The term “cult classic” gets thrown around a lot, to the point that you might not know what it even is.
Basically, it’s a film that develops a “cult” behind it regardless of box office or critical appraisal.
This can be an indie horror that doesn’t initially find its audience, a satire that goes over people’s heads, or a hit that transcends into a cinematic landmark.
So, Watch With Us has curated and ranked our ten favorite cult films of the 2000s, featuring such stars as Justin Timberlake, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and more.
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10. ‘Bring it On’ (2000)
The Toro cheerleading squad is one to be reckoned with, with a killer routine that seems poised to land them the trophy at the upcoming national championship for their sixth year running. When one of the Toros’ team members suffers an injury, her replacement, Missy (Eliza Dushku), discovers that her new team stole their routine from a rival cheer squad, the East Compton Clovers. Suddenly, the Toros have more problems on their plate than just taking home the title.
When Bring It On was released in theaters back in 2000, it did gangbusters at the box office and was generally well-received by critics. So, why does it qualify as a cult film? While initially seen as a piece of fluffy, formulaic and “girly” entertainment, the film has recently been understood as a far more intelligent social critique. Bring It On has seen critical reevaluation over the years for its biting commentary on systemic racism and intersectional feminism. And it doesn’t hurt that it is wildly entertaining.
Watch Bring It On now on Hulu.
9. ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)
Clementine (Kate Winslet) and Joel (Jim Carrey) endure a painful relationship, the kind you wish you could just erase from your mind so that you can move on. Thankfully, there is a procedure that exists to do just that: at the Long Island-based firm Lacuna, you can have anyone erased from your memory with a simple procedure. When Joel discovers that Clementine has already gone through with it, he decides to do the same thing. In the process, he endures the painful lows and joyous highs of their turbulent love affair, eventually questioning if he wants to forget her at all.
This evocative exploration of love, grief and memory received praise from critics upon its release and was also adored by audiences, but two decades later, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has a far more zealous fanbase. With time in its rearview, Eternal Sunshine is often regarded by critics as one of the best films of the 21st century, in addition to one of the greatest romance films ever. It also gained a popular following online, in particular among women on the blogging site Tumblr.
Rent Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind now on Amazon Prime Video.
8. ‘May’ (2002)
Quiet, awkward May (Angela Bettis) suffers from deep-seated social anxiety caused by the lazy eye she had as a child. And while her contact lenses have helped fix her physical ailment, the trauma persists, and May struggles to form relationships with people as an adult. But when Adam (Jeremy Sisto) takes a liking to May’s eccentricities, she drives him away. When she fails to form a romance with her female coworker (Anna Faris) as well, May becomes violently unhinged.
While May did poorly at the box office upon release, critics haven’t allowed the movie to become forgotten. The film has even been compared favorably to the work of Italian Giallo maestro Dario Argento. While the film is certainly horrific, it is also incredibly emotionally poignant and very empathetic as well. It moves just as much as it disturbs; we understand that the monster of the film is still human.
7. ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)
Dead-ender Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his lazy best friend Ed (Nick Frost) live together in a small London flat, happy to move through their dull existences just playing video games and enjoying one another’s friendship. But their mundane lives take an extreme turn when a zombie outbreak threatens humanity. Ed and Shaun must stay alive while fighting off the undead threat, as Shaun looks to protect the girlfriend who wishes he’d just grow up.
The first of director Edgar Wright‘s “Cornetto Trilogy” is hands-down one of the funniest horror-comedies ever, and it established the then-up-and-coming British director as a major talent. While the film was an instant success, its profile has only grown further in the two decades since it hit theaters. It’s gone beyond being just a good horror film and has become included in lists of the greatest British films of all time. The characters of Ed and Shaun have also become horror icons, frequently seen as cosplay get-ups at comic conventions around the world.
Watch Shaun of the Dead now on Prime Video.
6. ‘Jennifer’s Body’ (2009)
Jennifer Check (Megan Fox) and her best friend Anita “Needy” Lesnicki (Amanda Seyfried) couldn’t be a more mismatched pair. Jennifer is a popular and beautiful color guard spinner, while Needy is an awkward and nerdy bookworm. But when a hip musician who made a deal with the devil mistakes the sexually experienced Jennifer for a virgin, she turns into a bloodthirsty beast who craves the flesh of teenage boys. Can Needy stop Jennifer’s reign of terror before it’s too late?
Jennifer’s Body puzzled audiences and critics at the box office, but screenwriter Diablo Cody attributes that partly to the film’s poor marketing strategy. A woman-focused film with evidently feminist themes, Jennifer’s Body was nevertheless geared towards horny boys who loved Megan Fox. While the film is absolutely a great horror-comedy, it’s also a thoughtful look at the struggles of burgeoning adolescent female sexuality, as well as the way men exploit women’s bodies for personal advancement. Ultimately, Jennifer’s Body plays as a satisfying and intelligent revenge fantasy that’s just as relevant in 2026 as it was nearly two decades ago.
