Empire's 50 Best Movies of All Time

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Lifehacker publishes a selection of the most beloved and cult films, compiled by the British film magazine Empire.

To compile this list, the editors of Empire magazine arranged a poll on the site, in which film fans from all over the world could take part. In addition, Empire also sought help from renowned directors, screenwriters and film critics. The original selection consists of a hundred films, but we decided to show you only 50 of the best ones.

50. Lawrence of Arabia

• Drama, adventure, military, biography, history.
• Great Britain, USA, 1962.
• Duration: 216 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 3.

A film about an English intelligence officer who led a detachment of Arabs in a guerrilla war against the Turks.

49. On the needle

• Drama.
• UK, 1995.
• Duration: 94 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 2.

The story of four friends who are trying to quit drug addiction and find their place in adulthood.

48. Silence of the Lambs

• Thriller, crime, detective, drama, horror.
• USA, 1990.
• Duration: 114 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 6.

The FBI investigates a series of grisly serial murders, but reaches a dead end and turns to psychopathic killer Hannibal Lecter, who was once a psychiatrist, for help.

47. Interstellar

• Science fiction, drama, adventure.
• USA, UK, Canada, Iceland, 2014.
• Duration: 169 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 6.

The concentration of oxygen on Earth is rapidly falling, and humanity is in great danger. To play it safe in the face of imminent disaster, a group of researchers sets out in search of a new planet suitable for life.

46. Citizen Kane

• Drama, detective.
• United States, 1941.
• Duration: 119 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Newspaper tycoon, billionaire and loner Charles Kane dies dramatically in his deserted castle. Finally, he manages to utter just one mysterious word that drives the local journalists crazy.

45. Drive

• Drama, crime.
• USA, 2011.
• Duration: 100 minutes
• IMDb: 7, 8.

A neon noir film about the adventures of a magnificent racer who knows how to skillfully evade pursuit and perform noble deeds.

44. Gladiator

• Action, drama, adventure.
• USA, UK, 2000.
• Duration: 155 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 5.

A film about the difficult fate of the brave General Maximus, who miraculously escaped from certain death and became a gladiator.

43. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

• Drama.
• USA, 1975.
• Duration: 133 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 7.

Once in a psychiatric clinic, the criminal Randle McMurphy dares to rebel against the prevailing order there. It turns out to be not so easy to go against the system.

42. Oil

• Drama.
• USA, 2007.
• Duration: 158 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 1.

Daniel Plainview single-handedly trades in gold and silver mining. One day, fate gives him a chance to become a major oil tycoon, but it turns out to be not as easy as we would like.

41. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

• USA, 2004.
• Duration: 108 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 3.

A beautiful and sad picture by Michel Gondry about a couple of lovers who, after parting, try their best to forget about each other in any possible way.

40.12 angry men

• Drama, crime.
• USA, 1957.
• Duration: 96 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 9.

Twelve jurors gather in a deliberation room to make a final and irrevocable verdict, whether the young man is guilty of killing his own father or not.

39. Save Private Ryan

• Drama, military.
• USA, 1998.
• Duration: 169 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 6.

During the military battles, the Ryan family loses three sons at once. In order to somehow cheer up the inconsolable mother, the command decides to send her last surviving son to his homeland. To carry out this order, a small rescue squad will have to go through a difficult path.

38. Mad Max: Fury Road

• Action, science fiction, adventure.
• Australia, USA, 2015.
• Duration: 120 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The lone wanderer Max Rokatansky wanders around the scorched planet, accompanied only by his visions and the ghosts of the past. The mercenaries from the Citadel take him prisoner, from which he tries with all his might to escape.

37. Something

• Horror, fantasy, detective.
• USA, 1982.
• Duration: 109 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 2.

A team of researchers from the Antarctic polar station encounters a monstrous alien creature that can take the form of its victims. The worst thing is that they have absolutely nowhere to run.

36. Apostates

• Thriller, drama, crime.
• USA, Hong Kong, 2006.
• Duration: 151 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The story of two honors at the police academy who hunt each other. One of them works for the mafia, and the second is trying with all his might to figure it out.

35. The Shining

• Horror, thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, UK, 1980.
• Duration: 144 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Writer Jack Torrance plans to live in a secluded hotel with his family to finish his book there and at the same time be a caretaker as a part-time job. He hopes that nothing will distract him, but he is very wrong.

