Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest living filmmakers, and with a filmography consisting of over 30 movies that span multiple genres, every fan has their own favorite. Redditors have been extremely vocal about which of Spielberg's many classics reign supreme, and they make some great arguments too.

Between whimsical sci-fi movies, jaw-dropping action blockbusters, and tear-jerking historical biopics, Redditors have singled out a few fan favorites and some less popular ones too. And though the director has an extraordinary batting average, there are a couple of hot takes too.

UPDATE: 2022/12/10 15:16 EST BY STEPHEN BARKER

Spielberg is currently enjoying yet even more universal praise for his semi-autobiographical new movie, The Fabelmans, which follows a young film fanatic who begins making films of his own. The movie has gotten the director some of the best reviews of his career, and it's bound to be considered another classic in a filmography full of them. However, time will tell if Redditors think it stacks up to these supposedly the "best" movies in Spielberg's prolific 50 years behind the camera.

The Terminal (2004)

Cowboy_Dan13 thinks The Terminal is the best Spielberg-directed movie, which is something of an unpopular opinion, as very few fans of the filmmaker would comment positively on the film, let alone call it the director's very best. The Terminal follows an immigrant who finds himself in limbo, as he doesn't have the right documents to enter the US, but he is prohibited from going back to his home country, which leads to him turning the airport into his home.

The movie makes some strange choices, such as Viktor's Eastern European home country, and his relationship with Amelia is simply bizarre. But when it doesn't get caught up in the romance or inner politics of the airport, it's a hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

While 1993's Jurassic Park advanced cinema by years thanks to its sublime mix of animatronics and digital effects, the follow-up didn't quite make as much of a splash even though it's just as technologically impressive. The Lost World: Jurassic Park might be lacking the spectacle of the original, but Sirloinfurr points to one of the most thrilling moments when arguing that it's Spielberg's best movie.

The Redditor calls the decision "easy" before stating, "two T-rexes playing tug of war with a man? Brilliant!" Though that one shot lasts a few seconds long and is far from reason alone to call it the director's best movie, that scene holds up against any shock moment from the original. And the 90s Spielberg movie totally deserves more love.

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)

Any one of the Indiana Jones movies could be argued as Spielberg's best, and some fans even think Crystal Skull is underrated. But where the majority point to Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Last Crusade as the best in the series, The_h0bb1t thinks Temple of Doom takes the top spot.

The movie was generally criticized for being too dark, but the Redditor argues, "I found Temple to be the most fun and cohesive by a mile. The intro is really good. I really enjoyed Short Round's dynamic with Indy and the movie doesn't take itself too seriously." While parts of the film might not hold up as well as other Indy outings, some of the action sequences are the series' best. Between the quasi-musical opening leading into a shoot-out to the mining cart chase, The Temple of Doom ironically holds up better than Crystal Skull.

The Color Purple (1985)

SalukiKnightX points to one of Spielberg's lesser talked about movies, The Color Purple, as his best effort. The Redditor makes an interesting point, noting, "Everyone seems to forget he directed The Color Purple as his first non-genre film. Prior to that film, his critics used to say he was just a genre filmmaker."

While few fans would call The Color Purple Spielberg's very best drama, it certainly opened the floodgates to the prolific filmmaker directing more movies outside the sci-fi and action-adventure genres. And though the 1985 movie doesn't have any of Spielberg's signature filmmaking flares, it's the first example of how great of an actor's director he is, directing the actors to Oscar nominations.

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

AnnalisaPetrucci cites Catch Me If You Can as the celebrated director's best movie. The Redditor notes that they "just find the film consistently rewatchable." The movie isn't the typical beloved sci-fi or action-adventure movie from Spielberg, but a biopic about a teenage fraudster toying with the FBI in the 1960s.

Catch Me If You Can has one of the best frenemy relationships in a movie. While the film is one of the best cat-and-mouse chase movies, as FBI agent Carl Hanratty chases Frank Abagnale Jr. around the globe, there's a mutual respect there even though they're both making each other's lives harder. The relationship is so endearing and the two characters are a big part of what makes the movie so rewatchable.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

In somewhat of a hot take, CSB_Sino thinks the 2001 sci-fi movie is Spielberg's best. The Redditor explains that "A.I. has always been my favorite and it's a shame that it doesn't get more love." While A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a sci-fi movie, something that Spielberg is well-versed in, it's unlike any of his other movies in the genre.

Instead of being exciting and full of action set pieces, it's more philosophical and ambiguous, and that's because it started out as a project of Stanley Kubrick's. The movie does feel more like a Kubrick movie than a Spielberg movie, and while that isn't a bad thing, that isn't what people expect when they see the Amblin Entertainment logo at the front of a film. That might be why the movie doesn't quite get the recognition it deserves.

Lincoln (2012)

Lincoln has a lot of accolades to its name, as Daniel Day-Lewis astoundingly won his third Academy Award for Best Actor. A deleted user thinks it's the best Spielberg-directed movie for how deeply moving it is. The Redditor claims that "it might be the only film that I really can't get through without crying, even when there are people around."

Though it was a questionable acting choice at first, audiences ended up loving Day-Lewis as Lincoln. But it doesn't get mentioned as much as other Spielberg-directed historical biopics. The 2012 movie lives in the shadow of films like Schindler's List and Munich, but it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those classics.

The Adventures Of Tintin (2011)

Spielberg is one of the most prolific directors ever, as he not only has over 30 movies under his belt but has also often directed two movies in one year. He most famously did this with Schindler's List and Jurassic Park, both of which were released in 1993. But he also did it in 2011 to more modest fanfare. 2011 saw the release of the war epic War Horse and the more thrilling and entertaining animated movie, The Adventures of Tintin.

The Tintin adaptation is full of Spielberg's best action sequences of the 21st century, only not many know it. Samples98 is a big fan of the 2011 movie, arguing that "Tintin needs more love. That movie is the bee's knees." If the movie did get more love, there'd be a better chance of fans getting the stuck-in-development-hell Tintin 2.

War Of The Worlds (2005)

War of the Worlds is based on a hundred-year-old novel and decades-old radio drama, and only Spielberg could turn a sound-only drama into an epic, sci-fi action movie. Boyo45_5 is one of the movie's biggest fans, noting that the film is "legitimately one of the most horrifying alien invasion movies I've ever seen."

The Redditor even argues that the epic scope of the movie is even more impressive than Jurassic Park. Though many fans would argue against that, the film really does have some of the scariest moments found in a Spielberg movie. The suspenseful sequence of the probe searching through the basement is even more terrifying than anything found in Jaws, Spielberg's only proper horror movie.

Duel (1971)

GoneOffWorld explains that "Spielberg is a blockbuster director and legend. It's really difficult to choose just one, but, my favorite movie pick would go to Duel." Duel is Spielberg's directorial debut, and, unsurprisingly, there's a lot of history surrounding it.

Given the legacy he holds, it's hard to believe the filmmaker was a director-for-hire, but in the early 1970s, that's exactly what he was. Spielberg was simply hired to direct the direct-to-TV movie Duel, which is about an evil truck driver trying to murder a traveling businessman by ramming him off the road. But the final result was so good that the network decided to give it a theatrical release. The 1971 movie is essentially the movie that started it all.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1977)

Though it was Spielberg's fourth full-length feature, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is the movie that started it all and established many of the director's trademarks. Not only is it a sci-fi movie, but it's a whimsical, family-friendly adventure movie too, and it's full of intricate and well-crafted shots.

EyeTrollYou believes it's the best Spielberg movie because there's "just something about the blind mystery and wonder surrounding that discovery." That's something that a lot of Spielberg-directed movies deserve credit for, as so many films these days tell too much, and spin-offs are being made about the most minor of details in movie franchises. The more sequels, prequels, and spin-offs that are made, the less intrigue and mystery there is about a series. In Close Encounters, it's what isn't told to the audience that makes it so spectacular.

Jurassic Park (1993)

DexterLecter99 chimes in with what is indisputably the popular vote. The Redditor puts it best by stating that Jurassic Park is "one of the absolute best films ever made" and "a perfect movie that works any day of the week regardless of mood."

In many ways, Jurassic Park is the ultimate Steven Spielberg movie, as it has a classic John Williams score, is a sci-fi adventure movie that both children and parents will love, and it's full of incredible action sequences. The movie is equal parts terrifying and awe-inspiring, and it's an absolute thrill ride from the very moment Alan Grant turns Ellie Sattler's head to look at a herd of Brachiosauruses.

Schindler's List (1993)

Schindler's List follows businessman Oskar Schindler who saves over 1,000 Jews from death during the holocaust, and TheDudeWithNoName thinks it's Spielberg's best movie. The Redditor notes, "What makes it more impressive was that he was shooting the film while working on the post-production of Jurassic Park simultaneously and they're about as different as two films can ever be." There's no better example that proves Spielberg is one of the most prolific filmmakers of all time than the year 1993, which saw the release of not only the groundbreaking Jurassic Park but the historical war epic too.

However, while Spielberg is known for his schmalziness and exciting set pieces, even in his most serious movies, all that is left at the door when it comes to the war drama. Schindler's List is almost entirely black and white, and the whole 195 minutes is emotionally exhausting from start to finish. But the rawness and grueling eye-opening sequences make it completely unique in the filmmaker's huge filmography.

Hook (1991)

Hook is one of Spielberg's very few critical failures, as the Peter Pan movie was overwhelmingly negatively received when it was first released in 1991. However, it's long overdue a reassessment, as the novelty of the practical sets and the always charming performance from Robin Williams is nostalgic for a lot of 90s kids, including Swankified_Tristan.

The Redditor admits, "Jurassic Park is probably his best but Hook will always be my favorite." Even Spielberg himself has commented on how disappointed he was with the film (via Den of Geek), but there's no denying that it's his most wholesome and charming film to date, not to mention that Rufio has become a pop culture icon.

Jaws (1975)

Patrickemclean picks Jaws as Spielberg's best and points out that "the damn shark didn't work, he didn't have a budget, he wasn't famous and it is still masterclass quality. Shocking how good the film is and how well it holds up." So many things went wrong on the set of Jaws that it's lucky there was even a film at all, let alone one of the greatest movies ever made.

The 1975 film is one of only six horror movies to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, it was the first-ever summer blockbuster, and it was a phenomenon at the worldwide box office. Not only that, but it's a terrifying horror movie that takes place in broad daylight, and that's something that only Spielberg could successfully achieve.

NEXT: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Making Of Jaws