From The Dark Knight to Casino to Pulp Fiction, this is the A Cute Film Addict list of the greatest films ever made.
What are the 100 best movies of all time? I get asked that a lot. And to be honest, even for a self-proclaimed film addict, it’s not an easy question to answer. There are so many ways a film can leave its mark — some hit us personally, others speak to something bigger. The greatest ones? They do both.
They give us indelible images. Characters we can’t stop thinking about. Lines we quote in passing or full monologues. These films make us laugh, cry, lean in, reflect — sometimes all at once. Whether they start conversations or leave us speechless, they endure.
Ever since moving pictures flickered onto screens over a century ago, filmmakers have found powerful ways to move us — to joy, fear, wonder, heartbreak. From epic adventures and sweeping romances to pop-culture-shaping blockbusters and quiet, human stories, the best movies remind us of who we are and what we care about.
Reaching a universal agreement on the best movies of all time? Nearly impossible. But that’s part of the fun.
So, here it is: the A Cute Film Addict take — a two-part series counting down 100 of the greatest films ever made, from cult favorites to cinematic giants. I’ve included where to stream them (if possible), so you can jump right in.
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Part 1: #100–51.
Part Two is now live – read the full countdown here
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100. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Dir. Joseph Kosinski
📺 Streaming on Paramount+
After nearly four decades, Maverick returns — and somehow, against all odds, he flies even higher. Top Gun: Maverick is more than just a nostalgia trip. It’s a masterclass in how to update a beloved property while respecting its legacy. The aerial sequences are jaw-dropping, the emotion feels earned, and Tom Cruise proves why he’s still one of the last true movie stars. This is blockbuster filmmaking at its most exhilarating — polished, confident, and heartfelt.
99. Casino (1995)
Dir. Martin Scorsese
📺 Streaming on Starz (availability may vary)
Casino is Scorsese at his most opulent — a dazzling, brutal, and darkly funny saga of greed, power, and downfall in the neon-drenched underworld of Las Vegas. It’s not just a mob movie; it’s a grand, operatic character study. Robert De Niro is all precision and control, Joe Pesci unleashes chaos, and Sharon Stone gives a career-defining performance. Every frame pulses with style, danger, and that Scorsese rhythm — where violence and beauty collide.
Scorsese helped define the mob movie — and with The Last Great American Mob Story on the horizon, he’s ready to reshape it again. Read more.
98. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Dir. M. Night Shyamalan
📺 Streaming on Prime Video (with subscription or rental)
At first glance, The Sixth Sense seems like a straightforward ghost story — but it’s really about grief, connection, and the burden of knowing too much. With quietly brilliant performances from Bruce Willis and a breakout Haley Joel Osment, Shyamalan crafts a slow-burning, emotionally resonant thriller that holds up long after the twist is revealed. It’s chilling, yes — but also deeply human. This is genre filmmaking with a soul.
97. There Will Be Blood (2007)
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
📺 Streaming on Paramount+ (availability may vary)
There Will Be Blood is a towering achievement — a haunting meditation on ambition, greed, and isolation set against the barren promise of the American West. Daniel Day-Lewis gives a performance for the ages as Daniel Plainview, a man as magnetic as he is monstrous. Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction is methodical and mesmerizing, paired with Jonny Greenwood’s unnerving score. It’s not just a film — it’s an oil-slicked character study that burns itself into your memory.
96. Jurassic Park (1993)
Dir. Steven Spielberg
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
Few films capture wonder the way Jurassic Park does. Spielberg’s blend of cutting-edge effects and classical adventure storytelling turned a sci-fi concept into pure movie magic. From that first glimpse of the brachiosaurus to the heart-racing T. rex chase, it’s a film that still thrills decades later. But beneath the spectacle is a cautionary tale about hubris, control, and nature’s unpredictability — all wrapped in a blockbuster that never loses its sense of awe.
