Last updated March 2024
Want to watch extraordinarily awesome, critic-approved Best Movies 2004 ASAP? We assembled 30 marvelous, rave-worthy Best Movies 2004 for your immediate viewing enjoyment. With through the roof ratings from IMDB and widespread acclaim from our knowledgeable user base, these elite titles are as jaw-droppingly great as it gets! Help other fans uncover buried treasures by voting for the titles you consider keepers. We value members who contribute phenomenal recommendations!
The Lizard (2004)
Plot Summary:
Reza is a petty thief who escapes jail by posing as a mullah. When he has to stay in disguise longer than he expected, he accidentally becomes the revered leader of a small-town mosque, bringing people flooding in with his on the hoof sermons featuring sexual innuendo and references to 'brother' Tarantino's Pulp Fiction
Duration: 115 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Iran
Plot tags: prison escape, prison, village, hidden identity, criminal heroes, fugitives, society, pretense, warden, small town life, religions or cults, iranian, clergy, disguise, fake identity, priest, muslim, dialogue, existentialism, advice, persian culture, escape, politics, village life, chases and races
When I Grow Up, I'll Be a Kangaroo (2004)
Plot Summary:
The film consists of three parallel stories that are interwoven and played in Vozdovac. In the first story, Braca tries to seduce Iris, a model from the city center. Although they try not to be "two worlds" they certainly are. In another story, Dule i Somi, in the football match Ipswich - Manchester, they bet on Ipswich to win because it defends their classmate. The third story takes place on the roof of the skyscraper where Avaks and Hybrid, proponents of the philosophy of "most cost effective when I'm sitting in the house - no income, but no expenses", spending the day doing nothing, expecting something to happen. Something happened - an unusual occurrence Avaks saw in the sky
Duration: 92 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Comedy
Country: Serbia
Plot tags: football, goalkeeper, neighborhood, taxi, cinema, beer, coca cola, best friend, ufo, pot smoking, urination, rooftop, smoking pot, best friends
Black Friday (2004)
Plot Summary:
Under torture, Indian gangster Tiger Memon confesses to his involvement in a plot to set off explosives throughout Bombay. The police choose not to believe him, however, and bombs tear through the city that Friday, wreaking havoc and polarizing the citizens of Bombay. Through a series of interviews, DCP Rakesh Maria comes closer to discovering who the leader of the conspiracy is, but it soon becomes clear that a foreign power must be involved
Duration: 143 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, History
Country: India
Plot tags: terrorism, terrorist, politics, muslim, interrogation, investigation, life is a bitch, legal, society, law enforcement, journalism, bomb, innocence, protest, conspiracy, religious intolerance, police, multiple storylines, hindu, islam, conflict, war crime, renaissance, terrorist attack, threat
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 108 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: memory, surrealism, dream, love, love story, memory loss, existentialism, loneliness, melancholy, couples, amnesia, relationships, introspection, borderline personality disorder, brainwashing, love and romance, couple relations, alternate reality, disorder, life changing, power of love, destiny, deja vu, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, ex boyfriend ex girlfriend relationship
Swades (2004)
Plot Summary:
Set in modern day India, Swades is a film that tackles the issues that development throws up on a grass root level. It is to this India, which is colorful, heterogeneous and complex that Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan), a bright young scientist working as a project manager in NASA, returns on a quest to find his childhood nanny
Duration: 210 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 96000
Genere: Drama, Musical
Country: India, USA
Plot tags: poverty, discrimination, village, human spirit, journey, follow your dream, self discovery, social differences, homecoming, change of heart, obsessive quest, immigrant, social issues, friendship, fall in love, society, social problems, redemption, culture clash, idealism, hopes, patriot, scientist, hindu, indians
Downfall (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 156 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 370000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Germany, Austria, Italy
Plot tags: world war two, hitler, nazism, suicide, nazi, war, holocaust, fascism, third reich, national socialism, dictatorship, nazi germany, courage, politics, bunker, paranoia, war crime, confined, ss officer, hitler youth, ss, corruption, last will and testament, siege, dictator
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Plot Summary:
When Sophie, a shy young woman, is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking home
Duration: 119 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 433000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Plot tags: witch, steampunk, magic, supernatural ability, imaginary, fantasy world, self discovery, magical, demon, curses spells and rituals, wizards and magicians, transformation, young woman, fall in love, witchcraft, love story, love and romance, danger, castle, spell, hopes, wizard, friendship, obsession, alternate reality
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 713000
Genere: Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: boxing, female protagonist, underdog, female boxer, determination, mentor protege relationship, human spirit, athlete's life, female athlete, euthanasia, boxing trainer, strong female lead, athlete and trainer, life is a bitch, ambition, boxer, wisdom of life, strong female character, suffering, tragedy, training, feminism, contests and competitions, follow your dream, disability
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 121 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 368000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: UK, South Africa, Italy, USA
Plot tags: genocide, racism, war, hotel, against humanity, cruelty, civil war, politics, refugee, war crime, murder, un, humanity, human spirit, war criminal, life changing, violence, conflict, holocaust, rwandan genocide, black, rebel, peril, atrocity, military
