10 Most Original Movies Released Since Christopher Nolan’s ‘Memento’

Back in September of 2000, Christopher Nolan‘s sophomore feature, Memento, screened for the first time at the Venice Film Festival. With it, an auteur that would soon become the leading voice in Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking, but was back then still an up-and-coming indie director, completely redefined what creativity and originality could look like on the big screen. Told in reverse chronological order, Memento completely revolutionized thrillers.

But Nolan didn’t invent originality, nor does he have exclusive access to it. So, since Memento‘s release, the world has gotten plenty of films every bit as fresh and original—if not even more so—than Nolan’s magnum opus. From absurdist comedies to high-concept sci-fi gems, and from exceptional auteur-driven works to blockbusters built on the basis of a brilliant idea, these films are perfect for those looking for something unlike anything they’ve seen before.

10

‘Hundreds of Beavers’ (2022)

Image via Cineverse

Part Charlie Chaplin, part Buster Keaton, part Looney Tunes, and part Metroidvania-coded cinematic masterpiece, Hundreds of Beavers is one of the most genius indie comedies ever made. Conceived as a parody of survival films like The Revenant, this quasi-silent slapstick comedy was made on a shoestring budget, but it has a heart as huge as that of any big-budget Hollywood production.

It’s nothing short of one of the most perfect movies of the last nine years, full of brilliantly constructed gags and absolutely hilarious set pieces. The story’s not particularly complex, but it never pretends to be, nor does it need to be. Armed with just its originality, its zany premise, and Mike Cheslik‘s flawless direction, it’s a comedic gem guaranteed to become a modern cult classic.

9

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)

Image via Searchlight Pictures

Wes Anderson is a filmmaker with a cult following all of his own, and generally regarded as one of the most creative and instantly recognizable directors currently working in Hollywood. He has made plenty of exceptional films over the course of his career, but there isn’t really any question as to what his magnum opus is: That title would have to go to The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Aside from having a phenomenal cast and an iconic score by Alexandre Desplat, the film is also the most visually impressive of its director’s filmography, one of those movie masterpieces whose every shot belongs in a museum. Its story-within-a-story framing device keeps it feeling fresh and engaging throughout, and Anderson’s endlessly inventive visual style is proof that he’s one of the most visually original filmmakers in Hollywood.

8

‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie’ (2025)

Image via NEON

Back in 2007, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarroll created and starred in the cult classic web series Nirvana the Band the Show. In 2017 came a mockumentary series remake, and seven years after that show came to an end in 2018, the world got Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, one of the most delightfully funny, creative, and original Canadian movies of the 21st century.

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, one of the most perfect sci-fi movies of the 21st century, achieves its originality by being a spoof of Back to the Future. It sounds paradoxical, but the miracles of editing, man-on-the-street-type comedy filmmaking, and knowledge of fair use laws that Johnson and McCarroll achieve here make the film feel like absolutely nothing else the world has ever seen before.

7

‘Get Out’ (2017)

Image via Universal Pictures

Before 2017, everyone knew that Jordan Peele was an absolutely brilliant and irresistibly hilarious sketch comedian; but before then, who could have predicted that he would also prove to be one of the most exciting new voices in modern Hollywood horror? It was Get Out that turned him into an Oscar-winning filmmaker, and that’s hardly a surprise. Arguably one of the greatest horror films of the 21st century, this is essential viewing for horror fans.

Blending social commentary on racism in modern-day America with playful twists on traditional horror-thriller conventions, Peele created a film that was absolutely chilling while still having an exquisitely dark and clever sense of humor. The general outline of its core premise isn’t unprecedented, but the endlessly creative way in which Peele executes that premise is what makes Get Out so remarkably original.

6

‘Love Exposure’ (2008)

Image via Phantom Film

When it comes to originality, few directors leave less to be desired than the Japanese auteur and cult darling Sion Sono. The filmmaker has created plenty of wildly transgressive and inventive movies over the course of his career, but most people familiar with his oeuvre would agree that it’s his four-hour-long genre-juggling dramedy Love Exposure that’s easily his most original film.

