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9 Movies From 20 Years Ago That Are Practically Unwatchable, And 9 That Still Hold Up

Some aged like fine wine, and some aged like milk.

Molly Capobianco
by Molly Capobianco

BuzzFeed Staff

It’s been 20 years since some absolute CLASSIC films were released.

20th Century Studios

But 20 years is a long time! And so much has changed since 2002.

Nickelodeon

So let's look back at some movies that came out that year and decide if they still hold up:

Content warning: This post contains brief mentions of sexual assault.

1. DOESN'T HOLD UP — The Hot Chick

Movie still from "The Hot Chick."
Touchstone Pictures

Fashion-wise, this movie rules. But, unfortunately, it's overshadowed by some pretty offensive jokes. It tries its hardest to push some message about accepting people for who they are, but also somehow manages to be extremely anti-gay, anti-fat, and racist along the way. Make it make sense.

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2. HOLDS UP — Scooby-Doo

Daphne saying, "I am so over this damsel in distress nonsense." Then saying, "Now who's the damsel in distress?"
Warner Bros. Pictures

Written by Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn, this is an all-around crowd pleaser, and a frequent go-to of mine. I still get chills when Daphne beats up Zarkos in her platform boots and says, “Now who’s the damsel in distress?” We love character development.


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3. DOESN'T HOLD UP — Cabin Fever

Screen shot from "Cabin Fever"
Lionsgate Films

I used to like this movie, but oh my god, this does not hold up. There's a racist joke, a very questionable sex scene, and sooo many anti-gay slurs. It's a "no" from me.

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4. HOLDS UP — Spider-Man

Tobey Maguire in "Spider-Man"
Sony Pictures

Sam Raimi went hard when he gifted us with this film. It may not be a part of the MCU, but it can still hold its own.

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5. DOESN'T HOLD UP — The New Guy

Screen shot from "The New Guy"
Columbia Pictures

This movie is so riddled with misogyny and cultural appropriation that it’s pretty hard to watch. There's also a weird scene where Tony Hawk is at a high school party, trying to pick up girls for some reason.

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6. HOLDS UP — Undercover Brother

Universal Pictures

This movie is far from perfect, especially when it comes to the female characters, but while other comedies at the time were doing spoofs (Not Another Teen Movie, Austin Powers), Undercover Brother was giving us racial satire, which still manages to be relevant 20 years later.


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7. DOESN'T HOLD UP — Sweet Home Alabama

Screen shot from "Sweet Home Alabama"
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Reese Witherspoon picks the wrong guy at the end, and the whole thing is a little too...ummm...how do I say this...pro-Confederacy for me.

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8. HOLDS UP — Real Women Have Curves

America Ferrera saying, "There's more to me than what's in between my legs."
HBO

A coming-of-age movie that touches on social class, people's relationships to their own bodies, immigrant parents/first-gen children, and what womanhood means, all through the lens of the Mexican-American experience? And, it stars America Ferrera in her first role ever? It's safe to say: This holds up.

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9. DOESN'T HOLD UP — Sorority Boys

Screenshot from "Sorority Boys"
Touchstone Pictures

Similar to The Hot Chick in that in its attempt to comment on something that sucks in our society, it simultaneous reinforces it. So, this movie, while trying to make a statement about misogyny and sexism, is also EXTREMELY misogynistic and sexist. Who would have thought?

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10. HOLDS UP — 28 Days Later...

20th Century Studios

This movie may LOOK like a horror film, but it’s actually a timeless romance that just happens to have zombies in it. Plus, it practically invented fast-moving zombies, and is partially responsible for the zombie renaissance in the 2000s.

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11. DOESN'T HOLD UP — 40 Days and 40 Nights

Shannyn Sossamon and Josh Hartnett in "40 Days and 40 Nights."
Miramax

Ultimately, this movie is really trying to say something important about gender norms. It's too bad that it doesn't really land due to a sexual assault that, because a man is assaulted by a woman, is played more for laughs, which is...disturbing to say the least. That's 2002 for ya.

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12. HOLDS UP — Chicago

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger in "Chicago"
Miramax

This movie won SIX Oscars, including Best Picture. And, before you answer, let me just remind you of some of the cast: Renée Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lucy Liu, Queen Latifah, Christine Baranski...

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13. DOESN'T HOLD UP — Clockstoppers

Screenshot from "Clockstoppers"
Paramount Pictures Studios

A time-capsule of what Nickelodeon execs thought kids were into in 2002. It has a great soundtrack, but not even Third Eye Blind and Blink-182 can save this film from its unremarkable-ness. 

But, really, so what if it doesn't hold up?! It's totally harmless and inoffensive, which I'm beginning to think was a pretty rare thing in movies 20 years ago.

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14. HOLDS UP — Lilo & Stitch

Stitch in "Lilo & Stitch"
Walt Disney Pictures

Lilo will always be a relatable character, and the Elvis-heavy soundtrack truly slaps.

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15. DOESN'T HOLD UP — Slackers

Jason Segel's character saying, "You treat a hot girl like dirt, and she'll stick to you like mud"
Screen Gems

Another 2002 movie I used to like, mostly for Jason Schwartzman (I still listen to his performance of "My Little Locked Room"). But, Slackers provides us with not only typical out-dated frat-boy humor, but also this LOVELY quote, which, originally said as a misogynistic joke, has since been co-opted by incels as a true and factual statement.