My 9 out of 10's
by TheAnimalMother | created - 04 Jul 2014 | updated - 2 weeks ago | PublicI have watched and rated thousands of films on IMDb. I'm a film fan of every era and these are all the films I feel that to me, are worthy of 9 stars out of 10. I have left out documentaries as they really qualify as a different kind of film altogether in my view. I have only listed the films by year.
Also see my 10 out of 10's, my 9.5 out of 10's lists and my 8.5 out of 10's list.
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1. The Immigrant (1917)
Unrated | 30 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
Charlie is an immigrant who endures a challenging voyage and gets into trouble as soon as he arrives in America.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Albert Austin
Votes: 9,206
Insanely creative, for the time especially.
2. Un chien andalou (1929)
Not Rated | 16 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí present 16 minutes of bizarre, surreal imagery.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Pierre Batcheff, Simone Mareuil, Luis Buñuel, Pancho Cossío
Votes: 53,812
The beginning and perhaps even the pinnacle of truly against the grain filmmaking. An absolute landmark in film history. It is the Mother of all exploitation films, but yet it is far, far more than that. The dream-like film is completely revolutionary. Defying all convention, defying human conscious thought itself. In a sense, this film is probably even more truly Zen than any actual Buddhist film is.
3. L'Age d'Or (1930)
Not Rated | 63 min | Comedy, Drama
A surrealist tale of a man and a woman who are passionately in love with each other, but their attempts to consummate that passion are constantly thwarted by their families, the Church, and bourgeois society.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Gaston Modot, Lya Lys, Caridad de Laberdesque, Max Ernst
Votes: 14,810 | Gross: $0.03M
A sequel, purposely an even far more offensive film aimed at the intellectual bourgeoisie and the ruling elite. Buñuel was so repulsed by the fact that the French bourgeoisie loved his first film 'Un chien andalou' aka 'An Andalusian Dog', that he along with Salvador Dalí set out to make a much more overt statement that would separate them from the acceptance of the European elite; But still delivered in a similar surrealist style. Dali was far less interested it seems in the controversy and the overt statement against the powers that be. He and Luis actually fell out of favor with each other before the filming of The Golden Age began, but Dali has always received a partial writing credit. Buñuel himself was interested in artistic and political revolution and challenging the hearts and minds of the people. "What can I do about the people who adore all that is new, even when it goes against their deepest convictions, or about the insincere, corrupt press, and the inane herd that saw beauty or poetry in something which was basically no more than a desperate impassioned call for murder?". What can he do? What he did was this film. The film inspired riots and was quickly banned in France soon after release, and Buñuel found the separation from the elite that he sought. It was in fact banned only 5 days after it's opening, it was a ban which lasted for nearly 50 years in France. A very small cut portion of the film is still somewhat hard to find to this day. It has rarely ever been released to the public in any recorded form. There are likely very few pieces of art in all of history that have so unrestrictedly and openly threw mud and insults at the upper classes especially, and the ruling elite of the current day.
4. The Invisible Man (1933)
TV-PG | 71 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.
Director: James Whale | Stars: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers
Votes: 39,953
Easily among the greatest sci-fi films ever made.
5. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
Passed | 129 min | Drama
An Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.
Director: John Ford | Stars: Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine, Charley Grapewin
Votes: 99,982 | Gross: $0.06M
Simply chilling
6. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1943)
Not Rated | 110 min | Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
This lavish, impudent, adult fairy tale takes the viewer from 18th-century Braunschweig to St. Petersburg, Constantinople, Venice, and then to the moon using ingenious special effects, stunning location shooting.
Director: Josef von Báky | Stars: Hans Albers, Wilhelm Bendow, Michael Bohnen, Hans Brausewetter
Votes: 2,184
A little seen gem that should be seen by any and every classic film lover.
7. Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
Passed | 124 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A suave but cynical man supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money, but the job has some occupational hazards.
Director: Charles Chaplin | Stars: Charles Chaplin, Mady Correll, Allison Roddan, Robert Lewis
Votes: 19,133 | Gross: $0.33M
One of the best Chaplin films and performances.