95. All About Eve (1950)
Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
Witty, ruthless, and razor-sharp, All About Eve is a masterclass in dialogue and character-driven storytelling. Bette Davis is magnetic as Margo Channing, a Broadway legend feeling the sting of age and ambition, while Anne Baxter’s Eve Harrington is the quintessential wolf in ingénue’s clothing. It’s a film about performance — on stage, in society, and within ourselves. Decades later, its insights on ego, insecurity, and the cost of relevance remain as relevant (and biting) as ever.
94. Shutter Island (2010)
Dir. Martin Scorsese
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
Part psychological thriller, part gothic mystery, Shutter Island is Scorsese at his most haunting. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a deeply layered performance as a U.S. Marshal unraveling a disappearance — and himself — on a windswept island asylum. The film plays with perception, memory, and madness, building a suffocating atmosphere where nothing is quite what it seems. It’s not just a twisty puzzle — it’s a slow descent into the emotional wreckage of grief, identity, and guilt.
93. Some Like It Hot (1959)
Dir. Billy Wilder
📺 Streaming on Tubi, Criterion Channel, and PlutoTV
Equal parts sharp satire and screwball chaos, Some Like It Hot hasn’t lost a bit of its charm — or nerve. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis are hilarious as musicians on the run, hiding in plain sight as women in an all-female band, but it’s Marilyn Monroe who brings real soul to the comedy. Wilder’s direction is tight, the timing impeccable, and the final line? Iconic. Beneath all the wigs and hijinks is a film far ahead of its time — playful, progressive, and endlessly rewatchable.
92. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Dir. Stanley Kramer
📺 Streaming on Prime Video, available for rent
Grave, gripping, and intellectually unflinching, Judgment at Nuremberg wrestles with justice, responsibility, and the legacy of atrocity. With powerhouse performances from Spencer Tracy, Maximilian Schell, and Montgomery Clift, the film dramatizes the Nuremberg trials not as a history lesson, but as a moral reckoning that still echoes today. It’s a courtroom drama, yes — but also a meditation on complicity, conscience, and what it means to do the right thing when it’s far from easy.
91. The Truman Show (1998)
Dir. Peter Weir
📺 Streaming on Pluto TV
Long before social media blurred the lines between private and public, The Truman Show asked what it means to live under a lens. Jim Carrey sheds his comedic skin for a tender, layered performance as Truman Burbank — a man slowly realizing his perfect life is a lie. It’s a film that’s funny, tragic, and eerily prophetic, managing to be both high-concept and deeply human. Part satire, part fable, it reminds us how powerful — and terrifying — true freedom can be.
90. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
Dir. Sergio Leone
📺 Streaming on Prime Video, PlutoTV
The middle chapter in Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” might just be its most underrated. For a Few Dollars More expands the mythic scale of the spaghetti western while grounding it in character-driven tension and slow-burn style. Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name is as cool as ever, but it’s Lee Van Cleef who adds gravitas and moral complexity as a rival bounty hunter with his own ghosts. Leone’s signature close-ups, Morricone’s unforgettable score, and a final showdown dripping with dramatic flair make this one essential viewing for anyone who loves their westerns with grit and style.
89. Batman Begins (2005)
Dir. Christopher Nolan
📺 Streaming on Max
Before superhero films dominated the box office, Batman Begins redefined what they could be — grounded, character-driven, and emotionally resonant. Nolan strips the myth down to its raw core, telling a story not just about a man in a cape, but about fear, identity, and purpose. Christian Bale brings a steely intensity to Bruce Wayne, while Cillian Murphy and Liam Neeson elevate the rogues’ gallery with psychological depth. It’s not just the start of a trilogy — it’s the blueprint for modern cinematic mythmaking.
