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Ever seen a movie that was so good, that there’s absolutely nothing you’d change about it? Some movies nail every last note when it comes to expert filmmaking – from the storytelling, the acting performances, the pace, and, of course, the ending. We’ve compiled a list of movies we believe checked every box across all possible categories. The following films are basically perfect:
Parasite
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Not much was expected out West in 2019 with the release of Parasite. Bong Joon-ho’s poignant thriller exceeded all expectations and wound up being the most recognized film of the year. In the film, we follow two families from opposite ends of the class spectrum — the basement-dwelling Kim family and the wealthy Park clan. Thanks to a tip from a friend, the Kims eventually lie and deceit their way into becoming highly paid workers for the Park family. However, while the Kims are enjoying the benefits of the rich life, the Parks are harboring a deep, dark secret.
Parasite’s take on class, society, and the ever-present wealth gap gives the film a “horror” feel without needing any jump scares or over-the-top special effects. The film grossed over $260 million worldwide on a mere $15 million budget — making it one of the more profitable films featured on this list.
Get Out
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Jordan Peele showed that he was more than just a comedian in his directorial debut Get Out. The film, which stars Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams, was met with immense praise and is revered as one of the best horror films of the century. Kaluuya plays Chris Washington, a photographer who is dating Rose Armitage (Williams). The pair set up for a weekend getaway towards Upstate New York to meet Rose’s parents.
Though Rose’s family seems perfectly harmless at first, Chris uncovers an unsettling truth about the Armitages. It’s a poignant film that touches upon several real-world themes including race, trauma, and prejudice. Without spoiling the entire thing, it would be best for you to “Get Out” and go see this fantastic film for yourself.
Jaws
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Even to this day, Jaws strikes fear in its viewers. Arguably the quintessential “monster movie”, Jaws made a generation of movie-goers scared to enter the ocean. After several shark-related deaths are reported in a New England beach town, a team is assembled to hunt the monstrosity. Police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) is accompanied by shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) and marine biologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfus) as they quest to find the blood-thirsty sea creature.
Jaws is one of the scariest films of all-time not because of gore or special effects, but rather its use of atmosphere and anticipation. What separates the film is the incredible use of music composed by the legendary John Williams. The famous Jaws tune, played each time the shark is on the prowl, slowly builds up as we await an attack. It’s highly effective and incredibly frightening.
The Dark Knight
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While Endgame might be the quintessential superhero film thanks to its expansive cast and gaudy special effects, The Dark Knight is still widely considered the best overall movie within the genre. Superhero films don’t often receive critical acclaim for storytelling, acting, and use of themes. Directed by Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight transcended the genre and helped kickstart the superhero trend (the original Iron Man was released just two months before TDK).
The revered Christian Bale returns as billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne (who patrols the streets of Gotham as Batman), but the star of this film is Heath Ledger as the Joker. Ledger’s iconic performance earned him posthumous recognition for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards. Also deserving recognition is Aaron Eckhart who expertly conveys the transition from hero to villain when he becomes the film’s coin-wielding second antagonist, Two-Face.
Interstellar
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In terms of films that must be seen on a giant screen to be fully appreciated, Interstellar ranks near the top of the list. Christopher Nolan does it again with this visual masterpiece. Starring a star-studded cast (Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine), Interstellar transports us to 2067 where humanity is on the brink of extinction. NASA pilot Joseph Cooper (McConaughey) embarks on an intergalactic journey that requires him to travel through a wormhole near Saturn.
During their voyage, the group lands on a planet completely covered in water. The planet endures massive tidal waves due to its proximity to a black hole. Seeing the gigantic (and we mean, gigantic) wave for the first time on screen is both horrifying and mesmerizing. Incredible work from a crew that earned the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2014.
2001: A Space Odyssey
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Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is a cinematic marvel. In terms of films that have depicted space travel, none did it with more scientific accuracy and precision than this 1968 film. As far as the plot is concerned, 2001: A Spacey Odyssey is centered around a group of astronauts traveling to Jupiter following the discovery of a mysterious monolith.
