Sunday, March 9, 2025

Dave’s Movie Database: Best Rated Movies by Year (1913-2024)

Dave’s Movie Database:

Best-Rated Movies by Year,
1913-2024

These are the best-rated movies of each year based on an aggregate of the sources at the Ratings and Reviews” page on this site.



Resources:


Originally posted 8/15/2019; last updated 3/9/2025.

Saturday, March 8, 2025

Dave’s Movie Database: Best Rated Movies

Dave’s Movie Database:

Best-Rated Movies

This is a list of the best-rated movies according to Dave’s Movie Database. Go to the “Ratings/Reviews” page on this site to see what movie ratings have been aggregated to create this list. All the movies on this list averaged at least 4.5 out of 5 stars and had to be rated by 10 or more sources.


1. The Godfather (1972)
2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
3. The Godfather Part II (1974)
4. Schindler’s List (1993)
5. Casablanca (1942)
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
7. Rear Window (1954)
8. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
9. City Lights (1931)
10. Apocalypse Now (1979)

11. Pulp Fiction (1994)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
13. Fanny and Alexander (Fanny och Alexander) (1982)
14. Double Indemnity (1944)
15. All About Eve (1950)
16. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
17. Psycho (1960)
18. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
19. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
20. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

21. Grand Illusion (La Grande Illusion) (1937)
22. Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
23. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
24. The Rules of the Game (La Règle du Jeu) (1939)
25. Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) (2001)
26. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
27. The Seven Samurai (Schichinin no Samurai) (1954)
28. Strangers on a Train (1951)
29. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
30. Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)

31. Toy Story (1995)
32. Rififi (Du Rififi Chez les Hommes) (1955)
33. Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis) (1945)
34. The Decalogue (Dekalog) (1988)
35. Some Like It Hot (1959)
36. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
37. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
38. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
39. Goodfellas (1990)
40. Gone with the Wind (1939)

41. The Dark Knight (2008)
42. Yojimbo (Yôjinbô) (1961)
43. Chinatown (1974)
44. Shoah (1985)
45. Citizen Kane (1941)
46. Trouble in Paradise (1932)
47. Three Colors: Red (Trois Couleurs: Rouge) (1994)
48. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
49. Rashômon (1950)
50. Playtime (1967)

51. North by Northwest (1959)
52. Umberto D. (1952)
53. The Thin Man (1934)
54. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
55. Tokyo Story (Tôkyô Monogatari) (1953)
56. To Live (Ikiru) (1952)
57. Man with a Movie Camera (Chelovek s Kinoapparatom) (1929)
58. The Great Dictator (1940)
59. The Passion of Joan of Arc (La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc) (1928)
60. Sansho the Bailiff (Sansho Dayu) (1954)

61. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
62. The Apu Trilogy: The World of Apu (Apur Sansar) (1959)
63. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
64. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
65. On the Waterfront (1954)
66. It Happened One Night (1934)
67. Jaws (1975)
68. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
69. Notorious (1946)
70. M – Eine Stadt Sucht Einen Mörder (1931)

71. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
72. The Apu Trilogy: Pather Panchali (1955)
73. A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) (2011)
74. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
75. Vertigo (1958)
76. The Big Sleep (1946)
77. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
78. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
79. Rebecca (1940)
80. Army of Shadows (L’Armée des Ombres) (1969)

81. The French Connection (1971)
82. Ran (1985)
83. Back to the Future (1985)
84. Duck Soup (1933)
85. The Battle of Algiers (La Battaglia di Algeria) (1966)
86. Manhattan (1979)
87. Red River (1948)
88. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
89. Modern Times (1936)
90. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

91. Finding Nemo (2003)
92. The Seventh Seal (Det Sjunde Inseglet) (1957)
93. Woman in the Dunes (Suna No Onna) (1964)
94. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
95. Raging Bull (1980)
96. High Noon (1952)
97. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
98. Up (2009)
99. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
100. Groundhog Day (1993)


Resources:


Originally posted 8/15/2019; last updated 3/8/2025.

Top Movies of the 1950s

This page offers lists of the top movies of the decade as determined by two different metrics. The first list is based on box office and the second is based on critics’ picks.

Box Office:

Top 20 of the 1950s

These are the top 20 movies of the decade as determined by worldwide box office gross adjusted for inflation. The first number indicates dollars made in millions. See sources for box office figures here.

1) 3731.10: The Ten Commandments (1956)
2) 2970.20: Ben-Hur (1959)
3) 1575.00: Cinderella (1950)
4) 1326.00: The Robe (1953)
5) 1278.20: Quo Vadis? (1951)

6) 664.86: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
7) 591.12: Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
8) 548.90: The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
9) 519.40: From Here to Eternity (1953)
10) 509.88: Lady and the Tramp (1955)

11) 497.67: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
12) 481.70: Giant (1956)
13) 462.28: House of Wax (1953)
14) 460.66: Rear Window (1954)
15) 417.38: Peter Pan (1953)

16) 406.07: The Caine Mutiny (1954)
17) 293.90: Gigi (1958)
18) 231.20: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
19) 219.90 :On the Waterfront (1954)
20) 202.90: An American in Paris (1951)

Critics’ Picks:

Top 25 of the 1950s

These are the top 25 movies of the decade as determined by a combination of the movies’ ratings points and awards points.

1) All About Eve (1950)
2) The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
3) On the Waterfront (1954)
4) Ben-Hur (1959)
5) Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

6) Sunset Boulevard (1950)
7) 12 Angry Men (1957)
8) From Here to Eternity (1953)
9) Rear Window (1954)
10) Some Like It Hot (1959)

11) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
12) Vertigo (1958)
13) The Seven Samurai (Schichinin no Samurai) (1954)
14) North by Northwest (1959)
15) Touch of Evil (1958)

16) Rashômon (1950)
17) An American in Paris (1951)
18) Tokyo Story (Tôkyô Monogatari) (1953)
19) High Noon (1952)
20) The Searchers (1956)

21) Paths of Glory (1957)
22) Gigi (1958)
23) The Ten Commandments (1956)
24) The Night of the Hunter (1955)
25) Marty (1955)

Resources:


Originally posted 3/8/2025.

Top Movies of the 1940s

This page offers lists of the top movies of the decade as determined by two different metrics. The first list is based on box office and the second is based on critics’ picks.

Box Office:

Top 20 of the 1940s

These are the top 20 movies of the decade as determined by worldwide box office gross adjusted for inflation. The first number indicates dollars made in millions. See sources for box office figures here.

1) Bambi (1942)
2) Pinocchio (1940)
3) This Is the Army (1943)
4) Fantasia (1940)
5) The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

6) Mrs. Miniver (1942)
7) Random Harvest (1942)
8) The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
9) Going My Way (1944)
10) Duel in the Sun (1946)

11) Sergeant York (1941)
12) Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
13) Casablanca (1942)
14) The Great Dictator (1940)
15) How Green Was My Valley (1941)

16) Rebecca (1940)
17) Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
18) The Lost Weekend (1945)
19) Song of the South (1946)
20) The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Critics’ Picks:

Top 25 of the Decade

These are the top 25 movies of the decade as determined by a combination of the movies’ ratings points and awards points.

1) Citizen Kane (1941)
2) Casablanca (1942)
3) The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
4) 55.00: The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
5) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

6) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
7) Double Indemnity (1944)
8) The Philadelphia Story (1940)
9) The Lost Weekend (1945)
10) Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di Biciclette) (1948)

11) The Third Man (1949)
12) The Maltese Falcon (1941)
13) Rebecca (1940)
14) Going My Way (1944)
15) How Green Was My Valley (1941)

16) All the King’s Men (1949)
17) Pinocchio (1940)
18) Children of Paris (Les Enfants du Paradis) (1945)
19) Bambi (1942)
20) Notorious (1946)

21) Laura (1944)
22) His Girl Friday (1940)
23) Fantasia (1940)
24) Mrs. Miniver (1942)
25) The Red Shoes (1948)

Resources:


Originally posted 3/8/2025.

Friday, March 7, 2025

Top Movies of the 1910s

1910s:

Top 10 of the Decade

These are the top 10 movies of the decade as determined by overall points in Dave’s Movie Database.

1) The Birth of a Nation (1915)
2) Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)
3) Broken Blossoms (1919)
4) Cabiria (1914)
5) The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917)

6) Les Vampires (1915)
7) Traffic in Souls (1913)
8) The Blue Bird (1918)
9) Richard III (1912)
10) The Cheat (1915)

Resources:


Originally posted 3/7/2025.

Top Movies of the 1920s

1920s:

Top 25 of the Decade

These are the top 25 movies of the decade as determined by overall points in Dave’s Movie Database.

1) Metropolis (1927)
2) Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
3) The General (1926)
4) The Passion of Joan of Arc (La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc) (1928)
5) Battleship Potemkin (Bronenosets Potyomkin) (1925)

6) The Gold Rush (1925)
7) Nosferatu, a Symphony of Terror (aka "Nosferatu, the Vampire") (Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens) (1922)
8) Greed (1924)
9) Sherlock Jr. (1924)
10) Man with a Movie Camera (Chelovek s Kinoapparatom) (1929)

11) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari) (1920)
12) The Kid (1921)
13) The Crowd (1928)
14) Napoléon (1927)
15) Pandora’s Box (aka “Lulu”) (Die Büchse der Pandora) (1929)

16) Safety Last! (1923)
17) Wings (1927)
18) The Big Parade (1925)
19) An Andalusian Dog (Un Chien Andalou) (1928)
20) Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)

21) Nanook of the North (1922)
22) The Jazz Singer (1927)
23) The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
24) The Wind (1928)
25) The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921)

Resources:


Originally posted 3/7/2025.

