Summary

  • Screen Rant compiled a list of the best movies of all time, based on critical scores and audience opinions.
  • The list includes a diverse range of films, from classic dramas like The Grapes of Wrath to animated favorites like Ratatouille.
  • These movies are highly acclaimed for their storytelling, performances, and significant contributions to cinema history.

Here are the Best Movies of all time, as evaluated by Screen Rant. Covering Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth to Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller Rear Window, with cartoon rats, gangsters and superheroes in between, it’s the perfect list for emerging cinephiles or checking off essential watches.

Deciding the best movies ever takes a balance of objective and subjective preference, which can differ for industry professionals and general viewers. Something as important as the greatest movies of all time requires some advanced thinking, beyond the opinion of a single writer. With that in mind, Screen Rant's ranking collates critical scores and the opinions of movie lovers to compile the definitive list of the most highly rated movies of all time.

How We Worked It Out

We took the top 250 movies on IMDb and Metacritic and assigned each movie a score based on the range of scores in the dataset. These equally weighted scores were summed and then standardized into our own Screen Rant score. The result is a scoring system that equally and fairly honors both the audience and critic voice, leading to a list that runs the full length of cinema history.

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50 The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

Classic Adaptation of A Depression-Era Story Of Heroism

The Grapes of Wrath
Director
John Ford
Release Date
January 24, 1940
Cast
Henry Fonda , Jane Darwell , John Carradine , Shirley Mills , John Qualen , Eddie Qullian
Runtime
129 Minutes

The Grapes of Wrath Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.1/10

Metacritic Score

96/100

Screen Rant Score

93.95/100

An incredibly important moment in the history of the United States of America, The Grapes of Wrath began life in 1939 as John Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning novel. A year later, legend of cinema John Ford took the reins of an adaptation that stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, a recently released prisoner who leads his family across the States to California after the Great Depression robs them of their farm and livelihood.

One of the greatest realist movies ever made, Ford's take on the novel is a haunting look at a dark time in the country's early history, buoyed by excellent performances - particularly from Fonda - and one of the earliest examples of Hollywood giving its platform to the voice of the working class.

The Grapes of Wrath is available to rent on Apple TV.

49 Ratatouille (2007)

Pixar's Beautiful Story Of Talent In Unexpected Places

Ratatouille Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.1/10

Metacritic Score

96/100

Screen Rant Score

93.95/100

After convincing the world's children that their toys were alive, and painting imaginative worlds for insects, cars, the monsters under their beds, fish, and superheroes, Pixar took their boldest step by telling the story of a gourmet rat. As perverse as the idea might have appeared, Ratatouille — directed by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava — is a gentle meditation on following dreams and the wholesome pursuit of art. Patton Oswalt is the rat, Remy, who commandeers the career of aspiring chef Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano) to explore his passion. It's a joyous, heart-filled, and personal comedy-drama that deserves to rank alongside Pixar's best, with an infamous reflection on the nature of criticism as a great stinger.

WHERE TO WATCH RATATOUILLE

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48 12 Years A Slave (2013)

Best Picture Winning Story Of Stolen Freedom

Solomon looks up in 12 Years A Slave
12 Years a Slave

Release Date
January 9, 2014
Director
Steve McQueen
Cast
Chiwetel Ejiofor , Michael Fassbender , Brad Pitt , Lupita Nyong'o , Benedict Cumberbatch
Runtime
134minutes

12 Years A Slave Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.1/10

Metacritic Score

96/100

Screen Rant Score

93.95/100

The 2013 biographical drama is based on the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup, a free Black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1941. Northup is forced to work on Louisiana plantations with varying cruelties for 12 years before being released. The Steve McQueen-directed drama 12 Years a Slave isn't easy to watch, but it’s an important and crucial piece of filmmaking that tells the honest, painful stories that need to be told.

It’s an upsetting portrait of the lows of humanity and a deeply emotional exploration of what it means to live, which is enhanced by the brilliant performances of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’o in her Oscar-winning feature film debut. 12 Years a Slave is also a triumph in cinema for its cinematography, moving score, and McQueen’s direction.

