These are the best movies of all time, ranked by movie experts and film fans alike. What are the greatest movies of all time? This list of the top films ever made was created by taking best movie suggestions from Ranker users and letting them vote to determine which films are the best ever made.
So, what are the best movies of all time? The list includes a wide range of films, from art house European cinema to top action films and blockbusters to established, highly-regarded classics of the Golden Age of Hollywood. The entries span many genres and include some of the greatest movie villains created by the best writers and top film directors in the industry. Included are movies that were recognized in their own time – including a number of Academy Award recipients and even Best Picture selections – as well as cult movies or sleeper hits that took time to find an audience. Shawshank Redemption, for example, was not highly regarded or popular in theaters when it first opened, but has since risen to the top of many best movie lists.
If your favorite movies still aren't included with this group of the best movies of all time, add them by clicking "rerank" below to make your own list. Or just vote for the titles below that are most worthy of the title of the greatest movie ever. Also, check out Ranker's lists of the greatest actors of all time.
Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert DuvallThe Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Albert S. Ruddy from a screenplay by Mario Puzo and Coppola. Starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as ...more
Morgan Freeman, Rita Hayworth, Tim RobbinsThe Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Adapted from the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and...more
John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma ThurmanPulp Fiction is a 1994 American black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, from a story by Tarantino and Roger Avary. The film is known for its eclectic dialogue, ironic ...more
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark HamillStar Wars is a 1977 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. The first release in the Star Wars franchise, it stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter ...more
Tom Hanks, Kurt Russell, Sally FieldForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic romantic-comedy-drama film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Tom Hanks, Robin ...more
Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Gary OldmanThe Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced, and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the second part of Nolan's Batman film ...more
Robert De Niro, Samuel L. Jackson, Joe PesciGoodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese. ...more
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert DuvallThe Godfather Part II is a 1974 American epic crime film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay co-written with Mario Puzo, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. ...more
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark HamillThe Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay, with George Lucas writing the film's story ...more
Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Anne MossThe Matrix is a 1999 American-Australian science fiction action film written and directed by The Wachowskis, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe ...more
Brad Pitt, Jared Leto, Helena Bonham CarterFight Club is a 1999 film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher, and stars Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton ...more
Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben KingsleySchindler's List is a 1993 American epic historical period drama, directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg and scripted by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the novel Schindler's Ark by Thomas ...more
Harrison Ford, Alfred Molina, Karen AllenRaiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan was from a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman. It was produced by ...more
Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Vin DieselSaving Private Ryan is a 1998 American epic drama war film set during the Invasion of Normandy in World War II. Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat, the film is notable for ...more
Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Michael SheenGladiator is a 2000 American-British epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, ...more
Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Chris IsaakThe Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres. Directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Scott ...more
Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea ThompsonBack to the Future is a 1985 American comic science fiction film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and stars Michael J. Fox, ...more
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, Liv TylerThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy drama film directed by Peter Jackson based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is...more
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, Liv TylerThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 epic fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson based on the first volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is the first ...more
Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Christopher LloydOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a 1975 drama film written by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman and directed by Miloš Forman.
Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Peter LorreCasablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on Murray Burnett and Joan Alison's unproduced stage play Everybody Comes to Rick's. The film stars ...more
Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Brendan GleesonBraveheart is a 1995 epic historical medieval war drama film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. Gibson portrays William Wallace, a 13th-century Scottish warrior who led the Scots in the First ...more
Marlon Brando, Harrison Ford, Robert DuvallApocalypse Now is a 1979 American epic adventure war film set during the Vietnam War. Produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, and Robert Duvall. ...more
Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Scatman CrothersThe Shining is a 1980 British-American psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, ...more
Orson Welles, Alan Ladd, Agnes MooreheadCitizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film produced by, co-written by, directed by and starring Orson Welles. The picture was Welles's first feature film. The film was nominated for Academy ...more
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Marion CotillardInception is a 2010 science fiction heist thriller film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film stars a large ensemble cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, ...more
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Kathy BatesTitanic is a 1997 American epic romantic disaster drama film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars ...more
Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Morgan FreemanSeven is a 1995 American psychological thriller film directed by David Fincher. The film stars Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, with Gwyneth Paltrow, R. Lee Ermey, John C. McGinley, and Kevin ...more
Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, Roy ScheiderJaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. The prototypical summer blockbuster, its release is regarded as a ...more
Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum, Richard AttenboroughJurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the first installment of the Jurassic Park franchise. It is based on the 1990 novel of the ...more
Kevin Spacey, Benicio del Toro, Gabriel ByrneThe Usual Suspects is a 1995 German-American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del ...more
Clint Eastwood, Viggo Mortensen, Mark StrongThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles respectively. ...more
Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie BedeliaDie Hard is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Steven E. de Souza and Jeb Stuart. It is based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever, by Roderick Thorp. Die ...more
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong, Linda HamiltonTerminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 American science fiction action thriller film written, produced and directed by James Cameron. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert ...more
Sylvester Stallone, Joe Frazier, Burgess MeredithRocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an ...more
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Martin ScorseseTaxi Driver is a 1976 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader. Set in New York City soon after the end of the Vietnam War, the film ...more
Cate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, Liv TylerThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a 2002 epic fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson and based on the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings. It is the second ...more
Malcolm McDowell, Warren Clarke, Steven BerkoffA Clockwork Orange is a 1971 dystopian crime film adapted, produced, and directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on Anthony Burgess's 1962 novella A Clockwork Orange. It employs disturbing, violent ...more
Stanley Kubrick, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee ErmeyFull Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay by Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford was based on Hasford's novel The Short-Timers. The film ...more
Alfred Hitchcock, Janet Leigh, Anthony PerkinsPsycho is a 1960 Psychological thriller and horror film written by Joseph Stefano and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton, Linda HamiltonThe Terminator is a 1984 American science fiction/horror action film directed by James Cameron, written by Cameron and the film's producer Gale Anne Hurd, and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...more
Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Sam RockwellThe Green Mile is a 1999 American fantasy drama film directed by Frank Darabont and adapted from the 1996 Stephen King novel of the same name. The film is told in a flashback format and stars ...more
Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Tara ReidThe Big Lebowski is a 1998 stoner crime comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars Jeff Bridges as Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, an unemployed Los ...more
Drew Barrymore, Erika Eleniak, Debra WingerE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction-family film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison, featuring special effects by Carlo ...more
Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Alec BaldwinThe Departed is a 2006 American crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The film stars Leonardo ...more
James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel BarrymoreIt's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy comedy-drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story "The Greatest Gift", which Philip Van Doren...more
Sigourney Weaver, John Hurt, Ian HolmAlien is a 1979 science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. ...more
Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don RicklesToy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated buddy-comedy adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by John Lasseter, Toy Story was the ...more
Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Frank MorganThe Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the most well-known and commercially successful adaptation based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful ...more
Arthur C. Clarke, Leonard Rossiter, Ed Bishop2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay was written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, and was partially inspired by ...more
