Special Report

Most Popular Movie in America Every Year Since 1915

Movies are not only one of the most beloved forms of entertainment but also have become a major cultural reference point for people across the globe. Birthdays are personal reference points, of course — occasions on which when we reflect on what’s been going on in our lives and maybe in the wider world, too. 

24/7 Tempo has combined these two elements to create a list of the most popular movies every year between 1915 and 2021, based on critic and audience reviews. Not surprisingly, the list contains movies that are widely regarded as among the greatest ever made. 

The entry for 1941, for instance, is “Citizen Kane,” in which director Orson Welles (who also starred in the title role) used innovative storytelling techniques such as flashbacks, multiple narrators, and deep-focus cinematography that have influenced generations of filmmakers. 

From 1942, the most popular movie is “Casablanca,” a story of romance and war starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman that is beloved by audiences and critics alike and has become a cultural touchstone across the generations. (The most popular films aren’t always the ones that get the big awards.  Compare this list with the Oscar winners for Best Picture the year you were born.)

The 1970s ushered in the era of summer blockbusters and they are well represented, including “Jaws” (1975) and the original “Star Wars” (1977). Big movies from the 1980s range from adventure stories (“Raiders of the Lost Ark”) to romcoms (“Pretty Woman”). In the last two decades franchises have become enormously popular, including numerous “Star Wars” offshoots as well as installments of “The Avengers,” “Batman,” “Harry Potter,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” (These are among America’s favorite movies of all time.)

Click here to see the most popular movie in America every year since 1915

To determine the most popular movies every year over the past century-plus, 24/7 Tempo compiled the total number of reviews appearing on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, and IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, for films released between 1915 and 2021. Data was current as of June 2021. Inflation-adjusted box office gross figures come from The Numbers, an online movie database owned by consulting firm Nash Information Services. Figures are for worldwide gross, except in a few cases for early films that had negligible international release. We indexed both review counts and gross figures, weighted equally, to identify the most popular movie each year.

Courtesy of Epoch Producing Corporation

1915: The Birth of a Nation
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 4,863
> Total IMDb reviews: 23,045
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $664.1 million (#290 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Henry B. Walthall
> Number of movies considered: 4

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Universal Film Manufacturing Company

1916: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 10,536
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,557
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $447.8 million (#535 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Allen Holubar, Dan Hanlon, Edna Pendleton
> Number of movies considered: 2

Courtesy of Radiosoul Films

1917: A Man There Was
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 382
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,663
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Victor Sjöström, August Falck, Edith Erastoff
> Number of movies considered: 2

Courtesy of Kino Video

1918: The Outlaw and His Wife
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 310
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,588
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Victor Sjöström, Edith Erastoff, John Ekman
> Number of movies considered: 3

Courtesy of United Artists

1919: Broken Blossoms
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 3,827
> Total IMDb reviews: 9,554
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Norman Selby, Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess
> Number of movies considered: 9

Courtesy of Goldwyn Distributing Company

1920: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 27,850
> Total IMDb reviews: 58,353
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher
> Number of movies considered: 11

Courtesy of First National Pictures

1921: The Kid
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 15,500
> Total IMDb reviews: 115,598
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $89.6 million (#2,719 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: B.F. Blinn, Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance
> Number of movies considered: 12

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Film Arts Guild

1922: Nosferatu
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 48,116
> Total IMDb reviews: 89,928
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Gustav von Wangenheim
> Number of movies considered: 10

Courtesy of Pathé Exchange

1923: Safety Last!
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 3,790
> Total IMDb reviews: 18,728
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother
> Number of movies considered: 9

Courtesy of Metro Pictures Corporation

1924: Sherlock Jr.
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 6,969
> Total IMDb reviews: 43,219
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Buster Keaton, Kathryn McGuire, Joe Keaton
> Number of movies considered: 17

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1925: The Big Parade
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 808
> Total IMDb reviews: 6,231
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $769.7 million (#214 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: John Gilbert, Renée Adorée, Hobart Bosworth
> Number of movies considered: 18

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of United Artists

1926: The General
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 11,582
> Total IMDb reviews: 82,335
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender
> Number of movies considered: 18

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1927: Metropolis
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 63,052
> Total IMDb reviews: 162,491
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $42.5 million (#4,120 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich
> Number of movies considered: 23

Courtesy of M.J. Gourland

1928: The Passion of Joan of Arc
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 10,458
> Total IMDb reviews: 49,005
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley
> Number of movies considered: 27

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1929: The Broadway Melody
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 1,840
> Total IMDb reviews: 6,605
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $156.0 million (#1,713 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Bessie Love, Anita Page, Charles King
> Number of movies considered: 23

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1930: All Quiet on the Western Front
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 18,096
> Total IMDb reviews: 57,771
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Lew Ayres, Louis Wolheim, John Wray
> Number of movies considered: 28

