Special Report

The 55 Best Movies Ever Made

The first motion picture was shot in 1878 and was only a few frames long. What started out as novelty has risen to one of the most important art forms in the modern world. The best films are as much a part of our culture as classic works of art, literature, and music. They capture some of the highest and lowest human experiences, create marvelous imaginary universes, and resonate deeply with audiences. Many are imbued with powerful messages and ideas and have gone on to be extremely influential not just in the world of cinema but far beyond.

To determine the 55 best movies of all time, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, current as of mid-March 2022. All ratings were weighted equally. Only films with at least 25,000 reviews on IMDb, 5,000 audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and 10 Tomatometer critics reviews were considered. Information on casts, directors, and plots came from IMDb. Supplemental data on domestic ticket sales and production budgets by movie came from industry data site The Numbers, an online movie database owned by Nash Information Services.

The films on our list cut across cultural gulfs and language barriers, leaving audiences deeply moved while allowing them to see into different worlds and time periods. Silent films and films in black-and-white have a place here. So do mid-20th-century classics like “Sunset Boulevard,” “Bicycle Thieves,” and “Casablanca.” Other films on the list engross us with dazzling animation or thrill us with cutting-edge special effects, or tell poignant love stories or tales of crime. Many of these films are famous, but a few may be new to you. (These are the 50 best movies you’ve never seen.)

Click here for a list of the 55 best movies ever made

Not surprisingly, many of the best and most famous directors of the past century are represented here, among them Charlie Chaplin, Billy Wilder, Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, and Steven Spielberg. Even those helmed by lesser-known figures, though, have earned a place on this list by pleasing audiences and critics alike. (Of course, audiences and critics don’t always agree. These are the 100 best movies of the last 100 years according to critics.)

Courtesy of DeAPlaneta

55. Tokyo Story (1953)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.20 (59,720 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 93% (11,784 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (49 ratings)
> Starring: Chishū Ryū, Chieko Higashiyama, So Yamamura, Setsuko Hara

“Tokyo Story” is about an elderly Japanese couple that travels to Tokyo to visit their adult children, only to find they barely have time for their parents. The film, inspired by a 1937 American movie called “Make Way for Tomorrow,” examines rapidly changing familial relationships in post-war Japan and is considered by many to be director Yasujirō Ozu ‘s best work.

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

54. Double Indemnity (1944)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (153,256 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (35,834 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 97% (97 ratings)
> Starring: Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward G. Robinson, Byron Barr

In this film noir, directed by the legendary Billy Wilder, a woman takes out a life insurance policy on her husband without him knowing. He later turns up dead, an apparent suiсide, but insurance claims investigator Barton Keyes is not convinced and decides to dig deeper.

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

53. Toy Story (1995)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (954,258 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 92% (1,109,209 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (92 ratings)
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney

In 1995, audiences were introduced to a world where toys appear lifeless in the presence of humans but come to life when nobody’s around. However, not all these toys understand that they are toys themselves. Directed by John Lasseter, “Toy Story” was the first entirely computer-animated feature film and the first feature film from Pixar.

Courtesy of Miramax

52. Good Will Hunting (1997)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (928,486 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (365,185 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% ( 82 ratings)
> Starring: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård

In this Gus Van Sant film, Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is an underachieving genius who doesn’t use any of his talents to improve his life. Everything changes when he is discovered by an MIT professor, who pushes him to make something out of himself. The film was written by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and earned them an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

51. Coco (2017)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (466,727 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (28,761 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 97% (355 ratings)
> Starring: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach

Inspired by and set during the Mexican holiday the Day of the Dead, Pixar’s “Coco” follows a young boy named Miguel who accidentally crosses over to the realm of the dead and must navigate the social world of his deceased ancestors to return to the living before the holiday is over. Directed by Lee Unkrich, the film won Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature.

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

50. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (937,137 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 96% (827,284 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 95% (85 ratings)
> Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies

Archaeologist and explorer Indiana Jones is on a mission to find the fabled Ark of the Covenant before it falls into the hands of Nazi Germany. To beat the Nazis, he must traverse treacherous ancient temples, decode mysterious messages, and defeat evil with his iconic whip and pistol. The movie won five Academy Awards in 1982 – Steven Spielberg was nominated for Best Director, but lost to Warren Beatty for “Reds” – and spawned several sequels.

