The 100 Best Movies of All Time
An entirely subjective list of the greatest films in history.
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There are only two ways to discuss the best movies of all time. You either choose your absolute favorite and go to the mat over it, or you create a list so expansive that you feel confident you've covered the best of each individual corner of cinema. That is what we've attempted to do here—identify the best of the best across all of film. The early days are covered. The romances, the natural disaster epics, the thrillers are all here, too. Slamming your fist down on a desk and declaring that Citizen Kane is the best while screaming, "You can't handle the truth!" is fun (even if you're mixing films here), but it's not as fun as having an entire list at your disposal.
But what's special about this, our list of 100 great films, is that it speaks to this moment—this group of Esquire editors. We made it something reflective of us. When you peruse the pieces we write, the opinions we have, and the approaches we take, you can see the influence of the films on this list. Not to get too earnest, but pop culture has this way of permeating our senses and informing who we are as people. It's the beauty of good writing and acting and direction. It's easy to think, "A movie is just a movie!" but it isn't, is it? We wouldn't care what films are on this list if it were.
So bookmark this link on your browser and take an adventure with us. We even encourage you to give us your opinions in the comments. Be careful though—what you say may just reveal more about you than it does us ("You left off Joe Dirt!" for example, tells us that you're a connoisseur of fine cinema).
Oh, and for you documentary heads? Chill out. We see you and your penchant for real stories, so we put the best of those documentary films in a separate list. And for those obsessed with staying current, we've also got a list of the best movies of 2022. (For those of you who are only into TV, here's the best TV of the year, though we're not sure how you found yourself on this page to begin with.) So come. Let's go through the best 100 movies of all time.
The Wolf of Wall Street
It may hold the record for the most swears uttered in any single movie, but that's just surface level antics. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill both turn in magnificent performances, somehow as grotesque as they are charming.
Rocky
Sylvester Stallone set a precedent for how boxing movies should be made, infusing a hell of a lot of heart into his most iconic role. Its influence is felt off-screen too as it's famous training montage scene at the Philadelphia Museum of Art has become common fare for social media recreations.
The Karate Kid
Maybe it’s the impressive martial arts. Maybe it’s the illegal crane kick at the end of the movie. Maybe it’s the underdog rising over the bully trope. We can't be sure, but we know it works—and we'll never forget it.
Good Will Hunting
Matt Damon is a Hollywood heavyweight now, and much of that stature is due to this remarkable script and performance. (Yep, he wrote and starred in the film.)
8 Mile
We knew Em was a fiery rapper, but he shocked everyone when he turned in this scorching performance alongside Anthony Mackie.
The Princess Bride
If a fairy tale featuring major actors (Robyn Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin), fight scenes, and iconic quotes is what you’re looking for, then “as you wish.”
Forrest Gump
With multiple Academy Awards, unforgettable lines (“Run Forrest, run!”), and a slam-dunk performance from Tom Hanks, there’s no way this couldn’t make the list.
Mary Poppins
Because we all deserve to have just a spoonful of sugar to help some days go down.
Mad Max: Fury Road
In an era of CGI superheroes, George Miller reminded us how action movies ought to be made.
The Godfather
Best-written, best-acted, most beautiful film about the immigrant experience ever contemplated. It invented most modern clichés.
Moonlight
Too often, LGBTQ narratives are riddled with outright disaster, but Moonlight manages to examine the intersection of being a Black man from a difficult socioeconomic background, traversing the reality of being gay and closeted.
Brokeback Mountain
Ang Lee’s film about two closeted cowboys who find and rekindle love on the ridge of a mountain was robbed the Best Picture Oscar, somehow losing to Crash.
Jaws
The shark was a giant malfunctioning puppet with fake teeth, and it still scared the ever-loving shit out of you.
In the Heat of the Night
Never has a man been in a more wrong place at a more wrong time.
Iron Man
It is the superhero movie that launched the biggest Hollywood franchise of our lifetime.
Mean Girls
Tina Fey’s beloved teen comedy is the definitive depiction of high school in the 2000s. The only thing it didn’t do was make fetch happen.
Parasite
There’s no explanation of Parasite that does the film justice—a psychological thriller, a family drama, a horror story about the evils of capitalism and the relentless pursuit of wealth.
Save the Tiger
The nominees for Best Actor, 1973: Brando, Nicholson, Redford, Pacino, Lemmon. And the Oscar goes to: Jack Lemmon.
12 Angry Men
All that is terrifying and wonderful about the phrase "a jury of your peers."
Roma
Alfonso Cuarón’s evocative, black-and-white epic about a live-in housekeeper in Mexico City unspools an unforgettable story about class, family, and memory.
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