(Photo by Courtesy Everett Collection. A CHRISTMAS STORY)
100 Best Movies on HBO and MAX (November 2024)
If you’re looking for the top movies available to stream on MAX this month, we’ve got you covered with this curated list from strictly Certified Fresh movies.
Explore these films of MAX acclaim, including DC superhero blockbusters (The Dark Knight), the Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Jurassic Park. In addition, check out the movies of long-associated WB directors, like Stanley Kubrick and Christopher Nolan. Read on for the 100 best MAX movies this month!
Newly added: A Christmas Story, Elf, Goodfellas, Janet Planet, Jurassic Park, The Hangover, Big Miracle, The Full Monty, and more!
#1
Seven Samurai (1954)
100%
#1
Adjusted Score: 112373%
Critics Consensus: Arguably Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, The Seven Samurai is an epic adventure classic with an engrossing story, memorable characters, and stunning action sequences that make it one of the most influential films ever made.
Synopsis: A samurai answers a village’s request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits,…
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Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
#2
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
100%
#2
Adjusted Score: 103929%
Critics Consensus: Boasting narrative depth, frank honesty, and exquisite visual beauty, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a modern animated treasure with timeless appeal.
Synopsis: A tiny nymph found inside a bamboo stalk grows into a beautiful and desirable young woman, who orders her suitors…
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Directed By: Isao Takahata
#3
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
100%
#3
Adjusted Score: 113725%
Critics Consensus: Clever, incisive, and funny, Singin’ in the Rain is a masterpiece of the classical Hollywood musical.
Synopsis: A spoof of the turmoil that afflicted the movie industry in the late 1920s when movies went from silent to…
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#4
Only Yesterday (1991)
100%
#4
Adjusted Score: 105191%
Critics Consensus: Only Yesterday‘s long-delayed U.S. debut fills a frustrating gap for American Ghibli fans while offering further proof of the studio’s incredibly consistent commitment to quality.
Synopsis: A put-upon 27-year-old Japanese office worker travels to the countryside and reminisces about her childhood in Tokyo and what life…
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Directed By: Isao Takahata
#5
Tokyo Story (1953)
100%
#5
Adjusted Score: 106582%
Critics Consensus: Tokyo Story is a Yasujiro Ozu masterpiece whose rewarding complexity has lost none of its power more than half a century on.
Synopsis: The elderly Shukishi (Chishu Ryu) and his wife, Tomi (Chieko Higashiyama), take the long journey from their small seaside village…
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Directed By: Yasujirô Ozu
#6
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
100%
#6
Adjusted Score: 107776%
Critics Consensus: A technical masterpiece, Battleship Potemkin is Soviet cinema at its finest, and its montage editing techniques remain influential to this day.
Synopsis: When they are fed rancid meat, the sailors on the Potemkin revolt against their harsh conditions. Led by Vakulinchuk (Aleksandr…
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Directed By: Sergei M. Eisenstein
#7
Fanny and Alexander (1982)
100%
#7
Adjusted Score: 104232%
Critics Consensus: Ingmar Bergman conveys the sweep of childhood with a fastidious attention to detail and sumptuous insight into human frailty in Fanny & Alexander, a masterwork that crystalizes many of the directors’ preoccupations into a familial epic.
Synopsis: As children in the loving Ekdahl family, Fanny (Pernilla Allwin) and Alexander (Bertil Guve) enjoy a happy life with their…
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Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
#8
Stalker (1979)
100%
#8
Adjusted Score: 103774%
Critics Consensus: Stalker is a complex, oblique parable that draws unforgettable images and philosophical musings from its sci-fi/thriller setting.
Synopsis: In an unnamed country at an unspecified time, there is a fiercely protected post-apocalyptic wasteland known as The Zone. An…
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Directed By: Andrei Tarkovsky
#9
Parasite (2019)
99%
#9
Adjusted Score: 125044%
Critics Consensus: An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft.
Synopsis: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan….
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Directed By: Bong Joon Ho
#10
Lady Bird (2017)
99%
#10
Adjusted Score: 121619%
Critics Consensus: Lady Bird delivers fresh insights about the turmoil of adolescence — and reveals writer-director Greta Gerwig as a fully formed filmmaking talent.
