The 1000 Greatest Films of All Time
by gibboanx | created - 03 Jan 2012 | updated - 12 Oct 2021 | PublicUpdated constantly. It's taken me 12 years to reach a 1000 films. The first DVD I bought was The Spy Who Shagged Me when i was 11. Every film on this list I've seen and reviewed. Also it constantly changes as I watch about 3 films a day. AH old age virginity here I come. *also I had nothing to do with these beeps.
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1. The Godfather (1972)
R | 175 min | Crime, Drama
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Votes: 2,010,281 | Gross: $134.97M
"I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." Not only is Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece true cinematic ecstasy, it also happens to be the greatest film ever made. Every aspect is perfect, right down to the sound mixing. I challenge anyone to point out a single flaw in this epic New York crime drama.
2. Goodfellas (1990)
R | 145 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Votes: 1,256,207 | Gross: $46.84M
"What do you mean funny, funny how? How am I funny?" This is Martin Scorsese's masterpiece and the career high for everyone involved. My favourite type of film is organised crime, The Godfather and this, are the two finest examples of the genre. Many filmmakers like PTA, have successfully imitated it's energetic style.
3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
R | 154 min | Crime, Drama
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis
Votes: 2,217,821 | Gross: $107.93M
"Any of you fucking pricks move, and I'll execute every motherfucking last one of ya!" I've always loved Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece. So much so that about 20 years ago I ripped the audio off the DVD & converted it to a MP3. The finest ever movie dialogue.
4. The Usual Suspects (1995)
R | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The sole survivor of a pier shoot-out tells the story of how a notorious criminal influenced the events that began with five criminals meeting in a seemingly random police lineup.
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin
Votes: 1,144,582 | Gross: $23.34M
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist." The amount of people who have told me they're ashamed to watch this perfect movie is bewildering. Just because Kevin Spacey (the greatest actor of the 90s) & Bryan Singer are dodgy characters doesn't mean this masterpiece doesn't deserve the worship. The scene in which Verbal walks out of the police station, is for me, the greatest film scene of all time.
5. Apocalypse Now (1979)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, War
A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest
Votes: 709,543 | Gross: $83.47M
" I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell? The whole hill. Smelled like... victory. Someday this war's gonna end." Francis Ford Coppola's 70s films are easy to review because they're all extraordinary. Okay, so this is the greatest ever; war film, movie I've seen in the cinema, performance from Martin Sheen, & it has the most beautiful cinematography ever put to celluloid.
6. Trainspotting (1996)
R | 93 min | Drama
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd
Votes: 725,196 | Gross: $16.50M
"There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?" Danny Boyle's masterpiece is without question, the greatest British film ever made. A perfect piece of work. It's the film I've seen the most. If you've never seen it, choose Trainspotting. It's got the greatest soundtrack of all time.
7. Fight Club (1999)
R | 139 min | Drama
An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier
Votes: 2,321,202 | Gross: $37.03M
"The things you own end up owning you." I know I'm breaking Tyler Durden's first and second rule right now, but this is one of my all time favourites. David Fincher's masterpiece is an anarchic & anti-materialist bible with glorious levels of ultraviolence.
8. Schindler's List (1993)
R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Votes: 1,449,385 | Gross: $96.90M
"It's Hebrew, it's from the Talmud. It says, "Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire."" Steven Spielberg's masterpiece. No other filmmaker could have found exactly the right balance between respect & entertainment in a Holocaust film. He told a German's story while simultaneously reminding the world how much devastation the Jews suffered.
9. Boogie Nights (1997)
R | 155 min | Drama
Back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Luis Guzmán
Votes: 281,878 | Gross: $26.40M
"I got a feeling that behind those jeans is something wonderful just waiting to get out." It blows my mind that Paul Thomas Anderson was just 26 years old when he made his masterpiece, one of those rare perfect films. It has everything I want from a movie. It's Trainspotting's closest rival to the greatest soundtrack of all time. PTA what a genius.
10. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
R | 99 min | Crime, Thriller
When a simple jewelry heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn
Votes: 1,087,445 | Gross: $2.83M
"I don't give a good fuck what you know, or don't know, but I'm gonna torture you anyway, regardless." I doubt anyone would disagree with the reality that Quentin Tarantino's first full-length feature film is the greatest directorial debut of all time. Possibly the greatest screenplay ever written.
11. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,886,042 | Gross: $28.34M
"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things & no good thing ever dies." Frank Darabont's perfect masterpiece is the greatest prison film ever made. Andy & Red reuniting with a hug on a beach in Zihuatanejo might be the happiest ending ever.
