My Top 50 Favorite Movies
by BenT17 | created - 26 May 2018 | updated - 2 months ago | PublicThese are my top 50 favorite movies of all time; this not what I consider to be ‘objectively’ the most impactful films or anything pretentious like that.
These are the movies that are most I find to be the most captivating movies all time. I have been updating this list since I was 10 years old and will continue to do so as long as I’m in love with cinema.
Honorable Mentions:
The Pursuit of Happyness, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, 500 Days Of Summer, Scream, Hereditary, Babylon, Radio, Apocalypse Now, Birdman (Or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance), Hacksaw Ridge, The Usual Suspects, The Fugitive, The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons, Jaws, Eraserhead, Pulp Fiction, Alien, Logan, The Godfather Part II, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, The Great Dictator, The Mask, Mrs. Doubtfire, Air Force One, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Irishman, Slumdog Millionaire, The Iron Giant, Drive, Citizen Kane, Saw, Home Alone
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1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
PG | 115 min | Action, Adventure
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies
Votes: 1,036,743 | Gross: $248.16M
The perfect movie in my eyes. It has flawless action, adventure, comedy, romance, storytelling, dialogue, and even a little horror. It just has everything, and it made me fall in love with cinema.
2. Magnolia (1999)
R | 188 min | Drama
An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 328,421 | Gross: $22.46M
Magnolia is, simply put, cinema at its absolute finest. Every single performance in the ensemble cast is mind blowing, and they perfectly help bring the movie’s unpredictable, poignant, philosophical, and thought provoking script to life. A masterfully directed, creative, wildly experimental, innovative, and ambitious masterpiece that is perhaps the most human film ever created. “Deathly” close to being my favorite movie of all time.
3. Schindler's List (1993)
R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Votes: 1,450,383 | Gross: $96.90M
No movie has ever touched me the way that Schindler’s List does. It’s is the most powerful, emotional, and important movie ever made. This is what I consider to be objectively the greatest film in cinematic history.
4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,888,139 | Gross: $28.34M
The Shawshank Redemption is arguably the most universally beloved drama of all time. This is for good reason. It’s a ageless story of brotherhood, grief, regret, corruption, purpose, hope, and, of course, redemption. Every moment in this movie is executed to exact perfection, and its a movie that anyone on the planet can love, no matter your taste in film.
5. The Green Mile (1999)
R | 189 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt
Votes: 1,407,060 | Gross: $136.80M
Frank Darabont’s second and final Stephen King prison adaptation is arguably the master filmmaker’s magnum opus. For starters, The Green Mile is the most exquisitely paced movie of all time. The 3 hour epic doesn’t waste a fleeting moment, and every single scene is hugely entertaining and riveting. The movie is a demonstration of complete mastery of the craft from start to finish, equipped with perfect storytelling, direction, cinematography, and most flamboyantly, hard hitting, powerful emotion. Some of the most profoundly moving moments in cinematic history occur in this film, and it’s bound to touch the corners of even the most cynical viewer’s souls.
6. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Peter Parker is beset with troubles in his failing personal life as he battles a former brilliant scientist named Otto Octavius.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Alfred Molina, James Franco
Votes: 708,460 | Gross: $373.59M
Spider-Man 2 is the most human action film ever created. I’d even take it a step further and claim that it’s one of the most human movies I’ve ever seen. Period. The film beautifully transcends the superhero genre, weaving a web of iconic characters and performances, rich operatic storytelling, powerful and relatable emotions, and profoundly poignant themes of loneliness, sacrifice, morality, broken dreams, balance, choice, and, of course, responsibility. This creates a movie that is as effective a powerful drama as it is a thrilling action movie (with some of the genre’s most iconic action sequences, might I add). In sum, Spider-Man 2 resonates with me deeply, and it makes me want to be a better man every single time I watch it.
