The 50 best movies of all time

Picking your favorite movie is a pretty tough job. That’s why so many people choose back-breaking labor over becoming a film critic: they just can’t deal with the stress. I’m being sarcastic, of course. Still working out the 50 of the best movies of all time is a challenge.

After all, we’ve been making (well other people have, we weren’t involved) films for over a hundred years at this point, and there are just so many genres – action movies, horror movies, sci-fi movies – it’s endless! The idea, then, of trying to pick just 50 films for a list like this is enough to drive most people cross-eyed.

Our team of movie-obsessed maniacs is clearly made of sterner stuff than most, though, because when I tasked them with coming up with a list of the best movies ever, they leaped at the opportunity. More than 100 films were nominated for consideration, and it fell on our heroic editors to refine this list so it included everything from old favorites to hidden gems and modern masterpieces.

I think you’ll agree (and not just because I helped) that they did a pretty good job of putting together what might just be the finest damn listicle I’ve ever read (Editor’s note and minor spoiler: Titanic not being on this list is frankly unfathomable). Now if you’ll excuse me I have to help a few writers with their crossed eyes…

50. Saving Private Ryan

Paramount Pictures

• Release date: July 24, 1998
• Genre: War
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Cast: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon
• Runtime: 2 hours 50 minutes

What it’s about: When his three brothers are killed in action during WWII, a battalion of soldiers are sent across enemy lines to locate Private James Ryan, with their mission to transport him safely home.

Why we like it: Saving Private Ryan is one of the great war movies, based on a truly heart-wrenching premise; one that’s loosely based on the story of the Niland brothers. Yet, while it received critical acclaim, won a tank full of awards, and made a fortune at the box office, the film is now largely remembered for the unforgettable opening scene, in which hundreds of soldiers attack Omaha beach during the Normandy landings. Director Steven Spielberg thrusts audiences into the heart of the operation, and with bullets lying and men dying, war has never looked more like hell.

Written by Chris Tilly

49. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

United Artists

• Release date: December 23, 1966
• Genre: Western
• Director: Sergio Leone
• Cast: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
• Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes

What it’s about: Three opposing figures race each other to find a legendary bounty buried in a remote cemetery.

Why we like it: There are plenty of incredible westerns but ask any cowboy fan which is the best and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is likely to top most lists. It’s the first image that comes to mind when you think of dusty deserts and lone gunmen, and by the time you hit the climatic and disorientating sequence in the graveyard, you’ll realize you’re watching one of the greatest stories ever told.

Written by Jessica Cullen

48. Come and See

Sovexportfilm

• Release date: July 9, 1985
• Genre: War
• Director: Elem Klimov
• Cast: Aleksei Kravchenko, Olga Mironova
• Runtime: 2 hours 22 minutes

What it’s about: After finding an old rifle, a young boy joins the Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces and experiences the horrors of World War II.

Why we like it: The most disturbing movie you’ll ever see – and it isn’t even a horror film. This Soviet anti-war picture, the final work of Elem Klimov, confronts all of war’s idealism with its barbaric futility. It is a singularly traumatic work of art, and as Roger Ebert wrote in his original review, it’s “one of the most devastating films ever about anything, and in it, the survivors must envy the dead.”

Written by Cameron Frew

47. Ghostbusters

Columbia Pictures

• Release date: June 8, 1984
• Genre: Comedy
• Director: Ivan Reitman
• Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
• Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

What it’s about: When New York City starts to experience an uptick in paranormal activity, three scientists (well, two scientists and a game show host) start their own ghost extermination business.

Why we like it: Ghostbusters is a perfect movie. I know that makes me sound mad, but I mean it. Everything about this film is flawless, from Aykroyd and Ramis’s razor-sharp script, Reitman’s clever direction, and Elmer Bernstein’s iconic score. However, the secret sauce on this spooky burrito is its cast. Murray, Ramis, Aykroyd, Hudson, and Weaver are simply sensational and possessed of an easy and assured chemistry that’s unusual to see in an ensemble cast. Honestly, I think half the reason the film isn’t as well regarded as it deserves to be is just how effortlessly charming it is.

Written by Tom Percival

46. Rear Window

Paramount Pictures

• Release date: November 15, 1954
• Genre: Thriller/mystery
• Director: Alfred Hitchcock
• Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr, Wendell Corey, Georgine Darcy
• Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes

What it’s about: A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his courtyard apartment window. However what starts as a harmless hobby becomes an obsession after he witnesses a murder.

Why we like it: I was lucky enough to see Rear Window on the big screen for the first time last year, and it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It goes without saying that Hitchcock is a master of holding tension, but being stuck in an apartment with Stewart’s Jeff is something else. It’s the archetype for stories taking place in one location, and regardless of genre, no film has ever done it as well as this. Your heart will be in your mouth for days to come.

Written by Jasmine Valentine

45. Inception

Warner Bros. Pictures

• Release date: July 16, 2010
• Genre: Sci-fi/Action
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy
• Runtime: 2 hours 28 minutes

What it’s about: In order to get back to his family, an “extractor” who steals information from dreams takes on his biggest task yet: to plant an idea in the mind of a young, grieving millionaire.

Why we like it: The title of “best Christoper Nolan movie” could be hotly contested, but Inception is most certainly the favorite of this dreamer (although there’s more Nolan to come). It’s the movie that could be credited with inspiring a whole new generation of filmmakers, with the mind-bending physics and unparalleled action sequences proving that heist movies can still be clever, unpredictable, and pretty damn flawless.