12. Jaws (1975)
PG | 124 min | Adventure, Mystery, Thriller
When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary
Votes: 658,929 | Gross: $260.00M
"You're gonna need a bigger boat." When Steven Spielberg made his first perfect film, he wasn't just making a monster movie, he was also inventing the summer blockbuster & creating the greatest horror film ever made. There are so many genius elements but John William's score has to be the highlight. I'm still terrified of the water.
13. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 919,630 | Gross: $28.26M
"Loneliness has followed me my whole life, everywhere. In bars, in cars, sidewalks, stores, everywhere. There's no escape. I'm God's lonely man." Martin Scorsese's bleak drama was his first perfect film. The finest character study told in the first person. Martin Scorsese & Robert De Niro's second collaboration produced one of the most iconic characters, Travis Bickle. He's the ultimate characterisation of the human race that deteriorates due to seclusion & disconnection in the grimy inferno of 70s New York City.
14. L.A. Confidential (1997)
R | 138 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
As corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.
Director: Curtis Hanson | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger
Votes: 617,394 | Gross: $64.62M
"... Rollo Tamasi." The late great, Curtis Hanson, gave the cinematic world the perfect delight that was L.A. Confidential (the greatest crime neo-noir) back in 1997. And although I'm a fan of Titanic, it never deserved to win Best Picture over this phenomenal masterpiece.
15. Back to the Future (1985)
PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,305,594 | Gross: $210.61M
"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." Great Scott!, Robert Zemeckis' masterpiece is 35 years old this, a sci-fi classic that's pure escapism cinema at its best. One of those super-rare perfect popcorn movies that I adored when I first saw it aged 3 & I know I'll love til the day I die.
16. The Godfather Part II (1974)
R | 202 min | Crime, Drama
The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Votes: 1,363,023 | Gross: $57.30M
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." Francis Ford Coppola's examination of the corrupting influence of power is still the greatest sequel ever made. An epic chocked-full of extraordinary achievements, making the career of Robert DeNiro & providing Al Pacino with his finest ever performance.
17. Fargo (1996)
R | 98 min | Crime, Thriller
Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
Votes: 726,078 | Gross: $24.61M
"Well the little one wasn't circumcised." The Coen Brothers' masterpiece is the greatest comedy ever made. All their usual collaborators are here and have never been better.
18. The Dark Knight (2008)
PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Votes: 2,868,176 | Gross: $534.86M
"some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn" Christopher Nolan's masterpiece features the finest ever portrayal of The Joker, a role for which Heath Ledger deservedly won a posthumous Oscar.
19. The Matrix (1999)
R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi
When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 2,051,040 | Gross: $171.48M
"There is no spoon" The Wachowskis' cyberpunk masterpiece is one of the greatest action movies of all-time. The groundbreaking visuals blew everyone's minds back in 1999 but the reason The Matrix has stood the test of time is the Baudrillard (the theorist of simulation) inspired mythology. I only recently got the opportunity to see it in the cinema for the first time. There were 18 films I considered perfect, there are now 19.
20. Magnolia (1999)
R | 188 min | Drama
An epic mosaic of interrelated characters in search of love, forgiveness and meaning in the San Fernando Valley.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Tom Cruise, Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 328,290 | Gross: $22.46M
"Respect the cock! And tame the cunt!" Paul Thomas Anderson's epic awesome melodrama gave Tom Cruise the opportunity to do his best ever work. Frank T.J. Mackey is a fascinating character, a charlatan televangelist who preaches male chauvinism as therapy.
21. Scarface (1983)
R | 170 min | Crime, Drama
In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Votes: 915,658 | Gross: $45.60M
"Say hello to my little friend!" Al Pacino's Tony Montana is still the ultimate portrayal of the rise & fall of a gangster. Brian De Palma's crime masterpiece is definitely one of the best crime movies of all time. It's ironic that Oliver Stone wrote it to deal with his cocaine addiction.
22. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
The eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons.
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston, Ben Stiller
Votes: 312,996 | Gross: $52.36M
"I always wanted to be a Tenenbaum, you know?" I just adore Wes Anderson's masterpiece. I first saw it in 2001, ever since; I haven't stopped listening to Elliott Smith, Paul Simon & Nico, and I have dressed up as Ritchie Tenenbaum for fancy dress many times.
23. Donnie Darko (2001)
R | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Director: Richard Kelly | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne
Votes: 849,505 | Gross: $1.48M
"I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to." Richard Kelly's's masterpiece about a troubled young man and his visions of a demonic 6-foot rabbit is one of my favourite films.