There isn’t a single dead spot in this wildly-paced gem, one of those nearly-perfect action thrillers that nobody remembers nowadays. Dealing with themes of love, lust, religion, and family, this landmark of contemporary Japanese cinema blends absurdist humor, profane imagery, and over-the-top melodrama in ways that are guaranteed to delight all those looking for a film entirely different from everything and anything they’ve ever seen before.

5

‘Synecdoche, New York’ (2008)

Image via Sony Pictures Classics

For years, Charlie Kaufman built up his reputation as what he arguably still is today: The single most talented screenwriter working in Hollywood. In 2008, after Spike Jonze dropped out of the project, Kaufman decided to make his directing debut with Synecdoche, New York. He couldn’t have made a better decision. In his hands, it became far more than just a masterpiece: It’s a transcendental piece of art about postmodernism, mortality, and the subjectivity of time.

It’s also one of the heaviest movies of the last 30 years, however, so it’s definitely not a film designed for those who dislike films that give them a crippling existential crisis. But for those familiar with the artistic, philosophical, aesthetic, and narrative originality of Kaufman’s work, it’s a must-see. Absolutely depressing yet absolutely gorgeous in every way imaginable, not least of which is the most transformative performance of Philip Seymour Hoffman‘s career, it’s one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces of the 2000s.

4

‘Spirited Away’ (2001)

Image via Toho

For years, Hayao Miyazaki has had a reputation as not only the king of anime cinema and not only one of the greatest Japanese filmmakers in history, but also one of the most original directors out there. Spirited Away, widely recognized as his magnum opus, is the pinnacle of that uniquely Miyazaki-esque originality that defines his entire body of work.

It’s one of the best crowd-pleasing fantasy movies of all time, a beautiful coming-of-age tale that’s masterfully paced and visually gorgeous. It’s Miyazaki world-building, character work, and thematic exploration at their most original and ambitious, resulting in what may just be the single greatest and most original animated movie ever made.

3

‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)

Image via Focus Features

Who, if not Charlie Kaufman, would deserve to have two of the films he’s written considered among the most original films of the 21st century? And what Charlie Kaufman film, if not the Oscar-winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, could deserve to be considered the writer’s most original movie?

This romance dramedy directed by Michel Gondry simply oozes creativity and inventiveness, which are elevated to tremendous heights by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet at the very top of their games. But the basis of it all is the best screenplay of the 2000s, a sharply Kaufmanesque work of pure originality that takes a deep dive into the concept of memories and romance through some brilliant use of science fiction tropes and elements.

2

‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)

Image via Universal Pictures

Master of cinematic surrealism, a man as important to the art form as the likes of Luis Buñuel, the late David Lynch was undoubtedly one of the greatest and most important auteurs in the history of modern cinema. His movies are all so different and unique that the question of which one is best is guaranteed to elicit many different responses, but there’s one title that’s bound to come up more than all the others: Mulholland Drive, one of the most thrilling movie masterpieces of all time.

A brilliant and uniquely surreal neo-noir that deconstructs the Hollywood Dream, the subjectivity of memory, and the fragility of identity, Mulholland is packed with some of the most original (and unforgettable) characters, moments, visuals, and narrative elements in Lynch’s whole filmography. It’s an absolutely genius masterpiece for a wide variety of reasons, and its vibrant originality is definitely one of the main ones.

1

‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (2022)

Image via A24

An immensely ambitious indie sci-fi dramedy that juggles different genres, different tones, and virtually every thematic concern imaginable? It sounds like the most disastrous idea for a cinematic project anyone has ever conceived of. That only makes the Daniels even more worthy of respect and admiration, because Everything Everywhere All At Once ended up being one of the greatest sci-fi films of the 21st century.

Winner of seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture), this masterpiece is one of the most perfect sci-fi movies of the 21st century. Funny, epic, creative, endlessly action-packed, and surprisingly emotional for a film so focused on action and humor, this hugely philosophical gem of modern indie cinema is an unforgettable experience. It’s filled with original idea after original idea, and that makes it easy to call it the most original and creative film since Nolan released Memento almost 26 years ago.