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Common Sense Media Review

Moving, faith-based tale of football star's unexpected rise.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Greater is an inspirational sports drama about real-life hero Brandon Burlsworth, who's possibly the most successful "walk-on" (un-recruited) football player in the history of the University of Arkansas. Because the movie is framed by a funeral and family members'…

Why Age 12+?

Occasional mild swearing includes "ass," "s--t," and "t

One character is a chronic alcoholic who's very drunk in one sequence. Some

Football action: practices, games (some hard-hitting).

Any Positive Content?

Based on the true story of Brandon Burlsworth, the main character is portrayed a

Promotes faith, teamwork, determination, generosity, and courage. Talent is some

Occasional mild swearing includes "ass," "s--t," and "turd." An overweight teen is often bullied and teased: "fat boy," "fatty," "cheesecake."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

One character is a chronic alcoholic who's very drunk in one sequence. Some smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Role Models

Based on the true story of Brandon Burlsworth, the main character is portrayed as loving, hardworking, accepting of others, and devoted to his faith. He's an excellent example of glory earned rather than given. Family members are supportive, generous, and warm-hearted. An estranged, alcoholic father finds redemption. Ethnic diversity throughout.

Positive Messages

Promotes faith, teamwork, determination, generosity, and courage. Talent is something you have; skill is something you learn. Those who aren't "gifted" with talent have to work harder to attain goals. Faith-based messages throughout relate to dealing with both achievement and tragedy.

Parents need to know that Greater is an inspirational sports drama about real-life hero Brandon Burlsworth, who's possibly the most successful "walk-on" (un-recruited) football player in the history of the University of Arkansas. Because the movie is framed by a funeral and family members' grief after Burlsworth's accidental death, it's clear from the beginning that sadness will accompany the otherwise uplifting story. This story focuses on Burlsworth's ambition, work ethic, family relationships, and strong religious convictions; teamwork and courage are strong themes. The fact that he was considerably overweight in his early years results in some teasing, fat-shaming, and bullying; there's also some use of words including "ass" and "s--t." Football action is sometimes hard-hitting, but no serious injuries result. One character is an alcoholic and gets very drunk in a pivotal scene. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (9)
• Kids say (3)

Based on 9 parent reviews

Some scenes may scare some viewers And could be triggering with the fatal accident scene

What's the story.

As GREATER begins, preparations are underway for the memorial service of young Brandon Burlsworth (newcomer Chris Severio), beloved son, brother, teammate, and friend to what appears to be the entire town of Harrison, Ark. His much-older brother, Marty ( Neal McDonough , in an affecting, solid performance) is struggling with his faith in the aftermath of the tragedy. As Marty attempts to understand why his extraordinary brother's life was cut short, he remembers the arc of Brandon's life from the age of 12 on. Raised by a poor but dedicated single mom and estranged from his alcoholic dad, Brandon is an awkward, overweight boy with dreams that seem out of his reach. But even as a boy, Brandon's faith in both himself and his religion never waver. Neither does his ability to commit to whatever task or goal is set before him. Over the next decade -- converting even the most skeptical coaches and teammates, as well as his brother -- Brandon transforms himself into an impressively good offensive guard on both his high school and college football teams. As a walk-on at the University of Arkansas, Brandon's efforts earn him both a place on the school's NCAA top-ranked team and a scholarship. He excels, earning the respect and devotion of others, many of whom become better people because of him. Then, after years of astonishing but well-deserved success (including receiving both bachelor's and master's degrees while a student at the university, a feat never before achieved at the college by a football player) -- and only weeks after being drafted by the NFL's Indianapolis Colts -- his life is accidentally and tragically ended.

Is It Any Good?

A fitting tribute to an outstanding young man, this drama tells Burlsworth's story in a clear-eyed, respectful way that both entertains and inspires. Though it's a low-budget film, Greater has been graced with some outstanding supporting performances and an able production. And, while successfully capturing the impact that Burlsworth's devotion to Christian principles had upon his life, the film's messages aren't heavy-handed.

The only scenes that feel forced are the encounters between Marty, with his bittersweet memories and flagging belief in God, and an anonymous character who, while well-played in multiple scenes by Nick Searcy , is there specifically to offer counter-arguments to faith. But ultimately this is a a satisfying film that's meant to be shared by families. While it will be especially relevant for those with strong religious convictions, it's accessible to all.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how the characters in Greater demonstrate teamwork and courage . Why are those important character strengths ?

How did Brandon deal with the bullies in his story? What did his tormentors learn from him? How did he integrate the concept of forgiveness into his behavior? Was it effective? Why or why not?

Why do you think Greater is told in a "flashback" format? How does it help tell Marty's story? Do you think that knowing early on that Brandon died helped make the final events less sad/distressing?

How did Marty's recollections aid in his own transformation and help him accept Brandon's death?

How is drinking portrayed in the film? Are there consequences? Why is that important?

Movie Details

• In theaters : August 26, 2016
• On DVD or streaming : December 20, 2016
• Cast : Neal McDonough , Christopher Severio , Leslie Easterbrook
• Director : David Hunt
• Studio : Hammond Entertainment
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Sports and Martial Arts , Friendship , Great Boy Role Models
• Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
• Run time : 130 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : thematic elements, some language, and smoking
• Last updated : August 4, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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What to watch next.

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Film Review: ‘Greater’

The life and untimely death of Arkansas football player Brandon Burlsworth is turned into a one-note sermon in David Hunt’s leaden biopic.

By Nick Schager

Nick Schager

Film Critic

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When it comes to the all-time greatest walk-on (i.e. non-scholarship) college football player, Arkansas offensive lineman Brandon Burlsworth easily bests Notre Dame’s more famous Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger. In terms of their biopics, however, “Greater” — an account of Burlsworth’s inspiring rise and tragic demise — pales in comparison to the latter’s beloved “Rudy.” An insistent, clunky sermon about triumph through faith, David Hunt’s film is so determined to turn its subject into a Christ-like saint that it loses any sense of him as an actual flesh-and-blood man, the result being a third-string sports saga only apt to play to its devout target audience.

Burlsworth was a heavyset Arkansas kid who, without any prior commitment from the nationally ranked team, fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming an Arkansas Razorbacks member in 1994 — a feat that was then surpassed when he became an all-American offensive lineman during his senior year, and shortly thereafter a third-round selection in the NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts. His is a stirring story of an underdog prevailing against incredible odds, which is why his 1999 death in an automotive accident at the age of 22 was all the more shattering.

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Given Burlsworth’s piousness, Hunt and co-writer David Reindl use his untimely passing as a means of addressing a core spiritual conundrum: If God exists, how can He allow decent “Pilgrim’s Progress”-reading people like Burlsworth to perish so young? They tackle that query via Burlsworth’s much-older brother Marty ( Neal McDonough ), who, on the cusp of his sibling’s funeral, struggles to understand why awful things happen to the innocent and righteous. As with the religious comments strewn throughout “Greater,” this framing device is handled with maximum exposition and minimal grace. Its ham-fistedness is compounded by Marty’s prolonged conversation with a wood-whittling stranger (Nick Searcy) whose declarations about the universe’s “pitiless indifference” and the “howling abyss” that awaits those after death speaks to his oh-so-obvious Satanic nature.

Popular on Variety

Burlsworth’s straight-and-narrow course to gridiron glory is recounted in flashbacks that unfailingly cast him as a flawless servant of the Lord, an indefatigable and selfless worker, and an aw-shucks good guy. As embodied by newcomer Chris Severio, Burlsworth is a friendly giant with enormous black-rimmed glasses (think Drew Carrey by way of Clark Kent) who ignores insults and never gets discouraged, to the point that even his drunken lout of a father (Michael Parks) can’t shake his confidence.

Despite his heft, Severio hardly boasts game-shape physicality, and his dramatic skills are sorely lacking. More troublesome, though, is that the film denies him any measure of the self-doubt, fear, anger, or frustration that his circumstances might naturally engender. Instead, it casts his devotion to God as a virtual guarantee of his success — which is also true with regards to his mom (Leslie Easterbrook), who shrugs off going into decades of debt to support her son’s long-shot aspirations by stating, “My son knows I have faith.”

Eschewing complex human emotions in favor of hagiographic religiosity, “Greater” (which features multiple renditions of “I’ll Fly Away”) imagines Burlsworth as the Razorbacks’ eventual leader both on and off the field, flattening defensive ends in stadium contests and, afterwards, owning up to mistakes, leading teammates to the Lord in Bible study, and turning nasty enemies into prayerful BFFs. No matter which of his tale’s details are true and which have been fictionalized, Hunt’s stewardship — typified by unassuming visuals marked by occasional heavenly-light embellishment — turns these athletic proceedings into a protracted, one-note Sunday School lesson.

That the film can’t even properly elucidate that Frederic Lehne’s Mike Bender is, in fact, an assistant (versus the head) coach at Arkansas is emblematic of Hunt and Reindl’s ungainly scripting. Meanwhile, the fact that Marty ultimately rejects devilish hopelessness primarily because he just can’t stand the belligerent bullying of Searcy’s de facto Beelzebub suggests that, no matter its platitudinous proclamations to the contrary, it ultimately has no answers to the spiritual questions hovering over its real-life action like a shroud.

Reviewed online, Stamford, Conn., August 22, 2016. MPAA Rating: PG. Running time: 131 MIN.

• Production: A Hammond Entertainment presentation of a Greater Prods. production. Producer: Brian Reindl. Executive producers: Brian Reindl, Neal McDonough. Co-producers: Tim Duff.
• Crew: Director: David Hunt. Screenplay: Brian Reindl, David Hunt. Camera (color, widescreen, HD): Gabe Mayhan. Editor: David Hunt.
• With: Neal McDonough, Leslie Easterbrook, Chris Severio, Michael Parks, Nick Searcy, Fredric Lehne, Peter Lewis, Josh Emerson, Texas Battle, M.C. Gainey, Wayne Duvall.

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Dove Review

“Greater” is a tremendous and inspiring film. It deals with the true-life story of Brandon Burlsworth (Chris Severio). Brandon wound up playing for the Arkansas Razorbacks, even though he was a walk-on at camp. Even as a young boy, although he sometimes over-ate, he knew he wanted to play for the Razorbacks one day. Brandon keeps the faith when others don’t, and he works very hard to put on muscle and slim down. His older brother by 17 years, Marty (Neal McDonough) doesn’t have the faith Brandon does at first, but Brandon wins him over. A running joke in the film is that several people think Marty is Brandon’s father, instead of his brother. Their mother (Leslie Easterbrook) is a strong Christian who influences their lives. Brandon himself influences several people while at college and wins over some rough and gruff football players who used to mock his Christian faith. Soon, they are attending Bible study with him and praying.

This movie features themes of persistent hard work, trust, and standing firm in one’s faith. Brandon wins several coveted awards and is eventually drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. His family endures a tragedy, and an epitaph says at the conclusion of the film: “Our loss is great, but God is greater.” Brandon’s uniform number, 77, has been retired, and a foundation has been set up in his honor. We are extremely pleased to award this wonderful movie our “Faith-Friendly” Seal for ages 12-plus, and five Doves, our greatest compliment.

Dove Rating Details

A brother shoves another brother; football violence (including hard tackles).

A comment about "fast women."

G/OMG-2; Butt-2; Geez-1;"They're stupid"; Fat A**-2; A-1; Da*n-1; S-1; Fatty-1; Shamu-1; a comment, "You two would drive St. Francis to drink"; Turd-3; Cry Baby-1; Sucks/Sucked-3.

A couple of scenes of cigarette smoking; a man looks at liquor bottle at night, and the next morning, it is empty, and he is drunk; a man plays a prank on a player who doesn't drink and puts alcohol put in his drink; when the man discovers the alcohol, after a few drinks, he runs in the rain to make sure he is sober.

Shirtless men in a few scenes; man in boxers; a couple of men in towels.

One cynical character makes several comments that people should get angry with God and that He is not a loving God; tension between characters; several people mock a young man because of his weight and his Christian faith; death and grief.

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The Worst Netflix Original Horror Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

For the horror heads among us, perusing a streamer's genre page can be a goldmine of camp opportunities or disturbing folk horror to keep us up at night, but it can also be home to some of the most tedious stories put to film. Whether it's an ill-advised continuation of a franchise or an adaptation in the wrong hands, even the mighty Netflix isn't immune to acquiring, producing, and/or distributing some stinkers. In fact, they tend to excel at it.

While Rotten Tomatoes isn't the be-all and end-all of movie criticism ( and it almost seems to be trying to discredit it more and more ), it can provide a quick temperature check to a movie's well being — a helpful measure for all of us when considering how we want to spend our time rotting away on the couch. Mileage can vary on how much to trust the aggregated rating of a bunch of critics, but for these original Netflix horror movies, there's a clear warning sign ahead: proceed with caution, because these movies kind of suck.

The Open House – 7%

Beginning with the most rotten by a country mile, Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote's "The Open House" failed to impress even a tenth of the critics that reviewed,  sitting at a pithy 7% on the Tomatometer . The film follows a mother and son forced to move to a secluded mountain following the sudden death of their husband and father. Starring Dylan Minnette and Piercey Dalton, the two encounter strange behaviors and happenstances, eventually going head to head with the film's villain, "Evil Boots."

While the premise of "The Open House" is far from being terrible, it's the execution of the film that sinks any positives. Andrew Wyatt at The Lens defiantly calls the movie, "Utterly insufferable and almost maliciously pointless." While at Den of Geek , Alec Bojalad points to the "astonishingly bad ending" as the film's most significant undoing.

Hypnotic – 24%

Another directorial collaboration between the husband and wife duo Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, "Hypnotic" follows a cruel hypnotherapist (Jason O'Mara) who engages his client, Jenn (Kate Siegel), in a chilling game which finds her at the mercy of a madman.

There may have been a time where a film like "Hypnotic" felt fresh and exciting, but Matt Fowler at IGN Movies notes that in 2021, the movie  currently sitting with a 24%  instead feels "very out-of-time and, subsequently, very inconsequential. It dilutes what could have been a rather diabolical and memorable story and delivers a disposable ride that ends with a stilted and safe re-entry."

Taking a wider view, Nick Harley at Den of Geek sees "Hypnotic" as part of a greater problem saying, "Netflix original movies are like fast food; they're cheap and easy to make, they'll temporarily fill you up, have a passable taste that's familiar and unchallenging, but you'll either forget about the quick fix or regret it entirely."

Secret Obsession – 28%

Following a car accident, a woman (Brenda Song) finds herself in the hospital with amnesia. Unsure of who she is, how she got hurt, or anything about her life, she's told by the man at her bedside (Mike Vogel) that he is her husband and proceeds to show her pictures of their life together, seemingly filling in her memory gaps. As time wears on, she becomes increasingly wary of the stories she's been told and slowly unravels her nightmarish reality.

"Secret Obsession" gives away the farm in its title and recalls the straight-to-video movies of the '90s. While Pittsburgh Magazine's Sean Collier humorously quips, "They don't make movies like this anymore. And it's good that they don't," Eddie Strait at The Daily Dot doesn't even think "Secret Obsession" meets the standards of sub-par TV movies: "'Secret Obsession' is a soulless lump of generic mush that aspires to the cheese level of a Lifetime original joint but doesn't come anywhere close."

However, both Linda Holmes of NPR and Karen Han of Polygon take the view that while "Secret Obsession" is indeed worthy of its 28% rating , it does exactly what is says on the tin. Holmes writes, "This is a pretty bad movie, but it seems to be bad in the way it's meant to be bad." Adds Han, "'Secret Obsession' does pretty much exactly what you expect it to, and presumably what you want it to, if you watched the brief preview clip while browsing Netflix and then decided that, yes, you would like to hit play."

The Cloverfield Paradox – 22%

Since 2008, the J.J. Abrams' produced "Cloverfield" franchise has spawned a trilogy and a graphic novel to varying degrees of success. Undoubtedly, "10 Cloverfield" starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman has seen the most success, critically and commercially; although the same cannot be said for its successor, "The Cloverfield Paradox."

Released on Netflix in 2018 and directed by Julius Onah, a considerable amount of hype was attached to the film based on the severe secrecy behind the production, aided by a since-deleted tweet from director Ava DuVernay hyping up the ending of "The Cloverfield Paradox" during the Superbowl that year . Sadly, even with a great cast, including Elizabeth Debicki, Daniel Brühl, David Oyelowo, Zhang Ziyi, and Chris O'Dowd, the third (and currently final) franchise installment fell flat.

Summarizing the movie's 22% score perfectly, Alex Hudson at Exclaim! describes the film as "too silly to live up to its potential." Recalling the pre-production madness that prompted the hype train, Cinema Sentries' Matthew St. Clair says, "Unfortunately, the hype surrounding the super secretive and constantly delayed film turned out to be more interesting than the actual film itself."

You can read our full review of "The Cloverfield Paradox" right here .

The Silence – 30%

In a world where vesps, a flying reptile type creature, hunt humans by sound, a deaf teenager and her family seek out shelter and fight for their survival, all without making any noise. No, this isn't "A Quiet Place," it's the Kiernan Shipka and Stanley Tucci led "The Silence" — a movie released a year after John Krasinski's directorial debut and based on a novel published in 2015.

Similar to the coincidental releases of "Olympus Has Fallen" and "White House Down" in 2013, "The Illusionist" and "The Prestige" in 2006, and of course, "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact" in 1998, "The Silence" and "A Quiet Place" seem to be victims of time and space — though, moreso the former than the latter. Where "A Quiet Place" was lauded for its originality and Krasinski's direction, critics were decidedly less enthused about "The Silence," resulting in a 30% rotten rating and unfavorable comparisons aplenty.

Kristy Puchko at IGN Movies succinctly states, "Imagine 'A Quiet Place,' but deeply mediocre." While Charles Bramesco at The Guardian takes aim at Netflix, "This is the most insidious type of knockoff: the one that sincerely expects you to believe that it's the real thing. Leave it to Netflix to take the fun out of incompetence."

Whether the timing was truly coincidental or Netflix attempting to capitalize off of a proven new horror trend, we can all agree that "The Silence" is aggressively forgettable .

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) – 30%

For as legendary as Tobe Hooper's 1974 "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" has become, as a franchise, it feels like they've been batting at or below the Mendoza Line for the better part of its nine-movie existence. In an effort to jump start and perhaps recapture the essence of the original film, David Blue Garcia's 2022 film, "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," takes place 50 years after Hooper's, following the continuity that began in 1974, and in turn, forgoing the alternate timeline Millennium Films' had previously set up (and concluded with 2017's "Leatherface").

"Texas Chainsaw Massacre" attempted to modernize the franchise by haphazardly including references to social media, trendy buzz words, and commentary on issues prevalent to the times. Lex Briscuso at Paste Magazine describes this effort as "trite," concluding that the film rests "on topical concepts that it doesn't know how to comment on."

Contributing to the film's 30% rating , Josh Korngut for Dread Central found some positives, but ultimately concludes that "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" didn't live up to the reputation set by its original predecessor, commenting, "Even though a handful of violent scenes do breathe some life into the desecrated corpse of this legacy sequel, they in no way make up for the levels of disrespect faced by its characters and its audience."

Quite simply: "Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)" is one of the worst films of the franchise .

Death Note – 36%

Considered to be one of the worst live-action anime adaptations , "Death Note" currently sits at 36% on the Tomatometer . The original manga series that follows a high school student who discovers a notebook that grants him the ability to kill anyone whose name is written in the pages has proven to be incredibly successful around the world, selling millions of copies and spawning numerous animated television shows. The series raised questions surrounding morality and justice, while also being highly entertaining and thrilling at the same time.

Bringing together a wealth of emerging talent at the time, such as LaKeith Stanfield and Margaret Qualley, as well as screen veterans like Willem Dafoe, Adam Wingard's adaptation and Americanization of "Death Note" just didn't land with audiences or critics. Joshua Rivera at GQ simply states, "I'm not sure who 'Death Note' is for," where Brian Tallerico at RogerEbert.com takes it a step further: "The ending will have you switching off your Netflix app in disgust. If you don't die from boredom before you get there."

Netflix, though, seems completely unbothered by the overwhelmingly negative reaction to "Death Note" and as of October 2022, plans are in place to give this one another go, this time via a live-action adaptation series with Halia Abdel-Meguid set to write and executive produce for "Stranger Things" creators Matt and Ross Duffer by way of their production company Upside Down.

Extinction – 31%

A sci-fi, horror, action mash-up, "Extinction" stars Michael Peña as Peter, a man terrorized by a recurring nightmare that an alien invasion destroys the world. At first understanding these dreams to be the effect of an underlying psychological issue, Peter soon begins to believe that rather than nightmares, they're premonitions of things to come.

What could have been an enticing thinkpiece on humanity and technology becomes a messy plot that clunks its way to the finish line, earning itself a 31% rating . Brad Newsome of the Sydney Morning Herald didn't find the film altogether terrible, "The big twist is a good one, there are some decent action sequences," however Newsome accepts that even with these positives, "there isn't enough here to keep things from dragging."

The general consensus of those who found the movie weak points to a movie that dreams big with little to show for it in reality. "Big Blockbuster aspirations but without much charisma or soul," writes Meagan Navarro at Bloody Disgusting . While Nick Allen at RogerEbert.com calls the movie, "A B-movie with a blockbuster attitude, and not in a fun way."

Old People – 33%

Of all the films on this list, the 2022 film "Old People" directed by Andy Fetscher intrigued me the most. Given society's penchant for discarding our elderly when we've decided they are more burdensome than valuable members, the idea of "Pensioners Fighting Back" feels ripe for either campy entertainment or thoughtful commentary on our derisive impatience as a collective. To my dismay, "Old People" more than deserves its 33% standing .

"The genre isn't known for its profundity, but Fetscher could have leaned into that more and given this movie the chance to become that horror rarity, a genuinely disturbing thriller," comments Roger Moore at Movie Nation . In place of being a properly horrifying picture, "Old People" settles for being a tedious watch where, as John Sooja at Common Sense Media notes, "the worst offense is the writing that has characters often doing stupid things or making dumb decisions, which completely dissolves any suspension of disbelief."

In the Tall Grass – 36%

One of the most prolific authors of our time, Stephen King has had his fair share of work adapted to the big screen and of course, he has his favorites . It's a safe assumption, though, "In the Tall Grass" isn't one of them.

With only 36% on Rotten Tomatoes , "In the Tall Grass" suffers from a common problem among films but a comical one when adapting King's work, even a novella: not enough source material to stretch across an acceptable feature film runtime. King is not a man of brevity and his novellas would be considered regular novels for most writers, but somehow Vincenzo Natali, who wrote and directed the film, struggled to fill a rather taut 90-minute runtime without fumbling.

At Cinema Axis , Courtney Small says, "Deep in the dense grass that surrounds the plot of Vincenzo Natali's 'In the Tall Grass' is a spectacular horror film. Unfortunately, one gets lost trying to find it." More to the point, Brian Lowry at CNN  states, "Despite an uneven track record, 'In the Tall Grass' gives the lamest King adaptations a run for their money, as writer-director Vincenzo Natali labors to stretch out the story, which takes a wrong turn in more ways than one."

Things Heard & Seen – 38%

There's nothing sadder in film than to see a tremendous performer debase themselves with lesser than material. Such is the case in the 2021 film "Things Heard & Seen" written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, starring Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried.

The film takes us back to 1980 where Catherine (Seyfried), an art restorer living in Manhattan, moves to a spooky farmhouse in upstate New York for a career opportunity for her husband. As Catherine, her husband, and their daughter settle in, Catherine and her daughter begin witnessing and feeling a spirit in their new home. "Things Heard & Seen" is a classic ghost story in every sense, including being based on real-life events , but it's one that flies every which way, never landing any of its attempts at tension or thrills. Trading in, instead, trite boredom.

ABC News critic Peter Travers colorfully quips, "You know a ghost story is a hot mess when it strands a stellar Amanda Seyfried and a top cast in a remote, country house haunted by toxic masculinity, dangling plot threads and nothing worth hearing or seeing." Almost unanimously across the board, critics agreed that Seyfried shouldn't be looped in with this mess of a film, as David Ehrlich at IndieWire says, "[W]hile Seyfried acquits herself and then some, an actor of her talent is wasted on a character that spends most of the movie just connecting the dots."

I have to imagine that the 38% of critics who liked this film , only did so because of Seyfried.

Screen Rant

How on earth does michael j. fox's forgotten disney movie only have 49% on rotten tomatoes.

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10 Things You Never Knew About Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Ridley scott's most underrated movie is this 1985 fantasy flop everyone should see, rick grimes' return makes a walking dead season 10 death way more heartbreaking.

Not every Disney movie can be Frozen or The Lion King , and for every smash hit there’s a jewel lost in the depths of the ocean. At least, that’s the case for Atlantis: The Lost Empire , a movie that, despite gaining cult classic status, has only 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. Released in an era of princesses and musical prowess, the darker-toned Atlantis has been buried as one of Disney’s animated failures , but the creative risks make it one of the most underrated and unique Disney movies of the early 2000s.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire , which is getting a live-action remake , made history in 2001 as Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first science fiction film. The adventure features Milo Thatch, voiced by Michael J. Fox, and his eccentric exploration team on a quest to find the lost city of Atlantis. The movie draws direct inspiration from Jules Vernes' Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea . With a stellar voice cast and strong creative team behind it, the movie seemed destined for greatness. Yet its low rating from critics speaks to a change in Disney itself.

It's been almost 20 years since Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire and there are rumors of a live-action remake. Here are some other hidden details.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire Is A Great Movie & Deserves Better

It's a throwback sci-fi adventure epic.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an old-style sci-fi epic. The movie left the musicals behind for explosions, steampunk technology, and history. Hellboy comics’ Mike Mignola gave Atlantis: The Lost Empire its comic-like art style with a color palette that beautifully reflects the murky depths of the sea. The ensemble cast has strong personalities and are diverse in ethnicity and body type. Mayan, Southeast Asian, and Indo-European culture influenced Atlantis' architecture and the invented Atlantean language. The voices of Michael J. Fox and Cree Summer bring everything to life. This unique hero story retains all the Disney magic.

Hellboy comics’ Mike Mignola gave Atlantis: The Lost Empire its comic-like art style with a color palette that beautifully reflects the murky depths of the sea.

