These Are the 55 Best Movies Ever Made

Set in the 1950s, “L.A. Confidential” follows three detectives — each with his own investigative methods and motives — who try to solve a murder case. The movie won two of its nine Oscar nominations, including for best writing and supporting actress (Kim Bassinger). The film still has an almost perfect Tomatometer score, at 99%.

Backstage Hollywood venom tinged with biting wit infuses this much-acclaimed Bette Davis black comedy about an aspiring actress who cold-bloodedly manipulates her way toward stardom. Witney Seibold of Nerdist called it “a rich,impeccably written, gunshot sharp black comedy.”

“Toy Story” launched one of the most successful animated franchises of all time and was a groundbreaking achievement as the first fully realized CGI animated feature. After the filmmakers reworked the script to make Tom Hanks’ Woody character more likable, the film became a box office smash, grossing more than $363 million — it was the top film for five weekends. The film holds a 100% Freshness rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 92% audience score.

Steven Spielberg’s World War II film — most notably its famous D-Day scene — brought an unprecedented realism to Hollywood war movies. In 2001, TV Guide chose the scene as the greatest moment in motion picture history. The film won five of its 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Cinematography. An exceptional 95% of Rotten Tomatoes users who reviewed the film liked it, with nearly 1 million ratings submitted.

Confusingly, this is the movie originally released simply as “Star Wars” (it was retitled following the release of “The Empire Strikes Back”). Today a cultural icon, the film has been praised as “pure unadulterated entertainment” by critic Vern Perry of Orange County Register, and lauded by critic Joseph Gelmis of Newday for its “technical wizardry, high-velocity storytelling and spirited good humor.”

“Good Will Hunting” rocketed the film’s writers and lead actors, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, to Hollywood superstardom. The movie follows Will Hunting, an underachieving genius played by Damon, as he navigates life and love with the help of a psychologist (Robin Williams). The movie’s emotional climax, during which Hunting’s therapist helps him with an emotional breakthrough, rarely leaves a dry eye in the house.

Vittorio De Sica directed this neo-realistic classic about the struggles of everyday Italians in the aftermath of WWII. The film was considered so culturally significant that it was awarded a special Academy Award as most outstanding foreign film seven years before the category was created. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave “Bicycle Thieves” a 98% Freshness rating, and the film holds a 94% audience approval score.

The gritty Brazilian film “City of God” tells the true story of two children who grow up in Rio de Janieiro’s favelas during the 1970s. One becomes an accomplished photographer, the other a powerful drug lord. The movie has near universal audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes, with 91% of critics and 97% of fans giving the film a positive review.

“Come and See” is centered on a young boy who joins the Soviet resistance during World War II. His struggles to survive continue even after he returns home. The war drama has a 97% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 95% among fans.

Billy Wilder’s film noir is about an insurance man (Fred MacMurray) who is lured into a plot to murder a client by the client’s scheming wife (Barbara Stanwyck) to collect the insurance money. “Double Indemnity” was written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler and adapted from a novel by James M. Cain. The movie has a 97% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 95% audience score.

The animated movie follows an aspiring musician, Miguel, whose family does not allow music in the household. Miguel enters the Land of the Dead and in order to find his great-great-grandfather, who happened to be a legendary singer. The movie won two Oscars — for best original song and best animated feature.

The first entry to Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings franchise — based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic books — was a massive critical and financial success. The movie grossed more than $315 million at the domestic box office and currently has a 91% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were even more enamored, with 95% liking it.

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” is Steven Spielberg’s homage to action/adventure movies from Hollywood’s golden age. Harrison Ford plays the swashbuckling archeologist Indiana Jones, who has to prevent Nazis from finding the Ark of the Covenant whose powers could make them invincible. The prototypical summer movie, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” has a 95% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 96% audience score.

“High and Low,” which is based on the detective novel “King’s Ransom” by Ed McBain, is a Japanese thriller that tells the story of a wealthy family who becomes a target after the son of the family’s driver is kidnapped. The film noir has a 95% rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Michael J. Fox stars as Marty McFly, a time-traveling high school student, in this 1980s comedy classic from director Robert Zemeckis. Both critics and audiences love the movie for its humor, science fiction-based inventiveness, and irresistible energy.

“La Haine,” which means “the hatred” in French, follows three young men from the Paris suburbs for after a riot erupts following the arrest and brutal beating of an Arab man at the hands of the police. The movie was nominated for the prestigious Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995.

One of the most compelling prison movies of all time features an Oscar-winning performance by George Kennedy. The film also has one of cinema’s great lines, delivered by the sadistic warden played by Strother Martin: “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.” “Cool Hand Luke” has a 100% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 95% audience score.

“Sanjuro” is an “action-packed samurai adventure featuring outstanding cinematography and a charismatic performance from Toshiro Mifune,” according to the Rotten Tomatoes Critics Consensus. Mifune plays a samurai who helps a young man save his uncle from a corrupted police superintendent. The Japanese movie has a perfect Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“The Wages of Fear” is a thriller that follows four people — two sets of drivers — who transport urgently needed nitroglycerine to a South American remote oil field in the jungle. As Robert Martin of Starburst put it, “This is filmmaking at its very best and rarely does a film grip with such intensity.”

