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Edition · 2003
The Year in Film · 2003

Best of 2003

The films that defined 2003 — ranked by IMDb score.


These films defined 2003 — the year's highest-rated releases, ranked by IMDb score. Some are awards bait, some are popcorn fare, some quietly snuck in under the radar. All earned their place on the list.

  1. 01.
    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

    2003·Dir. Peter Jackson·201 min·9.0

    As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.​

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  2. 02.
    Anbe Sivam

    Anbe Sivam

    2003·Dir. Sundar C·160 min·8.6

    Anbarasu, young and arrogant, and Nallasivam, damaged - physically but not spiritually - by life, are thrown together by circumstances, and find that they are in some ways bound together by fate.

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  3. 03.
    The Best of Youth

    The Best of Youth

    2003·Dir. Marco Tullio Giordana·367 min·8.4

    After a fateful encounter in the summer of 1966, the lifepaths of two brothers from a middle-class Roman family diverge, intersecting with some of the most significant events of postwar Italian history in the following decades.

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  4. 04.
    Pithamagan

    Pithamagan

    2003·Dir. Bala·139 min·8.3

    A young orphan grows up in a graveyard and is devoid of any human feelings; when he leaves the cemetery and meets people, he experiences emotions for the first time.

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  5. 05.
    Oldboy

    Oldboy

    2003·Dir. Park Chan-wook·120 min·8.3

    With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.

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  6. 06.
    Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.

    Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.

    2003·Dir. Rajkumar Hirani·156 min·8.2

    A gangster sets out to fulfill his father's dream of becoming a doctor.

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  7. 07.
    Kill Bill: Vol. 1

    Kill Bill: Vol. 1

    2003·Dir. Quentin Tarantino·111 min·8.2

    An assassin is shot by her ruthless employer, Bill, and other members of their assassination circle – but she lives to plot her vengeance.

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  8. 08.
    Finding Nemo

    Finding Nemo

    2003·Dir. Andrew Stanton·100 min·8.2

    Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to his worrisome father Marlin and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory to bring Nemo home -- meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.

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  9. 09.
    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

    2003·Dir. Gore Verbinski·143 min·8.1

    When wily pirate Captain Barbossa seizes Jack Sparrow’s beloved ship, the Black Pearl, and kidnaps the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, blacksmith Will Turner reluctantly teams up with the unpredictable pirate Jack to rescue her—only to uncover a terrifying curse that turns Barbossa’s crew into the undead.

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  10. 10.
    Memories of Murder

    Memories of Murder

    2003·Dir. Bong Joon Ho·131 min·8.1

    A sadistic serial rapist and murderer of young women terrorizes a small province in 1980s South Korea. To prevent further crimes, three increasingly desperate detectives with conflicting methods race against time to unravel the violent mind of the killer in a futile effort to solve the case.

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  11. 11.
    The Corporation

    The Corporation

    2003·Dir. Mark Achbar·145 min·8.0

    Since the late 18th century American legal decision that the business corporation organizational model is legally a person, it has become a dominant economic, political and social force around the globe. This film takes an in-depth psychological examination of the organization model through various case studies. What the study illustrates is that in the its behaviour, this type of "person" typically acts like a dangerously destructive psychopath without conscience. Furthermore, we see the profound threat this psychopath has for our world and our future, but also how the people with courage, intelligence and determination can do to stop it.

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  12. 12.
    Dogville

    Dogville

    2003·Dir. Lars von Trier·178 min·8.0

    A woman on the run from the mob is reluctantly accepted in a small Colorado community in exchange for labor, but when a search visits the town, she learns that their support has a price.

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  13. 13.
    Kaakha Kaakha

    Kaakha Kaakha

    2003·Dir. Gautham Vasudev Menon·151 min·8.0

    After a police team kills his brother, a drug-dealing gangster vows to kill the entire team and their respective families.

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  14. 14.
    The Fog of War

    The Fog of War

    2003·Dir. Errol Morris·107 min·8.0

    Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

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  15. 15.
    Okkadu

    Okkadu

    2003·Dir. Gunasekhar·170 min·8.0

    Ajay, a fiery Kabaddi player from Hyderabad, visits Kurnool for a tournament and rescues Swapna from a faction leader Obul Reddy, who wants to force her into marriage. He secretly hides her in his home and assists her in planning her escape abroad for her higher studies. But, fate has other plans.

