The Greatest Movies of All Time, Ranked

Movies encompass the length and breadth of the human experience, making any Best Of list hopelessly subjective. Comparing, say, The Silence of the Lambs to Fantasia to determine which one is “better” actively insults both movies. Similarly, scholarly lists — like the British Film Institute’s once-a-decade model which sets the pace on this front — tend to overlook “base” genres like horror and comedy, which often prove more influential. If a reader isn’t already inclined to seek arthouse fare like The 400 Blows or The Passion of Joan of Arc, their inclusion in a given list means very little.

Influential films, however, can be measured a little more objectively, as well as encompassing popular movies that find the sweet spot between art and commerce. While it can be difficult to separate the true game-changers from the flashes in the pan, time has a way of revealing. Below is a list of the greatest films — subjective, as every list is — measured both by their artistic accomplishments and their lasting impact on the medium.

Updated on March 24th, 2024 by David Giatras: While it is impossible to restrict the number of the greatest films ever made to just 60 films, the list will continue to grow right alongside the film industry. There have been many influential films released since the beginning of motion pictures, yet some have even come from the 21st century. As subjective as the lists can be, they will continue to change over the years until the end of time.

60 Avengers (2012) Brought Marvel’s Iconic Heroes Together

Hollywood in the 2010s can be summed up in three words: Marvel Cinematic Universe. What started as a comparatively humble set of films soon turned into something much more. Shared universes became the order of the day, thanks solely to the groundbreaking Avengers, which turned the MCU into the king of the cinematic cage overnight.

Earlier movies in the MCU had hinted at a larger canvas — most famously in the Nick Fury Easter egg at the end of the original Iron Man — but Avengers revealed the full potential. Four heroes from four previous movie series (plus two more for good measure) came together to face a common threat. In the process, the film aptly duplicated the massive plot arcs and crossovers that comic books had been doing for decades. But nothing like it had ever been seen on this scale before, and its success still has the rest of Hollywood scrambling to catch up.

59 Duck Soup (1933) Is a Beloved Marx Brothers Film

Duck Soup is one of the many early, pre-Code films that starred the Marx Brothers. The film follows Rufus T. Firefly, who is appointed the dictator of Freedonia. On the brink of a financial crisis, Rufus declares war on the neighboring country of Sylvania to obtain the hand of Mrs. Teasdale, the wealthy backer of Freedonia.

Unlike the Marx Brothers’ other films, Duck Soup was not a massive success upon release. In fact, the brothers parted ways with Paramount after making five films with them. However, the film has become a classic over time, leading many to call it a comedy masterpiece. Duck Soup has since become the group’s best-remembered film.

58 Dr. No (1962) Cemented the James Bond Franchise’s Legacy

“Bond. James Bond.” With one line, Sean Connery turned an obscure series of spy novels into a household name. The adventures of 007 became the longest-running franchise of all time: practically defining ’60s pop culture and influencing every espionage thriller that has come since.

Connery exemplified the kind of fantasy it was selling: cool, collected, eyeing an attractive woman over a high-end gambling table before jetting off to stop a threat to global security without batting an eyelash. It was pure escapism and rarely had anything to do with real espionage work. But every modern blockbuster can trace its DNA back to Dr. No and the franchise it spawned.

57 The Truman Show (1998) Features One Of Jim Carrey’s Best Performances

The Truman Show stars Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, a man who lives a seemingly ordinary life. However, it turns out that Truman is actually part of a reality show about him and his life is populated by actors and controlled by the show’s creator and executive producer. After figuring out that something is not right, Truman begins to rebel and tries to escape the set.

The Truman Showfeatures one of Jim Carrey’s best performances, and he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture- Drama for his efforts. Carrey was usually seen as a comedic actor, but this film allowed him to play a more dramatic role, which surprised audiences. Many have also viewed the film as an important commentary on surveillance, privacy, simulated reality and reality television itself.

56 Everything Everywhere all at Once (2022) Is an Unforgettable Experience

Everything Everywhere All At Once stars Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant who goes on an interdimensional adventure in order to save the universe. By crossing into other dimensions, she sees the lives she could have led.

Everything Everywhere All At Once was a smash hit and won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It also created a career resurgence for Ke Huy Quan, best known for playing Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, as he nabbed the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. It was the first science-fiction movie to win Best Picture and the third movie to win 3 Academy Awards for acting.

55 Toy Story (1955) Was The First Animated Movie To Be Nominated For Best Original Screenplay

Toy Story follows Woody, a toy belonging to Andy, who is seemingly threatened when Andy gets a new toy: Buzz Lightyear. Buzz becomes Andy’s favorite toy, which makes Woody jealous. However, Woody and Buzz need to work together to get back to Andy before his family moves into a new house after they get lost.

The film features the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles and John Ratzenberger. It proved to be a massive hit upon release and began a lucrative franchise for Pixar. Toy Story has been extremely influential in the animation genre, sparking more studios to take an interest in computer animation. It was also the first animated film to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards.

