Every Steven Spielberg Movie From the 21st Century, Ranked

It may come off as a bit of a boomer-like comment, but today’s film audiences have no clue about how significant Steven Spielberg was in the 1980s. The man was everywhere. Releasing huge blockbusters for Universal Pictures like E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and producing icons like Gremlins and The Goonies for Warner Bros., Spielberg represented the best of the industry when entering the final decade of the century. In the ’90s, he made the highest-grossing film of all time (until Titanic took the title in 1997) and won two Academy Awards for Best Director. It was a long-due recognition to the King Midas of Hollywood.

What’s more curious is that when the 21st century arrived with all its changes in technology and trends, Spielberg remained prominent, though no longer at the top. New filmmakers were also prominent in the studio system, but this didn’t mean Spielberg was relegated to lesser films.

On the contrary, Spielberg’s work expanded in the 21st century with movies of all genres and formats. This is our overview of Spielberg’s films since the turn of the century.

16 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull follows the adventurer/history professor who can still get in trouble even if he looks a bit old. This time, the Soviets are after him, and after being betrayed by his partner, Indy is forced to locate the remains of the Roswell incident for them. Luckily, he makes it out alive, but Indy quickly jumps to another adventure alongside a young man who informs him that his colleague, Ox, has located a valuable crystal skull.

They travel to Peru, where eventually the Soviets catch him. Indy has a reunion with Marion, and the film’s theme is finally revealed: This time, it’s all about aliens.

The Return of an Icon That Nobody Seems to Like

Indiana Jones took a huge break after 1989, and the character took almost twenty years to return to the big screen. The problem is that such a return wasn’t exactly a masterpiece.

Still superbly directed by Spielberg, the film does have its usual dose of adventure and humor. But clunky special effects and Jones’ character downgrade (this time, he’s really silly) make it a lesser sequel in the Indiana Jones universe. However, it still holds a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but that’s probably due to Cate Blanchett’s performance as Irina Spalko: she’s the best thing about the movie.

15 Ready Player One (2018)

Ready Player One takes audiences to the future. Specifically, in 2045, when the population hasn’t found a way to disconnect from their virtual selves, they just spend the whole day using the OASIS, a simulation where they can be “themselves” and play against others. The late James Halliday created the game, and people now spend all day trying to find the clues to an Easter egg that will grant them ownership of this virtual world.

Wade Watts is a young man whose knowledge of Halliday and the 1980s will be the key to making him the potential winner. That is, if the evil corporation Innovative Online Industries doesn’t find the Easter egg first.

An Audiovisual Pop Culture Festival

Based on Ernest Cline’s book of the same name, Ready Player One is one of Spielberg’s recent films that resembles the kind of cinema that made him famous in the 1980s. In fact, he doesn’t exactly shy away from using the culture he helped create to make the film a nostalgia-fest for ’80s pop culture lovers.

The film was a blockbuster hit for Spielberg, who made sure to imprint his style on the film, but Ready Player One is mostly a collection of pop culture references that you will celebrate as you keep finding them. And yes, you will need more than a few revisits to catch them all. Now, where’s the sequel?

14 The Terminal (2004)

In The Terminal, Viktor Navorski arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport from Krakozhia for a pleasure trip. The problem is that his country is no more: a coup has rendered his passport useless because the United States doesn’t recognize the new government.

Navorski finds himself trapped in the airport as agents take his passport. Without knowing a single word of English, Navorski will have to find a way to live in the airport, and he’s always under the eye of Frank Dixon, one of the managers at the airport who doesn’t understand why Victor can’t claim asylum.

A Premise That Could Have Been More Complicated in Someone Else’s Hands

Loosely based on Mehran Karimi Nasseri’s true story, the film is a lighthearted comedy drama fully powered by Tom Hanks’ endearing performance as Navorski. He’s the reason why the film works and sustains itself under such a simple premise.

