Best Movies of 2004

The highest-rated films from 2004 according to MovieMagicScore. Rankings based purely on what viewers actually think.

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By genre:action comedy drama horror sci-fi thriller romance animation

Howl's Moving Castle

2004 · 11,044 ratings

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.

8.4

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2004 · 16,304 ratings

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.

8.1

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2004 · 23,098 ratings

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.

8.0

Million Dollar Baby

2004 · 10,027 ratings

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.

8.0

The Notebook

2004 · 12,316 ratings

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.

7.9

Kill Bill: Vol. 2

2004 · 14,533 ratings

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.

7.9

Downfall

2004 · 4,096 ratings

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.

7.9

Before Sunset

2004 · 3,605 ratings

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.

7.8

The Incredibles

2004 · 18,416 ratings

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.

7.7

#10

Hotel Rwanda

2004 · 3,010 ratings

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.

7.7

#11

The Chorus

2004 · 2,517 ratings

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

7.7

#12

Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War

2004 · 734 ratings

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.

8.0

#13

3-Iron

2004 · 1,206 ratings

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.

7.8

#14

The Butterfly Effect

2004 · 7,890 ratings

A young man struggles to access sublimated childhood memories. He finds a technique that allows him to travel back into the past, to occupy his childhood body and change history. However, he soon finds that every change he makes has unexpected consequences.

7.6

#15

Nobody Knows

2004 · 638 ratings

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.

8.0

#16

Shaun of the Dead

2004 · 8,955 ratings

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.

7.5

#17

The Passion of the Christ

2004 · 5,168 ratings

A graphic portrayal of the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life.

7.5

#18

The Machinist

2004 · 5,880 ratings

Trevor, an insomniac lathe operator, experiences unusual occurrences at work and home. A strange man follows him everywhere, but no one else seems to notice him.

7.5

#19

Man on Fire

2004 · 5,414 ratings

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.

7.5

#20

Saw

2004 · 9,714 ratings

Two men wake up to find themselves shackled in a grimy, abandoned bathroom. As they struggle to comprehend their predicament, they discover a disturbing tape left behind by the sadistic mastermind known as Jigsaw. With a chilling voice and cryptic instructions, Jigsaw informs them that they must partake in a gruesome game in order to secure their freedom.

7.4

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About 2004 Movies

These are the best-rated movies released in 2004 according to MovieMagicScore. Our ranking system aggregates genuine viewer ratings to give you an honest picture of what audiences actually think about these films.

From blockbusters to indie gems, discover what made 2004 memorable in cinema based on the collective opinion of movie lovers worldwide.

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