It’s hard to believe 2005 was 20 years ago.
I remember 2005. I remember seeing Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith on the big screen. I could tell you where in the theater I sat when I saw Peter Jackson’s King Kong. I could name all the places where I watched Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. (Wait, Batman began 20 years ago?!? Oof. I feel old enough right now to star in a very bad production of Batman Ends.)
The years have been kind to those three 2005 movies and many others; Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds is now regarded as one of cinema’s best 9/11 allegories, Oldboy helped put an international spotlight on the amazing pictures being made in South Korea during that time, and cultists have taken up Keanu Reeves’ Constantine as the great unsung comic-book movie of its era. Even a few of the year’s flops have gone down in history (or maybe in infamy). People still talk about Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown, if only for its role in helping inspire the term “manic pixie dream girl” to describe characters like Kirsten Dunst’s heroine love interest in that film.
But 20 years is more than enough time for most of the movies released in 2005 — including some really good ones — to start to fade into obscurity. So let’s try to reverse that trend. Below I’ve collected 12 of my favorite 2005 films that are in real danger of being totally forgotten in the years ahead. If you’ve never seen them, seek them out. If you’ve seen them before, here’s your reminder that you might be due for a revisit. After all, it’s been 20 years.
Forgotten 2005 Movies That Deserve to Be Rediscovered
These 20 year old movies should get a lot more love. If you’ve never seen them, it’s time to check them out.
READ MORE: Forgotten 1995 Movies That Deserve to Be Rediscovered
12 Forgotten Movie Prequels
These prequels were made. Then they were forgotten. Or in some cases, people never knew they existed in the first place.