12 Years a Slave is available to rent on Apple TV.

47 Goodfellas (1990)

Martin Scorsese's Exploration Of The Engrossing And Terrifying World Of Gangsters

Goodfellas

Release Date
September 12, 1990
Director
Martin Scorsese
Cast
Robert De Niro , Ray Liotta , Joe Pesci , Lorraine Bracco , Paul Sorvino , Frank Sivero
Runtime
146 minutes

Goodfellas Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.7/10

Metacritic Score

91/100

Screen Rant Score

93.99/100

Martin Scorsese’s crime drama tells the rise and fall of real-life mobster Henry Hill and his relationships with his friends and family over 25 years. The film stars Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Lorraine Bracco. The iconic Goodfellas is often considered to be Scorsese’s greatest achievement as well as an essential installment in the gangster genre. The thrilling style, gripping ensemble cast, clever use of freeze frames and fast cuts, and writing make it a violently energetic piece of classic entertainment. If not for its enduring cultural legacy, Goodfellas is essential for its achievements in filmmaking and perfecting a genre.

WHERE TO WATCH GOODFELLAS

46 Hoop Dreams (1994)

A Documentary About Aspiring Basketball Stars

A black and white still from Hoop Dreams showing two young men on a basketball court
Hoop Dreams

Release Date
October 14, 1994
Director
Steve James
Cast
William Gates , Arthur Agee
Runtime
171 Minutes

Hoop Dreams Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.3/10

Metacritic Score

98/100

Screen Rant Score

94.09/100

The groundbreaking sports documentary depicts the stories of two aspiring inner-city Chicago basketball players, following them through high school as they work toward college scholarships and their dreams of playing professionally in the NBA. Proving the emotional power of documentary filmmaking, Hoop Dreams remains one of the most inspiring films of all time as a sobering portrait of social inequality with high school basketball as the backdrop. Hoop Dreams looks at the impacts that race, class, uncontrollable hurdles, and education inequality have on the players' experiences and goals. The teens’ heartbreaking adversity and well-earned victories yield rewarding results that will appeal to even the most cynical of viewers.

WHERE TO WATCH HOOP DREAMS

45 The Rules Of The Game (1939)

An Examination Of Class In Wartime

The Rules Of The Game 1939 Jean Renoir
The Rules Of The Game (1939)

Release Date
July 8, 1939
Director
Jean Renoir
Cast
Nora Gregor , Paulette Dubost , Mila Parély , Marcel Dalio , Julien Carette , Roland Toutain , Gaston Modot , Pierre Magnier , Jean Renoir
Runtime
110 minutes

The Rules Of The Game Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

7.9/10

Metacritic Score

98/100

Screen Rant Score

94.09/100

The 20th-century French movie directed by Jean Renoir surrounds members of upper-class French society and their servants as they gather in a château in the time leading up to World War II. The Rules of the Game was generally dismissed by critics and audiences upon release but has gained a more positive and influential legacy over time. The social satire has since been lauded for its biting satire of the upper class and criticism of social pretenses, with the film also being important for its early use of deep-focus cinematography and complex sound. Its influence can also be seen in films like The Big Chill and Gosford Park.

WHERE TO WATCH THE RULES OF THE GAME

44 The Lady Vanishes (1938)

A Disappearance Aboard A Train Leads To Intrigue And Humor In The Early Hitchcock Thriller

The Lady Vanishes Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

7.8/10

Metacritic Score

98/100

Screen Rant Score

94.09/100

Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes follows Iris, a young English tourist traveling through Europe by train, who awakens to discover that her elderly companion has inexplicably disappeared. After other passengers deny the lady’s existence, Iris works with another traveler to solve the mystery. The Lady Vanishes is early British Hitchcock at his finest, renowned as an unconventional and sophisticated comedy-thriller that stands as one of the director’s wittiest films. It arrived amid the popularity of train movies in the 1930s, though Hitchcock’s entertaining direction, the chemistry between the leads, and the clever construction of the mystery make it an unmissable example of its genre and certainly one of the best Alfred Hitchcock movies.