“Once Upon a Time in the West” stars Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson as dueling gunslingers who briefly team up to help a woman in distress. The film is considered by many to be the greatest Western of all time and has been cited by directors, including George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino, as an influence.

Frank Capra’s 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of the most beloved holiday season movies. The American Film Institute ranked the heart-warming story of George Bailey — played by James Stewart — as the most inspiring film of all time.

“North by Northwest” contains some of the most memorable scenes in cinema — a biplane chasing Cary Grant through a cornfield and the climactic scene on Mount Rushmore when mysterious agents working against the United States are thwarted. “North by Northwest” never loses its grip on the audience, 94% of whom liked the Hitchcock classic on Rotten Tomatoes.

The sprawling, visionary Vietnam War drama, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on Joseph Conrad’s book “Heart of Darkness,” shows how men descend into madness as the result of war. Though not fully embraced by audiences and critics when it was released in 1979, “Apocalypse Now” has gained more recognition, as critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 98% Freshness rating and 94% of audiences liked it.

A dark, satirical comedy about how a nuclear war could be triggered, this Stanley Kubrick classic features Peter Sellers playing three roles, including that of the sinister Strangelove. The shot of actor Slim Pickens riding an H-bomb as it falls is one of the most memorable cinematic images of the era.

“In space, no one can hear you scream,” the tagline for sci-fi horror film “Alien” foreshadows. Plenty of people could be heard screaming in theaters when the movie was released in 1979. Movie watchers continue to enjoy the tense creeper, with 94% of users giving it a positive score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Your name.” is an animate feature film that tells the story of two teenagers who meet after they magically swap bodies. The Japanese romantic film has a score of 98% from critics who reviewed it on Rotten Tomatoes and a 94% audience score.

In “Rear Window,” James Stewart plays a photojournalist who is homebound because of an injury. He passes the time observing his neighbors, creating stories about them. One story is that a neighbor killed his wife, but then he comes to realize he might be right. This Hitchcock gem that also stars the luminous Grace Kelly has a 97% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 95% audience score.

The shower murder scene in “Psycho” is among the most famous in movie history and almost instantly became a cultural landmark. In addition to the memorable performances by Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh, the movie’s score by Bernard Herrmann is one of the most recognizable, adding considerably to the tension of this taut thriller. “Psycho” is Hitchcock at his suspenseful best. The motion picture has a 96% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 95% of audience score.

Based on the life of Polish-Jewish pianist and Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman, this saga follows the Szpilman’s experiences during the Nazi occupation. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Adrien Brody and Best Director for Roman Polanski, himself a Holocaust survivor. Polanski did not attend the ceremony as he fled the U.S. in 1978 after pleading guilty to statutory rape.

“Das Boot” — which translates to “The Boat” — is often considered the best submarine movie of all time. The German film is based on a novel written by Lothar-Günther Buchheim. The novel, and film, tell the author’s experiences aboard a German submarine called U-96 during WWII.

“3 Idiots” is an Indian comedy that follows two friends as they are trying to find their college friend. The comedy is about how valuable friendships can be when friends help each other reach their highest potential. The movie has a perfect rating among critics and a 93% rating among audiences.

Jonathan Demme’s psychological thriller “The Silence of the Lambs” made a huge cultural impact upon its release in 1991, thanks in large part to its lead actors Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. The two won Academy Awards for their work on the film, which also won best picture.

With a 100% Freshness rating and a 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, this “clever, incisive, and funny” movie, as the site’s Critics Consensus calls it, “is a masterpiece of the classical Hollywood musical.” It has been called the best movie musical of all time.

The original headline, “M – Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder,” translates to “a city is looking for a murderer.” That is exactly what happens. When the police can’t catch a serial child murderer, criminals join the pursuit. Critics gave the German thriller a 100% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and 95% of audiences liked the film.

Charlie Chaplin acted, directed, and wrote “The Kid,” his first full length feature film. A century after its making, the movie is still considered a silent masterpiece. A Tramp (Chaplin) finds an abandoned newborn and takes care of the orphan for five years until the kid’s mother reclaims him.

Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” is the second film in the hugely successful Lord of the Rings franchise based on the fantasy book trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. The Academy Award-winning movie’s balance of groundbreaking visuals and epic storytelling won over critics and audiences alike.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” about a criminal who encourages rebellion against an oppressive nurse in a mental hospital is based on the novel of the same name by by Ken Kesey.The Miloš Forman-directed drama did exceptionally well at the 1976 Academy Awards, winning the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Seventeen years later, the movie was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the U.S. Library of Congress and added to the National Film Registry.

Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics Consensus describes “Ikiru” as a “well-acted and deeply moving humanist tale about a man facing his own mortality.” The Japanese drama follows a bureaucrat who finds out he has terminal cancer and wants to live the rest of his days in a meaningful way. The movie has a 98% Freshnes score on Rotten Tomatoes and 97% audience rating.

