As we approach 2025 and the end of the 21st century’s first quarter, we wanted to look back to see which actors, actresses, directors, and movies have stood the test of time. With that in mind, for the rest of the year, the Bitesize Top Five will be giving a consensus view on what we think are the Bests of everything since 2000. We are only looking at work released since January 1, 2000, so don’t get mad because your favourites of the 90s didn’t make it.
Over the next four months we will do Top Five Dramas, Comedies, Horrors, and Action Films of this century. For our purposes, we worked with the idea that every movie falls under one of those broad umbrellas. It’s imperfect, but it felt like the best course of action.
As always, each writer ranks his or her top 15 in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five.
5. CASINO ROYALE
For me, the Daniel Craig era of James Bond wasn't the grandest, if I’m being honest. Craig was an excellent Bond, no doubt, but the franchise misses were pretty big during this time. However, without a doubt, it did produce two of the absolute best James Bond movies ever: Casino Royale and Skyfall. In both cases, directors Martin Campbell (Casino Royale) and Sam Mendes (Skyfall) deliver some of the most thrilling action and tension, not just in 007 history, but in recent action cinema, not to mention some genuinely outstanding villains. The epic scales of these films take the franchise to new and exciting stakes too. These movies just have everything you want in an action spy movie, and they successfully set the bar high for what 007 can be. - Adriano
4. JOHN WICK
At least one installment of John Wick made almost every single one of our shortlists when considering the best action films of this century. I get the privilege of highlighting it here because it just happened to be my number one action film since 2000. Its ever-present fidelity to a stylized fighting style that mimics optimal real-life, gun and hand-fighting combat techniques lets us relax into the controlled mayhem without ever needing to call bullshit. Perhaps it is director Chad Stahelski’s history as a martial artist and stuntman that drives this commitment. Keanu Reeves’ hardworking nature and stoic mindset provides the perfect conduit for unleashing the awesome violence, where his real-life 3-gun and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training allow him to truly shine on screen. Wherever John Wick goes, I shall follow. - Preston
3. MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
On paper, Fury Road has no right being as good as it is. It’s a 30-years later sequel that languished for nearly 28 years, directed by a man who had only directed two Happy Feet movies and two Babe movies in the 20 years prior to Fury Road’s release. However, franchise steward George Miller proved he hadn’t missed a beat since his last time in The Wasteland, crafting an action movie masterpiece built on pure adrenaline, unbelievable practical effects, and a tremendous action duo in Tom Hardy and (even more so) Charlize Theron. On top of that, he expertly weaves in themes of survival, humanity, feminism, vengeance, redemption, and family. If you don’t want to take my word for it, let its ten Oscar nominations (six wins), seven BAFTA nominations (four wins), and 15 AACTA nominations (ten wins, including Best Film) do the talking. - Quentin
2. THE DARK KNIGHT
The masterpiece The Dark Knight is not only one of my favourite action films, but also one of the best superhero movies, best comic book movies, and amongst Christopher Nolan’s finest, most iconic works. Everything about this film is deserving of the highest praise, from the dizzying scale of its special effects and thrilling action set-pieces to the legendary performances and nuanced, character-driven approach to the morally ambiguous story. Nolan’s The Dark Knight redefined the genre, introduced one of the most compelling villains ever to grace the screen, and effortlessly takes its place as one of the best action films of the past 25 years. - Katie
1. INCEPTION
Inception has been my favorite movie of all time for going on 12 years now. It’s the movie that made me want to write. The level of thought, detail, and perfection that director Christopher Nolan puts into what might be the most original concept of the 21st century will leave you waxing poetic about it for years. With all that, one would think the action is just a bonus. NOPE! The spinning hallway, the real-life avalanche, the three-level kicks without gravity, and A TRAIN THROUGH A CITY. If you know what I’m talking about, you’ve been blessed. If you don’t, go get blessed. - Amarú
HONORABLE MENTIONS
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
DJANGO UNCHAINED
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (III/GHOST PROTOCOL)
THE RAID: REDEMPTION