34. Guardians of the Galaxy

• Science fiction, action, adventure.
• USA, UK, 2014.
• Duration: 121 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 1.

An incredibly strange team of superheroes (one rocket raccoon is worth it!) Saves the Galaxy from insidious villains and imminent death.

33. Schindler's List

• Drama, biography, history.
• USA, 1993.
• Duration: 195 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 9.

Historical drama about the German businessman Oskar Schindler, who during the Second World War helped save the lives of more than one thousand Jews.

32. Suspicious persons

• Thriller, drama, crime, detective.
• USA, Germany, 1995.
• Duration: 106 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 6.

An unusual puzzle film about five suspects, one crime and a whole bunch of mysteries.

31. Taxi Driver

• Thriller, drama, crime.
• USA, 1976.
• Duration: 113 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Travis Bickle is a Vietnam War veteran who is terribly lonely. He works as a taxi driver, but secretly wants to cleanse New York of all sinners and libertines.

30. Seven

• Thriller, drama, crime, detective.
• USA, 1995.
• Duration: 127 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 6.

Police co-workers William Somerset and David Mills investigate a sophisticated crime committed by a serial killer who claims to be an instrument of God.

29. The Big Lebowski

• Comedy, crime, detective.
• UK, USA, 1998.
• Duration: 117 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Gangsters mistake the main character, nicknamed The Dude, for a millionaire with the same name and kidnap his wife in the hope of getting a huge ransom.

28. Casablanca

• Drama, melodrama, military.
• USA, 1942.
• Duration: 103 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 5.

A classic Hollywood melodrama about two lovers and a difficult life choice to be made.

27. The good, the bad, the ugly

• Western film.
• Italy, Spain, Germany (FRG), 1966.
• Duration: 178 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 9.

Three desperate and ruthless bandits join forces to find the stolen gold. But they soon realize that the decision to work together was not the best idea.

26. Scrum

• Action, thriller, drama, crime.
• USA, 1995.
• Duration: 171 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 2.

America's best criminal and America's best detective are trying to figure out which of them is more cunning, cooler and more capable.

25. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

• Science fiction, action, thriller.
• USA, France, 1991.
• Duration: 137 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 5.

More than 10 years have passed since the events of the first part. Sarah Connor has a son, John, who is destined to win the war of mankind against the machines. But the Terminator of the new model, by all means, seeks to prevent him from doing this.

24. Matrix

• Science fiction, thriller.
• USA, 1999.
• Duration: 136 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 7.

The cult film by the Wachowski sisters about the programmer Neo, who suddenly realizes that the whole world around us is just a computer program.

23. Lord of the Rings: Two Towers

• Fantasy, drama, adventure.
• USA, New Zealand, 2002.
• Duration: 179 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 7.

The second part of the legendary trilogy by Peter Jackson about the hobbits Frodo and Sam, who travel to the gates of Mordor to destroy the Ring of Omnipotence.

22. Apocalypse Now

• Drama, military.
• USA, 1979.
• Duration: 194 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 5.

Benjamin Willard, a Vietnam War veteran, is entrusted with an important mission. He has to go into the jungle and find there the distraught Colonel Walter Kurtz, who does terrible things.

21.2001: A Space Odyssey

• Science fiction, adventure.
• Great Britain, USA, 1968.
• Duration: 149 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 3.

The crew of the spacecraft embarks on an exploratory journey to Jupiter, unaware that the seemingly harmless AI computer is actually a real murder weapon.

20. Die Hard

• Action, thriller.
• USA, 1988.
• Duration: 133 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Police Officer John McClain comes to Los Angeles to mend his relationship with his wife. But before doing this, he must free her from the captivity of the hostages.

19. Jurassic Park

• Adventure, fantasy, family friendly.
• USA, 1993.
• Duration: 127 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 1.

A wealthy professor is building a relic park on a remote island inhabited by prehistoric animals. Everything is already ready for a grandiose discovery, but because of an annoying oversight, the dinosaurs are free.

18. Beginning

• Science fiction, action, thriller, drama, detective.
• USA, UK, 2010.
• Duration: 148 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 8.

Industrial spy Dominic Cobb steals corporate secrets using shared dreaming technology. In order to return to his children, he accepts an almost impossible job. This time, he will not have to steal another idea, but introduce it into the victim's subconscious.

17. Fight club

• Thriller, drama, crime.
• USA, Germany, 1999.
• Duration: 131 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 8.