88. Green Book (2018)
Dir. Peter Farrelly
📺 Streaming on Paramount+ or Prime Video (with subscription or rental)
Green Book is a road movie in the classic sense — two men from very different worlds, thrown together by circumstance, learning more about each other and themselves along the way. Viggo Mortensen brings charm and grit, while Mahershala Ali delivers a quietly powerful performance that anchors the film with dignity and restraint. While the film sparked its share of debate, there’s no denying its emotional pull and well-crafted heart. It’s a crowd-pleaser, yes — but one with moments of genuine reflection on friendship, identity, and change.
87. Taxi Driver (1976)
Dir. Martin Scorsese
📺 Streaming on Max, available to rent on Prime Video
Taxi Driver isn’t just a film — it’s a descent. Into loneliness, obsession, and the kind of quiet rage that simmers beneath city streets. Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle is one of cinema’s most haunting characters, a man both disturbed and disturbingly relatable. Scorsese crafts every frame with uneasy precision, while Bernard Herrmann’s iconic score bleeds menace and melancholy. It’s a gritty, hypnotic portrait of a man slipping through the cracks — and of a society too distracted to notice.
86. Hamilton (2020)
Dir. Thomas Kail
📺 Streaming exclusively on Disney+
More than a filmed stage production, Hamilton is a cultural lightning bolt — a reimagining of American history through hip-hop, heart, and razor-sharp storytelling. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s score is packed with lyrical precision and emotional resonance, capturing both the personal ambition and national ideals of its founding subject. The performances are electric, the staging dynamic, and the pacing relentless. Whether you’re a theater fan or not, Hamilton is a reminder of how powerful live storytelling can be — even through a screen.
85. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Dir. Martin Scorsese
📺 Streaming on Paramount+, available to rent on Prime Video
Excess has rarely looked this slick — or this damning. The Wolf of Wall Street is Scorsese in full-throttle mode, chronicling the rise and spiraling fall of Jordan Belfort with dizzying energy and moral ambiguity. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a fearless, electric performance that’s equal parts hilarious and horrifying. It’s a wild ride — fueled by greed, ego, and enough cinematic style to make the chaos go down smooth. Underneath the debauchery is a sharp critique of unchecked ambition and the hollow promise of the American dream.
84. L.A. Confidential (1997)
Dir. Curtis Hanson
📺 Streaming on Hulu and available to rent on Prime Video
Slick, shadowy, and sharp as a switchblade, L.A. Confidential brings noir into the modern era without losing an ounce of its grit. It’s a story of corruption, ambition, and buried truths in 1950s Los Angeles — told through three very different cops who slowly realize they’re circling the same dark heart. Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey are all excellent, but it’s the layered writing, tight editing, and haunting score that give the film its lasting edge. This is neo-noir done right — stylish without sacrificing substance.
83. 1917 (2019)
Dir. Sam Mendes
📺 Streaming on Netflix (availability may vary)
A technical marvel with a beating heart, 1917 pulls you into the trenches and doesn’t let go. Told in what appears to be one continuous shot, the film’s immersive style isn’t just a gimmick — it’s a visceral storytelling choice that brings immediacy and intimacy to World War I’s chaos. George MacKay gives a quiet, deeply human performance, grounding the spectacle in personal stakes. Mendes and cinematographer Roger Deakins turn the battlefield into a brutal, beautiful odyssey. It’s a war film that doesn’t just show you the horror — it walks you through it.
82. Snatch (2000)
Dir. Guy Ritchie
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
Fast-talking, fast-cutting, and unapologetically stylish, Snatch is a British crime caper that wears its chaos like a badge of honor. Guy Ritchie juggles intersecting storylines — bare-knuckle boxing, stolen diamonds, and a gallery of unforgettable lowlifes — with confidence and flair. Jason Statham is all dry wit, Brad Pitt is borderline incomprehensible (and brilliant), and the editing snaps like a punchline. It’s gritty, hilarious, and endlessly quotable — a cult favorite that still hits like a clean uppercut.