WHERE TO WATCH THE LADY VANISHES

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43 Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)

A Human Story With A Donkey As Its Protagonist

Au hasard Balthazar 1966

Au Hasard Balthazar Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

7.8/10

Metacritic Score

98/100

Screen Rant Score

94.09/100

Au hasard Balthazar is a 1966 French drama about a donkey and his mistreatment as he’s passed to different owners. The movie is primarily effective for its unique naturalistic aesthetic style, religious imagery, and spiritual allegories. The film is heartbreaking as the treatment of the donkey ranges from abuse from an angry man to a warm hug from a lonely woman, though what sets the film apart is that, without reactions from Balthazar, it leaves empathy up to the viewers. The result is a deeply emotional film about the suffering in human experience, told simply through the eyes of a donkey.

Au hasard Balthazar is available to rent on Apple TV.

42 Apocalypse Now (1979)

Francis Ford Coppola's Surreal Ventures Into The Madness Of The Vietnam War

Apocalypse Now

Release Date
August 15, 1979
Cast
Marlon Brando , Martin Sheen , Robert Duvall , Frederic Forrest , Sam Bottoms , Laurence Fishburne
Runtime
147 minutes

Apocalypse Now Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.5/10

Metacritic Score

94/100

Screen Rant Score

94.20/100

The war epic Apocalypse Now follows a group of American soldiers traveling dangerous rivers in Vietnam as they embark on a secret mission to assassinate a renegade officer. It’s not an exaggeration to deem this one of the greatest war films ever created, with Francis Ford Coppola’s hallucinatory visuals, a modern soundtrack, and the haunting ways that war brings out of the horrors of humanity make it a unique, engrossing staple of the genre. In addition to the sobering performances of Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando, Apocalypse Now is a cinematic achievement in thematic paradoxes and visuals reflecting the darkness of humanity and war.

Apocalypse Now is available to rent on Apple TV.

41 The Dark Knight (2008)

Batman And The Joker Face Off In Christopher Nolan's Crime Epic

The Dark Knight

Release Date
July 18, 2008
Cast
Nestor Carbonell , Morgan Freeman , Ritchie Coster , Cillian Murphy , Chin Han , Gary Oldman , Eric Roberts , William Fichtner , Aaron Eckhart , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Christian Bale , David Dastmalchian , Michael Caine , Anthony Michael Hall , Heath Ledger
Runtime
152 Minutes

The Dark Knight Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

9/10

Metacritic Score

84/100

Screen Rant Score

94.23/100

Batman forms an alliance with James Gordon and Harvey Dent to dismantle organized crime in Gotham, though their endeavors are thwarted as the anarchist, The Joker, strives to send the city into chaos. The Dark Knight’s gritty realism and Christopher Nolan’s visuals defy the typical superhero genre conventions to cement it as a masterpiece neo-noir crime thriller, with Heath Ledger’s haunting portrayal of The Joker earning him a posthumous Academy Award.

The Dark Knight became the first comic-book film to win major industry awards, with its dark complexities, timely themes of ethics, and exciting action making it a winner among critics and audiences. Instead of a superhero movie with a neo-noir style, it’s a neo-noir with superhero characters at the center.

WHERE TO WATCH THE DARK KNIGHT

40 Double Indemnity (1944)

A Noir Love Story Of Double-Crosses

Two characters look sternly in Double Indemnity.
Double Indemnity

Release Date
July 3, 1944
Director
Billy Wilder
Cast
Fred MacMurray , Barbara Stanwyck , Edward G. Robinson , Porter Hall
Runtime
107 Minutes

Double Indemnity Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.3/10

Metacritic Score

95/100

Screen Rant Score

93.88/100

The 1944 film Double Indemnity follows an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) involved in the murder scheme of a seductive housewife (Barbara Stanwyck), who plans to kill her husband and cash in on his fraudulent death claim. Double Indemnity is a classic in the film noir genre of the 1940s, maintaining an eerie black-and-white format, a captivating femme fatale, and a compelling narrative choice in which the investigation is simultaneously a doomed confession. Billy Wilder’s revolutionary direction in Double Indemnity was also a precursor to his classic noir Sunset Boulevard (1950), with both receiving nominations for Best Picture at the Oscars.

