These cult classics are like those old songs you stumble upon and can't believe you forgot – each one a reminder of the diverse and daring spirit of early 21st-century cinema.
1. "Lost in Translation" (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo, finding solace and understanding in each other amidst the alienation and cultural dislocation.
2. "Memento" (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
A man with short-term memory loss uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife, leading him through a twisted narrative that challenges the audience's perception of time and memory.
3. "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
A transgender punk rock girl from East Berlin tours the U.S. with her band as she tells her life story and follows the former lover/bandmate who stole her songs, exploring themes of identity, love, and acceptance.
4. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
After a painful breakup, a couple undergoes a procedure to erase each other from their memories, leading to a complex and heart-wrenching journey through their shared past and the nature of memory and love.
5. "Children of Men" (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
In a dystopian future where humans have become infertile, a cynical bureaucrat is entrusted with the transport of a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
6. "Little Miss Sunshine" (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 91%
A dysfunctional family embarks on a cross-country trip in their VW bus to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant, leading to comical and touching family bonding.
7. "Moon" (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
A solitary astronaut working on a lunar base begins to question his own identity and reality after a series of perplexing events, leading to a deep existential crisis.
8. "Donnie Darko" (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
A troubled teenager, plagued by visions of a large bunny rabbit that manipulates him to commit a series of crimes, tries to unravel a complex mystery involving time travel, existential philosophy, and his own possible insanity.
9. "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
A petty thief posing as an actor and a private detective become embroiled in a murder mystery filled with twists, Hollywood satire, and an unlikely partnership.
10. "Garden State" (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
A disenchanted actor returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral and reconnects with old friends, leading him to confront his past, form new relationships, and begin a journey of self-discovery.
11. "Mulholland Drive" (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%
A dark and surreal tale set in Los Angeles, where an aspiring actress encounters a woman with amnesia, leading them into a mysterious and mind-bending exploration of dreams, identity, and Hollywood's underbelly.
12. "The Royal Tenenbaums" (2001)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
An estranged family of former child prodigies reunites when their father announces he has a terminal illness, leading to a poignant and quirky exploration of their complex relationships and unresolved issues.
13. "Brick" (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%
A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, leading to a unique neo-noir detective story.
14. "Punch-Drunk Love" (2002)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%
A socially awkward and emotionally volatile man finds his mundane life disrupted by an unexpected romance and a scheme involving pudding and frequent flyer miles, leading to a quirky and unpredictable love story.
15. "Requiem for a Dream" (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 78%
Four individuals struggle with addiction, leading them down a harrowing path of desperation, delusion, and self-destruction, depicted through visually intense and interwoven narratives.
16. "The Machinist" (2004)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 77%
An industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year begins to doubt his own sanity as he experiences strange occurrences, leading to a disturbing and shocking revelation.
17. "Synecdoche, New York" (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%
A theater director struggles with his work and the women in his life as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play.
18. "American Psycho" (2000)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.
19. "Wristcutters: A Love Story" (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%
In an afterlife limbo for people who have committed suicide, a young man and his friends go on a road trip to find his former girlfriend.
20. "The Fountain" (2006)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 53%
A visually-stunning, time-bending tale of a man seeking immortality and a cure for his dying wife over a thousand-year quest, spanning past, present, and future.