Whether you are into romance, comedy, or any genre in between, these are the are best movies of all time! Check out our top picks for the best films of all time.
10 Best Movies of All Time
Greatness can take on many forms. What determines greatness when it comes to films is quite subjective. Greatness can be based on a myriad of factors from awards won, to critical acclaim.
We’ve looked at a range of Top 10 Best Movies of All Time that various people have put together and created our very own list of the Best Movies Ever, combining the most common movies across all universal lists.
What makes a movie great?
As we’ve mentioned, creating a list of great movies to watch, can be based on a few different things;
Commercial success is often an indicator for movie greatness. Commercial success means how well the movie faired at the box office and how many people came out and paid their hard-earned money to watch it.
Award nominations and awards won, including prestigious awards like The Oscars, The Baftas and The Golden Globes, are also often used as indicators for placing a movie in the top 10 of all time.
Other lists have been created based on artistic genius, in terms of how brilliant the screenplay, cinematography, acting or directing is.
Taking all of these into account, here is our Top 10 Best Movies Ever list. How many have you seen? And do you agree with us?
The Most Popular Movies of All Time
- The Godfather (1972)
Undoubtedly, The Godfather tops every single best movie ever list no matter what the criteria. This 1972 crime drama was not only a success at the box office but also renowned for its genius in acting, directing and screenplay. It was nominated for a whopping 11 Oscars too.
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The gripping drama about imprisonment, false accusations and redemption didn’t gross as much as others in the list at the box office, and also didn’t win much during award season that year, but it was favoured very highly by movie-goers world-wide. It’s still a go-to movie for movie night on the couch.
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
1994 was a good year for Hollywood, with three movies in the Top 10 Good Movies to See list having been made in 1994. Movie-goers either loved or hated Quentin Tarantino’s black comedy/drama. It didn’t garner any Oscar buzz but it was considered a cult classic and an education in cinematographic excellence.
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 – 2003)
You may not have been able to get through The Lord of The Rings books, but we guarantee you were hooked on the beautiful, spell-bounding movie trilogy. Peter Jackson created the visual cinematic masterpiece of J.R.R Tolkien’s books in three parts, with all three movies being loved by fans and critics alike. The final instalment, The Return of The King, won all 11 Oscar’s it was nominated for.
- Forrest Gump (1994)
Apart from the absolutely epic soundtrack, Forrest Gump became a one of those films that transcended time. It was made in the 90’s and is still one of the most watched films today. It grossed a whopping $330 million dollars at the box office too.
- Gone with the Wind (1939)
Who hasn’t said, “frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” at least once in their lives, right? The romantic drama about Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara won eight Oscars and got 13 nominations. It was liked by critics and viewers alike.
- The Dark Knight (2008)
An unlikely candidate for best movie of all time, Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman and The Joker garnered huge success at both the box office and in critic’s opinions. It’s been widely considered to be Heath Ledger’s darkest and one of his most brilliant performances too.
- Fight Club (1999)
When the ordinary meets out of control, it results in cinematic coolness that fans revel in. Brad Pitt and Ed Norton gave inspired albeit dark performances and although it didn’t win many, if any, awards, it did do well at the box office.
- The Matrix (1999)
Fans absolutely loved this sci-fi action drama about a computer hacker living a double life. It was considered endlessly-watchable by fans and also got critical acclaim for brilliance in design, costumes and cinematography.
- One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Milos Forman directed this psychological drama (also considered to be a black comedy by some) which was based on the 1962 book by Ken Kesey. It offers a fiercely brilliant performance by Jack Nicholson as a criminal in an insane asylum, garnering award nominations aplenty.
For the latest news and blogs on all things movie and cinema, click here.
Find out more about the latest releases to hit Ster-Kinekor cinemas nationwide now.
FAQs
What are the best movies of all time?
The best movies of all time are a mix of box office big budgets to those who didn’t necessarily make the big bucks but who made a big impact. Check out our list above for the 10 Best Movies of All Time to see what we’ve put together. Do you have your top 10 favourites?
Who determines which movies are the best?
It really depends on which opinion you read. Some people base their lists on critical acclaim and awards, while others have made lists according to box office earnings.
What makes a movie the best of all time?
To make a movie great, or one of the best, we think it needs to have a little bit of everything. A good combination of winning a few awards for excellence in acting, directing, screenplay or cinematography, some critical acclaim, some money at the box office and be loved by fans (or a good mixture of two or three of these criteria) makes a movie really great, in our opinion.
What is considered the best film of all time?
Across all lists, and across opinions based on many factors, The Godfather: Part 1 (1972) reigns supreme as the best movie of all time.