Studio filmmaking is a massive undertaking that involves hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of people and moving parts, making it all the more impressive when Hollywood gets it right. One might even say the true magic of cinema reveals itself with the release of an acclaimed blockbuster. Enrapturing crowds and critics alike, these efforts deliver the best of style and substance to remind us all of why we go to the movies in the first place. (These are the top stars whose movies have performed best at the box office.)
To determine the highest grossing movies with the best ratings, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on worldwide box office data from The Numbers, an online movie database owned by Nash Information Services, and audience and critic ratings from IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon, and Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator.
The 350 movies with the highest global box office, adjusted for inflation using historical ticket prices from the National Association for Theatre Owners, were ranked based on a composite index consisting of IMDb user rating, Rotten Tomatoes audience score, and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score. All index measures were rated equally. Data is current as of September 2022.
A list of the highest-grossing movies with the best ratings tell us more than first meets the eye. Successful in its own right perhaps, each title also reveals broader trends about the era during which it was released. Take “Iron Man” or “The Dark Knight,” for example, two classics from 2008 that pulled double-duty by further popularizing the superhero subgenre and simultaneously redefining our expectations of mainstream action fare.
Click here to see blockbuster hits that are actually critically acclaimed
Or consider David Fincher’s 1995 thriller “Se7en,” a film so grim and relentless that its box office success feels like an anomaly. However, it came out in the wake of similarly uncompromising releases like “Pulp Fiction,” “Reservoir Dogs,” and “Schindler’s List.” Major studios were suddenly willing to take bold creative risks on tentpole releases, as they had been in the 1970s – a decade that yielded some of the most iconic and acclaimed blockbusters of all time. (These were the 30 biggest box office hits of the ‘70s.)
50. Casino Royale (2006)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $831.3 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (601,654 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (703,961 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (259 reviews)
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49. Ratatouille (2007)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $834.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (669,860 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (251 reviews)
48. Gone with the Wind (1939)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $7.3 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (301,469 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (293,900 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (102 reviews)
47. Iron Man (2008)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $746.5 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (983,992 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (281 reviews)
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46. American Beauty (1999)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $644.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (660,797 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (190 reviews)
45. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $864.3 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (256,497 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (333 reviews)
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44. Goldfinger (1964)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $937.8 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (176,275 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (100,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (68 reviews)
43. Logan (2017)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $627.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (688,052 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (93,272 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (423 reviews)
42. Jurassic Park (1993)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.3 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (909,321 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (130 reviews)
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41. Se7en (1995)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $690.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1.5 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (468,879 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (82 reviews)
40. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (717,370 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (768,808 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (73 reviews)
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39. Toy Story 2 (1999)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $925.7 million
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (548,385 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (1.0 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (169 reviews)
38. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $829.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (428,336 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (760,213 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (118 reviews)
37. Finding Nemo (2003)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (984,204 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (33.4 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (268 reviews)
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36. Notorious (1946)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $769.5 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (97,303 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (35,835 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (48 reviews)
35. Aladdin (1992)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (386,940 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (939,996 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (74 reviews)
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34. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $908.7 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (850,959 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1.3 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (197 reviews)
33. Toy Story 4 (2019)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (222,860 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (53,157 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (452 reviews)
32. Inception (2010)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $845.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (2.2 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (571,783 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 87% (361 reviews)
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31. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $963.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (379,622 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (876,535 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (145 reviews)
30. Jaws (1975)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.1 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (565,147 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (945,011 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (93 reviews)
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29. Inside Out (2015)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $929.1 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (653,819 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (137,195 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (375 reviews)
28. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.8 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (939,893 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (72,727 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (546 reviews)
27. WALL·E (2008)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $679.4 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (1.0 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (598,663 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (260 reviews)
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26. Zootopia (2016)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (458,551 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (101,803 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (297 reviews)
25. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1.7 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (34.7 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (275 reviews)
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24. Up (2009)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $893.4 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (975,977 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (1.2 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (298 reviews)
23. Toy Story 3 (2010)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.2/10 (786,394 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (607,826 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (309 reviews)
22. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $886.5 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (292,513 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (50,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (132 reviews)
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21. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $741.4 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (60,985 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (10,855 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (91 reviews)
20. The Lion King (1994)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.0 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (983,962 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (1.3 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (130 reviews)
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19. The Sting (1973)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $858.4 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (250,672 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (61,793 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (63 reviews)
18. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.1 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1.0 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (749,360 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (84 reviews)
17. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $947.3 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1.3 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (993,591 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (143 reviews)
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16. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $2.5 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1.3 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (863,326 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (132 reviews)
15. Toy Story (1995)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $769.2 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.3/10 (927,161 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (91 reviews)
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14. Coco (2017)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $815.1 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (432,055 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (28,505 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (352 reviews)
13. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.2 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (917,143 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (827,087 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (84 reviews)
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.4 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.8/10 (1.7 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1.4 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (235 reviews)
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11. Back to the Future (1985)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $994.7 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.5/10 (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (83 reviews)
10. Alien (1979)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $685.0 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (823,459 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (460,436 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (126 reviews)
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9. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $599.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (1.3 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (847,443 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (104 reviews)
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $736.8 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (954,220 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (279,963 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (83 reviews)
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1.5 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (1.3 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (255 reviews)
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6. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.7 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.7/10 (1.2 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (1.1 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (105 reviews)
5. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
> IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (381,212 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 99% (50,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96% (447 reviews)
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4. The Dark Knight (2008)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.3 billion
> IMDb user rating: 9.0/10 (2.4 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (1.8 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (345 reviews)
3. Spirited Away (2001)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $621.6 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.6/10 (693,872 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (337,321 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (191 reviews)
2. Schindler’s List (1993)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $712.9 million
> IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1.3 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (411,879 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (128 reviews)
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1. The Godfather (1972)
> Worldwide box office, adjusted for inflation: $1.5 billion
> IMDb user rating: 9.2/10 (1.7 million votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98% (734,439 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (133 reviews)
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