From the ‘90s to the ‘00s, it was the golden age for millennial movies. In two decades, several movies captured the attention span of Generation Y. From laugh-inducing comedies to tear-jerking romances, plenty of millennials had the chance to pick and choose from a long list of movies. In the two decades, millennials got one generation movie after another, in genres that ranged from found footage horror to teen romances.
The horror genre started to branch off with ‘90s movies. In just ten years, millennials were blessed with genre-defining movies. From Scream (1996) to The Blair Witch Projects (1999), one redefined the slasher genre, while the other popularized the found footage style of movies. Both of them have become gold standards for their genres. Also, millennials got the chance to enjoy the romantic comedies that peaked with ‘00s movies. If you are a member of Generation Y, you must have watched (500) Days of Summer. It went against the tropes, subverting expectations and capturing millennials in under two hours.
Like with Gen-Z films, we have compiled iconic movies that captured the millennial generation. Since they are quirky and sometimes too cheesy, grab some popcorn and a can of soda before watching them. Since these films range from coming-of-age movies to complete slashers, upvote the ones that you have watched before. Also, if you have a millennial classic of your own, share it below.
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#1 The Matrix (1999)
2h 16m | Directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski | IMDB: 8.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, and Carrie-Anne Moss
Before John Wick blasted baddies on the screen, Keanu Reeves starred in one of the most influential movies of all time. In The Matrix, Neo, the chosen one, adapts to the hostile real world by escaping the simulation and joining the rebels. We see him do Kung Fu, dodge bullets in slow-mo, and find time to flirt with Trinity.
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24points
#2 The 'Lord Of The Rings' Trilogy
9h 18m | Directed by Peter Jackson
Starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Viggo Mortensen
Filmed in the mountains and fields of New Zealand, the trilogy has survived the test of time year after year. The movie adapts Tolkien's epic book trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, focusing on the power of the ring and the journey to destroy it. Millennials got the chance to experience this epic trilogy as it was released in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
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20points
#3 Forrest Gump (1994)
2h 22m | Directed by Robert Zemeckis | IMDB: 8.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Gary Sinise
The ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s got perfectly summarized by a person who participated in the majority of the events — Forrest Gump. The movie shows how this Alabama man goes through the Vietnam War and many more important events to see his sweetheart. Throughout the journey, Gump becomes a business owner, a war veteran, and more.
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19points
#4 The Dark Knight (2008)
2h 32m | Directed by Christopher Nolan | IMDB: 9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Aaron Eckhart
The second installment in the Nolan Batman trilogy built a skyscraper on the foundation laid by the first movie. It sees Batman and the Joker — justice and chaos — fighting against each other while people around them suffer the consequences. This movie is the best superhero film and a legendary piece of cinema.
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19points
#5 Mean Girls (2004)
1h 37m | Directed by Mark Waters | IMDB: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
Starring Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett, and Rachel McAdams
High school is both a perfect place for a teen movie and for some school dramas to fester like bacteria. In the movie, Lindsey Lohan's character has to bicker with a group of mean girls known as The Plastics since she dates the ex-boyfriend of one of the members. It's a comedic movie a millennial teen would have surely loved.
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18points
#6 Legally Blonde (2001)
1h 36m | Directed by Robert Luketic | IMDB: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, and Selma Blair
The law — it’s an attractive career for any millennial, but not everyone is destined to succeed in it. After getting dumped by her boyfriend, Elle Woods decides to go for the Juris Doctor degree at Harvard and soon discovers just how smart she is. The character broke the blonde stereotype that was popular in Hollywood movies.
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16points
#7 The Parent Trap (1998)
2h 08m | Directed by Nancy Meyers | IMDB: 6.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Starring Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, and Natasha Richardson
An adaptation of an older film, this movie sees Lindsay Lohan starring in two roles — Hallie Parker and Annie James — separated twins. Once they discover their true origins, they plan to set a trap for their parents. However, the problem is that the dad lives in America while the mother resides in England.
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15points
#8 Juno (2007)
1h 36m | Directed by Jason Reitman | IMDB: 7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Starring Elliot Page, Michael Cera, and Jennifer Garner
Pregnancy can change anyone's life (for the better or worse), especially for a couple of teens. In this movie, a teenage girl named Juno becomes pregnant and is forced to deal with adult problems. This coming-of-age movie perfectly captures the problems that arise from unplanned pregnancies.
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14points
#9 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
1h 37m | Directed by Gil Junger | IMDB: 7.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Starring Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Sometimes, a rebellious boy can fall in love with a girl that would put him in line and start to look at life with a more serious point of view. This was the case with Patrick Verona and Kat Stratford, who started to date thanks to a deal between the boys. While Verona didn't want to date for long, his perspective changed throughout the movie.
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14points
#10 Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
2h 32m | Directed by Chris Columbus | IMDB: 7.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Richard Harris
There is not a single millennial in the world who hasn’t seen, or at least hasn’t heard, about The Boy Who Lived. In the first movie of this legendary franchise, we see Harry Potter and his friends starting their formal wizarding studies at Hogwarts. The movie started a journey that was finished in eight legendary installments.
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13points
#11 Spider-Man (2002)
2h 01m | Directed by Sam Raimi | IMDB: 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and Willem Dafoe
With development starting as early as 1975, Spider-Man made his most epic debut in 2002, just as millennials became teens. With Tobey Maguire portraying Peter Parker, the movie became an instant hit for the studio. It was so good that it got nominated for two Oscars, but sadly, The Lord of the Rings won the two.
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13points
#12 Donnie Darko (2001)
1h 53m | Directed by Richard Kelly | IMDB: 8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 87%
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell
A suggestion for the future — if you ever see a hallucination of a bunny, make sure to not sound like an insane person. Donnie Darko, a sleepwalking teen, gets haunted by a man dressed in a rabbit suit who proclaims that the world will end. Donnie tries to find a way to stop it and, in the process, commits several felonies.
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13points
#13 The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
1h 49m | Directed by David Frankel | IMDB: 6.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
Starring Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, and Adrian Grenier
Every millennial understands how hard it is to land a dream job straight from college. Andrea "Andy" Sachs, a recent college graduate, was able to land a job as the co-assistant of Miranda Priestly, a prestigious magazine editor. Throughout the movie, the ideas of the young assistant and the veteran editor-in-chief clash and create some gossip-worthy problems.
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12points
#14 Easy A (2010)
1h 32m | Directed by Will Gluck | IMDB: 7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Starring Emma Stone, Amanda Bynes, and Penn Badgley
Rumors can ruin a person's life, but if used correctly, they can provide the chance to get rich. This was the case with Emma Stone’s character Olive, as she starts to get gifts and money for saying she slept with some boys. However, soon enough, those rumors start to ruin her chances with a boy she likes.
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12points
#15 Titanic (1997)
3h 14m | Directed by James Cameron | IMDB: 7.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, and Billy Zane
The staple element of every Valentine's Day since 1997, this three-hour romantic masterpiece is based on a horrible disaster. The story in the movie sees Rose, an aristocratic lady, fall in love with Jack, a poor artist, on the grand Titanic ship. However, their love is short-lived, as the fictional ship follows the same historical path.
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12points
#16 Clueless (1995)
1h 37m | Directed by Amy Heckerling | IMDB: 6.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Starring Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, and Brittany Murphy
Popularity can yield great benefits for the people around you, especially in school. Cher, a rich girl, decides to use her popularity to help out a new student in school while, at the same time, trying to make two teachers fall in love with each other. Along the way, she starts forming feelings for a boy named Josh Lucas (not the actor).
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12points
#17 How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days (2003)
1h 56m | Directed by Donald Petrie | IMDB: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 42%
Starring Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, and Adam Goldberg
While the golden rule states that you should call after three days, nobody said you must fall in love on the tenth day. In this movie, Matthew McCounaughey’s character bets that he can make a woman fall in love in ten days, while the woman, portrayed by Kate Hudson, does everything she can to make him break up with her.
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11points
#18 Scream (1996)
1h 51m | Directed by Wes Craven | IMDB: 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette
If someone asks you what’s your favorite scary movie — answer with Scream. It’s a slasher movie that mixes horror and a bit of humor in a single nice piece of art. The first movie holds a special place in many hearts, as we get introduced to the infamous Ghost Face and the first group of teens who decide to defeat it.
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11points
#19 The Craft (1996)
1h 41m | Directed by Andrew Fleming | IMDB: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
Starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, and Neve Campbell
Teen witches and catholic private schools are two things that might not mix historically well, but in fiction, they are the perfect match. In this movie, a group of witchcraft-practicing teens join a parochial school in Los Angeles and start to do their little experiments. However, they soon notice that some unforeseen consequences come from their meddling in magic.
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11points
#20 Superbad (2007)
1h 53m | Directed by Greg Mottola | IMDB: 7.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
Starring Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Some comedies mature like milk on the counter, but this one aged like fine wine in a cellar: a comedy about three nerdy teens looking for some dirty action, with funny main and supporting characters. The most memorable might be McLovin — a fake man from Hawaii who is, naturally, an organ donor.
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10points