If you think time’s flying fast, you’re not wrong. Can you believe 2004 was two decades ago? Assuming you were already alive and kicking back then, buckle up for a nostalgic journey because this list is going to kick you right in the feels. Let’s revisit some of the most iconic movies turning 20 this year. Prepare to shed some tears for the good ‘ol days!

Howl’s Moving Castle

Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 Studio Ghibli movie is arguably one of the most beloved romances ever. The whimsical film follows Sophie, a young seamstress who gets cursed with an old woman’s body. She seeks shelter in the young wizard Howl’s magic walking castle where she befriends an enigmatic ensemble including Calcifer the Fire Demon. As war looms and secrets unravel, Sophie picks up a few life lessons: Beauty is more than skin deep, and unconditional love can be powerful enough to break the most powerful curses.

The Notebook

For a long time, The Notebook was the pinnacle of kilig for young adults everywhere. Ryan Gosling falling head-over-heels in love with a girl, kissing her in the pouring rain, and building her dream house? Standards were raised left and right. The movie, based on Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel stars Gosling alongside Rachel McAdams as a young couple in the 1940s madly in love with each other. In present day, an elderly man at a nursing home reads their story to a fellow female patient.

Mean Girls

You’d never guess the OG Mean Girls is turning 20 this year because it’s still culturally relevant today. Such is the power of the Regina George (Rachel McAdams). In 2004, we were introduced to Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), a homeschooled newbie thrust into the maws of the rabid cliques in North Shore High. She meets the Plastics, led by Regina, and decides to infiltrate their ranks. But the opposite happens — Cady begins to lose sight of herself and starts hurting the people who sincerely care for her. Mean Girls is full of teenage angst, quippy one-liners, and hot boys all rolled into one hilarious film that transcends generations. In 2011, it had a sequel TV series, and in 2018, it was adapted into a stage musical, which will then have its movie adaptation this January 2024. 

Saw

Twenty years ago, the world was introduced to the Jigsaw, a sadistic serial killer obsessed with putting his victims through deadly “games” they must survive. Saw (2004) is the first installment of the film series and focuses on two strangers forced to perform gruesome tasks to save themselves and their families. It was the source of nightmares for folks who unwittingly ended up watching it on the big screen, but the Saw franchise has been largely successful, even releasing Saw X in 2023.

50 First Dates

When Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore discovered they made quite an on-screen pair after their 1998 romcom The Wedding Singer, reuniting in 50 First Dates as a vet who falls in love with a woman with daily memory loss was a no-brainer. For Lucy (Barrymore), everything resets when she goes to sleep, and Henry (Sandler), the man who was once afraid of commitment, must make her fall in love with him every day. It’s a classic feel-good movie that will take you back to the early 00s.

The Grudge

It was an Asian kid’s rite of passage to be traumatized by The Grudge. And now our trauma is turning 20 (22, if you’re going by the original Japanese film). In case you’ve stuffed this movie in the recesses of your mind and forgotten what it’s about, it centers on a horrifying curse haunting a simple house in Tokyo. The curse was born out of a violent event years prior — a husband murders his wife and child in a fit of jealousy. At present, those who encounter the curse become haunted by vengeful spirits. Enter an American family who unknowingly occupies the house and inherits all the horrors that lie within. We don’t know if you’d want to rewatch this one, but it’s nostalgic for sure.

The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera is an adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 musical of the same name. Set in the 19th century, the story follows a mysterious musical genius, the Phantom (Gerard Butler), who resides under the Paris Opera House. He becomes obsessed with Christine Daaé (Emmy Rossum), a young and talented singer whom he tutors secretly. When Christine realizes her affection for her childhood sweetheart Raoul (Patrick Wilson), the Phantom’s love for her takes a dark turn, and a dramatic love triangle unfolds. The Phantom of the Opera is a timeless classic.

White Chicks

“Yo mama” jokes, renditions of Vanessa Carlton’s A Thousand Miles, and a cautionary tale on the effects of cheese on the lactose-intolerant — these are just some of the gems White Chicks has left us with. The loud, energetic, and hilarious 2oo4 film co-written and starred by the Wayans brothers has earned its spot in the pop culture hall of fame. Kevin (Shawn Wayans) and Marcus (Marlon Wayans) are undercover cops who must dress up as Caucasian socialite twin sisters to solve a kidnapping. The result? Gags for days on end and quotes that, frankly, no movie can ever top (“Your mother is so old that her breastmilk is powder”).

Which other movies are turning 20 this year? Share them with us in the comments!

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