Though much lampooned since its release, the sardonic “Sunset Blvrd.” remains one of the best movies about fame and Hollywood. Gloria Swanson, as the aging silent film star Norma Desmond, utters one of filmdom’s greatest lines, “All right Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my closeup.” Critics gave the film a 99% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and 95% liked the film.

“Pulp Fiction,” Quentin Tarantino’s follow-up to “Reservoir Dogs,” is among the 1990s’ most definitive films. A wildly inventive mix of crime, film noir, and comedy, the movie won the Palme d’Or at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival. Its reputation has held up well over the past decades, with 96% of audiences reviewing it on Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a positive rating.

“The Empire Strikes Back” — the second movie in the original Star Wars trilogy — is the best film in the blockbuster sci-fi series — a space saga telling the story of a resistance to an evil empire. In 2010, after permanently altering the world’s cultural landscape, the movie was added to the United States’ National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

Charles Laughton plays an ailing lawyer who returns to the courtroom because of an unusual murder case. Based on a play by mystery writer Agatha Christie, “Witness for the Prosecution” was directed by Billy Wilder. The film has a 100% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 95% of audience score.

“Here’s lookin’ at you, kid,” is one of Hollywood’s most famous lines. Its source, wartime melodrama “Casablanca,” is just as iconic. The movie set a standard for romance and atmosphere that every movie released after strived to match.

“City Lights” is not only often considered Charlie Chaplin’s best film, but also one of the greatest films of all time. The silent film — in which Chaplin’s tramp character tries to financially assist a blind girl — was released after talking pictures had been developed and is perhaps the greatest representation of Chaplin’s genius.

“Dark, complex and unforgettable,” says the Critics Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes about this sequel to “Batman Begins.” “The Dark Knight” pits Batman against his archenemy, The Joker, played here by the late Heath Ledger, whose performance won him an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. “The Dark Knight” is “probably the smartest and most stylish action movie since ‘The Matrix,'” according to Timothy Mangan of the Orange County Register.

“Spirited Away” is about a young girl who finds herself transported to a strange world filled with demons, spirits, and malevolent gods. It is the eighth feature film directed by Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. The movie won the director his sole competitive Academy Award, for Best Animated Feature, in 2003.

“Modern Times” was written, directed, scored, and produced by Charlie Chaplin. Set during the Great Depression, the film spoke to the masses by touching on topics such as poverty, hunger, and unemployment.

“Grave Of The Fireflies” is a Japanese animated war movie that follows a teenage boy taking care of his little sister after a U.S. bombing of their house during the final months of WWII separates them from their parents. Glenn Kenny of The New York Times has described the film as “one of the most startling and moving animated films ever.”

Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro paired once again in this mob story, narrated by gangster and FBI informant Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) and adapted from Nicholas Pileggi’s book “Wiseguy.” “Goodfellas” is not for the faint of heart because of the mob violence, but it does provide great insight into the culture of organized crime. Critics gave the film a 96% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and 97% of audiences liked it.

Sergio Leone’s 161-minute epic “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” is perhaps the most iconic Western of all time. Rife with memorable long shots and close-ups, the film’s story is told more with imagery than words — a decision made in part due to the ease of shooting a movie with little sound.

Renowned Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” tells the story of warriors tasked with defending a village under siege from bandits. The film was the inspiration for “The Magnificent Seven” that came out six years later. “Seven Samurai” has been analyzed by film schools for its direction and storytelling techniques. The film has a critics Freshness rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 97% rating among audiences. The three-hour, 27-minute film, released in the United States in 1956, was nominated for Oscars for costume and art direction in 1957.

“Schindler’s List” is considered one of the greatest retellings of one of the worst chapters in human history. Liam Neeson plays Oskar Schindler, a Catholic businessman who uses his position to save hundreds of Jews from extermination at the hands of the Nazis in WWII. Steven Spielberg does not spare the viewer from the horrors of the Holocaust, yet provides viewers with messages of hope and redemption. “Schindler’s List” was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won seven. Ninety-seven percent of critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes liked the film.

“The Shawshank Redemption” tells the story of banker Andy Dufresne who is given two life sentences for murders he didn’t commit in the oppressive Shawshank State Penitentiary. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, in 1995, but failed to win any. It is an audience favorite, however, and currently has an outstanding 9.3 out of 10 rating on IMDb, with over 2.3 million user votes.

Critics awarded “The Godfather: Part II” a 98% Freshness rating and 97% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes liked the celebrated sequel to the mafia epic. Critics generally found it deeper and more powerful than the first “Godfather,” and Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune called it “a landmark work from one of Hollywood’s top cinema eras.” Not surprisingly, it won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Robert De Niro).

Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia epic “The Godfather” breathed new life into the American film industry upon its release in 1972. The film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards and continues to entertain movie fans to this day. The film currently has 98% positive ratings from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s Critics Consensus describes the film as “one of Hollywood’s greatest critical and commercial successes” and credits it for establishing “new benchmarks for American cinema.”