WHERE TO WATCH DOUBLE INDEMNITY

39 Toy Story (1995)

Pixar's Feature Debut About The Secret World Of Toys

Toy Story

Release Date
November 22, 1995
Director
John Lasseter
Cast
Tom Hanks , Don Rickles , Annie Potts , Tim Allen , Jim Varney
Runtime
81 minutes

Toy Story Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.3/10

Metacritic Score

96/100

Screen Rant Score

94.27/100

Pixar’s first adventure of wind-up cowboy doll Woody and space cadet action figure Buzz Lightyear, toys that come to life when humans aren’t around. The dynamic between Woody and Buzz, existential crises, and a hilarious look into the lives of toys and their association with childhood make Toy Story a timeless tale, not to mention a revolutionary feat in animation and the beginning of Pixar’s domination.

Toy Story also appeals to adults as much as kids through the exploration of a toy’s psyche, prankish humor between the characters, and compelling voice acting by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. The film set the stage for three sequels that would continue its critically acclaimed writing, vivid storytelling, and sharp wit, with Toy Story 5 in the works to continue the franchise.

WHERE TO WATCH TOY STORY

38 A Separation (2011)

An Iranian Oscar Winner About A Family's Difficult Choice

Nader and Simin in A Separation
A Separation (2011)

Release Date
December 30, 2011
Director
Asghar Farhadi
Cast
Leila Hatami , Peyman Moaadi , Shahab Hosseini , Kimiya Hosseini , Babak Karimi , Sareh Bayat , Sarina Farhadi , Merila Zarei
Runtime
123 Minutes

A Separation Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.3/10

Metacritic Score

95/100

Screen Rant Score

94.27/100

The movie follows the dilemma of a married couple who must decide to move to another country and improve the life of their child or stay in Iran and care for a parent with advancing Alzheimer’s disease. The winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, A Separation also became the first critically acclaimed non-English film in five years to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay. In addition to providing a suspenseful narrative, the movie is essential for its moral complexities, engrossing portrait of a dissolving relationship, and intensely felt performances by the cast.

A Separation is available to rent on Apple TV.

37 Ran (1985)

Akira Kurosawa's Shakespeare-Inspired Samurai Epic

Ran by Akira Kurosawa

Ran Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.2/10

Metacritic Score

97/100

Screen Rant Score

94.34/100

From Akira Kurosawa, Ran is based on Shakespeare’s King Lear and the legends of the daimyo Mori Motonari. The movie follows an elderly warlord who abdicates and gives his empire to his three sons, with the power corrupting them before turning the family against one another. Ran is Kurosawa’s last samurai epic, having been a culmination of the director’s many achievements and influences on cinema. The movie is beloved by critics and audiences for its spectacle and brilliant demonstrations of the Western, war, and period film genres. It’s a completely immersive experience in which the visuals, sound, and music enhance the familiar tale of morality, with Kurosawa pulling out all the trademarks from his career.

WHERE TO WATCH RAN

36 The Third Man (1949)

Groundbreaking Filmmaking Style Tells A Noir Mystery

Orson Welles in The Third Man
The Third Man

Release Date
February 1, 1950
Director
Carol Reed
Cast
Orson Welles , Joseph Cotten , Alida Valli , Trevor Howard , Paul Hörbiger
Runtime
93 Minutes

The Third Man Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8.1/10

Metacritic Score

97/100

Screen Rant Score

94.41/100

The Third Man is a film noir about an American Holly Martins who accepts a job from his friend Harry Lime in Vienna, only to learn that his friend has died. Finding Lime’s fate mysterious, Martins remains in Europe and investigates the death. Praised for its film techniques with black-and-white expressionism, the “Dutch angle,” and harsh lighting, The Third Man is also known for its iconic film score and cast performances, particularly by Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles. The movie is a landmark example of how to achieve a proper atmosphere in film noir for a thrilling cinematic experience, with the filmmaking techniques making the suspenseful story and exciting, sinister twists all the more entertaining.

