My 30 Favorite Films Of All Time

by murphwhee11 | created - 27 Oct 2012 | updated - 19 Jul 2013 | Public

In Order of my favorite movies No Sequels

 Refine See titles to watch instantly, titles you haven't rated, etc
  • Instant Watch Options
  • Genres
  • Movies or TV
  • IMDb Rating
  • In Theaters
  • Release Year
  • Keywords




IMDb user rating (average) to
Number of votes to »




Reset
Release year or range to »




































































































1. The Dark Knight (2008)

PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama

84 Metascore

When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine

Votes: 2,869,224 | Gross: $534.86M

All around definitely the greatest movie ever in my opinion. Heath Ledger's joker made the movie. RIP...............and yes technically its a sequel but really who cares when its this good.

2. Pulp Fiction (1994)

R | 154 min | Crime, Drama

95 Metascore

The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis

Votes: 2,218,739 | Gross: $107.93M

One of the craziest films I have ever seen. All the performances are great and the dialog is one of the best ever. Especially Samuel L. Jackson's.

3. Se7en (1995)

R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

65 Metascore

Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.

Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker

Votes: 1,797,996 | Gross: $100.13M

This film literally had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Quite possibly the most intense movie I've ever seen. The storyline and setup are amazing and Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey in particular are great.

4. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

R | 133 min | Drama

84 Metascore

In the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.

Director: Milos Forman | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman, Peter Brocco

Votes: 1,071,871 | Gross: $112.00M

Not only is this movie a great dramatic piece it is also hilarious. Danny DeVito's performance is honestly one of my favorite in history and the ending is one of the best too.

5. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

R | 142 min | Drama

82 Metascore

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: 2,887,090 | Gross: $28.34M

Many consider this the greatest film ever. I think its amazing but not the best. It is one of the best storylines ever and it's another great ending.

6. The Godfather (1972)

R | 175 min | Crime, Drama

100 Metascore

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: 2,011,188 | Gross: $134.97M

Greatest mobster movie ever. And there's been a lot of good ones. How can you beat Marlon Brando. The lines are given perfectly by every actor. So brilliant.

7. Forrest Gump (1994)

PG-13 | 142 min | Drama, Romance

82 Metascore

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: 2,255,505 | Gross: $330.25M

Another one of the greatest performances ever. Tom Hanks is fantastic and the story is so crazy that it somehow works. Heartwarming and very funny.

8. Goodfellas (1990)

R | 145 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

92 Metascore

The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco

Votes: 1,256,661 | Gross: $46.84M

Another amazing mob movie. All three leads played by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci, are played perfectly. I thought the ending was somewhat predictable but it by no means takes away from the rest of the greatness.

9. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

R | 153 min | Adventure, Drama, War

69 Metascore

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: 1,582,997 | Gross: $120.54M

Crazy and hilarious dark humor has been perfected by Quentin Tarantino and this film proves it. Anything that is happening in this film is always intriguing and Tarantino always uses Christoph Waltz so well. I think this is Waltz greatest performance ever as a cowardly villain.

10. V for Vendetta (2005)

R | 132 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

62 Metascore

In a future British dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow the tyrannical government - with the help of a young woman.

Director: James McTeigue | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves, Stephen Rea

Votes: 1,178,925 | Gross: $70.51M

This movie surprised me a lot. The mysterious character named V is so interesting and is one of my favorite movie characters. I honestly expected it to be boring but this film blew me away with not only storyline but great action.

11. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

R | 169 min | Drama, War

91 Metascore

Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns

Votes: 1,495,718 | Gross: $216.54M

By far the most realistic war film of all time. The opening scene on the beach is one of the greatest scenes ever. And Tom Hanks as always is compelling.

12. No Country for Old Men (2007)

R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

92 Metascore

Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.

Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson

Votes: 1,059,539 | Gross: $74.28M

I said Se7en was maybe the most intense movie ever but this movie is a close second. I was sweating through this film because it was so intense. It doesn't do it with action but just uses its story. And the opening and closing monologues by Tommy Lee Jones are two of my favorite parts.

13. Zodiac (2007)

R | 157 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

79 Metascore

Between 1968 and 1983, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.

Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards

Votes: 598,011 | Gross: $33.08M

This is another film that really surprised me. I think it is one of the most underrated movies ever. The writing is superb and there are certain moments in the film that are so creepy you think you're watching a horror film. Call this unexpected indeed.

14. Signs (2002)

PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

59 Metascore

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: 385,536 | Gross: $227.97M

This is the most underrated movie ever in my opinion. I honestly believe its Shymalan's best film. Mel Gibson is great and I always enjoy a good old M. Night twist and I think this is one of his greatest.

15. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

PG | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

90 Metascore

Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.

Director: George Lucas | Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness

Votes: 1,448,991 | Gross: $322.74M

It may not have the best dialoque ever but it's such a revolutionary and exciting film that it cancels out into greatness. I mean what would the world be without Star Wars?? Honestly??

16. Rocky (1976)

PG | 120 min | Drama, Sport

70 Metascore

A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.

Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers

Votes: 628,147 | Gross: $117.24M

Greatest underdog story ever. Stallone's best work by far and some of the best sports action ever in film. Even with all the action packed boxing and somewhat cheesy lines, it still maintains a great storyline.

17. Django Unchained (2012)

R | 165 min | Drama, Western

81 Metascore

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: 1,693,984 | Gross: $162.81M

I was not oogling over this film like so many because honestly it's not Tarantino's best work. Not in the same category with Pulp Fiction. But for this to be your third best movie..............u must know youre good. It's another film by Quentin with a little bit of everything.

18. Good Will Hunting (1997)

R | 126 min | Drama, Romance

71 Metascore

Will Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.

Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård

Votes: 1,067,201 | Gross: $138.43M

Such an emotional and heartfelt film. Two great performances by Matt Damon and Robin Williams. I like it because it just seems so real.

19. Rain Man (1988)

R | 133 min | Drama

65 Metascore

After a selfish L.A. yuppie learns his estranged father left a fortune to an autistic-savant brother in Ohio that he didn't know existed, he absconds with his brother and sets out across the country, hoping to gain a larger inheritance.

Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen

Votes: 546,381 | Gross: $178.80M

I have a mentally handicapped brother with Downs Syndrome and this film really hit home with me. I love the setup of Tom Cruise having to take in his brother because that's such a real life situation. One of the greatest performances ever by Dustin Hoffman. This film and surprisingly One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest are very realistic.

20. Fargo (1996)

R | 98 min | Crime, Thriller

88 Metascore

Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.

Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare

Votes: 726,311 | Gross: $24.61M

I got really into this film. It flowed really nicely and there are literally so many great performances and characters. Steve Buscemi and Frances McDormand for sure............and I love the accents. Oh Ya??.......Ya!!

21. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

PG | 91 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

91 Metascore

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.

Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones | Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam

Votes: 570,031 | Gross: $1.23M

Best comedic movie I've ever seen. Such a unique sense of humor from Monty Python. The whole movie just keeps you watching and of course being funny means great writing.

22. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

86 Metascore

A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.

Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine

Votes: 1,547,475 | Gross: $130.74M

Such a creepy film. But that's what makes it good. Anthony Hopkins is great of course but the whole delivery and suspense of the film is just wonderful. I feel for Ted Levine also for having to play such a weirdo.

23. District 9 (2009)

R | 112 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

81 Metascore

Violence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.

Director: Neill Blomkamp | Stars: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Vanessa Haywood

Votes: 716,566 | Gross: $115.65M

One of the most unique films ever. Most films like this bomb but this one somehow pulled it off. Its always interesting for the entire running time and it succeeds in making u you feel for and like the main character

24. Planet of the Apes (1968)

G | 112 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi

79 Metascore

An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans

Votes: 193,036 | Gross: $33.40M

This is just so legendary. Its mainly on here because I have just always loved it. So revolutionary back in the day. When I was a young kid I would be so interested by this film and I forced myself to love all the sequels.

25. Psycho (1960)

R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

97 Metascore

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: 717,953 | Gross: $32.00M

Alfred Hitchcock is a legend and this film is why. It is very exciting, the production is amazing, and its genuinely scary and intense. The ending is showstopping and quite creepy. I can't imagine how crazy this film must've been when it first came out.

26. Rudy (1993)

PG | 114 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

71 Metascore

Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.

Director: David Anspaugh | Stars: Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty, Greta Lind

Votes: 69,049 | Gross: $22.75M

I always like sports films and this one really makes you relate to the lead character, Rudy. You feel like you go through all the hardships that Rudy does and by the end if you don't get emotional you might be a robot.

27. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

R | 116 min | Drama, War

78 Metascore

A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.

Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Baldwin

Votes: 790,064 | Gross: $46.36M

I honestly have never been a big Kubrick fan but this one I love. It's another very realistic and well written war film. And it's surprisingly funny but gets intense and important when it needs to. That's just good film-making.

28. Memento (2000)

R | 113 min | Mystery, Thriller

83 Metascore

A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior

Votes: 1,322,302 | Gross: $25.54M

At first this film seemed kind of boring and I thought I'd be disappointed. But it takes such a turn for the better by the end that you get so into the story that the ending just blows you away.

29. Field of Dreams (1989)

PG | 107 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy

57 Metascore

Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife, Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true.

Director: Phil Alden Robinson | Stars: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Amy Madigan

Votes: 128,013 | Gross: $64.43M

Another sports film that just hits home. The story is so unrealistic but it works and it's one of the funnest films in my opinion. Even with all the fun, great writing sets in and its another extremely emotional and heartfelt film.

30. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

PG-13 | 113 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

67 Metascore

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: 236,419 | Gross: $40.14M

I thought this was a very heartfelt film. I also think it is by far Will Ferrell's best performance ever. Its witty and unique and has excellent acting.



Recently Viewed