Synopsis: A teenager (Saoirse Ronan) navigates a loving but turbulent relationship with her strong-willed mother (Laurie Metcalf) over the course of…
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Directed By: Greta Gerwig
#11
Casablanca (1942)
99%
#11
Adjusted Score: 120389%
Critics Consensus: An undisputed masterpiece and perhaps Hollywood’s quintessential statement on love and romance, Casablanca has only improved with age, boasting career-defining performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Synopsis: Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), who owns a nightclub in Casablanca, discovers his old flame Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) is in town…
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Directed By: Michael Curtiz
#12
The Battle of Algiers (1966)
99%
#12
Adjusted Score: 110856%
Critics Consensus: A documentary-like depiction of a nation’s real-life efforts to expel a colonizing force, The Battle of Algiers puts viewers on the front lines with gripping realism.
Synopsis: Paratrooper commander Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin), a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, is sent to 1950s Algeria…
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Directed By: Gillo Pontecorvo
#13
All That Breathes (2022)
99%
#13
Adjusted Score: 103187%
Critics Consensus: A poetic tribute to tenacity, All That Breathes uses two brothers’ tireless efforts to make a broader point about finding triumph within tragedy.
Synopsis: In one of the world’s most populated cities, cows, rats, monkeys, frogs, and hogs jostle cheek-by-jowl with people. Here, two…
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Starring:
Directed By: Shaunak Sen
#14
The 400 Blows (1959)
99%
#14
Adjusted Score: 107115%
Critics Consensus: A seminal French New Wave film that offers an honest, sympathetic, and wholly heartbreaking observation of adolescence without trite nostalgia.
Synopsis: For young Parisian boy Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), life is one difficult situation after another. Surrounded by inconsiderate adults, including…
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Directed By: François Truffaut
#15
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
99%
#15
Adjusted Score: 109979%
Critics Consensus: An Italian neorealism exemplar, Bicycle Thieves thrives on its non-flashy performances and searing emotion.
Synopsis: Unemployed Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) is elated when he finally finds work hanging posters around war-torn Rome. His wife, Maria…
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Directed By: Vittorio De Sica
#16
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)
98%
#16
Adjusted Score: 107641%
Critics Consensus: Poignant, profound, and utterly heartwarming, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is animated entertainment with real heart.
Synopsis: Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint,…
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Directed By: Dean Fleischer-Camp
#17
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
98%
#17
Adjusted Score: 122273%
Critics Consensus: An absolute masterpiece whose groundbreaking visuals and deft storytelling are still every bit as resonant, The Wizard of Oz is a must-see film for young and old.
Synopsis: When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to…
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Directed By: Victor Fleming
#18
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
98%
#18
Adjusted Score: 110503%
Critics Consensus: A Hard Day’s Night, despite its age, is still a delight to watch and has proven itself to be a rock-and-roll movie classic.
Synopsis: The Beatles in their feature film debut, one of the greatest rock-and-roll comedy adventures ever. The film has a fully…
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Directed By: Richard Lester
#19
Whose Streets? (2017)
98%
#19
Adjusted Score: 102067%
Critics Consensus: Whose Streets? takes a close-up look at the civil unrest that erupted after a shocking act of violence in Ferguson, Missouri – and the decades of simmering tension leading up to it.
Synopsis: An account of the Ferguson uprising as told by the people who lived it. The filmmakers look at how the…
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Starring:
Directed By: Sabaah Folayan
#20
Rashomon (1950)
98%
#20
Adjusted Score: 106912%
Critics Consensus: One of legendary director Akira Kurosawa’s most acclaimed films, Rashomon features an innovative narrative structure, brilliant acting, and a thoughtful exploration of reality versus perception.
Synopsis: Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, “Rashomon” is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the…
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Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
#21
Ikiru (1952)
98%
#21
Adjusted Score: 107709%
Critics Consensus: Ikiru is a well-acted and deeply moving humanist tale about a man facing his own mortality, one of legendary director Akira Kurosawa’s most intimate films.
Synopsis: Mr. Watanabe suddenly finds that he has terminal cancer. He vows to make his final days meaningful. His attempts to…
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Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
#22
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
97%
#22
Adjusted Score: 111897%
Critics Consensus: Soulfully exploring thought-provoking themes through a beautifully animated lens, The Boy and the Heron is another Miyazaki masterpiece.
Synopsis: From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) comes a new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure. After…
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Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
#23
Drive My Car (2021)
97%
#23
Adjusted Score: 107620%
Critics Consensus: Drive My Car‘s imposing runtime holds a rich, patiently engrossing drama that reckons with self-acceptance and regret.
Synopsis: Two years after his wife’s unexpected death, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), a renowned stage actor and director, receives an offer…
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Directed By: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
#24
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
97%
#24
Adjusted Score: 104825%
Critics Consensus: Jacques Demy elevates the basic drama of everyday life into a soaring opera full of bittersweet passion and playful charm, featuring a timeless performance from Catherine Deneuve.
