The Greatest Movies of All Time RANKED 

Klavan's correct - Black Panther was boring, terrible CGI, not great dialog, bad fight scene, Chadwick Boseman's acting was only saving grace.

Where are the westerns? "The Searchers", "True Grit", "High Noon", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", "Unforgiven", to name but a few.

We asked for it, and we got it. Next for Klavan’s lists should be, best: -TV shows -Paintings/Sculptures -Comedians -And of course, documentaries.

I’m disappointed that he put LOTR in A. It deserves no less than S. He put The Godfather trilogy in S but the thing is that trilogy had a lousy third movie, while LOTR was great through all 3 movies

Proof that some old people will hate on new stuff just because it’s new💀

Moonlight being on this list but not Gone with the Wind is a crime against humanity.

Klavan: There oughta be a LAW that movies NEVER be more than 2 hours! Also Klavan: The (3 hour) Godfather is one of the greatest movies ever made!

You CAN’T say Star Wars is unimaginative it’s genuinely so creative

Can’t believe you said Shawshank was overrated!

No Kurosawa on the list. That's crazy.

The good the bad and the ugly

Let the record reflect, Andrew ranked Moonlight above 2001: a Space Odyssey 😬

Excuse me? _Snakes on a Plane?!_ Hello?

You're asking me for the best? No doubt it's The Wizard of Oz synched up with Dark Side of the Moon.

Bro called Shawshank overrated 💀💀. Please stick to politics

2001 in D is absolutely ridiculous.

The third man was indeed great!

I now need a Klavan reading and viewing list with HIS top musts.

Keep doing this culture stuff with Klavan! Just dedicate him to be the DW's cultural guy. His movie and book takes are always fresh and insightful.

Would LOVE to see more Klavan tier lists. Thanks for the video!

It’s a Wonderful Life. Intellectuals hate sentimental stories with happy endings, and I would say it is because they are perhaps either insufficiently intellectual, or because they have forgotten what most of the modern world has forgotten, the necessity of the ideal, and the way things ought to be as a goal to orient on to try to shape our society towards. It’s a Wonderful Life is more important than Casablanca. The movie has everything: Comedy, drama, suicide, the meaning of life, it is an encyclopedia of the first third of the 20th century in America. It is popular for a reason, and is underrated by the intellectuals, who hate happy, endings, and want everything to be “realistic“.

I think All about Eve should be on the list. One of the best acting in history.

Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly an S tier movie! Klavan messed this one up! Not only is it masterfully made but it depicts aspects of human nature (temptation, power, and sin) better than any other movie

Please talk more about OLD great films!!!! 😭😭💪 Sunset boulevard More Welles More Brando More Kazan More John Ford More Kubrick John Wayne Liz Tayler Paul Newman Monty Clift Bette Davis Gene Tierney Henry Fonda Westerns Film Noir Pleeeaaassssseeeee!!! 🙏

"Not a bad movie" for shawshank... come on, the character dynamics, the reflection of how the world works told in a prison story IN prison. The juxtaposition throughout the film, the hope, the lows, everything is amazing

y’all know what a perfect movie is? _The Matrix_ is a *perfect* movie. …it’s technically not perfect, but it’s pretty damn close. the part about Neo being saved by Trinity’s love for him is a bit silly, but everything building up to that, and Neo’s realization as “the One” was perfect, and there may be some Christ metaphor in there I haven’t identified… even the significantly less-than-perfect sequels aren’t as bad as their reputation 👍

I was gonna complain about Chinatown and 2OO1 not being in S tier, but when he exclaimed his love for The Third Man all was forgiven.

Movie making is an artform, and by definition, is entirely subjective! No one person can possibly give a definitive list of the absolute greatest movies of all time. That will always be debatable. For example, he totally lost me by suggesting that 'The Shawshank Redemption' is an over rated film when it sit's at the top of so many peoples lists subjectively. Popular opinion proves it is clearly not over rated. For this guy, it's debatable, which he is completely entitled to, but puts him in no position to declare a definitive list if he is ignorant to public opinion.

The good the bad and the ugly Mad max fury road Apocalypse Now Leon the profesional Good will hunting Catch me if you can City of God Seven Samurai Scarface

The Third Man is S+ for the Zither opening alone. The rest of the movie is amazing.

Would just disagree with the LOTR trilogy. Would have S tiered that. It changed modern cinema, and if you think Game Of Thrones would have ever been a thing without it, I would just disagree. It is literally and literary (pun intended) the perfect trilogy. Better than any before it as far as all 3 movies go.

Agree 100% on old films. One of my favorite old movies is “To Have and Have Not.” You get to watch two of the greatest actors ever actually fall in love on film. And Lauren Becall could be as sexy as any woman and never take off a stitch. The scene where she says to Bogart, “You know you don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow,” was one of the sexiest scenes ever. Every heterosexual man who’s ever been born wished he’d been able to put his lips together and blow for her. They just knew how to make films. Look at the list of movies released in 1939. There has never been a better year for movies and there never will be another like it. Not even close.

A New Hope A Empire Strikes Back is S Return of the Jedi B

How can you skip over Back to the Future trilogy? Yeah I know. No sex, what the most clever plot ever produced.

Andrew and I have very different taste in movies, but I agree with him on Black Panther being so overrated. I didn't hate it, but I watched it once and pretty much forgot all about it. Never even cared to watch the 2nd movie. I disagree with him on so many things here but come on now, 2001 being D tier is ridiculous. I'm not saying it's my favorite movie but it's A tier. Several of these movies including The Dark Knight are nowhere near being the best movies. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Jaws, The Godfather 2, Paris Texas, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest and so many others deserve a spot over most of these movies.

There Will Be Blood, Brave Heart, SlumDog Millionaire

Before watching: 1927 Metropolis 1939 The Wizard of Oz 1942 Casablanca 1946 The Best Years of Our Lives 1949 The Third Man 1956 The Searchers 1957 Twelve Angry Men 1959 Ben-Hur 1962 Lawrence of Arabia 1965 Doctor Zhivago 1970 Patton 1972 Fiddler on the Roof 1975 Jaws 1982 Blade Runner 2001+ Lord of the Rings

LOTR is S tier. The accomplishment of that trilogy is near perfection. Screen play, acting, cinematography, score, effects. It’s a juggernaut of talent and execution.

Now having watched the entire video. This guy is an absolutely terrible critic! Complete rubbish! Clearly he's stuck in the past and blinded by nostalgia with no room for contemporary film making. I shouldn't be surprised, the only thing film critics are good for as a general rule is avoiding what they recommend, and watching what they don't! I give him a F!

Watch the full list 15:34

My top 10 greatest movies of all time: 1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4. The Intouchables 5. 12 Angry Men 6. The Passion of the Christ 7. The Shawshank Redemption 8. The Godfather 9. Casino Royale 10. Memento

I prefer Casino to Good Fellas.

Shawshank is the best Prison Movie 🎥

What character flaw do people have that makes them not understand why Shawshank is so great?

Batman? Really? A comic book movie. Way overrated. 2001 is a masterpiece.

The Godfather is the greatest American film ever. Period. Casablanca is the very best of Classic Hollywood. Too iconic for words. Exceptional. Shawshank Redemption is so rewatchable and inspirational. I personally haven't seen it in years but still a great film. 12 Angry Men is one of the most skillful films ever made. Takes place in one room, in real time and you are gripped throughout. A classic. Star Wars is enjoyable and holds a special place in my heart but Klavan is right, they ruined Hollywood forevermore. Chinatown is one of the best written films. A top tier detective story. Haven't seen Parasite. Citizen Kane is good. A big ball of fine. It's influence is profound, Orson Welles was a genius and will be studied for centuries(I did a 20+ page paper of the making of the film way back when) but not one I'd revisit anytime soon. The Dark Knight is everything I want an action film to be. I will not elaborate. 2001: A Space Odyssey still keeps me up at night. I've seen it maybe two dozen times(at least 10 times on acid) and refuse to read anybody's personal interpretation because I have a hard time keeping track of my own thoughts about the film. Stanley Kubrick was the Charles Dickens of cinema. Moonlight is well made but OHMYGOD TALK ABOUT OSCAR PANDERING! Oy. Alien is the best haunted house movie ever made. Absolutely spectacular! Charles Chaplin was endlessly entertaining and his films do age well. City Lights is his magnum opus. Lawrence of Arabia is my favorite film ever. The greatest EPIC ever! Full stop. I disagree, Pulp Fiction is great! Not perfect but a classic for a reason. Vertigo is not one of my favorite Hitchcockian flicks but I love the way Klavan describes it; a nightmare of a film with a bizarre plot. The Lord of the Rings is why I love cinema. I saw the trilogy as a kid in theaters as they came out year after year and was truly awestruck every time. I still am. Not the biggest Inception fan but I think that's because I can't take DiCaprio seriously as an actor. Great cast, great concept, Nolan is a genius. Psycho is Hitchcock's best film. Riveting from beginning to end. Black Panther was another copy and paste superhero flick by Marvel. Pass. Goodfellas is the most rewatchable film in history. Love it endlessly. No Country for Old Men is perfect is every conceivable way. One of the best villains ever. I never got the hype with Raging Bull either. The editing and direction of the fight scenes is out of this world but the rest is sluggish nonsense.

Movies that should be on this list: - One Flew over the cuckoo's Nest - Children of Paradise - Seven Samurai - The Wild Bunch - Raiders of the Lost Arc - Godfather 2 (better than 1 really) - Amadeus - Breaking Away - The Maltese Falcon - The Bridge on the river Kwai

My top 10: 1. Gladiator 2. Titanic 3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 4. Lawrence of Arabia 5. Rambo 3 6. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 7. Braveheart 8, Schindler's List 9. The Shawshank Redemption 10. Terminator 2 Judgment Day

My best ever movie is Joe Versus the Volcano. Equal to the great Bogart movies but with a mystical spin.

Who voted for Moonlight to be in the list? It is a very average film.

Jaws belongs on this list. S tier

Way too much hesitation over Alien and Chinatown. The only reaction upon hearing these titles should be nothing but genuflection

Not one William Wyler film! (Philistines.) WW was the most nominated director: 12 nominations! Nobody will get close to that. Best Wyler film? Dodsworth (1936), Wuthering Heights (1939), Mrs. Miniver (1942), Best Years of Our Lives (1946), The Heiress (1949), Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), Ben Hur (1959). Pick any. Check out Mary Astor in Dodsworth. She's a legit babe (unlike in Maltese F).

I am a bit surprised that we did not see Avengers: Infinity war, 1917 and Nosferatu on the list. But I guess the internet is to blame for that

Agree with Andrew. This list is WAYYYY too modern for my tastes. I could easily fill my list with all pre-1966 films. While I enjoy later films here and there, the frequency of greatness was higher in earlier decades in my opinion. At least “City Lights” made the list …. And I also agree that “Casablanca” is a much, much better film than “Citizen Kane.” “Casablanca” is indeed my all time favorite.

My top ten favorite movies in alphabetical order are: Braveheart Bringing Up Baby Dolores Claiborne Forrest Gump Innerspace Magnolia Maltese Falcon Psycho Purple Rose of Cairo Singin in the Rain

I can't believe that Schindler's List didn't make the cut. Moonlight and Black Panther over Schindler's List? Really?

Guys, movies are ALWAYS subjektive. Even if the vast majority likes a movie, doesn't mean everyone does. If he is saying that LotR is in the A Tier for him, then that's that. It's always a personal ranking. The only way to make it not personal, is to strictly compile the numbers from Imdb and Rotten tomatoes, and tank the movies according to their respective numbers. Then you can scientifically give them and rating from F to S. But the majority of the movies channel do personal lists. I would also disagree on LotR, because I belive it belongs in the S-Tier as well. It just doesn't for him.

2001: A Space Odyssey is the greatest film ever made.

Citizen Kane is horrible, I don't get why people think it's so good.

Thing is, Drew, you brought up the American Myth element of Godfather. Star Wars is very much a New Myth, of the stars--and like what CS Lewis said about George Macdonald's Phantastes...it may not be particularly great in its writing...but it's the MYTHOLOGY that counts. Kudos for giving Empire a B, though--you're not COMPLETELY lost. ✌️😇

I totally agree about The Shawshank Redemption. A good movie, but nowhere near the top 50 great films. Likewise with any of the Star Wars films. I'm pretty suspicious of anything labeled "great" anyway, since that is so subjective a term, kind of like "best". What you said about the list lacking "old" movies is sadly true.

More I'd like to hear Klavan's thoughts on: Fight Club, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, A Scanner Darkly, Apocalypse Now, Requiem For A Dream, Black Christmas, Kill Bill, The Wolfman

Star Wars is a funny one. The script is laughably terrible, the characters are ridiculous, the plot is frequently completely stupid - but in terms of inventiveness of what movies can be, it completely revolutionised things (not necessarily for the better), it’s immense fun to watch, and technically it was incredible. Where does that put it? I’m not sure.

thank you, Andrew! Finally, someone said it: yes, Dark Knight is the best superhero movie and the best version of Batman thanks to Nolan& Bale, totally agree but even more so, I agree that Inception is a painfully overrated movie! And for me, you were still too generous, rating it B. Should be C or D. It has plot holes of the size of Dakota, it doesn't make sense no matter how much Nolan's fans and Di Caprio's fans deny it, and even Di Caprio is on record saying he still, to this day, doesn't know what it was about lol xD. Inception is one of the weakest Nolan movies and the fact that it has a better rating on IMDB than the masterpiece that is Prestige (the last time I checked) is once again showing how braindead audience is, and mostly, Di Caprio fans. The big reason why Inception is overrated is Di Caprio who always gets insane media PR, despite being absolutely overrated as an actor in the past, I'd say, 12 years or so. The truth is that Di Caprio's best performances came out in the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s, first decade of the 2000s, but after 2010 - it went dramatically downhill, yes, including Wolf of Wall Street, for anyone who actually has a taste in movies and acting. Di Caprio should have won the Oscar for Revolutionary Road, not for ANY other movie, period. But during the last decade or so, Di Caprio has been so, so overrated and it's annoying!

Scarface is God tier apparently it would be disrespectful putting it in the same conversation with movies

Ben Hur... To be taken seriously this list had to include Ben Hur.

Parasite at a C is just a horrible take. Thats one of the most unique movies of this century so far with a fantastic storyline

Imo vertigo is the greatest film ever made...Andrew knows his stuff.

Star Wars is S tier. Godfather is boring couldn’t make it past 30 minutes. And LOTR is literally the best series of films of all time. Old black and white movies are garbage, acting is stale, camera work is basic.

I'll accept every judgment but Pulp Fiction - just as a cultural phenomenon alone, the way it changed a genre, Pulp Fiction deserves an "S" Edit - and the Coen brothers are geniuses, obviously, but No Country for Old Men has a hard edit leading into its third act that makes absolutely no sense (leaving the hotel). Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Fargo, Oh Brother Where Art Thou are all better films 😏

Finally! Someone willing to admit that both Shawshank and 2001 are way overrated

How u can say Shawshank is over rated is criminal!

It seems like those who have made the list never sees anything except American movies. There are quite a few good French, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Swedish movies, and from a range of other countries

I’m baffled by Klavan’s take on Shawshank. What’s not to get? It’s also a beautiful Christian allegory.

This is exactly why art is amazing it's subjective.

No war movies? No killer shark movies? This list is lacking.

Nah Parasite C, Space Odyssey D and Vertigo S tier is wild

Among modern movies, Inception and Black Panther (to say nothing of Moonlight and Parasite) don't hold a candle to Back to the Future.

He didn't give Lord of the Rings an S rank. then he gave Parasite a C. I can't figure this guy's rating system.

Shawshank is S tier

Casablanca wasn't directed by itself, Curtiz blocked that movie perfectly.

LOTR is the best movie trilogy of all time, hands down. You simply cannot point to a better movie

Star Wars is S tier. That's a hill I will absolutely die on. Just from a cultural impact it gets an S rating, but when you consider the added impacts it has on the way special effects and sound design were done in movies there's no conceivable way to rank it lower than S tier.

my favorite films are _Citizen Kane_ and _Boondock Saints._

Hitchcock’s North by Northwest is very underrated.

"The Maltese Falcon" was better than "Casablanca" . "Casablanca" is a chick flick. But a good one. "Blade Runner" is better than any of the Star Wars films. "North by Northwest" and "Psycho" were Hitchcock's best, each better than "Vertigo" which was okay, but not in the same ballpark or league of those two. "Casino" and "The Departed" both by Scorsese belong on this list. Near the top. "The Searchers" by the great John Ford deserves to be at the very tippy top of this list. As the best Western ever made, also the best film ever made.

Recap: Old movies good News movies meh

I am curious what Andrew's thoughts are on some highly regarded foreign movies like those of Kurosawa, Tarkovsky, Kieslowski, Bergman... Also curious what his thoughts are on Terrence Malick and his films. Because I feel like that stuff may be getting overlooked by him. Also he for sure did Raging Bull dirty...deserves better than that. Also Shawshank

Klavan is right, of course, about the the online list's privileging of the modern stuff. They don't call the the Golden Age of Hollywood the Golden Age for nothing. Aside from William Wyler's stuff that I mentioned earlier, here's another film that deserves serious attention: A Place in the Sun (1951, Liz Taylor, Montgomery Clift). Rewatchable many times over.

I agree that they haven't seen enough older movies. There is not one Kurosawa film on this list. I would have put many ahead of some of the junk here. High and Low is one that I never get tired of. How about something from Fritz Lang, Metropolis or M are ones that people should at least have heard of.

If you’re going to pick a modern noir film. LA Confidential outclasses Chinatown by leaps and bounds.😊

Putting Batman above shaw shank redemption should be a crime

Finally, someone who speaks truth about highly overrated "masterpieces."

Should've used Letterboxd ratings as the source

Too bad I've never seen any non-english speaking movies in Klavan's lists. No Bergman, no Dreyer, no Rosselini, no Kurosawa, no Lang, no Truffaut, no Fellini, no Ozu. I'd like to see his take on those movies that came from places and people with a (slightly) different cultural background.

I'd agree with 90% you said, but I'm afraid you're wrong about 2001 and Stanely Kubrick, to me his movies are closer to classic literature than you're average movie. So you kinda have to be in the same state of mind for both. I'd recommend checking out, if you haven't Kurosawa, Bergman and Tarkovsky's filmographies. Their movies to me are high art on the level of the greatest novels of all time. edit - forgot about lynch. What;s your opinion on mulholland drive? and Fellini, 8 1/2?

Parasite a C tier? This list immediately lost credibility.

oef .. that shawshank ..... if i was a lefty i would unfollow you ;) ... luckily i am not a crazy lefty ...so i just frown and dismiss youre taste and sanity ;) mostly agree with youre options/scores ... .but the DW should also do this with KNOWLES and Brett ...to see other generations view, because youre list really shows youre age ;)

You're right, Star Wars is not a great movie, but it IS a cultural icon. It forever changed the movies, so for that reason alone, it should rank higher.