Ranker FilmList 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. Regardless of genre, these types of movies 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.
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 add your own choices to the list. And if you like these movies, check out our list of great movies about smart people.
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3,9131,033Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks, Sally FieldReleased: 1994
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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2,988934The Green Mile
Tom Hanks, Gary SiniseReleased: 1999
Directed by: Frank Darabont
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2,127706Saving Private Ryan
Tom Hanks, Matt DamonReleased: 1998
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
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3,8981,572The Shawshank Redemption
Morgan Freeman, Rita HayworthReleased: 1994
Directed by: Frank Darabont
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1,595802One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVitoReleased: 1975
Directed by: Miloš Forman
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1,9471,032The Sixth Sense
Bruce Willis, Mischa BartonReleased: 1999
Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan
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1,576862The Usual Suspects
Kevin Spacey, Benicio del ToroReleased: 1994
Directed by: Bryan Singer
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2,1771,217Good Will Hunting
Ben Affleck, Robin WilliamsReleased: 1997
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
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1,405774A Beautiful Mind
Jennifer Connelly, Russell CroweReleased: 2001
Directed by: Ron Howard
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1,213668The Departed
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack NicholsonReleased: 2006
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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1,8311,047Fight Club
Brad Pitt, Jared LetoReleased: 1999
Directed by: David Fincher
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1,8281,062The Matrix
Keanu Reeves, Hugo WeavingReleased: 1999
Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
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1,246718Gladiator
Russell Crowe, Joaquin PhoenixReleased: 2000
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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862487Back to the Future
Michael J. Fox, Christopher LloydReleased: 1985
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
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1,359850Groundhog Day
Bill Murray, Andie MacDowellReleased: 1993
Directed by: Harold Ramis
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1,052664The Martian
Matt Damon, Jessica ChastainReleased: 2015
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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1,531995Inception
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom HardyReleased: 2010
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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658404Toy Story
Tom Hanks, Tim AllenReleased: 1995
Directed by: John Lasseter
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1,041676The Imitation Game
Keira Knightley, Benedict CumberbatchReleased: 2014
Directed by: Morten Tyldum
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868572Alien
Sigourney Weaver, John HurtReleased: 1979
Directed by: Ridley Scott
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1,174791The Dark Knight
Christian Bale, Michael CaineReleased: 2008
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
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1,097759The Truman Show
Jim Carrey, Paul GiamattiReleased: 1998
Directed by: Peter Weir
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1,230872Shutter Island
Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle WilliamsReleased: 2010
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
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392250Rear Window
Grace Kelly, James StewartReleased: 1954
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
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512345Platoon
Johnny Depp, Charlie SheenReleased: 1986
Directed by: Oliver Stone
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