The ordinary and unremarkable life of an office clerk changes dramatically after meeting Tyler Durden, an eccentric guy with limitless imagination and a rather perverse outlook on life.

16. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

• Fantasy, drama, adventure.
• USA, New Zealand, 2003.
• Duration: 201 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 9.

The final part of the trilogy about the adventures of the hobbits and the battle for Middle-earth.

15. Strangers

• Horror, Science Fiction, Action, Thriller, Adventure.
• USA, UK, 1986.
• Duration: 137 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 4.

After several years in suspended animation, Officer Ellen Ripley will have to return to a planet inhabited by thousands of Aliens to fight them again.

14. Alien

• Horror, fantasy.
• Great Britain, USA, 1979.
• Duration: 116 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 5.

A science fiction film by Ridley Scott about a hostile alien creature who, by all means, seeks to destroy the crew of the spaceship "Nostromo".

13. Blade Runner

• Science fiction, thriller, drama, melodrama.
• USA, Hong Kong, UK, 1982.
• Duration: 110 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 2.

Retired detective Rick Deckard is on the hunt for a group of replicant cyborgs who have escaped the space colony and are now heading to Earth.

12. The Godfather - 2

• Drama, crime.
• USA, 1974.
• Duration: 202 minutes
• IMDb: 9, 0.

A crime drama about the Corleone mafia clan. In this part, we are introduced to the details of Vito Corleone's stormy youth, and also talk about his son Michael.

11. Back to the future

• Science fiction, comedy, adventure.
• USA, 1985.
• Duration: 116 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 5.

A seventeen-year-old teenager Marty McFly agrees to participate in a secret experiment and moves back 30 years with the help of a time machine.

10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

• Fantasy, drama, adventure.
• USA, New Zealand, 2001.
• Duration: 178 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 8.

The very first part of the Middle-earth trilogy, in which we get to know the characters and learn about Sauron, the dark lord who made the magical Ring of Omnipotence.

9. Star Wars. Episode IV: A New Hope

• Science fiction, fantasy, action, adventure.
• USA, 1977.
• Duration: 121 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 7.

The first film adaptation of the cult space opera by George Lucas. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and a very young Luke Skywalker, accompanied by the smuggler Han Solo, are sent to rescue Princess Leia from the fearsome Darth Vader.

8. Jaws

• Thriller, adventure, horror.
• USA, 1975.
• Duration: 124 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 0.

A brave sailor, accompanied by an equally brave expedition, sets out in search of a bloodthirsty killer shark that attacks people.

7. Indiana Jones: In Search of the Lost Ark

• Action, adventure.
• USA, 1981.
• Duration: 115 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The exciting adventures of Indiana Jones, an archaeologist, who sets out on a secret mission in search of a sacred relic.

6. Nice Guys

• Drama, crime.
• USA, 1990.
• Duration: 140 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 7.

From early childhood, Henry Hill dreams of becoming a real gangster. When his desire is fulfilled, he realizes that criminal life is devoid of all kinds of romance.

5. Pulp Fiction

• Thriller, comedy, crime.
• USA, 1994.
• Duration: 154 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 9.

The lives of two hired killers, a boxer, a gangster's wife and a couple of bandits are intertwined in a tangled tangle that the viewer will have to unravel.

4. The Shawshank Redemption

• Drama, crime.
• USA, 1994.
• Duration: 142 minutes
• IMDb: 9, 3.

Young financier Andy Dufrein is suspected of a murder he did not commit. Despite this, he is sentenced to life in prison, from which no one has yet managed to escape.

3. The Dark Knight

• Science fiction, action, thriller, crime.
• USA, UK, 2008.
• Duration: 152 minutes
• IMDb: 9, 0.

The city once again needs a hero, and it is traditionally Batman, whose task is to eliminate the criminal named Joker.

2. Star Wars. Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

• Science fiction, fantasy, action, adventure.
• USA, 1980.
• Duration: 124 minutes
• IMDb: 8, 8.

Despite the fact that in the previous part of the saga, the Death Star was destroyed, the battle for the Galaxy does not even think to subside. Master Yoda begins to teach young Luke Jedi tricks that will come in handy very soon.

1. The Godfather

• Drama, crime.
• USA, 1972.
• Duration: 175 minutes
• IMDb: 9, 2.

A crime saga about the Sicilian mafia family Corleone, which has great authority in New York.