This is a list of notable Hollywood* movies released in the 2000s & 2010s which I have classified as GEMs.  Note that the list is sortable by each column.  (Multiple levels of sorting are possible by sorting more than one column in succession, from lowest to highest.)

Most of the listed movies can be borrowed from your local public library in DVD form and are also available for streaming.  Watching these movies online usually requires a small fee or a subscription to streaming platforms such as YouTube, Amazon Prime, Disney+ or Netflix.  The ‘Video at’ column in the list below indicates one preferred streaming option to watch these movies online, though it may also be available on other platforms.  A ‘$’ sign indicates a small fee (usually $3.99 or less) for viewing the film.  In a few cases, the movie is available for free online viewing, and in these cases the direct link to watch the movie is provided in a separate column.  [Note: the availability of movies on various platforms (especially the free ones) is constantly changing: the information is current as of mid-2023, but it is quite possible that the listed streaming option for a particular film could be outdated at a later time.]

Please share any comments or suggestions on this list by filling out this form.  You can use the same form to express interest in becoming a contributor to the site.

Some non-Hollywood movies are also included.

Year Movie GEM! Director Selected Cast Video at Link (free) Wikipedia More
2000 Chocolat gem.png Lasse Hallström Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Johnny Depp PlutoTV (free)
2000 Erin Brockovich gem.png Steven Soderbergh Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart YouTube $
2000 Gladiator gem.png Ridley Scott Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Richard Harris, Oliver Reed Prime Video
2000 Traffic gem.png Steven Soderbergh Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Dennis Quaid Prime Video
2000 X-Men gem.png Bryan Singer Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin Disney+
2001 Beautiful Mind, A gem.png Ron Howard Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, Judd Hisrch Prime Video $
2001 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone gem.png Chris Columbus Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith YouTube $
2001 Lord of the Rings: The (The Fellowship of the Ring) gem.png Peter Jackson Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis YouTube $
2001 Ocean's Eleven gem.png Steven Soderbergh George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle YouTube $
2001 Others, The gem.png Alejandro Amenábar Nicole Kidman, Fionnula Flanagan, Christopher Eccleston, Elaine Cassidy, Eric Sykes, Alakina Mann, James Bentley YouTube (free)
2002 Bourne Identity, The gem.png Doug Liman Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Brian Cox, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Prime Video
2002 Insomnia gem.png Christopher Nolan Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank Tubi (free)
2002 Nicholas Nickleby gem.png Douglas McGrath Charlie Hunnam, Nathan Lane, Jim Broadbent, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Bell, Anne Hathaway Prime Video
2002 Pianist, The gem.png Roman Polanski Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman, Emilia Fox, Ed Stoppard Prime Video
2002 Spider-Man gem.png Sam Raimi Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson Disney+
2003 Identity gem.png James Mangold John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, Rebecca De Mornay YouTube $
2003 Mystic River gem.png Clint Eastwood Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney YouTube $
2003 Return of the King, The (The Lord of the Rings Part III) gem.png Peter Jackson Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm YouTube $
2004 Million Dollar Baby gem.png Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman YouTube $
2005 Crash gem.png Paul Haggis Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe PlutoTV (free)
2005 Good Night, and Good Luck gem.png George Clooney David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey, Jr., Frank Langella YouTube $
2005 Revenge of the Sith (Star Wars: Episode III) gem.png George Lucas Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Frank Oz Disney+
2006 Casino Royale gem.png Martin Campbell Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench YouTube $
2006 Departed, The gem.png Martin Scorsese Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin Netflix
2006 Devil Wears Prada, The gem.png David Frankel Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Simon Baker, Emily Blunt, Adrian Grenier YouTube $
2006 Mission: Impossible III gem.png J J Abrams Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan, Keri Russell, Laurence Fishburne Prime Video $
2006 Pursuit of Happyness, The gem.png Gabriele Muccino Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith Netflix
2006 Queen, The gem.png Stephen Frears Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Helen McCrory, Alex Jennings PlutoTV (free)
2007 Fracture gem.png Gregoiry Hoblit Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, Rosamund Pike YouTube $
2007 Michael Clayton gem.png Tony Gilroy George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack YouTube $
2008 Changeling gem.png Clint Eastwood Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan, John Malkovich YouTube $
2008 Dark Knight, The gem.png Christopher Nolan Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman Netflix
2008 Frost/Nixon gem.png Ron Howard Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon Prime Video
2008 Gran Torino gem.png Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood, Christopher Carley, Bee Vang, Ahney Her YouTube $
2008 Iron Man gem.png Jon Favreau Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Shaun Toub, Gwyneth Paltrow Disney+
2008 Slumdog Millionaire gem.png Danny Boyle Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan YouTube $
2009 Blind Side, The gem.png John Lee Hancock Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates Prime Video $
2009 Invictus gem.png Clint Eastwood Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon YouTube $
2010 King's Speech, The gem.png Tom Hooper Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Derek Jacobi, Michael Gambon PlutoTV (free)
