Sidney Lumet is one of the all-time best film directors to ever live. The five-time Oscar-nominated and one-time Golden Globe-winning filmmaker is responsible for helming some of the most iconic and well-received movies in cinematic history. After spending five years honing his craft on television, Lumet made his big-screen debut with the classic courtroom drama 12 Angry Men, which currently ranks #5 on IMDB's Top 25o.
From 1957 to 2007, Lumet spent half a century delivering one classic film after another while working with the biggest names in Hollywood at the time. For a better picture, here are Sidney Lumet's 10 Best Movies, According to Rotten Tomatoes.
The Verdict (1982) 88%
Written by David Mamet, The Verdict stars Paul Newman as a high-functioning alcoholic lawyer who has a major moment of clarity when upon taking on a malpractice lawsuit.
Frank Galvin (Newman) is a disgraced Bostonian litigator who spends his downtime sipping spirits in a barroom. Nearly disbarred in the past while losing his wife, Frank finds a chance at redemption when he takes on a case involving medical malpractice. The film earned five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Actor, and Director.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) 88%
With an 88% Certified Fresh Rating, Lumet proved he was just as vital in his final film as he was his first 50 years earlier. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead was named Movie of the Year by the AFI in 2008.
The film follows estranged brothers Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Hank (Ethan Hawke), who upon hard times, decide to rob their own parent's well-insured jewelry store located in a quiet strip mall. The nonviolent plan backfired when the getaway driver brings a gun to the scene against Andy's instructions, leading to a devastating series of events.
Murder On The Orient Express (1974) 89%
Based on the classic Agatha Christie whodunit, Murder on the Orient Express is a star-studded affair featuring the likes of Albert Finney, Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Martin Balsam, Vanessa Redgrave, and many more.
Finney stars s Belgian super-sleuth, Hercule Poirot, hired to sniff out the murderer aboard the titular train running from Paris to Istanbul. As Poirot interviews the passengers, it becomes clear everyone has one motive or another and could potentially be involved in foul play. The film scored six Oscar nominations and one win for Bergman in a supporting role.
Serpico (1973) 90%
As a countercultural beat-cop in New York City, Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) fight systemic corruption within the police force despite the lack of support from his partners and colleagues.
Serpico is an honest cop beholden to his moral compass in the face of serious misdeeds among his precinct. While his partners continue to skim money off the criminals they arrest, Serpico cannot fall in line and be a part of the widespread corruption. The film landed two Oscar nominations, including Best Actor (Pacino) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler).
Prince Of The City (1981) 91%
In another tale of rampant police corruption, Lumet earned an Oscar nomination for screen-adapting Robert Daley's 1978 book Prince of the City.
The film tracks narcotics detective Danny Ciello (Treat Williams), a shady NYC cop who upon getting busted agrees to help the police commission root out systemic police corruption. However, once Ciello agrees to help, he soon realizes that the vetting process is also deeply flawed. Left with nobody to trust but himself, Ciello must find a way to do what is right no matter the cost.
Network (1976) 92%
Lumet's Network is widely regarded as one of the finest films ever made. Currently ranked #207 on IMDB'S Top 250 to go with its Certified Fresh Rating, the film won four Academy Awards.
Written by Paddy Chayefsky in an Oscar-winning screenplay, the film presages the trend of exploiting TV news for ratings. When longtime news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch) begins ranting and raving on the nightly news about every injustice in society, the ratings unexpectedly spike. Cynical executive Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) urges Beale to continue to speak his mind live on-air so long as the success continues.
Fail-Safe (1964) 93%
In the cautionary Cold-War tale, Fail-Safe imagines a race for nuclear deterrence among the U.S and Soviet Union. Henry Fonda and Walter Matthau costar in the film.
Due to a technical glitch, an American warplane is sent to drop to a nuclear bomb over Moscow. In a rush to reverse the order, tensions on both sides of the potential war rise in a thrilling manner. As a result, the U.S. organizes a Strategic Air Command to work with the Soviets to deter nuclear annihilation.
Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962) 94%
Based on the classic Eugene O'Neill play, Lumet directed screen legend Katherine Hepburn to an Oscar-nominated performance in Long Day's Journey Into Night.
Co-starring Ralph Richardson, Jason Robards, Dean Stockwell, and Jeanne Barr, the story concerns a wealthy family gathered at the end of a long summer day to enjoy each other's company. However, booze, jealousy, ambition, and mean-spirited confrontations begin to tear the fabric of the family apart in the most heartbreaking ways.
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) 95%
Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon is not only regarded as one of the all-time best heist films, but it's also been recognized as an early champion of gay and trans-rights over the past 45 years.
Based on a true story highlighted in a magazine article written by P.F. Kluge, the film follows Sonny (Al Pacino), a man who decides to rob a bank to pay for his trans wife's sex-change operation. However, once he and his accomplice Sal (John Cazale) realize the money in the bank has already been deposited elsewhere, they're left to negotiate with Police Captain Moretti (Charles Durning). The film won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
12 Angry Men (1957) 100%
Lumet's first film still ranks as his finest, according to Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, and Metascore. The story about a prejudicial jury panel that slowly opens their mind and changes their opinion on a murder case is simply beyond reproach.
12 Angry Men centers on a jury deliberation of a young man who may have murdered his own father. Despite the limited evidence, 11 of the 12 jurors think the man is guilty. The lone holdout, Juror 8 (Henry Fonda), slowly presents the facts of the case in a sober-minded manner until the entire jury changes their mind to acquit the defendant.