On their voyage, the group is accompanied by HAL — a sentient A.I. unforgettably voiced by the tremendous Douglas Rain. With little dialogue featured, the film leans on revolutionary special effects and an impeccable soundtrack. This cinematic marvel was meant to be seen on a giant screen inside a movie theatre.
Boyhood
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This 2014 Richard Linklater flick began production over 12 years before its release. Beginning in 2001, the film was made over a decade-long span to portray a realistic depiction of growing up. The audience watches a six-year-old boy named Mason Evans Jr. (played by Ellar Coltrane) age and mature through the scenes of the film. The film follows Mason as he goes through changes and experiences everyday activities, including the divorce of his parents Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke) and Olivia (Patricia Arquette).
Linklater’s dedication to making the film shined through each scene. After premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Linklater was later awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Toy Story
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The first animated film featured on the list, Toy Story is Pixar’s crowning achievement. Though the series has now spawned four films — all of which are well worth a watch — the first installment reigns supreme nearly 30 years later. By this point, everybody knows the premise of Toy Story. When Andy leaves his room, his toys come to life. On Andy’s birthday, he receives a brand-new Buzz Lightyear action figure (voiced by Tim Allen) — much to the chagrin of Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and the rest of the toys. What follows is a warm tale of adventure and friendship. Toy Story (and its three sequels) can be enjoyed by all fans regardless of age.
Alien
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In contention for the scariest film ever, Alien took everything we knew about the genre and turned it on its head. Starring the magnetic Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, Alien is a genre-bending masterpiece that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. The first half of the film operates as a typical science-fiction flick. A spaceship crew is awoken from stasis after receiving an alert from a nearby moon.
Once they arrive at their destination, the crew quickly realizes that they are not alone…a deadly alien (later dubbed Xenomorphs) has boarded the ship. The second half of the film transforms into a horror movie as the alien stalks the crew and picks off each member one-by-one. In the final act, Weaver’s Ripley faces off with the alien in an epic battle for survival.
Avengers: Endgame
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A blockbuster that combined the stories of over 12 years of Marvel movies, Avengers: Endgame served as the ultimate payoff for superhero fans. Half of the world has been erased from existence following the events of Infinity War. It’s up to the remaining heroes to find a way to get everybody back. Endgame features a ton of action, solid storytelling, and the signature Marvel humor.
Additionally, Endgame does a rather masterful job of pulling at the heartstrings of its audience. The final act is by far the most memorable portion of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe catalog. Anybody who saw this movie in theatres can attest to the goosebumps they felt before Chris Evans’ Captain America uttered the words “Avengers, assemble.” The entire roster of Avengers faces off against Thanos’ army of villains — will the heroes prevail in the end?
Lady Bird
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Directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird tells the story of a young girl who is trying to make her way through life. A high school senior at an all-girls school, Christine MacPherson (Ronan) gives herself the name “Lady Bird” and dreams of attending a major university despite her family’s lack of wealth. While Lady Bird engages in romantic acts with fellow high school seniors Danny (Lucas Hedges) and Kyle (Timothee Chalamet), this isn’t a love story about a boy and girl. Rather, this movie places focus on the relationship between a mother and daughter.
Lady Bird and her mother Marion (played by Laurie Metcalf) are opposites who never see eye-to-eye. Both Ronan and Metcalf give compelling performances in a movie that felt fresh within an industry that typically leans on old, familiar tropes.
The Grand Budapest Hotel
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Wes Anderson’s name was going to pop up on this list sooner or later. It feels like all of his other magnificent works had led up to the marvel that is The Grand Budapest Hotel. All the charm of an Anderson movie is featured throughout this award-winning effort. Everything is perfect — from the jaw-dropping setting, the witty dialogue, and the quirky characters. The ensemble cast is among the best you’ll find featured on this list.
The film stars Ralph Fiennes and Tony Revolori as the hotel’s concierge and bellhop, respectively. We also get exceptional performances from Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, and Bill Murray, among others. Even if we explained the entire plot, it wouldn’t do the film justice. Seeing the star-studded cast in action alongside Anderson’s signature visuals is a sight to behold.