Courtesy of United Artists

1931: City Lights
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 27,169
> Total IMDb reviews: 170,276
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.8 million (#7,484 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee
> Number of movies considered: 52

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1932: Freaks
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 24,537
> Total IMDb reviews: 42,565
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams, Olga Baclanova
> Number of movies considered: 62

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1933: King Kong
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 90,261
> Total IMDb reviews: 80,216
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $473.7 million (#498 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot
> Number of movies considered: 56

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1934: It Happened One Night
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 33,761
> Total IMDb reviews: 95,467
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $114.0 million (#2,242 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Jameson Thomas, Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert
> Number of movies considered: 51

Courtesy of Gaumont British Picture Corporation of America

1935: The 39 Steps
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 23,974
> Total IMDb reviews: 52,857
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll, Lucie Mannheim
> Number of movies considered: 61

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of United Artists

1936: Modern Times
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 40,338
> Total IMDb reviews: 221,460
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $9.4 million (#6,293 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Al Ernest Garcia, Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard
> Number of movies considered: 71

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 470,493
> Total IMDb reviews: 183,666
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $7.9 billion (#3 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Adriana Caselotti, Harry Stockwell, Lucille La Verne
> Number of movies considered: 60

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1938: Bringing Up Baby
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 39,203
> Total IMDb reviews: 55,857
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: Not available
> Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Charles Ruggles
> Number of movies considered: 53

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1939: Gone with the Wind
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 293,955
> Total IMDb reviews: 293,433
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $17.2 billion (#1 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell
> Number of movies considered: 76

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1940: Pinocchio
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 279,522
> Total IMDb reviews: 133,147
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $3.7 billion (#6 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Dickie Jones, Christian Rub, Mel Blanc
> Number of movies considered: 87

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1941: Citizen Kane
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 159,528
> Total IMDb reviews: 410,008
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $41.9 million (#4,149 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore
> Number of movies considered: 89

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1942: Bambi
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 599,925
> Total IMDb reviews: 132,793
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $10.1 billion (#2 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey
> Number of movies considered: 81

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1943: This Is the Army
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 592
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,000
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $690.1 million (#270 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: George Murphy, Joan Leslie, George Tobias
> Number of movies considered: 77

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1944: Double Indemnity
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 35,879
> Total IMDb reviews: 145,580
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $0.2 billion (#1,359 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson
> Number of movies considered: 76

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1945: The Bells of St. Mary’s
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 7,145
> Total IMDb reviews: 7,277
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $724.6 million (#249 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Travers
> Number of movies considered: 82

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1946: It’s A Wonderful Life
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 219,223
> Total IMDb reviews: 410,837
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $340.0 million (#774 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
> Number of movies considered: 85

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1947: Miracle on 34th Street
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 47,671
> Total IMDb reviews: 41,917
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $875.5 million (#149 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, John Payne
> Number of movies considered: 84

Courtesy of Arthur Mayer & Joseph Burstyn

1948: Bicycle Thieves
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 34,311
> Total IMDb reviews: 149,597
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $8.4 million (#6,414 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell
> Number of movies considered: 94

Courtesy of Selznick Releasing Organization

1949: The Third Man
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 54,156
> Total IMDb reviews: 161,156
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $9.4 million (#6,291 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli
> Number of movies considered: 93

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1950: Cinderella
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 862,261
> Total IMDb reviews: 147,673
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $5.5 billion (#4 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Ilene Woods, James MacDonald, Eleanor Audley
> Number of movies considered: 99

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1951: Alice in Wonderland
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 574,405
> Total IMDb reviews: 130,641
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $20.6 million (#5,344 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn
> Number of movies considered: 97

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1952: Singin’ in the Rain
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 138,751
> Total IMDb reviews: 222,069
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $136.3 million (#1,922 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds
> Number of movies considered: 84

Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

1953: Peter Pan
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 278,062
> Total IMDb reviews: 128,458
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.6 billion (#29 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried
> Number of movies considered: 108

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1954: Rear Window
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 151,013
> Total IMDb reviews: 449,844
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $515.8 million (#445 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey
> Number of movies considered: 95

Courtesy of Buena Vista Film Distribution Company

1955: Lady and the Tramp
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 861,330
> Total IMDb reviews: 124,718
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.4 billion (#47 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Peggy Lee
> Number of movies considered: 121

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1956: The Ten Commandments
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 60,300
> Total IMDb reviews: 65,287
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.2 billion (#65 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter
> Number of movies considered: 116

Courtesy of United Artists

1957: 12 Angry Men
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 105,570
> Total IMDb reviews: 702,293
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $60.4 million (#3,422 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam
> Number of movies considered: 117