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  16. 16.
    Maqbool

    Maqbool

    2003·Dir. Vishal Bhardwaj·132 min·8.0

    The Scottish tragedy 'Macbeth' set in the contemporary underworld of India's commercial capital; two corrupt, fortune telling policemen take the roles of the weird sisters, and "Duncan" is Abbaji, the head of a crime family.

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  17. 17.
    Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

    Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring

    2003·Dir. Kim Ki-duk·103 min·8.0

    An isolated lake, where an old monk lives in a small floating temple. The monk has a young boy living with him, learning to become a monk. We watch as seasons and years pass by.

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  18. 18.
    Ricky Gervais Live: Animals

    Ricky Gervais Live: Animals

    2003·Dir. Dominic Brigstocke·73 min·7.9

    Ricky Gervais entertains a live audience in his first stand-up routine.

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  19. 19.
    Touching the Void

    Touching the Void

    2003·Dir. Kevin Macdonald·106 min·7.9

    The true story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' disastrous and nearly-fatal mountain climb of 6,344m Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.

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  20. 20.
    Tupac: Resurrection

    Tupac: Resurrection

    2003·Dir. Lauren Lazin·112 min·7.9

    Home movies, photographs, and recited poetry illustrate the life of Tupac Shakur, one of the most beloved, revolutionary, and volatile hip-hop MCs of all time.

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  21. 21.
    Kal Ho Naa Ho

    Kal Ho Naa Ho

    2003·Dir. Nikkhil Advani·187 min·7.9

    An uptight MBA student falls for the charismatic new neighbor who charms her troubled family – but he has a secret that forces him to push her away.

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  22. 22.
    Big Fish

    Big Fish

    2003·Dir. Tim Burton·125 min·7.9

    Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.

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  23. 23.
    Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi

    Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi

    2003·Dir. Sudhir Mishra·120 min·7.9

    Set against the backdrop of the Indian Emergency, the movie tells the story of three youngsters in the 70s, when India was undergoing massive social and political changes.

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  24. 24.
    Harvie Krumpet

    Harvie Krumpet

    2003·Dir. Adam Elliot·22 min·7.9

    The odd biography of Harvie Krumpet, a man who has Tourette's Syndrome, chronic bad luck, menial jobs, nudist tendencies, and a book of "fakts" hung around his neck - but still optimistically lives own way and enjoys the small things life has to offer.

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  25. 25.
    Mystic River

    Mystic River

    2003·Dir. Clint Eastwood·138 min·7.9

    The lives of three men who were childhood friends are shattered when one of them suffers a family tragedy.

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  26. 26.
    Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

    Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

    2003·Dir. Kazuhisa Takenouchi·68 min·7.8

    Four talented alien musicians are kidnapped by a record producer who disguises them as humans. Shep, a space pilot in love with bass player Stella, follows them to Earth. Reprogrammed to forget their real identities and renamed The Crescendolls, the group quickly becomes a huge success playing soulless corporate pop. At a concert, Shep manages to free all the musicians except Stella, and the band sets out to rediscover who they really are — and to rescue Stella.

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  27. 27.
    Tokyo Godfathers

    Tokyo Godfathers

    2003·Dir. Satoshi Kon·92 min·7.8

    On Christmas Eve, three homeless people living on the streets of Tokyo discover a newborn baby among the trash and set out to find its parents.

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  28. 28.
    Gangaajal

    Gangaajal

    2003·Dir. Prakash Jha·157 min·7.8

    An honest Superintendent of Police, IPS Amit Kumar, is assigned to a crime infested town to reduce its crime rates. There, he soon learns that cleaning up the town also means confronting the corruption among police and politicians.

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  29. 29.
    The Last Samurai

    The Last Samurai

    2003·Dir. Edward Zwick·154 min·7.8

    Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

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  30. 30.
    Soldier's Girl

    Soldier's Girl

    2003·Dir. Frank Pierson·112 min·7.8

    This true story, which takes place in Fort Campbell, KY, tells the heart-wrenching story of the life and tragic death of soldier Barry Winchell. His love for Calpernia Addams, a transgender nightclub performer, was misunderstood by his fellow soldiers and eventually led to his murder.

