Last updated March 2024
Looking for Best Movies 2009? Check out our handpicked list of the 30 highest-rated Best Movies 2009 available for streaming. These Best Movies 2009 come highly recommended by both IMDB critics and everyday viewers like you. Help future viewers by voting for your top picks. Together, we can guide each other to the Best Movies 2009 out there.
3 Idiots (2009)
Plot Summary:
In the tradition of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” comes this refreshing comedy about a rebellious prankster with a crafty mind and a heart of gold. Rascal. Joker. Dreamer. Genius... You've never met a college student quite like "Rancho." From the moment he arrives at India's most prestigious university, Rancho's outlandish schemes turn the campus upside down—along with the lives of his two newfound best friends. Together, they make life miserable for "Virus," the school’s uptight and heartless dean. But when Rancho catches the eye of the dean's sexy daughter, Virus sets his sights on flunking out the "3 idiots" once and for all
Duration: 170 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 423000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: motivation, rebelliousness, friendship, coming of age, friends, college, teachers and students, student life, heartwarming, suicide, talented, twists and turns, education, justice, chase, creativity, prejudice, journey, life philosophy, geek, comedy of errors, nothing to lose, fall in love, rebellion, adaptation
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Plot Summary:
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers
Duration: 153 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 15000000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, War
Country: Germany, USA
Plot tags: world war two, vengeance, nazi, war, nazism, violent, revenge, dark humor, alternate history, violence, working undercover, brutality, racism, mission, soldier, gunfight, blood, heroes, squad, fascist, military, shooting, dialogue, hitler, nazi hunter
Up (2009)
Plot Summary:
Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life
Duration: 96 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: USA, Japan
Plot tags: dog, loneliness, unlikely friendships, friendship, follow your dream, hopes, friends, animal life, journey, obsessive quest, aging, wilderness, talking animal, dream, children, talking dog, giant bird, balloon, cartoon dog, human dog relationship, adventurer, mischievous children, love, animal, sadness
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
Plot Summary:
A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 219000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Argentina, Spain
Plot tags: investigation, twists and turns, rape, murder, lawyer, plot twist, investigator, serial killer, revenge, evidence, homicide, vengeance, murder mystery, writers, obsession, murderer, police, haunted by the past, puzzle, suspect, uncover truth, corruption, police investigation, love and romance, crime and punishment
Mary and Max (2009)
Plot Summary:
A tale of friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely, eight-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, and Max, a forty-four-year old, severely obese man living in New York. In the mid-1970's, a homely, friendless Australian girl of 8 picks a name out of a Manhattan phone book and writes to him; she includes a chocolate bar. He writes back, with chocolate. Thus begins a 20-year correspondence. Will the two ever meet face to face?
Duration: 92 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 184000
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Country: Australia
Plot tags: loneliness, stop motion, friendship, letter, social misfits, depression, mental illness, asperger's syndrome, relationships, young woman, correspondence, solitude, bullying, imaginary friend, disability, suicide attempt, melancholy, psychology, suffering, bittersweet, autism, friends, coming of age, life philosophy, suicide
Hachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
Plot Summary:
A drama based on the true story of a college professor's bond with the abandoned dog he takes into his home
Duration: 93 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 305000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Family
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: dog, friendship, loyalty, pets, human animal relationship, life & death, animal, loss of friend, loneliness, loss, friends, death, human relationship, owner dog relationship, waiting, love, loss of family member, bonding, animal training, family drama, goodhearted, tragedy, grief, coincidence, dealing with death
Prayers for Bobby (2009)
Plot Summary:
True story of Mary Griffith, gay rights crusader, whose teenage son committed suicide due to her religious intolerance. Based on the book of the same title by Leroy Aarons
Duration: 90 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: lgbt, gay, gay teenager, homosexuality, suicide, homosexual, life is a bitch, gay relationship, gay love, male homosexuality, gay slur, gay rights, gays and lesbians, religious intolerance, depression, lgbt teen, teen suicide, parents and children, religion, religious fanaticism, grief, religions or cults, lgbtq, family relations, tragic event
The Breath (2009)
Plot Summary:
A major who had just lost two people in his command in a combat with PKK militants arrives at the station and takes charge. He finds it very difficult to step out of the state of depression due to his recent loss and so intimidates his soldiers into bettering themselves to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. During his stay there, he came across a PKK militant called the ‘Doctor’
