In an annual series, Every Movie Has a Lesson is going to look back twenty years to revisit, relearn, and reexamine a year of cinema history to share favorites, lists, and experiences from the films of that year. When measuring back as far as twenty years or more, I feel like “favorites” that have stood the test of time have aged to become some level of “best.” I feel like a bunch of those populate my reflective look back at the best of 2002.

As with every year, I need to offer a personal level of clarification when I build and justify lists like the one you’re going to read below for 2002. That challenge is that there can often be a distinct difference between a movie that is considered one of the “best,” respected and revered on technical and artistic levels, and something held dear as a personal and subjective “favorite.” I find myself torn between “bests” and “favorites” all the time, every year present or past, when creating any “10 Best” list as a credentialed film critic. Call it an occupational hazard.

NOTE: Poster images from IMP Awards

MY 10 Best Movies of 2002

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

2. Catch Me If You Can

3. Minority Report

4. The Pianist

5. 25th Hour

6. Road to Perdition

7. Frailty

8. Y Tu Mama Tambien

9. Spider-Man

10. One Hour Photo 

I’m going come right out and say it. I was a mess in 2002. I was 22 and enduring my first year out of college as a school teacher. I crashed-and-burned at my first job and struggled even on my second try in the classroom. I would find my footing, but I remember not having the time, comfort, money, or freedom to see many movies in 2002. As you’ll see on the Top 20 listed on this post and in the “Best of the Rest” entries on the next one, I have a ton of blind spots and sour taste movies that need another chance with my adult eyes.

As far as this Top 10 goes, it’s mainstream heavy. With limited means 20 years ago, I chose my spots to see the big stuff more than the little stuff. Even then, I don’t have much shame in putting The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and a Steven Spielberg 1-2 punch at the top of the list. I think The Two Towers is one of those ideal middle chapters of great trilogies that raised the stakes, created conflicts, and planted seeds for a perfect conclusion. Catch Me If You Can is, to me, the most flat-out entertaining movie Spielberg has made this century. Minority Report is aging well as a solid science fiction film.

The Pianist is a crusher and deserving award-winner. Loyal followers know I’m not a “cancel culture” kind of person. If Roman Polanski made a great film (and he did), I’m going to acknowledge it (and did). Even though Spike Lee has found Oscar appreciation this past decade, I think 25th Hour is one of his top 3 best efforts. Norton’s monologue and the Peyton Fahrquar-esque ending montage is some of the best writing he’s ever done.

From the little stuff to the big stuff, the reputations and acclaim for Y Tu Mama Tambien and Spider-Man are well known, so I’ll let me “10 Best” list lift up a few hidden gems in Bill Paxton’s directorial effort Frailty starring a pre-renaissance Matthew McConaughey and quite possibly Robin Williams’ best dark performance in One Hour Photo. Both are hard watches, but utterly compelling.

THE NEXT 10

11. Gangs of New York

12. Insomnia

13. Equilibrium

14. Unfaithful

15. Poolhall Junkies

16. Antwone Fisher

17. SIGNS

18. PANIC ROOM

19. Secretary

20. The Hours

It probably deserves a recent re-watch, but I’m at peace with Martin Scorsese’s old New York opus missing the Top 10. It’s a fine film, but muddled, too long, and conflicted in a few places. I could say the very same thing with Nolan’s Insomnia and the gun-toting action flick Equilibrium. Maybe they have aged better than I give them credit for, but they too missed the high shelf.

On this list, the movie that has aged the worst for me is Signs from M. Night Shyamalan. If this list was made in 2002, It would be a Top 5 movie, but the more I watch it, the more I’m annoyed by Shyamalan’s pretentious schtick. I’ve said it in my reviews of his films, and I’ll say it again here. The twists are all he has at this point. He writes awful dialogue around those rug pulls.

The deepest hidden gem on this list is Poolhall Junkies, which is criminally under-seen and tiptoes the obstacle course of being a sports movie, a gambling flick, and an indie dramedy. It’s become one of those movies I low-key recommend to people who need something they haven’t seen or heard of. Secretary is nearly the same, though it’s built a decent legacy (albeit a prickly one post-#MeToo) thanks to Maggie Gyllenhaal’s stardom after the film and the harsh content.