Watch Jennifer’s Body now on Hulu.
5. ‘Southland Tales’ (2006)
In a dystopian version of Los Angeles, the lives of several disparate people converge as the country is facing an imminent threat of nuclear annihilation. A movie star (Dwayne Johnson), a porn actress-turned-self-help-guru (Sarah Michelle Gellar), identical twin police officers (Seann William Scott) and a group of Neo-Marxist revolutionaries find their storylines all colliding amidst a collapsing country overrun by paranoia, corporate greed and corrupt politicians.
Director Richard Kelly‘s film Donnie Darko was his first to emerge as a cult classic, and his follow-up, Southland Tales, took a little bit longer to find the appreciation it deserved. It had some defenders back then, but thirty years out, Southland Tales has finally found an audience — fans now regard it as a misunderstood masterpiece and a sharp (if flawed) work of anti-capitalist, anti-military satire.
Rent Southland Tales now on Amazon Prime Video.
4. ‘Donnie Darko’ (2001)
Teenager Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) sleepwalks out of his house one night to find a man in a bunny suit named Frank (James Duval), who tells him that the world will end in 28 days. When he goes back inside his home, he discovers that a plane engine has crashed through his bedroom and would’ve killed him had he been inside. Did Donnie cheat death? Is the world really going to end in less than a month? Is he living in a parallel universe? And who is Frank, anyway?
Due to the plane crash plot line and the film’s release date just a month after 9/11, Donnie Darko received scant promotion. As such, its box office performance was poor, though critics did review it favorably at the time. However, it wasn’t long before the captivating sci-fi film built a passionate fanbase following its release on home video, with the Pioneer Theater in New York City playing midnight screenings for 28 consecutive months in 2002-2003.
Watch Donnie Darko now on Tubi.
3. ‘Battle Royale’ (2000)
Under the oppressive regime of a totalitarian government in Japan, a group of high school students is forced to fight each other to the death. To quell “juvenile delinquency,” a law is passed that mandates junior high students be selected at random to participate in this yearly “game.” Thus, forty-two 9th graders are whisked away to a deserted island, where they must battle until one student remains. If they break a rule, a collar on their neck kills them. And if there are multiple survivors at the end? Both of them die.
While critically acclaimed, Battle Royale endured an uphill battle getting distribution in the United States for a decade. The violent subject matter caused it to be banned in multiple countries, and its Japanese distributor feared lawsuits. However, after Battle Royale finally hit home video and became physically accessible to Americans in 2012 via Blu-ray release, its worldwide fanbase gained further momentum. Director Quentin Tarantino has cited the film as one of his all-time faves, and its influence can be felt in his Kill Bill films.
Watch Battle Royale now on Amazon Prime Video.
2. ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ (2001)
During the last day of camp in the summer of 1981, the mostly teenage counselors of Camp Firewood do their best to make the final day an unforgettable experience for all their campers while also attempting to tie up loose ends in their personal lives. Unrealized romances and pent-up sexual frustrations weigh heavily on all the counselors’ minds in addition to the looming talent show, the climactic centerpiece of the entire camping experience.
An absurdist spoof on niche ’80s sex comedies, Wet Hot American Summer features an ensemble cast of comedic A-listers like Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler and Molly Shannon back when their profiles were far smaller — it’s even the feature film debut of a then-unknown Bradley Cooper. While the film was a critical and commercial failure, the progressively cultivated fanbase ultimately brought it two spin-off Netflix series titled Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp and Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later.
Watch Wet Hot American Summer now on Prime Video.
1. ‘American Psycho’ (2000)
When American Psycho was released in 2000, it sought to emphasize the satire that the novel’s author, Bret Easton Ellis, felt was sorely lost on its audience. In the end, Mary Harron‘s film adaptation played up those more comedic aspects that went over some people’s heads perfectly, and the film received fairly positive reviews and minor financial success. However, in the years since, its reputation has grown exponentially.
The source of widespread internet memes, in addition to being incredibly popular among film school students, the film has earned a notorious reputation as a “film bro movie.” The protagonist and serial killer Patrick Batman (Christian Bale) is also unironically adored by some young men for his “hustle grindset” mentality, despite being an overt spoof of such people (and being directed by a woman, no less). Regardless, the film has become a staple of pop culture, and the scene in which Bateman kills Paul Allen (Jared Leto) after he opines about Huey Lewis has been often parodied.
Watch American Psycho now on Prime Video.
To be considered “the best,” these films and series can be visually engaging, intellectually stimulating or simply just fun to watch, but the one trait they must have is that they are all, in some way, entertaining. We then check which platform they are streaming on and how you can access them as a subscriber. No algorithm nonsense or paid endorsements here — our recommendations are based purely on our love and interest for the films and shows we love.
