Now Showing — Films, Shows, and the Tools to Pick Them
MOVIESPACK.
← Index
BEST.
Edition · 2004
The Year in Film · 2004

Best of 2004

The films that defined 2004 — ranked by IMDb score.


These films defined 2004 — the year's highest-rated releases, ranked by IMDb score. Some are awards bait, some are popcorn fare, some quietly snuck in under the radar. All earned their place on the list.

  1. 01.
    Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth

    Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth

    2004·Dir. Stan Lathan·58 min·8.4

    Comedian Dave Chappelle does what he does best in this outrageous and hilarious standup performance, which allows him to push the envelope far beyond what he does on his TV show. Taped in San Francisco at the famed Fillmore, Chappelle lets loose on such topics as black celebrities, what it's like to have raunchy fans of his TV show approach him while he's trying to enjoy Disneyland with his kids, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant... and crackheads, of course. It's comedy Chappelle-style and, for what it's worth, no one is safe from his barbs. But you already knew that!

    Find similar
  2. 02.
    Black Friday

    Black Friday

    2004·Dir. Anurag Kashyap·162 min·8.4

    Bombs tear through Bombay in 1993, wreaking havoc and polarising the citizens. With perpetrators at large, the state launches a massive man-hunt to unmask the perpetrators behind these events.

    Find similar
  3. 03.
    Virumaandi

    Virumaandi

    2004·Dir. Kamal Haasan·175 min·8.4

    Angela, a civil advocate interviewing inmates at the Madras Central Prison for a documentary on the death penalty meets Virumaandi and Kothaala, who are sentenced to death and life respectively for their roles in perpetrating the massacre of 24 people during a brutal clash between feuding villages. As tensions mount within the prison walls, she listens to their conflicting accounts of the same story.

    Find similar
  4. 04.
    The Lizard

    The Lizard

    2004·Dir. Kamal Tabrizi·111 min·8.4

    The satirical commentary on clergymen in post-revolutionary Iran. While in prison, petty criminal Reza (Parviz Parastui) comes across a clergyman, sparking a plan for escape. Reza dons his new acquaintance's clerical robes and makes a bid for freedom. He soon learns that being a clergyman brings little respect from the public. Reza travels to the outlying villages, from where he plots to escape the country. However, his plans must be put on hold when the villagers accept him into their community and expect him to perform religious duties. Will Reza's prison break transform him into an unlikely pillar of the community?

    Find similar
  5. 05.
    When I Grow Up, I'll Be a Kangaroo

    When I Grow Up, I'll Be a Kangaroo

    2004·Dir. Radivoje 'Raša' Andrić·99 min·8.4

    A young student Braca is trying to seduce a beautiful model Iris. Although they are from two different worlds, they both try not to show it. In another story, Šomi and Duje anxiously follow the football match between Manchester and Eastwich. They bet on Eastwich, because their childhood friend Kengur is their goalkeeper. The plot of the third story takes place on the roof of the solitaire, where Avaks and Hibrid are wasting time in anticipation of something happening.

    Find similar
  6. 06.
    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

    2004·Dir. Michel Gondry·108 min·8.3

    Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realises that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his mistake.

    Find similar
  7. 07.
    Howl's Moving Castle

    Howl's Moving Castle

    2004·Dir. Hayao Miyazaki·119 min·8.2

    Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

    Find similar
  8. 08.
    Ghilli

    Ghilli

    2004·Dir. Dharani·168 min·8.2

    Muthu Pandi, a village strongman, decides to marry Dhanalakshmi, and begins his quest by eliminating everyone who opposes their union - starting with both her brothers. In desperation, Dhanalakshmi decides to escape from the village, and in the process is unwittingly assisted by a university Kabaddi player Velu.

    Find similar
  9. 09.
    Downfall

    Downfall

    2004·Dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel·155 min·8.2

    In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his generals and advisers to fight to the last man. When the end finally does come, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender.

    Find similar
  10. 10.
    Swades

    Swades

    2004·Dir. Ashutosh Gowariker·195 min·8.2

    A successful Indian scientist returns home to his village to take his nanny back to America with him, and in the process rediscovers his roots.

    Find similar
  11. 11.
    Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy

    Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy

    2004·Dir. Edith Becker·151 min·8.2

    From the earliest versions of the script to the blockbuster debuts, explore the creation of the Star Wars Trilogy.