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

49. Aliens (1986)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (694,484 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (430,203 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 97% (78 ratings)
> Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser

In the sequel to mega-hit “Alien,” directed by James Cameron, Sigourney Weaver is back as Lieutenant Ellen Ripley and once again must fend off some of the most vicious extraterrestrial beings ever imagined on film. One critic called it “perhaps the greatest exemplar of science-fiction, action, and horror faultlessly blended together into one film.”

Courtesy of Edward Harrison

48. Pather Panchali (1955)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (30,810 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (6,131 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 97% (72 ratings)
> Starring: Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Bannerjee, Subir Banerjee, Chunibala Devi

“Pather Panchali” is famed Indian director Satyajit Ray’s Bengali-language epic drama about the struggle to survive and find happiness in desperate circumstances. Village priest Harihar Ray leaves his home to seek a better life for himself and his family. The film was heralded for its exceptional acting and helped to put Indian cinema on the map.

Courtesy of United Artists

47. Paths of Glory (1957)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (191,762 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (35,446 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 96% (68 ratings)
> Starring: Kirk Douglas, Ralph Meeker, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready

Stanley Kubrick co-wrote and directed this anti-war film set during World War I. It focuses on a group of French soldiers who refuse to continue a suiсidal assault. Kirk Douglas stars as Colonel Dax, a commanding officer who tries to defend the soldiers, who are court martialed for their disobedience.

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Courtesy of East West Classics

46. High and Low (1963)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (42,010 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 96% (8,402 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 95% (21 ratings)
> Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Yutaka Sada, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyōko Kagawa

Directed by Akira Kurosawa, “High and Low” follows wealthy executive Kingo Gondo as he plans a leveraged buyout to gain control of the company he works for. However, criminals attempt to kidnap his son and instead grab the son of his chauffeur. Gondo must decide whether to use his limited funds to pay the ransom or continue with his plans.

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

45. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (321,244 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (65,935 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 95% (65 ratings)
> Starring: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards

Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Western masterpiece follows interwoven stories in a wayward desert outpost. A mysterious gunslinging figure arrives in town just as a land conflict begins to heat up. The film is considered one of greatest Westerns of all time and is also known for its iconic soundtrack.

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Courtesy of Warner Bros./Seven Arts

44. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.10 (173,459 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (63,798 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (52 ratings)
> Starring: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D. Cannon

In this Stuart Rosenberg film, “Cool Hand” Luke is a decorated World War II veteran who finds himself sentenced to two years hard labor. Once in confinement, Luke quickly runs afoul of the guards and the established prisoner hierarchy, using his grit and charm to resist the oppressive system.

Kevin Winter / Staff / Getty Images Entertainment

43. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (36,021 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 96% (7,194 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 94% (51 ratings)
> Starring: Kurt Kuenne, David Bagby, Kathleen Bagby

“Dear Zachary” is a heartfelt and heart wrenching documentary, started as a personal project. Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne’s childhood friend David Bagby is murdered, and his ex-girlfriend, Shirley Jane Turner, is the suspected killer. Shortly after she is arrested, Turner reveals that she is pregnant with Bagby’s child, the titular Zachary. Kuenne set out to create a cinematic scrapbook for Bagby’s unborn son by interviewing his friends and loved ones.

Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures

42. La Haine (1995)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.10 (166,224 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (40,904 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% ( 32 ratings)
> Starring: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili

“La Haine,” or “the hatred” in French, follows 20 tumultuous hours in the lives of three marginalized and dissatisfied young men from a poor Parisian neighborhood. The film begins with a riot erupting after one of the protagonists’ friends is brutally beaten while in police custody. Mathieu Kassovitz received the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

41. L.A. Confidential (1997)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (566,893 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (150,983 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 99% (160 ratings)
> Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger

Based on James Ellroy’s novel of the same name, “L.A. Confidential” follows three detectives trying to solve a murder in 1950s Los Angeles. They must navigate the confluence of corrupt police, organized crime, and the biggest celebrities of the era. The film, directed by Curtis Hanson, was nominated for nine Oscars and won two, for Best Supporting Actress (for Kim Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

40. All About Eve (1950)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (128,627 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (45,323 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 99% (107 ratings)
> Starring: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm

As aging movie star Margo begins to contemplate the future of her career, she is introduced to adoring fan Eve. Margo is charmed by Eve’s life story and decides to hire her as her assistant, not realizing how calculating the younger woman is. Joseph L. Mankiewicz directed the film, which is based on the 1946 short story “The Wisdom of Eve” by Mary Orr.