Synopsis: Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve), a beautiful young Frenchwoman who works at a small-town boutique selling umbrellas, falls for dashing mechanic Guy…
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Directed By: Jacques Demy
#25
The Player (1992)
97%
#25
Adjusted Score: 102745%
Critics Consensus: Bitingly cynical without succumbing to bitterness, The Player is one of the all-time great Hollywood satires — and an ensemble-driven highlight of the Altman oeuvre.
Synopsis: Certain that the anonymous threats he’s been receiving are the work of David Kahane (Vincent D’Onofrio), producer Griffin Mill (Tim…
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Directed By: Robert Altman
#26
The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
97%
#26
Adjusted Score: 105991%
Critics Consensus: It requires some viewing commitment, but this beautifully assembled showcase for Douglas Fairbanks’ acting offers some splendid treats for classic film fans.
Synopsis: A thief sneaks into a royal palace, where he sees and falls instantly in love with a beautiful princess. Pretending…
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Directed By: Raoul Walsh
#27
Eyes Without a Face (1960)
97%
#27
Adjusted Score: 104491%
Critics Consensus: A horrific tale of guilt and obsession, Eyes Without a Face is just as chilling and poetic today as it was when it was first released.
Synopsis: Dr. Génessier (Pierre Brasseur) is riddled with guilt after an accident that he caused disfigures the face of his daughter,…
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Directed By: Georges Franju
#28
8 1/2 (1963)
97%
#28
Adjusted Score: 104462%
Critics Consensus: Inventive, thought-provoking, and funny, 8 1/2 represents the arguable peak of Federico Fellini’s many towering feats of cinema.
Synopsis: Troubled Italian filmmaker Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) struggles with creative stasis as he attempts to get a new movie off…
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Directed By: Federico Fellini
#29
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
96%
#29
Adjusted Score: 114432%
Critics Consensus: An electrifying dramatization of historical events, Judas and the Black Messiah is a forceful condemnation of racial injustice — and a major triumph for its director and stars.
Synopsis: FBI informant William O’Neal infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader,…
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Directed By: Shaka King
#30
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
96%
#30
Adjusted Score: 109783%
Critics Consensus: Thrilling, powerfully acted, and visually dazzling, Deathly Hallows Part II brings the Harry Potter franchise to a satisfying — and suitably magical — conclusion.
Synopsis: A clash between good and evil awaits as young Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) prepare…
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Directed By: David Yates
#31
The Florida Project (2017)
96%
#31
Adjusted Score: 113853%
Critics Consensus: The Florida Project offers a colorfully empathetic look at an underrepresented part of the population that proves absorbing even as it raises sobering questions about modern America.
Synopsis: Set in the shadow of the most magical place on Earth, 6-year-old Moonee and her two best friends forge their…
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Directed By: Sean Baker
#32
Spirited Away (2001)
96%
#32
Adjusted Score: 104254%
Critics Consensus: Spirited Away is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them.
Synopsis: 10-year-old Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) moves with her parents to a new home in the Japanese countryside. After taking a wrong…
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Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
#33
Unforgiven (1992)
96%
#33
Adjusted Score: 105711%
Critics Consensus: As both director and star, Clint Eastwood strips away decades of Hollywood varnish applied to the Wild West, and emerges with a series of harshly eloquent statements about the nature of violence.
Synopsis: When prostitute Delilah Fitzgerald (Anna Thomson) is disfigured by a pair of cowboys in Big Whiskey, Wyoming, her fellow brothel…
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Directed By: Clint Eastwood
#34
The Full Monty (1997)
96%
#34
Adjusted Score: 99239%
Critics Consensus: Cheeky and infectiously good-natured, The Full Monty bares its big beating heart with a sly dose of ribald comedy.
Synopsis: After losing his job at a steel factory, Gaz (Robert Carlyle) learns that his wife wants to sue him for…
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Directed By: Peter Cattaneo
#35
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
96%
#35
Adjusted Score: 103290%
Critics Consensus: A feudal adventure told from an eccentric perspective, The Hidden Fortress is among Akira Kurosawa’s most purely enjoyable epics.
Synopsis: Japanese peasants Matashichi (Kamatari Fujiwara) and Tahei (Minoru Chiaki) try and fail to make a profit from a tribal war….
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Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
#36
Throne of Blood (1957)
96%
#36
Adjusted Score: 102546%
Critics Consensus: A career high point for Akira Kurosawa — and one of the best film adaptations of a Shakespeare play.