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1958: Vertigo
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 102,735
> Total IMDb reviews: 369,595
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $44.4 million (#4,030 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes
> Number of movies considered: 116

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1959: Ben-Hur
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 106,274
> Total IMDb reviews: 222,139
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $820.2 million (#174 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd
> Number of movies considered: 120

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1960: Psycho
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 240,421
> Total IMDb reviews: 612,633
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $352.3 million (#737 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles
> Number of movies considered: 127

Courtesy of Buena Vista Distribution Company

1961: One Hundred and One Dalmatians
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 709,394
> Total IMDb reviews: 154,805
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.7 billion (#25 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Rod Taylor, Betty Lou Gerson, J. Pat O’Malley
> Number of movies considered: 94

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1962: Lawrence of Arabia
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 75,295
> Total IMDb reviews: 272,119
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $755.3 million (#226 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn
> Number of movies considered: 116

Courtesy of United Artists

1963: The Great Escape
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 103,606
> Total IMDb reviews: 227,443
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $127.5 million (#2,031 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough
> Number of movies considered: 117

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1964: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 209,673
> Total IMDb reviews: 455,665
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $69.3 million (#3,176 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden
> Number of movies considered: 141

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1965: The Sound of Music
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 606,557
> Total IMDb reviews: 209,778
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $2.1 billion (#16 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker
> Number of movies considered: 130

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of United Artists

1966: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 239,990
> Total IMDb reviews: 697,320
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $45.8 million (#3,965 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
> Number of movies considered: 143

Courtesy of Embassy Pictures

1967: The Graduate
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 183,728
> Total IMDb reviews: 255,996
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $784.4 million (#202 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
> Number of movies considered: 143

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 299,410
> Total IMDb reviews: 611,622
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $488.7 million (#478 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
> Number of movies considered: 144

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 71,272
> Total IMDb reviews: 203,444
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $660.0 million (#292 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
> Number of movies considered: 130

Courtesy of Buena Vista Distribution Company

1970: The Aristocats
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 273,585
> Total IMDb reviews: 95,397
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $309.1 million (#867 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Sterling Holloway
> Number of movies considered: 153

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1971: A Clockwork Orange
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 437,120
> Total IMDb reviews: 766,772
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $158.1 million (#1,687 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates
> Number of movies considered: 187

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1972: The Godfather
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 734,390
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,647,795
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.5 billion (#33 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan
> Number of movies considered: 165

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1973: The Exorcist
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 420,546
> Total IMDb reviews: 365,427
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $2.3 billion (#12 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair
> Number of movies considered: 147

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1974: The Godfather: Part II
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 411,775
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,147,241
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $277.7 million (#969 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall
> Number of movies considered: 145

Courtesy of United Artists

1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 279,968
> Total IMDb reviews: 929,439
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $736.8 million (#239 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman
> Number of movies considered: 133

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of United Artists

1976: Rocky
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 33,404,060
> Total IMDb reviews: 525,647
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $967.6 million (#119 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
> Number of movies considered: 148

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1977: Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 863,213
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,245,638
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $3.2 billion (#9 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
> Number of movies considered: 136

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1978: Grease
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 1,161,485
> Total IMDb reviews: 245,536
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.5 billion (#35 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing
> Number of movies considered: 149

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1979: Alien
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 460,388
> Total IMDb reviews: 798,839
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $685.0 million (#272 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt
> Number of movies considered: 153

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1980: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 1,058,489
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,173,662
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.9 billion (#20 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
> Number of movies considered: 177

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1981: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 826,942
> Total IMDb reviews: 893,647
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.2 billion (#68 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
> Number of movies considered: 188

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1982: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 32,314,482
> Total IMDb reviews: 376,787
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $2.2 billion (#15 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote
> Number of movies considered: 178

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1983: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 1,013,907
> Total IMDb reviews: 961,982
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.4 billion (#44 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
> Number of movies considered: 179

Courtesy of Orion Pictures

1984: The Terminator
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 776,842
> Total IMDb reviews: 805,145
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $212.7 million (#1,279 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn
> Number of movies considered: 203

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1985: Back to the Future
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 1,095,430
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,075,227
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $994.7 million (#115 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
> Number of movies considered: 218

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1986: Aliens
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 429,942
> Total IMDb reviews: 660,094
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $452.6 million (#528 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn
> Number of movies considered: 222

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1987: Full Metal Jacket
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 324,789
> Total IMDb reviews: 683,410
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $105.5 million (#2,400 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D’Onofrio
> Number of movies considered: 278

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1988: Die Hard
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 574,278
> Total IMDb reviews: 801,448
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $310.8 million (#861 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia
> Number of movies considered: 283

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1989: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 768,758
> Total IMDb reviews: 699,393
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.1 billion (#91 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody
> Number of movies considered: 262

