The 12 Best Movies Of 2005, Ranked

Everything 2000s — from the fashion to the technology — seems to be back in vogue, so why shouldn't that extend to the movies from that era as well? Whether you remember the decade well and want to look back on the golden years, or you were born in the 2000s and you want to see what all the fuss was about, there are plenty of great 2000s movies to scratch that itch.

If you're looking for a snapshot of the movies that typified that decade, you needn't look further than the middle-point, 2005. For many reasons, it was a pretty notable year in cinema. Three years before "Iron Man" kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the beginning of Christopher Nolan's "Batman" trilogy redefined the comic book movie and ushered in the new era for the genre. As is usually the case, the box office was dominated by franchise big-hitters including "Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." It was also the year that turned Steve Carell from scene-stealing side character to bankable comedic leading man.

If you're not sure where to start with your trip down memory lane, we've rounded up the 12 best movies of 2005. We looked at the year's movies with the highest ratings across various platforms, films that were notable awards contenders, or ones that had proven to be particularly popular with audiences. Some writer discretion and personal preference went into determining the final ranking. From prestigious Oscar nominees to whimsical animated adventures, these are just some of the films that defined that year.

Following his stint as Michael Scott in "The Office," and a host of other leading roles in movies and television, it is hard to believe that Steve Carell was once unknown. His appearances in "Bruce Almighty" in 2003 and "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" one year later may have put him on audience's radars, but it was 2005's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" that launched his career into the stratosphere.

The movie focuses on Andy Stitzer (Carell), the titular unlucky in love character who — after admitting to his friends that he has never had sex — embarks on a series of misadventures to try and change his fortunes with women. While the subject matter is undeniably crass, and there are still those moments of rude humor for the audience members looking for that, "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" is surprisingly sweet and honest, anchored by the warm and genuine performance from Carell. As well as launching Carell's career, it also marked the major breakthrough for director Judd Apatow, who would follow this with films such as "Knocked Up" and "Trainwreck."

• Cast: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd

• Director: Judd Apatow

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 1h 56m

• Where to watch: MGM+

Many will quite reasonably point to "Iron Man" as the point when Robert Downey Jr. became a household name once again, but his big career comeback started a few years before that with his appearance in the black comedy "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." Notably, this was also the directorial debut for writer Shane Black, who went on to direct Downey Jr. again in "Iron Man 3" in 2013 and work with Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in "The Nice Guys" three years after that.

In "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," Downey Jr. plays Harry Lockhart, a petty criminal who accidentally nails a Hollywood audition and is paired with Private Detective Perry van Shrike (Val Kilmer), who has been appointed to get him ready for the role. Things quickly go awry, however, when the pair find a body and end up on a convoluted wild goose chase to solve the mystery.

Thanks to the razor-sharp writing from Black, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" is a pitch-perfect satire that pays homage to and lambasts the detective movie genre in almost equal measure.

• Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan

• Director: Shane Black

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 1h 43m

• Where to watch: Available to rent from Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Microsoft Store

Plenty of musicians have had biopic movies made about them, and in 2005 — just two years after he passed away — it was Johnny Cash's life story that was given the big-screen treatment. Cash arguably has one of the most unique voices in country music, and recreating this would be a challenge for any actor. However, Joaquin Phoenix more than rose to the occasion, doing his own singing on screen and learning to play the guitar as well. Reese Witherspoon — playing Cash's wife and fellow musician, June Carter — also learned to sing and play the autoharp to bring June to life.

Any time an actor really commits to a role — whether that be through a shocking physical transformation or learning a new skill — it brings a sense of authenticity to the part they're playing, and that certainly shows in "Walk the Line." Following Cash from childhood to his groundbreaking performance at Folsom Prison, this isn't a sanitized biopic and it doesn't pull any punches when it comes to showing Cash's abuse of drugs and alcohol and his adulterous mistreatment of his first wife, Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). "Walk the Line" picked up five Oscar nominations, with Witherspoon walking away with the win for her sensitive portrayal of Carter.

• Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin

• Director: James Mangold

• Rating: PG-13

• Runtime: 2h 16m

• Where to watch: Hulu

The teaser trailer for "Batman Begins" — in which it is only revealed to be a Batman movie in its dying seconds — remains one of the best movie trailers of all time. Crucially, it also establishes that the Christopher Nolan trilogy was going to be very different to previous iterations we had seen of The Caped Crusader. Indeed, "Batman Begins" is barely a Batman movie, with much of the attention on Bruce Wayne's (Christian Bale) training to later become the vigilante we know and love. That isn't to say that there isn't plenty of action from the masked-up Wayne as well, but rather that the main focus is on the man behind the mask: What drives him, and how he uses his childhood trauma for good.

