IMDb is one of the most trusted beginning for movie sports fan around the world , as the site aggregates thousands of users ’ scores to mold the most dear film from every genre . For viewing audience who want to see the necessary , the site has a Top 250 collection of fan favorites , placing the skillful from a kind of family in one long list .

From the wide keep classic , The Shawshank Redemption , to the renowned offense film that started a saga , The Godfather , the highest - rated IMDb motion-picture show span every musical style , earned run average , and style imaginable . Whether you ’re a seasoned motion-picture show raw sienna or someone looking for a certain thing for your next movie night , thesetop IMDb moviesare guarantee to impress .

10. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

If cinephiles had to observe one classic Western , it would be Sergio Leone’sThe Good , the Bad and the Ugly , which is wide recognized as the pinnacle of the once - popular genre . Set during the American Civil War , the cinema chronicle a trio of man racing against each other to find $ 200,000 in out of sight Confederate gold . Blondie , aka “ The Good ” ( Clint Eastwood ) , is a sharp - shoot bounty hunter ; Tuco , “ The Ugly ” ( Eli Wallach ) , is a tight - let the cat out of the bag brigand ; and Angel Eyes , “ The Bad ” ( Lee Van Cleef ) , is a unpitying Orcinus orca . Their paths are specify to cross and presently lead to one of movie theater ’s most iconic standoff .

Leone ’s masterpiece transports looker to the Wild West , with a story for the ages distinguish in a advisedly paced way of life . Instead of using delineate submarine and villains , the 1966 film introduces virtuously ambiguous character to go with its grim mise en scene . Its final repulsion in a burying ground under the scorching sun is remembered for being a climactic and comforting decision to the epic movie .

9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Director Peter Jackson essay to fans worldwide that the saga by J.R.R. Tolkien , once thought to be unadaptable , has finally found its match with the premiere ofThe Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ringin 2001 . The journey through Middle - earth begin in the idyllic Shire , where the retiring Hobbit Frodo Baggins ( Elijah Wood ) inherits the One Ring , an artifact of immense mightiness crafted by the dark lord Sauron . task with destroying it to prevent Sauron ’s return , Frodo is fall in by a diverse fellowship , who help protect him and the Ring along the way .

The Fellowship of the Ringis often cited alongside themost significant fantasy movies ever made , as it pioneer filmmaking in the musical genre with its expectant - shell approach path and groundbreaking ceremony impression . The 2001 film depicted Middle - world as a rich , suspire world , swarm with biography and magic . Frodo ’s story is the aroused keystone that has fans immediately hooked to the epic story that would blossom forth over the next few years and make up an award - pull ahead trilogy .

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)

An ceaselessly quotable genre - fellow , Pulp Fictionis the motion-picture show that turned music director Quentin Tarantino into a household name . The 1994 movie uses nonlinear storytelling to portray three seemingly disconnected discharge . In one , Vincent Vega ( John Travolta ) and Jules Winnfield ( Samuel L. Jackson ) are torpedo who savor philosophical banter . In another , age boxer Butch Coolidge ( Bruce Willis ) reneges on a deal with gang boss Marsellus Wallace ( Ving Rhames ) . And in a stressful arc , Vincent ’s night out with Mia Wallace ( Uma Thurman ) leave to a dancing contest , and an adrenaline shoot down through the heart . Oh , and there ’s also aBonnie and Clyde - esque duet devise to rob a buffet car .

Tarantino ’s pic proved that freaky humour and stylistic indie play could achieve mainstream success . With its sharp , tonic - culture - infused dialog and unique narrative structure , it would exalt modernistic storytelling and countless other darkly comedic crime movies . Unforgettable moments , such as the “ Royal with Cheese ” conversation and Mia ’s misadventure with white powder , are still referenced today , underscoringPulp Fiction‘s position among the great .

7. Schindler’s List (1993)

Based on the true horrors that occurred during the Holocaust , Schindler ’s Listfollows Oskar Schindler ( Liam Neeson ) , a German industrialist and opportunist who arrives in Kraków to profit from the war . Initially unbiassed to the quandary of the Jewish universe , Schindler slowly take in the terrible crimes pass on around him and begin using his mill as a asylum , ultimately saving over 1,100 lives by the state of war ’s end . oppose him is Amon Goeth ( Ralph Fiennes ) , a sadistic Nazi commander of the Płaszów concentration camp .

Director Steven Spielberg ’s critically spat workis one of the most impactful depictions of the Holocaust in cinema . The black - and - white cinematography fuse with restrained centering help maximize the emotional outcome of the retelling of the unconvincing genuine story . Spielberg ’s use of selective coloration — most famously , the girl in the red pelage — delivered a crushing blast that reminds audiences to never forget the atrocities and those who softly work to help those who demand it the most .

6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

In director Peter Jackson’sThe Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King , three plot line add up together to weave a conclusion fans still babble out about to this day . Frodo ( Wood ) and Sam ( Sean Astin ) inch nigher to Mount Doom , burdened by the One Ring ’s suffocating weight and Gollum ’s ( Andy Serkis ) progressively malicious natural action . Meanwhile , Aragorn ( Viggo Mortensen ) summons an ground forces as he get down to embrace his role as the rightful King of Gondor . And finally , Gandalf ( Ian McKellen ) and Pippin ( Billy Boyd ) are preparing Gondor for battle , which is complicate by Denethor ’s ( John Noble ) debile - mindedness .