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

1990: Pretty Woman
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 32,709,444
> Total IMDb reviews: 294,636
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $938.9 million (#127 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Jason Alexander
> Number of movies considered: 260

Courtesy of Orion Pictures

1991: The Silence of the Lambs
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 847,393
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,291,144
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $599.9 million (#341 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney
> Number of movies considered: 275

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Miramax

1992: Reservoir Dogs
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 446,675
> Total IMDb reviews: 931,262
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $6.6 million (#6,654 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen
> Number of movies considered: 262

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1993: Schindler’s List
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 411,895
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,230,104
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $712.9 million (#254 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley
> Number of movies considered: 302

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1994: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 33,204,181
> Total IMDb reviews: 279,914
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $240.7 million (#1,131 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Jim Carrey, Courteney Cox, Sean Young
> Number of movies considered: 310

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1995: Braveheart
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 32,708,539
> Total IMDb reviews: 969,310
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $369.3 million (#696 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan
> Number of movies considered: 321

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1996: Independence Day
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 977,727
> Total IMDb reviews: 532,453
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.7 billion (#24 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum
> Number of movies considered: 349

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1997: Titanic
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 35,797,828
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,060,644
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $ billion (#5 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane
> Number of movies considered: 382

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

1998: There’s Something About Mary
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 33,121,623
> Total IMDb reviews: 293,408
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $722.4 million (#250 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller
> Number of movies considered: 395

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1999: The Matrix
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 33,324,357
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,701,317
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $752.0 million (#232 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss
> Number of movies considered: 391

Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution

2000: Gladiator
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 34,128,368
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,359,472
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.1 billion (#86 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen
> Number of movies considered: 451

Courtesy of Newmarket Films

2001: Donnie Darko
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 30,984,686
> Total IMDb reviews: 747,385
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $12.2 million (#6,043 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell
> Number of movies considered: 472

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

2002: Spider-Man
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 34,297,599
> Total IMDb reviews: 695,833
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.2 billion (#64 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe
> Number of movies considered: 533

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 34,680,048
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,664,586
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.6 billion (#28 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen
> Number of movies considered: 497

Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution

2004: Shrek 2
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 34,232,761
> Total IMDb reviews: 425,039
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.4 billion (#45 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz
> Number of movies considered: 594

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

2005: Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 33,684,140
> Total IMDb reviews: 721,120
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.2 billion (#76 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor
> Number of movies considered: 634

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2006: The Departed
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 738,335
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,206,885
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $405.1 million (#605 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
> Number of movies considered: 764

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

2007: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 2,738,719
> Total IMDb reviews: 601,303
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.3 billion (#53 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley
> Number of movies considered: 739

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2008: The Dark Knight
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 1,831,910
> Total IMDb reviews: 2,342,411
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.3 billion (#55 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
> Number of movies considered: 688

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

2009: Avatar
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 1,383,160
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,130,126
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $3.5 billion (#8 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
> Number of movies considered: 725

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2010: Inception
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 571,907
> Total IMDb reviews: 2,100,917
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $845.9 million (#163 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page
> Number of movies considered: 659

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 392,543
> Total IMDb reviews: 779,826
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.5 billion (#31 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
> Number of movies considered: 698

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2012: The Dark Knight Rises
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 1,212,919
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,537,239
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.2 billion (#60 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway
> Number of movies considered: 771

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

2013: The Wolf of Wall Street
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 181,382
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,214,418
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $439.3 million (#554 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
> Number of movies considered: 796

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

2014: Interstellar
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 176,902
> Total IMDb reviews: 1,545,279
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $731.2 million (#242 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
> Number of movies considered: 862

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2015: Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 235,891
> Total IMDb reviews: 868,510
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $2.2 billion (#13 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
> Number of movies considered: 841

[in-text-ad]

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

2016: Deadpool
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 188,212
> Total IMDb reviews: 916,479
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $830.4 million (#173 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller
> Number of movies considered: 862

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2017: Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 224,725
> Total IMDb reviews: 573,193
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $1.4 billion (#48 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill
> Number of movies considered: 910

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2018: Avengers: Infinity War
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 60,114
> Total IMDb reviews: 866,356
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $2.1 billion (#18 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo
> Number of movies considered: 867

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2019: Avengers: Endgame
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 72,454
> Total IMDb reviews: 857,859
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $2.8 billion (#10 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo
> Number of movies considered: 777

[in-text-ad-2]

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

2020: Tenet
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 6,223
> Total IMDb reviews: 331,957
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $362.0 million (#712 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki
> Number of movies considered: 482

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2021: Raya and the Last Dragon
> Total Rotten Tomatoes reviews: 4,900
> Total IMDb reviews: 47,967
> Inflation-adjusted box office gross: $102.0 million (#2,452 out of 9,859 films)
> Starring: Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan
> Number of movies considered: 41

Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)

Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?

Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

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