15 years on, 2009 looks to be one of the best years for cinema in the 21st century. Several iconic directors produced some of their best work in 2009, including Kathryn Bigelow, Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. The year also delivered some surprise hits, like Neil Blomkamp’s District 9, which came out of nowhere to shake up the sci-fi genre and establish the director as a name worth keeping an eye on.
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At the box office, the big story of 2009 was the record-breaking success of Avatar, which is something that continues to shape the movie industry. Other big financial winners were Pixar’s Up, which is yet another animated classic from the studio, and The Hangover, which is the kind of comedy that probably wouldn’t be as successful in today’s industry. 2009’s best movies encompass dramas, sci-fi, horror and more.
10 The Hurt Locker
The Oscar-Winner Still Holds Up
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9/10 The Hurt Locker
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*Availability in US Director Kathryn Bigelow Release Date July 31, 2009 Cast Jeremy Renner , David Morse , Guy Pearce , Anthony Mackie , Ralph Fiennes , Christian Camargo , Evangeline Lilly , Brian Geraghty
Not all Best Picture winners have aged well, especially not those which seem to be propelled to their victory based on how they capture a specific moment in time. The Hurt Locker is not one of these movies, and it remains every bit as exciting 15 years later. Kathryn Bigelow’s mastery of tension and frantic release makes The Hurt Locker a worthy title to hold the distinction of being the first Best Picture winner directed by a woman.
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Kathryn Bigelow’s mastery of tension and frantic release makes
The Hurt Locker
a worthy title to hold the distinction of being the first Best Picture winner directed by a woman.
The Hurt Locker takes inspiration from screenwriter Mark Boal’s experiences as an embedded journalist during the Iraq War, and this gives the movie an immersive and believable atmosphere. Watching The Hurt Locker can be a draining experience, but this is the point. It wouldn’t work without Bigelow’s clear and precise direction, and a career-best performance from Jeremy Renner as a relatable character with an extraordinary aptitude for what he does.
9 Up
Pixar’s Soaring Adventure Is Anchored By An Emotional Story
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10/10 8.7/10 Up
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*Availability in US Director Pete Docter Release Date June 11, 2009 Cast Ed Asner , Bob Peterson
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Up came out in the middle of a hot streak for Pixar which also saw the release of Ratatouille, WALL-E and Toy Story 3 in consecutive years. Each of these classics now rank among Pixar’s best movies for various reasons. Up stands out for the simple fact that the main characters are all humans living in a world not too dissimilar to our own, which is a rarity for Pixar. Historically, the studio has been more focused on toys, fish, cars, monsters or anything else.
Up
stands out for the simple fact that the main characters are all humans living in a world not too dissimilar to our own, which is a rarity for Pixar.
Up sets out its intentions with its incredible opening montage, designed to make audiences laugh and cry within just a few minutes. The story of Carl and Ellie’s life gives Up meaningful emotional stakes even when Carl finds himself lugging his entire house over a remote plateau in South America. This blend of the deeply personal and the highly absurd makes Up such an endearing and rewatchable addition to the Pixar canon.
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8 The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Wes Anderson’s First Animation Was An Instant Success
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7/10 9/10 The Fantastic Mr. Fox
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*Availability in US Director Wes Anderson Release Date November 13, 2009 Cast George Clooney , Meryl Streep , Jason Schwartzman , Bill Murray , Willem Dafoe , Owen Wilson
Wes Anderson had experimented a little with stop-motion animation before The Fantastic Mr. Fox, notably with the quirky creatures in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. The Fantastic Mr. Fox represented a huge leap forward, however, and Anderson took to the medium like a natural. He has always been a director who likes to exert total control over everything in frame, and stop-motion animation allows him to comb every hair of his charismatic critters to his liking.
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The Fantastic Mr. Fox remains one of Wes Anderson’s best movies, alongside the likes of The Grand Budapest Hotel and Rushmore. It’s no surprise that Anderson recently returned to the works of Roald Dahl for inspiration with his series of shorts on Netflix. Dahl’s children’s stories are often categorized by their frightening moments. The Fantastic Mr. Fox embellishes the story with abandon, but Anderson adopts Dahl’s technique of never talking down to a young audience. 15 years later, many critics are still undecided if The Fantastic Mr. Fox should even be seen as a children’s movie.