24. Platoon (1986)
R | 120 min | Drama, War
Chris Taylor, a neophyte recruit in Vietnam, finds himself caught in a battle of wills between two sergeants, one good and the other evil. A shrewd examination of the brutality of war and the duality of man in conflict.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David
Votes: 439,205 | Gross: $138.53M
"The first casualty of war is innocence." Oliver Stone's masterpiece is based upon his experiences as a U.S. grunt in Vietnam. He was supposedly inspired to write the script after seeing how inarticulately the war was portrayed in John Wayne's The Green Berets.
25. Heat (1995)
R | 170 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A group of high-end professional thieves start to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a verbal clue at their latest heist.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight
Votes: 718,746 | Gross: $67.44M
"Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner." Folk always underestimate how much adoration there is for Heat. For example; a few years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend an evening with Al Pacino. Fans got to ask the film legend some questions & ninety percent of them were about Michael Mann's masterpiece.
26. American Beauty (1999)
R | 122 min | Drama
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Votes: 1,210,087 | Gross: $130.10M
"Look at me, jerking off in the shower... This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here." One of those rare occasions when a director's feature film debut is also his masterpiece. Thanks to Sam Mendes' careful use of movie techniques, he made a outstanding dissection of American suburbia which owes a lot to Blue Velvet.
27. The Big Lebowski (1998)
R | 117 min | Comedy, Crime
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi
Votes: 859,753 | Gross: $17.50M
"I am the Walrus?" The Coen Brothers' stoner comedy classic is more quotable & has better characters than Casablanca.
28. Raging Bull (1980)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Votes: 379,906 | Gross: $23.38M
"Did you fuck my wife?" Robert De Niro's performance as Jake La Motta, is the greatest acting achievement in film history. Only Martin Scorsese, could mix such a classy opening, with Mascagni opera music, followed by Joe Pesci saying, "Your mother sucks fuckin' big fuckin' elephant dicks".
29. A Prophet (2009)
R | 155 min | Crime, Drama
A young Algerian man is sent to a French prison.
Director: Jacques Audiard | Stars: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Reda Kateb
Votes: 102,150 | Gross: $2.08M
"The idea is to leave here a little smarter." Glorious hyperbole time: Jacques Audiard's masterpiece is the greatest film of all time... that's not in the English language. I absolutely love it, the best rags to riches gangster movie since De Palma's Scarface.
30. The Departed (2006)
R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Votes: 1,421,127 | Gross: $132.38M
"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me." The Academy finally bestowed Martin Scorsese with an Oscar, 25 years after giving him his first nomination for Raging Bull, & boy it was worth the wait. A masterfully crafted, gangster classic full of electric performances & plenty of The Rolling Stones tunes.
31. There's Something About Mary (1998)
R | 119 min | Comedy, Romance
A man gets a chance to meet up with his dream girl from high school, even though his date with her back then was a complete disaster.
Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly | Stars: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller, Lee Evans
Votes: 328,698 | Gross: $176.48M
"Is that... is that hair gel?" FACT: The Farrelly Brothers' masterpiece is the greatest romcom of all time. At its core it's about a load of sketchy men stalking a beautiful woman without any meaningful consequences. Perfect for a date night.
32. Léon: The Professional (1994)
R | 110 min | Action, Crime, Drama
12-year-old Mathilda is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered. An unusual relationship forms as she becomes his protégée and learns the assassin's trade.
Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello
Votes: 1,244,558 | Gross: $19.50M
Can we use real bullets now?
33. City of God (2002)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama
In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.
Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund | Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Matheus Nachtergaele, Phellipe Haagensen
Votes: 800,223 | Gross: $7.56M
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
34. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
R | 229 min | Crime, Drama
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan 35 years later, where he must once again confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
Director: Sergio Leone | Stars: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams
Votes: 377,415 | Gross: $5.32M
Beautiful film. Leone's best. I know that's a big statement.
35. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
R | 107 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Eddy persuades his three pals to pool money for a vital poker game against a powerful local mobster, Hatchet Harry. Eddy loses, after which Harry gives him a week to pay back 500,000 pounds.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham
Votes: 615,916 | Gross: $3.90M
It was the first film that made me fall in love with English gangster films and for a period was my favourite film.
36. The Truman Show (1998)
PG | 103 min | Comedy, Drama
An insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich
Votes: 1,194,766 | Gross: $125.62M
Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!
37. Toy Story (1995)
G | 81 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman action figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's bedroom.
Director: John Lasseter | Stars: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney
Votes: 1,067,724 | Gross: $191.80M
You are a TOY!!
38. Alien (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi