My 9 out of 10's
I have watched and rated thousands of films on IMDb. I'm a film fan of every era and these are all the films I feel that to me, are worthy of 9 stars out of 10. I have left out documentaries as they really qualify as a different kind of film altogether in my view. I have only listed the films by year.
Also see my 10 out of 10's, my 9.5 out of 10's lists and my 8.5 out of 10's list.
Also see my 10 out of 10's, my 9.5 out of 10's lists and my 8.5 out of 10's list.
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- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellCharlie is an immigrant who endures a challenging voyage and gets into trouble as soon as he arrives in America.Insanely creative, for the time especially.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsPierre BatcheffSimone MareuilLuis BuñuelLuis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí present 16 minutes of bizarre, surreal imagery.The beginning and perhaps even the pinnacle of truly against the grain filmmaking. An absolute landmark in film history. It is the Mother of all exploitation films, but yet it is far, far more than that. The dream-like film is completely revolutionary. Defying all convention, defying human conscious thought itself. In a sense, this film is probably even more truly Zen than any actual Buddhist film is.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsGaston ModotLya LysCaridad de LaberdesqueA surrealist tale of a man and a woman who are passionately in love with each other, but their attempts to consummate that passion are constantly thwarted by their families, the Church, and bourgeois society.A sequel, purposely an even far more offensive film aimed at the intellectual bourgeoisie and the ruling elite. Buñuel was so repulsed by the fact that the French bourgeoisie loved his first film 'Un chien andalou' aka 'An Andalusian Dog', that he along with Salvador Dalí set out to make a much more overt statement that would separate them from the acceptance of the European elite; But still delivered in a similar surrealist style. Dali was far less interested it seems in the controversy and the overt statement against the powers that be. He and Luis actually fell out of favor with each other before the filming of The Golden Age began, but Dali has always received a partial writing credit. Buñuel himself was interested in artistic and political revolution and challenging the hearts and minds of the people. "What can I do about the people who adore all that is new, even when it goes against their deepest convictions, or about the insincere, corrupt press, and the inane herd that saw beauty or poetry in something which was basically no more than a desperate impassioned call for murder?". What can he do? What he did was this film. The film inspired riots and was quickly banned in France soon after release, and Buñuel found the separation from the elite that he sought. It was in fact banned only 5 days after it's opening, it was a ban which lasted for nearly 50 years in France. A very small cut portion of the film is still somewhat hard to find to this day. It has rarely ever been released to the public in any recorded form. There are likely very few pieces of art in all of history that have so unrestrictedly and openly threw mud and insults at the upper classes especially, and the ruling elite of the current day.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsClaude RainsGloria StuartWilliam HarriganA scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.Easily among the greatest sci-fi films ever made.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsHenry FondaJane DarwellJohn CarradineAn Oklahoma family, driven off their farm by the poverty and hopelessness of the Dust Bowl, joins the westward migration to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.Simply chilling
- DirectorJosef von BákyStarsHans AlbersWilhelm BendowMichael BohnenThis lavish, impudent, adult fairy tale takes the viewer from 18th-century Braunschweig to St. Petersburg, Constantinople, Venice, and then to the moon using ingenious special effects, stunning location shooting.A little seen gem that should be seen by any and every classic film lover.
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinMady CorrellAllison RoddanA suave but cynical man supports his family by marrying and murdering rich women for their money, but the job has some occupational hazards.One of the best Chaplin films and performances.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartJohn DallFarley GrangerTwo men attempt to prove they committed the perfect crime by hosting a dinner party after strangling their former classmate to death.To me this is among Hitchcock's very best films.
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsGary CooperGrace KellyThomas MitchellA town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.One of the greatest slow burn Westerns of all time.
- DirectorFred M. WilcoxStarsWalter PidgeonAnne FrancisLeslie NielsenA starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet's colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.An amazing 1950's sci-fi adventure that rivals nearly every other sci-fi film ever made.
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsEddie ConstantineAnna KarinaAkim TamiroffA U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.Undoubtedly, this is both one of the best and one of the weirdest films I've ever seen. Come to think of it, this must be David Lynch's favorite film of all time. :)
- DirectorVera ChytilováStarsIvana KarbanováJitka CerhováMarie CeskováAfter realizing that all world is spoiled, Marie and Marie are committed to be spoiled themselves. They rip off older men, feast in lavish meals and do all kinds of mischief. But what is all this leading to?Full of chaos, full of life.
