's mole inside the Massachusetts State Police. It features fantastic performances from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg, who scored an Oscar nomination for this.
There Will Be Blood (91%)
Once again, it's a film crafted by a tremendous director. This time around, it's Paul Thomas Anderson. He's been behind some all-time greats but his work in 2007's There Will Be Blood might just be his single greatest achievement, earning him Oscar nods for Best Director and Best Picture.
Taking place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, There Will Be Blood centers on a ruthless oilman out for wealth. The story itself is gripping but it's the Academy Award winning work of Daniel Day-Lewis that stands out most here. It is often viewed as an epic masterpiece.
The Squid And The Whale (92%)
A consistent trend on this list is that some of the most impressive directors in history are included. Among them is Noah Baumbach, who was most recently behind the Oscar-nominated Marriage Story in 2019. One of his first standout films arrived in 2005.
That was The Squid and the Whale, which starred the likes of Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, and a young Jesse Eisenberg. It tells a semi-autobiographical tale of two Brooklyn brothers struggling with the divorce of their parents in 1986. Baumbach earned a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination for this.
The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu (93%)
Although this has the fewest total number of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes of any entry on this list, it is still certified fresh. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is one of two foreign language pictures on this list. The Romanian dark comedy hit theaters back in 2006 and is already a classic.
In fact, The New York Times even named it one of the greatest films of the 21st century. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu follows a dying man who is shuttled between various hospitals as doctors continue to refuse to operate on him. Both absurd and powerful, it was met with widespread acclaim.
Pan's Labyrinth (95%)
There's just something to marvel at when it comes to the mind of Guillermo del Toro. The filmmaker has come up with some incredible characters and concepts during his career. Although his most acclaimed film was The Shape of Water, many believe Pan's Labyrinth is even better.
Arriving in 2006, this Spanish flick is the other foreign movie on this list. Taking place in Spain during the 1940s, the story sees an imaginative young girl escape her sadistic stepfather by entering a creepy fantasy realm. The makeup, effects, and creature design are among the best in history.
Casino Royale (95%)
Stepping into the shoes of James Bond is a Casino Royale.
The plot sees Bond on an early adventure as he looks to earn his license to kill. His mission is to bankrupt a terrorist financier (played by the great Mads Mikkelsen) in a high-stakes poker game, making for some of the most intense scenes in Bond history. Along with the tremendous critical praise, it also set a Bond record for the time by grossing $616.5 million.
