The best movies of all time

by dolanduck-65330 | created - 17 Mar 2016 | updated - 01 Apr 2016 | Public

The movies which are at the pinnacle of what the visual medium has to offer

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1. Ghost in the Shell (1995)

TV-MA | 83 min | Animation, Action, Crime

76 Metascore

A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.

Directors: Mizuho Nishikubo, Mamoru Oshii | Stars: Atsuko Tanaka, Iemasa Kayumi, Akio Ôtsuka, Kôichi Yamadera

Votes: 156,807 | Gross: $0.52M

best movie of all times, has gorgeous imagery amazing directing and some of the most interesting philosophical concepts ever put into cinema

2. Cloud Atlas (2012)

R | 172 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi

55 Metascore

An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.

Directors: Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving

Votes: 374,327 | Gross: $27.11M

An amazing film, it has comedy, hard sci fi, philosophy and historical drama all rolled into a fanatic package. also, to top this all it has great directing and acting, the actors played multiple roles each with it's own unique flavor.

3. 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: 822,806 | Gross: $32.87M

One of the few classics that actually does deserve the credit it is given. it has amazing visuals that still hold up today, great themes and concepts amazing directing and performances.

4. Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

R | 114 min | Action, Drama, Romance

70 Metascore

During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.

Director: Yimou Zhang | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Ye Liu

Votes: 45,952 | Gross: $6.57M

Art, this movie is pure art. this is the most visually stunning film ever put to cinema. the directing is unparalleled the sets are gorgeous, the story is intricate, layered heart breaking and shocking. I absolutely love this film.

5. Millennium Actress (2001)

PG | 87 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy

70 Metascore

A TV interviewer and his cameraman meet a former actress and travel through her memories and career.

Directors: Satoshi Kon, Kô Matsuo | Stars: Miyoko Shôji, Shôzô Îzuka, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa

Votes: 32,033 | Gross: $0.19M

Satoshi Kon's Masterpiece; this film is a piece of art, just like Cloud Atlas and Synecdoche New York this film also plays around with the concept of time. Millennium actress is heartbreaking, funny even thrilling at parts. few movies animated or otherwise compare to it's greatness.

6. Synecdoche, New York (2008)

R | 124 min | Drama

67 Metascore

A theatre director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play.

Director: Charlie Kaufman | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener

Votes: 98,200 | Gross: $3.08M

A visionary film that plays around the concept of life, death and meaning of existence. it plays around with the concept of time and it's really interesting to see how it plays out. truly amazing.

7. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Drama

94 Metascore

A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.

Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang, Chang Chen

Votes: 281,565 | Gross: $128.08M

The second best Chinese movie of all time. the action scenes are balletic, the directing is jaw dropping the characters are fleshed out, unique and believable. the film is a marvel to behold.

8. 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: 1,209,941 | Gross: $305.41M

This applies for all movies when i say this not just this one but for the sake of not typing the same thing over i'll just put a description on this one: this movie series is incredibly fun, the choreography is on point the humor works beautifully everything simply works in the series. amazingly entertaining.

9. Paprika (2006)

R | 90 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy

81 Metascore

When a machine that allows therapists to enter their patients' dreams is stolen, all hell breaks loose. Only a young female therapist, Paprika, can stop it.

Director: Satoshi Kon | Stars: Megumi Hayashibara, Tôru Emori, Katsunosuke Hori, Tôru Furuya

Votes: 96,798 | Gross: $0.88M

paprika is Inception done right, it captures the surrealistic essence of dreams and weaves it into an equally surrealistic film. amazing cinematography and directing. this was the great Aatoshi Kon's last gift to cinema; a great film.

10. 12 Monkeys (1995)

R | 129 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller

75 Metascore

In a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.

Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Joseph Melito

Votes: 646,517 | Gross: $57.14M

one of the few films where the time traveling aspect actually makes sense. this movie is incredibly interesting and always has a plot twist around the corner to subvert your expectation.

11. Perfect Blue (1997)

R | 81 min | Animation, Crime, Drama

67 Metascore

A pop singer gives up her career to become an actress, but she slowly goes insane when she starts being stalked by an obsessed fan and what seems to be a ghost of her past.

Director: Satoshi Kon | Stars: Junko Iwao, Rica Matsumoto, Shinpachi Tsuji, Masaaki Ôkura

Votes: 95,352 | Gross: $0.78M

Perfect blue is one of the best psychological thrillers of all times, tackling themes and issues that no other anime films dared; this film is so iconic that to this day many modern western directors takes cues and ideas from it.

12. The Throne (2015)

125 min | Drama, History

Set in 18th century Korea, long-ruling King Yeongjo's struggle with his son, Sado, sees the king take extreme measures in order to deal with his heir.

Director: Lee Joon-ik | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Yoo Ah-in, Moon Geun-young, Kim Hae-sook

Votes: 3,115

the throne does not have visually amazing cinematography like in Curse of the golden flower or meticulously directed action sequences like crouching tiger however it does have an incredible emotionally charged story that puts most other historical epics in their place. truly awe inspiring.

13. Alien (1979)

R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi

89 Metascore

The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright

Votes: 949,996 | Gross: $78.90M

Has amazing atmosphere, it really feels like you are in space. the alien's suit still holds up and so does most of the sets. Really tense, also has some really interesting concepts revolving around the aliens life cycle.

14. Jurassic Park (1993)

PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

68 Metascore

A pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

Votes: 1,066,646 | Gross: $402.45M

I love dinosaurs and i love sci-fi, mix both and instant win! i really liked it's concepts around playing god and artificially creating new species. it also has really fun and varied characters whats more is that the children actually act like children. (i mention this because not enough films have children as children but rather as a cheap plot device.)

15. Once Were Warriors (1994)

R | 102 min | Crime, Drama

77 Metascore

A family descended from Maori warriors is bedeviled by a violent father and the societal problems of being treated as outcasts.

Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, Julian Arahanga

Votes: 36,827 | Gross: $2.20M

This is one of the harshest films that i have ever seen, Once Were Warriors just shows the unrelenting truth of how life in the slums really is like. it is incredibly acted, written and directed.

16. The Thing (1982)

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

57 Metascore

A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur

Votes: 466,391 | Gross: $13.78M

Just like in alien, this is a very atmospheric sci-fi horror. I like the way it played with the "enemy among us" formula. this is quite an influential film, I would even go as far as to say that this film along with Evil dead help inspire the cabin in the woods movie sub genre.

17. The Lost Boys (1987)

R | 97 min | Comedy, Horror

63 Metascore

After moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.

Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes

Votes: 161,052 | Gross: $32.22M

the best vampire movie of all time. it has amazing and fleshed out characters even the villains, the setting is developed. it's a great peice of cinema.

18. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

R | 102 min | Drama

71 Metascore

The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..

Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans

Votes: 898,328 | Gross: $3.64M

An extremely harsh portrayal of drug addiction. is extremely well directed, this film will definitely convince anyone to never take drugs. it also has amazing cinematography.

19. Akira (1988)

R | 124 min | Animation, Action, Drama

68 Metascore

A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.

Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo | Stars: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tesshô Genda

Votes: 205,111 | Gross: $0.55M

an iconic animated classic and rightfully so, this film is incredibly well animated but even more importantly it is a very well made story that was perhaps the first film to include a more realistic/ darker approach to the superhero formula.

20. Idiocracy (2006)

R | 84 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi

66 Metascore

Corporal Joe Bauers, a decidedly average American, is selected for a top-secret hibernation program but is forgotten and left to awaken to a future so incredibly moronic that he's easily the most intelligent person alive.

Director: Mike Judge | Stars: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Crews

Votes: 182,132 | Gross: $0.44M

a hilarious an incredibly well made film that predicts the future of the world in a surprisingly and tragically accurate way.

21. Shrek (2001)

PG | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

84 Metascore

A mean lord exiles fairytale creatures to the swamp of a grumpy ogre, who must go on a quest and rescue a princess for the lord in order to get his land back.

Directors: Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson | Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow

Votes: 733,864 | Gross: $267.67M

shrek is a great movie that the entire family can enjoy. it's an interesting subversion to the classic fairy tale formula, and is one of the first films to do this paving way for many other subversions.

22. The Incredibles (2004)

PG | 115 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

90 Metascore

While trying to lead a quiet suburban life, a family of undercover superheroes are forced into action to save the world.

Director: Brad Bird | Stars: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee

Votes: 808,261 | Gross: $261.44M

the Incredibles is a genius satire on the typical middle class household. it did a very interesting twist on the superhero formula, that only few films ever did after it. this film is great for any family.

23. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

R | 99 min | Comedy, Horror

76 Metascore

The uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.

Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis

Votes: 593,731 | Gross: $13.54M

a great parody on the zombie genre. there has yet to be a parody film that is as good as this.

24. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

R | 108 min | Action, Crime, Horror

48 Metascore

Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.

Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Tarantino

Votes: 340,492 | Gross: $25.75M

the second best vampire movie of all time, it is a kick ass action film that though lacks depth makes up for it with awesome action scenes and quentin tarantino's trademark semi humorous dialogue.

25. Ratatouille (2007)

G | 111 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

96 Metascore

A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant.

Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava | Stars: Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm

Votes: 824,470 | Gross: $206.45M

a great family film that although does exceed in anything in particular just manages to do everything well, there is no actual weak points in the film, it is a really solid peace of cinema.

26. The Mist (2007)

R | 126 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

58 Metascore

A freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.

Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher

Votes: 340,180 | Gross: $25.59M

it starts of somewhat weak where the story feels like some generic horror film but towards the midway mark turns into a surprisingly enthralling thriller that tackles themes around humans resorting to their animalistic primal instincts. plus it has one of the most impacting endings i have ever seen.

27. The Double (2013)

R | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery

68 Metascore

The unenviable life of a government-agency clerk takes a horrific turn with the arrival of a new co-worker who is both his exact physical double and his opposite otherwise--he's a confident, charismatic ladies' man.

Director: Richard Ayoade | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor

Votes: 53,018 | Gross: $0.20M

the double is a really interesting and surprisingly humorous film. this film is half romance and half psychological thriller with humor mixed in, truly this blending of genres has never been made before and i doubt anything quiet like it will ever be made. this is a very special film.

28. American Psycho (2000)

R | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Horror

64 Metascore

A wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.

Director: Mary Harron | Stars: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage

Votes: 714,928 | Gross: $15.07M

an interesting deconstruction of America's greed and debauchery in the eighties. it also has a very interesting main character which is not as two dimensional as other slasher movie villains.

29. Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996 Video)

PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Comedy, Horror

Earl Bassett, now a washed-up ex-celebrity, is hired by a Mexican oil company to eradicate a Graboid epidemic that's killing more people each day. However, the humans aren't the only one with a new battle plan.

Director: S.S. Wilson | Stars: Fred Ward, Chris Gartin, Helen Shaver, Michael Gross

Votes: 32,733

funnier and cheesier than the original, this was the high point of the movie series. has surprisingly good cinematography in this film. plus Bert is one of televisions best characters.

30. 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: 762,717 | Gross: $85.16M

Aliens is a very well made action film and is a cut above most action films of the time. although it does not focus on the psychological aspect of the characters like the first it is still undeniably an entertaining film that is definitely worth a watch.

31. District 9 (2009)

R | 112 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

81 Metascore

Violence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.

Director: Neill Blomkamp | Stars: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Vanessa Haywood

Votes: 716,635 | Gross: $115.65M

district 9 is a really interesting science fiction film that subverts what you expect from your typical alien invasion fare. it has some typical cliches that damages it's overall score but is still a really good film.

32. The Fly (1986)

R | 96 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

81 Metascore

A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.

Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel

Votes: 201,809 | Gross: $40.46M

the fly is a bizarre film, it revolves around the concept of transmutation it does have some dated special effects, however Jeff goldblum's performance is quiet good. not amazing but definitely worth a watch.

33. Redline (2009)

Not Rated | 102 min | Animation, Action, Sci-Fi

A story about the most popular racing event in the galaxy, the Redline, and the various racers who compete in it.

Director: Takeshi Koike | Stars: Takuya Kimura, Yû Aoi, Tadanobu Asano, Yoshiyuki Morishita

Votes: 17,192

a fun action packed, easily digestible film. nothing particularly memorable though it is quite entertaining.

34. 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: 252,910 | Gross: $39.24M

an easily digestible yet undeniably cool film. i loved the atmosphere, it really felt like a different planet and it actually had some decent shots.

35. The Terminator (1984)

R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

84 Metascore

A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.

Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield

Votes: 923,814 | Gross: $38.40M

a cheesy yet fun action film. doesn't exceed in any particular area it is just an entertaining film.



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