The Best Movies That Are Pretty Smart, Too

Updated February 18, 2021 110.4k votes 7.8k voters 88.2k views106 items

List RulesVote up the best intelligent movies, or those that are smart, clever, etc.

No matter what kind of movies you're into, we can all agree intelligent movies can be a nice change of pace becuase they're movies that make you think. Regardless of genre, these types of movies will give us moviegoers more than simple entertainment—they make us think, opening our eyes to things we may not have previously considered. Simply put, smart and clever movies can evoke emotion within viewers and actually have something to take away once the credits roll. In most other cases, we're simply captivated for a couple hours before turning the TV off or leaving the theater and moving on to something else.

Whether a movie incorporates social commentary or offers perspective different than most of our own, intelligent movies stand the test of time and often go down as the greatest movies of all time. From intelligent sci-fi films to thought-provoking dramas, there's a smart movie out there for everyone, and then some. For instance, consider the mind-bending Inception or the ever-interesting Matrix, not to mention classics like Forrest Gump and Alien. These movies don't just bring sheer entertainment to the silver screen, but they also make us think—maybe even more than we'd like to. Regardless, the intelligent movies to follow cover a broad range of genres and subjects, and ultimately add to the entire experience. But which one is the best intellectual movie of them all? Vote up your favorite intelligent movies to help them reach the top of the list.

If you're feeling smart and want to test your intelligence, check out some of the popular films below. Of course, also be sure to vote up the best intelligent movies, vote others down. And if you like these movies, check out our list of great movies about smart people.

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Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks, Sally Field
Released: 1994
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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The Green Mile
Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise
Released: 1999
Directed by: Frank Darabont
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Saving Private Ryan
Tom Hanks, Matt Damon
Released: 1998
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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The Shawshank Redemption
Morgan Freeman, Rita Hayworth
Released: 1994
Directed by: Frank Darabont
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito
Released: 1975
Directed by: Miloš Forman
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2,578
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Good Will Hunting
Ben Affleck, Robin Williams
Released: 1997
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
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2,276
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The Sixth Sense
Bruce Willis, Mischa Barton
Released: 1999
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
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The Usual Suspects
Kevin Spacey, Benicio del Toro
Released: 1994
Directed by: Bryan Singer
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A Beautiful Mind
Jennifer Connelly, Russell Crowe
Released: 2001
Directed by: Ron Howard
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10
1,158
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Back to the Future
Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd
Released: 1985
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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Fight Club
Brad Pitt, Jared Leto
Released: 1999
Directed by: David Fincher
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The Matrix
Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving
Released: 1999
Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
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The Departed
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson
Released: 2006
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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Gladiator
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix
Released: 2000
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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Groundhog Day
Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell
Released: 1993
Directed by: Harold Ramis
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1,290
808
The Martian
Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain
Released: 2015
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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Catch Me If You Can
Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio
Released: 2002
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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Inception
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy
Released: 2010
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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Toy Story
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
Released: 1995
Directed by: John Lasseter
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Alien
Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt
Released: 1979
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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The Dark Knight
Christian Bale, Michael Caine
Released: 2008
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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The Imitation Game
Keira Knightley, Benedict Cumberbatch
Released: 2014
Directed by: Morten Tyldum
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Dead Poets Society
Robin Williams, Ethan Hawke
Released: 1989
Directed by: Peter Weir
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Shutter Island
Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Williams
Released: 2010
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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Platoon
Johnny Depp, Charlie Sheen
Released: 1986
Directed by: Oliver Stone
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