8. Rope (1948)
Approved | 80 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two men attempt to prove they committed the perfect crime by hosting a dinner party after strangling their former classmate to death.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: James Stewart, John Dall, Farley Granger, Dick Hogan
Votes: 153,707
To me this is among Hitchcock's very best films.
9. High Noon (1952)
PG | 85 min | Drama, Thriller, Western
A town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.
Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges
Votes: 110,206 | Gross: $9.45M
One of the greatest slow burn Westerns of all time.
10. Forbidden Planet (1956)
G | 98 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
A starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet's colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.
Director: Fred M. Wilcox | Stars: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens
Votes: 53,229 | Gross: $3.00M
An amazing 1950's sci-fi adventure that rivals nearly every other sci-fi film ever made.
11. Alphaville (1965)
Not Rated | 99 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Eddie Constantine, Anna Karina, Akim Tamiroff, Valérie Boisgel
Votes: 27,626 | Gross: $0.05M
Undoubtedly, this is both one of the best and one of the weirdest films I've ever seen. Come to think of it, this must be David Lynch's favorite film of all time. :)
12. Daisies (1966)
Not Rated | 75 min | Comedy
After realizing that all world is spoiled, Marie and Marie are committed to be spoiled themselves. They rip off older men, feast in lavish meals and do all kinds of mischief. But what is all this leading to?
Director: Vera Chytilová | Stars: Ivana Karbanová, Jitka Cerhová, Marie Cesková, Jirina Myskova
Votes: 15,419
Full of chaos, full of life.
13. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Not Rated | 121 min | Drama, War
In the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.
Director: Gillo Pontecorvo | Stars: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Samia Kerbash
Votes: 65,683 | Gross: $0.06M
Seems like it could have been made today. There is a timelessness to this film that few other films can measure up to.
14. The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967)
Not Rated | 91 min | Comedy, Horror
A noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jack MacGowran, Roman Polanski, Alfie Bass, Jessie Robins
Votes: 33,873
To me, the greatest vampire film of them all; And one of the greatest comedies of them all as well.
15. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Approved | 137 min | Drama, Horror
A young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer
Votes: 235,280
Near perfect horror.
16. Easy Rider (1969)
R | 95 min | Adventure, Drama
Two bikers head from L.A. to New Orleans through the open country and desert lands, and along the way they meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap of which they had been unaware.
Director: Dennis Hopper | Stars: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Antonio Mendoza
Votes: 116,971 | Gross: $41.73M
A cult legend that in my view still doesn't get nearly as much respect as it deserves.
17. Tristana (1970)
PG-13 | 99 min | Drama
Shortly after her mother's death, an innocent and youthful woman will find refuge into the household of her middle-aged aristocratic guardian, who will submit her to his sexual advances.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Fernando Rey, Franco Nero, Lola Gaos
Votes: 12,827 | Gross: $0.01M
An amazing work by Buñuel. One of his very best in my view. The film may indeed haunt you with the feelings of real life like few other films in history. As usual, Buñuel is doing things like few, if any others have ever done in the world of film.
18. The Devils (1971)
R | 111 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.
Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Oliver Reed, Dudley Sutton, Max Adrian
Votes: 18,672 | Gross: $1.13M
This Ken Russell historical horror is based upon Aldous Huxley's non-fiction novel, 'The Devil's of Loudun'. It's definitely not a film for everyone. However for those who enjoy being challenged, this is a great monster.
19. Mean Streets (1973)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
In New York City's Little Italy, a devoutly Catholic mobster must reconcile his desire for power, his feelings for his epileptic lover, and his devotion to his troublesome friend.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Proval, Amy Robinson
Votes: 119,695 | Gross: $3.13M
An under-appreciated Scorsese classic. In my view, Marty's first truly great film.
20. The Godfather Part II (1974)
R | 202 min | Crime, Drama
The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Votes: 1,364,674 | Gross: $57.30M
To me, nearly as good as the original film, and overall my second favorite sequel of all time.
21. 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: 921,085 | Gross: $28.26M
"Take it and flush it all down the *beep* toilet" One of the best decent into madness films that has ever been made.
22. Rocky (1976)
PG | 120 min | Drama, Sport
A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.
Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers
Votes: 628,625 | Gross: $117.24M
Perhaps the greatest underdog film of them all.
