The Best Movies of All Time
(In my rarely-if-ever-humble opinion)
Not too long ago, in a galaxy not too far away, I started creating a list of movies. Movies that everybody loved. Movies that got the critics and box offices gushing and begging for more. What made this list so special?
It was that I actively despised every single movie on the list.
Then, I decided to make a new list. This one was more daunting. This was a list of every single movie I’d ever seen in my life. You read that correctly. Every. Single. Movie.
Why, you ask?
Well, I figured sharing a list of every movie I’ve ever hated would just be putting out negative energy into the universe. SO, I decided to create a list of every movie that I LOVED in order to share with the world. After all, what good is Art if you can’t share it with any one?
After doing some serious digging, I calculated that I’ve seen in my whole life, start to finish, somewhere in the ballpark of 800 movies.
Now, whether that number seems large or small to you, the point is-I certainly have not enjoyed 800 movies. Only a fraction of that number have made an impact on my life and made my tiny world just a bit brighter.
Alright, enough prologue. Sit back, relax, and please, silence all cellular devices for the duration of this article. Enjoy!
Favorite Overall: School of Rock
Probably haven’t seen any movie more times than this one. Never gets old, never fails to put a smile on my face. If you haven’t seen this one…it’s been almost 20 years, you really have no excuse!
Best Overall: Defiance
What is the difference between “Favorite” and “Best”? I can recognize that my personal favorite may not truly be the most well-made film. Just like I can recognize that Dwyane Wade is my favorite basketball player of all time, even if LeBron James is the better player overall. That being said, Defiance doesn’t just make me proud to be a Jew-it makes me proud to be a Human Being. And at the end of the day, why create Art if not to remind us what it means to be Human?
Best Comedy: Dodgeball
Quotable. Jaw-dropping. Laugh-out-loud funny. Feel-good. Everything a comedy should be.
Best Rom-Com: Love Actually
One of those movies where every scene is a must-watch. Showing the many different, beautiful shapes and sizes of Love!
Most Laughs-per-Minute in a Comedy: Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Granted: I had been a big Andy Samberg/Lonely Island fan for years before watching this movie, and I did watch it in a full movie theatre sitting next to 10 or so of my closest bros. So, it would’ve been fair to assume that I laughed so much at this movie (literally so much that my stomach hurt afterwards because I really hadn’t stopped laughing for it’s entire hour an a half run time), because I was just prone to have a really good time that night. But that just isn’t so-as I’ve rewatched it and listened to the album a few times since, and it’s still just as brilliantly funny as the first time.
Best Comedy Sequel: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
The entire Austin Powers Trilogy may all be the same movie recycled over and over. But it really is the perfect example of not fixing it if it ain’t broke!
Best Political Satire: Don’t Look Up
Right when I want to call this movie a Comedy, I think its message is too “real” to “merely” be a Comedy, and would qualify more as a Dramedy. But no! This movie is the perfect reminder that sometimes, Comedy is the most real, most truthful genre of storytelling. And boy, does this movie have some truth to tell!
Best Dramedy: The Wolf of Wall Street
Ah, “Dramedy”. That lovely word for when a movie isn’t just one type of movie. The “Spork” of the movie genres. Anyway, this movie puts gratuitousness to beautiful use, and is one of the few times I actually found that nudity enhanced the film (rather than just providing a distraction for the teenage boys in the audience like 99% of films with unnecessary nudity). It’s also fair to say this is the Best “Long” Movie, making every shot enjoyable in it’s 3-hour entirety.
Best Drama: Forrest Gump
I’ll tell you what you’re gonna get with this box of chocolates: a once-in-a-generation movie, helping solidify Tom Hanks as one of the greatest actors of all time!
Best Overall Sequel: The Godfather Part II
When it’s hard to decide whether the first movie is better than it’s sequel, you know you’ve got something special. Al Pacino is great at making bad scripts seem better, so give him a terrific script like this one and you’ve got the makings of a truly exceptional film!
Best Action: 1917
Not many movies have knocked me away the way this movie did. A true masterpiece, and also the Best Atmospheric Film (when Schofield was in the icy river-I actually felt cold in the movie theater!)
Best Psychological Thriller: The Silence of the Lambs
Ah, Psychological Thriller. What Dramedy is to Comedy and Drama, I find Psych Thriller is to Drama and Horror. Too scary to just be a Drama, but too story-driven to just be labeled a Horror. And too good of a film to not make this list!
Best Horror: The Shining
I actually have not seen too many horror movies. Sure, I’ve seen a lot of movies with scary parts in them, but not so many where the primary goal was to Scare. Watching this movie alone in my house in the afternoon was an interesting experience, because while I wasn’t too scared at the time-it was the kind of creeps your mind and body give you later on that night when you really sit and think about what you saw! Also the Best Atmospheric Horror film (boy do you feel like you are IN THERE with them!), and the Best Overall Sound Design for a film.
Favorite Comic Book Movie: Deadpool
This movie didn’t need to be as good as it is. But the action, pacing, script, and casting (Ryan Reynolds is perfect as Wade Wilson) make this movie stand out among its Comic Book Movie siblings.