Before the plans were scrapped , the future was bright for Atlantis. Disney had planned the TV spin-off Team Atlantis in addition to the 2003 direct-to-DVD Atlantis: The Lost Empire sequel . Disney’s Submarine Voyage theme park rides would have been revamped into Atlantis- themed adventures. Atlantis has untapped potential. Kida could be added to the Disney Princess lineup and the action and grit of the film would make it a thrilling live-action remake. Enthusiasm for Atlantis led to a cast and crew reunion for the 2021 and 2022 anniversaries. It is time for Disney to rediscover Atlantis: The Lost Empire .

Why Atlantis: The Lost Empire Wasn't A Big Success For Disney

For a movie about recovering history in 1914, Atlantis was ahead of its time . Many of the risks that made Atlantis exciting became the reasons it wasn’t a big success. In 2001, critics called it “ a creative gamble ,” referring to the lack of songs or cuddly sidekicks. The older audience it was meant to attract favored full CG animation rather than Atlantis ’ mix of hand-drawn and CG animation. Critics on Rotten Tomatoes discussed weaknesses in plot and pacing, the same negative criticism the film received in 2001. The movie’s mixed reviews ultimately contributed to the franchise’s disappearance.

When Atlantis: The Lost Empire premiered, it went up against Dreamworks’ Shrek and action competitor Lara Croft: Tomb Raider . They proved to be the bigger draw. In its 25-week theatrical run, Atlantis made $186 million worldwide compared to its $100 million budget . The lack of success speaks to post-Disney Renaissance industry decisions. Due to studio competition, high costs, and box office bombs, Disney severely downsized its staff and movie production. Parting with the Disney formula was a high pressure experiment that the crew had incredible confidence in. Unfortunately, Atlantis: The Lost Empire needed more than confidence to be considered a success.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

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The 2D-animated Disney movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire follows a linguist who leads an expedition to find the lost city of Atlantis and unlock its secrets. The 2001 sci-fi movie features an ensemble cast composed of Michael J. Fox as Milo Thatch and Cree Summer as Atlantian Princess Kida, as well as James Garner, Don Novello, Phil Morris, Jacqueline Obradors, Claudia Christian, Florence Stanley, Leonard Nimoy, David Ogden Stiers, John Mahoney, Jim Varney, and Corey Burton in supporting roles.

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Watch out hollywood, rotten tomatoes is adding “hot” movies to its “fresh” rankings.

Movies that are 'Verified Hot' by filmgoers will join those that are 'Certified Fresh' from critics, in a move meant to give more weight to consumer opinions, as the site also tweaks its review eligibility requirements.

By Alex Weprin

Alex Weprin

Media & Business Writer

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The Rotten Tomatoes “Certified Fresh” badge has become online shorthand for checking the quality of films, a sign that professional critics — or at least a large percentage of them — think that a movie is worth watching. Now, the Comcast-owned digital movie site is making a significant addition to its film rankings, unveiling a new “Verified Hot” badge on Aug. 21 meant to reflect the views of average moviegoers.

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Box office: 'inside out 2' on fire at friday box office, now heading for joyful $130m-$140m u.s. debut, a marvel project finally gets a perfect rotten tomatoes score.

Rotten Tomatoes scores occasionally become battlegrounds for fandom and culture war clashes, with Disney+’s Star Wars series The Acolyte (which, amid allegations of review bombing, has not been renewed for a second season) serving as the latest example and 2016’s all-female Ghostbusters reboot often considered the first mainstream instance of users seeking to game the scores. Such attempts at manipulation do reflect, however, that the site’s scores have over the years gained clout to convey a certain degree of coveted pop culture credibility. 

The first films to receive the Verified Hot badge include Deadpool & Wolverine , Twisters , Bad Boys: Ride or Die , Fly Me to the Moon and It Ends With Us . The site is also adding the badge retroactively to more than 200 films.

In another move, Rotten Tomatoes is updating the minimum number of critic reviews for a film before a Tomatometer score can appear. If a movie debuts at a film festival or is projected to have a box office of $60 million or less, then it will need to have 10 reviews for a score; if it has a projected box office of $60 million to $120 million, it will require 20 reviews; and if the projected box office is greater than $120 million, it will need 40 reviews. 

The changes are significant on multiple fronts. A high score on either its consumer-centric Popcornmeter or critic-centric Tomatometer can make or break a movie in the days just before or after it bows at the box office.

In addition, the new Verified Hot badge appears to shift power from critics to average moviegoers, who can now in aggregate help a film generate a coveted badge, something that had been reserved for pro reviewers with the Certified Fresh designation.

“On Rotten Tomatoes, fans love to consult our verified audience score, in addition to the Tomatometer critics’ score, when discovering new movies and deciding what they want to watch next,” said Amanda Norvell, senior VP of direct-to-consumer services at Fandango. “With the addition of Verified Hot, we are excited to celebrate and shine a spotlight on the theatrical films that fans have unanimously embraced and have taken the time to share their incredible moviegoing experience with other fans.”

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Every 2023 Movie With A 95% Or Higher On Rotten Tomatoes

Anyone who says they don't make good movies anymore simply needs to watch more movies. It's true that 2023 has had its fair share of major disappointments — not to mention the existential crises about the future of the entertainment industry — but there have also been great films of all genres, from animated blockbusters to scintillating romances to terrifying horror. This list is by no means a comprehensive rundown of the year's best films, but it includes the movies that were universally liked enough by critics to score 95% or over on Rotten Tomatoes .

A couple of disclaimers before we begin: Specific Rotten Tomatoes scores are subject to fluctuation, so to provide some sense of stability, this list includes only films that have received enough reviews to be officially "Certified Fresh." Some of these films might be listed as being from different years based on festival premieres or international releases, but we're considering any movie first released in the United States in 2023 as a "2023 movie." And finally, we're only considering narrative features for this particular list. 

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Can a movie be called a "crowdpleaser" if it failed to attract crowds? Kelly Fremont Craig's cinematic adaptation of Judy Blume's classic middle-grade novel "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." came in under expectations at the box office, but nearly everyone who saw it loved it. Not only is its 99% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes among the highest of any film released in 2023, but its audience score on the site is also impressively high at 95%, and it earned an A rating from the CinemaScore polling service.

Following 6th grader Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) as she makes new friends, explores religion, and anxiously awaits her first period, the film is a faithful adaptation that respects its young audience's intelligence. It also has a top-notch cast, including Rachel McAdams, Benny Safdie, and Kathy Bates alongside many talented child performers. "Although the target audience is unquestionably mothers and daughters," wrote ReelViews ' James Berardinelli, "'Are You There God? It's Me Margaret' has things to say to viewers of all genders and ages."

Celine Song's directorial debut "Past Lives" is the type of romantic drama that's easy to fall in love with. The story begins in South Korea, where childhood sweethearts Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) must say goodbye to each other when Nora and her family immigrate to Toronto. 12 years later, Nora, now living in New York, reconnects with Hae Sung over the internet, only for the two to fall out of contact again. 12 years after that , Hae Sung visits New York City to see Nora — who is now married to another writer named Arthur (John Magaro).

This low-key story is packed with intense romantic longing and is told with impressive emotional maturity. All three lead characters are nuanced and relatable, with brilliantly subtle performances from their actors. "Past Lives" was among the most talked-about films at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, and love for the movie continued to grow over its successful run in arthouses this summer, with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  Looper's own review of the film  couldn't list a single negative quality of the movie except: "It ends?"

At 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, "BlackBerry," directed and co-written by Matt Johnson, is easily the most critically acclaimed of 2023's strangely large number of films focusing on the histories of popular consumer products. Part of this is due to the fact it's possibly the only one of these films that doesn't feel like an advertisement; the BlackBerry brand is all but dead, and this rise-and-fall drama serves as a cautionary tale about how great ideas can become corrupted by big business and personal hubris.

Jay Baruchel is captivating as Mike Lazaridis, the unassuming inventor of the world's first smartphone, but it's Glenn Howerton who earned the highest praise from critics from his portrayal of the shady businessman Jim Balsillie: The "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star won best supporting actor at the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards. Reviews praised the Canadian indie's thrilling energy, earning favorable comparisons to films like "The Social Network" and "The Wolf of Wall Street." "'BlackBerry' is funny, fast and nerve-rattling," wrote Barry Hertz in The Globe and Mail . "And it is always — always — intensely entertaining."

Like "Past Lives," Raine Allen-Miller's "Rye Lane" is a romantic directorial debut that wowed the crowds at Sundance and earned near-universal critical acclaim, with a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unlike "Past Lives," however, you can't expect to see "Rye Lane" show up at the Oscars — though released theatrically in the United Kingdom, it was sent straight to Hulu and is thus branded a "TV movie" in America. It's downright criminal that it got completely snubbed at the Emmys in favor of "Hocus Pocus 2" – but who needs awards when you can still enjoy a movie this funny, charming, and visually striking?

This rom-com follows two strangers, Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah), who meet in the bathroom at an art show and spend the rest of the day together. Both are trying to deal with recent break-ups, and they have instant chemistry even as the day's escalating chaos challenges what they thought they knew about each other. Top critic Ty Burr wrote of the film, "The vibe is so infectious, the colors so happily overripe, and the soundtrack so blissful that it's hard not to fall for the damn thing."

"Joyland" was Pakistan's official entry for best international feature at the 95th Academy Awards — though it was nearly banned from theaters in its home country due to its positive depiction of a transgender woman as a potential love interest. After winning the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and Queer Palm at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival along with the Independent Spirit Award for best international film, it made its way to American indie cinemas in the spring of 2023, courtesy of Oscilloscope.

Despite its title, "Joyland" is not a film that will leave you with a smile on your face. This is a family drama that ends in tragedy, delivering a searing look at the damages that patriarchy and cis-heteronormativity can wreak on individuals. At 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, it left critics stunned. John Nugent's review in Empire called the movie "a storming debut from writer-director Saim Sadiq: emotional, tender, and quietly radical. With any luck, it will herald a new era for Pakistani cinema."

When it premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2021, "Full Time" won awards for both best director (Eric Gravel) and best actress (Laura Calamy). It earned more awards following its French release in 2022, before eventually having a limited release in the United States in 2023. This is one of the less widely-seen films on this list, but at 98% with critics on Rotten Tomatoes (and 93% from audiences), those who have seen it have been extremely enthusiastic about it.

Following a single mother and hotel maid as she goes about her increasingly stressful day, "Full Time" has been praised for its thrilling intensity — earning multiple comparisons to the films of the Safdie brothers — as well as for its approach to drama. Cath Clarke from  The Guardian found its degree of realism particularly surprising, writing, "It's such an authentic and relatable film — so meticulously observed, in fact, that to be perfectly honest, I assumed it had been made by a woman."

Not to be confused with the much worse-reviewed 2023 film "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," Rodrigo Sorogoyen's "The Beasts" is a Spanish and French co-production that won nine categories including best film at Spain's Goya Awards. In this thriller inspired loosely by true events, Denis Ménochet and Marina Foïs star as a French couple trying to set up an organic farm in Galicia, where the local "hill people" aren't pleased with their presence (to put things mildly).

Earning a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, "The Beasts" left many critics deeply unnerved, with several comparing it to John Boorman's infamously twisted "Deliverance." Writing for Variety , Peter Debruge described the film as "a deeply uncomfortable portrait of everyday evil that's all the more terrifying for being true — not the two main characters, who are fictional, but the conflict that comes to define their new life in that wild corner of northwest Spain."

Released theatrically in South Korea in 2021, Hong Sung-eun's "Aloners" didn't get a theatrical release at all in America. Instead, Film Movement has made it available for rental or purchase on various digital platforms. Judging from its Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%, the vast majority of critics who've seen it believe that it's worth renting, if not purchasing.

Gong Seung-yeon stars as Jina, a call center worker who lives in complete isolation outside of her job, but begins to open up to a new trainee (Jung Da-eun). For cultural context, Korean society has historically been very group-oriented, and the growing number of  honjok loners among younger generations was a topic of interest even before the COVID-19 pandemic made this subject matter even more universally relevant. "While the message is pat," wrote Noel Murray in the Los Angeles Times , "the way it's presented is poignant, thanks to an arresting lead performance from Gong, who manages a tricky balance of chilliness and charm."

Return to Seoul

"Return to Seoul," from writer-director Davy Chou, is another entry on this list submitted to the Oscars and other awards as a 2022 film (it won best film from the Boston Society of Film Critics) but didn't receive a commercial release in the United States until 2023. Whatever year you count it under, this international co-production with a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes is among the very best, a thoughtful character study centered around what should be a star-making performance from first-time actress Ji-Min Park.

Park plays Freddie, an adoptee who grew up in France and is seeking out her birth family in South Korea. The film follows Freddie on multiple trips to Korea, taking unexpected turns as the character changes over the years in her struggle for a sense of belonging. Amy Nicholson of The New York Times raved, "'Return to Seoul' is a startling and uneasy wonder, a film that feels like a beautiful sketch of a tornado headed directly toward your house."

Huesera: The Bone Woman

The Mexican-Peruvian horror film "Huesera: The Bone Woman," directed and co-written by Michelle Garza Cervera, won the best new narrative director and Nora Ephron awards when it premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival. Released in 2023 in Mexican theaters and streaming exclusively on Shudder in the United States, it's one of the best-reviewed horror films of the year on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 97% rating from critics.