54 Stagecoach (1939) Featured Impressive Stunts for Its Time

Westerns have been a part of movies since the earliest days, and even in the 1930s had become something of a cliché. Heroes wore white hats, villains wore black, and everything was resolved with a showdown at high noon. John Ford upended all of that with Stagecoach, which — problematic depictions of Native Americans aside — set the bar not just for Westerns, but action movies in general.

That started with its strangers-thrown-together plot, augmented by innovative stunts and action pieces that still hold up today. Stagecoach‘s hero was an escaped fugitive, and the heroine a soiled dove: far cries from the stark morality that had come before it. For better or worse, it made an icon out of John Wayne, whose performance in the lead is undeniably compelling.

53 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Kicked Off the Iconic Trilogy

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was the beginning of one of cinema’s greatest trilogies. Taking place in Middle-earth, the film follows Frodo Baggins, who must bring the One Ring to Mordor to be destroyed in order to end the dark reign of Sauron. He is aided in his quest by the Fellowship that was formed in Rivendell.

Directed by Peter Jackson, critics hailed The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as one of the best fantasy epics ever made. It was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, winning 4. Fellowship of the Ring set the bar high for the rest of the trilogy, but the following two films shockingly succeeded it, and they are still revered to this very day.

52 Bonnie and Clyde (1967) Was Willing to Think Outside the Box

Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway became overnight stars playing heavily fictionalized versions of the famous Depression-Era bank robbers. Bonnie and Clyde viewed their crime spree as a doom-laden joy ride, with the pair and their coterie making up in panache what they lack in planning skills. (Ironically, they’re not especially good bank robbers.)

Arthur Penn drew heavily from the French New Wave for the film, willfully breaking Hollywood convention just as the studio system began to crumble. Bonnie and Clyde revealed just how hidebound filmmaking had become while empowering directors to pursue their vision instead of executive dictates.

51 Dr. Strangelove (1964) Is Arguably The Best Political Satire Movie Ever Made

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb takes place during the Cold War and follows an American general who decides to bomb the Soviet Union. The declaration leads to a possible nuclear holocaust, which makes several officials and politicians plead for the general to stop his plan. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, the film stars Peter Sellers in three roles, including the titular character.

The film is a satire of the Cold War and the tensions that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union. It often finds itself on the list of the greatest, and funniest, comedy movies ever made. The film’s satirization of nuclear planning served as a stark reminder, despite its comedy, that nuclear war was not something to be taken likely and, hopefully, can be avoided at all costs.

50 Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) Brought The Franchise Back After 30 Years

Released in 2015, Mad Max: Fury Road was the first entry in the Mad Max franchise since 1985. Tom Hardy takes over for Mel Gibson as Max Rockatansky, who joins forces with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) in order to protect a group of women from Immortan Joe, a cult leader in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Mad Max franchise director George Miller returned to direct Fury Road, which has been hailed as one of the greatest action movies ever made. It features a great performance from Theron in particular, making Furiosa one of the best female action heroes in cinema history. Fury Road was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won an impressive 6 awards in 2016.

49 Chinatown (1974) Became a Renowned Mystery Film

Chinatown stars Jack Nicholson as Jake Gittes, a private investigator in Los Angeles who is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to expose her husband of his infidelities. By taking up the case, Gittes discovers plenty of corruption and even murder as he investigates. The film was directed by Roman Polanski.

Chinatown was nominated for 11 Academy Awards in 1975 and is one of the greatest mystery movies ever made. It is best remembered for its twist and heartbreaking ending, along with the film’s iconic final line: “Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.” A sequel, The Two Jakes, released over 15 years later, with Nicholson reprising his role as Gittes.

48 The Dark Knight (2008) Redefined Batman and the Joker

Superhero movies struggled with the lightweight moniker for decades: viewed as summer popcorn at best and cheesy kiddie fare at worst. Christopher Nolan shattered that with The Dark Knight. His Caped Crusader occupies a depressingly plausible world, full of compromise and failure.

Heath Ledger’s indelible Joker threatened Gotham’s very soul, turning the populace into a fear-crazed mob to prove that anarchy is the only solution. In the process, he aptly reflected an American society facing the limits of its strength and an enemy that, like Mr. J, just wanted to burn it all down. Comic book movies would never be “just kids’ stuff” again.

47 Akira (1988) Inspired Countless Movies After It

Walt Disney was still the last word in animation — at least to Western audiences — when Akira arrived in 1988. Despite the efforts of Ralph Bakshi and his ilk, the concept of a “cartoon” aimed at adults was largely foreign before then. Akira kicked down those doors in a big way, presenting a sprawling cyberpunk future that was decidedly not for the wee ones.

Akira wasn’t alone on that front — Hayao Miyazaki released My Neighbor Totoro the same year — but its impact can’t be underestimated. Beyond introducing anime to a worldwide audience for the first time, Akira became a blueprint for countless live-action movies as well.

46 Goodfellas (1990) Competes with The Godfather

Goodfellas stars the…