Duration: 128 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 35000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: military, turkish army, soldier, ambush, war, anti war, danger, military life, against the odds, characters in danger, terror, army, terrorism, wartime life, snow, business, genocide, wartime, turk, hindu, protection, anti terrorism, mountain, militant, depression
Castaway on the Moon (2009)
Plot Summary:
Mr. Kim is jobless, lost in debt and has been dumped by his girlfriend. He decides to end it all by jumping into the Han River - only to find himself washed up on a small, mid-river island. He soon abandons thoughts of suicide or rescue and begins a new life as a castaway. His antics catch the attention of a young woman whose apartment overlooks the river. Her discovery changes both their lives
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea
Plot tags: loneliness, isolation, suicide attempt, island, survival, society, redemption, wilderness, castaway, suicide, love story, self discovery, human nature, solitude, nature, rescue, discovery, asian, irony, climbing, stranded, travel, women, food, medicine
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Plot Summary:
The Fantastic Mr. Fox bored with his current life, plans a heist against the three local farmers. The farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, seek revenge against him and his family
Duration: 87 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 262000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Family
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: stop motion, anthropomorphic animal, unlikely partners, anthropomorphism, fox, talking animal, furry, heroic mission, evil, danger, dishonesty, melancholy, village life, eccentricity, partner, disorder, rivals, daring rescue, farmer, vixen, trippy, slick, animal life, heist, dysfunctional family
District 9 (2009)
Plot Summary:
Aliens land in South Africa and, with their ship totally disabled, have no way home. Years later, after living in a slum and wearing out their welcome the 'Non-Humans' are being moved to a new tent city overseen by Multi-National United (MNU)
Duration: 112 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 708000
Genere: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: South Africa, USA, New Zealand, Canada
Plot tags: alien, distopia, extraterrestrial, space and aliens, transformation, alien encounter, apocalypse, alien invasion, mutation, metamorphosis, refugee, society, alien race, ufo, social commentary, chaos and mayhem, human nature, alien robot, segregation, quarantine, discrimination, chaos, alternate history, racism, slum
Avatar (2009)
Plot Summary:
In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization
Duration: 162 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: alien, fantasy world, ecology, culture clash, creature, beautiful scenery, battles, alien life-form, space and aliens, alien planet, space travel, alien encounter, scientist, human nature, distant planet, space colony, interracial relations, mysterious planet, escapades, mythology, choice, expedition, interspecies romance, jungle, fighting the system
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
Plot Summary:
Under constant attack by monstrous creatures called Angels that seek to eradicate humankind, U.N. Special Agency NERV introduces two new EVA pilots to help defend the city of Tokyo-3: the mysterious Makinami Mari Illustrous and the intense Asuka Langley Shikinami. Meanwhile, Gendo Ikari and SEELE proceed with a secret project that involves both Rei and Shinji. The film was retitled "Evangelion: 2.22" for its DVD/Blu-Ray release
Duration: 112 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Plot tags: giant robot, post apocalypse, apocalypse, giant, mental illness, brutality, escapades, danger, imaginary, good versus evil, man versus machine, heroes, pilot, transformation, heroic mission, technology gone awry, fate of humanity, dystopian future, end of the world, loneliness, father son relationship, distopia, friendship, high school, superhero
Dev D (2009)
Plot Summary:
Dev who, after spurning Paro's love due to a misunderstanding, turns to drugs and vodka for solace. Paro moves on but Dev still is in remorse. He meets Chanda, a prostitute with problems of her own. Dev likes her but his penchant for self-destruction prevents him and Chanda from truly getting together. He also meets sleazy people like Chunni, Chanda's pimp who drags Dev further into self-destruction to further his own needs
Duration: 144 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: India
Plot tags: tragic love, self destructing, slut, addiction, drug addiction, prostitute, drug abuse, social differences, society, human nature, couple relations, pimp, frustration, losing-it hero, emotional manipulation, drug addict, erotica, wedding, alcoholic, feminist, hindu, dying, drug, indian woman, unrequited love
Star Trek (2009)
Plot Summary:
The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 616000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Country: USA, Germany
Plot tags: space travel, star trek, space opera, outer space, time travel, spacecraft, alien, heroic mission, teamwork, space and aliens, alternate universe, space wars, heroes, space, human versus alien, alternate reality, team, alien civilization, imaginary, teleportation, intergalactic, alien planet, captain, creature, revenge
About Elly (2009)
Plot Summary:
The mysterious disappearance of a kindergarten teacher during a picnic in the north of Iran is followed by a series of misadventures for her fellow travelers
Duration: 119 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Drama, Mystery
Country: Iran, France
Plot tags: missing person, matchmaking, friendship, family relations, guilt, journey, iranian, parents and children, love and romance, couples, couple relations, teacher, death, father son relationship, husband wife relationship, friends, vacation, wedding planning, arranged marriage, sea, women, mysticism, investigation, art, islam
Prison Break: The Final Break (2009)
Plot Summary:
The movie covers the events which occurred in between the downfall of The Company and the finale of the series. It details the arrest and incarceration of Sara Tancredi, the final escape plan which Michael devises for Sara. It also reveals the ultimate fate of Gretchen Morgan
Duration: 89 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 27000
Genere: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: prison, fugitives, self sacrifice, woman in danger, prison escape, twists and turns, resilience, murder mystery, vengeance, survival, depression, brutality, redemption, relationships, conspiracy, justice, happy ending, freedom, chases and races, confined, race against time, against the odds, daring rescue, family relations, life is a bitch
A Prophet (2009)
Plot Summary:
Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group
Duration: 155 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 101000
Genere: Crime, Drama
Country: France, Italy
Plot tags: prison, mafia, gangster, prison life, confined, cruelty, prisoner, organized crime, convict, prison escape, coming of age, racial slur, jail, prison gang, respect, guilt, power struggle, drug, rivalry, danger, gang, humiliation, european, great ending, nudity
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
Plot Summary:
Swedish thriller based on Stieg Larsson's novel about a male journalist and a young female hacker. In the opening of the movie, Mikael Blomkvist, a middle-aged publisher for the magazine Millennium, loses a libel case brought by corrupt Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström. Nevertheless, he is hired by Henrik Vanger in order to solve a cold case, the disappearance of Vanger's niece
Duration: 152 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 222000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway
Plot tags: investigation, hacker, twists and turns, rape, journalist, sexual abuse, strong female lead, amateur detective, age difference, violence against women, missing person, lesbian, goth, femme fatale, strong female character, serial killer, disappearance, hacking, revenge, murder mystery, journalism, uncover truth, peril, murder, computer
The White Ribbon (2009)
Plot Summary:
Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years just before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. The abused and suppressed children of the villagers seem to be at the heart of this mystery
Duration: 144 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 77000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Canada
Plot tags: children, punishment, sexual abuse, priest, village, physical appearance, suicide, small town, death, child abuse, cruelty, family secret, village life, fascism, innocence, world war one, doctor, humiliation, suspicion, parents and children, repression, psychological abuse, protestant, patriarch, class society
Moon (2009)
Plot Summary:
With only three weeks left in his three year contract, Sam Bell is getting anxious to finally return to Earth. He is the only occupant of a Moon-based manufacturing facility along with his computer and assistant, GERTY. When he has an accident however, he wakens to find that he is not alone
Duration: 97 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 372000
Genere: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: isolation, moon, outer space, loneliness, space travel, astronaut, space, twists and turns, cloning, solitude, space and aliens, robot, dystopic future, clone, spacecraft, space opera, hopes, dystopia, human clone, artificial intelligence, distopia, science, plot twist, mind game, accident
Magadheera (2009)
Plot Summary:
When Harsha, a bike stunter from Vishakapatnam, accidentally meets Indu, he discovers his warrior life Kala Bhairava in his last birth. the remaining story portrays how Indu and Kala Bhairava are connected
Duration: 147 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: India
Plot tags: reincarnation, true love, past life, supernatural, fall in love, danger, lovers reunited, heroes, rivalry, curses spells and rituals, death, warrior, chase, motorcyclist, fashion, meditation, tragic love, love and romance, love affair, lovers apart, old love, renewed love, love, dancing, princess
Coraline (2009)
Plot Summary:
When Coraline moves to an old house, she feels bored and neglected by her parents. She finds a hidden door with a bricked up passage. During the night, she crosses the passage and finds a parallel world where everybody has buttons instead of eyes, with caring parents and all her dreams coming true. When the Other Mother invites Coraline to stay in her world forever, the girl refuses and finds that the alternate reality where she is trapped is only a trick to lure her
Duration: 100 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 257000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Japan