    Find similar
  12. 12.
    Before Sunset

    Before Sunset

    2004·Dir. Richard Linklater·80 min·8.1

    Nine years later, Jesse travels across Europe giving readings from a book he wrote about the night he spent in Vienna with Celine. After his reading in Paris, Celine finds him, and they spend part of the day together before Jesse has to again leave for a flight. They are both in relationships now, and Jesse has a son, but as their strong feelings for each other start to return, both confess a longing for more.

    Find similar
  13. 13.
    A Moment to Remember

    A Moment to Remember

    2004·Dir. John H. Lee·117 min·8.1

    A young couple's love is tested when Sun-jin is diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.

    Find similar
  14. 14.
    Hotel Rwanda

    Hotel Rwanda

    2004·Dir. Terry George·122 min·8.1

    Inspired by true events, this film takes place in Rwanda in the 1990s when more than a million Tutsis were killed in a genocide that went mostly unnoticed by the rest of the world. Hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina houses over a thousand refuges in his hotel in attempt to save their lives.

    Find similar
  15. 15.
    Million Dollar Baby

    Million Dollar Baby

    2004·Dir. Clint Eastwood·132 min·8.1

    Despondent over a painful estrangement from his daughter, trainer Frankie Dunn isn't prepared for boxer Maggie Fitzgerald to enter his life. But Maggie's determined to go pro and to convince Dunn and his cohort to help her.

    Find similar
  16. 16.
    Nobody Knows

    Nobody Knows

    2004·Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda·141 min·8.0

    In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning.

    Find similar
  17. 17.
    Something the Lord Made

    Something the Lord Made

    2004·Dir. Joseph Sargent·110 min·8.0

    A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.

    Find similar
  18. 18.
    G.O.R.A.

    G.O.R.A.

    2004·Dir. Ömer Faruk Sorak·127 min·8.0

    Carpet dealer and UFO photo forger Arif is abducted by aliens and must outwit the evil commander-in-chief of G.O.R.A., the planet where he is being held.

    Find similar
  19. 19.
    Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War

    Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War

    2004·Dir. Kang Je-kyu·148 min·8.0

    When two brothers are forced to fight in the Korean War, the elder decides to take the riskiest missions if it will help shield the younger from battle.

    Find similar
  20. 20.
    Turtles Can Fly

    Turtles Can Fly

    2004·Dir. Bahman Ghobadi·98 min·8.0

    Turtles Can Fly tells the story of a group of young children near the Turkey-Iraq border. They clean up mines and wait for the Saddam regime to fall.

    Find similar
  21. 21.
    Kill Bill: Vol. 2

    Kill Bill: Vol. 2

    2004·Dir. Quentin Tarantino·136 min·8.0

    The Bride unwaveringly continues on her roaring rampage of revenge against the band of assassins who had tried to kill her and her unborn child. She visits each of her former associates one-by-one, checking off the victims on her Death List Five until there's nothing left to do … but kill Bill.

    Find similar
  22. 22.
    The Incredibles

    The Incredibles

    2004·Dir. Brad Bird·115 min·8.0

    Bob Parr has given up his superhero days to log in time as an insurance adjuster and raise his three children with his formerly heroic wife in suburbia. But when he receives a mysterious assignment, it's time to get back into costume.

    Find similar
  23. 23.
    Chris Rock: Never Scared

    Chris Rock: Never Scared

    2004·Dir. Joel Gallen·80 min·8.0

    Chris Rock, the three-time Emmy Award-winner, comedian, actor, and host of HBO's acclaimed The Chris Show, stars in his fourth solo stand-up special for HBO, Chris Rock: Never Scared. Featuring his unique, insightful, and hilarious views on a host of social, political and, celebrity issues, Rock confirms his stature as the leading comic of our time.

    Find similar
  24. 24.
    Aayitha Ezhuthu

    Aayitha Ezhuthu

    2004·Dir. Mani Ratnam·155 min·7.9

    A goon, who dreams of making it big in life, a student leader, who strives to keep politicians away from college election and a third guy who wants to settle abroad. Their lives change after an incident on a bridge.

    Find similar
  25. 25.
    The Sea Inside

    The Sea Inside

    2004·Dir. Alejandro Amenábar·126 min·7.9

    Ramón Sampedro is a ship mechanic and part-time poet left a quadriplegic following a diving accident. Ramón fought for 30 years for the legal right to end his own life. He develops close relationships with his long-term lawyer Julia and his friend Rosa, who tries to convince him that his life is worth living. Despite his situation, Ramón manages to inspire those around him to live life to the fullest.