- DirectorGillo PontecorvoStarsBrahim HadjadjJean MartinYacef SaadiIn the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.Seems like it could have been made today. There is a timelessness to this film that few other films can measure up to.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsJack MacGowranRoman PolanskiAlfie BassA noted professor and his dim-witted apprentice fall prey to their inquiring vampires, while on the trail of the ominous damsel in distress.To me, the greatest vampire film of them all; And one of the greatest comedies of them all as well.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsMia FarrowJohn CassavetesRuth GordonA young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.Near perfect horror.
- DirectorDennis HopperStarsPeter FondaDennis HopperJack NicholsonTwo bikers head from L.A. to New Orleans through the open country and desert lands, and along the way they meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap of which they had been unaware.A cult legend that in my view still doesn't get nearly as much respect as it deserves.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsCatherine DeneuveFernando ReyFranco NeroShortly after her mother's death, an innocent and youthful woman will find refuge into the household of her middle-aged aristocratic guardian, who will submit her to his sexual advances.An amazing work by Buñuel. One of his very best in my view. The film may indeed haunt you with the feelings of real life like few other films in history. As usual, Buñuel is doing things like few, if any others have ever done in the world of film.
- DirectorKen RussellStarsVanessa RedgraveOliver ReedDudley SuttonIn 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.This Ken Russell historical horror is based upon Aldous Huxley's non-fiction novel, 'The Devil's of Loudun'. It's definitely not a film for everyone. However for those who enjoy being challenged, this is a great monster.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroHarvey KeitelDavid ProvalIn New York City's Little Italy, a devoutly Catholic mobster must reconcile his desire for power, his feelings for his epileptic lover, and his devotion to his troublesome friend.An under-appreciated Scorsese classic. In my view, Marty's first truly great film.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoRobert De NiroRobert DuvallThe early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.To me, nearly as good as the original film, and overall my second favorite sequel of all time.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroJodie FosterCybill ShepherdA mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action."Take it and flush it all down the *beep* toilet" One of the best decent into madness films that has ever been made.
- DirectorJohn G. AvildsenStarsSylvester StalloneTalia ShireBurt YoungA small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight the world heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.Perhaps the greatest underdog film of them all.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsJack NanceCharlotte StewartAllen JosephHenry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.Probably one of the hardest films in existence to watch, however that doesn't mean it isn't brilliant and also one of the best films of all time. How can one even put David Lynch into words?
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonTony RobertsAlvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.Among cinema's greatest comedies.
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsRichard PryorHarvey KeitelYaphet KottoWhen three automotive factory workers who're struggling financially try to steal from their own labor union, they discover corruption, and reluctantly decide to use this information for blackmail.Richard Pryor made few serious films, but this is just that. A very serious film that is a true underground standout.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroCathy MoriartyJoe PesciThe life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.The hardest hitting boxing film of them all.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsAnthony HopkinsJohn HurtAnne BancroftA Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication.As far as overly sympathetic films go, only The Color Purple and this one are truly good enough for me to call them great and awesome films. Lynch directs here with grand style and Hurt is fantastic.
- DirectorGeorge MillerStarsMel GibsonBruce SpenceMichael PrestonIn the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community to get rid of a horde of bandits.One of the greatest action films ever made.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsBob GeldofChristine HargreavesJames LaurensonA confined but troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.Of course, Mamma's gonna help build the wall.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsAl PacinoMichelle PfeifferSteven BauerIn 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.The classic capitalist nightmare.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDanny GloverWhoopi GoldbergOprah WinfreyA tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.An absolute must see. I'm not really a huge Spielberg fan, but I definitely like a lot of his films. This one in my view is overall easily his best work. Though Jaws is certainly somewhat close.
- DirectorJohn HughesStarsEmilio EstevezJudd NelsonMolly RingwaldFive high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.The second best teen/school film ever. "Brian here, was thinking about perusing a career in the custodial arts."
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsWil WheatonRiver PhoenixCorey FeldmanA writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy."All we heard was, "Chopper, sick balls!""
- DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowDianne WiestMichael CaineBetween two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.As good as Annie Hall, maybe even better.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMatthew ModineR. Lee ErmeyVincent D'OnofrioA pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue."The duality of man Sir."