7. Back to the Future (1985)
PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,306,506 | Gross: $210.61M
Back to the Future is most probably the most joyously enjoyable movie ever. Every single passing moment in this movie is rich with the purest magic of cinema you’ll ever find. Everything from the wonderful score, the impeccably clever writing, the perfect casting and performances, the thrilling suspense, and, of course, the myriad of absolutely iconic characters submits Back to the Future into serious contention as the most perfect movie ever made.
8. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Approved | 96 min | Crime, Drama
The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler
Votes: 864,828 | Gross: $4.36M
12 Angry Men is one of those rare movies where it seems as if every little thing in the film has been crafted to complete perfection. The film’s brilliantly unyielding pacing and airtight script result in one of the most suspenseful, emotional, and thematically timeless films ever made… and, at the end of the day, the whole movie is just people talking. However, this simplicity is where much of the movie’s genius spawns from. The edges of the unforgettably ensemble cast are written and acted to complete perfection, and the story is profoundly honest and compelling. We, the audience, witness these nuances in an everyday context that makes 12 Angry Men’s message one of the most relevant and important of all time.
9. Psycho (1960)
R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin
Votes: 718,163 | Gross: $32.00M
Psycho is a film monument, a horror masterpiece, and one of the greatest and most envelope-pushing movies of all time. It is the perfect horror movie, packed to the brim with edge of your seat suspense, mystery, amazing performances (Anthony Perkins in particular), and, most of all, one of the most well written scripts of all time that is directed by a master director at the top of his game. Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic stands the time and then some.
10. The Godfather (1972)
R | 175 min | Crime, Drama
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Votes: 2,011,953 | Gross: $134.97M
Proclaimed by many to be the "greatest movie of all time", The Godfather throughly deserves that title. Francis Ford Coppola's incredible magnum opus features one of the most compelling stories ever put to film, and watching the moral destruction of one of the greatest characters ever (Michael Corleone) is more than fascinating and enriching. It’s a rare monument that a movie excels at almost everything a film can, but The Godfather achieves just that.
11. Die Hard (1988)
R | 132 min | Action, Thriller
A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson
Votes: 945,445 | Gross: $83.01M
As long as cinema exists, Die Hard will continue to be the definitive blueprint for what makes a great action movie… and a great Christmas movie. The nail-biting suspense, the perfect pacing, the music, the comedy, the heart, the relationship between the hero and the villain… in every single way Die Hard stands as the Mona Lisa of action cinema, and it always will. The film is just relentlessly entertaining. There’s no way around it. Hans Gruber is arguably the greatest villian of all time, and John McClaine is one our best heroes. Add that with a lot of gunfire and explosions, and you have one of the most absolutely exhilarating movies ever made.
12. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure
In 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott
Votes: 810,835 | Gross: $197.17M
The Indiana Jones franchise was maybe the single biggest provoker of my love for cinema. Meaning, The Last Crusade is one of my most personally important movies. This grand finale to the original trilogy matches the brilliance of Raiders of the Lost Ark, and, in some ways, exceeds it. Just like the rest of the trilogy, every single action sequence is flawless and thrilling to the core. Every character, both new and old, is written and played such charisma and sharpness. In particular, Sean Connery steals every scene. Ford and Connery have an unmatchable amount of chemistry, and they are easily the most entertaining father and son duo ever portrayed in cinema. Also, the film is absolutely hilarious, but that’s just the delicious cherry on top to a essentially perfect movie.
13. The Truman Show (1998)
PG | 103 min | Comedy, Drama
An insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich
Votes: 1,196,107 | Gross: $125.62M
The Truman Show has one of the best concepts for a movie ever. The premise hooks the audience into an all-too-real distant future that is both comically satirical as well as deeply tragic, while simultaneously presenting them with a potent allegory about society and spiritual transformation. It’s a beautiful movie in all regards: the performances, the rich story, the soaring emotions, and the gorgeously inventive cinematography. My favorite thing about the movie is it’s epically goosebump-inducing finale that stands next to any final scene in cinematic history.