WHERE TO WATCH THE THIRD MAN

35 Touch Of Evil (1958)

A B-Movie Crime Plot Told By A Master Filmmaker

Ramon and Hank square up to each other in Touch of Evil

Touch Of Evil Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

8/10

Metacritic Score

99/100

Screen Rant Score

94.55/100

Orson Welles’ film noir centers on a murder mystery at the US/Mexico border. As a Mexican drug enforcement agent suspects an American police captain of planting evidence, the investigation places himself and his wife in danger. The twists and turns of Touch of Evil are a masterpiece in film noir and depict the grayness of good and evil. Welles’ style, the performances of himself, Charlton Heston, and Janet Leigh, as well as the poignant music combine to form a vividly entertaining unorthodox pulp. As one of the best movies of all time, Touch of Evil is an essential viewing for film noir in the classic era and Welles’ filmography.

Touch of Evil is available to rent on Apple TV.

34 Pinocchio (1940)

Disney Magic Brings The Fairy Tale To Life

Jiminy Cricket stands on Pinocchio's shoe in Pinocchio (1940)

Pinocchio Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

7.5/10

Metacritic Score

99/100

Screen Rant Score

94.55/100

Adapted from an 1883 Italian children’s story, Disney’s Pinocchio is about a wooden puppet who must prove himself worthy to become a real boy. Following Snow White (1937), Pinocchio is the second animated feature made by Disney, which was an ambitious venture with an emotional core that has stood the test of time. Still culturally relevant today, the film was a brilliant technical achievement for Disney that set the tone for the enchanting nature, beautiful visuals, and storytelling power that became the golden standard for animation. Pinocchio was also the first animated feature to win a competitive award at the Oscars, including Best Original Song and Best Original Score.

WHERE TO WATCH PINOCCHIO

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33 Intolerance (1916)

A Silent Movie About An Unjust Society

A scene from Intolerance

Intolerance Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

7.7/10

Metacritic Score

99/100

Screen Rant Score

94.55/100

A silent film telling the story of a poor young woman who is separated from her husband and baby due to prejudices, with instances of intolerance throughout history being interwoven. Intolerance is considered one of the most influential films of the silent film era, with its epic scale and unconventional editing style serving as inspiration for many European and Hollywood directors at the time. It’s arguably one of the very first art-house movies, with the gamble paying off as D.W. Griffith made one of the most ambitious experimental films in history. In addition to the visuals making Intolerance a great movie, the thrilling stories effectively explore how evil and exploitation transcend time.

WHERE TO WATCH INTOLERANCE

32 Moonlight (2016)

A Coming-of-age Story About Self-Acceptance Won Best Picture

Moonlight

Release Date
October 21, 2016
Director
Barry Jenkins
Cast
Janelle Monae , Edson Jean , Alex R. Hibbert , Mahershala Ali , Ashton Sanders , Duan Sanderson , Jaden Piner , Shariff Earp , Patrick Decile , Naomie Harris , Rudi Goblen
Runtime
111minutes

Moonlight Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

7.4/10

Metacritic Score

99/100

Screen Rant Score

94.55/100

Moonlight follows the journey into manhood of a young Black man who explores his identity and sexuality with the kindness and support of his community raising him. While Moonlight may always be associated with the Oscars flub that mistakenly announced La La Land as the Best Picture winner instead, the film is truly a gripping emotional journey of a boy’s life that is depicted with caring empathy and humanity. Told in three parts of Chiron’s life, Moonlight is a quiet, visually engrossing experience that’s both tender and tough in how it addresses its heartfelt themes. It’s the type of story that’s rarely depicted on-screen in Hollywood, with Moonlight demanding that more be told.

WHERE TO WATCH MOONLIGHT

31 Playtime (1967)

A Sci-Fi Comedy Masterpiece

Playtime Score Breakdown

IMDB Score

7.8/10

Metacritic Score

99/100

Screen Rant Score

94.55/100

Set in a hyper-consumerist, futuristic Paris, the comedy surrounds a Frenchman lost in the high-tech city who continues to encounter a young American woman visiting Paris with a tourist group. Playtime has been celebrated as Jacque Tati’s masterpiece, with pioneering sight gags that provide brilliant satire and praise of modernization. It’s a playful comedy with ambitious, complex craftsmanship marked by its visuals and ability to turn daily minutiae into grand spectacles. A true example in the art of filmmaking, Playtime is playing with paradoxes of simplicity and complexity throughout to make a wonderfully enjoyable satire.

WHERE TO WATCH PLAYTIME