Written by Jessica Cullen

44. Gladiator

Universal Pictures

• Release date: May 5, 2000
• Genre: Historical epic
• Director: Ridley Scott
• Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou
• Runtime: 2 hours 35 minutes

What it’s about: Before his death, Emperor Marcus Aurelius chooses General Maximus Decimus Meridius to succeed him – but not only does his son Commodus refuse to accept this, he tries to have Maximus murdered, and he kills his wife and son. Maximus survives, but he’s sold into slavery, forced to become a gladiator – but he will have his vengeance.

Why we like it: Much can be said about Gladiator: Scott’s staging of fireball-hurling, limb-slicing violence is breathtaking, as is the grandeur of the production design, and Phoenix delivers a deliciously devious performance. However, my efforts to convince you will pale compared to the pulse-racing, beat-on-your-chest experience of watching Maximus face Commodus again. In short, you will be entertained.

Written by Cameron Frew

43. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Focus Features

• Release date: March 19, 2004
• Genre: Romance/Sci-fi
• Director: Michel Gondry
• Cast: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood
• Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

What it’s about: After a heartbreaking split, Clementine and Joel undergo procedures to erase each other from their memories, but it’s not as straightforward as it seems.

Why we like it: It’s a film that’s so impactful, it’s become part of our vernacular. Every time I go through a break up, I wish I could “eternal sunshine” it. But as is shown through this beautiful, strange, heart-wrenching story, erasing memories – even the bad ones – is never for the better. Winslet is illuminating as always, and Carrey’s solemn performance once again proved the man is so much more than funny faces (although he’s good at that, too).

Written by Daisy Phillipson

42. When Harry Met Sally

Columbia Pictures

• Release date: July 14, 1989
• Genre: Romantic/Comedy
• Director: Rob Reiner
• Cast: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Bruno Kirby, Carrie Fisher
• Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes

What it’s about: Harry and Sally meet in 1977 while students, and ride-share from Chicago to New York. They don’t get along initially, but the bickering duo keep bumping into each other, which leads to them falling in and out of love through the years.

Why we like it: Nora Ephron’s acclaimed screenplay asks a simple question: can a man and a woman really be friends, or does sex always get in the way? From that simple set-up she crafted the perfect rom-com, in that the film is as funny as it is romantic. Rob Reiner directs with a deft touch, while Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are the perfect Harry and Sally, who have you rooting for the star-crossed lovers right up until the film’s glorious New Year’s Eve climax. Also look out for Reiner’s mom, delivering one of the funniest lines in film history.

Written by Chris Tilly

41. Fight Club

20th Century Fox

• Release date: October 15, 1999
• Genre: Comedy/Thriller
• Director: David Fincher
• Cast: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Jared Leto, Meat Loaf
• Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes

What it’s about: An insomniac office worker forms an underground fight club with a mysterious soap salesman, but their rebellion against consumerism spirals into something far more dangerous.

Why we like it: I know, I’m breaking the first rule of Fight Club by talking about Fight Club, but that’s its own fault for being so damn good. The ever talented Fincher adapted Chuck Palahniuk’s f-ed up masterpiece with expert precision. Visceral fight scenes, a killer soundtrack, biting social commentary, flawless performances, and the darkest of dark humor are just some of the reasons Fight Club is one of the best movies ever made, all of which culminates in an era-defining twist Hollywood has been trying to replicate ever since.

Written by Daisy Phillipson

40. Warrior

Lionsgate

• Release date: September 9, 2011
• Genre: Sports/Drama
• Director: Gavin O’Connor
• Cast: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Frank Grillo
• Runtime: 2 hours 20 minutes

What it’s about: Tommy is a veteran with hate and grief in his blood, chasing redemption in a promise. Brendan is a teacher who’s facing bankruptcy. They’re brothers, and without knowing it, they put themselves on a collision course to Sparta, a grand prix tournament and the world’s biggest, fiercest MMA stage.

Why we like it: Warrior is a total air-punch of a movie; unabashed, macho euphoria that’s intimate in scope but epic in feeling. It’s also my favorite film of all time; nothing ever has – or will – top it, and every person I’ve shown it to since I was 14 has loved it. It is the best sports movie ever made, bar none – Gavin O’Connor stepped into the ring and left with the GOAT.

Written by Cameron Frew

39. Singin’ in the Rain

MGM

• Release date: April 11, 1952
• Genre: Musical
• Director: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
• Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds
• Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes

What it’s about: In 1920s Hollywood, three stars attempt to keep up with the transition from silent film to talking pictures by coming up with their own dazzling, showstopping musical.

Why we like it: It’s the musical you show people who don’t like musicals. Singin’ in the Rain set the bar for every major Hollywood song and dance spectacle, and very few have ever even come close to living up to it. The obvious appeal lies in the wildly impressive singing and dancing, with musical numbers that have remained forever iconic. But underneath all the razzle-dazzle, you’ll find it’s enough just to fall in love with the chirpy, heartfelt stars.

Written by Jessica Cullen

38. Schindler’s List

Universal Pictures

• Release date: December 15, 1993
• Genre: War
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Cast: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes
• Runtime: 3 hours 15 minutes

What it’s about: During WWII, German industrialist Oskar Schindler saves hundreds of Polish-Jewish from the Holocaust by employing them in his factories.

