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The Best 2000s Thriller Movies

Updated June 27, 2019 863 votes 210 voters 7.9k views35 items

List RulesVote up your favorite suspense films that were released in the 2000s

The greatest ‘00s thriller movies are chock full of big stars, unforgettable heroes, and seat-gripping suspense. The 2000s saw the return of Batman, an Oscar for Martin Scorsese, and Tarantino returning in top form.

What are the best ‘00s thriller movies? Christopher Nolan had a big decade, giving us the Dark Knight trilogy that reimagined Batman as a darker, grittier hero. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker earned him a posthumous Oscar nod. Nolan also wrote and directed the psychological thriller Memento, a film that plays with chronology and sequencing, presenting a muddled but captivating picture. Martin Scorsese directed The Departed, an intense crime thriller set in Boston, a marked departure from his usual New York setting. Another significant 2000s suspense movies on this list is American Psycho. Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis and starring Christian Bale (also of The Dark Knight fame), the film is known for its gruesome violence and unforgiving portrayal of Manhattan’s upper crust.

Here, you’ll also find films like The Hurt Locker, an unflinching story of bomb diffusers in the embattled Middle East. Did we include your ultimate ‘00s thriller movie? Help us re-rank this list by adding anything we missed and be sure to vote up your favorites!

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1
43
13
The Prestige
Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie
Released: 2006
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
The Prestige is a 2006 mystery drama film directed by Christopher Nolan, from a screenplay... more on Wikipedia
2
41
11
The Dark Knight
Christian Bale, Michael Caine
Released: 2008
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the DC Comics... more on Wikipedia
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28
9
The Departed
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson
Released: 2006
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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32
14
No Country for Old Men
Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones
Released: 2007
Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American neo-western neo-noir thriller film directed by Joel... more on Wikipedia
5
26
7
Training Day
Eva Mendes, Snoop Dogg
Released: 2001
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
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24
10
Mystic River
Emmy Rossum, Sean Penn
Released: 2003
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
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7
22
11
Memento
Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss
Released: 2000
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan.... more on Wikipedia

8
21
10
Sin City
Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis
Released: 2005
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
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9
23
14
Batman Begins
Christian Bale, Michael Caine
Released: 2005
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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10
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Gone Baby Gone
Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan
Released: 2007
Directed by: Ben Affleck
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18
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American Psycho
Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe
Released: 2000
Directed by: Mary Harron
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12
16
8
The Bourne Identity
Matt Damon, Clive Owen
Released: 2002
Directed by: Doug Liman
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13
19
13
Kill Bill Volume 2
Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu
Released: 2004
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
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Ocean's Eleven
Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts
Released: 2001
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
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15
15
9
Mulholland Drive
Naomi Watts, Billy Ray Cyrus
Released: 2001
Directed by: David Lynch
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16
12
6
Collateral
Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx
Released: 2004
Directed by: Michael Mann
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14
9
Sherlock Holmes
Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law
Released: 2009
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
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18
10
5
A History of Violence
Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello
Released: 2005
Directed by: David Cronenberg
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19
10
5
The Devil's Backbone
Eduardo Noriega, Marisa Paredes
Released: 2001
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
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9
5
Battle Royale
Beat Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama
Released: 2000
Directed by: Kinji Fukasaku
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21
9
5
Munich
Daniel Craig, Eric Bana
Released: 2005
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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V for Vendetta
Natalie Portman, John Hurt
Released: 2006
Directed by: James McTeigue
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23
10
7
Minority Report
Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise
Released: 2002
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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10
9
Avatar
Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Released: 2009
Directed by: James Cameron
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25
8
6
Inside Man
Jodie Foster, Denzel Washington
Released: 2006
Directed by: Spike Lee
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