vIndianz.com (27 Dec, 2009) — The year was not so great for movies. There were some good movies, there were some that turned out better than expected, there were some overly-hyped movies and there were some disasters. Box office results showed that visuals alone could not save movie, as proved by 2012, and slapstick comedy didn’t elicit any laughs for movies such as Couples Retreat. Even Tom Hanks couldn’t save a movie like Angels and Demons.
Though audiences and critics can never agree on a completely similar list, there are some movies, which find a place in both. We are trying to compile such a comprehensive list of the 30 best movies of 2009.
1. Up in the Air
The George Clooney-starrer managed to capture the sentiments of the average American in its entirety amid the economic recessions. Directed by Jason Reitman, the film showcased stellar performances, wit and an underlying message.
2. Still Walking
An excellent Japanese family drama by writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda. A family reunites for the death anniversary of a son and the old tensions and issues crop up in the short span that they are together. Compelling, moving and heart-wrenching.
3. The Hurt Locker
One of the most hard-hitting movies ever on war, this Kathryn Bigelow directed movie showed the tumultuous situation in an army camp in Iraq. It follows the story of an US EOD team. Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty starred.
4. The Beaches of Agnes
For those of you who like documentary movies, this one will be a treat. This is a look into celebrated filmmaker Agnes Varda’s life and her memories.
5. Goodbye Solo
Ramin Bahrani directs this movie about a Senegalese taxi driver who befriends an old man about to commit suicide, intending to talk him out of it. Souleymane Sy Savane and Red West star.
6. The Messenger
A moving tale about war heroes. The film starred Ben Foster as a war-scarred sergeant who on his return from the battlefield is put on duty in the casualty notifications department. Oren Moverman directed this brilliant dramatic masterpiece.
7. Up
One of the most entertaining animations flicks ever made, Up said the story of a 76-year-old man and a young boy who fly to South America in a floating house. The movie produced by Pixar Animation Studio featured the voices of Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer and Jordan Nagai.
8. A Serious Man
It is about a Jewish professor in the 1970s trying to keep the fabric of his family from falling apart. A dark comedy directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, the movie starred Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind and Sari Wagner Lennick.
9. Seraphine
An artist’s life which never flowered. The movie showed this aspect along with the relationship between her and an art collector, who met at different junctions of life. Martin Provost directed this moving French-Belgian movie starring Yolande Moreau and Ulrich Tukur.
10. Coraline
The magic of Alice in Wonderland was almost recreated by this Henry Selick directed animation movie. Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher and Robert Baily Jr starred.
11. Tulpan
Tulpan had a wide release in April 2009. While it was already a favorite of the critics, the audience also accepted it well. Sergey Dvortsevoy directed this Kazakh movie about a soldier who returns to be a herdsman and the woman he marries.
12. Ponyo
A Japanese animated film, Ponyo is the story of a little gold fish who wants to become a little girl after she meets the 5-year-old boy Sosuke. Studio Ghibli created this movie, which had Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Tina Fey, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson and Cate Blanchett lending their voices to the English version.
13. Invictus
Though you may know what the end of the movie is, you won’t mind the predictability a bit as you sit through this heartwarming movie. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon take the movie to even greater heights with their performances. Clint Eastwood directs.
14. A Single Man
In this movie, all you would see was Colin Firth. It would be surprising if he doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for this one. Tom Ford directed this movie, a peek into the life of a gay man in 1960s America.
15. The Hangover
A bachelor party goes horribly wrong, in the most humorous way. The Todd Phillips movie was a surprise success and starred Bradley Cooper, Ed Helma, Justin Bartha, Heather Graham and the brilliant Zach Galifianakis.
16. Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino returned with crisp dialogues, gory action and gripping storyline. Exploring two simultaneous attempts to kill Hitler, the movie kept the adrenaline pumping from start to finish. Christoph Waltz stole the show with his impeccable performance.
17. Paranormal Activity
The movie premiered in 2007 but got a theatrical release only this year after it spooked Steven Spielberg enough to fund a remake. Oren Peli directed this seemingly real movie.
18. Star Trek
The 11th movie in the star Trek series, this J J Abrams movie excelled in technology and emotions. A gripping storyline was the highlight of the movie starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Karl Uban, Zoe Saldana and Eric Bana.
19. Away we go
Sam Mendes’ family drama took the characters played by John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph to many parts of the world in an effort to choose the right place to settle down. As with his other movies, Mendes keeps the drama high.