For a Nolan film, the plotting is straightforward and there's certainly no time-hopping or dream-invading antics here. What he does bring, however, is a real focus on the characters. This is a Batman who feels like he has motivation, a past, a reason for doing what he does, and that makes the stakes feel higher. It is a far cry from the campy, colorful wonderland created by Tim Burton for his Batman movies, and it ushers in an altogether darker and grittier style of superhero movie — something that would prove to be incredibly influential for the genre going forward.

• Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson

• Director: Christopher Nolan

• Rating: PG-13

• Runtime: 2h 20m

• Where to watch: Max

"A History of Violence" is a compact and taut thriller from director David Cronenberg — and a movie that is distinctly less strange than some of his earlier output, such as "The Fly" and "Videodrome." It stars Viggo Mortensen as family man and diner owner Tom Stall. When his diner is targeted by a pair of serial murderers, Tom turns on the attackers in an uncharacteristic outburst of violence. Hailed as a hero in his local community, the unwanted exposure draws some dangerous criminals to Tom as they believe he is not the man he says he is.

In little over 90 minutes, "A History of Violence" is a powerful character study about a man desperate to put the past behind him while also struggling not to give into the repressed urges that he has worked very hard to keep below the surface. While it failed to secure a win, it was nominated for two Oscars — adapted screenplay and best supporting actor for William Hurt.

• Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris

• Director: David Cronenberg

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 1h 36m

• Where to watch: Available to rent from Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Microsoft Store, and Spectrum on Demand

The best actor race at the Oscars ceremony held in 2006 was a hotly contested one, but the eventual winner, Philip Seymour Hoffman, was largely considered to be the frontrunner for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote. In this biographical film, we meet Capote while he is working on the non-fiction novel, "In Cold Blood." After Capote learns about the senseless murder of a Kansas family, he begins his investigations in the hope of forming them into his latest work.

Hoffman's performance deservedly received all the plaudits, but as a whole, "Capote" delivers a surprisingly nuanced approach to the complicated morality of true crime stories. It not only acknowledges that there are real people involved in these heinous crimes, but also that the worst things often make for the most compelling source material — and this is something that can take a toll on the person documenting the events as well.

• Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr.

• Director: Bennett Miller

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 1h 54m

• Where to watch: Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Hoopla, Kanopy, MGM+, Pluto TV, and Freevee.

This is arguably the film that made audiences first sit up and take notice of writer-director Noah Baumbach. He went on to direct the Oscar-nominated "Marriage Story," but it was "The Squid and the Whale" that gave him his first nomination — in the original screenplay category. It was a film that Baumbach poured his heart and soul into, telling the semi-autobiographical story of his parents' divorce.

The movie largely focuses on the kids in the middle of their warring parents — the older Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) and his younger sibling, Frank (Owen Kline) — and the rift that develops between the brothers as they side with opposing parents. "The Squid and the Whale" is a frank and funny depiction of divorce that perfectly toes the line between comedy and heartbreak. The ability to balance these two things is something of a trademark for Baumbach, and this beautifully personal film remains one of the best examples of the thing he does best.

• Cast: Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg

• Director: Noah Baumbach

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 1h 21m

• Where to watch: Netflix, Hoopla, Kanopy

Wuxia movies have always been pretty big business, with a number of stars from Chinese and Hong Kong cinema also breaking out in western productions. The 2000s marked a particular high point, with movies like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero" becoming big worldwide box office successes. 2005 brought audiences "Kung Fu Hustle," a film that was firmly rooted in slapstick comedy, but with plenty of awesome choreographed fight sequences.

At the center of the film is Sing (Stephen Chow), a low-level criminal who has big dreams of joining the crime syndicate that runs Shanghai along with his sidekick, Bone (Lam Chi-chung). When they purport to be part of the Axe Gang to extort some local townspeople, they find themselves inadvertently caught in the feud between the gang and some unlikely kung fu masters, and have to decide once and for all what side they want to fall on. Film critic Roger Ebert described "Kung Fu Hustle" as being "like Jackie Chan and Buster Keaton meet Quentin Tarantino and Bugs Bunny," and it turns out that's the recipe for a huge amount of fun.

• Cast: Stephen Chow, Wah Yuen, Qiu Yuen

• Director: Stephen Chow

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 1h 39m

• Where to watch: Available to rent from Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Microsoft Store

"Wallace & Gromit" are a British institution, and their lovable plasticine antics have been delighting audiences since 1989. Until 2005, however, the longest they had spent on screen was 30 minutes, and it was strictly on the small screen only. That all changed with their first feature-length adventure, "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit."

Directed by long-time Aardman Animations creative Steve Box and creator of "Wallace & Gromit" Nick Park, this movie sees inventor Wallace (voiced by Peter Sallis) and his pooch Gromit accidentally play mad scientist and create a monster. Of course, this is "Wallace & Gromit," so the monstrous creature is a human-rabbit hybrid, and the biggest threat they face is what havoc the mutant bunny will wreak on the local vegetable competition. This animated adventure ticks all the boxes — it's breathlessly funny and also packed with movie references covering everything from classic Universal Monster movies like "King Kong" to "Jaws" and "The Exorcist." It also enjoyed Oscar success, taking home the best animated feature film.

• Cast: Peter Sallis, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes

• Director: Steve Box, Nick Park

• Rating: G

• Runtime: 1h 25m

• Where to watch: Available to rent from Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Microsoft Store, and Spectrum on Demand

Nominated for six Oscars but with no wins, "Good Night, and Good Luck" — directed by and starring George Clooney — is still one of the standout movies of 2005. As is often the case in some of the best movies about journalism, this movie pits the press against the government. It depicts the real-life conflict between journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn) and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy in the throes of McCarthy's ruthless anti-communism crusades at the height of the Red Scare.

Where "Good Night, and Good Luck" succeeds is in how it presents the very real threats faced by those who speak out against the government, and the importance of ensuring that the press are kept separate so that nothing can prevent them from reporting the truth. The beautiful black and white cinematography gives the film a sense of period-accurate realism as well, and despite being about a very specific moment in history, it has themes that easily speak to current audiences.

• Cast: David Strathairn, George Clooney, Patricia Clarkson

• Director: George Clooney

• Rating: PG

• Runtime: 1h 33m

• Where to watch: Available to rent from Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Microsoft Store, and Spectrum on Demand

While it certainly isn't an easy watch, "Grizzly Man" is an important film, and undoubtedly one of the best documentaries of all time. The subject of the documentary is nature lover Timothy Treadwell, a man who would frequently go against the warnings of experts and rangers to get as close as possible to his beloved bears. He believed he shared a special connection with the creatures, and that what he was doing wasn't reckless — it was his calling in life.

With the philosophical direction and presence of Werner Herzog, this documentary ends up being about so much more than one man's life and tragic death. The particularly harrowing events are not sensationalized in any way — something that would be a risk in the hands of a lesser filmmaker. Instead, Herzog approaches his subject in the same way he does any other: With empathy, curiosity, and a desire to uncover the story that only he would be able to tell.

• Cast: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog

• Director: Werner Herzog

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 1h 43m

• Where to watch: Hoopla, Kanopy, Pluto TV, and Plex Player

The 78th Academy Awards — celebrating the movies released in 2005 — was one of the more controversial ceremonies after the divisive "Crash" picked up several awards on the night, including the coveted best picture. The Los Angeles Times made no bones about it, calling it "one of the biggest upsets in recent Academy Award history." This referred specifically to the fact that it won over "Brokeback Mountain," the film many considered to be the frontrunner and the rightful winner.

Academy voting politics aside, "Brokeback Mountain" remains one of the very best films of 2005, and it doesn't need an Oscar to earn that title. It depicts the heartbreaking love story between ranch hands Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal). After they're hired to herd sheep one summer, the pair fall in love and begin a secret relationship. Even after the summer ends and they move on and marry other people, there is something magnetic that seems to keep pulling them back together.

It is a word that is thrown around more often than it should be, but "Brokeback Mountain" is a masterpiece. From the gut-wrenching performances — particularly from Ledger, just three years before his untimely death — to the breathtaking scenery and memorably emotional ending, "Brokeback Mountain" is a film that has the power to stay with you.

• Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams

• Director: Ang Lee

• Rating: R

• Runtime: 2h 14m

• Where to watch: Available to rent from Amazon, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Microsoft Store, and Spectrum on Demand