Why we like it: Based on Thomas Keneally’s acclaimed novel Schindler’s Ark – and sensitively adapted by Steven Zallian – Schindler’s List is a towering achievement. Director Steven Spielberg chose to shoot the movie in stark black-and-white, save for one memorable moment, and delivers a film that manages to highlight both the best and worst of humanity. Liam Neeson has never been better as Oskar, capturing the man’s weaknesses as well as his strengths. While Ralph Fiennes delivers one of the most chilling performances ever committed to celluloid as concentration camp commendante Amon Goth.

Written by Chris Tilly

37. Halloween

Compass International Pictures

• Release date: October 25, 1978
• Genre: Horror/Slasher
• Director: John Carpenter
• Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Castle, Donald Pleasence, Tony Moran, Nancy Kyes
• Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes

What it’s about: 15 years after murdering his sister, Michael Myers escapes a mental institution and returns home to stalk a babysitter on Halloween night.

Why we like it: This is where it all began, establishing Michael Myers as one of the big three slasher icons. A huge owing of Halloween’s success also goes to Curtis for her strong performance as our final girl icon, Laurie Strode. With this film, Carpenter didn’t just follow the rules of horror – he set them. Nearly 50 years later, Halloween remains one of the most terrifying movies ever made.

Written by Daisy Phillipson

36. Avengers: Infinity War

Marvel Studios

• Release date: April 27, 2018
• Genre: Superhero
• Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
• Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth
• Runtime: 2 hours 29 minutes

What it’s about: The Avengers and their super-friends team up to take down Thanos, a Mad Titan collecting Infinity Stones to become all-powerful so that he can bring balance to the universe.

Why we like it: For a decade, the ‘Avengers Project’ had been building to this; a monumental story that spans the galaxy, and a threat so large that it requires the combined powers of pretty much every hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But what elevates Infinity War is the film’s willingness to take big swings, from that opening sequence where Loki dies to the big finale, during which Thanos snaps his fingers, and half of all life disintegrates before our eyes. It’s a grandstanding finish, during which Peter Parker tells Mr. Stark that he doesn’t feel so good, causing the world to collectively weep.

Written by Chris Tilly

35. Uncut Gems

A24

• Release date: December 13, 2019
• Genre: Crime/Thriller
• Director: The Safdie Brothers
• Cast: Adam Sandler, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel
• Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes

What it’s about: Howard Ratner is a diamond dealer and a compulsive gambler – but he doesn’t know how to hold ’em, fold ’em, walk away, or when to run. Buoyed by the luck of his new exotic opal, he makes one big bet to clear his debt – and it may cost him everything.

Why we like it: Uncut Gems is The Exorcist for gambling: a shell-shocking, nerve-shattering dose of chaos incarnate that’s basically a feature-length panic attack. Adam Sandler has never been better; it is an appalling oversight that he didn’t win the Oscar (especially when he didn’t even get nominated). And, just to reiterate, it is the most stressful movie ever made. “That’s history right there, you understand?”

Written by Cameron Frew

34. Spider-Man 2

Sony Pictures

• Release date: June 30, 2004
• Genre: Superhero
• Director: Sam Raimi
• Cast: Tobey Maguire, Alfred Molina, Kirsten Dunst
• Runtime: 2 hours 7 minutes

What it’s about: Following a lab accident, the affable Otto Octavius is transformed into the atrocious Doctor Octopus. As the not-so-good doctor tears through town, it’s up to Spidey to save the day.

Why we like it: One of the greatest superhero movies ever made, Spider-Man 2 is both a wildly entertaining action movie and a fantastic adaptation of one of the Wallcrawler’s most iconic storylines (Spider-Man No More). Raimi’s unique directorial sensibilities (the man loves dynamic camera work and slapstick gags) and his clear passion for Spider-Man and his earliest stories help elevate what on paper could have been another cynical or bland entry in the cape and cowl genre into The Godfather Part 2 of superhero films.

Written by Tom Percival

33. Oldboy

Show East

• Release date: November 21, 2003
• Genre: Thriller/Action
• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Cast: Kang Hye-jung, Choi Min-sik, Yoo Yeon-seok, Yoo Ji-tae, Kirk Thornton
• Runtime: 2 hours

What it’s about: For seemingly no reason, a man is held captive. One day, he’s released and given a cell phone, money, and expensive clothes. The catch? Find his captor or be punished.

Why we like it: Some movies are able to twist your mind so specifically that it’s never able to bend back to its normal state. Oldboy is exactly that film, with its most disturbing scenes crafted with such precision and excellence you can’t help but never forget them. The final showdown should probably be the part I’m tortured by the most, but it’s hands down when Dae-sung eats a live octopus.

Written by Jasmine Valentine

32. Get Out

Universal Pictures

• Release date: March 17, 2017
• Genre: Horror
• Director: Jordan Peele
• Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, LaKeith Stanfield, Catherine Keener, Caleb Landry Jones
• Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes

What it’s about: Chris visits his caucasian girlfriend’s parents for a weekend break. What starts out as a completely normal visit soon descends into absolute horror.

Why we like it: Biting social commentary and cutting-edge visuals, Get Out was the 2010s horror that changed the game. Not only did it put Jordan Peele on the map, but it transformed the way we see what should really scare us – each other and our ingrained bias. It’s the twist we never saw coming, but even if you’re well aware, it doesn’t get easier to watch.