- DirectorRon SheltonStarsKevin CostnerSusan SarandonTim RobbinsA fan who has an affair with one minor-league baseball player each season meets an up-and-coming pitcher and the experienced catcher assigned to him.Not only the best baseball film ever, but in my view, probably the best sports film period. Mickey Mantle said that the film made him sad. That's how authentic feeling this film is. For a comedy especially, that's outstanding! Sarandon is often great, but she's never been better than in this film. Mantle's reasoning for it being sad however is that he felt that in his era, many players who were good enough for the major leagues never got the chance to make it because they played behind already more established greats. In his era, certain teams had a wealth of good prospects that would never see the light of day because some clubs were just so much better at scouting in those days. Mantle was a truly humble and appreciative that he got his chance, and he felt for others that were not given that same chance. Obviously, Mantle seems to be a far more down to earth guy than his legend may sometimes suggest.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsBilly CrystalMeg RyanCarrie FisherHarry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.A classic comedy with dialogue that rivals pretty much any film out there.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsVal KilmerMeg RyanKyle MacLachlanThe story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.Kilmer is crazy good as the mystical and excessive Jim Morrison.
- DirectorBarry LevinsonStarsWarren BeattyAnnette BeningHarvey KeitelThe story of how Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel started Las Vegas.In my mind this is perhaps the most underappreciated mafia/crime film around.
- DirectorSean PennStarsDavid MorseViggo MortensenValeria GolinoA Vietnam vet comes home to his small town and finds himself in conflict with rules that his brother has vowed to uphold.To me, this is an amazingly great and beautiful human drama.
I really think that most viewers, and almost all of the critics even missed the whole main idea around the Indian hunter, who runs down the deer without even using a weapon of any kind, because he knows that the deer move in circles. He can just patiently run the deer into eventual submission. Now hear me out, just as the world runs down the people who are stuck within repetitive cycles of their hearts and minds. Keep in mind, mathematically, there are no positive cycles in nature that are strictly repetitive. Taking this idea even further; It is well understood in medicine today that the human heart when it is healthy, has a continuously changing, ever evolving rhythm. Do you know what happens if a heart has a continuously repetitive rhythm? It is a sick heart in need of serious help, as it will soon die otherwise. Now watch this film with this knowledge now added to your understanding of the human self.
If you've never seen this film. My suggestion is to not bother reading the storyline provided on IMDb by a certain member. Read it sometime after you watch the film. Their take on the film is, at least in my view, very contrary to the actual story presented. A storyline on a film site shouldn't contain interpretations and opinions I'd say, but IMDb is sadly full of this kind of nonsense. Reviews or lists are the proper place for interpretations and opinions. Anyways, I love this film quite a lot. It has a real dark human beauty to it. - DirectorClint EastwoodStarsClint EastwoodGene HackmanMorgan FreemanRetired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."A great slow burn western.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsDaniel Day-LewisMichelle PfeifferWinona RyderA tale of nineteenth-century New York high society in which a young lawyer falls in love with a woman separated from her husband, while he is engaged to the woman's cousin.Marty Scorsese once called this "The most violent film I've ever made." Though not a single shot is fired, nor is anyone brutally roughed up. One of the great costume dramas of all time in my view. Maybe THE best!
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJohn TravoltaUma ThurmanSamuel L. JacksonThe lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.Easily still Tarantino's best in my view.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsWoody HarrelsonJuliette LewisTom SizemoreTwo victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media."Doesn't anyone out there in Hollywood
believe in kissing anymore?" - Mickey Knox - DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroSharon StoneJoe PesciIn Las Vegas, two best friends - a casino executive and a mafia enforcer - compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.Has anyone done gangster films as well as Marty? Perhaps, but only on very rare occasions.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsWoody HarrelsonCourtney LoveEdward NortonThe story of controversial pornography publisher Larry Flynt, and how he became a defender of free speech.It was a big film when it came out, but to me this film still lacks the full appreciation it deserves.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsEwan McGregorEwen BremnerJonny Lee MillerRenton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.Choose life!
- DirectorAng LeeStarsKevin KlineJoan AllenSigourney WeaverIn suburban New Canaan, Connecticut, 1973, middle-class families experimenting with casual sex and substance abuse find their lives beyond their control.Electromagnificent.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsMark WahlbergJulianne MooreBurt ReynoldsBack when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.Captures a certain spirit of the time like few other films ever have, and it's very funny as well. I once saw a T.V. interview with Tom Hanks where he claimed that this was his favorite film of all time.
- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsJack NicholsonHelen HuntGreg KinnearA single mother and waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.A great film, and Jack is exceptional.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsCate BlanchettKatie HolmesKeanu ReevesA fortune teller with extrasensory perception is asked to help find a young woman who has mysteriously disappeared.
I'm a big fan of this thriller. It's certainly not for the faint of heart, and it is apparently based on the real life story of Billy Bob Thornton's Mother.
