Domestic Box Office: Best of the Year

Domestic Box Office: Best of the Year

These are the top domestic grossing movies for each year based on the sources at the bottom of the page. 2024: Wicked 2023: Barbie 2022: Top Gun: Maverick 2021: Spider-Man: No Way Home 2020: Bad Boys for Life 2019: Avengers: Endgame 2018: Black Panther 2017: Star Wars – Episode VIII: The Last Jedi 2016: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 2015: Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens 2014: American Sniper 2013: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire 2012: The Avengers 2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2010: Toy Story 3 2009: Avatar 2008: The Dark Knight 2007: Spider-Man 3 2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest 2005: Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith 2004: Shrek 2 2003: Finding Nemo 2002: Spider-Man 2001: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 2000: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas 1999: Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace 1998: Saving Private Ryan 1997: Titanic 1996: Independence Day 1995: Toy Story 1994: The Lion King 1993: Jurassic Park 1992: Aladdin 1991: Beauty and the Beast 1990: Home Alone 1989: Batman 1988: Rain Man 1987: Three Men and a Baby 1986: Top Gun 1985: Back to the Future 1984: Ghostbusters 1983: Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi 1982: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark 1980: Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 1979: Kramer vs. Kramer 1978: Grease 1977: Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope 1976: Rocky 1975: Jaws 1974: Blazing Saddles 1973: The Exorcist 1972: The Godfather 1971: Billy Jack 1970: Love Story 1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey 1967: The Jungle Book 1966: The Bible: In the Beginning 1965: The Sound of Music 1964: Mary Poppins 1963: Cleopatra 1962: Lawrence of Arabia 1961: 101 Dalmations 1960: Psycho 1959: Ben-Hur 1958: South Pacific 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai 1956: The Ten Commandments 1955: Lady and the Tramp 1954: Rear Window 1953: Peter Pan 1952: The Greatest Show on Earth 1951: Quo Vadis? 1950: Cinderella 1949: Samson and Delilah 1948: The Red Shoes 1947: Miracle on 34th Street 1946: Song of the South 1945: The Bells of St. Mary’s 1944: Going My Way 1943: This Is the Army 1942: Bambi 1941: Sergeant York 1940: Pinocchio 1939: Gone with the Wind 1938: The Adventures of Robin Hood 1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1936: Modern Times 1935: Mutiny on the Bounty 1934: It Happened One Night 1933: King Kong 1932: Shanghai Express 1931: Frankenstein 1930: Tom Sawyer 1929: The Broadway Melody 1928: The Singing Melody 1927: The Jazz Singer 1926: Aloma of the South Seas 1925: The Big Parade 1924: The Sea Hawk 1923: The Covered Wagon 1922: Robin Hood 1921: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse 1920: Something to Think About 1919: The Miracle Man 1918: Mickey 1917: The Poor Little Rich Girl / Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm / Cleopatra 1916: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1915: The Birth of a Nation 1914: Million Dollar Mystery 1913: Traffic in Souls Resources: Dave’s Movie Database: Box Office Lists Box Office Mojo: good source to look up domestic gross for movies Box Office Mojo “Top Lifetime Adjusted Grosses” Box Office Mojo “Domestic Grosses Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation” Box Office Mojo “Domestic Grosses: Estimated Tickets Sold” Filmsite.org “Box Office Hits by Decade and Year” (1913-2023) Robert Munafo (year?). “All-Time Top 232 Movies by U.S. Theatre Attendance” TheNumbers.com (searchable database) Originally posted 6/4/2023; last updated 2/24/2025.

The Top 10 Movies of 2024

Dave’s Movie Database: Top 10 Movies of 2024 These are the top 10 movies of the year based on their overall status in Dave’s Movie Database.

#1. Anora This romantic drama was written and directed by Sean Baker. The title character of Anora (Mikey Madison) is a sex worker who marries Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. Vanya’s family tries to have the marriage annulled. Won Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing, Producers Guild of America for Best Picture, and Writers Guild of America for Best Original Screenplay. 5 Oscar wins, including Best Picture. See DMDB page.

#2. Dune: Part Two This and 2021’s Dune serve as director Denis Villenueve’s epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic 1965 sci-fi novel. Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, and others return alongside new cast members Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, and Florence Pugh. 5 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. See DMDB page.

#3. Wicked This is the first of a two-part adaptation of the blockbuster 2003 stage musical. Cynthia Erivo stars as Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West, and Ariana Grande is Galinda, the future Good Witch of the North in this reimagining of events from The Wizard of Oz told from the witches’ point of view. 2024 box office champ. Winner of National Board of Review – Best Film. 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. See DMDB page.

#4. Inside Out 2 The sequel to Pixar Studios 2015 animated blockbuster sees the return of Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, and others revoicing their characters alongside Maya Hawke, Tony Hale, and others. As Wikipedia says, “The film tells the story of Riley’s emotions as they find themselves joined by other new emotions that want to take over Riley’s mind.” Oscar-nominated for Best Animated Feature.