23. Eraserhead (1977)
Not Rated | 89 min | Fantasy, Horror
Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 127,521 | Gross: $7.00M
Probably one of the hardest films in existence to watch, however that doesn't mean it isn't brilliant and also one of the best films of all time. How can one even put David Lynch into words?
24. 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: 278,486 | Gross: $39.20M
Among cinema's greatest comedies.
25. Blue Collar (1978)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
When three automotive factory workers who're struggling financially try to steal from their own labor union, they discover corruption, and reluctantly decide to use this information for blackmail.
Director: Paul Schrader | Stars: Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto, Ed Begley Jr.
Votes: 10,650
Richard Pryor made few serious films, but this is just that. A very serious film that is a true underground standout.
26. Raging Bull (1980)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Votes: 380,348 | Gross: $23.38M
The hardest hitting boxing film of them all.
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: 258,530
As far as overly sympathetic films go, only The Color Purple and this one are truly good enough for me to call them great and awesome films. Lynch directs here with grand style and Hurt is fantastic.
28. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
R | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
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: 193,780 | Gross: $12.47M
One of the greatest action films ever made.
29. Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
R | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Music
A confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Bob Geldof, Christine Hargreaves, James Laurenson, Eleanor David
Votes: 85,403 | Gross: $22.24M
Of course, Mamma's gonna help build the wall.
30. Scarface (1983)
R | 170 min | Crime, Drama
In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Votes: 916,854 | Gross: $45.60M
The classic capitalist nightmare.
31. The Color Purple (1985)
PG-13 | 154 min | Drama
A tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Danny Glover, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery
Votes: 97,386 | Gross: $98.47M
An absolute must see. I'm not really a huge Spielberg fan, but I definitely like a lot of his films. This one in my view is overall easily his best work. Though Jaws is certainly somewhat close.
32. The Breakfast Club (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
Votes: 436,689 | Gross: $45.88M
The second best teen/school film ever. "Brian here, was thinking about perusing a career in the custodial arts."
33. Stand by Me (1986)
R | 89 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell
Votes: 441,772 | Gross: $52.29M
"All we heard was, "Chopper, sick balls!""
34. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Drama
Between two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey
Votes: 76,798 | Gross: $40.08M
As good as Annie Hall, maybe even better.
35. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
R | 116 min | Drama, War
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: 790,660 | Gross: $46.36M
"The duality of man Sir."
36. Bull Durham (1988)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Romance, Sport
A fan who has an affair with one minor-league baseball player each season meets an up-and-coming pitcher and the experienced catcher assigned to him.
Director: Ron Shelton | Stars: Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Trey Wilson
Votes: 59,409 | Gross: $50.89M
Not only the best baseball film ever, but in my view, probably the best sports film period. Mickey Mantle said that the film made him sad. That's how authentic feeling this film is. For a comedy especially, that's outstanding! Sarandon is often great, but she's never been better than in this film. Mantle's reasoning for it being sad however is that he felt that in his era, many players who were good enough for the major leagues never got the chance to make it because they played behind already more established greats. In his era, certain teams had a wealth of good prospects that would never see the light of day because some clubs were just so much better at scouting in those days. Mantle was a truly humble and appreciative that he got his chance, and he felt for others that were not given that same chance. Obviously, Mantle seems to be a far more down to earth guy than his legend may sometimes suggest.
37. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby
Votes: 242,822 | Gross: $92.82M
A classic comedy with dialogue that rivals pretty much any film out there.
38. The Doors (1991)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley
Votes: 99,093 | Gross: $35.18M
Kilmer is crazy good as the mystical and excessive Jim Morrison.
39. Bugsy (1991)
R | 136 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of how Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel started Las Vegas.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 31,004 | Gross: $49.11M
In my mind this is perhaps the most underappreciated mafia/crime film around.
40. The Indian Runner (1991)
R | 127 min | Drama
A Vietnam vet comes home to his small town and finds himself in conflict with rules that his brother has vowed to uphold.
Director: Sean Penn | Stars: David Morse, Viggo Mortensen, Valeria Golino, Patricia Arquette
Votes: 9,805 | Gross: $0.19M
To me, this is an amazingly great and beautiful human drama.
