Even while it’s fun to see the latest movies, it might sometimes be simpler to go back to the timeless classics that everyone seems to adore. There is something for everyone among IMDb’s top-rated movies, from the best Hollywood films to international hits and from movies of the 21st century to movies that are decades old. While every moviegoer has a different opinion on what constitutes the top 10 films of all time, there is something for everyone among these films.
This collection is an excellent location to look for the greatest films of all time, whether fans are re-watching an old favorite or catching up on a well-known movie they have missed.
1. Casablanca
Even after all these years, Casablanca is regarded as one of the greatest movie love stories Hollywood has ever produced. The film, which is set in the namesake Moroccan town at the start of World War II, centers on an American bar owner who unintentionally runs across his ex-girlfriend while she and her fiancé are fleeing the Nazis. Some of the most memorable lines of dialogue in cinematic history may be found in this film. While the love story is vivid, the film also tells a powerful tale of standing up to bullies, which must have been exciting to watch when it was first released.
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
The confluence of two brilliant minds—Stanley Kubrick and sci-fi visionary Arthur C. Clarke—led to the creation of the greatest movie ever. When Kubrick heard the name Arthur C. Clarke mentioned as a potential writer for his upcoming science fiction epic, along with those of Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury, he remarked, “I understand he’s a nut who lives in a tree someplace in India.” The two met, clicked, and created a story of scientific advancement and tragedy (hello, HAL) that is rooted in humanity, in all its brilliance, vulnerability, heroism, and mad ambition.
In reality, Clarke was living in Ceylon (not in India, or a tree), but they met, clicked, and created a story. The eye-candy Star Gate segment and its avant-garde imagery captivated a stoner audience, who took to the film like a pet.
3. The Prestige
The movie The Prestige is about the quest for perfection. Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale play two magicians who were once comrades and fall out in this historical drama set in the 1800s. As they each strive to be the best, their rivalry turns deadly over time. The mystery-thriller from Christopher Nolan is the kind of film that gets better with each viewing. It results in a captivating, mentally challenging ride with many unexpected turns.
4. The Godfather
All crime families that emerged after The Godfather are descended from the Corleones, from the sage characters of Goodfellas to The Sopranos: Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece is the ultimate patriarch of the Mafia genre. The operatic Mario Puzo adaption begins with a powerful sentence, “I believe in America,” before Coppola’s epic transforms into a terrifying deconstruction of the American dream. These moral conflicts are encapsulated in a legendary baptism sequence, which is masterfully edited in conjunction to the murder of four competing dons.
The corruption-drenched drama follows a wealthy immigrant family as they struggle with the contradicting principles of authority and faith. The Godfather’s authority endures thanks to several memorable details, including a severed horse head, Marlon Brando’s breathy voice, and Nino Rota’s infectious waltz.
5. Gladiator
The so-called sword-and-sandal flicks appeared to be out of style at the time, but Gladiator gave the genre fresh life with a thrilling adventure. Maximus, a Roman general who is deceived and made to compete as a gladiator for his life, is portrayed by Russell Crowe. It is hardly surprise that the film included some incredible action sequences, from the opening battle to the clashes inside the Colosseum, with Ridley Scott at the helm. Crowe’s Oscar-winning performance elevates the narrative, while Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as the treacherous Emperor Commodus is as potent.
6. There Will Be Blood
Paul Thomas Anderson changed from a Scorsesian historian of the debauched L.A. life into a hard-nosed investigator of the American confidence man on his way to become the most influential filmmaker of the past 20 years. There Will Be Blood, an epic about a particular type of hustler—the oil mogul and prospector—was the turning point. In the end, Daniel Plainview is a really spooky Daniel Day-Lewis who will drink your milkshake.
Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead provided the music for Anderson’s melancholy epic, which is the genuine heir to Chinatown’s rabid pessimism. Phantom Thread demonstrates that Anderson hasn’t at all lost his sense of humor. But there was once a time when he had to take things seriously, and this is it.
7. The Lion King
Many people consider the Disney animated films of the 1990s to be the studio’s “golden period,” with “The Lion King” frequently being hailed as the greatest achievement. In his quest to succeed his father as king, the young lion cub Simba encounters tragedy and finds redemption. From the catchy melodies to the endearing characters to the family-friendly adventure, the film has everything fans have come to expect from a wonderful Disney film. With a gripping and tragic plot, it is much deeper than other Disney animal films.
8. The Dark Knight
This is the standard that Matt Reeves’ The Batman, a new Batman in gloomy Gotham, must surpass. The last act, which attempts to squeeze in nearly too many ideas and a lot of moral math, makes the middle installment of Christopher Nolan’s Bat-trilogy an almost flawless case study of how to make a smart superhero epic for modern audiences. Meanwhile, Heath Ledger’s Joker redefines big-screen villainy: You now need a party trick in addition to being scary.
9. Jaws
Because it is a movie about a big-ass shark eating people, Steven Spielberg’s timeless blockbuster doesn’t require political prescience to be current. That’s one illogical worry the public will never let go of, in large part due to the film itself. However, over the past two years, it has been challenging to avoid remembering Mayor Vaughn in his absurd anchor-print suit telling the residents of Amity Island that it is safe to go back in the water whenever some elected official has argued against mask mandates and said it is time to reopen schools.
The fact that avarice and incompetence are much more likely to harm you than sharks is what truly makes Jaws terrifying, along with the film’s excellent pace, guaranteed-to-scare jump scares, and explosive third act.
10. Pulp Fiction
What does Pulp Fiction do best? the Jack Rabbit Slims twist contest? The Gimp versus Bruce Willis? Ezekiel 25:17, Jules’ monologue? The film by Quentin Tarantino attracts interest with its attention-grabbing moments but achieves classic status with its hypnotic achronological plot, outrageously quotable dialogue, and accurate use of the metric system. Pulp Fiction is a flourish of ’90s indie attitude that still feels new despite a legion of talkative imitators, marking its generation as profoundly as Star Wars did before it.
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