The Witch
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The horror genre was taken to another level with the 2015 release of Robert Eggers’ The Witch. Set in Colonial America, The Witch follows a Puritan family who has been exiled from their colony. The family consists of father William (Ralph Ineson), his wife Katherine (Kate Dickie), eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), son Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw), fraternal twins Mercy and Jonas, and newborn Samuel. After establishing a new home in the woods, the family begins to experience unexplained phenomena — including the abduction of Samuel.
It’s quickly revealed that the family is not alone in the woods, as it happens to be inhabited by a mysterious witch who lives in a secluded hut. The family slowly begins to unravel as tensions rise. Without spoiling the ending, the climax of The Witch is undoubtedly one of the most memorable horror movie endings of all-time.
Manchester By The Sea
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Manchester By the Sea is a deeply sad film. The low-budget flick is centered around Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), a janitor who returns to his hometown (Manchester-By-The-Sea, Massachusetts) following the sudden death of his brother, Joe. After reading his will, Lee is surprised to find out he was named the legal guardian of Joe’s son, Patrick. Without diving too deep into the story, Lee is a troubled man who harbors deep regrets about his past.
Traveling back to Manchester, all of Lee’s previous wounds concerning his life were reopened. This gripping tale of grief and heartache earned Affleck the Oscar for Best Actor. Additionally, the film earned the award for Best Original Screenplay.
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
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The epic trio of Lord of the Rings films ended with the epic final installment, Return of the King. Frodo and the Fellowship return for one last conquest in the battle of good vs. evil. In the third film, the group finally reaches Mordor which signals the end of their adventure. It’s revealed that the One Ring can only be destroyed in the place it was forged — the volcanic Mount Doom. Can Frodo and the rest of the heroic cast finally put an end to the saga? Or will the villainous Sauron and his cohorts reign supreme?
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King swept the Academy Awards — winning all 11 categories it was nominated for. This includes Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.
Titanic
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No list of flawless films is complete without the Best Picture winner from 1997. Based on the real-life ship of the same name, Titanic is a beautiful disaster movie. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in breakthrough performances, it’s no wonder the over three-hour masterpiece was so revered at the time of its release. Not only have critics praised the epic love story (which was completely conjured for the film’s purposes) between Jack and Rose, but Titanic also received praise for its memorable cast of supporting characters — including appearances from Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, and Frances Fisher.
The movie’s expansive budget truly shines over the last hour as the crew and guests frantically attempt to escape the sinking ship. When it was released, Titanic was the most expensive movie ever made. Safe to say that was money well spent…
Creed
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It’s not too often we see a sequel that not only adds to the original films but even surpasses many expectations. Taking place years after the events of the Rocky films, Creed follows Adonis Creed — an up-and-coming boxer with a powerful lineage. Adonis is the son of the deceased former champion Apollo Creed. Determined to make a name for himself, Adonis sets out to become the next light heavyweight champion. Portrayed excellently by the talented Michael B. Jordan, the audience can feel Adonis’ need to prove himself as a competitor.
Eventually, Adonis links up with his father’s old training partner, Rocky Balboa, as audiences are re-introduced to Sylvester Stallone in his crowning role. Director Ryan Coogler does a magnificent job of telling a new story while providing plenty of nostalgia for old-school Rocky fans.
Fight Club
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We’re about to break the first rule of Fight Club…and that is to talk about Fight Club. Starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham-Carter, Fight Club enamored audiences when it was released in 1999. Centered around a group of men who form an underground fighting league, Fight Club is a fast-paced, hard-hitting film that touches upon themes beyond simple fisticuffs.
Norton’s unnamed main character (credited as the Narrator) is an insomniac battling several inner demons. Though the Narrator — alongside the charismatic founder of Fight Club, Tyler Durden — engages in several physical battles with other members of the club, he eventually finds out that his grandest opponent is himself.
Slumdog Millionaire
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When the best aspects of Eastern and Western filmmaking meet, we get gems like 2009 Best Picture winner Slumdog Millionaire. A British-French-American core production using Indian actors, Slumdog Millionaire is a movie filled with energy, atmosphere, style, and charm. The film follows around 18-year-old Jamal Malik, a contestant on the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Before answering the final question, Malik is detained by the police who assume him to be cheating. After all, how can a teenager from the slums with no formal education perform so well on a gameshow based on intelligence?