Plot tags: stop motion, children, monster, parallel world, alternate reality, weirdo, doll, secret place, heroine, fantasy world, loneliness, imagination, danger, family relations, alternate world, young heroes, clue, parents and children, magic, nightmare, imaginary, save the day, distopia, dream, goth
Mr. Nobody (2009)
Plot Summary:
Nemo Nobody leads an ordinary existence with his wife and 3 children; one day, he wakes up as a mortal centenarian in the year 2092
Duration: 141 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 243000
Genere: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: Belgium, Germany, Canada, France, UK, Luxembourg, USA
Plot tags: time, philosophy, destiny, alternate reality, surrealism, butterfly effect, depression, utopia, choice, twists and turns, multiple outcomes, bittersweet, parallel world, life changing experience, time travel, parallel universe, immortality, love and romance, borderline personality disorder, existentialism, divorce, death, first love, imaginary, coming of age
City of Life and Death (2009)
Plot Summary:
City of Life and Death takes place in 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has just captured the then-capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a period of several weeks wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: China, Hong Kong
Plot tags: world war two, japanese army, sino japanese war, sexual abuse, war crime, japanese occupation of china, war atrocity, atrocity, japanese occupation, life is a bitch, mass murder, wartime, chinese history, invasion, dehumanization, battles, war, fight, soldier, resistance, resistance fighter, showdown, world war, wartime life, fight for supremacy
Mother (2009)
Plot Summary:
A mother lives quietly with her twenty-eight-year-old son, Do-joon, providing herbs and acupuncture to neighbors. One day, a girl is brutally murdered, and Do-joon is charged with the killing. Now, it's his mother's call whether to prove him innocent or to leave him imprisoned
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 70000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: South Korea
Plot tags: investigation, murder, twists and turns, revenge, family relations, determination, amateur detective, uncover truth, murder mystery, asian, mother, mentally challenged, character study, police investigation, police brutality, medieval, life is a bitch, mother and son, whodunit, relationships, plot twist, great ending, single parent, prison, violence
500 Days of Summer (2009)
Plot Summary:
Tom, greeting-card writer and hopeless romantic, is caught completely off-guard when his girlfriend, Summer, suddenly dumps him. He reflects on their 500 days together to try to figure out where their love affair went sour, and in doing so, Tom rediscovers his true passions in life
Duration: 95 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 546000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: love, breakup, relationships, couples, love story, love and romance, couple relations, unrequited love, manic pixie dream girl, fall in love, unfulfilled love, heartache, life philosophy, destiny, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, friendship, dating, platonic, twentysomething life, true love, depression, young woman, urban, psychology, melancholy
The Hangover (2009)
Plot Summary:
When three friends finally come to after a raucous night of bachelor-party revelry, they find a baby in the closet and a tiger in the bathroom. But they can't seem to locate their best friend, Doug – who's supposed to be tying the knot. Launching a frantic search for Doug, the trio perseveres through a nasty hangover to try to make it to the church on time
Duration: 100 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 829000
Genere: Comedy
Country: USA, Germany
Plot tags: buddies, party, bachelor party, friendship between men, comedy of errors, memory loss, weirdo, nothing goes right, hung over, friends, friendship, wedding, stupidity, drunkenness, escapades, buddy, road trip, disorder, weed, brother in law brother in law relationship, bride and groom, female nudity, drinking alcohol, drug, hedonism
Watchmen (2009)
Plot Summary:
In a gritty and alternate 1985 the glory days of costumed vigilantes have been brought to a close by a government crackdown, but after one of the masked veterans is brutally murdered, an investigation into the killer is initiated. The reunited heroes set out to prevent their own destruction, but in doing so uncover a sinister plot that puts all of humanity in grave danger
Duration: 162 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 574000
Genere: Action, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Plot tags: superhero, alternate reality, vigilante, distopia, anti hero, heroes, good versus evil, moral dilemma, masked vigilante, cold war, alternate history, conspiracy, mars, parallel world, human nature, dishonesty, comic book, superhuman powers, moral ambiguity, riot, one against many, love triangle, hidden identity, warrior, fight
The Blind Side (2009)
Plot Summary:
Oversized African-American, Michael Oher, the teen from across the tracks and a broken home, has nowhere to sleep at age 16. Taken in by an affluent Memphis couple, Michael embarks on a remarkable rise to play for the NFL
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 355000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: american football, adoption, life, african american, football, human spirit, family drama, interracial relations, christian, rising to stardom, parents and children, racism, interracial adoption, strong female character, fish out of water, athlete's life, misfit, youth, high school football, nfl, prejudice, life philosophy, homeless, homeless teenager, biopic