Before Sunset (2004)
Plot Summary:
Nine years ago two strangers met by chance and spent a night in Vienna that ended before sunrise. They are about to meet for the first time since. Now they have one afternoon to find out if they belong together
Duration: 80 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 282000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France, USA
Plot tags: love story, relationships, lovers reunited, love and romance, couples, lovers, bookstore, great ending, passion, bittersweet, conversation, writers, true love, destiny, chance meeting, introspection, lifestyle, loneliness, unfulfilled love, encounter, road not taken, travel, hipster, regret, couple relations
Ghilli (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 160 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Action, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: manhunt, village, fall in love, ambition, family relations, rivalry, woman in danger, lovers on the run, chases and races, martial arts, police officer, obsession, murder, tough guy, doll, car chase, rescue, courage, chase, corpse, protection, on the run, train station, passport, punched in the face
Something the Lord Made (2004)
Plot Summary:
A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas
Duration: 110 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: medical, racism, prejudice, surgery, african american, human spirit, biopic, interracial relations, friendship between men, patient, surgeon, medicine, society, ambition, blacks and whites, partner, talented, following a dream, heart surgery, research, doctors and patients, science, hospital, mentor, black
A Moment to Remember (2004)
Plot Summary:
A young couple's love is tested when Sun-jin is diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease
Duration: 117 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea
Plot tags: memory loss, alzheimer's disease, love affair, love story, couple relations, love, love and romance, asian, class differences, family relations, father daughter relationship, memory, resentment, illness, mental health, memory lapse, relationships, romantic relationship, life is a bitch, unfulfillment, passion, medicine, depression, tragedy, autism
Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 140 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Action, Drama, War
Country: South Korea
Plot tags: war, korean war, military, soldier, combat, survival, idealism, mission, military life, courage, atrocity, patriotism, korean army, shooting, battle zone, asian, tragedy, civil war, great war, war violence, gory, conflict, army, fistfight, life is a bitch
Turtles Can Fly (2004)
Plot Summary:
Turtles can fly tells the story of a group of young children near the Turkey-Iran border. They clean up mines and wait for the Saddam regime to fall
Duration: 98 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Drama, War
Country: Iran, France, Iraq
Plot tags: childhood, orphan, children in wartime, blind character, war, refugee, children, coming of age, camp, child, muslim, anti war, survival, fall in love, siblings relations, wartime life, saddam hussein, invasion, military, politics, islam, village, suicide, gulf war, conflict
Nobody Knows (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 141 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Drama
Country: Japan
Plot tags: childhood, poverty, dysfunctional family, young kid, boy, innocence lost, children, child abandonment, brother brother relationship, tragedy, coming of age, family relations, greed, police investigation, character study, unlikely friendships, loneliness, financial problem, neglect, survival, malnutrition, siblings, youth, society, family problems
The Incredibles (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 115 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 789000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Family
Country: USA, Japan
Plot tags: superhero, heroes, good versus evil, secret identity, superhero team, superheroine, superhuman powers, strong female character, teamwork, villain, disguise, parents and children, family relations, satire, superhuman speed, invisibility, mother daughter relationship, children, supernatural power, boy hero, teenage superheroine, family life, evil, parenthood, peril
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 137 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 791000
Genere: Action, Crime, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: revenge, vigilante, vengeance, strong female lead, sword fight, dark humor, martial arts, mission, hitman, retribution, tough girl, female assassin, one woman army, female warrior, sword, mentor, master warrior, female protagonist, kung fu, samurai, female martial artist, pride and honor, gory, fight, journey
G.O.R.A. (2004)
Plot Summary:
A slick young Turk kidnapped by extraterrestrials shows his great « humanitarian spirit » by outwitting the evil commander-in-chief of the planet of G.O.R.A
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 66000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: abduction, space travel, fish out of water, distant planet, princess, save the world, escapades, rivalry, danger, imaginary, alien encounter, disorder, salesman, space, turk, evil alien, space wars, robot, spaceship, business, lgbt, escape, kidnapping, space race, hindu
The Sea Inside (2004)
Plot Summary:
The Sea Inside is about Spaniard Ramón Sampedro, who fought a 30-year campaign to win the right to end his life with dignity. It is the story of Ramón’s relationships with two women: Julia a lawyer who supports his cause, and Rosa, a local woman who wants to convince him that life is worth living
Duration: 126 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 84000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: Spain, France, Italy
Plot tags: disability, euthanasia, biopic, human spirit, death, existentialism, suicide, handicapped, lawyer, depression, life & death, character study, dignity, choice, introspection, understanding, trial, philosophy, courage, friendship, terminal illness, dying, quadriplegic, illness, european
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Plot Summary:
Harry, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts for another magic-filled year. Harry comes face to face with danger yet again, this time in the form of escaped convict, Sirius Black – and turns to sympathetic Professor Lupin for help
Duration: 142 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 676000
Genere: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: harry potter, magic, witch, magical, fantasy world, wizard, witchcraft, time travel, werewolf, teenager, friendship, good versus evil, school, supernatural, wizards and magicians, young heroes, boarding school, chosen one, teenage girl, supernatural ability, twists and turns, boarding school life, magic spell, creature, time machine
Head-On (2004)
Plot Summary:
Head On is German director Fatih Akin’s story of the alcoholic Cahit and Turkish Sibel. Akin tells the story of a love that can never be between two people who are too alike to not be together
Duration: 121 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 57000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: Germany, Turkey
Plot tags: suicide attempt, marriage, immigrant, culture clash, love story, relationships, loneliness, sex, love affair, drug, rebellion, self destructing, self esteem, redemption, human nature, mentally unstable, destructive relationship, extramarital affair, freedom, proposal, drinking problem, immigration, passion, suicide, violence
3-Iron (2004)
Plot Summary:
A young man, whose only possession is a motorcycle, spends his time riding around the city looking for empty apartments. After finding one, he hangs out for a while, fixing himself something to eat, washing laundry or making small repairs in return. He always tries to leave before the owners get back but in one ostensibly empty mansion he meets the abused wife of a rich man and she escapes with him
Duration: 88 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 58000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea, Japan
Plot tags: golf, loneliness, motorcycle, melancholy, relationships, love triangle, jealousy, abusive husband, love, art, existentialism, love story, destiny, erotica, drifter, homeless, mission, asian, runaway, family life, love affair, unsupportive spouse, domestic violence, masturbation, sex
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 99 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 585000
Genere: Comedy, Horror
Country: UK, France, USA
Plot tags: zombie, dark humor, zombie apocalypse, zombie attack, pub, supernatural, zombie violence, zombie outbreak, siege, misfit, zombie survival, buddy, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, friends, gore, living dead, flesh eating zombie, chases and races, race against time, chase, survival, end of the world, epidemic, undead, infected
The Notebook (2004)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 123 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 605000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: love story, love and romance, fall in love, love, true love, youth, memory loss, love of one's life, power of love, love triangle, young lovers, love affair, lovers reunited, happy ending, love at first sight, social differences, young love, rich woman poor man, forbidden love, relationships, young woman, alzheimer's disease, letter, sadness, mother daughter relationship
The Chorus (2004)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1940's France, a new teacher at a school for disruptive boys gives hope and inspiration
Duration: 97 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 66000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: France, Switzerland, Germany
Plot tags: boarding school, teacher, childhood, music, teachers and students, children, boss, boarding school life, musician, friendship, orphan, school, choir, boys' choir, changing lives, abuse, boys' school, classical music, injustice, singer, intrigue, teaching, win over, friends, dedicated educator
Yash Chopra's Veer-Zaara (2004)
Plot Summary:
The story of the love between Veer Pratap Singh, an Indian, and Zaara Hayaat Khan, a Pakistani...a love so great it knows no boundaries
Duration: 192 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Drama, Family, Musical, Romance
Country: India
Plot tags: forbidden love, impossible love, muslim, rescue, love affair, social differences, false accusation, against the odds, uncover truth, destiny, life is a bitch, prison life, legal, haunted by the past, hopes, society, family disapproval, dishonesty, love, hindu, stranded, unrequited love, love story, politics, fall in love
Lakshya (2004)
Plot Summary:
An aimless, jobless, irresponsible grown man joins the army and matures into a battlefield hero
Duration: 186 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Action, Drama, Romance, War
Country: India
Plot tags: soldier, old love, domineering father, self discovery, redemption, patriot, military, family relations, slacker, military life, heroic mission, coming of age, against the odds, army, courage, following a dream, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, breakup, generation gap, indians, indian war, bowling, war, politics, meaning of life
Man on Fire (2004)
Plot Summary:
Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she's kidnapped he's consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life
Duration: 146 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 383000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Switzerland, UK, USA, Mexico
Plot tags: revenge, kidnapping, vengeance, vigilante, cia, vigilantism, friendship, mercenary, lone hero, redemption, justice, child in peril, police corruption, danger, ransom, bodyguard, cia agent, violence, daring rescue, violent, warrior, organized crime, conspiracy, torture, murder
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Plot Summary:
When 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
Duration: 108 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 481000
Genere: Action, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Germany, Russia, India
Plot tags: spy, cia, conspiracy, amnesia, espionage, on the run, revenge, assassin, tough heroes, dark past, lone hero, chase, one against many, agent as target, tough guy, one man army, escapades, hitman, twists and turns, uncover truth, chases and races, hidden truth, swat team, secret past, fighting the system