20. I love you Man
A young prospective groom, who has never had any male friends, tries to hire a best man for his wedding. The misunderstandings and the incidents that follow make up the story. John Hamburg directed Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and Rashida Jones in the film.
21. The Road
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a father and son are moving towards the shore in search of supplies and survivors, if any. Joe Penhall directed this gripping tale starring Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
22. An Education
A movie tracing the growing up of a schoolgirl into a sensible young lade, aware of what is right and wrong. This simple but effective movie was directed by Lone Scherfig and starred Carey Mulligan and Peter Saarsgard.
23. The Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans
Though not a remake of the 1992 Abel Ferrara movie, it derived the lead character and the theme from the earlier movie. Nicolas Cage played the Bad Lieutenant with enough conviction to garner widely positive reviews.
24. In the Loop
The Amanda Iannucci movie talked about politics and war. It was political satire on the thinking of the men in power of the effectiveness or otherwise of launching an offensive in the Middle East. Tom Hollander and James Gandolfini led the cast.
25. Avatar
The much-awaited James Cameron 3-D movie has just released to an eager audience. Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana star in this flick set in 2154.
26. Taken
A fast-paced action-packed movie about a former CIA operative trying to rescue his daughter from sex slave traders. Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace starred in this movie directed by Pierre Morel.
27. Public Enemies
A high action thriller directed by Michael Mann. A brilliant performance by Johnny Depp was the highlight of the movie which also starred Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard.
28. Whip It!
Drew Barrymore turned director with this movie, which also saw the return of the talented Ellen Page after Juno. A young girl who finds her heart in the rolling derby made enough fodder for a complete entertainer.
29. Mystery Team
A team of school kids, who were known to solve petty mysteries in school, team up to solve a murder mystery to prove it to themselves and the town. Created by the comedy group Derrick Comedy, some of whom star in the movie.
30. Drag me to Hell
A curse cast on a bank officer by a gypsy woman drags her to hell. It managed to scare the audience and received positive reviews generally. Sam Raimi directed the horror flick that starred Alison Lohman, Lorna Raver and Justin Long.
Stay updated! Follow us on twitter and subscribe to our feed via Feedburner.
Loading ...
56 Comments
long list …
But most movies are yet to be seen…
I was able to saw only AVATAR of all above but will save this list and download most of these movies as these seem interesting.
Thanks for the list
dude you gotta see this movie! Sam Raimi for crying outloud!yOU NEVER SEEN tHE eVIL dEAD TRILOGY?
too much capitals?
NO DEFINITELY NOT ENOUGH!
Not a bad list, some good films on there and a few I haven’t seen yet but will definitely check out. Am I wrong in thinking that you missed ‘Synecdoche, New York’ , and ‘Let the Right One In’, or were they actually 2008 movies? If not, they’re in my top 5 and should be on the list!
Wait…you think Drag Me To Hell is one of the best films of 2009? And what box office results are you looking at when you mock 2012?! Thus far, 2012 has brought in over $734 million worldwide. (Not bad on a $200 million budget) It’s become the highest-grossing box office film ever in China. Was it a great movie? No. But the box office results definitely SUPPORT it being made.
You have a lot of great movies in your list, but there are a couple of points (like 2012 and Drag Me To Hell) that really weaken this overall.
So you’re saying popularity equates to quality? Because there’s nothing farther from the truth.
He got you
yeah, except Drag Me to Hell was a mega-mondo suck fest that should never have been created. Easily one of the worst movies, ever.
or it was sam raimi getting back to his comedy/horror roots and drag me to hell was actually a solid little film. it sounds like you just watch what the tv ads tell you so naturally you have no idea how artful the horror genre is.
that movie was anything but artful.
mostly it was suckful..
it was never scary. and i had pretty much had enough the 10th time something came out of her mouth. but then they started putting things in her mouth! omg so unexpected.
‘how artful the horror genre is’ LMAO
Dude, you just went all pretentious on a shitty campy horror flick – get a life.
Drag Me to Hell sucked. Glad you enjoyed it, but for most: it sucked.
do you know what else is artful? people smearing their own shit on the wall. which, essentially, is what that movie is.
2012 isn’t even on the list smart guy. And Drag Me To Hell was fantastic just to let you know.
I beg to differ,2012 is basically cgi effects reliant as drag me to hell also has cgi,but a spooky plot and slapstick humor that Raimi is a genius for.Not to mention that creepy gay crappy actor-who’s ,no wait Cuzack?the only thing cool about him is his sister Joan-she I’d bone-he-BLOWS,remember the godzilla movie ??? WOW did he screw up one of my fondest childhood heroes!think twice before picking on great movies!Never pick on Raimi-and especially Campbell-YA GOT THAT????!!!!!!!!!!
Um. Just a slight correction Matthew Broderick starred in the American Godzilla, not John Cusack
if you’re saying cgi isn’t a reason to like a movie might as well kick avatar off too. it’s exactly pocahontas and ferngully: the last forest. the idea isn’t original. the cgi is just outstanding.
drag me to hell was easily one of the best of the year but 2012 shouldnt be in this list neither should taken imo
Avatar was a pile of sith. the Visual effects were out of this world and were amazing, but the story was generic at best, and completely cliched and boring at worst, and the script was utterly terrible. The only reason I could sit through it was to take in the breathtaking visuals. Avatar does NOT deserve to be on this list.
You missed out on 2 other incredible movies, District 9 and Moon. District 9 was exhilarating, with an incredible cinematographic style and emotional characters, as well as an epic hardcore science fiction story. Moon was one of the best independent films of this year, with an equally gripping story and a stellar performance by Sam Rockwell. Any list without at least those 2 movies somewhere on there is a rubbish list.
District 9 was a terrible movie. No action, no good plot, nothing realistic to go by at all. Avatar at least had great effects and a good plot. I think that numbers will show you, Avatar was much better. Sure it wasn’t the best movie, and not cracked up to what it should have been, but it was still decent at worst. I have no respect for you as a person after your comment above, and I think most people would agree.
I would just like to know how a person’s opinion on a movie can make you lose respect for them as a person? I think you need to rethink what makes a person respectable.
…avatar had a generic plot. district 9 was original, and quite entertaining. I’m sorry it didn’t have enough explosions for you, but it was a damn fine piece of cinema.
I think you should give Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen a look-see. You seem like the type who would appreciate it.
Also, in case you missed it, that transformers comment was an insult.
I have to disagree with you, You must have been watching a different District 9 than the one I saw. And don’t forget, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, you really don’t need to be so rude. Isn’t there enough of that around?
I guess I just lost Justin’s respect. Read South Africa’s history and then watch District 9 again. Maybe it might not have had as much action as you were hoping, but I thought the plot was really moving and a very original way of portraying apartheid.
And to Alhambra above, I thought Moon was great too. It was not what I was expecting and clearly more focused on human nature and ethics than I would have thought after seeing the preview. I thought it was pretty predictable but still a great story. Also, every time I see a happy face, I call it Gerty.
district 9!!! how could you not post district 9!
district 9 was the shizznitttle!I wooda likt ta see that there too.
I Love You, Man should be nowhere near this list….I saw 9 of the movies on this list, I think Avatar should be higher.
Away We Go was also great
agreed. terrible movie
Are you kidding? I Love You, Man was hilarious. But then again it’s an opinion so I guess not everyone is going to like it. But I believe it should be on this list. I love that movie.
I like the way you provided synopses for all these movies so that we can get interested in them. Oh wait…
I REALLY think “Taken” shoulda gotten the #1 spot. It was SOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!
John Hillcoat directed The Road, not Penhall. And didn’t Taken come out in 2008? Also, the omission of District 9 is nothing short of blasphemy.
The Fourth Kind should be on this list. And as for Paranormal Activity, it sucked, very much. I agree with Taken, and Up, and The Hangover as well…I Love You Man, like Paranormal Activity shouldn’t be on this list…As for the others, haven’t had a chance to see them yet…
FYI – It’s Armando Ianucci, not Amanda. He’s a comedy legend in the UK.
Yay for inglorious basterds and Coraline. Two faves. Paranormal activity I could have slept through…..
Are there 2 Paranormal Activities ? because the one i saw was awful !!!
I don’t know what criteria you’re using here. If you’re going by box-office receipts, then Avatar should be #1. If you’re going by critical reception, then Hurt Locker should be higher and Inglourious Basterds shouldn’t be included. And I can’t imagine you’ve even seen the movies yourself, since your description of I Love You, Man is completely wrong.
