My 133 Favorite Movies of All Time
List activity
48 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
133 titles
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.My all-time favorite for so many reasons: originated my love-affair with Tolkien and fantasy literature; the world-building and acting and cinematography are off the charts; Howard Shore's breathtaking score; and the entire sequence in Moria and the breaking of the Fellowship at the end are two of my all time favorite moments in film. Ultimately I love LOTR (both books and films) because the story is a masterful exploration of friendship, courage, loyalty, the lure of power, and the meaning of death, mercy, and hope.
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherAfter the Rebel Alliance are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.The best Star Wars film featuring the greatest Star Wars moment: Luke vs. Vader and the "I am your father" reveal.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.Epic and yet intimate, a thunderous and emotionally powerful conclusion to the greatest film trilogy of all time.
- DirectorRichard MarquandStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherAfter rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebel Alliance attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side.For me Return is right behind Empire: there are so many fantastic sequences - the destruction of Jabba, Yoda's death, the battle of Endor (land and space), Luke's journey to the edge of the dark side and his refusal to go over that line, and Vader's redemption.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris HemsworthMark RuffaloThe Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.An unprecedented accomplishment which brought together ten years of MCU movie-making and story-telling. The movie had the characteristic MCU fun, but it also had the gravity, emotion, and surprises of a true epic. The whole idea of the good guys losing and the seemingly impossible situation which that sets up for Endgame is ingenious. Favorite sequences: Thor meets the Guardians, Cap & friends rescue Vision and Scarlet Witch, the death of Gamora, the battle on Titan, the Forge, and the battle in Wakanda. Alan Silvestri's score is also the best of the entire MCU.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansMark RuffaloAfter the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe.Endgame is an incredibly well-crafted and emotionally compelling conclusion to the first three phases of the MCU. The strength of the movie is in the individual and shared journeys of the characters, especially the original six Avengers. Robert Downey Jr. certainly saved his best for last. He was simply outstanding in his final turn as Tony Stark/Iron Man. The other performances were also very good. The plot - which could easily have become convoluted or overloaded - accomplished something amazing: it allowed the events of Infinity War to matter, it showcased the heroes in their grief and attempts to 'move on,' it gave the villain new motivation for being evil, and it brought together almost all of the threads of the MCU in a way that not only concludes phase three but also sets the groundwork for phase four. The Russo brothers have accomplished something monumental here.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsPeter O'TooleAlec GuinnessAnthony QuinnThe story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.This classic is at one and the same time an incredible character study and a sprawling epic which in many ways still remains unsurpassed in scope and grandeur. Peter O'Toole's turn as Lawrence is one of the greatest performances of all time. The desert itself is a character - vast, inhospitable, deadly, and breathtaking. The legendary cast - Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, and Omar Shariff - are all amazing. The score is beautiful and soaring. The scene in which Lawrence meets Sherif Ali for the first time is one of the absolute best in film history.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.I was stunned the first time I watched Vertigo. It is a psychologically dark tale of obsession, identity, deceit, murder, and a longing to be loved with a twist so surprising and consequential that it is impossible not to be absorbed while watching the film and then left pondering it for days afterward. Jimmy Stewart is simply fantastic as Scottie, the former police detective who spins out of control in his obsession with Madeleine. The score is haunting and the cinematography is beautiful. The scenes in which Madeleine visits Carlotta's grave and gazes at her portrait in the gallery are particularly mesmerizing.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsDaniel Day-LewisMadeleine StoweRussell MeansThree trappers protect the daughters of a British Colonel in the midst of the French and Indian War.This movie has always been near the top of my personal favorites. Everything about Mohicans is engrossing: the utter-realism of the French-Indian War setting; the deep bonds and hunt-and-fight on the run teamwork of Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas; Madeleine Stowe's portrayal of the strength and vulnerability of Cora Munro, the ferocity of Magua, the romance between Hawkeye and Cora, the pulse-pounding score which evokes the historical period so well, and the rugged landscapes. One of the best, and most underrated, films ever made.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleHeath LedgerAaron EckhartWhen 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.Intense, unnerving, even disturbing - the Dark Knight is a searching exploration of identity, perception, truth, corruption, and personal and social morality. In this film Christian Bale takes his work as Batman/Bruce Wayne to another level from the excellence of Batman Begins. The rest of the A+ class - Caine, Freeman, Oldman, Eckhart, and Gyllenhaal - is outstanding and the work of these actors is much of what gives the Dark Knight its gravity and substance. But above all else the Dark Knight belongs to Heath Ledger's Joker: Chaotic, brutal, and nihilistic, the Joker creates the profound moral dilemmas around which the entire film turns. The Dark Knight is rightly championed as a modern classic.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonMarty 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.
- DirectorCarol ReedStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenAlida ValliPulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.This is the film that gave me an appreciation and love for classic cinema. From the setting in post World War II Vienna, which is still war ravaged; to the cultural, political, and legal tensions between the different personalities and authorities navigating the post-war environment; to questions about the value of human life and loyalty to a friend and/or lover who has committed crimes - the Third Man is film noir that excels at intrigue and inviting important moral reflection. Plus, it has some incredibly memorable scenes, with the reveal of Harry Lime being at the top of that list.
- DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansScarlett JohanssonEarth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.Iron Man got it all started, but it was the Avengers which proved that the MCU would be in it for the long haul. The way in which the Avengers are brought together and work out their differences enough to become a team is enormously entertaining. Loki is a great villain, and the Battle of New York is epic and thrilling. Still the third best MCU film to date.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenViggo MortensenWhile Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke 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.
- DirectorRichard DonnerStarsSean AstinJosh BrolinJeff CohenA group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.
- DirectorBrian HensonStarsMichael CaineDave GoelzSteve WhitmireThe Muppets present their own touching rendition of Charles Dickens' classic tale.
- DirectorKevin CostnerStarsKevin CostnerMary McDonnellGraham GreeneLieutenant John Dunbar, assigned to a remote western Civil War outpost, finds himself engaging with a neighbouring Sioux settlement, causing him to question his own purpose.
- DirectorChristopher McQuarrieStarsTom CruiseRebecca FergusonJeremy RennerEthan and his team take on their most impossible mission yet when they have to eradicate an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are and committed to destroying the IMF.Rogue Nation is the film that finally displaced the Bourne Identity as my favorite spy movie. This fifth installment in the MI franchise has both style and substance in spades. Tom Cruise is at the very top of his game as Ethan Hunt. Rebecca Ferguson is a marvel as Ilsa Faust. The score is terrific and the stunts mind-blowing. The Opera scene and the final capture of Lane are incredibly well-crafted.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsAndrew GarfieldSam WorthingtonLuke BraceyWorld War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDaniel Day-LewisSally FieldDavid StrathairnAs the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsMatt DamonJessica ChastainKristen WiigAn astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartDonna ReedLionel BarrymoreAn 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.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonPolitical involvement in the Avengers' affairs causes a rift between Captain America and Iron Man.