*Spoiler below*
The second best ghost story ever told on film in my view, and there have been a lot of good ones. - DirectorLasse HallströmStarsJuliette BinocheJohnny DeppJudi DenchA French woman and her young daughter open up a chocolate shop in a small remote village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.Magical!
- DirectorCurtis HansonStarsMichael DouglasTobey MaguireFrances McDormandAn English Professor tries to deal with his wife leaving him, the arrival of his editor who has been waiting for his book for seven years, and the various problems that his friends and associates involve him in.To me this is such an overlooked gem. A brilliantly funny, quirky and warm film. The cast is fabulous as is the writing.
- DirectorRichard KellyStarsJake GyllenhaalJena MaloneMary McDonnellAfter narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.Grand sci-fi.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsEthan HawkeTrevor Jack BrooksLorelei LinklaterA man shuffles through a dream meeting various people and discussing the meanings and purposes of the universe.Awake!
- DirectorRon HowardStarsRussell CroweEd HarrisJennifer ConnellyA mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.One of my favorite biographical films. Howard does a wonderfully creative job at getting the most interesting and important aspects of John and Alicia Nash's lives onto the screen.
- DirectorAlejandro AmenábarStarsNicole KidmanChristopher EcclestonFionnula FlanaganIn 1945, immediately following the end of Second World War, a woman who lives with her two photosensitive children on her darkened old family estate in the Channel Islands becomes convinced that the home is haunted.Dante meets the screen. Could you believe in heaven, if heaven was all you had?
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsAl PacinoRobin WilliamsHilary SwankTwo Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.Many Nolan films are over appreciated I think. Strangely enough, this one seems greatly under appreciated.
- DirectorJames McTeigueStarsHugo WeavingNatalie PortmanRupert GravesIn a future British dystopian society, a shadowy freedom fighter, known only by the alias of "V", plots to overthrow the tyrannical government - with the help of a young woman.Ideas are bulletproof.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsIvana BaqueroAriadna GilSergi LópezIn the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.A dark yet beautiful film.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsKen WatanabeKazunari NinomiyaTsuyoshi IharaThe story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.One of Clint's very best films.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsEwan McGregorPierce BrosnanOlivia WilliamsA ghost writer, hired to complete the memoirs of a former British Prime Minister, uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy.Polanski directs a thrilling tale with great precision.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsMatt DamonCécile de FranceBryce Dallas HowardAn American construction worker, a French journalist and a London school boy set out on a spiritual journey after death touches their lives in different ways.Clint Eastwood has made a lot of great films, I'm not sure he's made a better one than this. Subtle, brilliant!
- DirectorJeremy TorrieStarsAdam BeachLaura HarrisCorey SevierOf First Nations background originally from central Manitoba, Jon Beardsley, a Ph.D. candidate, dies one week before he was scheduled to embark on his final field trip to complete his dissertation taking spiritual indigenous American teachings, most specifically related to place, and applying them to standard theories of physics relating to questions of the universe. He is survived by his Caucasian wife, Grace Beardsley, a post-doctorate in medicine. At Jon's traditional native memorial service held at Bannock Point on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, Grace is reacquainted with Jon's best childhood friend, Brandon Eckhardt. With Jon having foreseen his own imminent death, Grace learns that Jon has left her a series of pre-recorded video messages which are triggered by GPS coordinates linked to Grace's cell phone. What she quickly learns from those messages is that Jon wants her to complete his dissertation research by taking that final field trip he could not. Brandon decides to accompany her on this trip throughout North America. Beyond the expected emotional toil, they know that the process will not be an easy one being two Caucasians delving into the workings of indigenous culture. And beyond Jon's want for the research to be complete, Grace and Brandon may each have their own goals for this geographic and spiritual journey related to their own lives, Grace's especially in the role of Jon's widow.Another tale of the paradigm shift easing its way into human consciousness.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsHugh JackmanJake GyllenhaalViola DavisWhen Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts.Tension to rival anything Hitchcock ever did. More than anything, the filmmaking is superb.
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsEthan HawkeAmanda SeyfriedCedric The EntertainerA minister of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past.I've long been a fan of Paul Schrader's work. It's sort of amazing with all that he's done previously, that this truly may be the best film he's ever written. He's getting up there in age for sure, but what he has created here is easily in my view, at the very least, among his finest creations.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsTimothée ChalametRebecca FergusonZendayaA noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.It has begun!
- DirectorDev PatelStarsDev PatelSharlto CopleyPitobashAn anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systematically victimize the poor and powerless.To me, this is easily among the greatest revenge films ever made. It's not all action, it has a lot of story and a lot of depth, but that is a big part of what makes it special.