Apocalypse Now (1979)
#35
Totally immersive filmmaking, soaked in mythology and obsession. Coppola leaves it all on the screen. It turned my head upside down and inside out, and I discover something new each time I watch it. - Michael Sheen
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: TimeOut's 35 Best Movies of All Time.
TimeOut magazine polled 83 working actors for their personal top 10 films and used those lists to make a list of 100 Best Movies of All Time. Here we have the top 35 films from that poll. Which of these is #1 on your list?
Make Your Choice
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Life Is Beautiful (1997)
#34 This film captivated me from start to finish. To bring so much light, humor and love to the most dire and evil of situations is genius. I'd like to think it reflects the best parts of our humanity. - David Gyasi -
All About Eve (1950)
#33 A perfect plot and incomparable performances throughout. - Celia Imrie -
There Will Be Blood (2007)
#32 I was lucky enough to catch this at its Ziegfeld premiere, where a manic Paul Thomas Anderson was constantly sprinting between his seat and the projector booth in order to get the sound levels right (and by 'right" I mean "louder"). It could have been distracting, but I guess that’s the luxury of knowing that the crowd can't take their eyes off the screen. - David Ehrlich, New York associate film editor, Time Out -
La Vie En Rose (2007)
#31 Marion Cotillard in this film is my bench mark for a best-actress award. If you're not as good as her, then you don't deserve it. - Katie McGrath -
The Apartment (1960)
#30 A wonderful satire about corporate culture and how people are used by it. Bitter and sweet, this is one of my favorites by Wilder. - Betty Buckley -
Chinatown (1974)
#29 The height of my favorite movie star's career. Jack is subtle and bemused in this, trusting his director's brilliance. It has all the humor, intelligence and darkness you'd expect from Polanski and writer Robert Towne. I can watch it over and over. - Patrick Kennedy -
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
#28 This brilliant, atmospheric thriller is Robert Mitchum's finest hour. Daring for its time, it's about a serial-killer preacher who targets women. It's also notable for being the only film ever directed by actor Charles Laughton. He was a master in the making. - Emma Kennedy -
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
#27 A horror film that makes you hear baby bumps in the night! It's been on my mind lately as a pivotal turning point between old-school thrillers—ones that might be called "Transylvanian"—and a new breed of modern fear: urban, chatty, cynical. - Joshua Rothkopf, New York film editor -
Fargo (1996)
#26 I've seen Fargo more times than I can count at this point. Marge Gunderson is such an aspirational character for me, both as an actor and as a human. She's who I want to be when I grow up. - Mary Elizabeth Winstead -
Some Like It Hot (1959)
#25 I had an obsession with Marilyn Monroe from the age of 10 and this is one of my favorites. - Joanne Froggatt -
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
#24 This is balls-to-the-wall, fearless, theatrical, old-school, Hollywood-royalty movie acting. - BD Wong -
Raging Bull (1980)
#23 Brutal and beautiful. This opened up the possibilities of what film acting could be to me. - Michael Sheen -
Jaws (1975)
#22 I watch it every Fourth of July. It has everything you'd want in a movie. It's what we'll show the aliens when they land: "This is called a movie." - Bill Hader -
La haine (1995)
#21 This bristles with authenticity and realism, and yet it's such a honed and composed vision. It's probably my favorite film ever. It's dangerous, hilarious, bold, game-changing. - Riz Ahmed -
Gladiator (2000)
#20 I remember being so awed when I watched this. I was completely thrilled by the scale of the battle and the gladiator scenes, and I was lost in the darkness of Joaquin Phoenix's performance as Commodus. - George MacKay -
Pulp Fiction (1994)
#19 I am drawn to filmmakers who are blessed enough to take the rules, respect them and flip them on their head—all the while maintaining an entertaining piece. Tarantino personifies that here. - David Gyasi -
Breaking the Waves (1996)
#18 The first time I saw this film, I thought my heart was going to burst. There was an immediacy to the filmmaking that I had never experienced before. I loved the chapter cards and the '70s rock songs, and I was so completely swept up in that mad, sick, romantic, tragic story. Everyone in the film is fantastic, especially my all-time favorite actress Katrin Cartlidge, but Emily Watson is totally devastating. The performance has a transcendence to it, like she's channeling spirits. It is so intense and so real, and the camera is totally merged with her, and you're just feeling, almost physically, every second of this performance which swings from childlike naïveté to violent and complicated sexuality to absolute grief and despair. It's unbelievable. - Melanie Lynskey -
The Shining (1980)
#17 Contemplating the sheer mastery that went into this film—from its Steadicam tracking shots to its overall glacial freeze—is almost too frightening to bear. I don't need the movie to be some kind of hidden apology for faking the Apollo moon landing (as some conspirators have suggested) for it to work for me. Perfect to watch on a snowy day as the light slants sideways. - Joshua Rothkopf, New York film editor -
On the Waterfront (1954)
#16 I know, I know, I'm biased. But what an amazing film that absolutely captures what was a sea change in American acting. Iconic for a reason. - Zoe Kazan -
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
#15 This movie changed my life forever. I saw it for the first time when I was five years old, and even then I remember worshipping the Wicked Witch of the West. Margaret Hamilton just looked like she was having the most fun of anyone. And that's the exact moment I knew what I wanted to do with my life. - Kristen Johnston -
Kes (1969)
#14 You might have to watch this one with subtitles, the Yorkshire accents are so thick. But it's worth it. A scene where a young boy explains to his class how he trains a kestrel is one of the truly transcendent moments in film. It's beautiful. - Bill Hader -
Withnail and I (1987)
#13 Every line of dialogue is quotable gold. The first time I saw it I wanted to write down each word but was far too mesmerized. It's as hilarious as it's heartbreaking. I heard Bruce Robinson originally imagined the film as a novel, which makes sense given its sweeping literary tone. It plays out like a grand old classic. - John Gallagher Jr. -
Goodfellas (1990)
#12 If it is on, I have to watch it. The sheer epic scope of the passage of time noted by voiceover, music and stellar production design makes it a masterpiece in my eyes. There isn't a false note to be found among the many sprawling performances by an utterly perfect ensemble. - John Gallagher Jr. -
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
#11 Brilliant and unexpected. Al Pacino and John Cazale give two beautiful performances in the kind of movie I always wanted to be in. Also, the late Sidney Lumet is a director I would have loved to work with. - Freddie Fox -
Taxi Driver (1976)
#10 I first saw this when I was in fifth grade at a sleepover and it completely changed my life. For me it's the best directed and acted film of all time. If you want to learn how to act on film, all you have to do is watch Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver. - Bill Hader -
The Red Shoes (1948)
#9 Pretty much perfect in every way. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were masters, and this film about the heights and depths of creativity makes full use of their talents. - Zoe Kazan -
Boogie Nights (1997)
#8 His films are where you dream of being as an actor. - Patrick Kennedy -
Annie Hall (1977)
#7 When I think of this film, I think of two scenes: first, Diane Keaton and Woody Allen's characters struggling to cook lobsters; second, Woody's Alvy going for Easter lunch with Annie's relatives and us seeing how they all see him as a rabbi. The rapport between Woody and Diane is electric. The film now feels like a blueprint for so many that came later on—and not just Woody's own. - Dave Calhoun, Global film editor, Time Out -
The Godfather Part II (1974)
#6 There's the taut, simmering intensity of Al Pacino; there's the warm, swaggering charisma of Robert De Niro; and there’s Robert Duvall's masterfully understated performance. I mean, it's The Godfather—what can I say? - Riz Ahmed -
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
#5 It's my favorite book, and they didn't *beep* it up. "Stand up, your father is passing"—the line still makes me weep. It's a masterclass in how it is always better to do what is right than what is popular. - [link=Emma Kennedy] -
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
#4 I seriously wonder if the people who dismiss this film have ears. Cinema Paradiso is mainly a delivery device for Ennio Morricone's most profoundly emotional score—and there’s a lot of competition for that title. Overall, it’s a pure an expression of movie love as I have ever seen. - Joshua Rothkopf, New York film editor -
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
#3 Gena Rowlands made such an impact on me. She is one of my great influences. - Betty Buckley -
The Godfather (1972)
#2 The richness of the world that Francis Ford Coppola creates, and the stillness of Al Pacino's performance—I almost luxuriate in these things because the feeling is so intense. - George MacKay -
Tootsie (1982)
#1 Who doesn't want to see Dustin Hoffman in a dress talking with a southern accent? - Nick Kroll
