15 Best Movies Of 2004

2004 is one of the greatest years for the cinema in Hollywood. Whereas you get some of the greatest hits of all time like Before Sunset or The Incredibles, there are also some good must-watch movies as well.

If you are looking for some good recommendations for the movies released in 2004, we handpicked a mixed bag of successful and commercial big hits along with some underappreciated films as well.

Take your picks to watch this weekend!

Dead Man’s Shoes 

Image Source: FO

Genre –  British psychological thriller

Director- Shane Meadows

Where to watch – Disney, prime video

When Meadows thought back to a buddy with disabilities who had passed away when he was young, the story turned darker from what Considine had initially planned to be a black comedy about a brave social worker.

Watching a movie is an experience that has the power to change one’s life. A good movie can make you cry, laugh, or feel anger. It can make you feel alive, and it can be your escape from reality. The Dead Man’s Shoes is one film that has significantly impacted people who have watched it.

The movie chronicles the struggles of a man to find his way back home; to do so, he needs to take care of some unfinished business with his father’s killer.

He meets a woman on the way who helps him out in return for sexual favors, and together, they go on this journey where they face many obstacles, come across different people, and eventually find redemption for themselves as well as for each other.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 

Image Source: NFS

Genre –  Romantic science fiction

Director- Michel Gondry

Where to watch – Netflix

It is not hard to find out why people like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind movie. It is a romantic drama with a positive message and an emotional storyline. It is also an award-winning film with a cult following.

The story revolves around Joel Barish, played by Jim Carrey, who undergoes a new experimental treatment for his depression and meets Clementine Kruczynski, played by Kate Winslet. 

They marry and fall in love, but soon after, they have their memories erased of each other because they are too painful to live with. 

Joel then decides to undergo the treatment again so he can remember Clementine and they can be together again.

The film was written by Charlie Kaufman, who also wrote Being John Malkovich. The movie earned the Best Picture Oscar. Original Screenplay in 2004 and other accolades, including BAFTA Awards for Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Editing.

Before Sunset 

Image Source: MUBI

Genre –  Romantic drama 

Director- Richard Linklater

Where to watch – Roku Channel, Prime Video, Vudu

The movie Before Sunset is a sequel to the 1995 movie Before Sunrise. The plot is about Jesse and Céline, two people who met on a train in Vienna and spent one night together. After this encounter, they have been in contact for nine years through letters. 

The storyline is all about On the French leg of Jesse’s book tour. Nine years after their initial meeting, Celine and Jesse cross paths again.

In the movie, Jesse has become an author, and Céline is a music teacher. They meet again in Paris and spend the day together, walking around the city, exploring their pasts and feelings for each other. 

People enjoy watching this film because it’s a romantic story of two people who are meant to be together but can’t be because of life circumstances that keep them apart.

Some of the scenarios are masterfully executed. The movie itself is breathtaking, and the characters are all picture-perfect. 

The film’s atmosphere is so unique that it will encourage aspiring young directors to pick up their cameras and begin filming.

It might sound dull to watch an 80-minute movie on two lovely folks and what they have to say; however Before Sunset does it in a way that will completely floor you.

The Incredibles 

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Genre –   Computer-animated superhero 

Director- Brad Bird

Where to watch – Disney

A family of covert superheroes is compelled to take action to save the world despite preferring to live a peaceful suburbia existence.

The Incredibles (2004) is a Pixar movie many people have loved for years. It is a story about superheroes who have to hide their powers from the world. The film has a lot of action, adventure, and comedy.

The Incredibles is an old but still perfect movie. People love this movie because it is full of adventure and comedy. 

They also like the characters in the story because they are easy to relate to and feel like they are real people with real problems that we can all understand.

Brad Bird’s direction is excellent in every way; he produced many beautifully crafted set pieces. 

The cadence, which provides a strong sense of timing, and the effects used tone made the sharp, witty comedy successful. 

The action scenes are breathtaking, filled with explosive energy, destruction, and slaughter. The riveting suspenseful components are compelling both visually and acoustically. 

The conversation is some of the greatest I’ve ever heard; it’s cleverly written, full of surprises that make the characters witty, provides exciting exposition, and some lines are complicated enough to provoke thought.

Nobody Knows 

Image Source: Viki

Genre – Crime Mystery Melodrama

Director- Hirokazu Koreeda

Where to watch –  Amazon Prime.

The plot starts with a scene After their mother abandons them and doesn’t appear to be returning; 12-year-old Akira is left to look after his younger brothers in a cramped Tokyo apartment. 