81. Oppenheimer (2023)
Dir. Christopher Nolan
📺 Streaming on Peacock
Oppenheimer is a three-hour pressure cooker — not just about building the atomic bomb, but about the weight of genius, guilt, and legacy. Nolan trades spectacle for tension, layering timelines, politics, and personalities into a story that plays out like a psychological thriller. Cillian Murphy gives a career-defining performance, haunted and razor-focused, surrounded by a powerhouse ensemble. It’s cerebral and intense, yes — but also deeply human. A film that doesn’t ask for easy answers, only that we sit with the consequences.
80. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Dir. Steven Spielberg
📺 Streaming on Disney+
Adventure rarely feels this personal. The Last Crusade brings Indy back with whip-cracking charm, but this time adds a deeper layer through his relationship with his father, played perfectly by Sean Connery. Spielberg blends action, humor, and heart like only he can, delivering set pieces that still thrill and banter that still bites. It’s a film about legacy, faith, and stubborn love — wrapped in one of the most entertaining packages ever put on screen. This is comfort cinema with brains, heart, and an unbeatable sense of fun.
79. The Sting (1973)
Dir. George Roy Hill
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
The Sting is the cinematic equivalent of a well-dressed con — smooth, clever, and always one step ahead. Paul Newman and Robert Redford reunite with effortless charm, pulling off a layered caper that’s as much about style as it is about substance. With its ragtime score, 1930s setting, and chapter-style structure, the film plays like a magic trick in slow motion. Every piece fits. Every reveal lands. And the final twist? Still one of the best in the game.
78. Die Hard (1988)
Dir. John McTiernan
📺 Streaming on Prime Video
Die Hard didn’t just redefine the action genre — it set the gold standard. Bruce Willis’s John McClane is the blueprint for the modern action hero: vulnerable, sarcastic, and just barely holding it together. Set almost entirely in a single building, the film is a masterclass in pacing, tension, and escalation. Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber is one of cinema’s great villains — cultured, cruel, and completely iconic. Christmas setting or not, Die Hard is pure cinematic adrenaline, with brains behind the bullets.
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77. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Dir. Robert Mulligan
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
Quiet, profound, and deeply humane, To Kill a Mockingbird captures the moral weight of Harper Lee’s novel with grace and power. Gregory Peck’s Atticus Finch remains one of cinema’s most iconic figures — a symbol of decency and quiet courage in a world quick to judge. Told through the eyes of a child, the film blends innocence with injustice, warmth with the sting of truth. It’s not just a courtroom drama — it’s a call to empathy, and a timeless reminder that doing what’s right rarely comes easy, but always matters.
76. Vertigo (1958)
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
More than a thriller, Vertigo is a haunting descent into obsession, identity, and illusion. Hitchcock’s most enigmatic film lingers like a dream you’re not sure you wanted to have. James Stewart gives one of his most complex performances — vulnerable, driven, and increasingly unhinged — while Bernard Herrmann’s eerie score wraps around the story like fog around San Francisco’s skyline. Beautiful, tragic, and psychologically dense, Vertigo is a film that reveals more with every watch, and dares you to fall under its spell.
🎥 Own the Essentials from This Section
Some of these movies are more than just watchlist-worthy — they’re collection staples. If you’re building your home library or want to rewatch with commentary tracks, here are a few standouts you can grab now:
- The Dark Knight Rises – Own it on Blu-ray
- Heat – Watch on Amazon Prime
- Aliens – Collector’s Edition
- North by Northwest – Ultimate Collector’s Edition Blu-ray
75. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Dir. Stanley Kubrick
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
Full Metal Jacket isn’t just a war film — it’s a split portrait of how war shapes, breaks, and distorts the human mind. The first half, set in the brutal confines of Marine boot camp, is as sharp and unforgettable as anything Kubrick ever filmed. The second half, in the chaos of Vietnam, shows how those psychological scars play out in the field. It’s cold, clinical, and unnervingly stylish — but beneath the precision is a disturbing look at the cost of conditioning men for violence. Grimly funny, beautifully shot, and hard to shake.