Written by Jasmine Valentine

31. Pan’s Labyrinth

Warner Bros.

• Release date: January 19, 2007
• Genre: Horror/Fantasy
• Director: Guillermo Del Toro
• Cast: Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdu, Sergi Lopez, Doug Jones
• Runtime: 1 hour 58 minutes

What it’s about: During the Francoist dictatorship, Captain Vidal hunts down those who resist the regime, while his step-daughter Ofelia discovers a labyrinth where she encounters magical and terrifying creatures, including a faun called Pan.

Why we like it: Pan’s Labyrinth feels like the film that writer-director Guillermo Del Toro was born to make, taking real-world horrors, and combining them with a fairy tale narrative that has the audience questioning reality, and asking who the real monsters are. A spiritual sequel to the equally wonderful Devil’s Backbone, Pan’s combination of social and magical realism is a heady mix, while the monstrous make-up effects are a wonder.

Written by Chris Tilly

30. Parasite

CJ Entertainment

• Release date: October 11, 2019
• Genre: Thriller/Comedy
• Director: Bong Joon-ho
• Cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin, Park Myung-hoon, Lee Jung-eun
• Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes

What it’s about: The struggling Kim family con their way into working for the wealthy Park household, but their deception leads to shocking consequences.

Why we like it: Joon-ho really went and showed us what cinema is all about with his tour de force thriller comedy. A simple story told incredibly well, Parasite is at once funny, entertaining, thought-provoking, and shocking – and it will make you crave Jjapaguri with steak like never before. For all their faults, you’ll find yourself gunning for the underdogs by the end, reminding us that, well, “rich people are nice because they’re rich.”

Written by Daisy Phillipson

29. Before Sunset

Warner Bros

• Release date: July 2, 2004
• Genre: Romance
• Director: Richard Linklater
• Cast: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
• Runtime: 1 hour 20 minutes

What it’s about: Jesse and Céline never met again in Vienna. However, nine years after they bid au revoir, they have a chance encounter at a book signing in Paris. With a few hours to spare, they wander the streets together.

Why we like it: Before Sunset is almost overwhelmingly romantic – and real. These are two of the most fantastical and honestly written characters in all of cinema. I could only dream of possessing their free-wheeling wit and insight, but there’s truth in every moment, spoken or not; glances that are tender and fraught, recollections tinged with longing, desires self-preserved as resentments. If “Baby, you’re gonna miss that plane” doesn’t get you giddy, there’s something wrong with you.

Written by Cameron Frew

28. Whiplash

Sony Pictures

• Release date: October 10, 2014
• Genre: Drama
• Director: Damien Chazelle
• Cast: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser
• Runtime: 1 hour 47 minutes

What it’s about: An aspiring jazz drummer is bullied by his domineering music teacher at a prestigious New York conservatory.

Why we like it: This one is very much our tempo, though Whiplash actually has more in common with a sports movie than the average musical feature. That’s because the relationship between student and teacher is more like star athlete and overbearing coach, while the drumming scenes in question are as exciting as any big game. The movie has complicated things to say about control, manipulation, and abuse, while Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons have never been better, their conflict both thrilling and disturbing, most notably during the film’s bravura finale.

Written by Chris Tilly

27. Spirited Away

Studio Ghibli

• Release date: July 20, 2001
• Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
• Director: Hayao Miyazaki
• Cast: Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki, Bunta Sugawara, Yoomi Tamai
• Runtime: 2 hours 15 minutes

What it’s about: On their way to their new house, Chihiro and her family get lost. Exploring the area, Chihiro soon inhabits a world between the spirits and the living. Her parents have been turned into pigs, and she must work for free to rescue them.

Why we like it: IIt’s the Studio Ghibli-est of the Studio Ghibli collection! When 7-year-old Jasmine first saw this, an entire new world of cinematic magic opened up to her. At 30, I still feel exactly the same way. Chihiro’s journey is still as heart-pounding, gorgeous-looking, and triumphant-sounding as it ever was, and the train scene will never fail to have me wide-eyed and slack-jawed. 

Written by Jasmine Valentine

26. The Exorcist

Universal Pictures

• Release date: December 26, 1973
• Genre: Horror
• Director: William Friedkin
• Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller, Linda Blair,
• Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes

What it’s about: Actress Chris MacNeil seems to have a perfect life, but when her daughter Raegan starts to act irrationally it soon becomes clear something is wrong. With science offering no answers, Chris turns to the church to save her daughter from what might be Satan’s grasp.

Why we like it: The Exorcist’s reputation precedes it at this point, and there are many horror movie fans out there who can’t wait to downplay how scary this film is. And yes, it may lack the gore and violence of more modern thrillers, but that’s not what Friedkin was going for. This is an insidious film about the corrupting nature of evil, and as such, its chills are more subtle. Through clever direction, masterful performances, and a spine-chilling score, Friedkin managed to make one of the most atmospheric and truly harrowing horror movies of all time, a film so scary it feels as though the evil is baked into the celluloid.

Written by Tom Percival

25. Apocalypse Now

United Artists

• Release date: August 15, 1979
• Genre: War/Action
• Director: Francis Ford Coppola
• Cast: Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne
• Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes

What it’s about: Captain Willard is sent into the jungle to assassinate a rogue colonel, encountering the madness of war in this nightmarish, hallucinatory take on Heart of Darkness.

Why we like it: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” a flippant remark that unexpectedly became one of the most famous in cinematic history. Showcasing the horrors of the Vietnam War is not easy to translate on screen, and there’s much to be said about the faults in Coppola’s visionary masterpiece and its cursed production. But from its haunting visions to its hypnotic sound design, Apocalypse Now is both visceral and philosophical. It’s not just a war film – it’s a harrowing odyssey into the darkness of the human soul.

Written by Daisy Phillipson

24. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Tri-Star Pictures

• Release date: July 3, 1991
• Genre: Sci-fi/action
• Director: James Cameron
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong
• Runtime: 2 hours 17 minutes

What it’s about: 11 years after a Terminator failed to kill Sarah Connor, Skynet sends a new killing machine – the T-1000, who shapeshifts with liquid metal – to assassinate John Connor. However, he’ll have to get past a reprogrammed T-800, sent back in time by the resistance to save his life – and he looks exactly like the cyborg that tried to murder his mom.

Why we like it: Terminator 2 is simply one of the greatest feats in filmmaking history; the least we could expect from the king of the world, I suppose. James Cameron knew the path to realization was innovation, creating the technological means to deploy jaw-dropping VFX that still looks insane today. But it’s more than its spectacle: this is about as perfect as a blockbuster can be, a bonafide crowdpleaser, and the peak of the director’s decorated career.

Written by Cameron Frew

23. Goodfellas

Warner Bros.

• Release date: September 19, 1990
• Genre: Gangster
• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Cast: Ray Liotta, Rober De Niro, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino
• Runtime: 2 hours 26 minutes

What it’s about: A good kid called Henry Hill falls in with the bad crowd who run his local neighborhood. He’s soon rising through the ranks of the local mob, making money, gaining power, and living the good life until drugs take hold, and Henry turns informant.

Why we like it: Based on the brilliant true crime novel Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, Goodfellas doesn’t focus on those running the Mafia, but rather the street level gangsters who report to them, capturing their culture and customs in spellbinding fashion. Martin Scorsese’s camera barely stops moving, creating energy and excitement as Henry Hill rockets to the top through a combination of charm, charisma, and cold-blooded violence. Liotta is on fire here, he’s surrounded by a bunch of celluloid icons, and several scenes are all-timers, including the “funny” speech that won Joe Pesci an Oscar.

Written by Chris Tilly

22. The Truman Show

Paramount Pictures

• Release date: June 5, 1998
• Genre: Drama
• Director: Peter Weir
• Cast: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris
• Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes

What it’s about: Truman is a normal guy as far as he knows – but what he doesn’t know is that his town is a soundstage, his friends are actors, and he is the star of one of the biggest TV shows ever made.

Why we like it: A movie so good they named a real-life disorder after it, The Truman Show is undoubtedly Jim Carrey’s best-ever performance. From start to finish, the uncanny staged nature of Truman’s world sets out to make his slow discovery of his circumstances as intense and stressful as possible. It’ll create a desperation in you that won’t let up until the final scene. It’s so euphoric, such a relief, that it may just leave you weeping.

Written by Jessica Cullen

21. Social Network

Sony Pictures Releasing

• Release date: October 1, 2010
• Genre: Drama
• Director: David Fincher
• Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake
• Runtime: 2 hours

What it’s about: The Social Network is the true story of how Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook, and the friends he lost in order to become one of the most famous social media moguls in the world.

Why we like it: Never before was there a sharper biopic, and there likely will never be one again. The Social Network is the perfect example of exploring the flaws in a real-life figure, telling the origin of Facebook at breakneck pace and gutting turns, all of which leaves the viewers just as it leaves Mark Zuckerberg: reeling from the journey, and dejected by everything we saw.

Written by Jessica Cullen

20. Shaun of the Dead

United International Pictures

• Release date: 9 April 2004 (UK)
• Genre: Horror/Comedy
• Director: Edgar Wright
• Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Lucy Davis
• Runtime: 1 hour 39 minutes

What it’s about: When the dead rise, slacker Shaun and his best mate Ed decide to go get a pint and wait for things to blow over… it goes as well as you’d expect.

Why we like it: Bloody brilliant, Shaun of the Dead is a love letter to the zombie movies of old that effortlessly mixes gruesome gore, great gags, and dazzling technical skill (sorry, I couldn’t work out a way to start that with a ‘G’). While the film is rightly remembered these days for its brilliant one-liners and memorable quotes (“you’ve got red of you”) I’d argue what makes it such an endearing classic is the fantastically relatable characters. After all, which of us hasn’t felt like they’re just stumbling through life like a zombie.

Written by Tom Percival

19. The Silence of the Lambs

Orion Pictures

• Release date: February 14, 1991
• Genre: Horror/Thriller
• Director: Jonathan Demme
• Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
• Runtime: 2 hours

What it’s about: FBI trainee Clarice Starling seeks the help of the imprisoned cannibalistic genius, Hannibal Lecter, to catch a serial killer, leading to a tense psychological battle.

Why we like it: The part of Hannibal Lecter was originally offered to Sean Connery, and no shade to him, but thank god Hopkins got the part instead. His truly spine-chilling performance, paired with Foster’s determined yet vulnerable Clarice Starling, makes this one of the greatest psychological thrillers of all time. Few films can balance horror, mystery, and procedural drama so flawlessly, but Demme pulls it off with ease while delivering some of the most iconic lines – and scenes – in cinematic history. “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”… you know the rest.