7 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Swedish Thriller Has Found An International Audience
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Director Niels Arden Oplev Release Date February 27, 2009 Cast Michael Nyqvist , Noomi Rapace , Lena Endre , Sven-Bertil Taube , Peter Haber , Peter Andersson , Marika Lagercrantz , Ingvar Hirdwall
David Fincher’s 2011 English-language version may be more famous, but there’s a lot to admire about Niels Arden Oplev’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. There has been an ongoing debate over which adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling crime novel is superior. Both have their own positives and slightly different focuses, and both are worth watching for fans of the novel or fans of gritty crime thrillers in general.
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A
TV adaptation of
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
is currently in development for Amazon.
Although the cast of 2009’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will be largely unknown to audiences outside of Sweden, the two stars have gone on to find mainstream success in Hollywood. Michael Nyqvist plays the villains in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and John Wick, while Noomi Rapace will be familiar to fans of the Alien franchise. They both deliver compelling performances in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo that help to create an intense, heart-pounding atmosphere.
6 Avatar
James Cameron’s Mega-Hit Kick-Started A Blockbuster Franchise
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7/10 3/10 Avatar
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*Availability in US Director James Cameron Release Date December 18, 2009 Cast Sam Worthington , Zoe Saldana , Sigourney Weaver , Stephen Lang , Joel David Moore , Giovanni Ribisi
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Avatar was the biggest movie of 2009, and it remains the highest-grossing movie of all time with a global box office gross just shy of $3 billion. Even by James Cameron’s absurdly high money-making standards, this represented a seismic hit, especially considering Avatar is an original concept that doesn’t rely on pre-existing IP. After over a decade of dormancy, the franchise has come roaring back. Avatar: Fire and Ash is set for a December 2025 release, and there will be at least two further sequels.
Avatar
delivers the kind of hair-raising cinematic spectacle that audiences have come to expect from James Cameron.
Avatar delivers the kind of hair-raising cinematic spectacle that audiences have come to expect from James Cameron. It’s a movie that definitely works best on the biggest screens available, and it represents the peak of the 3-D screening fad of the 2000s and early 2010s. Avatar was more than just another movie in 2009. It was sold as a full-body immersive experience to transport audiences to a new world, and it delivered.
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5 District 9
Neil Blomkamp’s Incisive Sci-Fi Allegory Still Looks Great
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9/10 10/10 District 9
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*Availability in US Director Neill Blomkamp Release Date August 5, 2009 Cast Sharlto Copley , Jason Cope , Nathalie Boltt , Sylvaine Strike , Elizabeth Mkandawie , John Sumner
The unorthodox alien invasion story District 9 is inspired in part by director Neil Blomkamp’s vision of South African apartheid. More specifically, the movie refers to “District Six,” an area of Cape Town that was turned into a whites-only neighborhood during the peak of South Africa’s segregation era. While District 9 produces an intelligent allegory about apartheid, the broad strokes of the story also apply to other forms of racism, xenophobia and marginalization.
While
District 9
produces an intelligent allegory about apartheid, the broad strokes of the story also apply to other forms of racism, xenophobia and marginalization.
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District 9 makes its high-concept sci-fi story feel grounded and real with some documentary-style sequences, news reports and interviews. These all grant the world of District 9 with a realistic complexity and nuance, but what’s more important is that the kinds of things people say about the strange insectoid aliens aren’t too far removed from 21st century political discourse. Beyond its social commentary, District 9 also delivers a finely-tuned personal story. Fans have been calling for a sequel ever since 2009, but concrete news has been scarce.