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Courtesy of Arthur Mayer & Joseph Burstyn

39. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (159,568 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (34,292 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 99% (67 ratings)
> Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri

Set in economically depressed post-war Italy, Vittorio De Sica’s “Bicycle Thieves” is about a struggling father, Antonio, who is trying to make ends meet for his family. Things start looking up when he gets a new job that requires a bicycle. However, his bike is stolen on his first day and he must frantically search Rome in an attempt to salvage his chance at helping his family.

Courtesy of Anime Limited

38. Your Name. (2016)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (244,014 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (12,839 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (116 ratings)
> Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryo Narita, Aoi Yūki

Mitsuha, a high school student growing up in rural Japan, is bored with her town and wishes to be a boy from Tokyo in her next life. To her surprise, she begins inexplicably swapping bodies with a high school boy from Tokyo, some days waking up in his body and somedays in her own. Written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, the film netted several Best Animated Feature awards.

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

37. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (476,877 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (209,705 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (92 ratings)
> Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn

A rogue U.S. Air Force general sets the world on a path to nuclear annihilation in Stanley Kubrick’s dark satire about the anxiety and paranoia of the Cold War. Kubrick directed and co-wrote the film which has been selected for preservation by the U.S. Library of Congress.

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Courtesy of Sovexportfilm

36. Come and See (1985)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (73,139 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (8,687 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 97% (36 ratings)
> Starring: Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevičius, Vladas Bagdonas

Elem Klimov’s “Come and See” is a dark and harrowing tale of a teenage boy’s experience during Nazi Germany’s merciless invasion of Belarus. The film pulls no punches and depicts the atrocities and extreme violence that the Nazis unleashed on the Soviet Union during their invasion.

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

35. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.90 (1,783,664 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,355,751 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 91% (235 ratings)
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean

The first of three Peter Jackson films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic “Ring” books begins the adventure to defeat evil and save Middle Earth. Frodo Baggins, a humble hobbit (a fictional race of half-size people), has been charged with destroying the one ring of power and vanquishing evil. “The Fellowship of the Ring” launched a cinematic and cultural goliath that raised the bar for fantasy films.

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

34. Psycho (1960)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (647,912 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (240,540 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 96% (105 ratings)
> Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” is one of the most acclaimed thrillers of all time, famous for its gripping music and iconic shower scene. It begins with real estate secretary Marion Crane going on the run with stolen money. Along the way, she stops for the night at the Bates Motel, unaware of what’s in store for her. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards but did not win any.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

33. Back to the Future (1985)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.60 (1,148,846 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (1,095,886 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 96% (84 ratings)
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover

Marty McFly is an average California teenager living in the 1980s, until he accidentally travels back in time to 1955. Marty must figure out how to return to his time while navigating such challenges as his mother hitting on him. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, “Back to the Future” spawned a franchise of films and has remained relevant in pop culture to this day.

Courtesy of Distributors Corporation of America

32. The Wages of Fear (1953)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.20 (59,596 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (8,763 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (45 ratings)
> Starring: Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Peter van Eyck, Folco Lulli

“The Wages of Fear” is a French thriller, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, that follows four Europeans who are down on their luck in an isolated South American town. They are hired to transport nitroglycerin through treacherous mountain roads to a distant oil well. One critic said, “This is filmmaking at its very best and rarely does a film grip with such intensity.”

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Courtesy of RKO Radio Pictures

31. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.70 (441,341 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (219,256 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 94% (89 ratings)
> Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a heartwarming Christmas classic about a depressed man who realizes how much happiness he has created in the world. It is considered one of Frank Capra’s best films, and the American Film Institute ranked it as the most inspiring film of all time.

