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The Best Movies Of All Time

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Best Movies of All Time, ranked by movie experts and film fans alike. This list of the top movies of all time was created by taking best movie suggestions from Ranker users, and then holding an open vote on which selected films were, in fact, the top films ever made.

The list includes a wide range of films, from art house European cinema to dance movies to established, highly-regarded classics of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Included are movies that were recognized in their own time - including a number of Academy Award recipients and even Best Picture selections - as well as cult movies or sleeper hits that took time to find an audience. (""Shawshank Redemption,"" for example, was not highly regarded or popular in theaters when it first opened, but has since risen to the top of Best Movies lists such as this one across the Web.)

If your favorite movies still aren't included with this group of the Best Movies of All Time, add them by making your own list. Or just vote for the titles below that are most worthy of the Greatest Movie Ever title.

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Rank     Name Release Directed by Genre(s)
  1. 1
    Up 1750
    Down 882
    1972
    Francis Ford Coppola
    Drama, Period piece, Crime Fiction, Gangster, Film adaptation, New Hollywood More
    Most Listed
  2. 2
    Up 1192
    Down 1128
    1994
    Quentin Tarantino
    Drama, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller, Black comedy, Indie, Gangster More
    Controversial
  3. 3
    Up 1663
    Down 807
    1994
    Frank Darabont
    Drama, Period piece, Crime, Crime Fiction, Prison film
  4. 4
    Up 888
    Down 724
    1990
    Martin Scorsese
    Drama, Thriller, Biographical film, Crime Fiction, Gangster, Film adaptation More
  5. 5
    Up 996
    Down 720
    1974
    Francis Ford Coppola
    Drama, Crime Fiction
  6. 6
    Up 1487
    Down 609
    George Lucas, Irvin Kershner, Richard Marquand
  7. 7
    Up 1464
    Down 775
    1994
    Robert Zemeckis
    Drama, Comedy, Period piece, Romance Film, War, Romantic drama, Film adaptation, Comedy-drama, Coming of age More
  8. 8
    Up 998
    Down 902
    1999
    Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski
    Thriller, Science Fiction, Martial arts, Action, Adventure, Action/Adventure, Doomsday film, Existentialism More
    Controversial
  9. 9
    Up 1181
    Down 436
    1993
    Steven Spielberg
    Drama, Black-and-white, History, Period piece, Biography, Biographical film, Film adaptation, Tragedy More
  10. 10
    Up 1163
    Down 569
    2000
    Ridley Scott
    Drama, Costume drama, Action, Adventure, Movies About Gladiators, War, Historical drama, Epic, Tragedy More
  11. 11
    Up 1078
    Down 807
    2008
    Christopher Nolan
    Drama, Thriller, Action, Action/Adventure, Crime Fiction, Superhero movie, Evil clown More
  12. 12
    Up 661
    Down 650
    1942
    Michael Curtiz
    Drama, Black-and-white, Romance Film, War, Romantic drama, Drama Film, Airplanes and airports More
  13. 13
    Up 982
    Down 631
    1998
    Steven Spielberg
    Drama, History, Action, War
  14. 14
    Up 1087
    Down 572
    1999
    David Fincher
    Drama, Psychological thriller, Thriller, Action, Action/Adventure, Black comedy, Cult, Satire, Airplanes and airports, Existentialism More
  15. 15
    Up 562
    Down 434
    2008
    Danny Boyle
    Drama, Thriller, Romance Film, Crime Fiction, Indie, Romantic drama, Film adaptation, Coming of age More
    Controversial
  16. 16
    Up 996
    Down 541
    1980
    Irvin Kershner
    Fantasy, Family, Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Space opera
  17. 17
    Up 955
    Down 604
    2000
    Jonathan Demme
    Drama, Psychological thriller, Thriller, Horror, LGBT, Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller, Suspense More
  18. 18
    Up 1047
    Down 447
    1995
    Mel Gibson
    Drama, Costume drama, History, Period piece, Biography, Action, Adventure, Action/Adventure, War More
  19. 19
    Up 823
    Down 547
    1981
    Steven Spielberg
    Action, Adventure, Action/Adventure, Airplanes and airports, New Hollywood More
  20. 20
    Up 1027
    Down 456
    1985
    Robert Zemeckis
    Comedy, Family, Science Fiction, Adventure, Time travel, Humour
  21. 21
    Up 523
    Down 597
    1941
    Orson Welles
    Drama, Black-and-white, Period piece, Mystery, Political drama, Epic
  22. 22
    Up 365
    Down 424
    Bryan Singer
    Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller, Neo-noir
  23. 23
    Up 510
    Down 434
    1975
    Miloš Forman
    Drama, Comedy, Indie, Film adaptation, Existentialism, Tragedy
  24. 24
    Up 496
    Down 434
    1984
    James Cameron
    Thriller, Science Fiction, Action, Action/Adventure, Time travel, Indie, Stop motion, Doomsday film More
  25. 25
    Up 491
    Down 491
    1979
    Francis Ford Coppola
    War, Drama Film, Cult, Existentialism, New Hollywood
  26. 26
    Up 1204
    Down 465
    2003
    Peter Jackson
    Drama, Fantasy, Adventure, Action/Adventure, Film adaptation
  27. 27
    Up 293
    Down 452
    2007
    Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
    Drama, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller, Suspense, Gangster, Film adaptation More
  28. 28
    Up 501
    Down 503
    1997
    James Cameron
    Drama, Costume drama, Period piece, Disaster, Action/Adventure, Romance Film, Historical fiction, Romantic drama, Tragedy More
  29. 29
    Up 619
    Down 567
    2010
    Christopher Nolan
    Psychological thriller, Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Action, Adventure More
  30. 30
    Up 275
    Down 420
    1998
    Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
    Comedy, Crime, Crime Fiction, Indie, Screwball comedy, Cult, Buddy film, Stoner film More
    Controversial
  31. 31
    Up 336
    Down 413
    2006
    Martin Scorsese
    Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Action, Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller, Gangster, Remake More
  32. 32
    Up 415
    Down 421
    1946
    Frank Capra
    Drama, Fantasy, Family
  33. 33
    Up 362
    Down 410
    1976
    Martin Scorsese
    Drama, Psychological thriller, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Drama Film, Existentialism, New Hollywood More
  34. 34
    Up 480
    Down 457
    1988
    John McTiernan
    Thriller, Action, Action/Adventure, Crime Fiction
  35. 35
    Up 551
    Down 524
    1975
    Steven Spielberg
    Psychological thriller, Thriller, Action, Action/Adventure, Horror, Monster movie, New Hollywood, Natural horror films More
  36. 36
    Up 639
    Down 479
    1966
    Sergio Leone
    Action, Action/Adventure, War, World cinema, Western, Spaghetti Western More
  37. 37
    Up 409
    Down 370
    1960
    Alfred Hitchcock
    Black-and-white, Psychological thriller, Thriller, Horror, Slasher, Cult More
  38. 38
    Up 347
    Down 504
    2009
    Todd Phillips
    Comedy, Screwball comedy
  39. 39
    Up 437
    Down 404
    1980
    Stanley Kubrick
    Drama, Psychological thriller, Horror, Surrealism, Supernatural, Slasher, Film adaptation, New Hollywood More
  40. 40
    Up 892
    Down 378
    2001
    Peter Jackson
    Drama, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Film adaptation
  41. 41
    Up 412
    Down 471
    1982
    Ridley Scott
    Drama, Thriller, Science Fiction, Crime Thriller, Dystopia, Cult, Film noir, Existentialism, Future noir, Cyberpunk, Neo-noir More
    Controversial
  42. 42
    Up 488
    Down 428
    1991
    James Cameron
    Thriller, Science Fiction, Action, Action/Adventure, Time travel, Doomsday film More
  43. 43
    Up 274
    Down 234
    1974
    Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam
    Comedy, Costume drama, Adventure, Action/Adventure, Parody, Humour, Cult More
  44. 44
    Up 389
    Down 492
    1968
    Stanley Kubrick
    Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Adventure, Surrealism, Airplanes and airports, Roadshow theatrical release More
  45. 45
    Up 448
    Down 385
    1995
    David Fincher
    Psychological thriller, Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Crime Thriller, Indie More
  46. 46
    Up 135
    Down 191
    1996
    Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
    Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Black comedy, Indie, Drama Film, Neo-noir More
    Controversial
  47. 47
    Up 246
    Down 369
    1964
    Stanley Kubrick
    Drama, Comedy
  48. 48
    Up 338
    Down 365
    1939
    Victor Fleming, Sam Wood, George Cukor
    Drama, Costume drama, Period piece, Romance Film, War, Romantic drama, Epic, Film adaptation, Roadshow theatrical release More
  49. 49
    Up 521
    Down 453
    1979
    Ridley Scott
    Science Fiction, Adventure, Horror, New Hollywood
  50. 50
    Up 223
    Down 226
    1996
    Danny Boyle
    Drama, Comedy, Crime, Black comedy, Indie, Film adaptation, Cult, Buddy film More
    Controversial
  51. +Add New Item

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The Best Movies Of All Time

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    1. JieHu
      The Godfather at 4/06/2011 7:08 PM
      Absolutely No.1
    2. crazy2
      Jaws at 11/24/2010 10:05 AM
      Jaws...... I remember this movies very well. Living in Hawaii and surfing!!!! Damn!!!! it.. keep out of the waters for 2 weeks.....
    3. josevlago
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 5/20/2011 11:35 PM
      What a pitty not to see any Tim Burton's creation in the first page. But thanks goodness I don't see his creations in the worst movies' list neither!!! BTW I agree with number 1, the godfather and the lord of the rings!
      1. Desertrat89
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 6/04/2011 8:23 AM
        I do love his movies.... Edward Scissorhands would probably be his best? Hmm, someone should make a list of all Tim Burton's movies to rank!
    4. CyndeHarven
      The Godfather at 2/21/2011 10:59 AM
      Sure it belongs on the list....but not at No. 1.
      1. Snappyjo
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 3/27/2012 8:57 PM
        If the Godfather is not number 1 then where would you put the greatest film ever?
    5. nascar1130
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 11/24/2010 8:14 AM
      Jaws is the best movie of all time!
    6. johnylord7
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 11/20/2011 4:49 AM
      scarface is a GREAT movie is among the top 3 of all time and all the new generation gangster films is based on this concept anyone who disagree with that simply dont know anything about movies
    7. Snappyjo
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 3/27/2012 8:52 PM
      There will only ever be one Godfather.
    8. Tom
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/16/2010 12:22 PM
      Too many utterly stupid films listed.
    9. pallen1065
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 6/20/2011 12:29 PM
      The choices listed thus far show bias toward younger contributors (not that there's anything wrong with that..).



      My problem is in differentiating between my favorites and 'the best'. Expect a bit of both.
      1. analise.dubner
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 7/12/2011 12:09 PM
        Totally true. People have a very hard time separating those two things. But I think the more people who add to the list, the data should even out.... as the better the movie is, the more people put it near or at the top. Cancelling out those "favorite" movies that will inevitably be added in and sifting them to the bottom.
    10. Stud
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 8/20/2010 12:37 PM
      Titanic stunk. Citizen Kane makes no sense. A bunch of reporters try to figure out what Kane's last word, 'Rosebud', meant? He died alone in his room - who exactly heard him say 'Rosebud'?
      1. xaroulis
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 2/02/2012 11:20 AM
        When he was a child he had a snowbord or something like that which was named ''Rosebud''.In the end of the film you can see that snowboard burning.The beginning of the film is its end too.I think that he was whispering that word because he remembered the years when he was young and..that's all :P I don't like this movie so i wanna see it again!
    11. fieldsosu1@yahoo.com
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 4/07/2012 2:52 PM
      As much as I like most of your selections, I would like to submit a few others I believe merit consideration.

      The Last of the Mohicans
      Rob Roy
      Apocalypto
      The Patriot
      Dances With Wolves
      What About Bob?
      My Cousin Vinny
      Weekend At Berries
      Far and Away
      Master and Commander
      Legends of the Fall
      A Simple Plan
      Two Days in the Valley
      The Italian Job
      Burn After Reading
      Pulp Fiction
      Get Shorty
      Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
      The Green Mile
      Open Range
      The Bourne Identity
      Trading Places
      The Producers (2005)
      Rudy
      National Lampoon's Vacation
      Moby Dick
      The Missing
      Young Frankenstein
      City Slickers
      Ghostbusters
      Waking Ned Devine
      An Officer and a Gentleman
      Jerry McGuire
      Shooter
      Blazing Saddles
      Men in Black
      Beverly Hills Cop
      The Caine Mutiny
      A Few Good Men
      The Producers (1968)
      Doctor Zhivago
      The American President
      Dave
      Air force One
      The Departed
      The Sting
      Home Alone
      Get Smart
      The Whole Nine Yards
      Bourne Supremacy
      Bourne Ultimatum
      Etc.
      Etc.
      Etc.

      I'm not sure if I repeated any of your selections, but almost every "Best" or "Greatest" excludes most of the ones I have listed. Almost as the judges have been living in a cave.
      The Last of The Mohicans, Rob Roy, Dances With Wolves, Apocalypto, and The Patriot are five of the greatest adventure movies ever made.
      What About Bob, My Cousin Vinny, Weekend at Bernie's, Ruthless People, and The Producers (2005) are five of the best comedies ever made.
      And Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, A Simple Plan, The Italian Job, and Burn After Reading are right there with Jackie Brown and Snatch.
    12. MikeBridgeforth
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/24/2011 2:31 AM
      im knowing Crash is one of the best movies of all time Kathene Bigalow is one innovater of the human sycei and realism in racial profiling simply captivating
    13. The Dark Knight
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 7/28/2011 6:15 PM
      GREAT LIST! i love your list... my list is little different..

      check out mine:

      http://www.imdb.com/list/Pi7vfAbGS4Y/
    14. MikeBridgeforth
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/24/2011 2:34 AM
      avatar titanic andpulpfiction deserves to be on the front of the list as well as scar face good fellas and shaw shank
    15. Roo Doo
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/28/2011 10:09 AM
      the japanese movie SEVEN SAMURAI in 1954 is the best whith out any thinking ...... see that movie and you will be amazed
    16. mollie
      The Godfather at 1/31/2011 4:50 PM
      Great movie.
    17. ShaaboX
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 11/12/2010 9:53 AM
      Where is Inception?
      1. logblobo
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 4/16/2011 9:56 AM
        At the bottom, where it belongs. It's not a bad film, but this is the best films of all time. I'm afraid Inception isn't half as good as films like The Godfather and 2001.
    18. Anonymous
      The Godfather at 10/19/2011 2:20 AM
      good
      1. Anonymous
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/19/2011 5:45 AM
        yes
    19. Silvanna
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 5/02/2011 7:42 PM
      Como es posible que Forrest Gump se encuentre en dos rankings opuestos a la vez??? .. en el de las mejores películas de la historia y las peores de la historia. Seriamente deberían pensar en más criterios para determinar la calidad de las películas, y no en categorias banales sin ninguna seriedad.
    20. lemac
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 11/12/2010 10:11 AM
      Rocky???
    21. Silvanna
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 5/02/2011 7:55 PM
      Hay muchas películas que se merecen estar ahí, tanto por los actores que trabajaron en ellas, los directores, la calidad del trabajo, su propósito cumplido, pero hay algunas que son pésimas, por ejemplo, ¿Que hace Iron Man en este ranking?, trabajan actores respetados, pero queda hasta ahí no más, es una película horrible, con el típico mensaje gringo de salvadores del planeta, aparte de todo el nacionalismo incluido, y con un final que ni siquiera corresponde al de los cómics. Hay muchas más que no deberían estar en este ranking, porque no cumplen con un mínimo de criterios para considerarse dentro de las grandes de la historia, ni siquiera como de culto, y que conste, hay algunas de las que no deberían estar, que las encuentro entretenidas y todo, pero sobran en este ranking
    22. KirkSawyers
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 3/03/2012 5:05 AM
      This is a list that rates Airplane! ahead of The Passion of Joan of Arc. I stopped reading! Seriously people?
    23. lotterman
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/29/2010 6:32 AM
      Sex and the City: The Movie??? Are you freakin kiddin me??
      1. Clark Benson
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/30/2010 8:55 AM
        yeah. we know. but the only way the list gets better is to add more inputs to it (and, shortly, now that we have enough testing data, we will be adding the "Belongs on List" votes into the algortithm, which will make these list a LOT more credible). Can we add your 101 definitive to the aggregation? can do it behind the scenes, you won't have to actually do anything.
        On the bright side, at least it wasn't Sex and the City 2 . . .
    24. Eamonn breslin
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 1/31/2012 2:32 AM
      There's a tendency in nearly all these lists of 'best films' to favour films of the last few decades. People seem to think that because a film is 'old' or 'black and white' (30's or 40's) it must automatically be less good. It's like saying 'Although he wrote in the 16th century and in a language not of today, Shakespeare is not a bad dramatist!
    25. zepode
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 12/24/2010 8:59 PM
      2001: A Space Odyssey. Hands down the greatest movie ever.
    26. Mariam
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 4/07/2012 12:00 AM
      les faltó Shutter Island exc peli se la recomiendo a todos y faltaron una q otra mas la vdd... entre ellas guns of NY, El limpiador, Big Fish jaja bno a mi criterio y creo q Psicosis debería estar en el primer lugar y de segundo Naranja Mecánica ambas obras de arte!!!!
    27. Chad
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 8/11/2011 10:08 PM
      Not a bad list... would have liked to see Dances With Wolves in the top 30
    28. THE Critic
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/16/2010 6:58 PM
      To Stud:

      Rosebud, and I heard it, was a sled. It was a symbol of his childhood. He simply hated growing old, and didn't want to die. He wanted to be 10 forever.
    29. Wrongway
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 8/21/2010 8:45 PM
      No Cool Hand Luke in the top 159?



      Crazy.
    30. THE Critic
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/16/2010 6:57 PM
      I don't know how anyone can compile a list of greatest movies and not put "Planet of the Apes" (the Charlton Heston version)...It had the writing, the directing, makeup for the late/early 60's/70's. Not to mention the greatest ending of all time...that's right all you "The Sixth Sense" fans. Also, where is "The Girl Next Door", or "The Postman Always Rings Twice", or "One Flew Over the Coocoo's(sp?) Nest"? What about "The Exorcist", "Rosemary's Baby", or "Halloween"?



      Why do people consider "Gone With the Wind" a great movie? It is over acted, over directed, over produced, and over written!
    31. sa
      Pulp Fiction at 9/15/2010 3:08 AM
      as
    32. RankingRocks
      Avatar at 11/11/2010 4:33 PM
      Are you kidding me? Avatar was one of the worst movies ever made. I want my money back!
      1. xaroulis
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 2/02/2012 11:25 AM
        c'mon man! you are an american (?) so how can't you like this movie? i'm a greek and i like it! how can it be??
    33. analise.dubner
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 2/13/2011 5:08 PM
      It's amazing... just amazing that Shawshank is so high. Look how many votes it got! Not that its not a good movie, it is, but... its up there with Godfather, Goodfellas and Star Wars!
      1. logblobo
        The Best Movies Of All Time at 4/16/2011 9:51 AM
        I absolutely agree with you. It's a good film but there are hundreds of films that are better than it.
    34. Greg
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 8/04/2010 9:57 AM
      The community skews a little genre heavy, but it's all very good genre stuff. So, kudos on the good taste people.
    35. locohoya
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 10/30/2011 10:00 AM
      Scarface has no business being mentioned in the list. Dreadful movie, one of the worst
    36. Gookin
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 3/01/2012 7:48 PM
      this list the shit i like how you incorporated newer movies that for some people dont consider when they talk about the best
    37. pauline paula
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 2/22/2011 9:22 AM
      thank you for this site, its already a big help for busy persons in giving them an idea of what to watch for a movie in a short time. please click this site: http://www.devonholidayguide.co.uk
    38. Jonny
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 3/05/2012 10:11 PM
      This person has no idea! If they knew anything about good fil Kurosawa would have at least ONE on here if not 3 in the top 25. A lot of me don't belong on the top 1000 let alone 100. And ranked the worst lord of the ring film(two towers) the highes. Yuck
    39. Bed and breakfast in Devon
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 2/22/2011 9:17 AM
      this could be a good source if we wanted to go out and have fun just to watch movies...its a good source in selecting what movie should be watch. please click this site: http://www.devonholidayguide.co.uk
    40. Stinger
      Titanic at 10/09/2010 10:00 PM
      Just awful!
    41. DannyPitt
      Pulp Fiction at 1/26/2012 6:07 PM
      I'm sorry, but Pulp Fiction is not the third best film ever made.
    42. DannyPitt
      The Best Movies Of All Time at 1/26/2012 6:06 PM
      I'm sorry, but Pulp Fiction is not the third best film ever made. It barely even belongs in the top 25. It is indeed a great film, but it's definitely not better than Citizen Kane, Kramer vs. Kramer, The Grapes of Wrath, or hell, even Star Wars.

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