Best Comic Book Movie: The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger. ‘Nough said. But also the Best Opening Scene in a movie, and an overall film that truly captures the grit and darkness of the Caped Crusader.
Best non-teamup Marvel: Black Panther
(By “non-teamup” I mean a Marvel film featuring only 1 main Hero).
I’m not a huge fan of the MCU, and I find that most of the films blend together in my mind. But not this one. Wakanda Forever!
Most re-watchable Overall: Avengers: Infinity War
When this one first came out, I remember my friends telling me they had seen it 3 or 4 times in the movie theater. And I thought, “I’ve seen some great movies, but not too many that I saw 3 or 4 times in its first month”. Then I saw the movie, and I understood why people kept coming back. While certainly not the Best Movie Overall by a long shot (with some gaping plot holes that simply cannot be ignored), it is the Best-Paced movie I have ever seen, rarely giving the viewer time to get bored.
Best Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars, like Shakespeare, is really its own genre. But Star Wars is a bit funky. For the most successful movie franchise of all time, it really only has 2 movies that are fairly universal in how well they are received by audiences and critics alike. While each one has a special place in my heart, really none compare to Empire in terms of its maturity and gravity (pun intended). This picture of the Dark Lord of the Sith is still one of my favorite shots not just in the Star Wars canon, but in all of cinema.
Favorite Movie Musical: Rent
This movie gets a lot of flack. And I genuinely do not understand why. Not only is this a beautiful adaptation of the stage musical; it is simply a beautiful movie. And, dare I say it, I would take the movie over the stage musical ANY day.
Best Movie Musical: West Side Story
At the risk of having too many basketball metaphors in one movie article, West Side Story is the “Michael Jordan” of musicals: It may not be your personal Favorite, but you have to recognize that it is the Best.
Best Fantasy: Donnie Darko
I am usually not a big fan of anything remotely “weird”. And yet, this movie is so weird. And so good. I can’t explain it. That’s how weird it is.
Best Live-Action Prequel: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
A thoroughly flawed movie, but pretty fair to say it’s the best Star Wars film to come out in the last 6 years. And that’s largely due to the weight it gives the original trilogy. This movie isn’t just telling a story for the sake of selling tickets. It’s telling a story to enhance it’s predecessor and finally put to rest that nagging plot hole in the original Star Wars film.
Most Faithful Adaptation: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Not necessarily the best-quality adaptation of another work, and it certainly makes a few changes from the novel that I wasn’t a fan of. But the casting, acting, scenery, and score all bring Stieg Larsson’s stellar novel to life in just two and a half hours (no small feat given how complex and detailed the 644-page book is), and truly “pick up” what Larsson was “putting down.”
Best Foreign Film: Life is Beautiful
Roberto Benigni’s Italian masterpiece looks at the nightmare of the Holocaust through the most unique lens I’ve ever seen. With its haunting, beautiful story and score, this film is a must-see that transcends both language and nationality barriers.
Best Documentary: Religulous
While I certainly don’t agree with everything Bill Maher has to say (and I believe in respecting all religious beliefs, a sentiment Maher does not seem to share)…it’s hard to watch this documentary and not become, even just a little bit…an Atheist.
Best Overall Animated: The Prince of Egypt
Make no mistake: Just because this movie isn’t listed near the “top” of this article does not mean it isn’t arguably the greatest movie ever made (animated or otherwise). 10/10. 100/100. A perfect movie, and one every other movie should strive to be.
Best Animated Comedy: The Emperor’s New Groove
Arguably the most quotable movie of all time, filled to the brim with brilliant zingers and creative scenarios. Real out-of-the-box, and really special to watch.
Favorite Animated Disney 2D: Mulan
This movie is such a treat. Great songs, animation, story, characters. You name it, this movie has got it!
Best Animated Disney 2D: Beauty and the Beast
I never want to see this movie again. I’ve seen it a thousand times, seen the remake, seen the Disney World live-action show, seen the stage musical a hundred times, been in the musical once or twice, seen individual numbers performed. But there’s a reason this piece is so frequently-produced: it’s hard to match in terms of quality!
Favorite Animated 3D Series: Shrek
Not the only Mike Myers-led series on this list, and for good reason. A terrific blend of adult and family-friendly humor, allowing it to only get riper with age.
Best Animated 3D Series: Toy Story
Is this a series I ever really need to see again? Probably not. But is it revolutionary in its storytelling? Undoubtably.
Best Animated Prequel: Monsters University
Almost as good as the original. And we all know how good the original is.
Best Overall Animated Comic Book: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
A truly extraordinary film that redefines storytelling in ways that future animators would be wise to study like a textbook!
Best Animated Comic Book Comedy: Teen Titans Go! To the Movies
If you loved the original Teen Titans show, then you’ll equally love Teen Titans Go! It’s a parody of the original show…made by the original production team. So they’re literally making fun of themselves. And the movie is no different.