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

30. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (216,002 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (53,562 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (111 ratings)
> Starring: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson

“Sunset Boulevard” is a dark comedy about life, death, and fame in Hollywood. Aging silent film star Norma Desmond enlists struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis to write the script that will revive her career. However, Gillis soon gets more than he bargained for. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won three, including one for Best Story and Screenplay, shared by director Billy Wilder.

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Courtesy of Triumph Films

29. The Boat (1981)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (245,578 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (47,443 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (55 ratings)
> Starring: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch

Also known by its German title, “Das Boot,” Wolfgang Petersen’s West German war film follows a German submarine and its crew during World War II. The crew spends countless mundane hours searching for targets, mixed with brief and intense moments of combat. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards.

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

28. Alien (1979)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (846,043 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (460,678 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (128 ratings)
> Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright

“Alien” manages to combine sci-fi and horror into one groundbreaking white-knuckle ride. A crew aboard a commercial space tug accidentally brings an unknown lifeform aboard their ship after investigating a distress signal from a nearby moon. The small creature quickly grows into one of the most nightmarish beings imaginable. The film, directed by Ridley Scott, launched a media franchise that has included sequels, novels, and video games.

Courtesy of United Artists

27. Apocalypse Now (1979)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (645,678 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (286,339 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% ( 96 ratings)
> Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest

Adapted from Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” and set during the Vietnam War, “Apocalypse Now” follows U.S. soldier Ben Willard on a special assignment. Willard travels upriver from Vietnam into Cambodia on a mind-bending journey to kill the renegade Colonel Kurtz. The film, directed by Francis Ford Coppola between the second and third installments of his “Godfather” trilogy, was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won for Best Cinematography and Best Sound.

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Courtesy of United Artists

26. City Lights (1931)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (180,322 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 96% (27,161 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 96% (57 ratings)
> Starring: Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee, Harry Myers

“City Lights” follows Charlie Chaplin’s character The Tramp as he falls in love with a blind girl and becomes friends with an alcoholic millionaire. Filled with slapstick comedy, the silent film, also directed by Chaplin, was a massive hit upon release.

Courtesy of Focus Features

25. The Pianist (2002)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.60 (797,347 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 96% (253,524 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 95% (185 ratings)
> Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Emilia Fox

“The Pianist” is based on the autobiography of famed Polish musician and holocaust survivor Wladyslaw Szpilman. It documents the Nazi invasion and life under their ever-increasing brutality. Szpilman must constantly scramble to stay hidden or perish. The film was nominated for seven Oscars and won three, including a Best Actor award for Brody and a Best Director statuette for Roman Polanski.

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Courtesy of Orion Pictures

24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.60 (1,372,680 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (847,670 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 96% (105 ratings)
> Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Lawrence A. Bonney, Kasi Lemmons

Jonathan Demme’s “Silence of the Lambs” redefined psychological thrillers with its twisting plot and intricate characters. Stars Foster and Hopkins both won Oscars for their performances and the film won for Best Picture.

Courtesy of United Artists

23. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.70 (976,050 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 96% (280,034 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 94% (108 ratings)
> Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman, Peter Brocco

Jack Nicholson stars as new mental hospital patient Randle McMurphy in Miloš Forman’s screen version of Ken Kesey’s novel. McMurphy is introduced to a strange group of characters and quickly encourages rebellion against the tyrannical nurse that runs the institution. It won five Academy awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

22. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (234,924 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (138,780 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (67 ratings)
> Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen

The plot follows three Hollywood stars in the 1920s as they transition from silent to sound films. Actor-dancer Gene Kelly co-directed with Stanley Donen. The film is an optimistic and light take on life and love. One critic called it “one of the shining glories of the American musical.”

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Courtesy of Foremco Pictures Corp.

21. M (1931)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (154,156 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (36,261 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (61 ratings)
> Starring: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke

“M” is a German thriller about a manhunt for a serial killer of children by both the police and criminal underworld. The 1931 film is notable for several new cinematic techniques and its influence on the thriller genre. It was directed by Fritz Lang, who wrote the screenplay along with his wife Thea von Harbou, and made Peter Lorre a star.