#5. The Brutalist Brady Corbet directed, produced, and co-wrote this epic period drama with Adrien Brody starring as László Tóth, an architect and Holocaust survivor who immigrates to the United States. Golden Globe winner for Best Drama. 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. See DMDB page.

#6. Deadpool & Wolverine The third movie in the Deadpool series paired the titular superhero (Ryan Reynolds) with Wolverine. Hugh Jackman portrayed the character from the X-Men series over nine films. Although his character died in the 2017 film Logan, a multiverse story allowed his return in this movie. The first two movies were made by 20th Century Fox, but the third was developed by Marvel Studios after Disney acquired Fox.

#7. Conclave This political thriller is based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. The story focuses on Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) organizing a conclave to elect the new pope. He ends up investigating secrets and scandals about the major candidates. Winner of the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA) for Best Picture and Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Cast. 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Won Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

#8. A Complete Unknown Timothée Chalamet secured an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of a young Bob Dylan in this musical biopic focused on the iconic folk-rock poet’s pre-fame years through the controversy over Dylan going electric. 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

#9. Moana 2 This was a sequel to the 2016 musical animated film from Disney. Auli’I Carvalho and Dwayne Johnson reprise their voice roles from the original film. As Wikipedia says, “Set three years later, it follows Moana reuniting with the demigod Maui and assembling a wayfinding crew to find the lost island of Motufetu, break its curse, and reconnect the people of the ocean.”

#10. Nickel Boys IMDB.com: “Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, Nickel Boys chronicles the powerful friendship between two young African-American men navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida.” Winner of Writers Guild of America’s award for Best Adapted Screenplay. 2 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.

Other Links: Dave’s Movie Database: Eras Dave’s Movie Database: Movies of the Year Dave’s Movie Database: Awards Page Originally posted 2/28/2025; last updated 3/3/2025.

Dave’s Movie Database: Movie of the Year

Dave’s Movie Database: Movie of the Year, 1919-2024

These are the top movies for each year from 1915 to 2024 based on their overall standing in Dave’s Movie Database. You can also click on a year to see the top ten movies for that year. 2024: Anora 2023: Oppenheimer 2022: Avatar: The Way of Water 2021: Spider-Man: No Way Home 2020: Nomadland 2019: Avengers: Endgame 2018: Black Panther 2017: Get Out 2016: Moonlight 2015: Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens 2014: Boyhood 2013: 12 Years a Slave 2012: The Avengers 2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2010: Inception 2009: Avatar 2008: The Dark Knight 2007: No Country for Old Men 2006: Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) 2005: Brokeback Mountain 2004: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2000: Gladiator 1999: The Matrix 1998: Saving Private Ryan 1997: Titanic 1996: Fargo 1995: Toy Story 1994: Pulp Fiction 1993: Schindler’s List 1992: Unforgiven 1991: The Silence of the Lambs 1990: Goodfellas 1989: Do the Right Thing 1988: Die Hard 1987: The Princess Bride 1986: Blue Velvet 1985: Back to the Future 1984: Amadeus 1983: Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi 1982: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark 1980: Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back 1979: Apocalypse Now 1978: The Deer Hunter 1977: Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope 1976: Taxi Driver 1975: Jaws 1974: The Godfather Part II 1973: The Exorcist 1972: The Godfather 1971: A Clockwork Orange 1970: Patton 1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey 1967: The Graduate 1966: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 1965: The Sound of Music 1964: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 1963: 8 ½ (Otto e Mezzo) 1962: Lawrence of Arabia 1961: West Side Story 1960: Psycho 1959: Some Like It Hot 1958: Vertigo 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai 1956: The Searchers 1955: The Night of the Hunter 1954: Rear Window 1953: Tokyo Story (Tôkyô Monogatari) 1952: Singin’ in the Rain 1951: A Streetcar Named Desire 1950: All About Eve 1949: The Third Man 1948: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 1947: Out of the Past 1946: It’s a Wonderful Life 1945: Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis) 1944: Double Indemnity 1943: Shadow of a Doubt 1942: Casablanca 1941: Citizen Kane 1940: The Philadelphia Story 1939: Gone with the Wind 1938: The Adventures of Robin Hood 1937: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1936: Modern Times 1935: Bride of Frankenstein 1934: It Happened One Night 1933: King Kong 1932: Trouble in Paradise 1931: City Lights 1930: All Quiet on the Western Front 1929: Man with a Movie Camera (Chelovek s Kinoapparatom) 1928: The Passion of Joan of Arc (La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc) 1927: Metropolis 1926: The General 1925: Battleship Potemkin (Bronenosets Potyomkin) 1924: Greed 1923: Safety Last! 1922: Nosferatu, a Symphony of Terror (aka "Nosferatu, the Vampire") (Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens) 1921: The Kid 1920: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr Caligari) 1919: Broken Blossoms 1918: The Blue Bird 1917: The Poor Little Rich Girl 1916: Intolerance 1915: The Birth of a Nation Resources: Dave’s Movie Database: Movie Lists Originally posted 7/26/2019; last updated 3/2/2025.

