The Best Movies of 2009

The process of making a movie may be long and arduous, but when those months of hard work and millions of dollars spent on that film make it to the big screen, the entire ordeal is worth it.

In the article that follows, a personal list of the top ten movies released in 2009 is documented. This list does not take into account any sort of box office sales or critic ratings; it is simply to enlighten readers on the best movies of the past year.

The tenth best movie to come out of 2009 is Drag Me to Hell. Drag Me to Hell is a horror flick from the director of the Spider-Man and Evil Dead series, Sam Raimi. It stars the always lovely Alison Lohman (Flicka) as a loan officer who is cursed by an old woman she evicts, who must then find a way to lift the curse in three days. Drag Me to Hell may be a horror movie, but it is pleasantly tame; at points, it is actually meant to be slightly comedic. There are no unnecessarily graphic mutilations or heart-stopping thrills that one might expect from a horror movie, due mainly to its PG-13 rating. That being said, the movie is still very much a horror movie, boasting plenty of gross-out scenes that will please any horror fan. Combine this with an excellent cast and a very enjoyable style of direction, Drag Me to Hell is a horror movie that will not soon be forgotten.

Number nine on the list goes to the drama Brothers. Boasting a cast that most current day directors dream of having, Brothers is about a man who is taken prisoner in Afghanistan (played unbelievably convincingly by Tobey Maguire) and the drama that ensues while his family copes with his absence. This movie’s excellence is found not in its story, but its cast. The leading man is Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man), giving arguably his best performance to date, with Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) complimenting him with similarly outstanding performances.

Coming in at number eight is the horror comedy Zombieland. Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland) stars as a weak college student who survives the zombie apocalypse due to a very strict set of rules. He teams up with Woody Harrelson (The Messenger) in an attempt to find a safe haven from the horde of undead, which they believe to be across the country in California. While a comedy about zombies seems like an odd premise, this very original “zom-com” simply works in more ways than one. The banter between the talents on-screen is nothing short of hilarious, and the excitement from the numerous zombie killings makes Zombieland a very entertaining (if not over-the-top) trip to the movies.

The number seven spot is given to the highly controversial adaptation of a 1980s graphic novel, Watchmen. In an alternate version of 1985, several superheroes have retired from their duties, only to be brought back into their work due to worldwide political turmoil. Since the original graphic novel was released, many have tried to make it into a movie, but the content was so controversial that it never made it to the silver screen. Finally making its big screen debut, director Zak Snyder has achieved the impossible. Watchmen easily earns its R rating, coming as close to an NC-17 rating as could still be called R, but this does not mean it is crude or unnecessarily graphic. It is directed incredibly, the cast goes beyond getting into character and almost becomes the character, and the story is amazingly intriguing for a superhero movie.

Just missing the top five with spot number six is the surprise blockbuster comedy, The Hangover. After a bachelor party gone wrong and no memory of the previous night, three friends must search the city of Las Vegas to find the missing groom-to-be and return him to Los Angeles in time for his wedding. The only word that can accurately describe the events that transpire in The Hangover is “outrageous.” Babies, tigers, naked Asian men, oh my! The Hangover has it all. The three lead actors, Bradley Cooper (He’s Just Not That Into You), Ed Helms (TV’s The Office), and Zach Galifianikis (G-Force) have an unbelievably strong on-screen chemistry that compliments an already strong script, making The Hangover a must-see for anyone mature enough to handle its sense of humor.

Entering the top five, the number five best movie of 2009 is the current record –holder for highest grossing movie of all time, Avatar. Hundreds of years in the future, humans have discovered another planet called Pandora, where they try to drive out the native alien race in an attempt to reach the mineral deposit the planet contains. As if the multi-billion dollar movie has not been praised enough already, there is not much to say about it that has not been said already. Avatar is the visual equivalent to winning the lottery, especially in the infamous 3D, as the scenery of the movie is beyond stunning. The acting, the style of direction, the writing… Everything about the movie is revolutionary, and not experiencing it should be considered a crime.

While the concept of any movie beating Avatar may seem blasphemous to some readers, the remainder of the list is the opinion of the writer, and nothing more. Moving on to number four, the spot is awarded to this list’s only indie movie, Away We Go. A comedy about two expectant parents, Away We Go centers on an unmarried couple, played by John Krasinski (TV’s The Office) and Maya Rudolph (TV’s Saturday Night Live) who travel across the country to find the “perfect home” to start their new family. As a quick disclaimer, this movie is not for everyone. The movie may be seen as boring to certain viewers, but to those who can enjoy a laid back movie, Away We Go is gold. While Maya Rudolph acts her part very well and is thoroughly enjoyable to watch, the credit for the movie’s brilliance goes to John Krasinski and his razor-sharp wit. He can seamlessly transition from sarcastic to ridiculous to serious, and taking into consideration Away We Go’s style of direction, this is a skill that makes the movie both incredibly real and hilarious.

The third best movie of 2009 is the romantic comedy The Proposal. After an uptight boss’s work visa expires, she forces her young assistant to marry her so as to avoid being deported back to Canada. The Proposal boasts the best inter-cast chemistry of any movie of the year, with lead actors Ryan Reynolds (Just Friends) and Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) effortlessly playing off of each other. Ryan Reynolds is cast perfectly for this role, with his absolutely hilarious sarcasm allowed to shine throughout the movie’s entirety. While a typical rom-com in every sense of the phrase, The Proposal breaks the mold of monotony that people have come to expect from the genre, staying fresh and entertaining.

Just barely missing the top spot is Orphan, coming in at number two. After a tragic miscarriage, a married couple decides to adopt a Russian orphan. Upon bringing her home, trouble starts to brew, as mysterious events begin to unfold. Horror, thriller, whatever genre this movie is branded with, it does it well. The almost palpable tension felt throughout the movie makes Orphan stressful in the most enjoyable possible way. An interesting tactic employed by the director is to delay the scares from when the audience thinks they will come, keeping the pacing and atmosphere engrossing. Orphan can easily be enjoyed by viewers who don’t typically watch horror movies, due to the lack of anything terrifying or overly grotesque, but will absolutely deliver even to the most hardcore horror fans.

Finally, the number one best movie of 2009 is the bro-mantic comedy, I Love You, Man. After getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, Peter realizes that he has no male friends, and must find a best friend to be his Best Man. The epitome of a smart comedy, I Love You, Man is a hilariously heart-warming movie that takes the concept of a “bromance” to new levels. Paul Rudd (Role Models) and Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) lead an all-star cast to the spot of the most enjoyable movie of the year, with hilarious and unforgettable scenes including garage bands, Rush concerts, and games of golf. I Love You, Man revolutionizes the smart comedy genre, hopefully paving the way for more movies like it in the future.

2009 is credited with giving us a slew of unforgettable movies. One can only hope what 2010 will follow with.