4 Moon
Moon Deserves More Love
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8/10 Moon
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*Availability in US Director Duncan Jones Release Date July 10, 2009 Cast Sam Rockwell , Kevin Spacey , Kaya Scodelario , Benedict Wong , Dominique McElligott
Moon stars Sam Rockwell as a lone astronaut at an automated mining station on the far side of the moon nearing the end of his three-year contract. Despite its relatively small budget of just $5 million, Moon creates an absorbing portrait of a strange near-future. It uses its budget wisely, and eschews splashy sci-fi spectacle in favor of an emotionally-driven human story that ultimately leaves a greater impression.
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Moon still doesn’t get the kind of recognition that it deserves. It’s a relatively low-key sci-fi movie, far from the likes of Avatar, which summed up the era. However, Moon has gathered many fans who can appreciate it for what it is. Its appeal is built around a great double-performance from Sam Rockwell, who manages to be compelling even when he’s on screen alone for long stretches.
3 The Hangover
The Hangover Is One Of The Funniest Comedies Of Its Kind
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8/10 7/10 The Hangover
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*Availability in US Director Todd Phillips Release Date June 5, 2009 Cast Ed Helms , Heather Graham , Justin Bartha , Zach Galifianakis , Bradley Cooper , Jeffrey Tambor
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The legacy of The Hangover has been tarnished somewhat by its two sub-par sequels, but it’s worth remembering how the classic comedy earned its status. The Hangover revels in bad-taste, brash humor that gets the most out of its three main stars. With a madcap misadventure involving a missing person, a mysterious baby and Mike Tyson, it hits the heights of chaotic comedy, even if some may find its loud humor a turn-off.
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The Hangover is filled with great quotes to go with its confident physical humor. The Hangover‘s varied approach to comedy is also reflected in the talents of its cast, with Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis all bringing something different to the dynamic. With a hilarious turn from Ken Jeong, The Hangover cements its place as a comedy classic that’s full of surprises. The movie’s quality and popularity are best reflected in the simple fact that the premise doesn’t warrant any sequels, but The Hangover has two.
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2 Jennifer’s Body
Jennifer’s Body Is A Quintessential Cult Classic
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3/10 6.4/10 Jennifer’s Body
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*Availability in US Director Karyn Kusama Release Date September 18, 2009 Cast Megan Fox , Adam Brody , J. K. Simmons , Johnny Simmons , Amanda Seyfried
Not everybody loves Jennifer’s Body, with some critics dismissing it as another comedy horror that trades in shock and sexuality. However, Jennifer’s Body has grown a firm fan base as a cult classic, especially within queer circles. The story about a woman who sustains herself by killing and devouring men is seen in some quarters as a sapphic satire and a feminist fantasy.
Jennifer’s Body
has grown a firm fan base as a cult classic, especially within queer circles.
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Jennifer’s Body has a woeful Rotten Tomatoes score of just 46%, and audiences rated it at an even worse 35%. It’s certainly not what many people would picture when discussing the classics, but it’s a surprisingly clever teen comedy that may go over some people’s heads due to its gore and heavy focus on Megan Fox’s appearance. Jennifer’s Body still doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.
1 Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino’s War Movie Could Be His Best Work
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8/10 9/10 Inglourious Basterds
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*Availability in US Director Quentin Tarantino Release Date August 21, 2009 Cast Brad Pitt , Diane Kruger , Mélanie Laurent , Christoph Waltz , Eli Roth , Michael Fassbender , Daniel Brühl , Til Schweiger
Quentin Tarantino seems set on the idea of retiring after directing his tenth movie, leaving a record with all hits and no misses. Once the dust has settled and critics present their rankings of his filmography as a whole, expect Inglourious Basterds to wind up near the number one spot. 15 years after the groundbreaking success of Pulp Fiction, Tarantino proved he was just as inventive and unique as ever with a war movie that rips up the history books.
Inglourious Basterds
does for the war genre what
Kill Bill
and
Django Unchained
do for martial arts movies and westerns.
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Inglourious Basterds does for the war genre what Kill Bill and Django Unchained do for martial arts movies and westerns. It’s a love letter to the classics that came before it, but it also feels completely original and revolutionary in its own way. It helps that Inglourious Basterds has an outstanding cast. The range of talent allows Tarantino to dip in and out of several loosely connected plot threads which all come together in one magnificent crescendo.