Synopsis: Returning to their lord’s castle, samurai warriors Washizu (Toshirô Mifune) and Miki (Minoru Chiaki) are waylaid by a spirit who…
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Directed By: Akira Kurosawa
#37
Her (2013)
95%
#37
Adjusted Score: 108939%
Critics Consensus: Sweet, soulful, and smart, Spike Jonze’s Her uses its just-barely-sci-fi scenario to impart wryly funny wisdom about the state of modern human relationships.
Synopsis: A sensitive and soulful man earns a living by writing personal letters for other people. Left heartbroken after his marriage…
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Directed By: Spike Jonze
#38
Goodfellas (1990)
95%
#38
Adjusted Score: 109452%
Critics Consensus: Hard-hitting and stylish, GoodFellas is a gangster classic — and arguably the high point of Martin Scorsese’s career.
Synopsis: A young man grows up in the mob and works very hard to advance himself through the ranks. He enjoys…
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Directed By: Martin Scorsese
#39
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)
95%
#39
Adjusted Score: 102546%
Critics Consensus: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is a bone-deep look at a photographer’s fight against addiction and the institution responsible for her pain through her gritty lens.
Synopsis: Directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is an epic, emotional and interconnected story…
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Directed By: Laura Poitras
#40
Diabolique (1955)
95%
#40
Adjusted Score: 105821%
Critics Consensus: Cruel, dark, but undeniably effective, Diabolique is a suspense thriller as effective as Hitchcock’s best work and with a brilliant twist ending.
Synopsis: In this classic of French suspense, the cruel and abusive headmaster of a boarding school, Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse), becomes…
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Directed By: Henri-Georges Clouzot
#41
Breathless (1959)
95%
#41
Adjusted Score: 104527%
Critics Consensus: Breathless rewrote the rules of cinema — and more than 50 years after its arrival, Jean-Luc Godard’s paradigm-shifting classic remains every bit as vital.
Synopsis: Petty thug Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) considers himself a suave bad guy in the manner of Humphrey Bogart, but panics and…
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Directed By: Jean-Luc Godard
#42
Wings of Desire (1987)
95%
#42
Adjusted Score: 100808%
Critics Consensus: Beyond ravishing, Wings of Desire is Wim Wenders’ is aching and heartbreaking exploration of how love makes us human.
Synopsis: Two angels, Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander), glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing…
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Directed By: Wim Wenders
#43
City Lights (1931)
95%
#43
Adjusted Score: 103733%
Critics Consensus: One of the best underdog romance movies ever, with an ending that will light up any heart.
Synopsis: A hapless but resilient tramp (Charlie Chaplin) falls in love with a blind flower girl (Virginia Cherrill) on the tough…
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Directed By: Charlie Chaplin
#44
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
94%
#44
Adjusted Score: 116928%
Critics Consensus: Led by an outstanding Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses.
Synopsis: Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action…
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#45
The Dark Knight (2008)
94%
#45
Adjusted Score: 108444%
Critics Consensus: Dark, complex, and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.
Synopsis: With the help of allies Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Batman (Christian Bale) has…
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Directed By: Christopher Nolan
#46
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
94%
#46
Adjusted Score: 111706%
Critics Consensus: Lust and violence collide to powerfully pulpy effect in Love Lies Bleeding, a well-acted addition to writer-director Rose Glass’ growing body of exceptional work.
Synopsis: From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious…
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Directed By: Rose Glass
#47
Fruitvale Station (2013)
94%
#47
Adjusted Score: 103827%
Critics Consensus: Passionate and powerfully acted, Fruitvale Station serves as a celebration of life, a condemnation of death, and a triumph for star Michael B. Jordan.
Synopsis: Though he once spent time in San Quentin, 22-year-old black man Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) is now trying hard…
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Directed By: Ryan Coogler
#48
American Splendor (2003)
94%
#48
Adjusted Score: 100452%
Critics Consensus: Exhilarating both stylistically and for its entertaining, moving portrayal of an everyman, American Splendor is a portrait of a true underground original.
Synopsis: Underground comic book writer Harvey Pekar, portrayed by Paul Giamatti but also appearing as himself, is the subject of this…
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#49
The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
94%
#49
Adjusted Score: 99833%
Critics Consensus: Visually lush, refreshingly free of family-friendly clatter, and anchored with soulful depth, The Secret World of Arrietty lives up to Studio Ghibli’s reputation.
