2004 was a special year for movies—audiences were spoiled with so many critically-acclaimed and commercially-successful films. This was before streaming services took over, and people were still going out to see movies. 1,494,543,744 theater tickets were sold in 2004—compare that to 830,546,827 in 2023. From romantic comedies to action stalwarts, here are 11 classic movies you can’t believe are 20 years old this year.
RELATED: 25 Classic Movies Every Film Fan Should See.
1. The Incredibles
Walt Disney Studios Motion PicturesCraig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter are wonderful as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl in this superhero family flick. One of the most deservedly-lauded Pixar movies, with a 97% score from Rotten Tomatoes.
2. Mean Girls
Paramount PicturesMean Girls is somehow even more funny and relevant now than it was 20 years ago. Endlessly quotable, and starring Lindsay Lohan at her best. “In a wasteland of dumb movies about teenagers, ‘Mean Girls’ is a smart and funny one,” Roger Ebert said.
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Focus FeaturesThis sci-fi romantic comedy starring Jim Carrey and Drew Barrymore was a big hit then and still stands up now. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind goes by like a fevered dream of love, but one you remember vividly, with profound pleasure,” says Joe Morgenstern for the Wall Street Journal.
4. Spider-Man 2
Sony Pictures ReleasingTobey Maguire returns as the titular hero in this second installment of the hit franchise. Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco, Rosemary Harris, and J.K. Simmons round out an impressive cast.
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5. The Notebook
New Line CinemaWhat is there left to say about this movie that hasn’t already been said by millions of starstruck Ryan Gosling fans? If you don’t like the film, too bad, because like death and taxes it will NEVER go away. “[Director Nick Cassavetes] straight up told me: ‘The fact that you have no natural leading man qualities is why I want you to be my leading man,' " Gosling told GQ.
6. Shaun of the Dead
Focus FeaturesStill the funniest zombie movie ever (sorry, Zombieland!). “Shaun of the Dead is a cute, successful zombie spoof built on a central joke: if the undead actually came to London, supposedly turned-on town of nattering youth, no one would really notice,” says Antonia Quirke for the London Evening Standar
7. The Aviator
Miramax Films
Martin Scorsese’s Howard Hughes biopic with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Hughes still feels fresh and worth watching. Another cast that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood.
8. Troy
Warner Bros. Pictures
What a cast this movie has—it’s still impressive 20 years later. Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Diane Kruger, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Rose Byrne, Brian Cox, Brendan Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund, Julie Christie, Peter O'Toole, Tyler Mane and others bring Homer’s epic to life.
9. The Bourne Supremacy
Universal Pictures
The second Bourne movie was a hit with audiences and critics alike. “Thrillers don’t exist in a plausible universe,” said Roger Ebert. “They consist of preposterous situations survived by skill, courage, craft and luck. That Matt Damon is able to bring some poignancy to Jason Bourne makes the process more interesting, because we care more about the character.”
10. Napoleon Dynamite
Fox Searchlight PicturesCult classic Napoleon Dynamite is almost old enough to legally drink. “Funny enough that I'll refrain from describing the gags that made me laugh, lest I spoil them for you,” says Glenn Kenny of Premiere Magazine.
11. Shrek 2
DreamWorks
Shrek 2 was the number 1 movie in 2004. “Can an ogre live happily ever after? Can fairy tale characters be content with their fairy tale lives? Can an Oscar-winning animated success generate a successful sequel? To all these questions, Shrek 2 is happy to answer yes, yes and yes,” wrote Kenneth Turan for the Los Angeles Times.