74. M (1931)
Dir. Fritz Lang
📺 Streaming on Criterion Channel and available on Max
Decades before true crime documentaries and psychological thrillers filled our screens, M delivered a chilling, groundbreaking portrait of evil hiding in plain sight. Fritz Lang’s noir-tinged masterpiece follows a city gripped by fear as authorities — and criminals — hunt a child murderer. Peter Lorre’s haunting performance gives the killer a disturbing complexity, while Lang’s use of sound (in one of the earliest sound films) is revolutionary. Tense, morally unsettling, and way ahead of its time, M proves that suspense doesn’t need spectacle — just sharp direction and a deep sense of dread.
📚 Into Stephen King’s world?
I’ve ranked the 20 best King adaptations — from The Shining to Misery. Read the full list here.
73. Up (2009)
Dir. Pete Docter
📺 Streaming on Disney+
Pixar has a gift for blending whimsy with wisdom, and Up might be their most emotionally resonant film. The opening montage alone is a masterclass in visual storytelling — a tender, wordless journey through love, loss, and the quiet ache of time. But Up doesn’t dwell in sorrow. It soars. Carl’s unlikely adventure with young Russell is funny, heartfelt, and full of color, proving it’s never too late to chase new dreams. A story about grief, adventure, and the bonds we build, Up is animated storytelling at its most honest and uplifting.
72. North by Northwest (1959)
Dir. Alfred Hitchcock
📺 Streaming on tubi and available to rent on Prime Video
Suave, suspenseful, and effortlessly cool, North by Northwest is Hitchcock at his most playful — a cat-and-mouse thriller wrapped in charm and mistaken identity. Cary Grant is at the peak of his screen presence, caught in a case of wrong man, wrong time, and dragged through a series of iconic set pieces — including a biplane chase and a scramble across Mount Rushmore. It’s espionage by way of elegance, with Bernard Herrmann’s bold score and Hitchcock’s steady hand turning every frame into a lesson in style and tension. This is the blueprint for the modern action-thriller.
71. Heat (1995)
Dir. Michael Mann
📺 Streaming on Netflix and available to rent on Prime Video
Heat isn’t just a crime thriller — it’s a deep, smoldering meditation on obsession, professionalism, and the high cost of living by your own code. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, sharing the screen in that legendary diner scene, embody two sides of the same coin: hunter and hunted, both locked into lives that won’t let them go. Michael Mann gives the genre real weight — sleek, stylish, and atmospheric, but always grounded in character. From the downtown L.A. shootout to its haunting final frame, Heat is a masterclass in crime cinema.
70. Double Indemnity (1944)
Dir. Billy Wilder
📺 Streaming on The Criterion Channel and available to rent on Prime Video
Double Indemnity is the gold standard of film noir — all shadowy lighting, sharp dialogue, and moral rot under a clean-cut surface. Fred MacMurray’s insurance man and Barbara Stanwyck’s femme fatale spark a slow-burning, doomed chemistry that makes every scene hum with tension. Billy Wilder directs with precision, letting the story unfold like a confession you can’t stop listening to. It’s a tale of greed, lust, and consequence — and it still hits just as hard today. Dark, stylish, and utterly essential.
69. Scarface (1983)
Dir. Brian De Palma
📺 Streaming on Starz
Loud, lavish, and unapologetically excessive, Scarface is more than a crime saga — it’s a portrait of the American Dream warped by ego, greed, and violence. Al Pacino’s Tony Montana is iconic for a reason: ferocious, magnetic, and completely unpredictable. De Palma directs with operatic flair, leaning into neon-drenched brutality and razor-edged tension, while Oliver Stone’s script pulls no punches. Love it or loathe it, Scarface is a film that leaves a mark — brash, brutal, and unforgettable.
68. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Dir. David Lean
📺 Available to rent on Prime Video
Lawrence of Arabia is the kind of film that defines the word “epic.” Every frame — from vast desert vistas to intimate moments of internal conflict — is meticulously composed and deeply felt. Peter O’Toole delivers a towering performance as T.E. Lawrence, a man torn between purpose, identity, and myth. David Lean’s direction is patient and majestic, matched by Maurice Jarre’s iconic score. It’s not just a war film or a biopic — it’s a meditation on ambition, alienation, and legacy, told on the grandest scale imaginable.
67. The Apartment (1960)
Dir. Billy Wilder
📺 Streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, and available to rent on Prime Video
The Apartment is that rare kind of film — funny, heartbreaking, and quietly profound, all at once. Jack Lemmon brings warmth and vulnerability to C.C. Baxter, the lonely office worker caught between ambition and decency. Shirley MacLaine is luminous, sharp, and utterly human. Billy Wilder’s script walks the line between romantic comedy and social critique, never losing sight of its characters’ hearts. It’s a film about the cost of being overlooked, and the quiet bravery it takes to do the right thing — even when no one’s watching.
66. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Dir. Quentin Tarantino
📺 Streaming on Plex and Prime Video
Raw, ruthless, and razor-sharp, Reservoir Dogs announced Tarantino as a new kind of filmmaker — all swagger, sharp dialogue, and unapologetic violence. Stripped-down and claustrophobic, the film flips the heist genre on its head by never showing the heist. Instead, it digs into paranoia, loyalty, and identity as a group of criminals unravel in a warehouse soaked in blood and suspicion. With standout performances, a killer soundtrack, and a structure that feels as fresh now as it did then, this isn’t just a calling card — it’s a classic.
65. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Dir. Michel Gondry
📺 Streaming on Max and available to rent on Prime Video
Beautifully strange and emotionally honest, Eternal Sunshine is a sci-fi romance that aches with realism. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are perfectly cast as two people trying to erase each other from memory — and stumbling back into the pain, joy, and truth of their love. Charlie Kaufman’s script is wildly inventive, but it’s the raw, intimate moments that hit hardest. Visually inventive and emotionally vulnerable, this is a film about how love is messy, memory is fragile, and some feelings are worth remembering — no matter how much they hurt.
64. Toy Story 3 (2010)
Dir. Lee Unkrich
📺 Streaming on Disney+
Rarely does a sequel — let alone a third entry — land with such emotional precision. Toy Story 3 isn’t just a continuation; it’s a conclusion. A coming-of-age story for both its characters and its audience, the film tackles themes of letting go, growing up, and what it means to be truly loyal. Pixar’s storytelling is as sharp as ever, with moments that are thrilling, hilarious, and, yes, devastating. That final scene? It earns every tear. It’s not just a great animated film — it’s one of the best finales in movie history.
63. Return of the Jedi (1983)
Dir. Richard Marquand
📺 Streaming on Disney+ and Hulu
The conclusion of the original Star Wars trilogy ties its mythic threads together with heart, heroism, and a little redemption. Return of the Jedi may not be the tightest of the three, but its emotional beats hit hard — from the father-son reckoning between Luke and Vader to the fall of the Empire. The space battles are thrilling, the lightsaber duels iconic, and John Williams’s score swells with finality. It’s a satisfying, crowd-pleasing finale that gives the saga the send-off it earned, without losing its soul in the spectacle.
62. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Dirs. Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen
📺 Streaming on Max and available to rent on Prime Video
Few films capture pure cinematic joy like Singin’ in the Rain. Set during Hollywood’s turbulent shift from silent films to talkies, it’s both a love letter to moviemaking and a sharp, funny critique of it. Gene Kelly’s charm, Debbie Reynolds’s spark, and Donald O’Connor’s comic brilliance fuel every number — but it’s the title sequence, danced with an umbrella and a grin, that became legend. Vibrant, endlessly rewatchable, and packed with timeless tunes, this is the rare classic that’s just as infectious today as it was 70 years ago.
61. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Dir. Sergio Leone
📺 Streaming on Hulu and Paramount+
Sprawling, melancholic, and quietly devastating, Once Upon a Time in America is less a gangster film than a memory — hazy, painful, and impossible to fully trust. Sergio Leone’s final masterpiece spans decades of friendship, betrayal, and regret, all told with operatic scale and haunting stillness. Robert De Niro anchors the film with a restrained, haunted performance, while Ennio Morricone’s score floats like a ghost over every frame. It’s not an easy film — long, slow-burning, and morally murky — but for those who surrender to its rhythm, it’s unforgettable.
60. Joker (2019)
Dir. Todd Phillips
📺 Streaming on Max and available to rent on Prime Video
Joker strips away the comic book gloss to reveal something raw, unnerving, and deeply human. Joaquin Phoenix’s transformation into Arthur Fleck is mesmerizing — a slow-motion unraveling of a man cast aside by society, searching for meaning in a world that won’t look him in the eye. Todd Phillips blends gritty realism with bold visual style, crafting a Gotham that feels more like 1970s New York than a fantasy world. Love it or hate it, Joker is a conversation-starter — about mental illness, violence, identity, and the price of being invisible.
59. Braveheart (1995)
Dir. Mel Gibson
📺 Streaming on Paramount+ and available to rent on Prime Video
Braveheart is a sweeping, blood-stained anthem of rebellion — messy, mythic, and unflinchingly earnest. Mel Gibson directs and stars as William Wallace, turning the fight for Scottish freedom into a cinematic epic packed with rousing speeches, thunderous battles, and tragic beauty. While it takes liberties with history, what it delivers emotionally is pure: a story of legacy, sacrifice, and the fire that drives a man to fight for something bigger than himself. It’s the kind of film that wears its heart on its war-painted sleeve — and leaves a mark.
58. Oldboy (2003)
Dir. Park Chan-wook
📺 Streaming on Paramount+
Oldboy is a visceral gut-punch of a film — a revenge thriller that doesn’t just twist, it spirals. Park Chan-wook crafts a story that’s brutal, poetic, and psychologically scarring, with imagery and ideas that linger long after the credits roll. Choi Min-sik delivers a haunting, feral performance as a man imprisoned without explanation, then released with a purpose as cruel as his captivity. Stylish, intense, and morally complicated, Oldboy isn’t just one of the best Korean films ever made — it’s one of the boldest thrillers in cinema, period.
57. Good Will Hunting (1997)
Dir. Gus Van Sant
📺 Streaming on Paramount+
Good Will Hunting hits like a quiet revelation — a story about genius, trauma, and the hard work of healing. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning script balances working-class grit with deep emotional insight, anchored by Damon’s vulnerable lead performance and Robin Williams’s unforgettable, compassionate turn as a therapist who’s seen his own share of pain. It’s a film about potential — what we do with it, what holds us back, and the people who help us move forward. Sincere, sharp, and deeply human, it earns every tear.
56. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Dirs. Anthony & Joe Russo
📺 Streaming on Disney+
Avengers: Endgame isn’t just a superhero movie — it’s a cinematic event, a payoff to over a decade of storytelling that somehow delivers on the impossible. Balancing grief, sacrifice, and spectacle, it gives each major character a moment to shine while keeping its emotional center intact. Robert Downey Jr., in particular, brings real weight to Tony Stark’s journey, closing a chapter with grace and gravity. The action is massive, the stakes feel real, and when the dust finally settles, it’s clear: Endgame isn’t just a blockbuster — it’s a genre milestone.
🦸♂️ Marvel’s Next Chapter:
Already love Endgame and the MCU? Don’t miss my teaser breakdown for The Fantastic Four: First Steps — Marvel’s First Family is finally back. Read the full post here.
55. Toy Story (1995)
Dir. John Lasseter
📺 Streaming on Disney+
Toy Story wasn’t just the first fully computer-animated feature — it was the beginning of a new kind of storytelling. Beneath its groundbreaking visuals is a story about jealousy, friendship, and the quiet fear of being left behind. Woody and Buzz Lightyear aren’t just toys — they’re reflections of all of us trying to find our place in the world. Funny, heartfelt, and endlessly rewatchable, Toy Story remains one of Pixar’s finest achievements. It changed animation forever — and more importantly, it reminded us that growing up doesn’t mean letting go.