The final incoming in the trilogy had the hard labor of hold fast the landing place after fan had be the saga for age . The Return of the Kingexceeded expectation , delivering an fear - barrack final part of the timeless floor . The photographic film shatter legion disc at the 76th Academy Awards , pull ahead all 11 awards for which it was nominated , include Best Picture , becoming the first fantasy celluloid to reach this feat . It remains a triumph of scale and emotionalism , with no fan potential to forget the incredible thaumaturgy of Middle - earth .

5. 12 Angry Men (1957)

12 Angry Menisa riveting courtroom dramathat show how minimalism ( through a single - elbow room setting ) does n’t stop great movie maker from creating hard - hitting movies . aim by Sidney Lumet , the 1957 film is determine almost altogether within the confines of a jury room and starts with what seems to be an open - and - shut instance : the son ’s guilt seems undeniable , and the grounds is convincing . Eleven juror are quick to convict and move on , but Juror # 8 ( Henry Fonda ) insists on examining the evidence more closely , leading to tense moments that build up as the other juryman ’ personality and prejudices add up into play .

Nearly seven decades later,12 Angry Menis still a intellection - agitative and gripping film that points out social problems and the fault of the judge arrangement . The deficiency of elaborate lot or effect places the spotlight squarely on the performances and dialogue , both excellent case of the gifted adept and writers who would make moving-picture show story .

4. The Godfather Part II (1974)

Director Francis Ford Coppola delivered a phenomenal follow - up to his seminal work , 1972’sThe Godfather , through its exceptional subsequence , The Godfather Part II . The 1974 film is in reality both a continuation and a prequel , as it shows the procession of Vito Corleone ( Robert De Niro ) in the early twentieth century and the gloaming of his boy , Michael Corleone ( Al Pacino ) , in the 1950s . The moving picture alternates between these two electric discharge , depicting a young Vito ’s journey from being a Sicilian immigrant to a New York crime Bos and Michael ’s struggle in the nowadays to maintain his empire while alienating everyone he holds dear .

The Godfather Part IIset a bench mark for sequels , proving that they can surpass their predecessors by adding deepness to the trilogy ’s creation and complexity to its characters . The gangster dramatic event ’s Shakespearean story transports viewers to a grand and grave world , offer a glimpse into an intoxicating part of society that ’s usually behind closed room access . It would help cement theGodfathertrilogy as the standard for the “ offence fellowship ” figure of speech , with its influence still ascertain in the industry today .

3. The Dark Knight (2008)

“ Why so serious?”The Dark Knightis agenre - determine superhero filmdirected by Christopher Nolan as a continuation to 2005’sBatman Begins . Gotham ’s mute guardian , Batman ( Christian Bale ) , with the service of Commissioner Gordon ( Gary Oldman ) and District Attorney Harvey Dent ( Aaron Eckhart ) , wages war against organized offence . The comer of the Joker ( Heath Ledger ) plunges Gotham into chaos and push Batman to the brink , coerce him to face his own morals and principles .

The Dark Knightspotlighted the electric potential of comic Holy Scripture movies , with Nolan ’s grittier and more grounded approach turning the 2008 film into a blockbuster . Its flawless action stage dancing , telling practical effects , and amazing performances forthwith set the cinema apart . While the casting was pretty much perfect , Heath Ledger ’s functioning as the Joker stole the show . His adaptation of the threatening character is nothing short of fabled , earning him a posthumous Academy Award and a spot alongside the good in the genre .

2. The Godfather (1972)

The Godfatheris a flick that need no introduction . Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and based on Mario Puzo ’s best - sell 1969 novel , the 1972 motion picture revolutionise the gangster musical style . It initially portrays Don Vito Corleone ’s ( Marlon Brando ) see as the paterfamilias of a hefty crime family . He soon encounters sprightliness - menace challenges from a rival family ’s drug business . Meanwhile , his youthful boy , Michael Corleone ( Al Pacino ) , who was once intent on staying out of the “ family business , ” is of necessity drawn into the wild world to protect his own . The film then focuses on his chilling transformation from a reluctant foreigner to a cunning leader .

Coppola ’s straggle crime saga was unprecedented in its characterization of an operatic criminal offense play , specially the way it introduced nuanced “ bad guys ” in the genre . The chef-d’oeuvre was a key turn point not just for gangster movies but for filmmaking across all genre , as it show the potential for long - flesh and character - driven storytelling in film . It would finally spawn a fabled trilogy that remains a stunning case of the magic trick of cinema .

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Director Frank Darabont’sThe Shawshank Redemptionsees a banker , Andy Dufresne ( Tim Robbins ) , wrongfully convicted of hit his wife and her lover . As he begin his sentence at Shawshank Prison , he starts an unlikely friendship with the seasoned inpatient Ellis “ crimson ” Redding ( Morgan Freeman ) , who also happens to be the go - to man for contraband . Their friendly relationship spans years and sees a critical change when Andy hatches a plan to interrupt out of prison and recover his freedom .

The 1994 film is base on the 1982 Stephen King novella , Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption . It did n’t always enjoy the acclaim it has today ( and the top spot on IMDb ) , as , in fact , it was critically tear apart when it first premiered . It rule success through video rental , however , and reached a monolithic audience , eventually being re - evaluated as an unbelievable employment . EvenStephen King himself considersit among his favorite adaptations of his whole shebang .