The 10 Best Films of 2000: IndieWire

So here we begin, with the year 2000, the start of the 21st century, when everyone was finally over pre-millennium tension, Y2K and other-made up nonsense by the press trying to describe some sort of global anxiety or malaise. Film was not in a bad place. After years of the Academy rewarding chum like "Forrest Gump" (over "Pulp Fiction" or "The Shawshank Redemption") or playing it safe, ("Braveheart"), the Academy was finally wising up and awarding a dark suburban drama, "American Beauty" the 2000 Best Picture Oscar winner (released in 1999). And after several coveted nominations and a few key Grand Jury prize awards, in 2000, Lars Von Trier would finally win the Palme d'Or for his harrowing musical, "Dancer In The Dark." It seemed, at least momentarily, good cinema was finding the credit that was due. Below, our ten best of films of 2000.