20 Best Science Fiction Movies Released Since 2000

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of these unique and serendipitous occurrences in cinema, where all the right people cross paths at the right moment. While writer-director Michel Gondry, writer Charlie Kaufman, and stars Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are all excellent in their respective areas, Eternal Sunshine is the perfect distillation of all their talents in one neat, digestible and rewatchable package.

The film finds Joel Barish (Carrey) heartbroken and devastated upon discovering his ex, Clementine Kruczynski (Winslet), has undergone a procedure to erase all her memories of him. Hurt, sore and wanting to retaliate, Joel approaches Lacuna, the company who performed the procedure, to do the same for him. But, during the process of forgetting Clementine, Joel changes his mind.

And how it all comes together. Kaufman’s writing offers a love story told from the other side and in reverse, reflecting the nuances of how we mourn, grieve and try to hold onto our relationships; while Gondry’s penchant for a very physical surrealism (i.e. mostly non-CG) gives form to the crumbling dream world in which Joel tries to protect the memories and little pieces of Clementine he treasures most. And, of course, Carrey and Winslet anchor the whole thing, making best use of what they’re good at, while confounding expectations: Joel is more Kafkan hero than funnyman, and Clementine is complex and rough-edged, eschewing every touchpoint of the traditional love interest.