Written by Daisy Phillipson

18. Heat

Warner Bros.

• Release date: December 15, 1995
• Genre: Crime/Action
• Director: Michael Mann
• Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Val Kilmer
• Runtime: 2 hours 50 minutes

What it’s about: After a heist goes wrong and attracts the attention of the LAPD’s Vincent Hanna, Neil McCauley plans one last job – one that would allow him to retire and never worry about the heat coming around the corner ever again.

Why we like it: Heat is the ultimate cops-and-robbers movie; an eloquent, epic thriller that’s absolutely beautiful and heart-wrenchingly sincere. Even when it strikes your senses like thunder with the greatest on-screen gunplay you’ll ever experience, there’s a palpable, intimate tension at its core – beyond anything else, this is the story of two men who don’t know how to do anything else… and they don’t much want to either.

Written by Cameron Frew

17. Back to the Future

Universal Pictures

• Release date: July 3, 1985
• Genre: Science fiction
• Director: Robert Zemeckis
• Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
• Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes

What it’s about: After local crackpot Doc Brown invents a time machine, Marty McFly is sent hurling back in time and accidentally prevents his parents from meeting. Facing oblivion, Marty has just a few days to get his parents together and go back to the future.

Why we like it: Great Scott! A winning blend of high-concept sci-fi and teenage shenanigans, Back to the Future is a beloved classic that convinced a generation that the DeLorean isn’t a dreadful car. There’s no plutonium powering this film, just an incredible cast led by the effortlessly likable Michael J. Fox and the hilariously Christopher Lloyd as well as the confident direction of Robert Zemeckis. The film’s secret weapon though? It’s not a Flux Capacitor; it’s Alan Silvestri’s iconic score.

Written by Tom Percival

16. The Dark Knight

Warner Bros.

• Release date: July 18, 2008
• Genre: Superhero
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal
• Runtime: 2 hours 32 minutes

What it’s about: Batman’s one-man war on crime forces Gotham’s underworld to turn to a dangerous criminal known as The Joker. However, Gotham’s gangsters don’t realize the terror they’re about to unleash on their not-so-fair city.

Why we like it: There have been many Batman movies over the years, but the greatest of them all is The Dark Knight. While many critics have rightly praised the film for being a striking meditation on the nature of escalation and a parable for America’s war on terror, that’s not why we’ve put it on this list. No, Nolan’s take on the Caped Crusader earned its spot by being a brilliant blockbuster that redefined what people thought the superhero genre was capable of. Everything about the film, from its incredible set pieces, hair-raising score, and magnificent cast, is brilliant, and it features arguably the greatest cinematic supervillain of the 00s, The Joker.

Written by Tom Percival

15. Star Wars

20th Century Fox

• Release date: May 25, 1977
• Genre: Sci-fi
• Director: George Lucas
• Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
• Runtime: 2 hours 1 minute

What it’s about: A farm boy called Luke Skywalker teams up with smuggler Han Solo and princess Leia Organa to do battle with the Galactic Empire, joining up with the Rebel Alliance to take down a terrifying new weapon called the Death Star.

Why we like it: Cinema can be split into two eras – the time before Star Wars, and the wildly different landscape after the film’s release. Jaws paved the way, but Star Wars laid the foundations for the movie industry we know today, staying in cinemas throughout the summer of 1977, and dominating the culture through a merchandising onslaught.

But none of that happens unless the movie is good, and Star Wars is great, a rip-roaring action movie that harks back to the adventure serials of George Lucas’s childhood, and utilizes cutting-edge special effects that still look impressive nearly 50 years on. The story is rich, the heroes are likable, and in Darth Vader, Star Wars features perhaps the greatest villain in movie history.

Written by Chris Tilly

14. The Godfather

Paramount Pictures

• Release date: March 24, 1972
• Genre: Gangster
• Director: Francis Ford Coppola
• Cast: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan
• Runtime: 2 hours 55 minutes

What it’s about: The Godfather is the story of the Corleones, and the transfer of power from patriarch Vito, to his favorite son Michael, a war hero destined for politics until the family business pulls him in.

Why we like it: The Godfather is a towering achievement, taking the best of Mario Puzo’s source novel, then elevating the material through sound, image, score, and some of the finest performances ever committed to celluloid. It launched the twin careers of Coppola and Pacino proper, while scene after scene is burned into the public consciousness, from the horse’s head and Sonny’s tollbooth death, to Michael wiping out enemies during his daughter’s christening, and finally becoming Don as the door closes on his wife. A true masterpiece.

Written by Chris Tilly

13. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Warner Bros.

• Release date: April 3, 1968
• Genre: Sci-fi
• Director: Stanley Kubrick
• Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter
• Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes

What it’s about: A mysterious monolith guides human evolution, leading to a mind-expanding journey through space, AI, and the meaning of existence.

Why we like it: Before 2001: A Space Odyssey, sci-fi films were rarely taken seriously. Then Kubrick came along and changed the genre forever. A visionary blend of awe-inspiring visuals and minimalistic storytelling, 2001 is less of a movie and more of an experience. It’s a film that demands patience but rewards it with some of the most breathtaking, thought-provoking moments ever put to screen. Decades later, its influence is still everywhere, proving that Kubrick didn’t just make a movie – he created the monolith.