Synopsis: Arrietty, a tiny teenager, lives with her parents in the recesses of a suburban home, unbeknown to the homeowner and…
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#50
Blood Simple (1984)
94%
#50
Adjusted Score: 104267%
Critics Consensus: Brutally violent and shockingly funny in equal measure, Blood Simple offers early evidence of the Coen brothers’ twisted sensibilities and filmmaking ingenuity.
Synopsis: “Blood Simple” was the first feature film from Joel and Ethan Coen. This is the newly restored and re-edited director’s…
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Directed By: Joel Coen
#51
Paris, Texas (1984)
94%
#51
Adjusted Score: 98539%
Critics Consensus: A quiet yet deeply moving kind of Western, Paris, Texas captures a place and people like never before (or after).
Synopsis: A disheveled man who wanders out of the desert, Travis Henderson (Harry Dean Stanton) seems to have no idea who…
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Directed By: Wim Wenders
#52
Jules and Jim (1962)
94%
#52
Adjusted Score: 99830%
Critics Consensus: Francois Truffaut’s arguable masterpiece in a filmography full of masterpieces ready to be argued for, Jules and Jim is an eternal ode to boundless love.
Synopsis: In the carefree days before World War I, introverted Austrian author Jules (Oskar Werner) strikes up a friendship with the…
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Directed By: François Truffaut
#53
Wild Strawberries (1957)
94%
#53
Adjusted Score: 101025%
Critics Consensus: Wild Strawberries were never so bittersweet as Ingmar Bergman’s beautifully written and filmed look at one man’s nostalgic journey into the past.
Synopsis: Crotchety retired doctor Isak Borg (Victor Sjöström) travels from Stockholm to Lund, Sweden, with his pregnant and unhappy daughter-in-law, Marianne…
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Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
#54
Wonder Woman (2017)
93%
#54
Adjusted Score: 119985%
Critics Consensus: Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot’s charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.
Synopsis: Before she was Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior….
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Directed By: Patty Jenkins
#55
50/50 (2011)
93%
#55
Adjusted Score: 100661%
Critics Consensus: A good-hearted film about a difficult topic, 50/50 maneuvers between jokes and drama with surprising finesse.
Synopsis: Adam Lerner has always tried to take good care of his health, so it comes as a cruel surprise when…
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Directed By: Jonathan Levine
#56
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
93%
#56
Adjusted Score: 109544%
Critics Consensus: The epic of all epics, Lawrence of Arabia cements director David Lean’s status in the filmmaking pantheon with nearly four hours of grand scope, brilliant performances, and beautiful cinematography.
Synopsis: Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) is sent to Arabia to…
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Directed By: David Lean
#57
Princess Mononoke (1997)
93%
#57
Adjusted Score: 101018%
Critics Consensus: With its epic story and breathtaking visuals, Princess Mononoke is a landmark in the world of animation.
Synopsis: A prince becomes involved in the struggle between a forest princess and the encroachment of mechanization….
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Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
#58
Elevator to the Gallows (1958)
93%
#58
Adjusted Score: 101766%
Critics Consensus: Louis Malle’s hypnotic debut is a noir with genuine soul, infusing its tale of best laid plans gone awry with wistful performances, swooning cinematography, and a sultry soundtrack.
Synopsis: Restless femme fatale Florence Carala (Jeanne Moreau) recruits her lover, Julien Tavernier (Maurice Ronet), to murder her wealthy husband, Simon…
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Directed By: Louis Malle
#59
Dune: Part Two (2024)
92%
#59
Adjusted Score: 122865%
Critics Consensus: Visually thrilling and narratively epic, Dune: Part Two continues Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the beloved sci-fi series in spectacular form.
Synopsis: “Dune: Part Two” will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while…
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Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
#60
#60
Adjusted Score: 100837%
Critics Consensus: Full of eye-popping special effects, and featuring a pitch-perfect cast, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring brings J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic to vivid life.
Synopsis: The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces…
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Directed By: Peter Jackson
#61
Raging Bull (1980)
92%
#61
Adjusted Score: 108837%
Critics Consensus: Arguably Martin Scorsese’s and Robert De Niro’s finest film, Raging Bull is often painful to watch, but it’s a searing, powerful work about an unsympathetic hero.
Synopsis: The story of a middleweight boxer as he rises through ranks to earn his first shot at the middleweight crown….
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Directed By: Martin Scorsese
#62
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
92%
#62
Adjusted Score: 101226%
Critics Consensus: Endlessly witty, visually rapturous, and sweetly romantic, Shakespeare in Love is a delightful romantic comedy that succeeds on nearly every level.
Synopsis: “Shakespeare in Love” is a romantic comedy for the 1990s set in the 1590s. It imaginatively unfolds the witty, sexy…
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Directed By: John Madden
#63
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
92%
#63
Adjusted Score: 102171%
Critics Consensus: Hugh Grant ably snatches up the bouquet of leading man status with Four Weddings and a Funeral, a sparkling romantic comedy given real charm by its chummy ensemble and Richard Curtis’ sharp-witted screenplay.
Synopsis: Lovable Englishman Charles (Hugh Grant) and his group of friends seem to be unlucky in love. When Charles meets a…
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Directed By: Mike Newell
#64
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
92%
#64
Adjusted Score: 107585%
Critics Consensus: One of the most influential of all sci-fi films — and one of the most controversial — Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 is a delicate, poetic meditation on the ingenuity — and folly — of mankind.
Synopsis: An imposing black structure provides a connection between the past and the future in this enigmatic adaptation of a short…
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Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
#65
When Marnie Was There (2014)
92%
#65
Adjusted Score: 96180%
Critics Consensus: When Marnie Was There is still blessed with enough visual and narrative beauty to recommend, even if it isn’t quite as magical as Studio Ghibli’s greatest works.
Synopsis: A tomboy (Hailee Steinfeld) explores a long-abandoned villa and meets a mysterious blonde girl only she can see….
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Directed By: Hiromasa Yonebayashi
#66
Mississippi Masala (1991)
92%
#66
Adjusted Score: 98389%
Critics Consensus: Sarita Choudhury and Denzel Washington’s romantic chemistry lights up the screen in Mississippi Masala, Mira Nair’s observant and sexy tale of cultures clashing.
Synopsis: The vibrant cultures of India, Uganda, and the American South are blended and simmered into a rich and fragrant fusion…
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Directed By: Mira Nair
#67
The Martian (2015)
91%
#67
Adjusted Score: 110205%
Critics Consensus: Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.
Synopsis: When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney (Matt Damon), presumed dead after a fierce…
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Directed By: Ridley Scott
#68
Ponyo (2008)
91%
#68
Adjusted Score: 97835%
Critics Consensus: While not Miyazaki’s best film, Ponyo is a visually stunning fairy tale that’s a sweetly poetic treat for children of all ages.
Synopsis: During a forbidden excursion to see the surface world, a goldfish princess encounters a human boy named Sosuke, who gives…
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Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
#69
Jurassic Park (1993)
91%
#69
Adjusted Score: 105359%
Critics Consensus: Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special effects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg’s best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws.
Synopsis: In Steven Spielberg’s massive blockbuster, paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff…
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Directed By: Steven Spielberg
#70
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
91%
#70
Adjusted Score: 95947%
Critics Consensus: Visually mesmerizing, Picnic at Hanging Rock is moody, unsettling, and enigmatic — a masterpiece of Australian cinema and a major early triumph for director Peter Weir.
Synopsis: In the early 1900s, Miranda (Anne Lambert) attends a girls boarding school in Australia. One Valentine’s Day, the school’s typically…
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Directed By: Peter Weir
#71
I, Tonya (2017)
90%
#71
Adjusted Score: 111624%
Critics Consensus: Led by strong work from Margot Robbie and Alison Janney, I, Tonya finds the humor in its real-life story without losing sight of its more tragic — and emotionally resonant — elements.
Synopsis: In 1991, talented figure skater Tonya Harding becomes the first American woman to complete a triple axel during a competition….
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Directed By: Craig Gillespie
#72
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
90%
#72
Adjusted Score: 98953%
Critics Consensus: Under the assured direction of Alfonso Cuaron, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban triumphantly strikes a delicate balance between technical wizardry and complex storytelling.
Synopsis: Harry Potter’s (Daniel Radcliffe) third year at Hogwarts starts off badly when he learns deranged killer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman)…
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Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
#73
Amélie (2001)
90%
#73
Adjusted Score: 98634%
Critics Consensus: The feel-good Amelie is a lively, fanciful charmer, showcasing Audrey Tautou as its delightful heroine.
Synopsis: “Amélie” is a fanciful comedy about a young woman who discretely orchestrates the lives of the people around her, creating…
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Directed By: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
#74
Gone With the Wind (1939)
90%
#74
Adjusted Score: 104403%
Critics Consensus: Gone with the Wind‘s epic grandeur and romantic allure encapsulate an era of Hollywood filmmaking — but that can’t excuse a blinkered perspective that stands on the wrong side of history.
Synopsis: Winner of eight Academy Awards® (plus two special achievement Oscars) Celebrate the 85th Anniversary of one of the most celebrated…
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Directed By: Victor Fleming
#75
A Christmas Story (1983)
89%
#75
Adjusted Score: 95142%
Critics Consensus: Both warmly nostalgic and darkly humorous, A Christmas Story deserves its status as a holiday perennial.
Synopsis: Based on the humorous writings of author Jean Shepherd, this beloved holiday movie follows the wintry exploits of youngster Ralphie…
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Directed By: Bob Clark
#76
Dirty Harry (1971)
89%
#76
Adjusted Score: 95100%
Critics Consensus: As tough and taciturn as its no-nonsense hero, Dirty Harry delivers a deceptively layered message without sacrificing an ounce of its solid action impact.
Synopsis: Cop Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) attempts to track down a psychopathic rooftop killer before a kidnapped girl dies. When he…
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Directed By: Don Siegel
#77
Barbie (2023)
88%
#77
Adjusted Score: 117108%
Critics Consensus: Barbie is a visually dazzling comedy whose meta humor is smartly complemented by subversive storytelling.
Synopsis: To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on…
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Directed By: Greta Gerwig
#78
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
88%
#78
Adjusted Score: 97887%
Critics Consensus: The main characters are maturing, and the filmmakers are likewise improving on their craft; vibrant special effects and assured performances add up to what is the most complex yet of the Harry Potter films.
Synopsis: The fourth movie in the Harry Potter franchise sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returning for his fourth year at Hogwarts School…
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Directed By: Mike Newell
#79
Unstoppable (2010)
87%
#79
Adjusted Score: 94838%
Critics Consensus: As fast, loud, and relentless as the train at the center of the story, Unstoppable is perfect popcorn entertainment — and director Tony Scott’s best movie in years.
Synopsis: When a massive, unmanned locomotive roars out of control, the threat is more ominous than just a derailment. The train…
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Directed By: Tony Scott
#80
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
86%
#80
Adjusted Score: 98905%
Critics Consensus: Impeccably cast and smartly written, Bodies Bodies Bodies is an uncommonly well-done whodunit.
Synopsis: When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game goes awry…
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Directed By: Halina Reijn
#81
Elf (2003)
86%
#81
Adjusted Score: 93093%
Critics Consensus: A movie full of Yuletide cheer, Elf is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Will Ferrell’s funny and charming performance as one of Santa’s biggest helpers.
Synopsis: Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves….
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Directed By: Jon Favreau
#82
The Sixth Sense (1999)
86%
#82
Adjusted Score: 94551%
Critics Consensus: M Night Shayamalan’s The Sixth Sense is a twisty ghost story with all the style of a classical Hollywood picture, but all the chills of a modern horror flick.
Synopsis: Young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. Cole is frightened…
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Directed By: M. Night Shyamalan
#83
Gremlins (1984)
86%
#83
Adjusted Score: 93308%
Critics Consensus: Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, Gremlins is a minor classic.
Synopsis: A gadget salesman is looking for a special gift for his son and finds one at a store in Chinatown….
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Directed By: Joe Dante
#84
Black Swan (2010)
85%
#84
Adjusted Score: 98456%
Critics Consensus: Bracingly intense, passionate, and wildly melodramatic, Black Swan glides on Darren Aronofsky’s bold direction — and a bravura performance from Natalie Portman.
Synopsis: Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company’s…
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Directed By: Darren Aronofsky
#85
21 Jump Street (2012)
85%
#85
Adjusted Score: 95668%
Critics Consensus: A smart, affectionate satire of ’80s nostalgia and teen movie tropes, 21 Jump Street offers rowdy mainstream comedy with a surprisingly satisfying bite.
Synopsis: When cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances…
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#86
Janet Planet (2023)
85%
#86
Adjusted Score: 91949%
Critics Consensus: Unfolding at a gentle pace with an even more subdued sense of drama, Janet Planet revolves around Julianne Nicholson and Zoe Ziegler’s outstanding performances.
Synopsis: In rural Western Massachusetts, 11-year-old Lacy spends the summer of 1991 at home, enthralled by her own imagination and the…
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Directed By: Annie Baker
#87
22 Jump Street (2014)
84%
#87
Adjusted Score: 94447%
Critics Consensus: Boasting even more of the bromantic chemistry between its stars — and even more of the goofy, good-natured humor that made its predecessor so much fun — 22 Jump Street is the rare sequel that improves upon the original.