    Find similar
  26. 26.
    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

    2004·Dir. Alfonso Cuarón·141 min·7.9

    Year three at Hogwarts means new fun and challenges as Harry learns the delicate art of approaching a Hippogriff, transforming shape-shifting Boggarts into hilarity and even turning back time. But the term also brings danger: soul-sucking Dementors hover over the school, an ally of the accursed He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named lurks within the castle walls, and fearsome wizard Sirius Black escapes Azkaban. And Harry will confront them all.

    Find similar
  27. 27.
    3-Iron

    3-Iron

    2004·Dir. Kim Ki-duk·88 min·7.9

    A drifter lives in people's houses while they are away and repays them by doing chores for them. His life changes when he meets a beautiful woman who wants to escape her unhappy marriage.

    Find similar
  28. 28.
    The Chorus

    The Chorus

    2004·Dir. Christophe Barratier·97 min·7.9

    In 1940s France, a new teacher at a school for disruptive boys gives hope and inspiration.

    Find similar
  29. 29.
    The Weeping Meadow

    The Weeping Meadow

    2004·Dir. Theo Angelopoulos·169 min·7.8

    The story follows a family of refugees from the early twentieth century through to the Civil War. Through movements, separations, and reunions, personal lives intersect with Greece’s major historical transformations. Space and time are in constant flux, while the characters remain trapped in an unending search for a homeland.

    Find similar
  30. 30.
    Aarya

    Aarya

    2004·Dir. Sukumar·151 min·7.8

    Aarya is a happy-go-lucky young man who goes to college. When he falls in love with Geetha at first sight, he proposes to her - in front of her boyfriend Ajay, who recently also proposed to her. She bluntly refuses, but ...

    Find similar
  31. 31.
    Lakshya

    Lakshya

    2004·Dir. Farhan Akhtar·186 min·7.8

    An aimless, jobless, irresponsible grown man joins the army and matures into a battlefield hero.

    Find similar
  32. 32.
    The Notebook

    The Notebook

    2004·Dir. Nick Cassavetes·123 min·7.8

    An epic love story centered around an older man who reads aloud to a woman with Alzheimer's. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths.

    Find similar
  33. 33.
    Ab Tak Chhappan

    Ab Tak Chhappan

    2004·Dir. Shimit Amin·129 min·7.8

    Following the fortunes of tough cop Sadhu Agashe both in his fight against crime and in his personal life. Garnering newspaper headlines for his crime-fighting activities, he also makes some enemies in the police department, most notably in the form of his superior, who believes his officer has gone too far.

    Find similar
  34. 34.
    Veer-Zaara

    Veer-Zaara

    2004·Dir. Yash Chopra·192 min·7.8

    Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh, a pilot in the Indian Air Force, rescues the stranded Zaara, a woman from Pakistan, following a bus accident, and their lives are forever bound.

    Find similar
  35. 35.
    Be with You

    Be with You

    2004·Dir. Nobuhiro Doi·119 min·7.8

    Takumi and his six-year-old son, Yuji, haven't come to terms with their wife and mother's death. One day, they meet a woman with an uncanny resemblance to her sheltering from the rain near their home.

    Find similar
  36. 36.
    Shaun of the Dead

    Shaun of the Dead

    2004·Dir. Edgar Wright·99 min·7.8

    Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.

    Find similar
  37. 37.
    Head-On

    Head-On

    2004·Dir. Fatih Akin·117 min·7.8

    With the intention to break free from the strict familial restrictions, a suicidal young woman sets up a marriage of convenience with a forty-year-old addict, an act that will lead to an outburst of envious love.

    Find similar
  38. 38.
    The Bourne Supremacy

    The Bourne Supremacy

    2004·Dir. Paul Greengrass·108 min·7.7

    A CIA operation to purchase classified Russian documents is blown by a rival agent, who then shows up in the sleepy seaside village where Bourne and Marie have been living. The pair run for their lives and Bourne, who promised retaliation should anyone from his former life attempt contact, is forced to once again take up his life as a trained assassin to survive.

    Find similar
  39. 39.
    The Motorcycle Diaries

    The Motorcycle Diaries

    2004·Dir. Walter Salles·126 min·7.7

    Based on the journals of Che Guevara, leader of the Cuban Revolution. In his memoirs, Guevara recounts adventures he and best friend Alberto Granado had while crossing South America by motorcycle in the early 1950s.

    Find similar
  40. 40.
    Mind Game

    Mind Game

    2004·Dir. Masaaki Yuasa·103 min·7.7

    Nishi is a loser who has a crush on his childhood girlfriend. After an encounter with the Japanese mafia, he journeys to heaven and back, and ends up trapped in an even more unlikely place.

    Find similar
— End of Chapter —