Courtesy of First National Pictures

20. The Kid (1921)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (123,555 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (15,492 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (49 ratings)
> Starring: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Jackie Coogan, Carl Miller

Charlie Chaplin wrote and directed “The Kid,” a 1921 silent comedy that also stars him as his iconic character The Tramp, who finds and tries to raise an abandoned baby. It was Chaplin’s first full-length film as a director and the second-highest grossing film of 1921.

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Courtesy of Brandon Films

19. Ikiru (1952)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.30 (76,029 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 97% (20,367 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (47 ratings)
> Starring: Takashi Shimura, Nobuo Kaneko, Shin’ichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka

Directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa, “Ikiru” (sometimes known by its English-language title “To Live”) tells the story of Kanji Watanabe, a Tokyo bureaucrat who learns he has terminal stomach cancer. Dissatisfied with his life even before the diagnosis, Watanabe sets out to find meaning in the time he has left. The film was partly inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich.”

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

18. Rear Window (1954)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (477,047 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (151,093 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (123 ratings)
> Starring: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter

Alfred Hitchcock’s celebrated “Rear Window” is a thriller about a man who sits watching his neighbors and making up stories about them while he recovers from surgery. However, he starts to suspect that one of his darkest stories might actually be true.

Courtesy of United Artists

17. Modern Times (1936)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (235,283 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (40,363 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (109 ratings)
> Starring: Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford

Written, produced, and directed by Chaplin, “Modern Times” follows a man trying to make it through the chaos and hardships of city life in the 1930s. Chaplin character The Tramp bounces from mishap to mishap, getting fired, getting arrested, escaping from jail, and then trying to go back to jail.

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Courtesy of Miramax

16. Pulp Fiction (1994)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.90 (1,965,434 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 96% (1,128,738 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 92% (107 ratings)
> Starring: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis

Director Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” broke the mold for what a movie could be with its out-of-chronological-order tale about organized crime, violence, and coincidences. The goofy but bloody film tells three connected stories, following two hitmen and a boxer. It was Tarantino’s second film and helped establish him as one of the biggest names in modern Hollywood.

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

15. 3 Idiots (2009)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (380,578 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 93% (22,579 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (13 ratings)
> Starring: Aamir Khan, Madhavan, Mona Singh, Sharman Joshi

“3 Idiots” is an Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age comedy directed by Rajkumar Hirani. A satire that highlights the intense pressures of the Indian educational system, it follows three friends at an Indian engineering college. It was remade twice, once in India in a Tamil-language version and once in Mexico, in Spanish, as “3 Idiotas.”

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Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

14. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.70 (1,239,003 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 97% (1,058,946 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 94% (105 ratings)
> Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams

In this Irvin Kershner-directed sequel to the original “Star Wars” movie, Jedi knight Luke Skywalker returns in his quest to defeat the evil Galactic Empire and free the galaxy from its tyrannical grasp. The film continues the saga with more fantastic galaxies, charming characters, and explosive action. Its characters and action hold up today as does the amazing score by composer John Williams.

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

13. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.80 (1,591,672 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (1,341,428 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 95% (254 ratings)
> Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom

The second installment in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy pushed the limits and scale of moviemaking. The battle at Helm’s Deep is amazing for its sheer scale. One critic called the film “A brilliantly conceived adventure that has the capacity to take your breath away.”

Courtesy of United Artists

12. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.40 (120,824 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (9,036 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (34 ratings)
> Starring: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester

“Witness for the Prosecution” is an English courtroom drama based on an Agatha Christie play of the same name. Lawyer Sir Wilfrid Robarts agrees to take on the case of a man accused of murdering an elderly widow. Despite substantial evidence pointing to his guilt, Robarts believes he’s innocent. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including one for Billy Wilder as Best Director.

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

11. Casablanca (1942)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (555,611 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (357,864 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 99% (126 ratings)
> Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains

Casablanca” is one of the most endearing love stories of all time, set amongst the chaos of World War II. A nightclub in Morocco, owned by American Rick Blaine, is a hub of activity for refugees trying to escape the war and head to the United States. A ghost from Blaine’s past walks in one day and further complicates his situation. “Casablanca” won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director (for Michael Curtiz), and Best Screenplay.

Courtesy of Fathom Events

10. Spirited Away (2001)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.60 (722,512 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 96% (337,467 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 97% (194 ratings)
> Starring: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino, Rumi Hiiragi

Written and directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, “Spirited Away” is a triumph of cinema and animation. Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl, suddenly finds herself trapped in the spirit realm where her parents have been transformed into pigs. She must navigate the haunting and beautiful world to save her parents and return to the human world. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

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Courtesy of GKIDS

9. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.50 (263,218 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 95% (69,112 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (40 ratings)
> Starring: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi, Yoshiko Shinohara

Animated by Studio Ghibli and based on a semi-autobiographical short story of the same name, “Grave of the Fireflies,” follows two Japanese siblings as they struggle to survive in the city of Kobe during the final months of World War II. The emotional and moving film, directed by Isao Takahata, highlights the horrific human toll of war.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

8. The Dark Knight (2008)
> Average IMDb rating: 9.10 (2,515,583 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 94% (1,831,566 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 94% (345 ratings)
> Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine

“The Dark Knight” – one of three Batman films directed by Christopher Nolan – set the bar exceptionally high for superhero movies. Batman finds himself a step behind psychotic villain The Joker, who is hellbent on creating chaos and destruction. Heath Ledger delivered an astounding performance as The Joker and posthumously won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

7. Goodfellas (1990)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.70 (1,104,679 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 97% (430,239 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 96% (102 ratings)
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco

Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” is based on the true story of mobster Henry Hill. It follows Hill (Ray Liotta) as he grows up in New York City and becomes involved with local crime figures James Conway (De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci). As Hill grows older, he is drawn deeper into the world of the mob and becomes a full-time criminal.

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Courtesy of United Artists

6. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.80 (736,873 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 97% (240,083 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 97% (75 ratings)
> Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè

Sergio Leone directed this epic Spaghetti Western that follows three gunslingers searching for a hidden cache of Confederate gold. They face danger from the conflicts of the Civil War and from each other. The film is highly acclaimed for its cinematography and musical score.

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

5. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
> Average IMDb rating: 9.30 (2,557,365 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 98% (887,352 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 91% (81 ratings)
> Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler

Based on a 1982 novella by Stephen King and directed by Frank Darabont, “The Shawshank Redemption” follows Andy Dufresne, a man who maintains his innocence despite being convicted of murder. He is sent to Shawshank State Prison where he is exposed to the hardships of prison life and eventually involved in helping the prison staff launder money. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards.

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

4. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
> Average IMDb rating: 9.00 (1,219,426 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 97% (411,968 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 96% (113 ratings)
> Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton

The second part in the classic mafia franchise continues the story of the Corleone family while also filling in their past. Robert De Niro plays a young Vito Corleone, who has escaped death in Sicily and arrived in New York, destined to become Don Corleone. The film won six Oscars including Best Picture and a Best Director award for Francis Ford Coppola.

Courtesy of Kingsley-International Pictures

3. Seven Samurai (1954)
> Average IMDb rating: 8.70 (336,616 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 97% (91,170 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 100% (88 ratings)
> Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki

“Seven Samurai” follows seven ronin who are hired to protect a village from bandits. Akira Kurosawa co-wrote and directed the film, considered the best of his illustrious career. It is considered one of the most influential films of all-time, and other films have borrowed its cinematic story-telling elements.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

2. Schindler’s List (1993)
> Average IMDb rating: 9.00 (1,304,441 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 97% (412,015 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 98% (127 ratings)
> Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall

Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” is based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist who saved over a thousand Jews from the Holocaust by employing them in his factory. The black-and-white film follows Schindler as he does what he can to keep people out of concentration camps. The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won seven including Best Picture.

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1. The Godfather (1972)
> Average IMDb rating: 9.20 (1,760,518 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes audience score: 98% (734,706 ratings)
> Rotten tomatoes tomatometer: 97% (140 ratings)
> Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton

The first film in the classic mob trilogy follows the Corleone family as they seek to remain on top of the criminal underworld in 1950s New York. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring a star-studded cast, the film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards and has been massively influential on modern cinema.

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