Ready to feel old? Several iconic movies will celebrate their landmark 20th anniversary in 2022 and my childhood feels so very far away.
From blockbuster franchises to classic romcoms, 2002 was a big year for movies. With 2022 just around the corner now, we thought we’d take a look at just some of the best movies from that year which are set to turn 20 next year. Did we miss any out?
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
It might not be as good as Order of the Phoenix, as nostalgic as Philosopher’s Stone, or as dramatic as Deathly Hallows – Part 2, but the Chamber of Secrets does introduce us to Dobby so all’s well.
The second instalment in the Harry Potter series saw Hogwarts turn against poor Harry as he was accused of targeting Muggles. He came face-to-face with a virtual version of Lord Voldermort and battled a gigantic basilisk. Just another normal year at school then.
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Maybe one day there will be a critical reappraisal of the Star Wars prequels. Probably not though. Attack of the Clones was the weakest of the three, containing lots of shockingly wooden acting – “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere” – and lots of dull exposition.
It still made over $650 million at the box office so I don’t think George Lucas’ bank balance cares all that much.
Maid in Manhattan
A truly underrated romcom. Critics detested Maid in Manhattan but audiences knew better. Jennifer Lopez was perfectly cast as a New York City hotel maid who falls in love with a high-profile politician, played by a pre-Lord Voldermort Ralph Fiennes. It’s a schmaltzy fairytale but it’s perfect lazy day fodder.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Another classic romcom from 2002, the movie was so beloved that it spawned a short-lived 2003 TV series and a sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, in 2016. It actually became the highest-grossing romcom of all time, a record it held for 14 years.
Nia Vardalos played a middle class Greek-American woman who has the temerity to fall in love with a very non-Greek man, which doesn’t initially go down well with her family.
Panic Room
One of David Fincher’s most underrated movies. A panic room in Jodie Foster’s house is the perfect claustrophobic setting for a thriller.
She plays the mother of a young Kristen Stewart as the pair find their new home invaded by burglars, including Jared Leto proving that he’s a decent actor when he’s not hamming it up. It’s incredibly tense, surprisingly thoughtful, and classic Fincher.
8 Mile
I don’t care about Rocketman or Bohemian Rhapsody – the best musical drama film came out in 2002. Eminem was typically moody in his movie debut, which contained autobiographical elements from the rapper’s life and career.
8 Mile refers to 8 Mile Road, a highway separating the mainly African-American U.S. city of Detroit and the more white suburban neighbourhoods to the north of the city where Eminem grew up. The movie’s soundtrack was unsurprisingly a major part of its success, winning the Oscar for Best Song for ‘Lose Yourself’.
Spider-Man
There’s a simple test to work out a person’s generation – ask them if the best Spider-Man is Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland. I’ll always go to the hilt for Tobey but the first Spider-Man movie from 2002 is also genuinely a great movie, which can’t always be said for superhero works.
It had an idiosyncratic director in Sam Raimi, and Willem Dafoe was utterly terrifying as the Green Goblin; there probably hasn’t been a better villain in a Spider-Man movie since. The first great superhero movie of the 21st century really set the template for what was to come.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
It’s almost impossible to choose the best movie in The Lord of the Rings trilogy but the second instalment in the series a classic by any definition of the word. Just one year after The Fellowship of the Ring amazed audiences, Peter Jackson followed it up with an equally iconic movie.
Epic fantasy at its finest, there’s a reason it was nominated for six Oscars. The Battle of Helm’s Deep set piece is a masterpiece of tension and vision, and really was a landmark in action filmmaking.
