Top 10 Best Movies of All Time | Greatest Films Ever

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) is the third and final installment of the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic high fantasy books of the same name.

It sees the conclusion of Frodo’s adventure of a lifetime come to fruition and the literal return of the king when Aragorn finally ascended to Gondor’s throne as is his birthright.

The film holds legend status among not just fantasy buffs for winning 11 Oscars (a record it still holds) and being the second film to gross $1 billion worldwide. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is one of the favorite movies of all time.

Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy is probably one of the best superhero movies of all time and the trilogy’s second film, The Dark Knight, is considered to be one of the best movies of all time.

The film stars Christian Bale, reprising his role as the caped crusader, and features Heath Ledger’s excellent performance as The Joker. The story continues with Batman, James Gordon, and Harvey Dent coming together to form an alliance that’ll put an end to Gotham’s organized crime problem.

But aside from a gripping storyline, The Dark Knight received critical acclaim because of great performances from its actors, amazing visual effects, and scoring.

Schindler’s List (1993) is a harrowing adaptation of a novel, Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally, which chronicles the life of Oskar Schindler and how he saved thousands of Jews from Nazis during World War II.

The film is considered one of the greatest films in history ever made because of director Steven Spielberg’s masterful storytelling. It won seven Oscar awards including best picture, best director, best original score and best-adapted screenplay.

The film also contains what is considered to be one of the most terrifying sequences in cinema which is the shower scene in Auschwitz.

12 Angry Men (1957) is one of the Best classic movies of all time. Although it was a box office disappointment at the time of its release, 12 Angry Men (1957) has achieved legend status in the world of cinema in the years that followed.

The film is a courtroom drama which explores the decision-making process of a jury of 12 very different men deciding on one case. It has the honor of being the best-reviewed courtroom drama at Rotten Tomatoes, a film review aggregation site. What more, it has been chosen to be preserved by the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.

Clint Eastwood stars in this Italian spaghetti western which chronicles his character’s search for some stolen gold against his opponents the Bad, a relentless bounty hunter, and the Ugly, a Mexican outlaw.

The film is said to be the best spaghetti western that Hollywood has ever produced by film critics memorable for its use of wide shots, and highly stylistic gunfights. Aside from being a critical success, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966) was also a commercial success and catapulted Clint Eastwood into Hollywood stardom. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is one of the 60’s best films of all time.

Director Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) is a crime film featuring multiple storylines told in a jumbled narrative and interjected with numerous pop culture references and Tarantino’s trademark love for violence.

Pulp Fiction (1994) is Tarantino’s homage to the films and art that inspired his cinema. Incredibly hip and entirely quotable, the film is the perfect embodiment of the spirit of the 1990s.

An independent production, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

It’s a truth almost universally acknowledged that The Godfather: Part II (1974) is the only sequel in movie history to come close to the glory and excellence of its predecessor.

The film continues the story of the Corleone crime family, expounding on the patriarch’s early life, his descent to crime and eventual rise to become the Godfather. Through a storytelling that switched from to the present, we see the differences and similarities between father and son as they navigate their way in the world of crime.

The Godfather: Part II (1974) won six Academy Awards and has been chosen for preservation in the US National Film Registry due to its cultural significance.

Based on a short story by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption (1994) tells the story of a man wrongfully imprisoned at the Shawshank prison for the murder of his wife and child. It shows how he eventually dealt with his new life in prison and his friendship with Red, a long-term inmate played by Morgan Freeman.

The film initially flopped in the box office, not even earning enough to break even. However, it was well-received by critics and would later on become a favorite by audiences who discovered the film through cable tv and DVD. The Shawshank Redemption is one of the best movies of all time.

Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) holds the honor of being one of the few ‘untouchable’ films ever. Almost everyone agrees of its status as one of (if not) the greatest films of all time.

It was seminal because it’s the first film to take an inside look at a crime family and would later inspire a string of crime films that pay homage to it. What more, almost every aspect of the film perfect, from the screenplay, acting to casting.

Orson Welles’ directorial debut, Citizen Kane (1941) is proof of the young filmmaker’s fearless vision that changed Hollywood-style filmmaking for the better.

Although a critical and financial flop at the time of its release, the film would later enjoy a much-needed reevaluation and would become one of the most influential films of all time. It would inspire other great films such as The Godfather, Raging Bull, and There Will Be Blood, and as well as great directors like Paul Thomas Anderson among others.