54. Coco (2017)
Dir. Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina
📺 Streaming on Disney+
CoCo is a vibrant celebration of family, memory, and the stories that keep us alive. Set against the rich traditions of Día de los Muertos, the film follows young Miguel as he crosses into the Land of the Dead in search of truth — and finds something far more powerful: connection. With stunning animation, a heartfelt story, and music that lingers (“Remember Me” is unforgettable for a reason), Coco is one of Pixar’s most emotionally mature films. It doesn’t just pull at the heartstrings — it plays them like a song you didn’t know you needed.
53. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Dir. Christopher Nolan
📺 Streaming on Max and Netflix, also available to rent on Prime Video
The Dark Knight Rises brings Nolan’s Batman trilogy to a thunderous, emotionally satisfying close. It’s darker, weightier, and more operatic than its predecessors — a story about pain, legacy, and rising from ruin. Christian Bale delivers his most vulnerable turn as Bruce Wayne, while Tom Hardy’s Bane is a physical and ideological force of nature. The scale is massive, but the themes are intimate: fear, sacrifice, and the will to rebuild. Not just a superhero finale — a story about endurance, closure, and choosing hope when everything’s burned to the ground.
52. Aliens (1986)
Dir. James Cameron
📺 Streaming on Hulu and available to rent on Prime Video
Where Alien was a slow-burn horror masterpiece, Aliens explodes into a full-throttle war film — and somehow, both are equally essential. James Cameron ups the intensity without sacrificing the intelligence, turning Ripley into one of cinema’s most iconic heroes. Sigourney Weaver balances grit and heart, facing off against a terrifying hive of xenomorphs with flamethrowers, maternal fury, and that unforgettable power loader. It’s a sequel that doesn’t just live up to the original — it redefines it. Brutal, relentless, and packed with tension, Aliens is the rare action film that hits just as hard emotionally.
51. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Dir. Quentin Tarantino
📺 Streaming on Paramount+, Starz and MovieSphere
With Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino rewrites history — literally — and does it with operatic tension, unforgettable characters, and razor-wire dialogue. It’s a war film by way of a spaghetti western, where every scene feels like a standoff. Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa is one of the most chilling villains ever put on screen, while Brad Pitt brings a darkly comic bravado to Aldo Raine. Stylish, brutal, and meticulously crafted, it’s not just Tarantino indulging in genre — it’s him refining it. This isn’t history. It’s cinema, and it knows exactly what it’s doing.
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🎞️ Build Your Collection — Top Picks from #100–51
If anything in this list deserves a permanent spot on your shelf, here’s a quick roundup of top-tier editions worth owning. Click a title to check pricing or stream availability:
🟫 Wrapping Up: #100–51
That’s the first half of the countdown — your cozy, curated guide to #100 through #51. Some picks might’ve surprised you. Some probably had you nodding in agreement. And others? Well, that’s what the comments are for.
Drop a comment below and let me know what you loved, what you’d bump higher, or what you’re hoping to see in the Top 50. The conversation’s part of the fun.
And if you haven’t yet — subscribe below to get Part 2 as soon as it goes live. The top half of the list is packed with big swings, beloved rewatches, and more than a few controversial rankings.
🎬 Update: Part Two is Now Live!
The countdown continues — see which films made the Top 50 and how it all ends.
👉 Read the Top 50 Movies of All Time — Part Two
📽️ From The Shining to Shawshank, you won’t want to miss what made the top of the list.
🎬 Looking Ahead:
While this list celebrates the greatest films ever made, I’m also watching what’s next. Don’t miss my picks for A Cute Film Addict’s Most Anticipated Summer Movies of 2025.
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