Most movies–whether they’re independent efforts or big studio productions–are lucky to make back their budgets when all is said and done. Others, however, manage to dominate at the box office, spawning large money-printing franchises that never seem to end.
It’s no secret that almost all of the highest-grossing movies of all time are either huge, lavish productions or sequels to existing franchises. While these kinds of movies often get a bad reputation, however—and, in some cases, rightly so—some also happen to be amongst the greatest movies of all time. These are the ten best movies that surpassed $1 billion at the box office, according to IMDb.
The Avengers (2012)
Arguably the movie that cemented the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s ambitious attempts to create a sprawling, well-crafted movie universe, 2012’s The Avengers was a tremendous success upon its release, both critically and financially. Finally bringing together the disparate heroes of the Marvel Universe, Joss Whedon’s fantastic script nailed the team’s tumultuous dynamic, sufficiently whetting the appetite of fans worldwide.
While other MCU movies have since surpassed The Avengers in sheer ‘wow’ factor, the movie’s fresh and endearing charm and satisfying action sequences solidify it as one of the best superhero movies of all time.
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
Although the Deathly Hallows double bill kicked off something of a frustrating Hollywood trend of splitting its final chapters into two parts, it felt justified in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows given the scope of its remaining story. Out of its two chapters, however, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was much more critically well-received, providing long-time fans of the franchise with an epic, emotional closing chapter to a widely loved saga.
Jurassic Park (1993)
As the oldest movie on this list, even the power of inflation can’t stop Jurassic Park from stomping its way into the box office record books. Sure, Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur epic received a sizable boost from its 2013 3D re-release, but the movie was also the highest-grossing movie of all time when it released back in 1993.
Standing as one of the most beloved Spielberg films ever made—especially for those who were children at the time of its release—Jurassic Park’s consistently quotable script, memorable characters, and ground-breaking special effects hold up amazingly well to this day.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Argued by many to be the greatest entry in the beloved Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 3 raked in an impressive $1.067 billion at the box office, cleverly capitalizing on the audience’s nostalgia for the series.
Sure, it may be something of a carbon copy of Toy Story 2, but what most people remember about Toy Story 3 is its emotional, bittersweet ending in which a college-aged Andy gives all of his toys away to a new owner.
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises is often considered the weakest entry in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. In fact, while The Dark Knight has enjoyed its reputation as one of the best blockbusters ever made, its sequel is often mocked, primarily for its alleged plot holes.
The thing is, The Dark Knight Rises is still a genuinely great movie. There are few comic book villains as iconic as Tom Hardy’s Bane, and the movie managed to provide fans with a pitch-perfect end to Bruce Wayne’s story. Thankfully, the movie’s true quality is reflected in both its box office and its IMDb score.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
While Avengers: Endgame isn’t quite as consistently brilliant as its predecessor, Avengers: Infinity War, Endgame arguably contains higher highs and lower lows, containing some of the most unapologetically crowd-pleasing moments ever put to film.
Although comic books rarely give their characters true closure thanks to the never-ending nature of their stories, Endgame gives two of Marvel’s most important characters the perfect send-off, creating a perfect ending to one of the most amazing experiments in cinema history. Also, it can’t be glossed over that Endgame was the movie to finally topple Avatar’s status as the highest-grossing movie of all time.
Joker (2019)
For better or worse, Joker took the world by storm back in 2019. Perhaps amongst the most controversial movies of the decade, Joker tells a decidedly dark, self-contained version of the comic book villain’s origin story. While the movie was unfairly maligned by many who saw it as "dangerous" prior to its release—despite most having not even seen it yet—the media firestorm surrounding the movie only worked in its favor.
Joker went on to become the first R-rated movie to cross $1 billion at the box office and boasts an incredibly high 8.5 on IMDb, with lead actor Joaquin Phoenix even earning an Oscar for his tremendous performance as Arthur Fleck.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Prior to the release of The Avengers back in 2012, Marvel fans wondered exactly how the studio would be able to balance the movie’s six central heroes. Cut to 2018, and the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Infinity War managed to juggle dozens upon dozens of central characters with gleeful ease.
Boasting one of Hollywood’s most compelling and iconic villains in Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War really is lightning in a bottle, somehow finding the perfect balance between action, drama, humor, darkness and emotion. It’s by far one of the best blockbusters of all time and sets the stage for perhaps the most satisfying final chapter to any series of films ever made.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
Not only is the culminating chapter in Peter Jackson’s near-perfect Lord of the Rings trilogy arguably the best entry in the entire franchise, but it’s also one of the highest-rated movies on IMDb period, currently sitting in the number five slot.
While pop culture may poke fun at The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King for its "multiple endings," the series really couldn’t have wrapped up in a more satisfying way, giving the audience the happy ending they wanted while making it very clear that our heroes will never be the same again. What’s more, The Return of the King is also tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur for most Academy Award wins at a staggering eleven.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Thanks to the incredible one-two punch of Iron Man and The Dark Knight, 2008 really was the year that superheroes began to take over the world. With the release of the middle chapter of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, comic book stories were finally being taken seriously, especially following Heath Ledger’s posthumous Oscar win for his fantastic performance as the Joker.
Far surpassing the franchise’s brilliant opening chapter Batman Begins both critically and financially, there are few movies in history as instantly iconic as The Dark Knight, holding a special place at the heart of popular culture, even holding the number three spot in IMDb’s Top 250.