Centering around a pregnant woman (Natalia Solián) who gets cursed by an evil spirit, "Huesera: The Bone Woman" draws inspiration from "Rosemary's Baby" to deliver a fresh work of body horror. Based on her spine-tingling direction here, critics are hyped to see what Cervera makes next. Randy Myers of the San Jose Mercury News said that the film "announces the welcome arrival of a new horror filmmaker who knows how to tell a damn good, multi-layered story that has a purpose and a vision."

Released to blockbuster success in Japan in 2022 before coming to the States in 2023, "Suzume" is the latest anime from writer-director Makoto Shinkai. This fantasy adventure follows a teenage girl (Nanako Hara in Japanese, Nichole Sakura in English) traveling across Japan to stop a supernatural "worm" from causing natural disasters. As anyone who's seen a Shinkai film can expect, there's also a romance involved — but the romance is downplayed, given that the love interest (Hokuto Matsumura in Japanese, Josh Keaton in English) is magically transformed into a chair for the majority of the film.

For all its whimsical strangeness, "Suzume" still tugs at the heartstrings with its coming-of-age drama and the unusually direct way it addresses the tragedy of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. It earned a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96%, only two points behind Shinkai's mainstream breakout "Your Name" and higher than his subsequent film "Weathering With You." Tim Robbey's review for the Daily Telegraph (UK)  called it "Shinkai's most spookily beautiful work to date, while remaining treasurably odd."

A Thousand and One

"A Thousand and One," the feature debut of writer-director A.V. Rockwell, won the grand jury prize in the U.S. dramatic competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, and went on to receive a Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 97%. Set in New York City over the course of the 1990s and 2000s, this drama stars Teyana Taylor as Inez de la Paz, a mother who tries to take back her son Terry (played by Aaron Kingsley Adetola at age 6, Aven Courtney at age 13, and Josiah Cross at age 17) from the foster system.

Taylor's performance earned raves, as did Rockwell's assured direction and the emotionally devastating portrayal of the systemic social failures of the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations. In her four-star review for The Washington Post , Ann Hornaday wrote, "This is a tough, beautiful, honest and bracingly hopeful movie about mutual care and unconditional love, with a transformative and indelible performance at its core."

Cristian Mungiu is among the most celebrated directors of the Romanian New Wave, with his most famous film being the 2007 Palme d'Or-winning abortion drama "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days." His latest movie, "R.M.N.," which premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, is based on the 2020 Ditrău xenophobic incident, in which a mob of Hungarians violently forced Sri Lankan workers out of their town.

It's certainly not an easy watch, but those who've seen it agree it's a powerful one. The film's Rotten Tomatoes score is 96% among critics and an even higher 98% among audiences. As Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor wrote, "Mungiu does not offer an easy remedy for this toxic mess. How could he? But no one who makes a movie this vehement can fail to harbor a hope for what human beings, at their best, can be. 'R.M.N.' is the work of an outraged idealist."

The Blue Caftan

Between "Joyland" and "The Blue Caftan," 2023 is shaping up to be an impressive year for queer stories from predominantly Muslim countries. Directed and co-written by Maryam Touzani and officially submitted by Morocco for best international feature at the 95th Academy Awards, "The Blue Caftan" tells the story of a husband (Saleh Bakri) and wife (Lubna Azabal) who run a traditional caftan shop and hire an apprentice (Ayoub Missioui) — with whom the closeted husband quickly falls in love.

Critics embraced this quietly groundbreaking drama, giving it a 96% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Those who went in expecting the sort of straightforward tragedy that so often dominates gay narratives were pleasantly surprised. "What at first appears to be a story of secret lives and betrayal destined for a tragic end becomes a nuanced portrait of unconditional love and acceptance at its most radical," wrote Chris Shields at Sight and Sound .

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

If you've only seen one film on this list, it's probably "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." The sequel to the groundbreaking animated film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is one of the most popular films of 2023 and is widely agreed to be in the same league as its predecessor. On Rotten Tomatoes, "Across the Spider-Verse" currently holds a 95% critics' rating, just two points below that of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" (the audience scores are tied at 94%).

Co-directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson from a screenplay by David Callaham and producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, "Across the Spider-Verse" delivers more of everything people loved from the first movie: More Spider-people, more inventive animation styles, more comedy and action and emotion. The one thing it doesn't have is a more satisfying ending — viewers will have to wait for "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse" for an actual narrative conclusion. Even superhero skeptics loved this movie, with Adam Nayman at The Ringer calling it "smart stuff, leaps and bounds beyond Marvel's snarky hegemony."

When it premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, "Blue Jean" won the Giornate Degli Autori's People's Choice Award. It later earned writer-director George Oakley and producer Hélène Sifre BAFTA Award nominations for outstanding debut by a British writer, director, or producer. When it hit American theaters in summer 2023, critics in the U.S. ended up liking it just as much as critics in the U.K. The film holds a 95% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

This story about a closeted lesbian physical education teacher (Rosy McEwen) in 1988 — the same year Section 28 banned "promotion of homosexuality" in British schools — proves scarily relevant to current concerns about rising homophobic and transphobic legislation. "[All] of this might have come across as didactic and blandly worthy," wrote the Financial Times ' Leslie Felperin, "but Oakley evokes a strong sense of period with gritty, grainy cinematography that harks back to the look of 1980s British drama."

Gabriel Bier Gislason's "Attachment" was released in Denmark in 2022, and in the United States, it's streaming exclusively on Shudder. This genre-bending film's first act is essentially a lesbian romantic comedy, with Danish actress Maja (Josephine Park) and British Jewish academic Leah (Ellie Kendrick) instantly hitting it off at Christmas. However, when Leah has to return home to her mother (Sofia Gråbøl) due to health issues, the story shifts in the direction of psychological horror, with a great deal of mystery and creative usage of Jewish folklore.

Though it has a 95% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, most reviews were relatively mixed, leaning positive but not as passionately as most other films on this list — for comparison, it only has a 64 rating on Metacritic. Megan Navarro's review for Bloody Disgusting  was emblematic of this mixed-positive consensus: "The horror allegory for codependency told through Orthodox Judaism reinvigorates an oft-stale subgenre, even though Gislason's simple resolution can't avoid possession pitfalls by the journey's end."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

The highest-rated 2023 summer blockbuster among critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with a Tomatometer score of 96%, is one of the year's biggest surprises. Critics have not been fond of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" franchise in the past, to put it kindly. Still, the animated reboot "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," directed by Jeff Rowe, is a significant artistic step up from previous cinematic incarnations of the heroes in a half-shell.

Reviews highly praised the film's animation, which makes use of the technical innovations of the "Spider-Verse" films for a rougher and grittier style, as well as its youthful energy and sense of humor. Liz Shannon Miller at Consequence was one of many who found it a breath of fresh air amidst a sea of lesser corporate blockbusters: "In a time when so much of what we consume can feel plastic and cheap and mass-produced, it's the human touch we come to crave — especially when it leads to something as fun as this."

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

The confusingly-titled "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" might have underwhelmed at the box office compared to previous installments in the spy series, but with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, the Christopher McQuarrie-directed action extravaganza is the second-best reviewed "Mission: Impossible" film, behind only 2018's "Mission: Impossible — Fallout." For the record, 96% is the same Tomatometer score another Tom Cruise-starring movie, "Top Gun: Maverick," earned last summer.

Love him or hate him, Cruise is a master when it comes to stunts, delivering physical spectacles that demand to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Though action always takes precedence in these movies, the story of "Dead Reckoning Part One" also earned acclaim, especially in the way it addresses topical concerns about artificial intelligence. "Relentlessness of this order ought to be chilling," wrote Anthony Lane for the New Yorker . "Not so. Instead, we are stirred and amused by a preternatural sight: men as little machines."

The First Slam Dunk

The CG anime "The First Slam Dunk" is the only narrative film of 2023 to maintain a "Certified Fresh" score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes through the end of the year. Writer/director Takehiko Inoe adapted the final arc of his own classic basketball manga "Slam Dunk," and the result was one of Japan's biggest box office hits of the year. While the source material might not be as nostalgically familiar to American audiences, the movie is fortunately easy to follow without background knowledge, as flashbacks presenting the players' backstories are seamlessly intercut with the action of the game itself.

"The First Slam Dunk" is one of the highlights of what's been a great year for Japanese cinema and for hybrids of 2D art with 3D animation. David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote of the film, "No movie has so literally reduced basketball to 'just a game,' and no movie this side of 'Hoop Dreams' has so ecstatically conveyed why it's also so much more than that."

Godzilla Minus One

Produced as the kick-off to the 70th anniversary celebration for the "Godzilla" franchise, Takashi Yamazaki's "Godzilla Minus One" has become something of a phenomenon among the American moviegoing public. Its Rotten Tomatoes critic and audience scores are tied at 98%, and it became the highest grossing live-action Japanese film at the North American box office within a week of release.

Not only is the film very good, but it's good in ways people are genuinely surprised to find in a kaiju movie. "Did not have 'Cry During a Godzilla Movie' on my 2023 bingo card but here we are," said Brian Gill on the Mad About Movies Podcast . Set in the aftermath of World War II, "Minus One" revisits the nuclear horror of the original 1954 "Godzilla" film. But by focusing on underdog civilian perspectives and Japanese trauma over its defeat in the war, it delivers what might be the most emotionally powerful human story in the series.

The Teacher's Lounge

"The Teachers' Lounge," directed and co-written by İlker Çatak, is the winner of five German Film Awards (out of seven nominations) and became the country's official submission for the best international film award at the 96th Academy Awards. It's one of the best-reviewed films of 2023, with a 98% fresh score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes — though its audience score is in the "rotten" range. Why this huge gap ? A reasonable explanation is that "The Teachers' Lounge" makes the viewer feel uncomfortable via the characters' escalating bad decisions. Like the similarly discomforting "Uncut Gems," critics applaud how the film successfully accomplishes this goal, though the intention itself isn't appreciated by all viewers.

The film follows Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch), a middle school math and gym teacher, as she tries to investigate a pattern of thefts happening in her classroom. Matt Zoller Seitz praised how the film takes this grounded premise to heights of intensity in his review for  RogerEbert.com , writing, "It's not easy to make an intense thriller about things that could actually happen. But when one appears, it's glorious."

Fallen Leaves

Aki Kaurismäki is perhaps Finland's most notable auteur, directing dry comedies with a distinctive minimalist style and close attention to the struggles of his country's working class. "Fallen Leaves," his latest film, is a rom-com of sorts about a lonely woman working odd jobs (Alma Pöysti) who crosses paths with a similarly lonely alcoholic man (Jussi Vatanen). Its critics score on Rotten Tomatoes currently stands at 98%.

"Fallen Leaves" won the jury prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and has gone on to receive bountiful awards recognition, including a surprising but deserving best actress (musical or comedy) nomination for Pöysti. The Ringer 's Adam Nayman wrote of the film, "Faced with a bruised and battered world, 'Fallen Leaves' merely soothes it, and that's enough; of all the movies released in 2023, it's the one with the most humane, satisfying ache." A bonus point in its favor: in a year filled with three-hour-long epics, "Fallen Leaves" is able make all its points within a compact 81 minutes.

The Taste of Things

Trần Anh Hùng won the best director award at Cannes for the foodie romantic drama "The Taste of Things." France selected the film as its official submission to the 96th Academy Awards — a move that prompted some controversy given the snubbing of another movie on this list. But critics aren't holding that dispute against "The Taste of Things," which has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 98% as we write this.

Set in 1885, the movie stars Benoît Magimel as restaurant owner Dodin Bouffant and Juliette Binoche as his star chef Eugénie. The meticulously prepared, gorgeously filmed dishes shared between the characters serve as expressions of their love. It's extremely traditional and extremely French, but familiarity isn't a knock against a film so expertly crafted. "Lingering on the tongue like a sip of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the film leaves one feeling a little drunk, desperately hungry and entirely alive," wrote Zachary Barnes in The Wall Street Journal .

"Shayda," written and directed by Noora Niasari, tells the story of an Iranian immigrant (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) and her daughter (Selina Zahednia) living in a women's shelter in Australia — and what happens when her abusive, estranged husband (Osamah Sami) reenters their lives. As of this writing, only a single negative review keeps the film short of a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, although its 98% rating is still mighty impressive.

Sundance attendees loved Niasari's tense feminist drama, giving it the audience award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Australia selected "Shayda" as its entry for best international film at the 96th Academy Awards, though it missed the shortlist. Some reviews were relatively muted in their praise, finding parts of it predictable, but as Deadline 's Damon Wise put it, "Even at its most conventional, Niasari's film is always respectful of the reality behind its fiction, alluding to the full spectrum of domestic abuse in the obliquely glimpsed stories of the women who pass through Shayda's shelter."

The Innocent

Louis Garrell, the son of French New Wave filmmaker Philippe Garrell, is best known as an actor (he has a supporting role in another film on this list), but he's also been directing movies as well — this nepo-baby's got talent! With a 98% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, the heist comedy "The Innocent" is his best-reviewed directorial work thus far. Released in 2022 in France, it was the most nominated movie at the 48th César Awards, with 11 nominations. It won two categories: best original screenplay and best supporting actress for Noémie Merlant.

More than anything else, critics described "The Innocent" as fun. While full-on raves were few (its Metacritic score is only 68), the mix of genres, a fast pace, and a wacky sense of humor was almost universally agreed upon as solid popcorn entertainment. Critic and comedian Ian Thomas Malone wrote of the film, "'The Innocent' thoroughly marches to the beat of its own drum, a tender comedy that finds ample meaning within the simple mechanics of narrative."