Top Movies of the 1930s

1930s:

Top 25 of the Decade

These are the top 25 movies of the decade as determined by overall points in Dave’s Movie Database.

1) Gone with the Wind (1939)
2) The Wizard of Oz (1939)
3) City Lights (1931)
4) King Kong (1933)
5) Modern Times (1936)

6) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
7) It Happened One Night (1934)
8) The Rules of the Game (La Règle du Jeu) (1939)
9) M – Eine Stadt Sucht Einen Mörder (1931)
10) All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

11) Grand Illusion (La Grand Illusion) (1937)
12) Stagecoach (1939)
13) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
14) Duck Soup (1933)
15) Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

16) Frankenstein (1931)
17) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
18) Bringing Up Baby (1938)
19) Top Hat (1935)
20) Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

21) L’Atalante (aka “Le Chaland Qui Passe) (1934)
22) Trouble in Paradise (1932)
23) A Night at the Opera (1935)
24) The Thin Man (1934)
25) Swing Time (1936)

Resources:


Originally posted 3/7/2025.

Worldwide Box Office – Adjusted for Inflation

Worldwide Box Office, Adjusted for Inflation:

Top 100

These are the top films of all-time based on worldwide box office after being adjusted for inflation. The number right before the movie title indicates the adjusted worldwide box office numbers in millions. See the bottom of the page for resources used to compile this list.

1) 5192.10: Titanic (1997)
2) 4349.40: Avatar (2009)
3) 4341.00: Gone with the Wind (1939)
4) 3753.70: Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
5) 3731.10: The Ten Commandments (1956)
6) 3589.90: Avengers: Endgame (2019)
7) 3095.40: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
8) 3093.10: The Sound of Music (1965)
9) 2980.22: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
10) 2970.22: Ben-Hur (1959)

11) 2860.20: Jurassic Park (1993)
12) 2846.50: Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
13) 2712.00:
Jaws (1975)
14) 2680.60: The Exorcist (1973)
15) 2634.30: Doctor Zhivago (1965)
16) 2625.10: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
17) 2588.80: Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
18) 2384.50: The Lion King (1994)
19) 2349.50: Jurassic World (2015)
20) 2344.40: Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)

21) 1736.00: Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
22) 2231.60: The Avengers (2012)
23) 2179.40: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
24) 2173.00: Independence Day (1996)
25) 2169.00: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
26) 2140.00: 101 Dalmatians (1961)
27) 2124.90: The Lion King (2019)
28) 2103.40: Furious 7 (The Fast and the Furious 7) (2015)
29) 2025.10: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (aka “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”) (2001)
30) 2020.00: The Jungle Book (1967)

31) 1999.00: Ne Zha 2 (2025)
32) 1987.70: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part II (2011)
33) 1980.40: Mary Poppins (1964)
34) 1947.70: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
35) 1938.60: Grease (1978)
36) 1924.90: Forrest Gump (1994)
37) 1904.10: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
38) 1878.80: The Graduate (1967)
39) 1860.00: Frozen II (2019)
40) 1858.70: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

41) 1851.00: The Sting (1973)
42) 1840.60: Frozen (2013)
43) 1820.00: Enter the Dragon (1973)
44) 1797.50: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
45) 1778.30: Finding Nemo (2003)
46) 1776.60: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
47) 1745.70: Star Wars – Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
48) 1741.70: Thunderball (1965)
49) 1741.10: Goldfinger (1964)
50) 1740.40: Shrek 2 (2004)

51) 1736.70: Iron Man 3 (2013)
52) 1730.00: The Godfather (1972)
53) 1730.00: Bambi (1942)
54) 1727.50: Black Panther (2018)
55) 1723.70: Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
56) 1696.20: Inside Out 2 (2024)
57) 1673.70: Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
58) 1666.50: Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
59) 1664.70: Spider-Man (2002)
60) 1663.70: Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

61) 1661.70: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
62) 1645.40: Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
63) 1644.80: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
64) 1641.50: The Dark Knight (2008)
65) 1639.60: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
66) 1636.40: Skyfall (2012)
67) 1621.60: Minions (2015)
68) 1618.80: The Fate of the Furious (Fast and the Furious 8) (2017)
69) 1615.50: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
70) 1592.50: The Incredibles 2 (2018)

71) 1590.80: Toy Story 3 (2010)
72) 1587.80: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
73) 1583.70: Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997)
74) 1575.00: Cinderella (1950)
75) 1565.10: Barbie (2023)
76) 1562.60: Captain America: Civil War (2016)
77) 1560.10: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
78) 1558.30: Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
79) 1557.70: The Sixth Sense (1999)
80) 1549.40: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

81) 1522.70: Alice in Wonderland (2010)
82) 1521.50: Spider-Man 3 (2007)
83) 1508.80: Men in Black (1997)
84) 1507.90: Superman: The Movie (1978)
85) 1507.40: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
86) 1501.20: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
87) 1483.00: Spider-Man 2 (2004)
88) 1483.00: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
89) 1471.50: Aquaman (2018)
90) 1463.90: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

91) 1450.90: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
92) 1447.30: Captain Marvel (2019)
93) 1446.10: The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
94) 1430.10: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010)
95) 1427.10: Aladdin (1992)
96) 1420.90: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
97) 1420.40: Despicable Me 2 (2013)
98) 1404.70: Ghost (1990)
99) 1400.40: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
100) 1397.20: Finding Dory (2016)


Resources:


Originally posted 7/19/2019; last updated 3/7/2025.

Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Dave’s Movie Database: “The Top 100 Movies of All Time”

Dave’s Movie Database:

Top 100 Movies of All Time

At the turn of the century, I was enamored with all the best-of lists floating around. Being particularly interested in music, I created a database to accumulate as many music-focused lists as I could find. I ended up aggregating hundreds of lists to make “definitive” lists of the best songs, albums, and acts of all time – and more. I created a website – DavesMusicDatabase.com – to gather and publish those lists.

This endeavor is based on the same concept. Gather and aggregate multiple lists focused on the best movies of all time. The anchor list is this one – The Top 100 Movies of All Time. It was created by aggregating more than 50 lists (see those lists here) along with box office figures (sources here), ratings (sources here), and awards (sources here).

Note to Members of the Film Fanatics Movie Club: This is a revised version of the 2019 list we use for our group. You can check out the original list on which our group is based here.

Here’s the list:



1. The Godfather (1972)
2. Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
3. Citizen Kane (1941)
4. Gone with the Wind (1939)
5. Casablanca (1942)
6. Schindler’s List (1993)
7. Psycho (1960)
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
9. Pulp Fiction (1994)
10. Jaws (1975)



11. Vertigo (1958)
12. The Godfather Part II (1974)
13. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
14. Apocalypse Now (1979)
15. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
16. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
17. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
18. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
19. Titanic (1997)
20. Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)



21. Taxi Driver (1976)
22. Some Like It Hot (1959)
23. Goodfellas (1990)
24. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
25. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
26. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
27. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
28. Chinatown (1974)
29. The Dark Knight (2008)
30. Rear Window (1954)



31. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
32. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
33. Raging Bull (1980)
34. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
35. The Seven Samurai (Schichinin no Samurai) (1954)
36. Forrest Gump (1994)
37. All About Eve (1950)
38. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
39. Double Indemnity (1944)
40. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)



41. The Third Man (1949)
42. On the Waterfront (1954)
43. The Sound of Music (1965)
44. North by Northwest (1959)
45. Alien (1979)
46. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
47. 12 Angry Men (1957)
48. The Graduate (1967)
49. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
50. Annie Hall (1977)



51. City Lights (1931)
52. Back to the Future (1985)
53. Toy Story (1995)
54. Avatar (2009)
55. The Searchers (1956)
56. Blade Runner (1982)
57. Jurassic Park (1993)
58.
The Apartment (1960)
59. Fargo (1996)
60. The Exorcist (1973)



61. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
62. Rocky (1976)
63. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
64. The Matrix (1999)
65. The Shining (1980)
66. Ben-Hur (1959)
67. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
68. King Kong (1933)
69. Metropolis (1927)
70. Modern Times (1936)



71. Touch of Evil (1958)
72. No Country for Old Men (2007)
73. Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) (2001)
74. West Side Story (1961)
75. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
76. Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di Biciclette) (1948)
77. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
78. Gladiator (2000)
79. 8 ½ (Otto e Mezzo) (1963)
80. The Lion King (1994)



81. Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) (2006)
82. Tokyo Story (Tôkyô Monogatari) (1953)
83. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
84. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
85. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
86. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
87. Inception (2010)
88. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
89. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
90. It Happened One Night (1934)




91. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
92. The Deer Hunter (1978)
93. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
94. Parasite (Gisaengchung) (2019)
95. American Beauty (1999)
96. Do the Right Thing (1989)
97. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
98. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
99. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
100. The Wild Bunch (1969)


Resources:


Originally posted 7/18/2019; last updated 3/4/2025.