Way to phone it in.
public enemies sucked
actually i wouldn’t say all of the movies are the best here. some of them actually are TOTAL JUNKS. so this list is extremely subjective.
also there are some amazing movies missing.
just so u know, nicholas cage hasn’t acted in a good movie for a long time, he is generally a big time failure actor. in my opinion of course.
It’s been said but I could not figure out how anyone could ever like I Love You Man.
Jason segal and paul rudd are always fabulous. You obviously have no taste?
Have you ever seen knocked up
or how i met your mother
freaks and geeks, COME ON??
i *ALWAYS* love paul rudd and jason segal.
I have seen most of them. Surprising that “Away we go” was in the top 30. It was a boring piece of crap with no cohesive story. Cringe comedy that wasn’t even funny.
Okay, well we need to keep in mind that all lists are subject to favoritism and subjectivity. Not even Peter Travers could make a completely objective list. If taken, public enemies, and coraline can make the list, then District 9 has to be on it. In a time when most movies are either adapted from novels or are ideas taken from other movies, District 9 which evolved from “alive in Joburg” was original, shocking, and a perfect mesh of sci-fi and social commentary. And although Avatar was not original in its story line, the emotion it created combined with the virtual dream-like cinematography was an experience that was like no other. For those reasons these 2 need to be in the top 10 at least, avatar in the top 2
Am I the only one here who thought drag me to hell was f***g terrible???
Not only were the effects BAD, but the storyline was meh. the movie just kept going and going,
and for christ sakes the girl sacrifices a kitten!
i thought drag me to hell was one of the worst movies of the year, which disappointed me because i thought the preview showed potential, but that’s what trailer editing is for i suppose.
p.s. i liked 2012 way more than drag me to hell.
however 2012 was still not one of my favorite movies.
yeah, so true, this movie sucked realy bad… i still wonder why i watched the whole movie.
but i havent seen much of those film, will def. check some out
Avatar was shit. All that it was was Pocahontas with aliens. It was visually fantastic, but acting and story wise, it was shit. And the absence of District 9 and Moon automatically makes this list moot.
Niggers.
Great commentary, asshat. Although I see how you came to that conclusion, you seem to have trouble supporting your theory. Add a little plot, or wait to post until you are older than 12.
Did they have to post Up at number 7? Now I’m thirsty dammit.
Would have placed both “The Road” and “In the Loop” WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY much higher… but only ‘cos I;m a European!
where is 500 days of summer? funny and touching one of the years best
because it was shittier than a shitty shit
500 days was actually one of the better ones, because it actually showed the reality of a freaking relationship, not the shit romantic comedies put forth. plus joseph gordon-levitt’s acting was phenomenal
District 9 was seriously one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. I laughed at how terrible it was throughout the entire thing, and still for some reason, remained watching it. I thank God I didn’t have to pay money to watch that snore fest.
Coraline, in my opinion, doesn’t deserve to be up here. I didn’t really see what all the hubbub was about, except that I got to watch it in some messed up version of 3-D. Up I agree with, and I have yet to see the others.
As for the people mad that this list is subjective, it’s a freakin’ blog. To each his own, people. I don’t like every movie that you like, and vice versa. This is their own article, and they have the right to post whatever they want. So live with it. If it bothers you that much, make your own!
Well, it definitely is a list of movies that came out last year. Good job. As to the order, it appeared you basically looked at a lot of movies – then posted the boring or artsy or indie ones closer to the top to pretend you have more culture than you actually do. Hurt Locker at number 3? Interesting, sure. Accurately portrayed? Seems to be. Believable acting? Yes. Pointless story? Absolutely! (I don’t know how to have relationships with people, so I will act like an asshole for a couple hours in tense situations…) Up was far better overall in terms of a quality movie; (great story, good voice talent, brilliant visuals, even a moral or two that wasn’t forced down your throat) but you can’t put a Disney Corporate Juggernaut creation at the top of a list of movies or people won’t take you seriously. Paranormal Activity was actually one of the most realistic and well made horror movies I have ever seen (having actually met people that have had similar problems, it comes across doubly creepy and accurate), but of course that doesn’t count when you might have the Cannes or Sundance crew choking on their Gauloises and spilling Triple Decaf Non-fat lattes on their Cashmere sweater-vests. Way to pander to the trendies.
This list is SUCH a fail. And the fact that a bunch of people are taking it seriously is fucking hilarrrrrrious. xD Seriously? The hurt locker? Coraline? The hangover? Some good movies, but seriously, FAIL.