The 1000 best films ever made.
by un_samourai | created - 21 Nov 2011 | updated - 1 month ago | PublicI have noticed a lot of best of lists are only 250 pictures. That low of a number leaves out all sorts of great and important films.
Don't let anyone tell you their opinion on art/entertainment is not subjective (it would be a much duller world if there WAS a calculable equation for the worth of a film). That said, it is helpful to be well viewed/educated when forming ones opinions on any media. One will then know what is truly innovative, and understand hommage to other films, et cetera.
I've watched a good deal of the most acclaimed films of all time, and seen pictures from most all of the celebrated directors. For me, these are the very best films.
At the end of a (hopefully helpful) brief note, is my rating with a decimal point to be more accurate. It helped me try to rank the films in order of importance to me.
I hope readers will enjoy browsing this list, and even find some films to add to their Watchlist.
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1. Ivan's Childhood (1962)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama, War
During WWII, Soviet orphan Ivan Bondarev strikes up a friendship with three sympathetic Soviet officers while working as a scout behind the German lines.
Directors: Andrei Tarkovsky, Eduard Abalov | Stars: Nikolay Burlyaev, Valentin Zubkov, Evgeniy Zharikov, Stepan Krylov
Votes: 39,928
You wait years to see a film this great. Wonderful tension, creativity, performances. The black and white photography is often very strikingly beautiful.
This film proves that Andrei Tarkovsky was a film genius right out of the gate. Even Ingmar Bergman took eight or nine films to really get cracking.
This is a great Tarkovsky film to start with, as it's not as minimal/demanding as his other films are.
Leone d'Oro, Venice film festival.
10.0
2. The Seventh Seal (1957)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Fantasy
A knight returning to Sweden after the Crusades seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Nils Poppe
Votes: 198,424
I don't think you can say you're well versed in the art-house classics until you've seen this film. Hell, while we're talking Bergman must sees, "Wild Strawberries" and "Persona" also are in that club.
Dealing with the time of the black death one would expect a very difficult, heavy watch, but that's not all there is to The Seventh Seal. It's not an all serious 'pain and gnashing of teeth' type film like "Cries and Whispers" is. There are some very droll characters that bring a certain balance to the heavy moments and themes. Stunningly photographed by Gunnar Fischer, it is beginning to end chock-a-block with symbolism and iconic images (and hence has been much parodied over the years).
Jury Special Prize, Cannes
10.0
3. A Man Escaped (1956)
Not Rated | 101 min | Drama, Thriller, War
A captured French Resistance fighter during World War II engineers a daunting escape from a German prison in France.
Director: Robert Bresson | Stars: François Leterrier, Charles Le Clainche, Maurice Beerblock, Roland Monod
Votes: 24,992
Wow, what a great film. An art house prison escape film that is a minimal masterwork!
I seem to be very split on Robert Bresson's films, but this one knocks it out of the park for me. Bresson's penchant for dour, unemotional dialogue delivery suits the circumstances of this scenario to a T. For me, that approach does not work in many of his other films.
Best Director, Cannes
10.0
4. Apocalypse Now (1979)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, War
A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest
Votes: 710,090 | Gross: $83.47M
One of those films that's a real experience to behold. From the moment I saw it in the cinema, it's always been a favorite of mine. After seeing the documentary "Hearts of Darkness", and learning about what a tough time Coppola had making this film, it's a miracle that it came out so fantastic.
Having seen this film changed me in how broad my view of human behavior and the chaos of war was. The editing by Walter Murch is just incredible.
Palme D'Or, Cannes.
10.0
5. Persona (1966)
Not Rated | 83 min | Drama, Thriller
A nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha Krook, Gunnar Björnstrand
Votes: 130,900
Avant garde, and a mind-f**k, this is prime 60's Bergman. Just what is real, a dream, or a thought in this picture is definitely up for debate.
There is a feel to this film that will be familiar to David Lynch fans, but of course this predates Lynch's work. The cinematography by Sven Nyqvist is unbelievably beautiful/artistic.
10.0
6. Wild Strawberries (1957)
Not Rated | 91 min | Drama, Romance
After living a life marked by coldness, an aging professor is forced to confront the emptiness of his existence.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Victor Sjöström, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand
Votes: 114,961
A smart, special film about reflecting on life while nearing it's end. I just love the dream sequences. Beautifully shot by Gunnar Fischer, it is an art house must.
Goldener Bär, Berlin film festival.
10.0
7. The Son (2002)
103 min | Drama, Mystery
A joinery instructor at a rehab center refuses to take a new teen as his apprentice, but then begins to follow the boy through the hallways and streets.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Olivier Gourmet, Morgan Marinne, Isabella Soupart, Nassim Hassaïni
Votes: 10,092 | Gross: $0.07M
The Dardenne's make a fantastic, stripped down cinéma vérité style film. They have a way of filming that makes one feel like an invisible camera is capturing a real situation as it unfolds. The edits are so natural, one does not even notice them.
You may feel you don't know quite what the story is at first, and that is by design, you are in the hands of master film makers, and in due time all will be clear.
This is of the most genuinely, realistic suspense films I've ever seen. To me, it is a perfect film.
Best Actor (Olivier Gourmet), Cannes film festival.
10.0
8. Pierrot the Fool (1965)
Not Rated | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Pierrot escapes his boring society and travels from Paris to the Mediterranean Sea with Marianne, a girl chased by hit-men from Algeria. They lead an unorthodox life, always on the run.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Anna Karina, Graziella Galvani, Aicha Abadir
Votes: 36,935
This rather loose, playful film is a really good example of Godard's fun, his literary and philosophical references, and his extraordinary originality. It is a film noir, that very much paints outside the lines. For me, this is the very best Godard film.
To add a qualifier, there are plenty of highly acclaimed J-L Godard films that I do not care for. For me, he probably has about 5 great films.
10.0
9. The White Ribbon (2009)
R | 144 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. Who is responsible?
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur
Votes: 77,640 | Gross: $2.22M
The White Ribbon is like reading great literature.
Set just before WWI, one could say there is mirroring of Germany's 20th century tendencies in the harsh culture of this small, rural, religious German village portrayed in the film. There is a lot of sub-text to this film.
For me, this is a flawless film, but the subject matter is heavy, with no easy answers offered in the end. There are some thoroughly unappealing characters in this film, but they are somehow...fascinating.
Palme D'Or, Cannes.
10.0
10. My Night at Maud's (1969)
GP | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A devout Catholic man's rigid principles are challenged during a one-night stay with Maud, a divorced woman with an outsize personality.
Director: Éric Rohmer | Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Françoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault, Antoine Vitez
Votes: 14,542
The best cerebral, verbal relationship picture ever. It's a great Rohmer to watch first, to see if he's up your alley. There probably is no better film at revealing the gaps between what we think, what we say, and what we do.
Prix Méliès, French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
10.0
11. Red Beard (1965)
Not Rated | 185 min | Drama
In 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan
Votes: 21,098
Akira Kurosawa's best drama by a country mile. It is a very moral and moving film but Kurosawa doesn't over extend the moralizing like he did in so many of his other dramas (Ikiru, Ran, Kagemusha, Madadayo, etc.). This is a perfect film.
10.0
12. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Approved | 96 min | Crime, Drama
The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler
Votes: 864,888 | Gross: $4.36M
An incredible, moral film. An essential for sure. Every human should see this film.
There were so many films from the 50's that IMO, moralized with too heavy a hand (Sweet Smell of Success, A Face in the Crowd etc.), but not this one. It's a perfect, compact, morality play.
Goldener Bär, Berlin film festival.
10.0
13. The Leopard (1963)
PG | 186 min | Drama, History
The Prince of Salina, a noble aristocrat of impeccable integrity, tries to preserve his family and class amid the tumultuous social upheavals of 1860s Sicily.
Director: Luchino Visconti | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale, Paolo Stoppa
Votes: 28,815
The one Visconti film that really floats my boat. It's a great epic film that could be easily recommended for the beauty and magnificence of the ballroom scene alone. It is easily one of the best sequences in all of filmdom.
Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon are just about the most beautiful couple ever seen on film. It is a very long film, so one may want to watch it over two sittings.
Palme D'Or winner.
10.0
14. Second Wind (1966)
Not Rated | 150 min | Crime, Drama
A gangster escapes jail and quickly makes plans to continue his criminal ways elsewhere, but a determined inspector is closing in.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabréga
Votes: 6,636
Not at all a second rate J.P. Melville film, but possibly his best. This is (neo-)noir heaven.
10.0
15. Blade Runner (1982)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Votes: 822,988 | Gross: $32.87M
Just what is it to be human?
The best tech-noir. The set-decoration, design, and special effects are notable, as is the gorgeous Vangelis score. Harrison Ford and Sean Young have an interesting chemistry, and Rutger Hauer is excellent as the nemesis.
I just saw Villneuve's sequel. It is a very worthy followup, and is featured later in this list.
10.0
16. Pulp Fiction (1994)
R | 154 min | Crime, Drama
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis
Votes: 2,219,793 | Gross: $107.93M
It's more an experience than just a film. When watching this for the first time, you just don't now where Q.T. will take you next. I just watched this again, probably for the 8th time, and it knocked me out yet again.
It has enough content for two great films. The dialogue is marvelous, and so is the music selection. The non-chronological structure also works beautifully for this film.
This is one of two truly great Tarantino films (Reservoir Dogs being the other). For me, almost all of his subsequent films have not measured up to his first two pictures. The Hateful Eight does figure late on this list, but isn't near as perfect as the first two films IMO.
Palme D'Or, Cannes.
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Director
10.0
17. The Lady Eve (1941)
Passed | 94 min | Comedy, Romance
A trio of classy card sharks targets a socially awkward brewery heir, until one of them falls in love with him.
Director: Preston Sturges | Stars: Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, Charles Coburn, Eugene Pallette
Votes: 23,379
One of Preston Sturges' best films, if not the best. What a charming romantic comedy! The writing, characters, and comedy are sharp as a razor. Stanwyck's character is extremely modern for the 40's. Love it!
10.0
18. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
PG | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A surreal, virtually plotless series of dreams centered around six middle-class people and their consistently interrupted attempts to have a meal together.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Paul Frankeur, Bulle Ogier
Votes: 46,828 | Gross: $0.20M
It's a surreal, absurdist look at the sins of six upper class people who can't seem to get all the way through a meal.
Prix Méliès, French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
10.0
19. Winter Sleep (2014)
Not Rated | 196 min | Drama
A hotel owner and landlord in a remote Turkish village deals with conflicts within his family and a tenant behind on his rent.
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan | Stars: Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sözen, Demet Akbag, Ayberk Pekcan
Votes: 55,562 | Gross: $0.17M
A dialogue heavy three hours and 15 minutes film will not be for everyone. I thought it was another excellent film from Ceylan, in fact his best yet. For me, this is a film for the ages, comparable to any masterwork I've ever seen. The medium just does not get any better.
The location is stunning. The interiors look like old masters works. I'd compare the film to Bergman's "Autumn Sonata" for having in depth dialogues about contentious issues in long standing relationships.
It's such a deep film, I could go on and on. See it twice if you can. There is so much to drink in, and a lot of subtext.
Palme D'Or, Cannes
10.0
20. Army of Shadows (1969)
Not Rated | 145 min | Drama, War
An account of underground resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied France.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simone Signoret
Votes: 25,843 | Gross: $0.74M
One of, if not the best J.P. Melville films. Such a great, unsentimental look at La Resistance and their myriad challenges. It is certainly one of the best films of the 60's (the best decade film has ever had).
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film
10.0
21. Belle de Jour (1967)
R | 100 min | Drama, Romance
A frigid young housewife decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel, Michel Piccoli, Geneviève Page
Votes: 49,046 | Gross: $0.03M
Another wonderful Bunuel film. There's simply something special about this film that transcends the material. Maybe it's Bunuel's surreal tendencies, or simply that he was a master filmmaker at the peak of his powers.
It deals with a masochist, who doesn't allow herself to ask her husband for what she really wants, so she tries to achieve it through a more curcuitous route.
Prix Méliès, French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
10.0
22. Stalker (1979)
Not Rated | 162 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
A guide leads two men through an area known as the Zone to find a room that grants wishes.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Alisa Freyndlikh, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Nikolay Grinko
Votes: 144,728 | Gross: $0.23M
Only for those with patience, who want films to be deep and sublime.
There are some very striking images, the best transition ever from B&W to colour, and a conclusion that is as great as any in filmdom. The one slightly weak moment for me is the Stalker's wife's (not long) monologue near the beginning of the film. The rest is absolutely top notch.
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Cannes
10.0
23. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Not Rated | 131 min | Drama
A bitter, aging couple, with the help of alcohol, use their young houseguests to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other over the course of a distressing night.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis
Votes: 79,898
Mike Nichols' first film contains some of the best verbal jousting on film.
An older couple host a young couple in their home after a party, and proceed to drag the young couple through the detritus strewn swamp of their long damaged relationship.
This is simply a must see film.
10.0
24. Marketa Lazarová (1967)
Not Rated | 162 min | Drama, History, Romance
A grim portrayal of the shift from Paganism to Christianity in medieval central Europe - as a young virgin promised to God is kidnapped and raped by a marauder who her religious father seeks to kill in return.
Director: Frantisek Vlácil | Stars: Josef Kemr, Magda Vásáryová, Nada Hejna, Jaroslav Moucka
Votes: 6,024
This is widely considered to be the best Czechoslovakian film ever made. I'd up that to one of the best films ever made. Incredibly well shot, it's simply a magnificent film in every way. What a shame so few people in North America know Vlacil's work.
It is a long film, so one could watch it in two sittings, since it is divided into two parts. That being said, I think you'll want to chow down on all of this big meal (2hr, 45 min.) once you're in it's grip.
Having just watched this film for the second time, it made me think of this having the grandness and drama of an opera, but for cinefiles (who don't like opera).
10.0
25. Stardust Memories (1980)
PG | 89 min | Comedy, Drama
While attending a retrospective of his work, a filmmaker recalls his life and his loves: the inspirations for his films.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Woody Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper, Marie-Christine Barrault
Votes: 23,984 | Gross: $10.39M
An under-seen Allen gem that flopped when it came out. I was in heaven watching it when I discovered it. A must for Woody fans (that many may not have seen).
It does have a Fellini influence, and Sullivan's Travels came to mind as well, but it is also pure Woody.
10.0
26. Badlands (1973)
PG | 94 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An impressionable teenage girl from a dead-end town, and her older greaser boyfriend, embark on a killing spree in the South Dakota Badlands.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates, Ramon Bieri
Votes: 78,375
My favorite of all the Terrence Malick films. It's such a sophisticated take on a 'young lovers on the run from the law' type of film. It is based on real events.
It's also a kick to see Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek so young. What a first film!
10.0
27. The Elephant Man (1980)
PG | 124 min | Biography, Drama
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud
Votes: 258,420
All of ones problems seem small after seeing this film.
Mel Brooks produced this film, but kept his name out of the credits, just in case it lent an air of comedy expectation to the film. They were worried that the prosthesis that turned John Hurt into the Elephant Man might look silly, rather than convincing. They needn't have worried. It is utterly convincing. David Lynch's second feature film is excellent.
9.9
28. Cría Cuervos (1976)
PG | 105 min | Drama
In the twilight of Francisco Franco's dictatorship, an 8-year-old orphan and her two sisters find shelter in the house of their stern aunt and try their best to acclimatize to a new reality. Can they summon up the courage to grow up?
Director: Carlos Saura | Stars: Ana Torrent, Conchita Pérez, Mayte Sanchez, Geraldine Chaplin
Votes: 11,400
One could say this film takes the Franco regime, and distills it's mores into a single family's story.
Like 'The White Ribbon' or 'Forbidden Games', it would take an essay to encapsulate this films merits, subtleties, and subtext. It's a truly great film, Saura's masterpiece.
Grand Prix, Cannes
9.9
29. Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
Not Rated | 94 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
In a strange and isolated chateau, a man becomes acquainted with a woman and insists that they have met before.
Director: Alain Resnais | Stars: Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi, Sacha Pitoëff, Françoise Bertin
Votes: 24,883 | Gross: $0.06M
For the 'Art House' crowd. It's a very creative film. A puzzle with no concrete solution. It plays with time in a way that some may not find easy to follow. I love this film, and prize it's creativity/originality.
It has a sort of hypnotic effect on me. I feel I'm floating through the same state of limbo the characters are in.
Leone d'Oro, Venice film festival.
Prix Méliès, French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
9.9
30. The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
Not Rated | 95 min | Drama, Romance, War
Veronica plans a rendezvous with her lover, Boris, at the bank of river, only for him to be drafted into World War II shortly thereafter.
Director: Mikhail Kalatozov | Stars: Tatyana Samoylova, Aleksey Batalov, Vasiliy Merkurev, Aleksandr Shvorin
Votes: 19,768 | Gross: $0.02M
One of the best WWII films, and certainly under-seen in North America.
Palme D'Or, Cannes.
9.9
31. Red Desert (1964)
Not Rated | 117 min | Drama
In an industrial area, unstable Giuliana attempts to cope with life by starting an affair with a co-worker at the plant her husband manages.
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni | Stars: Monica Vitti, Richard Harris, Carlo Chionetti, Xenia Valderi
Votes: 17,632
My favorite Antonioni. For art-house fans only. The visuals are exquisite, the emotions, complex.
Leone d'Oro, Venice film festival.
9.9
32. Solaris (1972)
PG | 167 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy
Votes: 98,243
There is a slow, deliberate pace to his films, but Tarkovsky was one of, if not THE deepest filmmaker.
Solaris gets richer and richer on repeat viewings. A wonderful, artistic film that never fails to fascinate me. Having seen all Tarkovsky's films, I'd add that I love the way he visually captures foliage, and nature in general in his films.
Would you rather live with a happy illusion, or the sad truth? What a profound question. It's one humankind deals with on a daily basis.
Grand Prix, Cannes.
9.9
33. 8½ (1963)
Not Rated | 138 min | Drama
A harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.
Director: Federico Fellini | Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimée, Claudia Cardinale, Sandra Milo
Votes: 125,175 | Gross: $0.05M
Fellini opened his head completely with this film, delving into his subconscious, hence it will always have a slight elusive quality to me.
Yes it's about a writer/director who has completed seven and a half films, and has writers block for his 8 1/2 film. He tries to fake his way along, mainly to keep his crew employed. When the film features flights of fancy, and dreams, that is where there are no easy concrete interpretations. Repeat viewings are recommended. Fascinating film!
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film
9.9
34. There Will Be Blood (2007)
R | 158 min | Drama
A story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciarán Hinds, Martin Stringer
Votes: 641,043 | Gross: $40.22M
It's a brilliant film that is both a character study of a type of narcissism, and a documenting of the early American oil rush. Old time religion also rears it's head.
Great dissonant score by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood, DDL is terrific, as usual, and it's a beautifully shot film as well. I think watching the trailer does give you a proper indication of what you'll get with the film.
9.9
35. Wings of Desire (1987)
PG-13 | 128 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
An angel tires of his purely ethereal life of merely overseeing the human activity of Berlin's residents, and longs for the tangible joys of physical existence when he falls in love with a mortal.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Otto Sander, Curt Bois
Votes: 76,998 | Gross: $3.33M
Visual poetry. A magnificent film.
The sequel film "Faraway, So Close" is not good.
9.9
36. Annie Hall (1977)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Romance
Alvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane
Votes: 278,381 | Gross: $39.20M
Prime Woody. A film from tip to tail that only he could have made. This is the "auteur" theory in action. Any five minutes of this film would be easily identified as Woody's work (and certainly one of his best).
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Film, Best Director
9.9
37. The Assassin (2015)
Not Rated | 105 min | Action, Drama, History
A female assassin receives a dangerous mission to kill a political leader in eighth-century China.
Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou | Stars: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Yun Zhou, Satoshi Tsumabuki
Votes: 17,983 | Gross: $0.61M
I wondered how arty minimalist HHH would do a martial arts film. The answer is 85% art, 15% action.
This is a film to see twice. HHH doesn't clearly spell out who's who for you, that's just his way of constructing a film (he is a minimalist). I was guessing who characters were referring to a number of times during the film. As the end of the film approaches, things become fairly clear.
Why the sky-high rating?
You will see incredible beauty throughout the film. You will experience total cinema mastery. The very highest level of film making is on display throughout in the shooting, the editing, the score, and the acting.
There is also the understated, straightforward, (but excellent) fight scenes. I love that they do not drag on and on like in so many martial arts films. The costuming is very notable as well, utterly gorgeous stuff.
Best Director, Cannes
9.9
38. The Raven (1943)
Not Rated | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A French village doctor becomes the target of poison-pen letters sent to village leaders, accusing him of affairs and practicing abortion.
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot | Stars: Pierre Fresnay, Ginette Leclerc, Micheline Francey, Héléna Manson
Votes: 10,894 | Gross: $0.03M
Better than 'Les Diaboliques' and a little better than the excellent 'Wages of Fear' in my opinion. This is a truly great, pitch black thriller that I watch often. What a pleasure this film is.
And to think, Clouzot managed to make this gem of a film under Nazi occupation. The Nazis didn't like the film, because of it's depiction of informers, and the free French hated Clouzot for working with the Nazi company Continental films to make this picture, and censured him for it after the war.
9.9
39. Beau Travail (1999)
Unrated | 92 min | Drama, War
An ex-Foreign Legion officer recalls his once-glorious life of leading troops in Djibouti.
Director: Claire Denis | Stars: Denis Lavant, Michel Subor, Grégoire Colin, Richard Courcet
Votes: 14,568 | Gross: $0.25M
A minimal, arty, French version of 'Billy Budd' set in Africa. This is Claire Denis' best film. On first viewing, I thought it was excellent. I loved it even more the second time I saw it. It's got a tone-poem hypnotic quality, but retains a concrete story at the same time. That's quite a rare feat.
César, Meilleure photographie.
9.9
40. The Third Man (1949)
Approved | 93 min | Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller
Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.
Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard
Votes: 181,812 | Gross: $0.45M
What a pleasure it is to watch this film, and hear the zither score that adds so much. One of my most often watched DVD's, I can't recommend it high enough.
Grand Prix, Cannes.
9.9
41. Casablanca (1942)
PG | 102 min | Drama, Romance, War
A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains
Votes: 605,931 | Gross: $1.02M
An indelible film. Maybe the best love story ever. Hollywood slickness at it's very best.
9.9
42. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
R | 188 min | Drama
Two young Swedish children in the 1900s experience the many comedies and tragedies of their lively and affectionate theatrical family, the Ekdahls.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Bertil Guve, Pernilla Allwin, Kristina Adolphson, Börje Ahlstedt
Votes: 67,488 | Gross: $4.97M
Another Bergman master class. He retired from feature film making after this film. He still wrote screenplays, novels, and directed teleplays (such as the great "Saraband").
Like "8 1/2", Fanny and Alexander has inexplicable events that may be in Alexander's mind, or may be there to set an impressionist tone to the film. There is a theater influence that runs through this film, as Bergman was probably more involved in theater production through his life than he was in film making.
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director
9.9
43. Yi Yi (2000)
Not Rated | 173 min | Drama, Romance
Each member of a middle-class Taipei family seeks to reconcile past and present relationships within their daily lives.
Director: Edward Yang | Stars: Nien-Jen Wu, Elaine Jin, Issei Ogata, Kelly Lee
Votes: 28,399 | Gross: $1.14M
It's very long, but I wouldn't cut a frame. One of the great humanist pictures, with little sprinkles of comedy now and then.
Think about how few films manage to cover a normal adult's career/job in a realistic, but not boring way...Yang pulls it off beautifully.
Best Director, Cannes
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film
9.9
44. The Producers (1967)
PG | 88 min | Comedy, Music
A stage-play producer devises a plan to make money by producing a sure-fire flop.
Director: Mel Brooks | Stars: Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, Kenneth Mars
Votes: 59,823 | Gross: $0.11M
Probably my favorite comedy. I can't believe how many people have not seen, or even heard this film. For me, this is one of the funniest films of all time.
Note: there is a newer remake with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. I have not seen it. It can't be as good as the original. There is simply no room for improvement.
9.9
45. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
PG | 95 min | Comedy, War
An unhinged American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn
Votes: 518,204 | Gross: $0.28M
Probably the easiest 'classic' to recommend because it's so much fun. George C. Scott is wonderful as General "Buck" Turgidson. Sterling Hayden as Col. Ripper is amazing, and hilarious. Peter Sellers playing three different characters is a big part of this film's charm as well.
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Director
9.9
46. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
PG | 115 min | Action, Adventure
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies
Votes: 1,036,788 | Gross: $248.16M
Not many gems like this around that are perfect pop entertainment. It's endlessly re-watchable.
9.9
47. Classe Tous Risques (1960)
Not Rated | 103 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A ruthless criminal flees from the pursuit, involving more and more casualties.
Director: Claude Sautet | Stars: Lino Ventura, Sandra Milo, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marcel Dalio
Votes: 4,278 | Gross: $0.09M
Claude Saute's first film from scratch (He'd finished Bonjour Sourire! after a firing of the original director) is one of the best crime films ever. Not to be missed.
9.9
48. Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)
Not Rated | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Cleo, a singer and hypochondriac, becomes increasingly worried that she might have cancer while awaiting test results from her doctor.
Director: Agnès Varda | Stars: Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray, Dorothée Blanck
Votes: 27,282
Yet another key 'nouvelle vague' film that is just a wonderful watch. It's style is very indicative of the non precious, playful, and innovative ways of so much of la nouvelle vague.
There certainly is the fact of Cleo waiting on medical test results and bracing for the worst that adds the depth to this film, but there is also often a breezy charm to this film (and the music of Michael LeGrand certainly contributes greatly to both feelings).
I just watched this film for the second time, and loved it even more than the first time.
Prix Méliès, French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
9.9
49. Together (2000)
R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In 1975, the dynamics of a Swedish commune begin to change upon the arrival of a beaten wife and her two kids.
Director: Lukas Moodysson | Stars: Lisa Lindgren, Michael Nyqvist, Emma Samuelsson, Sam Kessel
Votes: 24,339 | Gross: $1.07M
What a fabulous film by Moodysson. A look at a hippie communal house in the 70's, and a couple with two kids going through a separation. It's a total quality, non pandering, heartwarming film.
9.9
50. Ida (2013)
PG-13 | 82 min | Drama
A novice nun about to take her vows uncovers a family secret dating back to the German occupation.
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski | Stars: Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik, Jerzy Trela
Votes: 60,697 | Gross: $3.83M
This is one of the nicest visually presented films I've ever seen. The story is simple, the action and emotion, underplayed. It's a small masterwork.
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film
9.9
51. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
PG-13 | 104 min | Comedy, Drama
An ophthalmologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated with another woman.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Martin Landau, Woody Allen, Bill Bernstein, Claire Bloom
Votes: 60,787 | Gross: $18.25M
Prime Woody. Dostoevsky-like, with a bit of comedy as well. Wow!
9.9
52. The Fire Within (1963)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama
Depressed Alain Leroy leaves the clinic where he was detoxified. He meets friends, acquaintances and women, trying to find a reason to continue living. Will this help him?
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Maurice Ronet, Léna Skerla, Yvonne Clech, Hubert Deschamps
Votes: 10,460
The (bougeoise) threshold of true, modern adulthood is coupled with existential angst in this terrific film. This is Louis Malle at his best, and if you've seen lead actor Maurice Ronet in "Plein Soleil" (aka Purple Noon), you won't believe it's the same actor. He's profoundly different in this film.
9.9
53. The Shining (1980)
R | 146 min | Drama, Horror
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Votes: 1,106,500 | Gross: $44.02M
One of the finest psych-horror films ever (along with Polanski's "Repulsion"), and it's better than the source book (that doesn't happen often).
9.9
54. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
Passed | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Hollywood director John L. Sullivan sets out to experience life as a homeless person in order to gain relevant life experience for his next movie.
Director: Preston Sturges | Stars: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake, Robert Warwick, William Demarest
Votes: 28,515
Preston Sturges takes his comedic touch into some more serious material to great effect. The blend of comedy, and pith is second to none. A must.
Note: The Criterion disc has a documentary on it from "American Masters" on Sturges' career that is wonderful. It explains well why he, of such great talent, is sadly not a household name these days.
9.9
55. The Graduate (1967)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels
Votes: 288,388 | Gross: $104.95M
This shot up 100 places on my list after watching it on Blu-ray recently. What a great film. This film was a big influence on Wes Anderson's great film Rushmore.
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Director
9.9
56. Psycho (1960)
R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin
Votes: 718,191 | Gross: $32.00M
A must. One of the essentials. See it on Blu-ray if you can. It looks wonderful.
It's great that Hitch was able, out of his 53 films, to make so many that we continue to cherish.
He must have at least 6 that are incredible, another 6 that are quite excellent, and a dozen others that are a very fun watch over and over again.
9.9
57. Hearts and Minds (1974)
R | 112 min | Documentary, History, War
A startling and courageous landmark documentary that unflinchingly confronted the United States' involvement in Vietnam at the height of the controversy that surrounded it.
Director: Peter Davis | Stars: Tin Chan, Chau Diem, Ngo Dinh Diem, John Foster Dulles
Votes: 6,106 | Gross: $0.03M
Simply a must see documentary on the Vietnam war. Maybe the best documentary ever.
A sad irony is the people who seek out and watch a film like this, are not the ones who really need to hear it's message, and vice versa.
9.9
58. Woman in the Dunes (1964)
Not Rated | 147 min | Drama, Thriller
An entomologist on vacation is trapped by local villagers into living with a woman whose life task is shoveling sand for them.
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara | Stars: Eiji Okada, Kyôko Kishida, Kôji Mitsui, Hiroko Itô
Votes: 22,692
Surpasses even it's weighty reputation. It knocked me out. Don't let anyone tell you about the plot. The less known the better.
Jury Special Prize, Cannes
9.9
59. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
G | 149 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
After uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
Votes: 719,392 | Gross: $56.95M
It's a wonder this is such a mainstream classic considering the arty start and end. I'd think a lot of people would be put off by that fact. Must be the HAL 9000 that keeps folks coming back for more.
I remember Woody Allen doing an appreciation for this film. He said it took multiple viewings for him to get the fuss his friends were making about this film, but once he did, he considered Kubrick to be on a much higher plain than himself.
9.8
60. Vertigo (1958)
PG | 128 min | Mystery, Romance, Thriller
A 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.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore
Votes: 426,851 | Gross: $3.20M
Probably the most personal, stylized, and most fetishistic Hitchcock film. It is now widely considered the best film ever made, but flopped at the box-office when it came out.
Hitchcock actually withdrew the film from circulation. It was unavailable for decades. He was probably hurt that his most personal film was spurned by his adoring public. The film grew in the mind of many of those who'd seen it, as time passed and there was no possible way of re-seeing "Vertigo".
9.8
61. The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
Not Rated | 87 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Fascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.
Director: Orson Welles | Stars: Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders
Votes: 33,305 | Gross: $0.01M
One of the best film noirs. I feel this film doesn't get the respect it deserves and am completely puzzled as to why. There are so many merits to this film. The house of mirrors scene alone! IMO, this film is very high in Welles' filmography.
9.8
62. Ugetsu (1953)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
A tale of ambition, family, love, and war set in the midst of the Japanese Civil Wars of the sixteenth century.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô, Kinuyo Tanaka, Mitsuko Mito
Votes: 25,810 | Gross: $0.01M
A masterfully done film that blends reality and fantasy better than almost any other film.
I think one could compare Mizoguchi to Max Ophuls for the extraordinary level of craft both men possessed. Both achieve a rhythm, a flow to their films that few match.
I wasn't crazy about 'Sansho the Baliff', but you will find "The Story of the Last Crysanthemum" later in this list.
9.8
63. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 920,537 | Gross: $28.26M
An essential of the American canon, and a prime example of the period from 1968 to 1976 when studios were making lots of gritty, non-formulaic pictures (a.k.a. New Hollywood).
Palme D'Or, Cannes
9.8
64. Talk to Her (2002)
R | 112 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Two men share an odd friendship while they care for two women who are both in deep comas.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Rosario Flores, Javier Cámara, Darío Grandinetti, Leonor Watling
Votes: 117,486 | Gross: $9.36M
IMO, a masterpiece, and maybe the best Almodovar film. I feel he became a true master film-maker with this film, and he subsequently kept up the high quality for 5 films in a row.
9.8
65. Children of Paradise (1945)
Not Rated | 189 min | Drama, Romance
The theatrical life of a beautiful courtesan in 1830s Paris and the four men who love her.
Director: Marcel Carné | Stars: Arletty, Jean-Louis Barrault, Pierre Brasseur, Pierre Renoir
Votes: 21,167
Super long, and super good. An essential.
9.8
66. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)
Not Rated | 157 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes.
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan | Stars: Muhammet Uzuner, Yilmaz Erdogan, Taner Birsel, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan
Votes: 50,290 | Gross: $0.14M
It's gorgeous to look at, has a lot of police procedure, and chit-chat banality to it (reminding me of the very interesting film "Police, Adjective").
In this film the banalities do three very important things. They help you get to know the main characters, add to the realism of the picture, and they set a contrasting base line for the truly sublime moments of the film (that come up several times).
It's a low information film, hence I only recommend it for the art-house film lovers.
Grand Prix, Cannes
9.8
67. Shame (1968)
R | 103 min | Drama
In the midst of a civil war, former violinists Jan and Eva Rosenberg, who have a tempestuous marriage, run a farm on a rural island. In spite of their best efforts to escape their homeland, the war impinges on every aspect of their lives.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Sigge Fürst, Gunnar Björnstrand
Votes: 15,012
Bergman does a war film told from the view of an ordinary couple caught in the middle of a conflict. It is a brilliant film, and certainly under known.
Here is one instance of it being justly praised: When Woody Allen was asked recently which films he's watched the most, He said Shame, The Seventh Seal, and Bicycle Thieves.
9.8
68. La Dolce Vita (1960)
Not Rated | 174 min | Comedy, Drama
A series of stories following a week in the life of a philandering tabloid journalist living in Rome.
Director: Federico Fellini | Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée, Yvonne Furneaux
Votes: 78,198 | Gross: $19.52M
An excellent first Fellini film to see. By the end I have such an incredibly complex suite of emotions, it is beyond description what I am feeling. That is a very rare feat that only "Red Desert", and the series "Mad Men" have equaled.
Palme D'Or, Cannes.
9.8
69. Jules and Jim (1962)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama, Romance
Decades of a love triangle concerning two friends and an impulsive woman.
Director: François Truffaut | Stars: Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre, Vanna Urbino
Votes: 44,402
A nouvelle vague must. The best Truffaut film by a fair clip, IMO. An amicable love triangle for the ages.
9.8
70. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
R | 111 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Bored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.
Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman
Votes: 120,591
Prime American new wave. A must see.
9.8
71. Mulholland Drive (2001)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 383,784 | Gross: $7.22M
It is decipherable, but even if it wasn't, what a film! It is certainly up with Lynch's best films, if not his best. It is a must see. We are lucky to have David Lynch, and his unique creepy, dark, viewpoint.
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Film
9.8
72. Chinatown (1974)
R | 130 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez
Votes: 349,798
A perfect neo-noir with a very powerful gut-punch of an ending (added by Polanski to Robert Towne's script). Chinatown is New Hollywood at it's best.
9.8
73. About Elly (2009)
TV-PG | 119 min | Drama, Mystery
The mysterious disappearance of a kindergarten teacher during a picnic in the north of Iran is followed by a series of misadventures for her fellow travelers.
Director: Asghar Farhadi | Stars: Taraneh Alidoosti, Golshifteh Farahani, Shahab Hosseini, Merila Zare'i
Votes: 57,158 | Gross: $0.11M
Some films are gripping almost from the start. "Darbaraye Elly" seems like a pretty normal picture in the first 20 minutes. Stay with it. The early set up pays HUGE dividends.
This is an amazing film.
9.8
74. All the President's Men (1976)
PG | 138 min | Drama, History, Thriller
"The Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon's resignation.
Director: Alan J. Pakula | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam
Votes: 126,032 | Gross: $70.60M
This classic political thriller tells the story of Nixon's Watergate crime and coverup. It is one of the smartest U.S. film ever.
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Film, Best Director
9.8
75. Lola (1961)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Romance
A bored young man meets with his former girlfriend, now a cabaret dancer and single mother, and soon finds himself falling back in love with her.
Director: Jacques Demy | Stars: Anouk Aimée, Marc Michel, Jacques Harden, Alan Scott
Votes: 7,527
Do you want to be charmed like you've never been charmed before? This is the film. I love the Michel Legrand music as well. That song that Anouk Aimée sings at her work..."Cest moi...Lola", it's just killer. Hell, every minute of Anouk Aimée for that matter.
Keep in mind the film budget was small for this early nouvelle vague picture, so all the sound was done in post-production. If you love this picture like I do, check out Agnes Varda's "Cléo from 5 to 7". They occupy the same mental space for me as two of the most glorious, lighter nouvelle vague films, both with superb Michel Legrand songs featuring the same quality and charm as those in the (rightly) hugely celebrated J.L. Godard film "Pierrot Le Fou".
9.8
76. A Separation (2011)
PG-13 | 123 min | Drama
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.
Director: Asghar Farhadi | Stars: Payman Maadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat, Shahab Hosseini
Votes: 258,511 | Gross: $7.10M
Honesty, lies, ego, family, memory, law, rage, illness, honor. These are just a few of the themes of this amazing film.
What an excellent morally complex story that should challenge us to think of what we'd do in the various character's place.
You'll find 5 Asghar Farhadi films on this list. He is a huge talent.
Golden Bear, Berlin
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film
9.8
77. No Country for Old Men (2007)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson
Votes: 1,060,042 | Gross: $74.28M
One of the very best Coen brothers films. They took a very pat scenario (finding the loot from a drug deal gone bad) and turned it into something profound. I haven't read the book. I'm sure it's some rich source material.
I remember one review saying that Javier Bardem's character could be seen as death incarnate. I thought that was a great observation.
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Film, Best Director
9.8
78. Sicario (2015)
R | 121 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Jon Bernthal
Votes: 476,609 | Gross: $46.89M
This is a tough, grim film, beautiful photographed by Roger Deakins.
The score by Jóhann Jóhannsson is fantastic, full of dark foreboding ambient creep that completely serves the feeling of this film.
Blunt, Brolin and especially del Toro, are all excellent in their roles. The suspense achieved by the wonderful Denis Villeneuve may be the best captured on film. This is a perfect thriller, wrapped in the reality of the WAR ON DRUGS.
9.8
79. Repulsion (1965)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A sex-repulsed woman who disapproves of her sister's boyfriend sinks into depression and has horrific visions of rape and violence.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Ian Hendry, John Fraser, Yvonne Furneaux
Votes: 57,271
One of the best psych-horrors ever. I don't ever hear it talked about. What a shame. Maybe it's the fact that Polanski has so many other successful pictures that got much more exposure than Repulsion. Perhaps people think they've seen it, but are mixing it up with films of a similar name like Compulsion, or Suspicion?
I also wondered as I watched it if Cronenberg and Lynch were influenced by this picture. At times I feel it presages elements of both directors.
9.8
80. Notorious (1946)
Not Rated | 102 min | Drama, Film-Noir, Romance
The daughter of a convicted German spy is asked by American agents to gather information on a ring of German scientists in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them?
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern
Votes: 107,268 | Gross: $10.46M
It might be my favorite Hitchcock film. There are so many great ones. This is essential viewing, and a complete pleasure to watch again and again.
9.8
81. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
R | 127 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.
Director: Tomas Alfredson | Stars: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong
Votes: 212,486 | Gross: $24.15M
Best smart spy film ever. Just look at the cast! Don't expect any James Bond hijinks though. This is very real seeming, and perfectly executed. The era is captured, with style, and to a T.
9.8
82. Rosetta (1999)
R | 95 min | Drama
Young and impulsive Rosetta lives with her alcoholic mother and, moved by despair, she will do anything to maintain a job.
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne | Stars: Émilie Dequenne, Fabrizio Rongione, Anne Yernaux, Olivier Gourmet
Votes: 15,579 | Gross: $0.26M
A fantastic, very real feeling film by the Dardennes. Rosetta is a complex character that rings very true. The style of execution makes the film feel as if we are constantly trying to keep up with Rosetta as she desperately tries to find her way through a very challenging life.
I'd say it's a must see for those who love films that don't spoon feed the audience, and are not averse to seeing someone deal with a tough life circumstance. It's powerful stuff.
It was until recently, not out on home video in North America, being one of the only Palme D'Or winners to remain unreleased for more than a decade! When I talk film with people, 95% of them have never heard of the Dardenne brothers. Their tough, uncompromising films seem to be too gritty for most North American viewers.
Palme D'Or, Cannes.
9.8
83. The New World (2005)
PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale
Votes: 89,859 | Gross: $12.71M
No one does a bliss state like Malick does. I loved this film, especially the second half. I moved me emotionally like few films ever have. The lead actress is phenomenal in the Pocahontas/Rebecca role.
I'm surprised that this film has such a low rating on IMDb, but I do remember talking to several people who didn't like this film when it came out. Malick's reflective, poetic style just isn't for everyone.
9.8
84. Se7en (1995)
R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Votes: 1,798,713 | Gross: $100.13M
Such style, and darkness. One of my most oft watched films, I just love every second of it.
9.8
85. Dial M for Murder (1954)
PG | 105 min | Crime, Thriller
A former tennis star arranges the murder of his adulterous wife.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams
Votes: 188,773 | Gross: $0.01M
One of my all time most frequently watched films. This is a perfectly constructed commercial picture, which is what Hitch did better than almost anyone. It's the ultimate comfort food film for me.
Is there a more polite and charming villain than Ray Milland in this film?
9.8
86. The Samurai (1967)
GP | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Cathy Rosier
Votes: 57,142 | Gross: $0.04M
Melville's coolest film. It's a very zen, very quiet, hit-man film.
If you don't like to have to think about why a character does what he does (I refer to the ending of this picture), this film is not for you.
If you love elegant, stylish, understated crime films, this is about the best one ever made.
There has never been a more handsome and cool male actor than Alain Delon in this film.
9.8
87. 2046 (2004)
R | 129 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Several women enter a science fiction author's life over the course of a few years, after the author has lost the woman he considers his one true love.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ziyi Zhang, Faye Wong, Gong Li
Votes: 61,762 | Gross: $1.44M
A very sexy, beautiful film. A loose followup to "In The Mood For Love".
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film
9.8
88. Amour (2012)
PG-13 | 127 min | Drama
Georges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, Alexandre Tharaud
Votes: 105,686 | Gross: $6.74M
Another excellent Haneke film. Not for the impatient viewer, but those of us who like spare films will be amply rewarded. I can't remember who said this but "There is no such thing as love, only acts of love". That could be the long title of this film.
Palme D'Or winner.
Prix Méliès, French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film
César du meilleur film
9.8
89. The Celebration (1998)
R | 105 min | Drama
At Helge's 60th birthday party, some unpleasant family truths are revealed.
Director: Thomas Vinterberg | Stars: Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Paprika Steen
Votes: 93,862 | Gross: $1.65M
Rough hewn family drama in the Dogme '95 style. What a film!
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Foreign Language Film
9.8
90. Fists in the Pocket (1965)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A young man takes drastic measures to rid his dysfunctional family of its various afflictions.
Director: Marco Bellocchio | Stars: Lou Castel, Paola Pitagora, Marino Masé, Liliana Gerace
Votes: 4,914
Subversive, and singular. Love it. See it if you like films like "A Clockwork Orange", and "Festen".
9.8
91. Gomorrah (2008)
Not Rated | 137 min | Crime, Drama
Scampia Vele is the Corbusian architecture which has become a stronghold for Mafia of Naples, Italy.
Director: Matteo Garrone | Stars: Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Abbruzzese, Toni Servillo, Simone Sacchettino
Votes: 51,208 | Gross: $1.58M
A very, very realistic crime film. It almost could be a documentary. It is quite violent, and feels like watching real events. I think it is top notch, and simply couldn't have enjoyed it more.
When I watched this again for the second time after a gap of 2-3 years, I remembered virtually every scene, more so than any film I'd ever seen. It's that memorable.
Grand Prix winner, Cannes.
9.8
92. Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)
Not Rated | 14 min | Short, Fantasy, Mystery
A woman returning home falls asleep and has vivid dreams that may or may not be happening in reality. Through repetitive images and complete mismatching of the objective view of time and space, her dark inner desires play out on-screen.
Directors: Maya Deren, Alexander Hammid | Stars: Maya Deren, Alexander Hammid
Votes: 15,201
Watch this with the wonderful score by Seaming (It's on youtube). It fits perfectly.
It has a stellar reputation, and this avant-garde short film blew me away. It sure feels more modern than 1943.
It is a million time better than Bunuel/Dali's "Un Chien Andalou", and I could see it influencing David Lynch as well (the blue key in Mulholland Dr. for instance).
9.8
93. Breaking the Waves (1996)
R | 159 min | Drama
Oilman Jan is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more, when Jan urges her to have sex with another.
Director: Lars von Trier | Stars: Emily Watson, Stellan Skarsgård, Katrin Cartlidge, Jean-Marc Barr
Votes: 71,556 | Gross: $4.04M
Not the easiest watch (it's very emotionally heavy), but dead-good. The rough shooting style, and very grainy look add a lot to the presentation.
Grand Prix winner, Cannes
New York Film Critics Circle Award, Best Director
9.8
94. To Our Loves (1983)
R | 99 min | Drama, Romance
An erratic young woman's family desperately tries to prevent her increasingly erotic ways.
Director: Maurice Pialat | Stars: Sandrine Bonnaire, Maurice Pialat, Christophe Odent, Dominique Besnehard
Votes: 7,263
Hard to sum up how much this film offers to it's subject matter. Maurice Pialat is under-appreciated in my books. He was a post-new wave master, and was called the french John Cassavetes. Try Pialat if you like the Dardenne's films.
9.8
95. The Limey (1999)
R | 89 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An extremely volatile and dangerous Englishman goes to Los Angeles to find the man he considers responsible for his daughter's death.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda, Lesley Ann Warren, Luis Guzmán
Votes: 34,826 | Gross: $3.19M
This made me love Terrence Stamp. It's an art house revenge film that's heavily influenced by John Boorman's 1967 film 'Point Blank'. Some may find it a bit confusing that flash-forwards are used as well as flash-backs. Me, I just love every aspect of this film.
9.8
96. Caché (2005)
R | 117 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A married couple is terrorized by a series of surveillance videotapes left on their front porch.
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Juliette Binoche, Maurice Bénichou, Annie Girardot
Votes: 85,221 | Gross: $3.63M
The new master of suspense for the art-house crowd. There is a once banalized, now shocking historical event interwoven into the story of this film. It gives tremendous depth, and social relevance to this excellent suspense film.
When you add up his last three films (Cache, The White Ribbon, and Amour), Haneke is quite possibly the director making the very best films these days. Ceylan & Farhadi are also right near the top for me these days.
9.8
97. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
R | 82 min | Comedy, Music
Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DiBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, Kimberly Stringer
Votes: 147,349 | Gross: $4.74M
It gets funnier every time you see it. This is a classic comedy for me that I've watched a million times. I know every line.
"Oh, I love this next one, I wish I was this one. Derek, this is your crab face."
11.0 ;-)
98. The Informer (1962)
Not Rated | 108 min | Crime, Thriller
A burglar betraying other criminals prepares for a big heist with a trusted friend who might be as untrustworthy as he.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Serge Reggiani, Jean Desailly, René Lefèvre
Votes: 11,989 | Gross: $0.08M
Another great Melville crime film. You'll want to watch it twice.
9.7
99. Fantastic Planet (1973)
PG | 72 min | Animation, Sci-Fi
On a faraway planet where blue giants rule, oppressed humanoids rebel against their machine-like leaders.
Director: René Laloux | Stars: Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Drake, Eric Baugin, Jean Topart
Votes: 36,819 | Gross: $0.19M
An incredible, Sui generis masterpiece of the mind.
Based on the 1957 novel "Oms en série" by Stefan Wul, one could call this a reverse anthropomorphic film, since humans are the pets, the playthings on the planet Ygam.
It's an affecting, creepy, imaginative film that's NOT for kids. The design work of Roland Topor is just so special. Watch the trailer. I dare you not want to see this film.
Grand Prix, Cannes.
9.7
100. Alice in the Cities (1974)
Not Rated | 113 min | Drama
A German journalist is saddled with a nine-year-old girl after encountering her mother at a New York airport.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Yella Rottländer, Rüdiger Vogler, Lisa Kreuzer, Edda Köchl
Votes: 13,237
This film really lived up to it's high reputation. I thought it was superb.
Robby Muller's cinematography is great, and right from the start, I could see that Jim Jarmusch must have loved this film, and been heavily influenced by it (he also has used Robby Muller to shoot several of his pictures).
The kid gives a wonderful, nuanced performance. The score (by CAN) beautifully accents the melancholy, bittersweet tone of this excellent road movie.
9.7
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