Akira Fukushima, 12, and his siblings Shigeru and Yuki move into a modest flat in Tokyo with the impulsive single mother, Keiko. Kyoko, a different sibling, shows up there by train later. The kids don’t go to school and have other fathers but live happily with their mothers.

People are attracted to this movie because it is a good mix of comedy and horror. It is not too scary, but it has enough suspense to make the audience feel like they are watching an old-school horror movie.

People who have seen the movie Nobody Knows to enjoy it, but some don’t think this was as good as other movies in the same genre.

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 

Image Source: KSQD

Genre – Martial arts

Director- Quentin Tarantino

Where to watch –  Netflix

The action, the violence, the revenge, All these elements make Kill Bill: Vol. 2 a hard movie to put down. The Bride’s vendetta against her former employer and lover Bill, the reclusive bouncer Budd, and cunning, one-eyed Elle continue.

People first notice the action sequences in Kill Bill: Vol. 2. They are well-choreographed and executed in a way that makes them exciting to watch. 

Violence is also an essential aspect of this film as it fuels both the revenge story and Uma Thurman’s character Beatrix Kiddo’s motivation for her quest for revenge against Bill and his cohorts for what they did to her daughter and husband in the previous film.

Why audience like this movie is the scene of The Homicidal Bride has returned and is still on the hunt for retribution against her former boss Bill. 

She is also pursuing Budd, Bill’s younger brother, and Elle Driver, the last surviving member of the assassins who betrayed her four years prior.

One thing people may overlook about Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is how much emotion it conveys, which is surprising considering how violent it can sometimes be.

This is mainly due to Quentin Tarantino’s direction and Uma Thurman’s performance as Beatrix Kiddo, both of which are excellent in this sequel.

Primer 

Image Source: MRS

Genre – Psychological science fiction

Director- Shane Carruth.

Where to watch – Prime Video or Apple TV

Primer is a science fiction film that tells the story of two engineers who inadvertently invent a time machine.4 Buddies, also budding entrepreneurs, struggle to control their new creation since they realize it is superior to the many error-checking gadgets they have made.

The movie was made on an estimated budget of $8,000 and was filmed in Dallas and Austin, Texas. 

The film has an exciting story that is easy to follow. It also has a great soundtrack that perfectly fits the movie’s mood.

It’s not surprising that people like this movie because it has been well-received by critics and audiences alike. 

Primer is the best time travel picture ever made due to its plausibility, and it’s also a movie with incredibly believable characters and a plot that prioritizes thought-provoking sci-fi concepts over action and happy endings.

Adam & Paul 

Image Source: EFA

Genre – Comedy Drama

Director– Lenny Abrahamson

Where to watch – HBO max, Apple TV

As they seek their next shot, two heroin addicts navigate Dublin’s city center, passing by friends and relatives.

The movie is a comedy that has been receiving mixed reviews. Some say the movie was too over-the-top with its jokes and antics. 

They say that while the humor is good, more is needed to make up for the flaws in the plot and dialogue.

Others say they enjoyed the movie because of its humor and likable characters. They also appreciated how Adam Sandler tried to put his twist on things by adding some of his famous friends into the mix.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy 

Image Source: MUBI

Genre – Satirical comedy

Director- Adam McKay

Where to watch – Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Vudu

In the 1970s, when male broadcasters predominated, Ron Burgundy was San Diego’s top-rated newsreader. 

However, when an ambitious woman is appointed as a new anchor, Ron and his friends will soon see their situation change.

The film has a lot of humor that is not politically correct. The jokes are often misogynistic and racist. It is also very self-aware and satirical, which makes it more enjoyable.

The movie has a lot of humor that people enjoy. 

It is not politically correct, but the jokes are often misogynistic and racist. The film also has a lot of self-awareness and satire, which makes it more enjoyable to watch.

The Machinist 

Image Source: IMDb

Genre – Psychological thriller 

Director- Brad Anderson

Where to watch – Netflix

In a factory, Trevor Reznik is a machinist. An acute case of insomnia has resulted in his not sleeping for a year and his body wasting away to nearly nothing. 

He has an obsessive desire to scrawl reminder notes for himself and keep track of his declining weight on yellow sticky notes in his flat.

The Machinist is a psychological thriller written by Scott Kosar. Christian Bale acts as Trevor Reznik, a machinist who has insomnia.

The Machinist is an exciting movie that many people have watched because of its interesting storyline and suspenseful scenes. 