Written by Daisy Phillipson

12. Pulp Fiction

Miramax Films

• Release date: October 14, 1994
• Genre: Crime/Thriller
• Director: Quentin Tarantino
• Cast: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, Christopher Walken
• Runtime: 2 hours 30 minutes

What it’s about: Intertwining crime stories unfold in a hyper-stylized, darkly comedic world of hitmen, gangsters, and boxers.

Why we like it: Relentlessly stylish and eternally quotable, Pulp Fiction is Quentin Tarantino’s best movie (don’t be a square, daddio, you know it is). The outspoken filmmaker wears his influences on his sleeve and it works to perfection in this coup de maître, but he also utilized a non-linear structure that was revolutionary at the time. Every scene crackles with energy, from the adrenaline shot to the heart to the Royale with Cheese chat. Cool, chaotic, and completely unforgettable, Pulp Fiction cemented Tarantino as a maverick of modern cinema.

Written Daisy Phillipson

11. Die Hard

20th Century Fox

• Release date: July 15, 1988
• Genre: Action
• Director: John McTiernan
• Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia
• Runtime: 2 hours 12 minutes

What it’s about: Gruff NYPD cop John McClane travels to LA on Christmas Eve in the hopes of reuniting with his estranged wife. Sadly, things don’t quite go to plan when terrorists take over her office Christmas party, and John has to save the day.

Why we like it: Die Hard may or may not be a Christmas film, but it’s undoubtedly one of the best action movies ever made. What makes it so good? Three things. John McTiernan and cinematographer Jan de Bont’s keen eye for a visual (using a fire hose to bungee jump off a skyscraper will never not be cool), Bruce Willis’s gruff disarming charm, and Alan Rickman’s slick menacing allure. All of that and some of the finest violence ever capture on film this side of Nakatomi Plaza? Sounds like a recipe for a good time to me.

Written by Tom Percival

10. The Shawshank Redemption

Columbia Pictures

• Release date: September 23, 1994
• Genre: Drama
• Director: Frank Darabont
• Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown
• Runtime: 2 hours 22 minutes

What it’s about: After Andy Dufrane is sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, his life
seems like it’s over. However, Andy soon learns that even in prison, there’s a choice: you either get busy living or get busy dying.

Why we like it: While it’s not quite a feel-good movie, there’s an undeniable joy to Shawshank Redemption hiding behind its brutal facade (a little like a hole behind a Rita Hayworth poster). It’s a film that suggests that even when things are at their worst, and all seems lost, you can find hope in common humanity and triumph in quiet dignity. Beyond these themes of resilience and friendship, Shawshank is just an incredibly compelling story, told by a master director and led by two actors, Robbins and Freeman, who give what might be their finest performances to date.

Written by Tom Percival

9. Jaws

Universal Pictures

• Release date: June 20, 1975
• Genre: Horror
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss
• Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes

What it’s about: A normal summer in a quiet seaside town is plunged into chaos when a bloodthirsty shark stalks the waters, eating anything and anyone in its path.

Why we like it: When it comes to Jaws, it’s simply a matter of paying respect where it’s due. At only 26 years old, Spielberg managed to reinvent what it meant to be a successful movie, and cementing himself as one of the most talented directors of all time. It’s a perfect blockbuster pulled from the depths of B-movie territory, with no oceanic competitors even coming close. Honestly, it’s still a little scary to go in the water, even after all this time.

Written by Jessica Cullen

8. Alien

20th Century Studios

• Release date: September 6, 1979
• Genre: Sci-fi/Horror
• Director: Ridley Scott
• Cast: Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton
• Runtime: 1 hour 57 minutes

What it’s about: Aboard the spacecraft Nostromo, crew intercept a distress signal from another planet. They set out to investigate, being attacked by an alien invading the ship.

Why we like it: There is a good reason why every film student in existence has been made to watch Alien. Ridley Scott’s storytelling nails basic narrative structure, delivering each part in a way you think you’ve never seen before. Add in space travel, a stomach creature, and Sigourney Weaver in flamethrowing in a jumpsuit, and you’ve got magic.

Written by Jasmine Valentine

7. Jurassic Park

Universal Pictures

• Release date: June 11, 1993
• Genre: Action
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
• Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes

What it’s about: When a rich benefactor enlists two paleontologists to visit his dinosaur theme park, they find themselves at the mercy of Mother Nature and question what it means to play god.

Why we like it: Much like how Spielberg laid claim to the shark movie, he also defined dinosaurs for everyone who watched Jurassic Park. The innovation and creativity behind this genuinely scary and jaw-dropping cautionary tale means it’s kept its crown as one of the best horror/action/adventure/family movies of all time, and no matter how hard they try, those never-ending sequels will never manage to recapture the simple magic of watching a cup of water gently shake.

Written by Jessica Cullen

6. Interstellar

Warner Bros.

• Release date: November 7, 2014
• Genre: Sci-fi
• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine
• Runtime: 2 hours 49 minutes

What it’s about: In a not-so-far future, humanity is doomed as Earth’s resources dwindle. Joseph Cooper, an ex-NASA pilot, is enlisted for a top-secret mission: to fly through a wormhole and find a new home for mankind.