The Terminal has no other goal but to give audiences a pleasant couple of hours to watch Hanks’ great progression of character. It is one of Spielberg’s lowest-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 61%. Only Hook, The Lost World, and 1941 are lower.

13 The BFG (2016)

The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) is the story of Sophie, a ten-year-old orphan who has insomnia. One night, as she looks out her window, she’s grabbed by a giant man who takes her to Giant Country. He says she can’t tell anyone that giants exist and even “creates” a nightmare for her to believe him. Soon, the other not-very-friendly giants in Giant Country realize the BFG is hiding a human, and it’ll be up to Sophie and the BFG to stop them from entering the human realm and eating the children.

A Beautiful and Underrated Fantasy Film

Based on Roald Dahl’s novel of the same name, The BFG was Melissa Mathison’s last script before her passing. She was also known for having worked with Spielberg on the Academy Award-nominated script for E.T.

While The BFG isn’t as good as the film about the friendly alien, it does its share of fun, family-friendly innocence that makes it a heartwarming adventure for young viewers. The film was a box office flop, which wasn’t great news for Spielberg in his first collaboration with Walt Disney Pictures, but it’s definitely one of the most underrated fantasy films you can watch today.

12 The Post (2017)

In The Post, the daily newspaper The Washington Post hasn’t seen much change since Katherine Graham took over the ownership of the paper after the deaths of her husband and her father. Ben Bradlee, the executive editor, is in her corner, but he can’t help the rest of the team see her as a worthy leader.

It’s not until the paper gets the opportunity to run a story with severe political implications (The Pentagon Papers) in Vietnam that Graham sees a chance to gain the respect she has always deserved.

An Always Relevant Political Drama

The film was critically acclaimed upon release, and early on, Spielberg’s direction was hailed as his best in recent years. It received two Oscar nominations (Best Picture and Best Actress for Meryl Streep), but unfortunately, the people’s appreciation fizzled out quickly.

Still holding an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is a fine example of a recent journalism thriller that will make you think beyond what you see in the media: there’s no denying the wink to current politics and the media’s role in “manipulating” the public’s perception.

11 West Side Story (2021)

2021’s version of West Side Story doesn’t differ so much from the first version by Robert Wise. In this modern adaptation of the world-famous Broadway musical, the Jets and the Sharks are fighting over the dominion of the social scene on the Upper West Side. However, when Tony, a Jet, meets María, the sister of a Shark, they fall in love and bring the conflict to a whole new level when the leaders of both groups stand against the union.

One of the Best Remakes in Recent Cinema

Spielberg’s reimagining of the musical suffered delays in its release due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When it was finally released in December 2021, people didn’t exactly run in hordes to see it in theaters. Although it was made by a very influential director, musicals aren’t very attractive to modern audiences.

Still, it received seven nominations at the Academy Awards, and Ariana DeBose won the Best Supporting Oscar for her role as Anita. The score on Rotten Tomatoes sits at a solid 92%, which may tell you that it’s one of Spielberg’s most underrated features and one of the best remakes in recent years.

10 War of the Worlds (2005)

War of the Worlds tells the story of a Brooklyn dockworker named Ray who, on the day he’s supposed to spend some time with his estranged children, witnesses the beginning of an alien invasion. The creatures emerge from the ground in huge laser-spewing tripods, and Ray is forced to grab his children and go on the run across the country to find a safe haven if there’s anything of the sort. It’s, by far, one of the scariest alien invasion films ever made.

Spielberg’s Modern Rendering of Horror

Based on Josh Friedman and David Koepp’s modern adaptation of the literary classic by H.G. Wells, War of the Worldsbrought Spielberg back to scarier thrillers after a stint that had begun in the ’90s.

This is the director at his best: great storyboarding and sequence design, state-of-the-art (but not invasive) special effects, and a great lead performer in Tom Cruise. It got nominated for three Oscars and made over half a billion at the box office (his most successful 2000s film that wasn’t part of a franchise).

9 War Horse (2011)

In War Horse, Albert’s father buys a horse to help plow the field on their farm in South West England. Albert forms a strong relationship with the horse early on, names him Joey, and even teaches him to respond to his call. But afterward, war is declared and heavy rain destroys the crops.

To keep feeding his family, Ted is forced to sell the horse—Albert’s heart is broken as he sees his horse taken away to help the army in the war. But the future holds a great journey for Joey and Albert, who will perhaps meet again.

The Most Beautiful War Drama You’ve Yet to See

Lee Hall (Billy Elliot) and Richard Curtis (Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral) teamed up to bring Michael Morpurgo’s novel of the same name to the big screen. It was Spielberg’s first attempt to portray World War I events, though he had previously done work about World War II.

The result was a beautiful film with a decent box office result and six nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It wasn’t only an endearing story filled with the emotional equilibrium that’s typical of the director, but visually, War Horse is a modern masterpiece that homages the great Westerns as well.

8 A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

A.I. Artificial Intelligence follows a humanoid robot called David as he’s programmed for the sole purpose of entering a family whose child has contracted a disease that rendered him unable to be with them. David is a sentient android and learns to love, but when the family’s son comes home, David’s presence is questioned. However, the boy just wants to turn into a real boy because perhaps that’s how Monica, his new mother, will be able to love him.

A Tribute to a Master

Originally an idea by Stanley Kubrick, A.I. Artificial Intelligence was Spielberg’s way to follow up on the concept by one of his most cherished idols. The film is a beautiful sci-fi fantasy that modernizes the Pinocchio story into a conversation about our relationship with technology, but at the time, it wasn’t as successful.

It had a decent box office return and two Academy Award nominations, but time would be the ultimate proof for the film, as it garnered its cult status very slowly, with some sci-fi enthusiasts calling it a fine mix of Spielberg and Kubrick’s visions.

7 The Fabelmans (2022)

In The Fabelmans, young Sammy is part of a family who encourages him to pursue his own vision after he witnesses a motion picture on the big screen. He uses his father’s camera to recreate the scenes with miniature trains and eventually grows up to be an amateur film director whose films impress everyone.

But nothing at home was as good as it seemed. Sammy is forced to see how his parents’ relationship crumbles and Burt and Mitzy eventually separate, leaving Sammy in emotional turmoil, a feeling he’s only able to cope with by making movies.

The Stunning Autobiography of a Genius

Spielberg’s autobiography is not as “semi” as many said it was. The director, alongside screenwriter Tony Kushner, drew a great rendering of what modeled him to becoming Hollywood’s greatest storyteller.

The film was a hit among critics who were able to connect with the emotional journey, and it holds a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The Fabelmans was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, but it failed to win any.

6 The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

The Adventures of Tintin follows the titular adventurer going on one of his missions. After he buys a small model of a ship called the Unicorn, Tintin gets harassed by a ship collector and an Interpol officer. Refusing to sell it, Tintin escapes along with his pet dog, Snowy.

When he researches the Unicorn, he finds that the real sunken ship has a treasure inside it, and perhaps the captain’s descendant, Archibald Haddock, has the secret to find it. He and Haddock attempt to find it, but as it turns out, they are not the only ones in the quest.

Spielberg’s Single Attempt at Animation

Based on Hergé’s comic book series of the same name, The Adventures of Tintin is a spectacular animated film with enough twists and turns to make your day. Working with producer Peter Jackson and with a script by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish, Spielberg compiled a dream team of visionaries who contributed to the making of a very underrated animated feature. The film was a box office hit that brought $374 million in profits, but strangely, it wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award.

5 Bridge of Spies (2015)

Bridge of Spies tells the story of one of the most important human exchanges in political history. Francis Gary Powers is a pilot whose plane is shot down over the Soviet Union. He is caught and imprisoned after the Soviets find out he’s a CIA spy. In the United States, a Soviet spy named Rudolf Abel has been in prison for a couple of years, and the CIA intercepts a letter from East Germany addressed to the lawyer who defended Abel, James Donovan.

