Special Report

America's Favorite Movies of All Time

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Movies are an American art form, and one of the most popular types of entertainment. People have turned to movies — albeit usually on small screens at home — to help them get through some tough times in the past year, binge-watching their favorite franchises and the work of their favorite actors and directors. With COVID-19 restrictions now being eased, many are looking forward to visiting theatres again and seeing much-anticipated movies whose releases have been delayed.

24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of America’s favorite movies of all time, ranging from the 1940s to the present day, using ratings and audience scores from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. Almost everyone will be able to find their personal favorites here. These are the 55 best movies ever made.

Perhaps surprisingly, the top five movies are all serious, adult fare. They all have weighty subject matter, not many laughs, and no superheroes. The No. 1 movie is “The Shawshank Redemption.” Based on a Stephen King novella, it’s the story of Andy Dufresne, a banker sentenced to life in prison for murders he didn’t commit, who befriends a fellow prisoner and outwits a corrupt system. It was a box-office disappointment when it was released in 1994, but was liked by the critics and has become a cult classic since. 

Click here to see America’s favorite movies of all time

To determine America’s favorite movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed information from IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, calculating an index based on the movies’ IMDb rating and Rotten Tomatoes audience score, weighted by the number of IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes votes. Only films with at least 400,000 reviews on either site were considered. Data on domestic box office came from The Numbers, an online movie database owned by consulting firm Nash Information Services. Data was collected March 2021 to May 2021, and is not adjusted for inflation. Cast information comes from IMDb.

Also in the top five are two “Godfather” movies, “12 Angry Men,” and “Schindler’s List,” which are about organized crime, racial justice, and the Holocaust, respectively. Surprisingly, “Jaws” only ranked No. 99. It’s one of the movies, along with “Star Wars,” that launched the tradition of the summer blockbuster back in the 1970s. Three movies from the latter franchise did place in the top 40, however — including the original, subsequently marketed as “Episode IV – A New Hope.” Here is every Star Wars movie ranked from worst to best.

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

100. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88
> Domestic box office: $147.5 million
> Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mélanie Laurent

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

99. Jaws (1975)
> IMDb rating: 8.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

98. The Breakfast Club (1985)
> IMDb rating: 7.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Domestic box office: $118.4 million
> Starring: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

97. Dead Poets Society (1989)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Domestic box office: $220.1 million
> Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

96. Toy Story 3 (2010)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $481.8 million
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

95. L.A. Confidential (1997)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $128.9 million
> Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

94. V for Vendetta (2005)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $100.8 million
> Starring: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves, Stephen Rea

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

93. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89
> Domestic box office: $407.6 million
> Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

92. Taxi Driver (1976)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $121.5 million
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

91. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $470.4 million
> Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs, Steve Buscemi

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

90. The Goonies (1985)
> IMDb rating: 7.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $160.6 million
> Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

89. Citizen Kane (1941)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $41.6 million
> Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

88. Jurassic Park (1993)
> IMDb rating: 8.1
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $890.6 million
> Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

87. Up (2009)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $357.9 million
> Starring: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, John Ratzenberger, Christopher Plummer

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

86. Heat (1995)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $142.0 million
> Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

85. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
> IMDb rating: 7.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $117.2 million
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Picturehouse

84. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $52.6 million
> Starring: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

83. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
> IMDb rating: 7.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Domestic box office: $173.2 million
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones

Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures

82. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $7.6 million
> Starring: Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

81. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $276.8 million
> Starring: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

80. Joker (2019)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88
> Domestic box office: $335.5 million
> Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

79. Casino (1995)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $89.4 million
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

78. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $858.4 million
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

77. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $682.5 million
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

76. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
> IMDb rating: 8.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Domestic box office: $448.9 million
> Starring: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Jesse Corti, Rex Everhart

Courtesy of Artisan Entertainment

75. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $6.2 million
> Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

74. The Sound of Music (1965)
> IMDb rating: 8.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $1.2 billion
> Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

73. WALL·E (2008)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $285.5 million
> Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

72. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
> IMDb rating: 8.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $302.9 million
> Starring: Matt Damon, Edgar Ramírez, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles

Courtesy of Buena Vista International

71. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
> IMDb rating: 8.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $171.2 million
> Starring: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

70. Django Unchained (2012)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $187.3 million
> Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

69. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $515.7 million
> Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman

Courtesy of Screen Gems

68. Snatch (2000)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $51.1 million
> Starring: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

67. The Bourne Identity (2002)
> IMDb rating: 7.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $191.8 million
> Starring: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen

Courtesy of Miramax

66. Good Will Hunting (1997)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $276.3 million
> Starring: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

65. Die Hard (1988)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $182.0 million
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

64. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $147.6 million
> Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke

Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution

63. American Beauty (1999)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $235.4 million
> Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

62. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $105.5 million
> Starring: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D’Onofrio, Adam Baldwin

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

61. The Princess Bride (1987)
> IMDb rating: 8.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $72.3 million
> Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Miramax

60. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $6.3 million
> Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

59. Aladdin (1992)
> IMDb rating: 8.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Domestic box office: $479.7 million
> Starring: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

58. Scarface (1983)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $130.7 million
> Starring: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

57. Batman Begins (2005)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $293.4 million
> Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson

Courtesy of Tartan

56. Oldboy (2003)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $1.1 million
> Starring: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-Tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Kim Byeong-Ok

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

55. Remember the Titans (2000)
> IMDb rating: 7.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $196.7 million
> Starring: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

54. Toy Story (1995)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Domestic box office: $405.4 million
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney

Courtesy of Focus Features

53. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $50.7 million
> Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

52. Aliens (1986)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $210.3 million
> Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser

Courtesy of Newmarket Films

51. Memento (2000)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $43.4 million
> Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

50. The Intouchables (2011)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $15.2 million
> Starring: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

49. The Shining (1980)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $151.8 million
> Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

48. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $452.7 million
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

47. Rear Window (1954)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $515.2 million
> Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

46. Whiplash (2014)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $14.7 million
> Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

45. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $68.8 million
> Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of United Artists

44. Apocalypse Now (1979)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $309.6 million
> Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest

Courtesy of Miramax

43. Amélie (2001)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $53.9 million
> Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

42. The Prestige (2006)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92
> Domestic box office: $74.2 million
> Starring: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

41. Alien (1979)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $229.9 million
> Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

40. Interstellar (2014)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86
> Domestic box office: $210.8 million
> Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

39. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
> IMDb rating: 8.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $899.1 million
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

38. Léon: The Professional (1994)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $43.8 million
> Starring: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello

Courtesy of Cinema 5 Distributing

37. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
> IMDb rating: 8.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $15.5 million
> Starring: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam

Courtesy of CJ Entertainment

36. Parasite (2019)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90
> Domestic box office: $53.4 million
> Starring: Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Cho, Woo-sik Choi

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

35. Psycho (1960)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $352.3 million
> Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

34. The Departed (2006)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $185.1 million
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg

Courtesy of Focus Features

33. The Pianist (2002)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $51.4 million
> Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox

Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

32. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $442.7 million
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

31. The Lion King (1994)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93
> Domestic box office: $946.9 million
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures

30. The Usual Suspects (1995)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $49.2 million
> Starring: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

29. American History X (1998)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $13.1 million
> Starring: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D’Angelo, Jennifer Lien

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

28. Casablanca (1942)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $392.8 million
> Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

27. Back to the Future (1985)
> IMDb rating: 8.5
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $547.7 million
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

26. Se7en (1995)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $210.8 million
> Starring: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

25. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
> IMDb rating: 8.4
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $743.6 million
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

24. The Green Mile (1999)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $247.6 million
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

23. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $208.7 million
> Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell

Courtesy of Miramax

22. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $114.9 million
> Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano

Courtesy of Orion Pictures

21. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $284.4 million
> Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney, Kasi Lemmons

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Miramax

20. City of God (2002)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97
> Domestic box office: $11.9 million
> Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Matheus Nachtergaele, Phellipe Haagensen

Courtesy of Fathom Events

19. Spirited Away (2001)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $16.3 million
> Starring: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino, Rumi Hiiragi

Courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures

18. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $422.5 million
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

17. Inception (2010)
> IMDb rating: 8.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91
> Domestic box office: $339.7 million
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

16. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
> IMDb rating: 8.6
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $1.9 billion
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness

Courtesy of United Artists

15. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
> IMDb rating: 8.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $491.8 million
> Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman, Peter Brocco

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

14. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
> IMDb rating: 8.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $541.0 million
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

13. Goodfellas (1990)
> IMDb rating: 8.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97
> Domestic box office: $101.5 million
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

12. Forrest Gump (1994)
> IMDb rating: 8.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $741.2 million
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

11. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
> IMDb rating: 8.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95
> Domestic box office: $511.6 million
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

10. Fight Club (1999)
> IMDb rating: 8.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $67.0 million
> Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier

Courtesy of United Artists

9. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
> IMDb rating: 8.8
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97
> Domestic box office: $45.8 million
> Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

8. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
> IMDb rating: 8.7
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97
> Domestic box office: $993.4 million
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

7. The Dark Knight (2008)
> IMDb rating: 9.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94
> Domestic box office: $680.9 million
> Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine

Courtesy of Miramax

6. Pulp Fiction (1994)
> IMDb rating: 8.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96
> Domestic box office: $242.3 million
> Starring: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

5. Schindler’s List (1993)
> IMDb rating: 8.9
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97
> Domestic box office: $214.4 million
> Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of United Artists

4. 12 Angry Men (1957)
> IMDb rating: 9.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97
> Domestic box office: $60.4 million
> Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
> IMDb rating: 9.0
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97
> Domestic box office: $277.7 million
> Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

2. The Godfather (1972)
> IMDb rating: 9.2
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98
> Domestic box office: $770.7 million
> Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
> IMDb rating: 9.3
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98
> Domestic box office: $63.4 million
> Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler

The #1 Thing to Do Before You Claim Social Security (Sponsor)

Choosing the right (or wrong) time to claim Social Security can dramatically change your retirement. So, before making one of the biggest decisions of your financial life, it’s a smart idea to get an extra set of eyes on your complete financial situation.

A financial advisor can help you decide the right Social Security option for you and your family. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you optimize your Social Security outcomes.

 

Have questions about retirement or personal finance? Email us at [email protected]!

By emailing your questions to 24/7 Wall St., you agree to have them published anonymously on a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.

By submitting your story, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.