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Best of 2004

Best Movies of 2004, Ranked

3,145 films on the site were released in 2004, and 495 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. The Battle of Algiers tops the list, ahead of Moolaadé and Before Sunset. The biggest hit was Shrek 2 with $932.5M worldwide, and Million Dollar Baby won Best Picture at the 2005 Oscars.

films released in 2004
3,145
ranked by rating
495
worldwide, top 10 hits
$6.1B
award wins
97
  1. The Battle of Algiers (2004) movie poster #1 The Battle of Algiers 96 Metascore
  2. Moolaadé (2004) movie poster #2 Moolaadé 91 Metascore
  3. Before Sunset (2004) movie poster #3 Before Sunset 91 Metascore
#1 of 2004

What Is the Best Movie of 2004?

The Battle of Algiers is the best-rated film of 2004, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of Moolaadé (90/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Ranked

Top 25 Movies of 2004, Ranked

Moolaadé and Before Sunset follow The Battle of Algiers. Drama is the most common genre in the top 25 (17 films). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Best of the 2000s
  1. Moolaadé (2004) movie poster
    2. Moolaadé 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100 (26 critic reviews))

    2004 · Drama · 2h 4m

    Dir. Ousmane Sembene No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences

  2. Before Sunset (2004) movie poster
    3. Before Sunset 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100 (39 critic reviews))

    2004 · Drama, Romance · 1h 20m

    No Echo Score: ranked 90/100 on critics & audiences

  3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) movie poster
    4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100 (41 critic reviews))

    2004 · Drama, Romance · 1h 48m

    No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences

  4. Springtime in a Small Town (2004) movie poster
    5. Springtime in a Small Town 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100)

    2004 · Drama, Romance · 1h 56m

    No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences

  5. Since Otar Left (2004) movie poster
    6. Since Otar Left 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100)

    2004 · Drama · 1h 43m

    Dir. Julie Bertucelli No Echo Score: ranked 85/100 on critics & audiences

  6. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2004) movie poster
    7. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100)

    2004 · Drama · 1h 43m

    No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences

  7. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (re-released) (2004) movie poster
    8. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (re-released) 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100)

    2004 · Drama, Romance · 1h 31m

    Dir. Jacques Demy No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences

  8. Los Angeles Plays Itself (2004) movie poster
    9. Los Angeles Plays Itself 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (19 critic reviews))

    2004 · History, Documentary · 2h 49m

    Dir. Thom Andersen No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences

  9. Million Dollar Baby (2004) movie poster
    10. Million Dollar Baby 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (39 critic reviews))

    2004 · Drama, Sport · 2h 12m

    No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  10. Sideways (2004) movie poster
    11. Sideways 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100)

    2004 · Drama, Comedy · 2h 6m

    Dir. Alexander Payne No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  11. The Incredibles (2004) movie poster
    12. The Incredibles 90 Metascore (Metascore 90 out of 100)

    2004 · Action, Adventure · 1h 55m

    Dir. Brad Bird No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  12. The Return (2004) movie poster
    13. The Return 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100)

    2004 · Drama · 1h 45m

    Dir. Andrei Zvyagintsev No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences

  13. The Twilight Samurai (2004) movie poster
    14. The Twilight Samurai 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100)

    2004 · Drama, Romance · 2h 9m

    Dir. Yôji Yamada No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences

  14. Blissfully Yours (2004) movie poster
    14. Blissfully Yours 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100 (8 critic reviews))

    2004 · Drama, Romance · 2h 5m

    Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences

  15. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) movie poster
    16. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 83 Metascore (Metascore 83 out of 100 (41 critic reviews))

    2004 · Action, Thriller · 2h 16m

    Dir. Quentin Tarantino No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences

  16. Hero (2004) movie poster
    17. Hero 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100 (42 critic reviews))

    2004 · Action, Adventure · 1h 39m

    Dir. Yimou Zhang No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  17. Festival Express (2004) movie poster
    18. Festival Express 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100 (26 critic reviews))

    2004 · History, Music · 1h 30m

    Dir. Bob Smeaton No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  18. Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) movie poster
    19. Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100)

    2004 · History, Documentary · 2h

    Dir. Alexandra Cassavetes No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  19. Spider-Man 2 (2004) movie poster
    20. Spider-Man 2 83 Metascore (Metascore 83 out of 100)

    2004 · Action, Sci-Fi · 2h 7m

    Dir. Sam Raimi No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  20. Hotel Rwanda (2004) movie poster
    21. Hotel Rwanda 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100 (40 critic reviews))

    2004 · Drama, History · 2h 1m

    Dir. Terry George No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  21. Maria Full of Grace (2004) movie poster
    22. Maria Full of Grace 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100 (39 critic reviews))

    2004 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 41m

    Dir. Joshua Marston No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  22. Godzilla (2004) movie poster
    22. Godzilla 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100 (20 critic reviews))

    2004 · Sci-Fi, Drama · 1h 38m

    Dir. Ishirô Honda No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  23. Tom Dowd & the Language of Music (2004) movie poster
    22. Tom Dowd & the Language of Music 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100)

    2004 · Music, Documentary · 1h 22m

    Dir. Mark Moormann No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  24. Distant (2004) movie poster
    25. Distant 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))

    2004 · Drama · 1h 50m

    Dir. Nuri Bilge Ceylan No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

Box office

What Were the Highest-Grossing Movies of 2004?