I really think that most viewers, and almost all of the critics even missed the whole main idea around the Indian hunter, who runs down the deer without even using a weapon of any kind, because he knows that the deer move in circles. He can just patiently run the deer into eventual submission. Now hear me out, just as the world runs down the people who are stuck within repetitive cycles of their hearts and minds. Keep in mind, mathematically, there are no positive cycles in nature that are strictly repetitive. Taking this idea even further; It is well understood in medicine today that the human heart when it is healthy, has a continuously changing, ever evolving rhythm. Do you know what happens if a heart has a continuously repetitive rhythm? It is a sick heart in need of serious help, as it will soon die otherwise. Now watch this film with this knowledge now added to your understanding of the human self.
If you've never seen this film. My suggestion is to not bother reading the storyline provided on IMDb by a certain member. Read it sometime after you watch the film. Their take on the film is, at least in my view, very contrary to the actual story presented. A storyline on a film site shouldn't contain interpretations and opinions I'd say, but IMDb is sadly full of this kind of nonsense. Reviews or lists are the proper place for interpretations and opinions. Anyways, I love this film quite a lot. It has a real dark human beauty to it.
41. Unforgiven (1992)
R | 130 min | Drama, Western
Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris
Votes: 436,296 | Gross: $101.16M
A great slow burn western.
42. The Age of Innocence (1993)
PG | 139 min | Drama, Romance
A tale of nineteenth-century New York high society in which a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman's cousin.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Linda Faye Farkas
Votes: 67,823 | Gross: $32.20M
Marty Scorsese once called this "The most violent film I've ever made." Though not a single shot is fired, nor is anyone brutally roughed up. One of the great costume dramas of all time in my view. Maybe THE best!
43. 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: 2,221,090 | Gross: $107.93M
Easily still Tarantino's best in my view.
44. Natural Born Killers (1994)
R | 119 min | Action, Crime, Romance
Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Rodney Dangerfield
Votes: 251,861 | Gross: $50.28M
"Doesn't anyone out there in Hollywood believe in kissing anymore?" - Mickey Knox
45. Casino (1995)
R | 178 min | Crime, Drama
In Las Vegas, two best friends - a casino executive and a mafia enforcer - compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods
Votes: 564,146 | Gross: $42.44M
Has anyone done gangster films as well as Marty? Perhaps, but only on very rare occasions.
46. The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
R | 130 min | Biography, Drama
The story of controversial pornography publisher Larry Flynt, and how he became a defender of free speech.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Edward Norton, Brett Harrelson
Votes: 100,750 | Gross: $20.19M
It was a big film when it came out, but to me this film still lacks the full appreciation it deserves.
47. Trainspotting (1996)
R | 93 min | Drama
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd
Votes: 725,842 | Gross: $16.50M
Choose life!
48. The Ice Storm (1997)
R | 112 min | Drama
In suburban New Canaan, Connecticut, 1973, middle-class families experimenting with casual sex and substance abuse find their lives beyond their control.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Henry Czerny
Votes: 59,978 | Gross: $7.84M
Electromagnificent.
49. Boogie Nights (1997)
R | 155 min | Drama
Back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Luis Guzmán
Votes: 282,144 | Gross: $26.40M
Captures a certain spirit of the time like few other films ever have, and it's very funny as well. I once saw a T.V. interview with Tom Hanks where he claimed that this was his favorite film of all time.
50. As Good as It Gets (1997)
PG-13 | 139 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A single mother and waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.
Director: James L. Brooks | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Votes: 318,512 | Gross: $148.48M
A great film, and Jack is exceptional.
51. The Gift (2000)
R | 111 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A fortune teller with extrasensory perception is asked to help find a young woman who has mysteriously disappeared.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Keanu Reeves, Giovanni Ribisi
Votes: 74,790 | Gross: $12.01M
I'm a big fan of this thriller. It's certainly not for the faint of heart, and it is apparently based on the real life story of Billy Bob Thornton's Mother.
*Spoiler below*
The second best ghost story ever told on film in my view, and there have been a lot of good ones.
52. Chocolat (2000)
PG-13 | 121 min | Drama, Romance
A French woman and her young daughter open up a chocolate shop in a small remote village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina
Votes: 201,998 | Gross: $71.51M
Magical!
