In theory, IMDb’s Top 250 list should be a pretty decent metric for determining the greatest movies ever made. It’s tallied up based on votes by movie lovers, so it should be a comprehensive ranking. However, while some directors like Christopher Nolan get their due — and then some — other acclaimed filmmakers seem to be disregarded entirely.
There are plenty of greats who don’t have a single movie on this list. There are even some of the earliest pioneers of cinema whose groundbreaking developments will never be topped who aren’t on IMDb’s Top 250.
Edgar Wright
Despite the widespread popularity of Edgar Wright’s Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy, none of the director’s movies appear on IMDb’s Top 250, which is baffling because Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are objectively two of the greatest movies ever made.
Wright has often said that he’s open to making another genre-riffing trilogy with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, so maybe he’ll crack the list on the second go.
Spike Lee
One of the sharpest and most socially relevant filmmakers in the world, Spike Lee has contributed some of the most significant films to American cinema, from Do the Right Thing to Malcolm X to, more recently, BlacKkKlansman.
Lee is also in the league of celebrity filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan whose popularity ensures they have spots reserved on IMDb’s Top 250 list, so it’s surprising that Lee’s work isn’t there.
Greta Gerwig
After making a name for herself as an actor in the mumblecore indie filmmaking movement, Greta Gerwig moved into solo writing and directing with 2017’s Lady Bird, a universally relatable coming-of-age masterpiece that evokes all kinds of emotions.
Then, she proved she wasn’t a one-trick pony with a brilliantly crafted adaptation of Little Women that felt fresh despite the litany of previous adaptations. Both Lady Bird and Little Women are both great movies, but neither of them cracked IMDb’s Top 250.
Jean-Pierre Melville
One of the founding fathers of the French New Wave movement, Jean-Pierre Melville has influenced beloved filmmakers all over the world, from John Woo to Quentin Tarantino to Rainer Werner Fassbinder.
Melville’s long history of critically acclaimed crime movies includes Le Doulos, Le Samouraï, and Le Cercle Rouge. Bafflingly, none of his movies are on IMDb’s Top 250 list.
Robert Bresson
Noted for his minimalist style utilizing non-professional actors (whom he called “models”) and limited music, Robert Bresson is one of the most influential and revered directors in film history. His masterpieces include Au Hasard Balthazar and Diary of a Country Priest.
While none of his movies can be found on IMDb’s list of the 250 greatest movies ever made, he was the director with the highest number of movies (seven) on Sight & Sound’s own 2012 list of the 250 greatest movies ever made.
Sergio Corbucci
While Sergio Leone appears on IMDb’s Top 250, another crucial spaghetti western director doesn’t. Sergio Corbucci is most renowned for originating the Django franchise with his initial Franco Nero-starring hit in 1966.
In addition to Django, Corbucci has a ton of brilliant, brutal westerns under his belt: The Great Silence, Navajo Joe, The Mercenary — the list goes on.
Robert Altman
Robert Altman rarely made a movie that wasn’t a masterpiece, and he never missed an opportunity to subvert the audience’s expectations. McCabe & Mrs. Miller is an anti-western that upends the genre’s long-held tropes; M*A*S*H is a comedy about the Korean War with a lot to say about the then-ongoing Vietnam War; The Player is a sharp satire of the film industry itself.
But somehow, none of the director’s work is on IMDb’s Top 250 list. Even his acclaimed ensemble pieces, like Nashville and Short Cuts, were missed.
Jean-Luc Godard
Despite being one of the most revolutionary filmmakers of all time, busting open the rigid conventions of the cinematic form to reflect the chaos and paranoia of a post-World War II society, Jean-Luc Godard is nowhere to be seen on IMDb’s Top 250 list.
Not even Breathless, which is usually the first movie people watch when they want to get into the French New Wave, appears on the list.
John Ford
Arguably no director has influenced modern American cinema more than John Ford. His early westerns rounded out the genre’s tropes and themes, and such legendary directors as Orson Welles, Ingmar Bergman, and Martin Scorsese have noted his prowess in cinema history.
Ford helmed such iconic westerns as Stagecoach, The Searchers, My Darling Clementine, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, but none of his movies have been recognized by IMDb users as one of the greatest ever made.
Federico Fellini
When the art of cinema is truly done right and it’s firing on all cylinders, then it can have the feel of a magic act. That’s the best way to describe the transcendent work of Federico Fellini, but IMDb’s userbase has failed to recognize that.
On most metrics, 8½, I Vitelloni, La Dolce Vita, and Juliet of the Spirits rank among the greatest movies ever made, but none are on IMDb’s Top 250.