National Board of Review: Awards for Best Films

National Board of Review: Award for Best Film, 1932-2024

The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in New York City in 1909. Its mission is to endorse films of merit. In 1932, they began giving out annual awards determined by sending ballots out to more than 100 members in a select group of film enthusiasts, academics, and filmmakers in the industry. The 96th National Board of Review Awards were announced on December 4, 2024. 2024: Wicked 2023: Killers of the Flower Moon 2022: Top Gun: Maverick 2021: Licorice Pizza 2020: Da 5 Bloods 2019: The Irishman 2018: Green Book 2017: The Post 2016: Manchester by the Sea 2015: Mad Max: Fury Road 2014: A Most Violent Year 2013: Her 2012: Zero Dark Thirty 2011: Hugo 2010: The Social Network 2009: Up in the Air 2008: Slumdog Millionaire 2007: No Country for Old Men 2006: Letters from Iwo Jima 2005: Good Night, and Good Luck 2004: Finding Neverland 2003: Mystic River 2002: The Hours 2001: Moulin Rouge! 2000: Quills 1999: American Beauty 1998: Gods and Monsters 1997: L.A. Confidential 1996: Shine 1995: Sense and Sensibility 1994: Forrest Gump / Pulp Fiction 1993: Schindler’s List 1992: Howards End 1991: The Silence of the Lambs 1990: Dances with Wolves 1989: Driving Miss Daisy 1988: Mississippi Burning 1987: Empire of the Sun 1986: A Room with a View 1985: The Color Purple 1984: A Passage to India 1983: Terms of Endearment / Betrayal 1982: Gandhi 1981: Chariots of Fire / Reds 1980: Ordinary People 1979: Manhattan 1978: Days of Heaven 1977: The Turning Point 1976: All the President’s Men 1975: Nashville / Barry Lyndon 1974: The Conversation 1973: The Sting 1972: Cabaret 1971: Macbeth 1970: Patton 1969: They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? 1968: The Shoes of the Fisherman 1967: Far from the Madding Crowd 1966: A Man for All Seasons 1965: The Eleanor Roosevelt Story 1964: Becket 1963: Tom Jones 1962: The Longest Day 1961: Question 7 1960: Sons and Lovers 1959: The Nun’s Story 1958: The Old Man and the Sea 1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai 1956: Around the World in 80 Days 1955: Marty 1954: On the Waterfront 1953: Julius Caesar 1952: The Quiet Man 1951: A Place in the Sun 1950: Sunset Boulevard 1949: Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di Biciclette) 1948: Paisan (Paisà) 1947: Monsieur Verdoux 1946: Henry V 1945: The True Glory 1944: None But the Lonely Heart 1943: The Ox-Bow Incident 1942: In Which We Serve 1941: Citizen Kane 1940: The Grapes of Wrath 1939: Confessions of a Nazi Spy 1938: The Citadel 1937: Night Must Fall 1936: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town 1935: The Informer 1934: It Happened One Night 1933: Topaze 1932: I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang Resources: Dave’s Movie Database: Other Year-End Awards National Board of Review (official site) Wikipedia.org: National Board of Review Award for Best Film Originally posted 8/6/2019; last updated 12/4/2024.

Wicked (part one) opened

Wicked Released: November 3, 2024 Studio: Universal Pictures Genre: musical Box Office (numbers in millions): Domestic: 472.52 Worldwide: 727.84 Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: -- Worldwide: --

Directing: Jon M. Chu Screenwriting: Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox Starring: Cynthai Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum Review: Wicked is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, a “Tony-winning origin story for the witches of Oz.” IGN That musical was loosely based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, which was a reimagining of the Oz book series and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The musical offers the back story about Elphaba (Erivo) and university classmate Galinda (Grande) who go on to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch in the Land of Oz. When they get the opportunity to meet the Wizard, Elphaba realizes he is a fraud with no magical power and that he is persecuting the animals in Oz. She steals a spell book and flees, leaving Glinda behind. IGN.com’s Alyssa Mora says the movie, “defies some incredibly high expectations.” IGN Director Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In the Heights) “unwinds Wicked with tremendous insight” IGN and Grande and Erivo “deliver masterful and passionate performances…no small feat for roles originated by Broadway legends Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel.” IGN “The intricately designed sets elevate the choreography of each musical number” IGN and “triumphantly translates the joy of seeing Wicked live.” IGN “Choreographer Christopher Scott brilliantly plays to the remarkable production design from Nathan Crowley.” IGN Sources: IGN IGN.com movie review by Alyssa Mora WK Wikipedia

Awards/Honors/Lists: Eras: Box Office: Awards: Oscars: Wins: 2: Best Production Design, Best Costume Design Nominations: 10: Best Picture, Best Actress (Erivo), Best Supporting Actress (Grande), Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Styling, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects First posted 3/2/2025.