The Rest of the Pack
These beauties may not be the best in any specific way within their given genres, but they are still some of the best movies of all time (in not too particular of an order):
Comedy:
1. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
2. Austin Powers in Goldmember
3. Superbad
4. Wayne’s World
5. Wayne’s World 2
6. Ted
7. Ted 2
8. 17 Again
9. This is the End
10. Blazing Saddles
11. The Big Sick
12. Tommy Boy
13. Airplane!
14. Joe Dirt
15. Kindergarten Cop
16. The Sitter
17. Young Frankenstein
18. Spacejam
19. Grandma’s Boy
20. Legally Blonde
21. Get Hard
22. Kicking and Screaming
23. Daddy’s Home
24. Coming to America
25. Zoolander
26. She’s the Man
27. The Odd Couple
28. Bruce Almighty
29. 21 Jump Street
30. 22 Jump Street
31. Neighbors
32. Knocked Up
33. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
34. The Game Plan
35. Accepted
36. Daddy Day Care
37. Due Date
38. Music and Lyrics
39. Mean Girls
40. Old School
41. 50/50
42. Shallow Hal
43. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
44. John Tucker Must Die
45. Hitch
46. The Holiday
47. Death Becomes Her
48. The Producers (1967)
49. Meet the Parents
50. Billy Madison
51. Happy Gilmore
52. Rebound
53. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
54. Between Two Ferns: The Movie
55. The Campaign
56. My Cousin Vinny
57. Blithe Spirit (1945)
58. Shiva Baby
59. You People
60. History of the World, Part 1
61. The Hangover Part II
62. The Hangover Part III
63. Theater Camp
Dramedy/Other:
1. Entourage- The Movie
2. The Lizzie McGuire Movie
3 The Princess Diaries
4. The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
5. Hocus Pocus
6. Ocean’s Eleven
7. Can’t Buy Me Love
7. About Time
8. Like Mike
9. Adventureland
10. Zombieland
11. The Devil Wears Prada
Drama:
1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. The Godfather
3. Cast Away
4. Just Mercy
5. The Revenant
6. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
7. Thelma and Louise
8. A Bronx Tale
9. The King of Comedy
10. District 9
11. Goodfellas
12. Stand by Me
13. 12 Angry Men
14. Kramer vs. Kramer
15. CODA
16. The Pursuit of Happyness
17. El Camino
18. The Truman Show
19. And the Band Played On
20. Dallas Buyers Club
21. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
22. The Basketball Diaries
23. Brothers
24. 8 Mile
25. Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
26. Good Will Hunting
27. The Green Mile
28. To Sir, With Love
29. (500) Days of Summer
30. Not Okay
31. School Ties
32. This Boy’s Life
33. American Graffiti
Action/Sci Fi/Fantasy:
1. Scarface
2. Troy
3. The Terminator
4. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
5. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
6. Planet of the Apes
7. A Quiet Place
8. A Quiet Place Part II
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
11. Die Hard
12. The Matrix
13. Snowpiercer
14. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc
15. Elysium
16. Independence Day
17. Predator
18. Top Gun: Maverick
Horror/Psychological Thriller:
- Psycho
- The Sixth Sense
- The Black Phone
- One Hour Photo
Comic Book Movie:
1. X-Men: Days of Future Past
2. X-Men: First Class
3. Sky High
4. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
5. Batman Begins
6. The Dark Knight Rises
7. Deadpool 2
8. Spider-Man
9. Spider-Man 2
10. Ant-Man
11. Ant-Man and the Wasp
12. The Incredible Hulk
13. 300
Movie Musical:
1. Fiddler on the Roof
2. The Sound of Music
3. Enchanted
4. Little Shop of Horrors
5. Mary Poppins
6. Singin’ in the Rain
7. Rocketman
8. Hairspray
9. Dreamgirls
10. Mamma Mia!
11. Grease
12. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
13. High School Musical
14. High School Musical 2
15. Annie
16. The Producers (2005)
17. tick, tick…BOOM!
18. Rock of Ages
19. The Wizard of Oz
20. Matilda
Documentary:
1. Fahrenheit 11/9
2. Howard
3. On Broadway
4. Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles
5. The Insurrectionist Next Door
6. D. Wade: Life Unexpected
7. Joker: Put on a Happy Face
8. Stutz
9. Remembering Gene Wilder
10. Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles
2D Animated:
1. Tarzan
2. Aladdin
3. Pocahontas
4. An Extremely Goofy Movie
5. The Iron Giant
6. Rugrats in Paris: The Movie
7. Joseph King of Dreams
8. A Goofy Movie
9. The Road to El Dorado
10. The Simpsons Movie
11. Hercules
12. Our Friend, Martin
13. One Small Step
14. Pangu
15. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
3D Animated:
- Monsters Inc.
- The Incredibles
- The Incredibles 2
- Inside Out
- Bee Movie
- Finding Nemo
- Kung Fu Panda
- Kung Fu Panda 2
- The Croods
- The Croods: A New Age
- Shark Tale
- Wreck-It Ralph
- Ralph Breaks the Internet
Datz all folks!
What are you thoughts? What did I miss? What did I get just right? Let me know! And if you liked this, check out all my other Best of All Time lists!
And for more things Datz, check out eddiedatz.com!
Note: This is an ongoing list that will continue to be edited as I see more movies and find new favorites!