14. Spider-Man (2002)
PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco
Votes: 879,587 | Gross: $403.71M
Sam Raimi’s 2002 superhero masterpiece Spider-Man is oozing with color, energy, and style from start to finish. In this throughly original and innovative film, Raimi completely revolutionizes and reinvents the modern superhero movie, ushering in a new era of cinema. Despite the campy and lighter tone of the film as a whole, the movie takes the story’s complex characters and deep and real themes about adulthood, responsibility, betrayal, loss, and love totally seriously. Moreover, the casting is utterly perfect, as Maguire, Simmons, and Dafoe have essentially cemented themselves as the definitive cinematic portrayal of their respective characters to this day. The movie is just exhilarating, and something about this film fervently reminds me about the magic of cinema every single time I watch it.
15. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 920,490 | Gross: $28.26M
Taxi Driver is one of the most hypnotic and magnetic films ever made. You can’t look away from the screen for one second even if you want to. Scorsese directorial mastery is on full display, and De Niro gives one of the best and most multi-dimensional performances in cinematic history.
16. Whiplash (2014)
R | 106 min | Drama, Music
A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.
Director: Damien Chazelle | Stars: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser
Votes: 989,053 | Gross: $13.09M
Whiplash quickly established Damien Chazelle as one of the best directors of his entire generation. In my eyes, it is already cemented as one of the greatest and most well crafted movies of all time. Chazelle’s masterful direction, along with the brilliant performances, completely immerses the audience into a surprisingly stressful and white knuckled story that leaves no room for sentimentality or escape until the final frame. Every scene, every note, every glance between Neiman and Fletcher is a masterclass in storytelling, with each crescendo and crash building towards an unforgettable climax that is as explosive as it is emotionally resonant.
17. Liar Liar (1997)
PG-13 | 86 min | Comedy, Fantasy
A pathological liar-lawyer finds his career turned upside down when he inexplicably cannot physically lie for 24 whole hours.
Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Amanda Donohoe, Jennifer Tilly
Votes: 333,348 | Gross: $181.41M
Liar Liar is quite possibly my favorite comedy of all time. At the very least, it’s the one I find to be the most rewatchable. For starters, the script is honed to a razor’s edge - every single scene is hugely clever, and the scenarios written for Carrey’s Fletcher Reed are increasingly hilarious and inescapable for Reed as the narrative unravels. Also, the movie is chock full of of heart and really achieves at evoking some big emotions when it wants to. Moreover, the movie is casted to absolute perfection and even the small characters in the movie leave an impression. At the end of the day, the movie’s greatest strength ultimately lies in Jim Carrey’s unparalleled comedic genius. His performance hilariously depicts the funniest descent into madness ever shown on screen, and Carrey is the one who makes it work as well as it foes, scene-in-scene-out.
18. The Shining (1980)
R | 146 min | Drama, Horror
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Votes: 1,106,429 | Gross: $44.02M
The Shining is, in my eyes, the greatest psychological horror movie ever made. Stanley Kubrick masterfully weaves an atmosphere of unrelenting tension and dread with one of the most iconic horror narratives of all time. With its isolating setting and the brilliant performance by Jack Nicholson as the increasingly unhinged Jack Torrance, the film draws you into a world of escalating madness like few other films in cinematic history. Kubrick’s vision and meticulous attention to detail and his masterful use of visual storytelling create an uncanny sense of unease that lingers long after the credits roll.
19. Gone with the Wind (1939)
Passed | 238 min | Drama, Romance, War
A sheltered and manipulative Southern belle and a roguish profiteer face off in a turbulent romance as the society around them crumbles with the end of slavery and is rebuilt during the Civil War and Reconstruction periods.
Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood | Stars: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O'Neil
Votes: 334,232 | Gross: $198.68M
More than 80 years after it’s release, Gone With The Wind is still a monumental achievement of the likes cinema will never seen again. With its sprawling landscapes, lavish costumes, amazing sets, breathtaking cinematography, and unforgettable performances, the film is the epic to end all epics. Though history serves as a landscape for the narrative, at its heart, Gone with the Wind is a timeless, rich, and powerful story of resilience, independence, and the loss of innocence
20. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
R | 108 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne
Votes: 1,077,806 | Gross: $34.40M
Memories, good and bad, are precious. They craft us into the people we are, and we should cherish them. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind changed my life in how powerfully it made me realize this fact of life. The film is one of the most moving and poignant in all of romance cinema, and, if you ask me, one of the most beautiful and profound movies ever made.
21. Casino (1995)
R | 178 min | Crime, Drama
In Las Vegas, two best friends - a casino executive and a mafia enforcer - compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods
Votes: 563,807 | Gross: $42.44M
Martin Scorsese’s endlessly entertaining and enthralling gangster epic is one of my favorite crime films ever. The soaring movie has one of the most well crafted and engaging scripts in any Scorsese flick, and the ensemble cast does more than enough to make each scene captivating and memorable in its own right.
22. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
R | 102 min | Drama
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
Votes: 898,631 | Gross: $3.64M
Darren Aronofsky’s magnum opus, Requiem for a Dream, is the most emotionally wrecking movie I’ve ever experienced. Its disturbing depiction of addiction is so rich with nuance that the movie manages to have an impressive double meaning, exploring the ruination that comes with drug addiction, as well as the the potential downfall that can come from obsession with escapism and our own personal dreams and pursuits… of which can be an addiction in themselves. The film is immaculately edited and directed with a myriad of creativity and inventiveness, resulting in one of the most original and powerful dramas of all time.
23. Toy Story 3 (2010)
G | 103 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The toys are mistakenly delivered to a day-care center instead of the attic right before Andy leaves for college, and it's up to Woody to convince the other toys that they weren't abandoned and to return home.
Director: Lee Unkrich | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty
Votes: 892,341 | Gross: $415.00M
No matter how many times I watch Toy Story 3, I’m holding back tears. The emotions this movie conjures are as massive as nearly any nearly any movie in the history of cinema. The film’s story is simply beautiful, and its touching message about growing up and the power of nostalgia is important and impactful across all ages.
24. Forrest Gump (1994)
PG-13 | 142 min | Drama, Romance
The history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field
Votes: 2,256,457 | Gross: $330.25M
Forrest Gump is one of the most refreshing and original movies to ever grace the silver screen. Director Robert Zemeckis masterfully combines visual effects and phenomenal storytelling to create a timeless tale of resilience, love, and the beauty of life's unexpected moments. The film is an absolute a cinematic triumph and one of the most rewatchable dramas of all time.
25. Raging Bull (1980)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Votes: 380,159 | Gross: $23.38M
Director Martin Scorsese crafted one of his true masterpieces in this 1980 study of machoism, insecurity, jealousy, and rage. From Robert De Niro’s era-defining performance, to the spellbindingly beautiful cinematography, to the all-time great editing, and to Scorsese’s masterful direction, Raging Bull packs a powerful punch on all fronts.
26. American History X (1998)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama
Living a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.
Director: Tony Kaye | Stars: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Lien
Votes: 1,186,066 | Gross: $6.72M
In my eyes, American History X is cinema’s greatest movie centered around race relations. The movie portrays the harrowing depths of racism and hate with an unflinching honesty and rawness - showing the horrible cycle that hate initiates in a profoundly emotional way. Led by one of the best cinematic performances of all time, by Edward Norton, the movie is discomforting and disturbing, but, ultimately, an extremely important and powerful reminder about the poison of hate.
27. Braveheart (1995)
R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, War
Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen
Votes: 1,091,210 | Gross: $75.60M
Braveheart is the epic of a generation. Packed with jaw-dropping battle sequences, rich Shakespearian-esque drama, and a shining Mel Gibson outing, both as an actor and as a director, the film is a timeless, epic, magnum opus… and my all-time favorite war film.
28. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama
In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.
Director: Vittorio De Sica | Stars: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri
Votes: 175,127 | Gross: $0.33M
Bicycle Thieves is a masterpiece of Italian neorealism that stands as one of the most gut-wrenching, emotionally impactful, and thematically rich portrayals of poverty ever made. Through an almost peculiarly simple story, the film is able to convey complex societal themes that stir both the viewer’s thoughts and emotions in a hugely profound way.
29. Signs (2002)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A widowed former reverend living with his children and brother on a Pennsylvania farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields, which suggests something more frightening to come.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin
Votes: 385,636 | Gross: $227.97M
M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 Sci-Fi masterpiece is a gem that doesn’t get recognized for its shine nearly enough. I fall in love with Signs every time I watch it. The movie is masterful in the way it builds suspense and tension. It truly makes the audience feel as if they are in the room with the characters, experiencing every emotion, both minute and grand, in complete unison. Other than being one of the most suspenseful movies that I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience, Signs, at its core, is a soulful and poignant story about faith, family, and grief. In a movie about extra terrestrials, Sign’s biggest strength lies in how human it all is.
30. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
R | 118 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
In the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú
Votes: 702,919 | Gross: $37.63M
Guillermo del Toro’s adult-fantasy film is, in my opinion, the greatest fantasy film ever created. Pan’s Labyrinth is rich with emotion and power, seamlessly blending the daunting and the beautiful to create a truly unique and timeless story about escapism, a child’s imagination, moral rebellion, and fascism.
31. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
R | 153 min | Adventure, Drama, War
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mélanie Laurent
Votes: 1,583,692 | Gross: $120.54M
Inglorious Basterds was the first Tarantino movie I watched. After I finished it, I couldn’t wait to go through his entire discography. In my eyes, it’s the famed director’s magnum opus and one of the most original movies of all time. The perfectly executed stylistic endeavors, the tension, the colorful characters, and the flawlessly penned dialogue all merge together to create a film where pure creativity and screenwriting brilliance is pouring out of the screen in every single scene.
32. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
PG | 130 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.
Director: Frank Capra | Stars: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell
Votes: 499,064
It’s A Wonderful Life is as timeless and enduring as a film can get. Decades since its release, audiences have continued to find themselves completely engulfed this near-flawless Christmas classic. No matter how many times I rewatch it, It’s A Wonderful Life never fails to evoke profound emotional reaction from me. In my eyes, it’s the most uplifting and inspiring film ever made.
33. The Exorcist (1973)
R | 122 min | Horror
When a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb
Votes: 454,868 | Gross: $232.91M
The Exorcist is what I consider to be the ultimate horror movie. It’s original, influential, masterfully directed, brilliantly performed… but most of all… absolutely disturbing and terrifying to the core. 50 years later and this horror classic still hasn’t lost any punch. William Freidkin’s masterpiece is a must-see experience for any horror fan. Heck, for anybody really.
34. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
PG | 118 min | Action, Adventure
In 1935, Indiana Jones is tasked by Indian villagers with reclaiming a rock stolen from them by a secret cult beneath the catacombs of an ancient palace.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri
Votes: 535,194 | Gross: $179.87M
If you couldn’t tell by glancing at the rest of my list, Indiana Jones is without a doubt my favorite movie franchise of all time. Temple of Doom is an earth-shatteringly bold and daring adventure that never ceases to entertain. Blazingly memorable at every turn, the movie crescendoes to one of the most exciting and stirring third acts in any action movie. It’s a perfect followup to Raiders and one of the greatest sequels of all time.
35. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
R | 136 min | Crime, Sci-Fi
In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates, Warren Clarke
Votes: 881,188 | Gross: $6.21M
A Clockwork Orange is possibly Kubrick’s most daring, provocative, and intellectually compelling work. The film ferociously demands attention from the viewer as well as their introspection. Very few movies that I’ve ever seen have provoked my contemplation to the extent of this one. The movie ingeniously challenges our perceptions of society, free will, morality, and human nature. The moral dilemmas Kubrick poses throughout are executed with emotion, style, and nuance, resulting in one of the greatest and most thought-provoking movies in cinematic history.
36. Skyfall (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench
Votes: 731,023 | Gross: $304.36M
Skyfall is the perfect Bond movie and an impeccable action film. It is the franchise’s highest moment of craftsmanship and artistry - equipped with an all-time great Bond villain, thrilling action sequences, an abundance of wit, mesmerizing cinematography, and numerous dramatic emotional gut-punches, Skyfall is one of the most enthralling movies within its entire genre.
37. Django Unchained (2012)
R | 165 min | Drama, Western
With the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington
Votes: 1,694,743 | Gross: $162.81M
Django Unchained deserves to be heralded next to Western classics such as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Once Upon a Time In The West, Unforgiven, etc. Personally, it’s my favorite western of all time and one of Tarantino’s most impressive masterpieces. Dripping with style (and blood), the film is ruthlessly entertaining, cool, and rewatchable.
38. The Ten Commandments (1956)
G | 220 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Moses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.
Director: Cecil B. DeMille | Stars: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson
Votes: 77,840 | Gross: $93.74M
The Ten Commandments is definitely on the Mount Rushmore of movie epics. It is as rich in heart and soul as it is lavish in its presentation, captivating the audience thoroughly through its nearly 4 hour runtime. Charlton Heston's commanding portrayal of Moses is legendary and Cecile B. DeMille’s visionary direction results in a timeless cinematic achievement.
39. The Incredibles (2004)
PG | 115 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
While trying to lead a quiet suburban life, a family of undercover superheroes are forced into action to save the world.
Director: Brad Bird | Stars: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee
Votes: 808,448 | Gross: $261.44M
The Incredibles is one of the most blazingly lovable animated movies ever made. Beyond the enchanting action sequences, quotable humor, unique style, and amazing characters, the film tells a poignantly adult story about marriage, parenthood, and embracing one’s true self.
40. Nightcrawler (2014)
R | 117 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When Louis Bloom, a con man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story.
Director: Dan Gilroy | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Bill Paxton, Riz Ahmed
Votes: 604,512 | Gross: $32.38M
Nightcrawler is a 2010s movie in 1970s wrapping paper. The film is undoubtedly one of the greatest character studies of all time and a genius portrayal at the immorality of the modern media and the dark sides of capitalism. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Lou Bloom acts somewhat as a metaphor for both intersecting themes, as Gyllenhaal delivers one of the most chilling and memorable performances of the 21st century.
41. Casino Royale (2006)
PG-13 | 144 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
After earning 00 status and a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, Montenegro.
Director: Martin Campbell | Stars: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright
Votes: 694,475 | Gross: $167.45M
Casino Royale redefines James Bond with thrilling action, intense performances, and a perfect balance of espionage and drama. Dripping with style, originality, and raw emotion, in my eyes, it is one of the best action movies ever released.
42. The Prestige (2006)
PG-13 | 130 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
After a tragic accident, two stage magicians in 1890s London engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine
Votes: 1,440,898 | Gross: $53.09M
Much like an unforgettable magic trick, Christopher Nolan’s genre-bending masterpiece, The Prestige, leaves the viewer in awe and wondering how it was all accomplished. The film serves as a masterclass showing in audience manipulation, character development, and artful blending of moods and genres.
43. The Terminator (1984)
R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield
Votes: 923,999 | Gross: $38.40M
Although T2 is phenomenal, the first film in this iconic action franchise is an equally brilliant Sci-Fi flick, elevating this classic beyond the majority of films in either genre. Emotional, suspenseful, and surprisingly thought provoking, it is one of the defining movies of the 1980’s.
44. Happy Gilmore (1996)
PG-13 | 92 min | Comedy, Sport
After his grandmothers house is repossessed by the IRS, bad tempered hockey player takes his talents to golf to earn the big bucks and get his grandmothers house back.
Director: Dennis Dugan | Stars: Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Frances Bay
Votes: 248,421 | Gross: $38.62M
The first time I watched Happy Gilmore, I nearly suffocated on the floor of my friend’s house due to excessive laughter. For that reason, it throughly earns a spot in my top 50 favorite movies of all time.
45. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After being dumped by the girl he believes to be his soulmate, hopeless romantic Tom Hansen reflects on their relationship to try and figure out where things went wrong and how he can win her back.
Director: Marc Webb | Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Geoffrey Arend, Chloë Grace Moretz
Votes: 557,843 | Gross: $32.39M
500 Days of Summer is what I consider to be the single greatest romantic comedy ever made. It’s an equally joyous and devastating story with brilliantly complicated characters in the center. Tom and Summer feel ripped directly from the real world, then placed into Mark Webb’s eccentric and dramatic reality where everyone is unintentionally hilarious, but their music taste is absolutely incredible.
46. Frequency (2000)
PG-13 | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An accidental cross-time radio link connects father and son across 30 years. The son tries to save his father's life, but then must fix the consequences.
Director: Gregory Hoblit | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Shawn Doyle, Elizabeth Mitchell
Votes: 115,727 | Gross: $45.01M
Frequency is a severely under-appreciated sci-fi masterpiece that, in my eyes, should stand next to any Sci-Fi classic that has released in this entire century. A brilliant genre-bending story rich with mystery, suspense, drama, and, of course, science fiction, the unique story ultimately culminates in one one of cinema’s most heart-pumping and thrilling climaxes. Add to that, it’s just a touching little story about family and loss.
47. Jurassic Park (1993)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough
Votes: 1,066,888 | Gross: $402.45M
Director Steven Spielberg’s 1993 Sci-Fi thriller is entertaining to the bone… literally. A thrilling and white-knuckled adventure that manages to be rich with emotion, this edge-of-your-seat masterpiece is one of the greatest and most innovative blockbusters of all time.
48. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
PG-13 | 113 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
I.R.S. auditor Harold Crick suddenly finds his mundane Chicago life to be the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire existence, from his work to his love life to his death.
Director: Marc Forster | Stars: Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah
Votes: 236,444 | Gross: $40.14M
Stranger Than Fiction is the quintessential dramedy, as the themes in the film literally explore how the tragic and comedic apply to a person’s life. In this overlooked masterpiece, you will find yourself laughing in one scene and crying in the next. It is a seamless amalgamation of two supposedly contradictory genres. The movie is as clever and humorous as it is touching and thematic. Add to that, Will Ferrell gives the performance of his life.
49. Blue Velvet (1986)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern
Votes: 215,668 | Gross: $8.55M
Blue Velvet is arguably legendary director David Lynch’s greatest achievement on the big screen. The beautifully constructed but ultimately unsettling depiction of duality in American society, as well as the human psyche, is utterly entrancing. Hugely rewarding on subsequent rewatches, it is a thought-provoking film layered in nuance and complexity that still manages to be a hugely entertaining white-knuckled film noir mystery at its core. Blue Velvet is surely one of the best movies of the 1980s and stands as maybe the most iconic and famous mark of Lynch’s uncompromising and unique directorial style.
50. The Departed (2006)
R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Votes: 1,422,001 | Gross: $132.38M
Martin Scorsese’s gripping crime thriller keeps the viewer glued to the screen from start to finish like few other movies in cinema. The direction is skillfully calculated and the script is flawlessly crafted, resulting in one of the most riveting crime films ever made.
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