Collider ranks six modern blockbusters that it considers defining examples of the genre, praising their visual spectacle, storytelling, characters and enduring cultural influence.

– Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003): Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow helped revitalise the swashbuckler genre and launched a major franchise.
– Mad Max: Fury Road (2015): George Miller’s action thriller is highlighted as a modern blockbuster benchmark.
– Avatar: James Cameron’s visually innovative film is cited as a standard-setter for 21st-century spectacle.
– The Dark Knight: Christopher Nolan’s superhero film is presented as a defining modern blockbuster.
– The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Peter Jackson’s fantasy epic is included among the genre’s leading post-2000 releases.