The government sees the opportunity and immediately sends Donovan on a mission to retrieve Powers and exchange him for Abel.

A Modern War Thriller That Proves Spielberg’s Agency

Based on a script by Matt Charman and the Coen Brothers, Bridge of Spies was proof that Spielberg could still make a political drama and a very entertaining movie at the same time. Starring Tom Hanks and Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies was critically acclaimed upon release, and the film still holds a precious 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

At the Academy Awards, it got six nominations, including Best Picture. Rylance surprisingly won the prize for Best Supporting Actor in a year when Sylvester Stallone was a surefire bet for his role in Creed.

4 Lincoln (2012)

In the biographical drama Lincoln, President Abraham Lincoln is trying to change American history by disrupting the country with his progressive ways. The year is 1865, and the Civil War is deeply affecting all sides. The President’s main goal is to introduce the Thirteenth Amendment in the Constitution, but the House of Representatives doesn’t exactly connect with the views of the progressive politician with a drive to end slavery and involuntary servitude.

A Near-Perfect and Ambitious Biography

The film’s production value is notable and gigantic compared to other historical dramas. It was critically hailed as one of Spielberg’s best films in his entire catalog, and at the Oscars, it got a whopping 12 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It ended up winning Best Production Design, and Daniel Day-Lewis, who played Lincoln, got his third Oscar for Best Actor. When it comes to biographical dramas, few feel as authentic as Lincoln.

3 Munich (2005)

Based on the 1984 book by George Jonas, Vengeance, Munich tells the story of a group of undercover operatives who decide to carry out a vendetta mission after the events of 1972 in Munich. During the Summer Olympics, a Palestinian terrorist group kidnapped and murdered 11 Israeli athletes and escaped. Led by Avner Kaufman, the group of Jewish volunteers decide to hunt and kill 11 Palestinian soldiers who were apparently part of the original mission.

The Best Historical Thriller of the 2000s

Munich takes its liberties in terms of historical accuracy, and that’s an understatement. But Spielberg rarely aims to make a historically faithful film. Instead, he makes a political thriller about the ethics of revenge from a basic standpoint.

One of Spielberg’s least successful films, Munich was and still is divisive, but at the time, it got five nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Only Hollywood decided it wasn’t enough, and instead, the very questionable drama Crash won.

2 Minority Report (2002)

Minority Report is the story of John Anderton, a Precrime agent who can stop crimes before they’re committed. He does this with the help of three psychics who can look into the future. The problem is that during a demonstration, Anderton is on the screen committing a murder, and he’s forced to go on the run to solve the mystery and perhaps prevent the murder from happening. Of course, he grabs one of psychics, also known as precogs, because her head holds the evidence.

Spielberg’s Version of a Cyberpunk Thriller

The film is one of the best action thrillers of the last 20 years, but beyond the ambitious set pieces and outstanding visual effects, there’s a tight story that doesn’t hide its questions about the twisted ethics of its premise. As usual, Spielberg uses every opportunity to claim the title of a visionary with an exceptional ability to adapt storyboards into action sequences. It’s always a good time to revisit this gritty cyberpunk film starring Tom Cruise.

1 Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Catch Me If You Can is the true story of a con man who managed to steal millions when he was just a teenager. Unable to cope with his parents’ separation, Frank Abagnale decides to run away from home. After fooling some people into thinking that he’s a Pan Am pilot, Frank raises the stakes of his own game. He becomes a doctor and a lawyer as well, all by committing check fraud, but Abagnale’s run is cut short by a very clever FBI agent.

A One-of-a-Kind Crime Drama

Spielberg’s perfectly-toned Catch Me If You Can is his best film in the past two decades. Several genres blend in a fast-paced film whose crime element is toned down by the witty script with constant winks at the absurdist comedy of Abagnale’s situation. Upon release, it was very well received by audiences worldwide as it made more than $350 million at the box office. Critics are still in love with its family-friendly plot style, as it holds a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes.