Movies that you must see from 1981 - Present

by dean_barton | created - 11 Jan 2012 | updated - 27 Jan 2018 | Public

The best movies in my lifetime starting from 1981 to the present date, I am a big movies finatic and have seen 1000's maybe even hundreds of 1000's of movies and this are my favorites (in no pacific order)unlike alot of people i like a wide variety of movies from romance, action, thriller, comedy and so on, anyway here is my list, feel free to suggest some as i may have forgotten a few (obvious sequels i will leave out)

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1. The Ultimate Gift (2006)

PG | 114 min | Drama, Family, Romance

49 Metascore

A deceased billionaire leaves his spoiled adult grandson a series of odd tasks to perform in order to receive "the ultimate gift," with the resentful grandson having no idea what that might be.

Director: Michael O. Sajbel | Stars: Drew Fuller, James Garner, Abigail Breslin, Bill Cobbs

Votes: 20,433 | Gross: $3.44M

Great movie with a good story full of emotions

2. Big (1988)

PG | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

73 Metascore

After wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously in the body of an adult.

Director: Penny Marshall | Stars: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard

Votes: 240,018 | Gross: $114.97M

Classic that will last through the ages

3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

R | 142 min | Drama

82 Metascore

Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.

Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler

Votes: 2,889,444 | Gross: $28.34M

If you haven't seen this by now, where have you been hiding

4. The Lion King (1994)

G | 88 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama

88 Metascore

Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.

Directors: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg

Votes: 1,142,612 | Gross: $422.78M

im not much into cartoon films but this one is a must watch for anyone

5. The Matrix (1999)

R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi

73 Metascore

When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.

Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving

Votes: 2,053,705 | Gross: $171.48M

started off a very promising trilogy and can stand alone and still be a great movie but 2 and 3 could never live up to the orinal

6. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

70 Metascore

A high-school boy, Cameron, cannot date Bianca until her anti-social older sister, Kat, has a boyfriend. So, Cameron pays a mysterious boy, Patrick, to charm Kat.

Director: Gil Junger | Stars: Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik

Votes: 385,399 | Gross: $38.18M

one of my fav movies although find it hard to watch after Heath past away

7. John Q (2002)

PG-13 | 116 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

30 Metascore

John Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant.

Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, Gabriela Oltean, Kimberly Elise

Votes: 143,719 | Gross: $71.76M

very moving movie, great original story, denzel on top form as always

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)

R | 154 min | Crime, Drama

95 Metascore

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: 2,220,791 | Gross: $107.93M

9. You've Got Mail (1998)

PG | 119 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

58 Metascore

Book superstore magnate Joe Fox and independent book shop owner Kathleen Kelly fall in love in the anonymity of the Internet, both blissfully unaware that he's trying to put her out of business.

Director: Nora Ephron | Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey

Votes: 229,714 | Gross: $115.82M

if you liked sleepless in Seattle you will also love this, the great on screen chemistry with meg and tom make this a movie to watch

10. Waterworld (1995)

PG-13 | 135 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

56 Metascore

In a future where the polar ice-caps have melted and Earth is almost entirely submerged, a mutated mariner fights starvation and outlaw "smokers," and reluctantly helps a woman and a young girl try to find dry land.

Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: Kevin Costner, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Dennis Hopper, Tina Majorino

Votes: 210,002 | Gross: $88.25M

you will either love or hate this film, i myself have seen it atleast 5 times, its one of those films you can go back to time and time again

11. The Bodyguard (1992)

R | 129 min | Action, Drama, Music

39 Metascore

A former Secret Service agent takes on the job of bodyguard to an R&B singer, whose lifestyle is most unlike a President's.

Director: Mick Jackson | Stars: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston, Gary Kemp, Bill Cobbs

Votes: 147,708 | Gross: $121.95M

great movie, a classic that will never be forgotten ive seen this movie at least 10 times, also a very moving movie

12. 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002)

R | 96 min | Comedy, Romance

53 Metascore

After a brutal break-up, a young man vows to stay celibate during the forty days of Lent, but finds the girl of his dreams and is unable to do anything about it.

Director: Michael Lehmann | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon, Paulo Costanzo, Adam Trese

Votes: 75,822 | Gross: $37.95M

13. A Knight's Tale (2001)

PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Romance

56 Metascore

After his master dies, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, creates a new identity for himself as a knight.

Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Heath Ledger, Mark Addy, Rufus Sewell, Shannyn Sossamon

Votes: 201,786 | Gross: $56.57M

14. Braveheart (1995)

R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, War

68 Metascore

Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.

Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen

Votes: 1,091,550 | Gross: $75.60M

15. Speed (1994)

R | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

78 Metascore

A young police officer must prevent a bomb exploding aboard a city bus by keeping its speed above 50 mph.

Director: Jan de Bont | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock, Joe Morton

Votes: 392,018 | Gross: $121.25M

16. Blue Streak (1999)

PG-13 | 93 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

46 Metascore

A former convict poses as a cop to retrieve a diamond he stole years ago.

Director: Les Mayfield | Stars: Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson, Peter Greene, Dave Chappelle

Votes: 88,789 | Gross: $68.52M

17. The Lake House (2006)

PG | 99 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance

52 Metascore

A lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside house begins to exchange love letters with its former resident, a frustrated architect. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.

Director: Alejandro Agresti | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Christopher Plummer, Ebon Moss-Bachrach

Votes: 157,686 | Gross: $52.33M

Keanu and Sandra reunited 12 years after speed and both still dont look a day older, this is a great love story with a very well played out plot

18. The Fast and the Furious (2001)

PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

58 Metascore

Los Angeles police officer Brian O'Conner must decide where his loyalty really lies when he becomes enamored with the street racing world he has been sent undercover to destroy.

Director: Rob Cohen | Stars: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster

Votes: 419,660 | Gross: $144.53M

This is an icon, before it just become milked, this had a true story and brought something new to the movie scene, cars. family friendship and crime. good soundtrack to. i loved this movie so much i rentd it 6 times before my GF at the time ended up buying it for me on VHS, must have watched this movie 20+ times

19. What Women Want (2000)

PG-13 | 127 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

47 Metascore

A cocky, chauvinistic advertising executive magically acquires the ability to hear what women are thinking.

Director: Nancy Meyers | Stars: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda

Votes: 222,383 | Gross: $182.81M

20. Die Hard (1988)

R | 132 min | Action, Thriller

72 Metascore

A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.

Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson

Votes: 945,758 | Gross: $83.01M

21. Labyrinth (1986)

PG | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

50 Metascore

Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.

Director: Jim Henson | Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson

Votes: 149,616 | Gross: $12.73M

22. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

PG | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

72 Metascore

A recently widowed man's son calls a radio talk-show in an attempt to find his father a partner.

Director: Nora Ephron | Stars: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Ross Malinger, Rita Wilson

Votes: 190,909 | Gross: $126.53M

23. Sleepers (1996)

R | 147 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

49 Metascore

After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized. Thirteen years later, an unexpected random encounter with a former guard gives them a chance for revenge.

Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt, Jason Patric

Votes: 237,596 | Gross: $49.10M

24. Saw (2004)

R | 103 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller

46 Metascore

Two strangers awaken in a room with no recollection of how they got there, and soon discover they're pawns in a deadly game perpetrated by a notorious serial killer.

Director: James Wan | Stars: Cary Elwes, Leigh Whannell, Danny Glover, Ken Leung

Votes: 466,803 | Gross: $56.00M

25. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

PG-13 | 178 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

92 Metascore

A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.

Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean

Votes: 2,007,570 | Gross: $315.54M

26. Bad Boys (1995)

R | 119 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

41 Metascore

Two hip detectives protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room from their police precinct.

Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Lisa Boyle, Michael Taliferro

Votes: 286,483 | Gross: $65.81M

27. Ghost (1990)

PG-13 | 127 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance

52 Metascore

After a young man is murdered, his spirit stays behind to warn his lover of impending danger, with the help of a reluctant psychic.

Director: Jerry Zucker | Stars: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn

Votes: 236,019 | Gross: $217.63M

28. 50 First Dates (2004)

PG-13 | 99 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

48 Metascore

Henry Roth is a man afraid of commitment until he meets the beautiful Lucy. They hit it off and Henry think he's finally found the girl of his dreams until discovering she has short-term memory loss and forgets him the next day.

Director: Peter Segal | Stars: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin

Votes: 382,250 | Gross: $120.91M

29. The Replacements (2000)

PG-13 | 118 min | Comedy, Sport

30 Metascore

During a pro football strike, the owners hire substitute players.

Director: Howard Deutch | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, Brooke Langton, Orlando Jones

Votes: 69,493 | Gross: $44.74M

30. Major League (1989)

R | 107 min | Comedy, Sport

62 Metascore

The new owner of the Cleveland Indians puts together a purposely horrible team so they'll lose and she can move the team. But when the plot is uncovered, they start winning just to spite her.

Director: David S. Ward | Stars: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Margaret Whitton

Votes: 76,448 | Gross: $49.80M

31. Top Gun (1986)

PG | 109 min | Action, Drama

50 Metascore

As students at the United States Navy's elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom.

Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Tom Cruise, Tim Robbins, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer

Votes: 502,768 | Gross: $179.80M

32. Lethal Weapon (1987)

R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

68 Metascore

Two newly paired cops who are complete opposites must put aside their differences in order to catch a gang of drug smugglers.

Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Mitchell Ryan

Votes: 276,426 | Gross: $65.21M

33. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)

R | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

77 Metascore

In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community escape a horde of bandits.

Director: George Miller | Stars: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps

Votes: 193,759 | Gross: $12.47M

34. Dirty Dancing (I) (1987)

PG-13 | 100 min | Drama, Music, Romance

65 Metascore

Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle.

Director: Emile Ardolino | Stars: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes

Votes: 256,482 | Gross: $0.62M

35. Home Alone (1990)

PG | 103 min | Comedy, Family

63 Metascore

An eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.

Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard

Votes: 652,936 | Gross: $285.76M

36. Beetlejuice (1988)

PG | 92 min | Comedy, Fantasy

71 Metascore

The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.

Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Annie McEnroe

Votes: 340,208 | Gross: $73.71M

37. Underworld (2003)

R | 121 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller

42 Metascore

Selene, a vampire warrior, is entrenched in a conflict between vampires and werewolves, while falling in love with Michael, a human who is sought by werewolves for unknown reasons.

Director: Len Wiseman | Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen

Votes: 285,215 | Gross: $51.97M

38. The Wedding Singer (1998)

PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy, Music, Romance

60 Metascore

Robbie, a singer, and Julia, a waitress, are both engaged, but to the wrong people. Fortune intervenes to help them discover each other.

Director: Frank Coraci | Stars: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert

Votes: 162,342 | Gross: $80.25M

39. Pitch Black (2000)

R | 109 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

49 Metascore

A transport ship crashes and leaves its crew stranded on a desert planet inhabited by bloodthirsty creatures that come out during an eclipse.

Director: David Twohy | Stars: Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Vin Diesel, Keith David

Votes: 253,022 | Gross: $39.24M

40. The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

R | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

38 Metascore

The wanted criminal Richard Bruno Riddick arrives on a planet called Helion Prime and finds himself up against an invading empire called the Necromongers, an army that plans to convert or kill all humans in the universe.

Director: David Twohy | Stars: Vin Diesel, Judi Dench, Colm Feore, Thandiwe Newton

Votes: 241,862 | Gross: $57.76M

41. X-Men (2000)

PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

64 Metascore

In a world where mutants (evolved super-powered humans) exist and are discriminated against, two groups form for an inevitable clash: the supremacist Brotherhood, and the pacifist X-Men.

Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen

Votes: 646,713 | Gross: $157.30M

42. The Score (2001)

R | 124 min | Action, Crime, Drama

71 Metascore

An aging thief hopes to retire and live off his ill-gotten wealth with his lover when a young kid convinces him into doing one last heist that comes with a large payout.

Director: Frank Oz | Stars: Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Marlon Brando, Angela Bassett

Votes: 134,137 | Gross: $71.07M

43. Heat (1995)

R | 170 min | Action, Crime, Drama

76 Metascore

A group of high-end professional thieves start to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a verbal clue at their latest heist.

Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight

Votes: 719,571 | Gross: $67.44M

44. Con Air (1997)

R | 115 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

52 Metascore

Newly-paroled ex-con and former U.S. Ranger Cameron Poe finds himself trapped in a prisoner-transport plane when the passengers seize control.

Director: Simon West | Stars: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Colm Meaney

Votes: 319,341 | Gross: $101.12M

45. Face/Off (1997)

R | 138 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi

82 Metascore

To foil a terrorist plot, FBI agent Sean Archer assumes the identity of the criminal Castor Troy who murdered his son through facial transplant surgery, but the crook wakes up prematurely and vows revenge.

Director: John Woo | Stars: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola

Votes: 400,987 | Gross: $112.23M

46. 17 Again (2009)

PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

48 Metascore

Mike O'Donnell is ungrateful for how his life turned out. He gets a chance to rewrite his life when he tried to save a janitor near a bridge and jumped after him into a time vortex.

Director: Burr Steers | Stars: Zac Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann, Thomas Lennon

Votes: 216,422 | Gross: $64.17M

47. Wedding Crashers (2005)

R | 119 min | Comedy, Romance

64 Metascore

John Beckwith and Jeremy Grey, a pair of committed womanizers who sneak into weddings to take advantage of the romantic tinge in the air, find themselves at odds with one another when John meets and falls for Claire Cleary.

Director: David Dobkin | Stars: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Christopher Walken

Votes: 375,836 | Gross: $209.22M

48. Rush Hour (1998)

PG-13 | 98 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

61 Metascore

A loyal and dedicated Hong Kong Inspector teams up with a reckless and loudmouthed L.A.P.D. detective to rescue the Chinese Consul's kidnapped daughter, while trying to arrest a dangerous crime lord along the way.

Director: Brett Ratner | Stars: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Ken Leung, Tom Wilkinson

Votes: 294,773 | Gross: $141.15M

49. 8 Mile (2002)

R | 110 min | Drama, Music

77 Metascore

Follows a young rapper in the Detroit area, struggling with every aspect of his life; he wants to make it big but his friends and foes make this odyssey of rap harder than it may seem.

Director: Curtis Hanson | Stars: Eminem, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer

Votes: 320,994 | Gross: $116.72M

50. Stargate (1994)

PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

42 Metascore

An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.

Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Kurt Russell, James Spader, Jaye Davidson, Viveca Lindfors

Votes: 205,135 | Gross: $71.57M

51. Gladiator (2000)

R | 155 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

67 Metascore

A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed

Votes: 1,620,619 | Gross: $187.71M

52. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

51 Metascore

Robin Hood decides to fight back as an outlaw when faced with the tyranny of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Director: Kevin Reynolds | Stars: Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater

Votes: 208,435 | Gross: $165.50M

53. Fantastic Four (I) (2005)

PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

40 Metascore

A group of astronauts gain superpowers after a cosmic radiation exposure and must use them to oppose the plans of their enemy, Doctor Victor Von Doom.

Director: Tim Story | Stars: Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, Chris Evans, Jessica Alba

Votes: 343,910 | Gross: $154.70M

54. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

PG | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

58 Metascore

After rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebel Alliance attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side.

Director: Richard Marquand | Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams

Votes: 1,121,634 | Gross: $309.13M

55. Avatar (2009)

PG-13 | 162 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

83 Metascore

A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez

Votes: 1,386,690 | Gross: $760.51M

56. Titanic (1997)

PG-13 | 194 min | Drama, Romance

75 Metascore

A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates

Votes: 1,280,740 | Gross: $659.33M

57. Transformers (2007)

PG-13 | 144 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

61 Metascore

An ancient struggle between two Cybertronian races, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, comes to Earth, with a clue to the ultimate power held by a teenager.

Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson

Votes: 674,950 | Gross: $319.25M

58. Spider-Man (2002)

PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

73 Metascore

After being bitten by a genetically-modified spider, a shy teenager gains spider-like abilities that he uses to fight injustice as a masked superhero and face a vengeful enemy.

Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, James Franco

Votes: 879,987 | Gross: $403.71M

59. Independence Day (1996)

PG-13 | 145 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

59 Metascore

The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive.

Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell

Votes: 605,769 | Gross: $306.17M

60. The Patriot (2000)

R | 165 min | Action, Drama, History

63 Metascore

Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.

Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs

Votes: 293,546 | Gross: $113.33M

61. The Da Vinci Code (2006)

PG-13 | 149 min | Mystery, Thriller

46 Metascore

A murder inside the Louvre, and clues in Da Vinci paintings, lead to the discovery of a religious mystery protected by a secret society for two thousand years, which could shake the foundations of Christianity.

Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Jean Reno, Ian McKellen

Votes: 458,891 | Gross: $217.54M

62. Forever Young (1992)

PG | 102 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

During a cryogenics test, a pilot frozen in 1939 awakes in 1992 but time is running out, as his body starts to age rapidly.

Director: Steve Miner | Stars: Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Elijah Wood, Isabel Glasser

Votes: 50,085 | Gross: $55.96M

63. The Sixth Sense (1999)

PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller

64 Metascore

Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.

Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams

Votes: 1,051,575 | Gross: $293.51M

64. RED (2010)

PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

60 Metascore

When his peaceful life is threatened by a high-tech assassin, former black-ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team in a last-ditch effort to survive and uncover his assailants.

Director: Robert Schwentke | Stars: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker

Votes: 323,965 | Gross: $90.38M

65. City of Angels (1998)

PG-13 | 114 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance

54 Metascore

An angel on Earth, a doctor unable to believe, a patient with a secret, a love story made in Heaven.

Director: Brad Silberling | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan, Andre Braugher, Dennis Franz

Votes: 127,786 | Gross: $78.69M

66. Message in a Bottle (1999)

PG-13 | 126 min | Drama, Romance

40 Metascore

A woman discovers a tragic love letter in a bottle on a beach, and is determined to track down its author.

Director: Luis Mandoki | Stars: Kevin Costner, Robin Wright, Paul Newman, John Savage

Votes: 40,368 | Gross: $52.88M

67. Se7en (1995)

R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery

65 Metascore

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: 1,799,474 | Gross: $100.13M

68. Forrest Gump (1994)

PG-13 | 142 min | Drama, Romance

82 Metascore

The history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field

Votes: 2,257,673 | Gross: $330.25M

69. American History X (1998)

R | 119 min | Crime, Drama

62 Metascore

Living a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.

Director: Tony Kaye | Stars: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Lien

Votes: 1,186,494 | Gross: $6.72M

70. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

75 Metascore

A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick

Votes: 1,174,339 | Gross: $204.84M

71. Aliens (1986)

R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

84 Metascore

Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser

Votes: 763,270 | Gross: $85.16M

72. Species (1995)

R | 108 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

49 Metascore

A group of scientists try to track down and trap a killer alien seductress before she successfully mates with a human.

Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Natasha Henstridge, Michael Madsen, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina

Votes: 85,272 | Gross: $60.07M

73. Back to the Future (1985)

PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

87 Metascore

Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.

Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover

Votes: 1,307,160 | Gross: $210.61M

74. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

PG-13 | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

53 Metascore

A rough-and-tumble trucker and his side kick face off with an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.

Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong

Votes: 154,043 | Gross: $11.10M

75. The Karate Kid (1984)

PG | 126 min | Action, Drama, Family

60 Metascore

A martial arts master agrees to teach karate to a bullied teenager.

Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove

Votes: 244,536 | Gross: $90.82M

76. Best of the Best (1989)

PG-13 | 97 min | Action, Drama, Sport

26 Metascore

A team from the United States is going to compete against Korea in a Tae Kwon Do tournament. The team consists of fighters from all over the country - can they overcome their rivalry and work together to win?

Director: Robert Radler | Stars: Eric Roberts, James Earl Jones, Sally Kirkland, Phillip Rhee

Votes: 15,268 | Gross: $1.70M

77. The Green Mile (1999)

R | 189 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy

61 Metascore

A tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.

Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt

Votes: 1,407,781 | Gross: $136.80M

78. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

R | 116 min | Drama, War

78 Metascore

A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.

Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio, Adam Baldwin

Votes: 790,589 | Gross: $46.36M

79. Batman (1989)

PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure

69 Metascore

The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.

Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl

Votes: 404,341 | Gross: $251.19M

80. Blade Runner (1982)

R | 117 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi

84 Metascore

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: 823,250 | Gross: $32.87M

81. Flight of the Navigator (1986)

PG | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

64 Metascore

In 1978, a boy travels eight years into the future and has an adventure with an intelligent, wisecracking alien ship.

Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright

Votes: 51,703 | Gross: $18.56M

82. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

PG | 115 min | Action, Adventure

86 Metascore

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: 1,037,045 | Gross: $248.16M

83. Undisputed (2002)

R | 94 min | Action, Crime, Drama

58 Metascore

When heavyweight champion George "Iceman" Chambers lands in prison, the resident gangster arranges a boxing match with the reigning prison champ.

Director: Walter Hill | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames, Peter Falk, Michael Rooker

Votes: 34,408 | Gross: $12.76M

84. Ghostbusters (1984)

PG | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy

71 Metascore

Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.

Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis

Votes: 450,357 | Gross: $238.63M

85. Groundhog Day (1993)

PG | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy

72 Metascore

A narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.

Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky

Votes: 685,230 | Gross: $70.91M

86. Bruce Almighty (2003)

PG-13 | 101 min | Comedy, Fantasy

46 Metascore

A whiny news reporter is given the chance to step into God's shoes.

Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, Morgan Freeman, Philip Baker Hall

Votes: 433,799 | Gross: $242.83M

87. Liar Liar (1997)

PG-13 | 86 min | Comedy, Fantasy

70 Metascore

A pathological liar-lawyer finds his career turned upside down when he inexplicably cannot physically lie for 24 whole hours.

Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Amanda Donohoe, Jennifer Tilly

Votes: 333,481 | Gross: $181.41M

88. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy

41 Metascore

After a woman leaves a briefcase at the airport terminal, a dumb limo driver and his dumber friend set out on a hilarious cross-country road trip to Aspen to return it.

Directors: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly | Stars: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Mike Starr

Votes: 412,358 | Gross: $127.18M

89. First Blood (1982)

R | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller

61 Metascore

A veteran Green Beret is forced by a cruel Sheriff and his deputies to flee into the mountains and wage an escalating one-man war against his pursuers.

Director: Ted Kotcheff | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna, Bill McKinney

Votes: 275,646 | Gross: $47.21M

90. Last Action Hero (1993)

PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

44 Metascore

With the help of a magic ticket, a young movie fan is transported into the fictional world of his favorite action movie character.

Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, F. Murray Abraham, Art Carney, Charles Dance

Votes: 163,863 | Gross: $50.02M

91. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

63 Metascore

Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.

Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley

Votes: 1,210,728 | Gross: $305.41M

92. Short Circuit (1986)

PG | 98 min | Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi

50 Metascore

Number 5 of a group of experimental robots in a lab is electrocuted, suddenly becomes intelligent, and escapes.

Director: John Badham | Stars: Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton

Votes: 66,355 | Gross: $40.70M

93. The Goonies (1985)

PG | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family

62 Metascore

A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.

Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman

Votes: 298,466 | Gross: $61.50M

94. *batteries not included (1987)

PG | 106 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy

54 Metascore

Aliens help a feisty old New York couple in their battle against the ruthless land developer who's out to evict them.

Director: Matthew Robbins | Stars: Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Frank McRae, Elizabeth Peña

Votes: 37,702 | Gross: $32.95M

95. The Negotiator (1998)

R | 140 min | Action, Crime, Drama

62 Metascore

In a desperate attempt to prove his innocence, a skilled police negotiator accused of corruption and murder takes hostages in a government office to gain the time he needs to find the truth.

Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse, Ron Rifkin

Votes: 154,985 | Gross: $44.48M

96. S.W.A.T. (2003)

PG-13 | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Crime

45 Metascore

An imprisoned drug kingpin offers a huge cash reward to anyone that can break him out of police custody, and only the L.A.P.D.'s Special Weapons and Tactics team can prevent it.

Director: Clark Johnson | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J

Votes: 153,982 | Gross: $116.93M

97. Phone Booth (2002)

R | 81 min | Crime, Thriller

56 Metascore

Publicist Stuart Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth, pinned down by an extortionist's sniper rifle. Unable to leave or receive outside help, Stuart's negotiation with the caller leads to a jaw-dropping climax.

Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Colin Farrell, Kiefer Sutherland, Forest Whitaker, Radha Mitchell

Votes: 285,822 | Gross: $46.57M

98. Field of Dreams (1989)

PG | 107 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy

57 Metascore

Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife, Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true.

Director: Phil Alden Robinson | Stars: Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta, Amy Madigan

Votes: 128,145 | Gross: $64.43M

99. The Running Man (1987)

R | 101 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

45 Metascore

In a dystopian America, a falsely convicted policeman gets his shot at freedom when he must forcibly participate in a TV game show where convicts, runners, must battle killers for their freedom.

Director: Paul Michael Glaser | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, Yaphet Kotto, Jim Brown

Votes: 167,750 | Gross: $38.12M

100. Total Recall (1990)

R | 113 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

60 Metascore

When a man goes in to have virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars implanted in his mind, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or is he?

Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Rachel Ticotin

Votes: 354,657 | Gross: $119.39M



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