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  31. 31.
    Good Bye, Lenin!

    Good Bye, Lenin!

    2003·Dir. Wolfgang Becker·121 min·7.7

    Alex Kerner's mother was in a coma while the Berlin wall fell. When she wakes up he must try to keep her from learning what happened (as she was an avid communist supporter) to avoid shocking her which could lead to another heart attack.

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  32. 32.
    The Making of 'Kill Bill Vol. 1'

    The Making of 'Kill Bill Vol. 1'

    2003·Dir. Shannon McIntosh·22 min·7.7

    The documentary of Kill Bill Vol. 1, and how it was made. This is a documentary found on the DVD of Kill Bill Vol. 1. It consists of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and clips of the movie.

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  33. 33.
    Evil

    Evil

    2003·Dir. Mikael Håfström·113 min·7.7

    Stockholm, in the 1950s. Erik is expelled from the local school for getting into one brawl too many. To protect Erik from his violent stepfather’s reaction to his expulsion, Erik's mother arranges for Erik to spend a year at Stjärnsberg Boarding School, the only school willing to accept him. This is Erik's last chance to graduate to Upper School and he promises his mother, for his and her sake, to do all he can to stay out of trouble.

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  34. 34.
    The Triplets of Belleville

    The Triplets of Belleville

    2003·Dir. Sylvain Chomet·80 min·7.7

    When her grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, Madame Souza and her beloved pooch Bruno team up with the Belleville Sisters—an aged song-and-dance team from the days of Fred Astaire—to rescue him.

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  35. 35.
    Bang Bang You're Dead

    Bang Bang You're Dead

    2003·Dir. Guy Ferland·89 min·7.7

    A troubled and bullied high school student fights against judgement from his community after threatening to bomb the football team.

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  36. 36.
    Lost in Translation

    Lost in Translation

    2003·Dir. Sofia Coppola·102 min·7.7

    Two lost souls visiting Tokyo -- the young, neglected wife of a photographer and a washed-up movie star shooting a TV commercial -- find an odd solace and pensive freedom to be real in each other's company, away from their lives in America.

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  37. 37.
    The Classic

    The Classic

    2003·Dir. Kwak Jae-yong·133 min·7.7

    Ji-hae's friend is having problems expressing her feelings to the boy she loves, so she asks Ji-hae to write e-mails to him in her name. As the boy falls in love with her letters, Ji-hae discovers the story of her mother's romance which is remarkably similar to her own circumstances.

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  38. 38.
    Lisbela and the Prisoner

    Lisbela and the Prisoner

    2003·Dir. Guel Arraes·106 min·7.6

    Lisbela is a young woman who loves going to the movies. Leléu is a con man, going from town to town selling all sort of things and performing as master of ceremonies for some cheesy numbers, such as the woman who gets transformed into a gorilla. He gets involved with Linaura, a sexy and beautiful woman who happens to be the wife of the most frightening hitman of the place. The hitman finds out his wife's affair and goes after Leléu, who has to leave in a hurry. In another town, he meets and falls instantly in love with Lisbela, who is engaged to Douglas, a hillbilly who tries hard to pass for a cosmopolitan Rio de Janeiro dweller.

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  39. 39.
    Capturing the Friedmans

    Capturing the Friedmans

    2003·Dir. Andrew Jarecki·107 min·7.6

    An Oscar nominated documentary about a middle-class American family who is torn apart when the father Arnold and son Jesse are accused of sexually abusing numerous children. Director Jarecki interviews people from different sides of this tragic story and raises the question of whether they were rightfully tried when they claim they were innocent and there was never any evidence against them.

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  40. 40.
    The Man Who Copied

    The Man Who Copied

    2003·Dir. Jorge Furtado·123 min·7.6

    A young photocopier operator becomes infatuated with his neighbor and, unable to afford anything from her shop, turns to shady schemes to make money.

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— End of Chapter —