The Three Musketeers: Part 1 -- D'Artagnan

From "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" to "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" to "Fast X" to "Rebel Moon: Part 1 — A Child of Fire," 2023 might as well be called "the year of the 'Part 1.'" You can add Martin Bourboulon's "The Three Musketeers: Part 1 — D'Artagnan" to the list of the year's incomplete blockbusters, though French audiences already got to enjoy its follow-up, "Part 2 — Milady," over the 2023 holiday season (Americans will have to wait for the second part in 2024).

The latest adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' classic swashbuckler novel, starring François Civil as D'Artagnan and Vincent Cassel, Pio Marmaï, and Romain Duris as the three musketeers, may be one of the best cinematic interpretations yet, judging from its 98% fresh rating among critics. Empire magazine 's Lillian Crawford described it as "an epic adaptation worthy of [the novel's] scope, rendered in delicious French by its dangerously sexy cast."

Maryna Er Gorbach's "Klondike," about a family living on the border of Russia and Ukraine at the start of the war in 2014, was already winning awards at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The escalation of the conflict underlined the importance of this film, which continued to wow crowds and win awards at film festivals around the world and became Ukraine's official submission to the 95th Academy Awards.

Finally getting an American theatrical release from Samuel Goldwyn Films in August 2023, "Klondike" has a 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "'Klondike' is certainly not an easy watch," wrote Katie Walsh in the Los Angeles Times , "but it is a profound one — a film that feels both prescient and retrospective about Ukraine, locked in what seems a never-ending existential conflict with its neighbor."

When Evil Lurks

Search for "When Evil Lurks" on Google Images and most of the top results will be blurred out if you have Safe Search on. It's that kind of horror movie , filled to the brim with blood, guts, and downright shocking displays of graphic violence — sometimes with children and animals involved. And yet this Argentinian possession story from director Demián Rugna isn't just going for shock value — if it was, it probably wouldn't have a Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%.

"What makes Demián Rugna's film so effective is not the gore or the idea of a demonic contagion," said Alison Willmore in her write-up of the movie for Vulture . "It's the way that the weaknesses of human nature, on both a personal and a systemic level, make stopping the corruption almost impossible once it appears." This might not be a film everyone can stomach, but those who can come away impressed.

"Fremont," directed and co-written by Babak Jalali, stars first-time actress Anaita Wali Zada as Donya, a former U.S. military translator in Afghanistan who now works at a fortune cookie factory. Co-starring comedian Gregg Turkington and Jeremy Allan White from "The Bear," this low-key character study has a 97% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film's dry comedy, deliberate pacing, and black-and-white cinematography have prompted a lot of comparisons to the films of Jim Jarmusch. While many have described the film as "slight" or warned that it might be too uneventful for some viewers, critics have responded positively to the strength of its characterization. Reviewing it for The Stranger , Chase Hutcherson wrote, "A film in which the most 'exciting' thing to happen is that someone goes for a drive, 'Fremont' is a gem of small storytelling that becomes deceptively vast the longer you sit with it. It is as patient as it is playfully poetic."

Hirokazu Kore-eda has one of the strongest track records of all currently working directors — every film he's directed with enough reviews for a Tomatometer rating has a fresh one. Such is the case with "Monster," his latest thriller, which has earned a 97% approval from critics. This mystery, gradually unraveling through the presentation of three different characters' perspectives, is as adept at exploring complex social issues and painfully intense emotions as any of Kore-eda's best films.

"Monster" won two awards at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival: best screenplay and another award we won't name here since it arguably counts as a spoiler for the film's third act. While critics didn't universally concur on whether the distinctive multi-perspective structure was mostly effective or overly manipulative, they generally agreed that it ends up in a powerful place. "Despite its sometimes overwrought mystery-tale gambits," wrote Mark Jenkins in The Washington Post , "'Monster' ultimately shifts from a saga of fateful misunderstanding to one of mutual comprehension."

The Holdovers

After the disappointment of 2017's sci-fi flop "Downsizing," Alexander Payne has returned to form with "The Holdovers." Set in 1970 and filmed to look like a movie from that era, this dramedy stars Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham, a curmudgeonly classics professor assigned to look after students "held over" at a boarding school during Christmas vacation. First-time actor Dominic Sessa plays Angus Tully, one such "holdover" with a particularly complicated family situation, while Da'Vine Joy Randolph plays Mary Lamb, the cafeteria lady mourning her son killed in Vietnam.

All three actors have been picking up awards left and right, with Randolph nearly sweeping critics' awards for supporting actress. With 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, this is one of the consensus crowdpleasers of the fall movie season. Leah Greenblatt of Esquire magazine praised the film's throwback quality: "It may not be the future of filmmaking, but for two hours at least, the past has rarely felt more present."

Anatomy of a Fall

Justine Triet's "Anatomy of a Fall," a relationship drama wrapped up inside a murder procedural, won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at Cannes. With 96% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, it's proven a favorite of critics, who have showered it with awards for best international film — though it won't repeat those wins at the Oscars due to France snubbing the film as its official submission, possibly for political reasons.

One major key to the film's success is its provocative ambiguity — the story, and Sandra Hüller's brilliant leading performance therein, can be read in two different yet equally valid and compelling ways. Wendy Ide emphasized this appeal in her review for The Guardian , writing, "Ultimately, one of the key pleasures of the picture is its uncertainty — the niggling doubts that remain, and the sense that a crucial piece of the puzzle is tantalizingly out of reach."

The Boy and the Heron

Any Hayao Miyazaki movie is an event, but "The Boy and the Heron," the director's latest failed attempt at retiring, has been embraced by critics with an enthusiasm beyond that which has greeted most of his films. Its Rotten Tomatoes score of 96% is tied with that of consensus favorite "Spirited Away" and behind only the 98% score for "Kiki's Delivery Service." The American moviegoing public has also embraced this distinctively odd fantasy, breaking records for an original anime film at the US box office.

There's a lot going on in "The Boy and the Heron": scenes taken from Miyazaki's childhood, the horrors of World War II, reflections on the fate of Studio Ghibli, different aspects of life and death colliding in adorably animated metaphors, and hungry fascist parakeets, among other things. In  The Boston Globe , Odie Henderson called it "a triumphant film that, as expected, is as enthralling as it is occasionally confounding. I have seen 'The Boy and the Heron' twice, yet still cannot fully explain it to you."

Birth/Rebirth

"Poor Things" (which narrowly missed this list with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes) isn't the only feminist take on "Frankenstein" to excite genre fans this year. "Birth/Rebirth," directed and co-written by Laura Moss, offers a uniquely disturbing twist on the tropes introduced in Mary Shelley's classic. Here, the mad doctor (Marin Ireland) obsessed with bringing the dead back to life finds her perfect test subject when a nurse (Judy Reyes) loses her six-year-old daughter (A.J. Lister) to a sudden illness. Inevitably, things go very bad.

Premiering as part of the Sundance Film Festival's midnight line-up, "Birth/Rebirth" has gone on to earn three Independent Spirit Award nominations and a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As K. Austin Collins wrote in Rolling Stone , "The movie is freaky. But it never feigns to become a mere freakshow. It works, in part, because it hurts. It works because it defers that hurt until, at long last, it cannot be avoided."

Similar to fellow Sundance premiere "A Thousand and One," "Earth Mama" explores the struggles of a Black single mother whose children are caught in the foster care system. Writer/director Savannah Leaf drew inspiration for this fictionalized narrative from the true stories depicted in "The Heart Still Hums," a documentary short film she co-directed with Taylor Russell. Not only is this Leaf's feature directing debut, but it's also the first time rapper Tia Nomore has acted — and she's excellent playing a deeply flawed but strongly sympathetic character.

This sad yet hopeful film flew under the radar during its summer release (box office numbers weren't even reported), but it's been recognized as one of the best independent films of the year by the National Board of Review, earned best first feature and best breakthrough performance nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards, and a score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Little White Lies ' David Jenkins called it "the first insanely good entry into what we can hope will be a long and winding career behind the camera."

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Wes Anderson's "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar," based on the short story of the same name by Roald Dahl, is an odd duck of a film. It's the only short film to qualify for this list, though at 39 minutes in length, it's as long as a short film can be without technically qualifying as a feature for awards purposes. It's also perhaps the most directly faithful literary adaptation ever filmed, with stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayaode, Dev Patel, and Ralph Fiennes reading practically every word of the short story while enacting it on stylized theatrical sets.

With a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, "Henry Sugar" proved less divisive than Anderson's 2023 feature "Asteroid City" (75%). Perhaps it's just because fewer critics reviewed it, or perhaps the short format and the strength of Dahl's fantasy made it more involving for those more reticent towards Anderson's style. In her video review with Breakfast All Day , Christy Lemire said, "I think this is the just the right bite-size amount of Wes Anderson ... I kind of feel like shorts are an excellent use of his style [and] his voice."

Anderson also directed three other Dahl-based shorts for Netflix this year, and while the others don't have enough reviews to be "Certified Fresh," it's worth noting that "The Rat Catcher" is currently at 100%.

They Cloned Tyrone

Usually when a live-action film released by Netflix gets rave reviews from critics, it's either a film festival acquisition or some Oscar-seeking project from an established auteur. This makes it a pleasant surprise that "They Cloned Tyrone," an unpretentious sci-fi comedy from a first-time director (Juel Taylor) released during the summer movie season, turned out not only good but nearly unanimously praised, with a 95% rating from critics (the verified audience rating is 100%).

Reviewers praised the movie's clever stylistic homage to classic blaxploitation films, its integration of social commentary into a wacky mystery, and the chemistry of the film's three main stars, John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx (nominated for best supporting performance at the Gotham Awards). Empire magazine 's Amon Warmann described it as "a stylish, laugh-out-loud blast that has something to say but doesn't sacrifice enjoyment to do so, anchored by a trio of great performances."

In a year where Disney's big releases mostly floundered both critically and commercially , there's something oddly cathartic about one of the year's best-reviewed animated films being one that Disney almost killed. "Nimona," based on N.D. Stevenson's webcomic about a shapeshifter pursuing "villainy" in defiance of an oppressive medieval-futuristic regime, was initially in the works at Fox's Blue Sky Studios until Disney shut the studio down. Fortunately, the movie got a second life thanks to Netflix, Annapurna Pictures, and DNEG Animation, with former Blue Sky animators Nick Bruno and Troy Quane directing.

The finished "Nimona" earned a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score and multiple award nominations for best animated film. It's earned praise for its stylized animation, offbeat humor, and, perhaps most significantly, its handling of both textual and subtextual LGBTQ+ themes. "'Nimona' is set to be one of the great films of 2023 for queer representation and positivity," wrote Pat Mullen in  Xtra magazine . "It's refreshing to see a film that's more concerned with getting it right than getting it done first."

Carolina Cavalli, an Italian filmmaker who also co-wrote fellow list entry "Fremont," made her directorial debut with the coming-of-age comedy "Amanda," released in Italy in 2022 before coming to American arthouses in 2023. Benedetta Porcaroli plays the title character, a self-obsessed 24-year-old trying and failing to get a boyfriend but in desperate need of making  any kind of friend.

This protagonist has sparked some strong feelings from critics, with many finding her frustrating to watch. But thanks to Porcaroli's strong performance, this sense of frustration cohered into something compelling and funny enough that the film managed to get a 95% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. "I got very impatient with this film," said Amy Nicholson in her mixed but ultimately positive review for NPR Los Angeles' FilmWeek , "but the one thing that holds your attention is Benedetta Porcaroli. She's astounding, and she makes you like it better than you should."

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For Greater Glory Reviews

In terms of technical skill and storytelling ability, it falls flat before getting a chance to get on its feet.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Jul 31, 2020

Dean Wright's film confirms that there isn't a film that truly depicts the Revolution yet. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Nov 21, 2018

If these events seem to fit a little too neatly into modern narrative, seem almost too ready-made for current controversies... a few minutes' worth of research confirms the essential truth of the story.

Full Review | Jun 22, 2018

For Greater Glory will move the audience and perhaps inspire them.

Full Review | Aug 11, 2017

For Greater Glory takes what should have been an involving, even shocking hidden part of history and turns it into a needless epic

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 18, 2013

"For Greater Glory" takes its cues from a bygone era of Technicolor Golden Age epics and delivers a sprawling political drama steeped in old-fashioned Hollywood romanticism.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Sep 10, 2012

The compelling archival footage, which literally made me gasp aloud, and the incredible, disturbing photos are amazing. Unfortunately, you'll see them only during the end credits of 'For Greater Glory.'

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 23, 2012

It's the kind of now-obscure subject matter that could be fascinating if done well, but here just feels like an obligation. And yeah there's going to be a test, so good luck at not falling asleep in class.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 15, 2012

The story deserves a better movie than it gets here ...

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 10, 2012

An interesting historical drama that only mildly entertains

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Jun 7, 2012

Curiously, rookie director Dean Wright can't seem to make a struggle for one of the most basic rights all that interesting.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 4, 2012

The film's length and muddled message will likely keep it from reaching much of an audience, even within the presumed Latino faith-based target.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jun 3, 2012

Solemn and fervent,delivering an educational history lesson that defeats itself because of its R-rating.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | Jun 2, 2012

For Greater Glory serves as a timely reminder of just how fragile religious freedom can be.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 1, 2012

As generic as the title, this historical drama spares no cliche in depicting Mexico's Cristero War of the late 1920.

