2009 is a bit of an odd year for me, largely because of which films ended up ranking among my favorites. Three movies stood head and shoulders above the rest, and interestingly enough, two of them are stop-motion animated. What are the odds? Maybe it’s just a coincidence, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was nine years old at the time—because looking back, my list skews toward animated films more than in most other years. In fact, a third animated movie even made my top five, further reinforcing that possible bias.
Of course, my taste has evolved over time, and many of the more adult-oriented films from 2009 are ones I’ve only discovered after the fact. As I continue to find and appreciate new films from the year, I could see myself revisiting this list to update the rankings. But for now, these are my picks for the ten best movies of 2009.
10. The House of the Devil
9. Thirst
8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
7. In the Loop
6. A Serious Man
5. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
4. Daddy Longlegs
3. Coraline
To this day, I still think Coraline is nearly a perfect movie by Henry Selick. It’s ghoulish and daring, while also feeling monumental as an achievement in craft. Movies like this feel unique because they reach an intended audience that just maybe shouldn’t be seeing them yet. There’s an edge to Coraline, one that doesn’t wear off well over a decade later.
Read our review of Coraline.
2. Inglourious Basterds
1. Fantastic Mr. Fox
