The best movie of every year since 2000, according to critics

The best movie
From blockbusters like "The Lord of the Rings" to culturally significant dramas like "The Social Network," these movies have topped critical lists in the 2000s.

"The Social Network."  (Sony)

Each year in film, one movie stands out from the rest as the most critically acclaimed picture of the year.

Since the turn of the century, the review aggregator Metacritic has compiled an annual list of the year's most well-received movies by assigning scores based on their composite critical reception.

We selected the top film from each year's list, starting with 2000 and including the best of 2017 so far.

The resulting list includes cultural landmarks like "The Social Network" and "Moonlight," and multiple appearances from the "Lord of the Rings" series.

Here is the best movie of every year since 2000, according to critics:

2000: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

2000: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"  (Sony Pictures Classic)

Critic score: 93/100

User score: 8.1/10

Summary: "In 19th century China, a magical sword given by a warrior to his lover is stolen and the quest to find it ensues. The search leads to the House of Yu where the story travels in a different direction with the introduction of a mysterious assassin and another love story."

What critics said: Ang Lee, a world-class director working at the top of his elegant form, has done something thrilling." — Rolling Stone

2001: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

2001: "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"  (New Line Cinema)

Critic score: 92/100

User score: 9.1/10

Summary: "An epic adventure of good against evil, a story of the power of friendship and individual courage, and the heroic quest to pave the way for the emergence of mankind, J.R.R. Tolkien's master work brought to cinematic life."

What critics said: "So consistently involving because the excellent cast delivers their lines with the kind of utter conviction not seen in this kind of movie since the first 'Star Wars.'" — New York Post

2002: "Spirited Away"

2002: "Spirited Away"  (Disney)

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9/10

Summary: "A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world."

What critics said: "The most deeply and mysteriously satisfying animated feature to come along in ages." — New York magazine

2003: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"

2003: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King"  (New Line)

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 9.1/10

Summary: "Sauron's forces have laid siege to Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, in their efforts to eliminate the race of men. The once-great kingdom, watched over by a fading steward, has never been in more desperate need of its king."

What critics said: "Like all great fantasies and epics, this one leaves you with the sense that its wonders are real, its dreams are palpable." — Chicago Tribune

2004: "Sideways"

2004: "Sideways"  (Fox Searchlight)

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 7/10

Summary: "Two old friends set off on a wine-tasting road trip ... only to veer dizzily sideways into a wry, comedic exploration of the crazy vicissitudes of love and friendship, the damnable persistence of loneliness and dreams and the enduring war between Pinot and Cabernet."

What critics said: "Hysterically funny yet melancholy comedy." — The Hollywood Reporter

2005: "The Best of Youth"

2005: "The Best of Youth"  (Miramax)

Critic score: 89/100

User score: 8.8/10

Summary: "Spanning four decades, from the chaotic 1960s to the present, this passionate epic follows two Italian brothers through some of the most tumultuous events of recent Italian history."

What critics said: "Full of nuance and complexity, but it is also as accessible and engrossing as a grand 19th-century novel." — The New York Times

2006: "Pan's Labyrinth"

2006: "Pan's Labyrinth"  (New Line Cinema)

Critic score: 98/100

User score: 8.7/10

Summary:: "Young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a tyrannical military officer. Armed with only her imagination, Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother."

What critics said: "Literally and figuratively marvelous, a rich, daring mix of fantasy and politics." — Village Voice

2007: "Ratatouille"

2007: "Ratatouille"  (Disney / Pixar)

96/100

User score: 8.6/10

Summary: "Despite his sensational sniffer and sophisticated palate, Remy's dreams of becoming a chef seem hopeless due to one small detail — he's a rat!"

What critics said: "The master chefs at Pixar have blended all the right ingredients — abundant verbal and visual wit, genius slapstick timing, a soupcon of Gallic sophistication — to produce a warm and irresistible concoction that's sure to appeal to everyone's inner Julia Child." — Variety

2008: "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"

2008: "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"  (Bac Films)

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 8/10

Summary: "During the final days of communism in Romania, two college roommates Otilia and Gabita are busy preparing for a night away. But rather than planning for a holiday, they are making arrangements for Gabita's illegal abortion and unwittingly, both find themselves burrowing deep down a rabbit hole of unexpected revelations."

What critics said: Riveting, horrifying chronicle of an illegal abortion performed in 1987 when Ceausescu's dictatorial hand still gripped Romania's throat ... No lover of greatness in filmmaking will want to look away." — Entertainment Weekly

2009: "The Hurt Locker"

2009: "The Hurt Locker"  (VISO Trailers / YouTube)

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 7.3/10

Summary: "When a new sergeant, James (Jeremy Renner), takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Eldridge (Brian Geraghty), by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat."

What critics said: "A near-perfect movie about men in war, men at work. Through sturdy imagery and violent action, it says that even Hell needs heroes." — Time

2010: "The Social Network"

2010: "The Social Network"  (Sony Pictures/"The Social Network")

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 8.3/10

Summary: "On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea."

What critics said: "'The Social Network' has understandably been compared to 'Citizen Kane' in its depiction of a man who changes society through bending an emergent technology to his will." — The Washington Post

2011: "A Separation"

2011: "A Separation"  (Sony Pictures Classics)

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 8.9/10

Summary: "Set in contemporary Iran, 'A Separation' is a compelling drama about the dissolution of a marriage. Simin wants to leave Iran with her husband Nader and daughter Termeh. Simin sues for divorce when Nader refuses to leave behind his Alzheimer-suffering father."

What critics said: "Beyond the impeccable performances and direction, it's foremost an exceptional piece of screenwriting, so finely wrought that the drama seems guided by an invisible hand." — The AV Club

2012: "Zero Dark Thirty"