Full Review | Jun 1, 2012

Epic tale about religious freedom gets very bloody.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 1, 2012

You'll be forgiven (on earth if not in heaven) should you find yourself humming "Onward, Christian Soldiers" as you exit the theatre.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jun 1, 2012

It's the stuff of real life, and of high drama, but Dean Wright's directorial debut translates little of that latter quality to the screen.

"For Greater Glory" is at times so heavy-handed that the movie itself seems at war. Unfortunately, the enemy is not just a repressive administration, but the audience.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Jun 1, 2012

Despite enough good intentions to pave a four-lane highway, the ardently sincere but dramatically unfocused For Greater Glory plays like a multipart miniseries that has been hacked down to feature length.

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TAGGED AS: Certified Fresh , Classic Film , movies

The 100% Club: An Ode to Movies With a Perfect Tomatometer Score

Welcome to the 100% Club, where every movie isn’t necessarily perfect, but their Tomatometers are. A place where all the critic reviews are Fresh, as far as the eye can see, without a Rotten mark to disrupt all the 1s and their attendant 0s in the percentage scores.

It’s a tough road for a movie to get a 100% with critics, fraught with peril. What if a small plot hole is big enough to irk a persnickety reviewer? What if the cinematographer didn’t show up that one day for a crucial scene? What if there was a bum performance from one of the background extras?

There’s the old industry adage that no one sets out to make out a bad movie. On the flip side, you’re almost jinxing it if you think the one you’re working on is going to be the one that makes every last cynical, benevolent critic crack a smirk and think, “Yeah, that was freaking awesome.” But the movies here have done just that, ranging from masterpieces of the silent era up until the new classics of today that tap into the pulse of the zeitgeist. Because it’s “relatively” easy to get a 100% score after that first handful of reviews (five is the minimum count for a movie to get its Tomatometer), every film listed here has at least crossed the Certified Fresh threshold.  Then we sorted them by movies with more reviews featured higher up.

If you’re a discerning watcher with only time for some of the best movies of all time, you’re come to the right place. It’s time to pack that queue with the legends of cinema with our guide to every Certified Fresh movie with a 100% Tomatometer score! — Alex Vo

Leave No Trace (2018) 100%

Toy Story 2 (1999) 100%

Man on Wire (2008) 100%

Honeyland (2019) 100%

Minding the Gap (2018) 100%

His House (2020) 100%

The Philadelphia Story (1940) 100%

76 Days (2020) 100%

Crip Camp (2020) 100%

Summer 1993 (2017) 100%

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) 100%

Toy Story (1995) 100%

One Cut of the Dead (2017) 100%

No Bears (2022) 99%

Seven Samurai (1954) 100%

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) 100%

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem (2014) 100%

Quo vadis, aida (2020) 100%.

Singin' in the Rain (1952) 100%

Welcome to Chechnya (2020) 100%

Hive (2021) 100%

Deliver Us From Evil (2006) 100%

Poetry (2010) 100%

Waste Land (2010) 100%

The Square (2013) 100%

Seymour: An Introduction (2014) 100%

All In: The Fight for Democracy (2020) 100%

The Terminator (1984) 100%

Laura (1944) 100%

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (2020) 100%

Still Walking (2008) 100%

Afghan Star (2009) 100%

Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016) 100%

The Last Picture Show (1971) 98%

M (1931) 100%

Slalom (2020) 100%

12 Angry Men (1957) 100%

Athlete A (2020) 100%

Pinocchio (1940) 100%

Only Yesterday (1991) 100%

Three Colors: Red (1994) 100%

The Work (2017) 100%

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016) 100%

Attica (2021) 100%

Last Train Home (2009) 100%

Tampopo (1985) 100%

A Secret Love (2020) 100%

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) 100%

O.J.: Made in America (2016) 100%

Chained for Life (2018) 100%

Coded Bias (2020) 100%

Cool Hand Luke (1967) 100%

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) 100%

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) 100%

The Gold Rush (1925) 100%

White Riot (2019) 100%

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021) 100%

3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets (2015) 100%

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) 100%

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) 100%

The Kid (1921) 100%

Slay the Dragon (2019) 100%

Tokyo Story (1953) 100%

The Age of Shadows (2016) 100%

Battleship Potemkin (1925) 100%

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Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) 100%

Before Sunrise (1995) 100%

Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone (2010) 100%

Nostalgia for the Light (2010) 100%

Strong Island (2017) 100%

Open City (1945) 100%

Sabaya (2021) 100%

Stagecoach (1939) 100%

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We Were Here (2011) 100%

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Fireworks Wednesday (2006) 100%

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Rewind (2019) 100%

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Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) 100%

Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) 100%

Maedchen in Uniform (1931) 100%

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Grave of the Fireflies (1988) 100%

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23 highest-rated Netflix movies that are 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes

These Netflix movies are required viewing

Let’s be frank, Netflix movies don’t have the best reputation , especially the Netflix Originals. That little red “N” logo on a movie poster is often less of a seal of approval, and has become a warning to skip rather than stream. That doesn’t mean the streamer never gets it right. In fact, there are plenty of Netflix movies that aren’t just good, but downright great — a few are legit masterpieces. And, of course, Netflix's movies aren't just limited to those it produces, as we've just added two critically-acclaimed titles it licensed in.

Here at Tom’s Guide, putting together a list of our favorite Netflix movies involves days of debate — as our staffers disagree on many picks. And while we relish those polite arguments, sometimes it’s good to look at the bigger picture. In this case, that means taking a look at review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes , which offers a broad critical consensus that helps provide insight to help us pick the Netflix movies that truly deserve top billing. 

Once you're done with this list, though, peep the list of new Netflix movies in 2023 to see what's on deck and see what new Netflix titles to watch this weekend. As for what Netflix has just added, we've got the latest batch of the best new Netflix movies that are 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes based on February additions.

Now we’re not suggesting these are the only Netflix movies worth watching. For starters, I think crime thriller Windfall is hugely underrated (and it scored only 59% on RT). However, if you’re looking for something new to watch on Netflix you really can’t go wrong with any of these 23 options. So without any more preamble, these are the highest-rated Netflix movies with a high Rotten Tomatoes score that you watch right now.  

Call Me by Your Name (2002)

While not a Netflix Original (which means it's not likely to stay here forever), Call Me by Your Name a fantastic and critically acclaimed film that just recently returned to Netflix. Call Me By Your name was also the big break for director Luca Guadagnino, who's gone on to make similarly complexed and nuanced films.

Call Me by Your Name gives audiences the vantage point of young 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet), who is as inexperienced as he is pretentious. On vacation with his family in Italy — while his father (Michael Stuhlbarg) is working on his academic studies — Elio meets Oliver (Armie Hammer), a 24-year-old interning with Elio's father.

While Elio and Oliver don't click at first, they soon actually find a spark. Unfortunately, it doesn't end as well as both parties would prefer. – Henry T. Casey

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Genre: Romantic drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% Stream it on Netflix

The Woman King (2022)

The Woman King is based on the impressive and intimidating all-women army of the Agojie tribe, from the Dahomey Kingdom in West Africa. This film sees General Nanisca (Viola Davis) working both to prepare her new class of warriors to protect the region from colonizers, and disagreeing with King Ghezo (John Boyega).

We should note that The Woman King got hit with a boycott, with some arguing it glosses over the Dahomey Kingdom's involvement in the slave trade. That said, if you're going into The Woman King for a film that's less of a historical document than a feel-good action movie with some basis in reality, you'll be entertained. Davis and Boyega may be the stars, but Lashana Lynch and Thuso Mbedu earned critical applause for their supporting roles. – Henry T. Casey

Genre: Action/Drama Rotten Tomatoes: 94% Watch on Netflix right now

 Marriage Story (2019)

Inspired by the breakup of his own marriage, director/writer Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story is sort of like Kramer vs Kramer for the modern age. Carried by towering leading performances from Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, this emotionally charged film follows a theater director and his leading lady as their relationship dissolves. The filmmaking on display is excellent throughout, but it’s the nearly flawless screenplay that holds the whole picture together. – Rory Mellon

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 95% Stream it on Netflix

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Spike Lee doesn’t do half-measures, and he goes all in on Da 5 Bloods. The film focuses on a group of Vietnam vets who return to the country in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader. The central foursome — Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters and Norm Lewis — are excellent, as is the late Chadwick Boseman as the leader of the Bloods in several flashback sequences. Commenting on both the past and the present, Da 5 Bloods is a gripping post-war movie that will have you laughing and crying throughout its lengthy 156 minute runtime. – RM Genre: War Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% Stream it on Netflix

The Irishman (2019)

Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman spent years in development hell and at one point it looked as if the project was destined to never see the light of day. Thankfully all that waiting, and perseverance from the famed director, was worth it. It may be almost three and a half hours long but The Irishman holds your attention throughout. Reuniting Scorsese with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci, The Irishman tells the tale of a truck driver turned mobster with focus on his swift rise and inevitable fall. Although the digital de-aging tech is a mixed bag, it’s a gangster movie that hits hard.  – RM

Genre: Crime Rotten Tomaotes score: 95% Stream on Netflix

 Roma (2018)

A passion project for director Alfonso Cuarón, Roma is a semi-autobiographical recount of his own upbringing in Mexico City.  Cuarón rightly won Best Director at the Academy Awards for this deeply personal film about family, loss and growing up. Actress Yalitza Aparicio is truly phenomenal as Cleo, a maid helping a mother take care of her four children in the 1970s. If one film on this list is going to make you tear up, it’ll almost certainly be Roma.  – RM

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% Stream it on Netflix

The Two Popes (2019)

Based on true events, The Two Popes is a real actors movie giving legends of the screen Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce the chance to shine. The film sees Hopkin’s play Pope Benedict XVI as he seeks to convince Jorge Mario Bergoglio (who is now the serving Pope) to reconsider his decision to resign as an archbishop. It might not sound the most thrilling concept on paper, but the interplay between Hopkin and Pryce keeps the film comfortably ticking along across its entire two-hour runtime. – RM

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% Stream on Netflix

Beasts of No Nation (2015)

One of the first Netflix Original movies to make waves on the awards circuit, Beasts of No Nation sees Idris Elba play a fierce African warlord who takes in a young boy named Agu (Abraham Attah) in order to train him to fight in his guerrilla army. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga has since gone on to helm Daniel Craig’s last Bond outing, No Time to Die, and directed and produced the first season of HBO’s True Detective, but Beasts of No Nation arguably remains his best work.    – RM

Genre: War Rotten Tomatoes score: 91% Stream on Netflix

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

We definitely didn’t need a follow-up to Breaking Bad in the form of a feature-length movie, but El Camino proved there was another story worth telling in this universe. Serving as an epilogue to the original series, El Camino follows Jesse Pinkman as he seeks to evade the cops and leave New Mexico behind forever. The film’s narrative does spin its wheels a little, but the strength of the performances from Aaron Paul and Jesse Plemons are once again top-notch. And necessary or not, it’s nice to get some closure after Breaking Bad’s slightly ambiguous ending.  – RM

Genre: Thriller Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% Stream it on Netflix

Dolemite is My Name (2019)  

Dolemite is My Name sees Eddie Murphy play Rudy Ray Moore, the larger-than-life performer better known under his stage name, you guessed it, Dolemite. Murphy completely loses himself in the role and was rightly nominated for a Golden Globe for his work. The film’s unique comedy styling also helps set it apart. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself needing to pause Dolemite is My Name in order to compose yourself after some of its best gags.  – RM

Genre: Comedy Rotten Tomatoes score: 97% Stream it on Netflix

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Did we need another feature-film adaptation of the 1929 novel All Quiet on the Western Front? Probably not, the 1930 Best Picture-winning original is still a hugely powerful watch. Netflix’s effort from last year just about stands shoulder to shoulder with the older versions of this film. The movie follows an idealistic 17-year-old named Paul who enlists in the Imperial German Army during the First World War. His head stuffed full of propaganda and believing he's set to become a war hero, the brutal realities of the harrowing conflict soon rock the schoolboy to his core. This staunchly anti-war picture is a hard watch, but it’s also a timely reminder that in war there are no real winners.   – RM

Genre: War Rotten Tomatoes score: 91% Stream it on Netflix

Uncorked (2020)

Strained family relationships are something that many of us can relate to, and it’s those dynamics that Uncorked plays with. Mamoudou Athie plays Elijah, a wannabe sommelier struggling to deal with the expectations of his demanding father (Courtney B. Vance) who insists that Elijah will take over the family barbecue business. A deeply tender film about personal aspirations and growing into the person you want to be, much like a fine wine, Uncorked should be savored.  – RM

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% Stream it on Netflix

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020)

Crip Camp is a Netflix documentary film that focuses on a summer camp in New York named Camp Jened. Described as a “loose, free-spirited camp designed for teens with disabilities,” the film focuses on the loveable cast of campers and their fight for stronger accessibility laws. Regardless of whether you’ve been to summer camp or not, Crip Camp is sure to strike a chord with you. And frankly there’s something refreshing about a Netflix doc that isn’t in the true crime genre.   – RM   