Shrek 2 earned $932.5M worldwide, ahead of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ($808.5M). The top 10 took $6.1B together; 852 films released in 2004 have a box office record here. Grosses that look like data errors are left out.

Full 2004 box office
  1. Shrek 2 (2004) movie poster #1 $932.5M worldwide Shrek 2 $445M domestic · Adventure
  2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) movie poster #2 $808.5M worldwide Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban $250.1M domestic · Adventure
  3. Spider-Man 2 (2004) movie poster #3 $784.6M worldwide Spider-Man 2 $374.3M domestic · Action
  4. The Incredibles (2004) movie poster #4 $631.7M worldwide The Incredibles $261.4M domestic · Action
  5. The Passion of the Christ (2004) movie poster #5 $610.1M worldwide The Passion of the Christ $370.8M domestic · Drama
  6. The Day After Tomorrow (2004) movie poster #6 $552.6M worldwide The Day After Tomorrow $186.7M domestic · Action
  7. Meet the Fockers (2004) movie poster #7 $522.7M worldwide Meet the Fockers $279.3M domestic · Comedy
  8. Troy (2004) movie poster #8 $497.4M worldwide Troy $133.4M domestic · Action
  9. Shark Tale (2004) movie poster #9 $374.6M worldwide Shark Tale $160.9M domestic · Comedy
  10. Ocean's Twelve (2004) movie poster #10 $362.7M worldwide Ocean's Twelve $125.5M domestic · Thriller
Awards

Which 2004 Movies Won the Most Awards?

The Aviator leads with 15 wins from 41 nominations, then Sideways with 15 wins. Million Dollar Baby won Best Picture at the 2005 Oscars. In all, 86 films released in 2004 have award nominations on the site, with 97 wins between them.

2005 awards season
  1. The Aviator (2004) movie poster
    The Aviator 15 / 41
    2004 · Biography, Drama · 15 wins from 41 nominations
  2. Sideways (2004) movie poster
    Sideways 15 / 32
    2004 · Drama, Comedy · 15 wins from 32 nominations
  3. Million Dollar Baby (2004) movie poster
    Million Dollar Baby 10 / 20
    2004 · Drama, Sport · 10 wins from 20 nominations
  4. Ray (2004) movie poster
    Ray 8 / 18
    2004 · Biography, Drama · 8 wins from 18 nominations
  5. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004) movie poster
    The Motorcycle Diaries 5 / 13
    2004 · Adventure, Biography · 5 wins from 13 nominations
  6. Closer (2004) movie poster
    Closer 4 / 13
    2004 · Drama, Romance · 4 wins from 13 nominations
  7. Finding Neverland (2004) movie poster
    Finding Neverland 3 / 35
    2004 · Biography, Drama · 3 wins from 35 nominations
  8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) movie poster
    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 3 / 19
    2004 · Drama, Romance · 3 wins from 19 nominations
By genre

What Is the Best 2004 Movie in Each Genre?

The highest-ranked 2004 film of 12 genres, from Drama (The Battle of Algiers) to Sci-Fi (Spider-Man 2). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.

Release months

When Were 2004's Movies Released?

January was the busiest month of 2004 with 378 releases; its best-rated film is The Battle of Algiers.

  • January Best: The Battle of Algiers
    378
  • February Best: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (re-released)
    217
  • March Best: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
    191
  • April Best: Since Otar Left
    244
  • May Best: Springtime in a Small Town
    238
  • June Best: Spider-Man 2
    242
  • July Best: Before Sunset
    197
  • August Best: Hero
    229
  • September Best: Blissfully Yours
    308
  • October Best: Moolaadé
    349
  • November Best: The Incredibles
    293
  • December Best: Million Dollar Baby
    259
Languages

Which Languages Were 2004's Movies In?

51% of 2004's films with a known language are in English (1,582). French comes next with 194 films, out of 63 languages in all.

Every year

Best Movies by Year

A best-of page for each of 55 years, from 1900 to 2026 (so far). Before 1980 there is one page per decade, for its first year (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970); from 1980 every year has its own.

2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
1980s
1900–1970
FAQ

Best Movies of 2004: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about 2004's best-rated films, biggest hits and awards, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of 2004?

The Battle of Algiers is the best-rated film of 2004 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences. Moolaadé is second and Before Sunset third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About The Battle of Algiers

What was the highest-grossing movie of 2004?

Shrek 2 earned $932.5M worldwide, the most of any 2004 release on the site. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban follows with $808.5M.

2004 box office

Which 2004 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?

Million Dollar Baby (2004) won Best Picture at the 2005 Academy Awards.

Million Dollar Baby

Which 2004 film won the most awards?

The Aviator has the best award record of the 2004 releases on the site: 15 wins from 41 nominations.

2005 awards season

How many movies were released in 2004?

The site lists 3,145 films released in 2004. 495 of them are ranked, and January had the most releases with a known day (378).

How are the best movies of 2004 ranked?

Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). Only feature films count (60 minutes or longer, no concert recordings), and a film needs enough ratings, box office or award attention to be ranked.