2010 Shutter Island gem.png Martin Scorsese Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams Prime Video $
2010 True Grit (Version 2) gem.png Joel & Ethan Coen Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper Prime Video
2011 Artist, The (French) gem.png Michel Hazanavicius Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo YouTube $
2011 Descendants, The gem.png Alexander Payne George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard YouTube $
2011 Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The gem.png David Fincher Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Joely Richardson YouTube $
2011 Ides of March, The gem.png George Clooney Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood, Marisa Tomei YouTube $
2011 Lincoln Lawyer, The gem.png Brad Furman Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Frances Fisher Tubi (free)
2011 Margin Call gem.png J C Chandor Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Simon Baker, Demi Moore YouTube (free)
2011 Mission: Impossible (IV) - Ghost Protocol gem.png Brad Bird Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Anil Kapoor YouTube $
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes gem.png Rupert Wyatt James Franco, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Andy Serkis YouTube (free)
2011 X-Men: First Class gem.png Matthew Vaughn James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Rose Byrne, Jennifer Lawrence, January Jones, Oliver Platt, Kevin Bacon Disney+
2012 Argo gem.png Ben Affleck Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman YouTube $
2012 Django Unchained gem.png Quentin Tanrantino Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Dennis Christopher, Don Johnson YouTube $
2012 Lincoln gem.png Steven Spielberg Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones YouTube $
2012 Silver Linings Playbook gem.png David O. Russell Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Anupam Kher, Chris Tucker Prime Video
2012 Skyfall gem.png Sam Mendes Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Bérénice Marlohe, Albert Finney, Judi Dench Netflix
2012 Zero Dark Thirty gem.png Kathryn Bigelow Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler, Édgar Ramírez, James Gandolfini Prime Video
2013 12 Years a Slave gem.png Steve McQueen Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt YouTube $
2013 Butler, The gem.png Lee Daniels Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, James Marsden, John Cusack, Alan Rickman Amazon Prime
2013 Philomena gem.png Stephen Frears Judi Dench, Steve Coogan YouTube (free)
2013 Saving Mr. Banks gem.png John Lee Hancock Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Tom Giamatti Disney+
2013 Side Effects gem.png Steven Soderbergh Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum Prime Video $
2014 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes gem.png Matt Reeves Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Toby Kebbell, Kodi Smit-McPhee YouTube $
2014 Gone Girl gem.png David Fincher Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry YouTube $
2014 Imitation Game, The gem.png Morten Tyldum Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Rory Kinnear, Charles Dance, Mark Strong Prime Video
2014 Selma gem.png Ava DuVernay David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth, Oprah Winfrey Prime Video
2015 Big Short, The gem.png Adam McKay Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Melissa Leo, Marisa Tomei Netflix
2015 Bridge of Spies gem.png Steven Spielberg Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda Prime Video $
2015 Eye in the Sky gem.png Gavin Hood Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen Prime Video
2015 Man Who Knew Infinity, The gem.png Matthew Brown Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons, Devika Bhise Tubi (free)
2015 Spotlight gem.png Tom McCarthy Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Live Schreiber, John Slattery YouTube $
2015 Trumbo gem.png Jay Roach Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, John Goodman YouTube (free)
2016 Founder, The gem.png Robert Siegel Michael Keaton, Laura Dern, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch Tubi (free)
2016 Hidden Figures gem.png Theodore Melfi Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons Tubi (free)
2016 LBJ gem.png Rob Reiner Woody Harrelson, Michael Stahl-David, Richard Jenkins, Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Donovan, Jennifer Jason Leigh Plex (free)
2016 Lion gem.png Garth Davis Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman, Sunny Pawar, David Wenham PlutoTV (free)
2016 Miss Sloane gem.png John Madden Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, John Lithgow, Sam Waterston YouTube $
2016 Sully gem.png Clint Eastwood Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney Prime Video
2017 All the Money in the World gem.png Ridley Scott Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris YouTube $
2017 Battle of the Sexes gem.png Valerie Faris, Jonathan Dayton Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough, Sarah Silverman, Bill Pullman, Elisabeth Shue YouTube $
2017 Big Sick, The gem.png Michael Showalter Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter, Anupam Kher, Adeel Akhtar Prime Video
2017 Darkest Hour gem.png Joe Wright Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, Ronald Pickup, Ben Mendelsohn Netflix
2017 Marshall gem.png Reginald Hudlin Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, James Cromwell Netflix
2018 Aquaman gem.png James Wan Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman YouTube $
2018 Green Book gem.png Peter Farrelly Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini YouTube $
2018 On the Basis of Sex gem.png Mimi Leder Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston, Kathy Bates YouTube $
2019 Bombshell gem.png Jay Roach Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Malcolm McDowell, Margot Robbie YouTube $
2019 Downton Abbey gem.png Michael Engler Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Penelope Wilton YouTube $
2019 Knives Out gem.png Rian Johnson Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer YouTube $
2019 Parasite (Korean) gem.png Bong Joon-ho Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Lee Jung-eun, Jang Hye-jin YouTube $
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