What they don’t realize is Malik (played by Dev Patel) is far more than he seems. On the other side, the police inspector is played by the late, great Irrfan Khan who gives a gripping performance. Tightly paced and intense throughout, Slumdog Millionaire will have you on the edge of your seat while cheering for a likable group of protagonists.
Nomadland
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Before directing the 2021 Marvel blockbuster Eternals, Chinese-born Chloe Zhao electrified audiences with the 2020 Best Picture winner Nomadland. Based on the best-selling book — Nomadland: Surviving American in the 21st Century — the film tells the story of self-described “nomads” living in the United States. Frances McDormand stars as Fern. The two-time Academy Award winner gives her most captivating performance since 2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
The docudrama delves deep into a fascinating subculture that many people may have not even realized existed. McDormand does well in carrying a movie alongside several non-actors. In the movie, several real-life nomads play fictionalized versions of themselves — including YouTuber and author Bob Wells as himself. Nomadland is warm and sweet and sheds a certain level of empathy on the people it portrays.
The Godfather: Part II
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The original 1972 Godfather may have been worthy of inclusion on this list, but we’ll opt to give a nod to the sequel — The Godfather: Part II. The second installment in Francis Ford Coppola’s epic crime series takes us back to an earlier period in the Corleone’s timeline. Part II splits time between the events following the first film as well as flashbacks to a young Vito Corleone (played by Robert De Niro).
We see how Michael’s (Al Pacino) father eventually delves into a life of crime following a series of tragic events. Not only is The Godfather: Part II considered to be the greatest sequel of all-time, but it also has a case for being the greatest single film ever. The film was named Best Picture, Coppola was named Best Director, and De Niro took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
The Shawshank Redemption
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One film stands above all on IMDb’s list of top movies — 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption. Yes, The Shawshank Redemption holds the highest grade of any film on the website with a score of 9.2 — narrowly edging out the first two Godfather films. What makes this movie so great you ask? Well, assessing the performance of the film’s two leads is a great place to start.
Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are impeccable as inmates Andy Dufresne and Red, respectively. Freeman lends his voice as the film’s narrator, as well, which ends up being the perfect soundtrack to this prison break movie. Though it didn’t win Best Picture in the year of its release, The Shawshank Redemption has withstood the test of time and is widely considered one of the most influential films ever.
Vertigo
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Any number of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic films could be worthy of making this list. The English-born director led the way for some of the most recognizable films in the industry. Psycho helped revolutionize the horror genre in so many ways, and Rear Window even currently holds a perfect score on the movie-grading aggregator website Metacritic. However, we’re going to give the nod to one of his lesser-recognized films — the 1958 psychological thriller Vertigo. Unlike some of Hitchcock’s other titles, Vertigo wasn’t immediately met with massive praise.
It wasn’t until years later when critics began appreciating the intricacies of the film that it began receiving the recognition it deserved. Coincidentally, the film concerns the main character’s fear of heights and it took some time until Vertigo was placed high upon the pedestal it always deserved to be on top of.
Schindler’s List
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This black-and-white masterpiece has been massively revered since its release in 1993. Taking place during World War II, the film follows German industrialist Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson). After seeing droves of Polish Jews massacred by fellow Nazi members, Schindler begins to turn a new leaf. His new goal is to protect as many Jewish lives as possible, and he does so by employing thousands within his factory.
Schindler’s List isn’t a particularly easy movie to watch. It features death and despair while capturing the horrific essence of the Holocaust. The film masterfully portrays one of the scariest times in human history and is wonderfully acted by a star-studded cast. This is the second appearance of a film containing the criminally underrated Ralph Fiennes who also portrayed Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series.
Citizen Kane
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Widely considered the greatest movie ever made, it’s no wonder how Citizen Kane wound up on this list. Considered the best work of esteemed director and screenwriter Orson Welles, Citizen Kane is a perfect film. Not only was Welles (who was just 25 years old when the film was released) the visionary behind the film’s creation, he also starred in the movie. Besides Welles’ epic triple-threat performance, the movie has been praised for its storytelling and cinematography. Any movie buff who hasn’t yet seen Citizen Kane is missing out on a true masterpiece.