Why we like it: Interstellar is an astonishing refutation to anyone who accuses Nolan’s work of being emotionally cold: this is an unabashed celebration of love, conveyed through one of the most exhilarating deep-space voyages ever put to film. There are scenes here that will stand the test of time (even on Miller’s Planet), but one is especially wondrous, so much so that one word floods my skin with goosebumps: “Docking.”

Written by Cameron Frew

5. The Thing

Universal Pictures

• Release date: June 25, 1982
• Genre: Horror
• Director: John Carpenter
• Cast: Kurt Russell, A. Wilford Brimley, Richard Dysart
• Runtime: 1 hour 48 minutes

What it’s about: When an alien lifeform invades a remote arctic science station, the men inside slowly become driven by insanity and suspicion, with the extraterrestrial being able to take on any of their forms and trick the others.

Why we like it: There are few horror movies that stick in the mind as much as The Thing, purely because it offers practical gore on a level that’s never been beaten. Every visceral kill feels like you can feel and smell it through the screen, each one more unbelievable than the last. This wild ride through a dreary, icy arctic landscape doesn’t let up for a single moment, and by the time you reach the end, you’ll feel the need to keep a close eye on your friends.

Written by Jessica Cullen

4. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Paramount Pictures

• Release date: June 12, 1981
• Genre: Action
• Director: Steven Spielberg
• Cast: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
• Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes

What it’s about: A globetrotting archaeologist adventurer punches lots of Nazis while searching for the Ark of the Covenant.

Why we like it: The brainchild of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, Raiders of the Lost Ark is the ultimate in blockbuster entertainment, combining action, adventure, and romance in perfectly synchronized fashion. Harrison Ford is handsome and brave as Indiana Jones, yet isn’t afraid to look the fool, which gives Indy an irresistible charm. Karen Allen gives as good as she gets as love interest Marion, while the stunts are simply jaw-dropping, forcing audiences to the edge of their seats, and helping to make Raiders the ultimate crowd-pleaser.

Written by Chris Tilly

3. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

Warner Bros.

• Release date: 19 December 2001
• Genre: Fantasy
• Director: Peter Jackson
• Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
• Runtime: 2 hours 58 minutes

What it’s about: More than 2,000 years after the Dark Lord Sauron was defeated, his ring finds its way into the hands of a hobbit named Frodo. As the forces of evil battle to get their hands on Frodo’s jewelry, a last alliance of men, elves, and dwarves comes together to destroy the ring and Sauron once and for all.

Why we like it: Picking your favorite Lord of the Rings movie is a little like picking your favorite child: nearly impossible (I imagine? I don’t know, I don’t have kids). Yet, if we were staring down the blade of a Nazgul’s sword, we’d have to say Fellowship is our favorite. Why? Two words: The Shire. Okay, that’s not true… in all honesty, while it may not feature the same epic battles as its sequels, Fellowship is the movie that introduced us to Middle-earth and the characters we’ve come to adore. More than that, it’s arguably the only film in the trilogy that feels like it has a coherent beginning, middle, and end. We’re not throwing stones at Two Towers or Return of the King, but let’s be honest, they’re great sequels… not standalone movies.

Written by Tom Percival

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

Warner Bros.

• Release date: May 15, 2015
• Genre: Action
• Director: George Miller
• Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult,
• Runtime: 2 hours

What it’s about: Years after the oil wars ravaged the Earth, Max roams the roads of a wasteland reduced to a single instinct: survive. Meanwhile, a fierce Imperator makes an audacious escape with a dictator’s harem of wives – and as they barrel through across an endless horizon, they’re forced to become allies.

Why we like it: In 2014, two stages became clear in a movie fan’s life: pre- and post-Fury Road. Whether it’s five, 10, or 100 years from now, its power demands to be witnessed: a timeless, breathless phantasmagoria of fire and blood, the beauty and scale of which still moves me to tears. This isn’t just the best Mad Max movie; it’s the Valhalla of action cinema and one of the best movies of all time.

Written by Cameron Frew

1. The Matrix

Warner Bros.

• Release date: March 31, 1999
• Genre: Sci-fi
• Director: The Wachowskis
• Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
• Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes

What it’s about: Weird things start happening to Thomas Anderson, a programmer by day who moonlights as a hacker, better known as Neo. Soon, Morpheus opens his eyes to the real world — and the ‘Agents’ who see his mere existence as a grave threat.

Why we like it: The Wachowskis literally changed cinema forever with The Matrix, a feast of visual effects and storytelling wizardry that’s still every bit as seminal, euphoric, and exhilarating more than 20 years later. It bent the spoon, and try as they might, nobody else has figured out how.

From a pasty-skinned hacker, Neo’s evolution into a bullet-dodging, kung-fu extraordinaire is a classic origin story. Yet its ideal-shattering, cyberpunk vision broke the mold of something new, something original, even as far as its own philosophy; do we live in the real world, or is it all code?

It’s the actor’s most famous role, and rightly so: an indelible blend of unwitting normality and unfathomable coolness, equipped with killer shades, all-black clothes, and heroic resolve in the face of evil. An icon.

Or, in one word, “woah.”

Written by Cameron Frew

This movie was written as part of our celebration of all things TV & Movies! To Learn more about that read our We LOVE TV & Movies schedule here. We’ve also got a list of al the new movies coming in 2025 for you to check out as well. Why include that? Because maybe they’ll be added to the best movies list next year!