With about thirteen basic movie genres, over eighty subgenres, and millions of movie watchers and fans, it’s hard to make a universally encompassing list of the world’s best movies. With different tastes and critic levels, many will agree and disagree on what movie should make the list.
What better way to make a compilation than using one of the world’s most popular movie information websites? IMDb brings a collection of millions of movie fans to rate movies. While there have been more interesting and entertaining movies in recent times, here are the 10 best movies of all time, as voted for by IMDb users.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – 8.9
credit: The Lord of the Rings:
Starting the list as the seventh best movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. You don’t even have to be a movie fanatic to know about The Lord of the Rings—whether from the books or the movies. The Return of the King is the final installment of the film’s trilogy.
The movie is undeniably the best of the series and sees Frodo and Samwise get to Mordor to destroy the One Ring. Although the other two movies were Box Office successes, their success pales in comparison to this movie. The Return of the King grossed $1.146 million at the Box Office with a budget of $94 million.
Schindler’s List (1993) – 8.9
credit: Schindler’s List
Schindler’s List is an epic historical drama that takes viewers back to the Holocaust. Yet, it is a movie about compassion, love, and hope. The storyline follows the movie’s protagonist, Oskar Schindler. As a German industrialist, Schindler makes it his mission not only to save over a thousand Polish Jews from the Holocaust but make them gainfully employed in his factories.
Liam Neeson plays the role of Oskar Schindler. The movie was a box office success, grossing $322.2 million on a $22 million budget.
12 Angry Men (1957) – 9.0
credit: 12 Angry Men
Definitely not a popular one for the much younger generation, but certainly a must-watch. The film is a courtroom drama that tells the story of a court jury composed of 12 men. While the case before them is to decide an acquittal or discharge for a teenager convicted of murder, their prolonged disagreements make them question their individual values and morals.
The Godfather Part II (1974) – 9.0
credit: The Godfather Part II
You know it’s the 70s when “Part II” has to be included in the title. It also goes without saying that a movie has to be phenomenal when two of its three installments make it to the top five best movies of all time. This sequel follows the life of the now-established ruthless mafia boss, Michael Corleone. After an attempt is made on his life Michael Corleone, as the Don of the family, must protect the Corleone family from rival mafia groups.
The Dark Knight (2008) – 9.0
credit: The Dark Knight
2008 The Dark Knight was a sequel to the 2005 Batman Begins. The movie would become one of Warner Bros.’ most successful superhero movies, adapted from DC Comics. The movie also went on to become the highest-grossing movie of 2008. It grossed $1.006 billion on a $185 million budget.
Notable actors in the movie include Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Aaron Eckhart.
The Godfather (1972) – 9.2
credit: The Godfather
When it comes to crime movies, The Godfather ranks high. This 1972 movie is the first movie in the Godfather trilogy. The movie’s storyline follows Michael Corleone, the youngest son of Vito Corleone. It follows his life from playing the outsider to establishing himself as a ruthless mafia boss.
The movie featured some of Hollywood’s finest actors, including Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, James Caan, John Marley, Diane Keaton, and Richard Castellano. The movie received massive success at the Box Office, grossing $250–$291 million on an estimated $6–$7.2 million budget.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – 9.2
credit: The Shawshank Redemption
On the top of the list of best movies of all time is The Shawshank Redemption, with a rating of 9.2. The 1994 drama movie follows the story of a banker, Andy Dufresne, who is imprisoned for life for murdering his wife and her lover. While in Shawshank State Penitentiary, he meets and befriends fellow inmate Ellis “Red” Redding. Dufresne would also play a key role in helping the prison warden’s money-laundering operation.
The movie starred Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, and Bob Gunton. IMDb users rate it as the best movie of all time.
Do you agree with the IMDb ranking of the best movies of all time? What movie do you think should have made the top 7?
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