Best Rated Movies of All Time

Twenty essential, critically acclaimed films spanning eras and genres — a starting point for your next watch list.

#1 — The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

★ 9.3/10 — Two imprisoned men bond over years, drawing strength and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

#2 — The Godfather (1972)

★ 9.2/10 — The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control to his reluctant son.

#3 — The Dark Knight (2008)

★ 9.0/10 — Batman faces his greatest psychological and physical test against the anarchic mastermind known as the Joker.

#4 — The Godfather Part II (1974)

★ 9.0/10 — The early life of Vito Corleone intertwines with his son Michael’s consolidation of power.

#5 — 12 Angry Men (1957)

★ 9.0/10 — A dissenting juror slowly convinces the rest of a jury that a murder case isn’t as open-and-shut as it seems.

#6 — Schindler's List (1993)

★ 9.0/10 — A businessman becomes increasingly concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

#7 — The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

★ 9.0/10 — Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron’s army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam.

#8 — Pulp Fiction (1994)

★ 8.9/10 — The lives of two hitmen, a boxer, a gangster’s wife and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence.

#9 — The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

★ 8.9/10 — A meek hobbit and eight companions set out to destroy a powerful ring and save Middle-earth.

#10 — The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

★ 8.8/10 — A bounty-hunting scheme brings together three gunslingers in the American Southwest during the Civil War.

#11 — Forrest Gump (1994)

★ 8.8/10 — The presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson unfold through the eyes of an Alabama man with an extraordinary destiny.

#12 — Fight Club (1999)

★ 8.8/10 — An insomniac office worker and a soap salesman build an underground fight club that evolves into something much bigger.

#13 — Inception (2010)

★ 8.8/10 — A thief who steals corporate secrets through dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea.

#14 — The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

★ 8.8/10 — While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor, the scattered Fellowship fights on to defend Middle-earth.

#15 — Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

★ 8.7/10 — After the Rebels are overpowered, Luke trains under Yoda while his friends are pursued across the galaxy.

#16 — The Matrix (1999)

★ 8.7/10 — A computer hacker learns the shocking truth about his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.

#17 — Goodfellas (1990)

★ 8.7/10 — The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mob, spanning three decades of crime, loyalty and betrayal.

#18 — Interstellar (2014)

★ 8.7/10 — A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in search of a new home for humanity.

#19 — One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

★ 8.7/10 — A criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he clashes with the oppressive head nurse.

#20 — Se7en (1995)

★ 8.6/10 — Two detectives hunt a serial killer who justifies his crimes as lessons about the seven deadly sins.

Ratings reflect widely cited critical consensus at the time of writing and are illustrative, not a live feed. Posters courtesy of TMDB.