Genre: Documentary Rotten Tomatoes score: 100% Stream it on Netflix

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

While some of the best Netflix movies are prestigious dramas, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is one of the best Netflix movies in ages and also very easy to watch. Almost akin to a bag of chips you can't stop eating, Glass Onion is a very fun watch. In it, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back with another mystery on his hands, but not the one he or you will expect. The mystery unravels in an incredibly modern situation — tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) has invited his merry band of influencers to a private island — and riffs on most aspects of modern culture. Kate Hudson (who plays the dim-witted Birdie) gets most of the best lines, which she delivers with a perfect lack of awareness. – Henry T. Casey

Genre: Comedy/Mystery Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% Watch it on Netflix

Descendant (2022)

While many an education included a history lesson or few on the slave trade, the story of Africatown is one that's gone under the radar for many. This region (found near Mobile, Alabama) is finally getting its spotlight thanks to director Margaret Brown's film Descendant. In it, the descendants of those aboard the last known ship to smuggle stolen Africans to America finally get the chance to tell their own story. An engrossing film that reminds us all of the need to pass down truths that haven't been told to a wider audience, Descendant is a must-see. – HTC

Genre: Documentary Rotten Tomatoes score: 100% S tream it on Netflix

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Helmed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, in her feature film directional debut, The Lost Daughter follows an older woman (Olivia Coleman) who becomes obsessed with a young mother (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter while holidaying alone. Coleman is truly phenomenal in the leading role and rightfully received a wave of awards nominations for her performance. But it should be noted that The Lost Daughter is actually a fairly divisive movie. While its RT score from critics is almost perfect, its audience rating is far less impressive at just 52%. So be mindful, this ambitious flick won’t be to everybody’s tastes. – RM

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 94% Stream it on Netflix

Mudbound (2017)

Set in the American South during World War II, Mudbound is a story of two families made enemies by the social hierarchy of the times but bonded together by shared farmland in the Mississippi Delta. Packing an ensemble cast that includes Carey Mulligan, Rob Morgan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks and Mary J. Blige, Mudbound boasts tour-de-force performances all over the place. But it’s the emotionally devastating ending that will truly stick with you. One of the earliest examples of a Netflix Original movie that really made waves. – RM

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 97% Stream it on Netflix

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

Considering its produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who also worked on Spider-Man : into the Spider-verse and The Lego Movie, it should come as little surprise to learn that The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a delightfully fresh animated movie. Focused on the eponymous family, the zany flick sees the Mitchell's road trip vacation disrupted when the world's electronic devices come together to stage an uprising. It's now down to the bumbling family foursome (and their beloved pet pooch) to save the world. We're doomed!  – RM

Genre: Animation Rotten Tomatoes: 97% Stream it on Netflix

The Tinder Swindler (2022)

Netflix offered a tidal wave of true crime in 2022, and one of the streamer's most popular documentary offerings of last year was undoubtedly The Tinder Swindler. Centred on the exploits of conman Simon Leviev, it showcased how he was able to use the popular dating application to connect with various individuals across the world and manipulate them into supporting his lavish lifestyle. The Tinder Swindler is the perfect blend of shocking and compelling, and it's all packaged together with highly polished production values. After watching this feature-length true crime doc you just might find yourself deleting all your dating profiles. – RM

Genre: Documentary Rotten Tomatoes: 97% Stream it on Netflix

Hustle (2022)

Adam Sandler doesn't just make movies for Netflix that involve copious amounts of fart jokes. Hustle is a sports drama movie that sees Sandler play an NBA scout who discovers a raw but very talented basketball player in Spain (Juancho Hernangómez) and sets out to prepare him for that season's NBA draft. It's an against-type performance from Sandler that earned him his first Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, and a well-time reminder that while he may often plight his trade in toilet humor he's actually a very talented drama actor as well. – RM 

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes: 93% Stream it on Netflix

Matilda the Musical (2022)

Based on the Tony-award-winning stage production of the same name, Matilda the Musical is an all-singing all-dancing retelling of the beloved Roald Dahl book. It sees Alisha Weir play the eponymous young child who is neglected by her parents and mistreated at school by the sinister Miss Trunchbull (Emma Thompson) but develops magical powers that help her overcome the obstacles in her life. With new songs written by original composer Tim Minchin, Matilda the Musical is sure to be a family favorite for years to come. – RM

Genre: Musical Rotten Tomatoes: 92% Stream it on Netflix

 Enola Holmes (2020)

Enola Holmes follows the teenage sister of world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes as she attempts to strike out on her own and prove herself equally adept at solving mysteries. But what starts out as a search for her missing mother soon becomes a whole lot bigger as a plot that threatens the entire United Kingdom comes to light. Millie Bobby Brown, most well-known for her role in Stranger Things, stars in the eponymous role while Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin and Helena Bonham Carter also feature. Plus, if you enjoy this zippy mystery film, it's now part of a franchise. Enola Holmes 2 was released on Netflix last year and pulled an even more impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes . – RM

Genre: Adventure Rotten Tomatoes: 91% Stream it on Netflix

Miss Americana (2020)

Taylor Swift continues to be one of the biggest stars in the world, and this 2020 documentary offers an exclusive sneak peek behind the scenes at her life. It primarily covers a tumultuous period of Swift’s career that saw her struggle against a sizeable social media backlash as well as voice her political opinions in public for the first time. There’s also a smattering of behind-the-scenes concert footage from Swift’s 2018 Reputation Stadium tour, and plenty of insight into the recording of her seventh studio album Lover. One of Netflix’s best biographical docs to date, this slickly-presented film just might convert you to a Swiftie, if you're not one already! – RM

Genre: Documentary Rotten Tomatoes: 92% Stream it on Netflix

Read next: I canceled Netflix for these three streaming services

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

• Henry T. Casey Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

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With the sheer amount of content permeating every facet of media, from streaming to physical media, it’s hard wading through everything to find the best of the best. Thankfully the folks at Rotten Tomatoes have created a handy list of the top-rated features on their site to give audiences a starting point for finding the enduring classics that might connect with them.

But the list is just a starting point. A bird's eye view. So we wanted to look closer at the list itself and the movies on it. What is it about them that has allowed them to rise to the top and become the highest-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes?

It's important to note that the ranking of the list—as crafted by Rotten Tomatoes itself—was created using a movie's "Adjusted Score." RT officially explains the score as follows:

Each critic from our discrete list gets one vote, weighted equally. A movie must have 40 or more rated reviews to be considered. The Adjusted Score comes from a weighted formula (Bayesian) that we use that accounts for variation in the number of reviews per movie.

This adjustment is made to account for the volume of reviews a movie receives. So if a movie only has four reviews, but all are positive, it technically has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. But if a movie has 483 reviews and a 96% score, that average is technically harder to achieve given the sheer number of reviews that exist.

So without further ado, let's dig into the top 20 highest-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes.

20. All About Eve (1950)

RT Score:  100%

One of the quintessential features about show business, All About Eve is the Single White Female of the 1950s. Legendary actress Bette Davis plays legendary actress Margo Channing who takes a shine to a sycophantic fan named Eve ( Anne Baxter ). But as Margo and her friends soon realize, Eve has more than just friendship on her mind; she actually wants to steal Margo’s career from her, and everything that comes with it.

Directed and written by Joseph Mankiewicz , All About Eve was a critical darling upon release in 1950. Critics praised the acid-tongued dialogue and the acting of all involved. It would eventually win six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Since its release it’s often called one of the smartest films to exist with its insider-view of the theater world that many believe is synonymous with filmmaking. It holds a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Roger Ebert cited it as Bette Davis’ finest work. It’s a crackling story that reminds everyone to watch out because your friends and enemies might just be one and the same.

19. Dunkirk (2017)

RT Score:  92%

It might surprise many to realize this is the only feature directed by Christopher Nolan to enter this list. Nolan’s tenth feature film follows the various men from Belgium, Great Britain, and France who fought and died during the battle of Dunkirk in WWII. The film was a long-time passion project for Nolan who initially conceived of it in the early 1990s. The film’s visceral imagery was often compared to Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan , and Nolan crafted the entire narrative as something of a time puzzle. The all-star cast often takes a backseat to the sheer power of the cinematography and technical prowess.

Dunkirk went on to win three Academy Awards for sound and editing and made over $500 million worldwide. Though it holds a 92% on RT, critics at the time cited its script, direction, cinematography, and score as worthy of praise, with many considering it Nolan’s best as well as one of the foremost features on WWII.

18. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

RT Score: 98%

One of the most iconic images of cinema is little Elliott ( Henry Thomas ) and his friends traveling across the moon to help their alien buddy E.T. “phone home.” The Steven Spielberg -directed feature is a heartfelt, funny, and compassionate story of friendship wrapped up in a coping with divorce narrative (heavy stuff for a kid’s film). On a scant budget of just $10 million, E..T the Extra-Terrestrial has netted nearly $800 million since its release in 1982 (it was re-released in 1985 and 2002) and surpassed Star Wars as the highest-grossing film of all time. It also won four Oscars, mainly in effects and sound as well as the John Williams -created score that’s endured alongside the movie.

It’s a film that connected with audiences so much it was screened at the White House for then-President Ronald Reagan, made Princess Diana cry, and was showcased at the United Nations. Interestingly, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial won universal acclaim upon release but boasts a 98% on RT with one negative review.

17. Coco (2017)

RT Score:  97%

The first of three Disney films on this list (excluding the Fox merger), Coco tells the story of a little boy named Miguel who wants to be a musician. Unfortunately his family, for reasons unknown to him, has placed a ban on music. So when Miguel steals the guitar of a long-dead and famous Mexican musician he is accidentally sent to the Land of the Dead where he must reunite with his ancestors and learn about his family’s past.

Coco marked the first motion picture to boast an all-Latino cast and have a nine-figure budget. It was also Pixar’s first film with a Latino lead character. Like all Pixar features Coco is a blend of humor and heart, with a final scene that is an emotional gutpunch. The songs, penned by Frozen lyricists Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez , are spunky and infectious with the track “Remember Me” going on to win Best Original Song at the 2018 Academy Awards; the film also won Best Animated Feature.

Coco boasts a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes receiving praise for its rich characters and colorful animation.

16. Modern Times (1936)

Whether you’ve seen one of his films or not, nearly everyone can identify Charlie Chaplin’s “the Tramp” character. The kind-hearted vagrant with a mustache and bowler hat had been Chaplin’s bread and butter since the mid-1900s. Interested in the nature of machinery, especially in the midst of the Great Depression’s unemployment, Chaplin assembled a movie wherein his Tramp character plays a factory worker struggling to deal with modern technology and the aftermath of losing his job. Chaplin hoped Modern Times would be his first “talkie,” but decided to abandon the idea and keep the Tramp silent for as long as he could. (The character’s first sound film would be four years later in The Great Dictator .)

Though it won no awards in 1936, Modern Times is considered Chaplin’s best feature and is his most popular, boasting a perfect 100% on RT. Reviews at the time were positive, though not overly effusive and it was not commercially successful in the United States with its political views on labor being cited as controversial. Modern Times is often championed for prophesying our increased dependence on machinery and automation, all seen through the eyes of one little Tramp.

15. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Another 100% feature on the list, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a silent German Expressionist film about a somnambulist (or sleepwalker) played by Conrad Veidt , who commits murders at the behest of the evil Dr. Caligari ( Werner Krauss ).

A landmark in horror history, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is usually taught in film schools as the best example of German expressionism. The movement is commonly identified for its reliance on dark and twisted imagery, sharp and oblique angles, and shadows painted directly on the sets themselves. The film is perceived to be a war allegory, with Veidt’s Cesare the German soldiers fighting in WWI and Dr. Caligari the government sending them off to their deaths. Today the feature is a creepy tale of control with a dreamlike atmosphere and stark cinematography. It’s a highly memorable silent film.

Surprisingly, the film was marketed as a standard horror film, free of artistic pretensions and captured an audience upon release in 1920. It was distributed in the U.S. the next year but was pulled from theaters after protests regarding the presentation of German features during wartime. It’s unclear how the movie was received in 1920. Some film theorists have said it was a commercial and critical success while others maintain it was a critical failure that was “too high-brow to become popular in Germany,” this per Siegfried Kracauer. Regardless, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari has become a foundational film and a must-see for any fans of horror.

14. Casablanca (1942)

RT Score:  98%

When asked to say the first classic era film you've seen, the usual answer is this 1942 war drama directed by Michael Curtiz . Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, an apathetic bar owner in the Vichy-controlled city of Casablanca. When he’s reunited with Ilsa ( Ingrid Bergman ), the woman who got away, Rick is forced to reconcile with his past and his own response to the events going on in the city.

Casablanca remains a perfect example of why studio-era cinema has endured. Its stars are A-list and utterly flawless, the directing isn’t technologically focused but geared towards the performances, and it has serious stakes. However, while filming it was assumed that Casablanca would just be another war drama in a decade dominated by them. You might say the studio didn’t think it’d amount to a hill of beans.

Reviews in 1942 were pleasant with resident critic Bosley Crowther applauding its sentiment. Other papers, like The New Yorker , simply called the film “pretty tolerable.” With a budget of a little over $1 million the grosses were good but not spectacular. It wasn’t until the late-’50s that audiences started to appreciate the movie for the classic it is. Here’s looking at you, kid!

13. It Happened One Night (1934)

One of the funniest screwball comedies out there, there’s nothing better than It Happened One Night . Claudette Colbert plays heiress Ellen Andrews who runs away from home because she can’t marry who she wants. She meets up with reporter Peter Warne ( Clark Gable ) and the two strike a deal: if she gives him an exclusive he won’t rat her out to her dad. Thus the two end up on a cross-country adventure with Ellen realizing her privilege and the two falling in love.

Screwball comedy was popular during the Depression as it positioned the wealthy in positions of goofiness (how times have changed). Colbert’s Ellen is relatable, a princess running away from the strictures of her rigid life. Gable’s Peter is scrappy, a man’s man. The two’s chemistry is fantastic and makes for some unforgettable comedy.

Interestingly, Colbert thought the movie was “the worst picture in the world and home studio Columbia didn’t think much of it either. Reviews were pleasant, with Variety saying there wasn’t a “particularly strong plot.” Word-of-mouth and the Depression creating a need for heartwarming stories helped the film do brisk business, eventually turning it into a hit. It won five Oscars, including both Best Actor and Actress for its leads, as well as Best Picture and is labeled as one of the best comedies ever made.

12. Eighth Grade (2018)

RT Score: 99%

Director Bo Burnham blew audiences away in 2018 with his feature directorial debut, Eighth Grade . The film follows Kayla ( Elsie Fisher ), who is about to finish her last week of middle school. As the tween prepares to transition to a new school, she's forced to confront all her social awkwardness and the problems she doesn’t want to follow her to high school.

Burnham was inspired to make Eighth Grade by his own adolescent anxieties. He translated that into a feature examining the generation of children who came of age with social media. Newcomer Elsie Fisher, who’d previously been known for voicing one of the little girls in Despicable Me , became an instant star after the film’s release for her performance as Kayla, garnering a Golden Globe nomination in the process (the film would receive no Oscar nominations). Eighth Grade holds a 99% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with reviews praising its “supreme awkwardness” and “achingly honest” script.

11. Inside Out (2015)

In 2015, Disney and Pixar got psychological with Inside Out , the colorful tale about the anthropomorphic feelings that control the minds of every being on this planet. In this case, the audience meets the emotions of a girl named Riley. Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler ) wants Riley, who is moving from her hometown of Minnesota to San Francisco, to have the perfect transition. But when Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith ) messes things up it’s up to Joy to get the little girl’s mind back in order.

With the success of the 2009 film Up director Pete Doctor was able to pitch this movie, inspired by his daughter Elie personality change as she became a teenager. The film was a bit of a game-changer for the studio, the first to not be intensely overseen by Pixar’s former chief creative officer John Lasseter and the first to have half the story crew be comprised of women.

Inside Out premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015 and grossed over $850 million worldwide with the biggest opening gross for a Pixar movie at the time. It holds a 98% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with the critical consensus being that it’s “another outstanding addition to the Pixar library of modern animated classics.”

10. Wonder Woman (2017)

RT Score: 93%

After several decades in development, Warner Bros. announced in 2010 plans to adapt Wonder Woman for the screen. With an at-the-time untested director in Patty Jenkins and a leading lady who wasn’t a household name in Gal Gadot , Wonder Woman was considered a gamble that paid off big time.

Gadot plays Diana of Themyscira, a princess living on an island of Amazonian women warriors. When a WWI spy (played by Chris Pine ) crash-lands on Themyscira it kicks off a series of events that sees Diana leave home to travel to England. Diana hopes to find a “Godkiller” weapon to stop the evil god Ares from destroying humanity.

Wonder Woman connected with audiences everywhere but none more so than women, who found the movie’s predominantly female cast and lack of male gaze to be refreshing. In a time where politics were making women fear everything, Diana and the women of Themyscira gave them hope. The film was a success financially and garnered incredibly positive reviews despite the online discourse that dominated social media. It was considered DC’s best feature at the time and kick-started a wave of discussion on the roles of women, both in front of and behind the camera.

9. Moonlight (2016)

RT Score:  99%

The Oscars mistake heard round the world is usually cited as overshadowing the sheer power of Barry Jenkins’ powerful tale of love between two African-American men. Everything in Moonlight , from the performances to Nicholas Britell’s score, to the luminous cinematography, is astounding.

Director Barry Jenkins was reluctant to tackle a second film after his 2008 feature, Medicine for Melancholy , debuted. After that he wasn’t able to get a script into production. Urged on by his producer, Jenkins took a shot at adapting Tarell Alvin McCaraney’s play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue . The finished product pointedly discussed black masculinity, particularly where it regards homosexuality, poverty and struggle, and the relationships between families.

On a budget of just $4 million, Moonlight grossed $65.3 million worldwide in 2016. It holds a nearly perfect 99% on Rotten Tomatoes with several reviews praising the film’s authentic and personal story. It would win three Oscars, including Best Picture where it infamously was thought to have lost to La La Land . A presenter snafu led to the most controversial Oscars ceremony in years.

8. The Third Man (1949)

Directed by the acclaimed British auteur Carol Reed with a script by Grahame Green , The Third Man is a landmark in British film noir. The Third Man follows Holly Martins ( Joseph Cotten ), a man sent to Vienna on the behest of his friend Harry Lime ( Orson Welles ). But when Holly discovers Lime’s been murdered it kickstarts a twisted and wholly unpredictable mystery.

With its stark black-and-white cinematography and heavy use of Dutch angles, The Third Man is considered one of the most expressive and cynical features to come out of post-WWII Britain. The feature is not only regarded for its look, but its acting, and a third-act twist that is still a highlight for fans today.

The Third Man became the most popular film in Britain in 1949, though the reviews were tepid elsewhere. Critics in the U.S. praised it, even if a few thought the cinematography was overwhelming. Surprisingly, the film was nominated and won just one Oscar for Robert Kasker’s “deliriously tilted” cinematography. Since its release the film is considered a masterpiece and a must-watch for film aficionados.

7. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

In 1979 Australian director George Miller debuted Mad Max about a post-apocalyptic world. The film had two sequels, 1983’s Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and 1985’s Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome . The films made Miller a cult favorite who would go on to direct The Witches of Eastwick (1987) and Happy Feet (2006). Miller also was offered a chance to make a big-scale Justice League movie that legendarily crashed and burned . But in that time Miller was always working on a fourth Mad Max film. After obtaining the rights in 1995 he spent the next 20 years attempting to get the film made.

It wasn’t until 2009 that Warner Bros. offered to help Miller with the film and in 2011 Mad Max: Fury Road entered production. The film followed a new incarnation of Max (this time played by Tom Hardy ) and a woman named Furiosa ( Charlize Theron ) attempting to liberate a group of female prisoners. The intense action and physical effects remain remarkably revolutionary in an age of CGI, and numerous essays have been written on the film’s feminism.

With a $200 million dollar budget it would have been difficult for the feature to turn a significant profit and only grossed $378 million worldwide. It was cited by Forbes as “too expensive, but not really a flop.” Reviews were strong with several critics championing Fury Road as the greatest action feature ever made. The film won six Academy Awards in the tech field, including Best Costumes and Production Design and, more importantly, has introduced Max and his gang to a whole new generation. The movie has a 97% on RT.

6. Get Out (2017)

Before he was an Oscar-nominated director,  Jordan Peele was best known as one half of the comic duo  Key and Peele . After his comedy show went off the air in 2015, Peele transitioned to directing and burst out the gate with a movie that challenged audiences’ thoughts on race, history, and the nature of the horror movie. In  Get Out , Daniel Kaluuya plays Chris, a black man invited to meet the parents of his white girlfriend. But what starts out as an awkwardly weird weekend turns into a terrifying tale of cultural appropriation.

Get Out flew under the radar right up until the moment of release, premiering at the Sundance Film Festival a month before hitting theaters nationwide. Upon release in 2017, reviews were extremely enthusiastic. Writers were praising the film from every angle, from its presentation of the white savior trope to how it looks at black culture butting up against white society. Get Out was a box office success, a critical darling and, more importantly, made Jordan Peele the fifth Black man nominated for Best Director. He won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and the film currently stands at 98% on RT.

5. BlacKkKlansman (2018)

RT Score:  96%

Spike Lee has been challenging audiences’ thoughts on race since the 1980s, but it wasn’t until he adapted the story of Colorado Springs police officer Ron Stallworth that he nabbed his first Best Director nomination.

In the 1970s, Stallworth (played by John David Washington ) was the first Black man hired to the Colorado Springs police department. When he stumbles upon an ad for the Ku Klux Klan, Stallworth decided to infiltrate the organization with the help of a white fellow officer ( Adam Driver ). BlacKkKlansman is at times both painfully humorous and utterly terrifying. Lee and screenwriters Charlie Wachtel and David Rabinowitz create something that feels timely and, unfortunately, timeless.

A box office success upon release, BlacKkKlansman drew as much criticism as it did praise. Lee’s provocative story drew rave reviews from critics, while director Boots Riley took to social media to decry the director’s use of inaccurate facts for narrative entertainment. Regardless, the film holds a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for six Academy Awards. Lee didn’t win for Best Director but did get a chance to make a speech at the awards ceremony when the film won for Best Adapted Screenplay.

4. Citizen Kane (1941)

RT Score: 100%

If you’ve studied film in any capacity you’ve seen and/or heard “Rosebud,” the plaintive cry that anchors Orson Welles ’ filmic monument, Citizen Kane . Welles was just 25 when he wrote, directed, starred and produced Citizen Kane . Inspired by the life of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst , Welles created newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, an ambitious man who reaches the heights of professional glory at the expense of personal relationships.

Citizen Kane is a marvel of filmmaking from its directing to its cinematography, with director of photography Gregg Toland creating several new techniques that have become de rigueur in cinema today. The film’s release history already has several books written on it, but the movie irked Hearst immensely. He attempted to have the film stopped and when that didn’t work he banned all advertising, reviews, or mentions in any of the newspapers he owned. Several major theaters refused to screen it for fear of running afoul of Hearst and his lead gossip columnist, Louella Parsons .

When Citizen Kane finally did open it was a box office disappointment, playing to near empty houses in rural areas and major cities. Despite several good reviews at the time the film was the first (though far from the last) time Welles would be in the red. It was nominated for nine Oscars regardless of Hearst’s campaign, though it only won one for Best Original Screenplay. Now Citizen Kane is regarded as a masterpiece, the film by which all other films are judged, and Welles’ name is positioned firmly as one of the greatest directors of our time.

3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

It’s hard to believe but The Wizard of Oz only has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes! Who could possibly dislike the most charming, fun, sweet movie to ever exist? One that’s made a legion of children smile and has inspired nearly every movie to follow? It’s just baffling. The story of Dorothy ( Judy Garland ) and her trip over the rainbow to the land of Oz has countless books written on its production, which involved numerous directors, costume changes, and actor swaps, but the finished product remains just as dazzling today as it did in 1939.

The Wizard of Oz came out in one of the best years for cinema and, interestingly enough, is the only feature from the Golden Year to make this list. This was home studio MGM’s pony (alongside Gone With the Wind ). The movie was a massive undertaking with numerous worlds created on a studio backlot (and a revolving door of directors). Judy Garland was just 16 when she got the role of a lifetime as Dorothy Gale, taking on a role that initially was offered to Shirley Temple .

It isn’t surprising that the movie received huge praise in 1939; not from The New Yorker though who called it a “stinkeroo.” Because of its large budget it took several years for the movie to reach a profit, aided by subsequent re-releases throughout the ‘40s. It did only win two Oscars (out of a low six nominations) for Best Song and Score. But no matter because the movie now is cited as one of the best films ever made with nearly all of its cast becoming legends.

2. Lady Bird (2017)

For a generation of women in 2017, watching director Greta Gerwig’s feature Lady Bird was like being sent right back to their high school. The story of a confident young woman named Lady Bird ( Saorise Ronan ) and her desire to leave her Sacramento hometown was relatable, funny, cringe-worthy at times but always delightful. Gerwig, the star of films like Frances Ha and Mistress America , had been working on the script for years and was determined to make it her first solo directorial effort.

Lady Bird grossed nearly $80 million worldwide and was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture. Greta Gerwig became just the fifth woman nominated for Best Director, the first since Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman Best Director winner for The Hurt Locker in 2009.

1. Black Panther (2018)

RT Score: 96%

By the time Black Panther was released the Marvel Cinematic Universe had been a presence for ten years. And yet, in all that time, audiences were still asking for a superhero lead of color.

All that changed with the release of Ryan Coogler ’s Black Panther , an exuberant, rich, and highly entertaining story about the citizens of the fictional country of Wakanda. Led by T’Challa ( Chadwick Boseman ) as the eponymous Black Panther, the nation of Wakanda must band together to stop the evil Killmonger ( Michael B. Jordan ).

In development since 1992 - Wesley Snipes wanted the role badly - Black Panther went through its fair share of development hell . With Snipes leaving the project in the early 2000s, Marvel finally greenlit it as part of their phase two slate in 2014 with Boseman, who had previously played Jackie Robinson and James Brown , as King T’Challa.

Black Panther grossed over $1 billion dollars in 2018, becoming the highest-grossing solo superhero film and the highest-grossing film by a black director. More iconic was its winning of three Academy Awards, including Ruth Carter ’s fantastic costume design. It also marked the first time a Marvel feature was nominated for Best Picture.

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