53. Wonder Boys (2000)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Drama
An English Professor tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor who has been waiting for his book for seven years, and the various problems that his friends and associates involve him in.
Director: Curtis Hanson | Stars: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr.
Votes: 66,606 | Gross: $19.39M
To me this is such an overlooked gem. A brilliantly funny, quirky and warm film. The cast is fabulous as is the writing.
54. Donnie Darko (2001)
R | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Director: Richard Kelly | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne
Votes: 850,309 | Gross: $1.48M
Grand sci-fi.
55. Waking Life (2001)
R | 99 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy
A man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Trevor Jack Brooks, Lorelei Linklater, Wiley Wiggins
Votes: 66,941 | Gross: $2.89M
Awake!
56. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, Mystery
A mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer
Votes: 987,279 | Gross: $170.74M
One of my favorite biographical films. Howard does a wonderfully creative job at getting the most interesting and important aspects of John and Alicia Nash's lives onto the screen.
57. The Others (2001)
PG-13 | 104 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
In 1945, immediately following the end of Second World War, a woman who lives with her two photosensitive children on her darkened old family estate in the Channel Islands becomes convinced that the home is haunted.
Director: Alejandro Amenábar | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston, Fionnula Flanagan, Alakina Mann
Votes: 393,339 | Gross: $96.52M
Dante meets the screen. Could you believe in heaven, if heaven was all you had?
58. Insomnia (2002)
R | 118 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Martin Donovan
Votes: 319,240 | Gross: $67.36M
Many Nolan films are over appreciated I think. Strangely enough, this one seems greatly under appreciated.
59. V for Vendetta (2005)
R | 132 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In a future British dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow the tyrannical government - with the help of a young woman.
Director: James McTeigue | Stars: Hugo Weaving, Natalie Portman, Rupert Graves, Stephen Rea
Votes: 1,179,584 | Gross: $70.51M
Ideas are bulletproof.
60. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
R | 118 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
In the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú
Votes: 703,175 | Gross: $37.63M
A dark yet beautiful film.
61. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
R | 141 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryô Kase
Votes: 170,078 | Gross: $13.76M
One of Clint's very best films.
62. The Ghost Writer (2010)
PG-13 | 128 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Jon Bernthal
Votes: 170,839 | Gross: $15.54M
Polanski directs a thrilling tale with great precision.
63. Hereafter (2010)
PG-13 | 129 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
An American construction worker, a French journalist and a London school boy set out on a spiritual journey after death touches their lives in different ways.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Matt Damon, Cécile de France, Bryce Dallas Howard, Thierry Neuvic
Votes: 95,492 | Gross: $32.75M
Clint Eastwood has made a lot of great films, I'm not sure he's made a better one than this. Subtle, brilliant!
64. Path of Souls (2012)
137 min | Drama
Of First Nations background originally from central Manitoba, Jon Beardsley, a Ph.D. candidate, dies one week before he was scheduled to embark on his final field trip to complete his ... See full summary »
Director: Jeremy Torrie | Stars: Adam Beach, Laura Harris, Corey Sevier, Lorne Cardinal
Votes: 78
Another tale of the paradigm shift easing its way into human consciousness.
65. Prisoners (2013)
R | 153 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo
Votes: 809,920 | Gross: $61.00M
Tension to rival anything Hitchcock ever did. More than anything, the filmmaking is superb.
66. First Reformed (2017)
R | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A minister of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past.
Director: Paul Schrader | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric The Entertainer, Victoria Hill
Votes: 62,603 | Gross: $3.45M
I've long been a fan of Paul Schrader's work. It's sort of amazing with all that he's done previously, that this truly may be the best film he's ever written. He's getting up there in age for sure, but what he has created here is easily in my view, at the very least, among his finest creations.
67. Dune (2021)
PG-13 | 155 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac
Votes: 857,073 | Gross: $108.33M
It has begun!
68. Monkey Man (2024)
R | 121 min | Action, Thriller
An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systematically victimize the poor and powerless.
Director: Dev Patel | Stars: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Jatin Malik
Votes: 33,089
To me, this is easily among the greatest revenge films ever made. It's not all action, it has a lot of story and a lot of depth, but that is a big part of what makes it special.
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