The movie has been rated good, which means that people like it because it’s different from other movies and keeps them interested throughout the movie.

Mickybo and Me 

Image Source: PC

Genre –  Northern Irish comedy-drama 

Director– Terry Loane

Where to watch – Paramount plus, HBO max

This film chronicles the narrative of two lads who become friends at the outset of the Troubles in 1970. They are obsessed with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), so they go to Australia.

Disney’s Mickybo and Me is a film about Mickey Mouse and his friends. It is a story about how Mickey Mouse and his friends try to make their dreams come true.

This movie is one of the most liked movies because it has a lot of humor, action, and 

A fantastic family/adventure flick. It emphasizes the importance of friendship above anything else. In 1970s Northern Ireland, one boy is Catholic, and the other is Protestant. Regardless, they’re having a terrific time as best friends. 

If you’ve seen “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” you’ll be howling with laughter. Another excellent British film that is not available in the United States. Recommend!

The Terminal 

Image Source: Decider

Genre –  Comedy-drama 

Director- Steven Spielberg

Where to watch – Prime Video, Vudu, Redbox

The Terminal movie is a 2004 film starring Tom Hanks. The story starts when Viktor Navorski, a visitor to the United States from Eastern Europe (a fictional republic of Krakozhia), arrives at JFK Airport’s Terminal 7 and is refused entry by immigration officers.

An Eastern European traveler gets unexpectedly detained at JFK airport and is forced to take a residency permit there. Victor Navorski arrives at JFK from a politically insecure country.

The film explores the emotional relationship between Navorski and Amelia Warren, an immigration officer who wants to help him. 

People like The Terminal movie because it is an emotional story about how one person can change another person’s life for the better.

House of Flying Daggers 

Image Source: MUBI

Genre – Wuxia romance

Director- Yimou Zhang

Where to watch – Criterion Channel, Prime Video, Vudu

A loving police captain breaks a gorgeous member of a rebel organization out of prison to help her rejoin her comrades, but all is not as it appears. 

During the Tang dynasty’s rule in China, a secret society known as “The House of the Flying Daggers” rises to challenge the government. 

The movie is a martial arts film with a love triangle. The story is set in the Song Dynasty, during the Jin-Song Wars.

The film starts with a group of bandits who are about to rob an older man. They attack and kill him, but not before he manages to grab one of their daggers and throw it at them. 

The dagger flies into the sky and gets stuck in a tree, so they name it “House of Flying Daggers.”

There are many reasons why people like the movie House of Flying Daggers. Some like that it’s an action movie with martial arts sequences. Others like that it has romance and tragedy in it as well. It also has beautiful cinematography and costumes, creating stunning visuals on screen.

Million Dollar Baby 

Image Source: Britannica

Genre – Sports drama

Director- Clint Eastwood

Where to watch – Netflix

Million Dollar Baby is a movie that tells the story of a female boxer named Maggie Fitzgerald.

To become a professional boxer, a dedicated woman works with a tough boxing trainer. Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), an ambitious boxer, wants Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to teach her because she wants to learn from the greatest. 

At first, he refuses, stating that he has no desire to coach a girl. Frankie lives a lonely life, estranged from his only daughter and with few acquaintances. 

There are many reasons why people like this movie. 

Firstly, the acting is excellent. Hilary Swank won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Maggie Fitzgerald, and Morgan Freeman was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Eddie Dupris. 

Secondly, the directing is excellent too. Million Dollar Baby won an Oscar for Best Achievement in Directing at the 77th Academy Awards in 2005. 

Thirdly, this movie has a lot of drama, making it entertaining to watch – you never know what will happen next! Finally, people like this movie because it’s based on a true story from real life, and you can’t help but be touched by it all.

The Football Factory 

Image Source: Netflix

Genre – Crime fiction, sport

Director- Nick Love

Where to watch – Prime Video

The hard life of a male Chelsea football hooligan is bored and addicted to drugs, sex, violence, and drinks. The Football Factory is about men searching for armies to join, wars to fight, and places to belong. 

A lost culture of Anglo-Saxon males tired of being told they’re not good enough, who use their fists as a narcotic that some describe as more potent than sex and drugs combined.

The Football Factory is a British drama film written and directed by Nick Love. The film is based on the eponymous novel by John King, with the Screenplay written by Nick Love and James McManus. 

The film follows a group of football hooligans from the London Underground looking for excitement in their lives; it has been praised for its portrayal of casual violence, football hooliganism, and working-class masculinity.

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