Synopsis: Although they made their way through high school successfully, an investigation at a local college brings big changes for undercover…
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#88
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
84%
#88
Adjusted Score: 98719%
Critics Consensus: With a distinctive visual aesthetic that enhances its emotionally resonant narrative, I Saw the TV Glow further establishes writer-director Jane Schoenbrun as a rising talent.
Synopsis: Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a…
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Directed By: Jane Schoenbrun
#89
Dune (2021)
83%
#89
Adjusted Score: 109914%
Critics Consensus: Dune occasionally struggles with its unwieldy source material, but those issues are largely overshadowed by the scope and ambition of this visually thrilling adaptation.
Synopsis: Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to a…
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Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
#90
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
83%
#90
Adjusted Score: 94496%
Critics Consensus: Dark, thrilling, and occasionally quite funny, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is also visually stunning and emotionally satisfying.
Synopsis: As Death Eaters wreak havoc in both Muggle and Wizard worlds, Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for students….
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Directed By: David Yates
#91
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
83%
#91
Adjusted Score: 91243%
Critics Consensus: Though perhaps more enchanting for younger audiences, Chamber of Secrets is nevertheless both darker and livelier than its predecessor, expanding and improving upon the first film’s universe.
Synopsis: The follow-up to “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” finds young wizard Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends, Ron…
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Directed By: Chris Columbus
#92
Paranormal Activity (2007)
83%
#92
Adjusted Score: 91246%
Critics Consensus: Using its low-budget effects and mockumentary method to great result, Paranormal Activity turns a simple haunted house story into 90 minutes of relentless suspense.
Synopsis: Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what…
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Directed By: Oren Peli
#93
Beetlejuice (1988)
83%
#93
Adjusted Score: 93738%
Critics Consensus: Brilliantly bizarre and overflowing with ideas, Beetlejuice offers some of Michael Keaton’s most deliciously manic work – and creepy, funny fun for the whole family.
Synopsis: After Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their…
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Directed By: Tim Burton
#94
Wonka (2023)
82%
#94
Adjusted Score: 100691%
Critics Consensus: With director Paul King at the helm and some solid new songs at the ready, the warmly old-fashioned Wonka puts a suitably sweet spin on the classic character while still leaving some room for the source material’s darker undertones.
Synopsis: Based on the extraordinary character at the center of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl’s most iconic children’s book…
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Directed By: Paul King
#95
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
82%
#95
Adjusted Score: 93052%
Critics Consensus: Led by Rupert Wyatt’s stylish direction, some impressive special effects, and a mesmerizing performance by Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathes unlikely new life into a long-running franchise.
Synopsis: Will Rodman (James Franco), a scientist in San Francisco, is experimenting with a drug that he hopes will cure his…
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Directed By: Rupert Wyatt
#96
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
81%
#96
Adjusted Score: 88334%
Critics Consensus: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone adapts its source material faithfully while condensing the novel’s overstuffed narrative into an involving — and often downright exciting — big-screen magical caper.
Synopsis: Adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling’s popular children’s novels about Harry Potter, a boy who learns on his eleventh…
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Directed By: Chris Columbus
#97
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
80%
#97
Adjusted Score: 91947%
Critics Consensus: The Conjuring 2 can’t help but lose a bit of its predecessor’s chilly sting through familiarity, but what remains is still a superior ghost story told with spine-tingling skill.
Synopsis: In 1977, paranormal investigators Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren come out of a self-imposed sabbatical to travel to Enfield,…
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Directed By: James Wan
#98
The Hangover (2009)
79%
#98
Adjusted Score: 88751%
Critics Consensus: With a clever script and hilarious interplay among the cast, The Hangover nails just the right tone of raunchy humor, and the non-stop laughs overshadow any flaw.
Synopsis: Two days before his wedding, Doug (Justin Bartha) and three friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis) drive to Las…
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Directed By: Todd Phillips
#99
Scream (1996)
77%
#99
Adjusted Score: 86074%
Critics Consensus: Horror icon Wes Craven’s subversive deconstruction of the genre is sly, witty, and surprisingly effective as a slasher film itself, even if it’s a little too cheeky for some.
Synopsis: The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There’s a killer in their midst who’s seen a few…
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Directed By: Wes Craven
#100
Big Miracle (2012)
74%
#100
Adjusted Score: 78418%
Critics Consensus: Big Miracle uses real-life events as the basis for a surprisingly satisfying family drama.
Synopsis: Adam Carlson (John Krasinski), a reporter based in a small town in northern Alaska, can’t wait to land a job…
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Directed By: Ken Kwapis
