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The List: 100 Films That Actually Matter

A ranked collection of 100 films weighted by creative achievement, cultural impact, and directorial vision.
2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey
1
1968

United Kingdom, United States

Stanley Kubrick

Seven Samurai
Seven Samurai
2
1954

Japan

Akira Kurosawa

In the Mood for Love
In the Mood for Love
3
2000

Hong Kong

Wong Kar-wai

There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood
4
2007

United States

Paul Thomas Anderson

The Godfather
The Godfather
5
1972

United States

Francis Ford Coppola

Stalker
Stalker
6
1979

Soviet Union

Andrei Tarkovsky

Rear Window
Rear Window
7
1954

United States

Alfred Hitchcock

Do the Right Thing
Do the Right Thing
8
1989

United States

Spike Lee

Yi Yi
Yi Yi
9
2000

Taiwan

Edward Yang

Goodfellas
Goodfellas
10
1990

United States

Martin Scorsese

Spirited Away
Spirited Away
11
2001

Japan

Hayao Miyazaki

Barry Lyndon
Barry Lyndon
12
1975

United Kingdom, United States

Stanley Kubrick

Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive
13
2001

United States

David Lynch

Persona
Persona
14
1966

Sweden

Ingmar Bergman

City of God
City of God
15
2002

Brazil

Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund

Rashomon
Rashomon
16
1950

Japan

Akira Kurosawa

The Mirror
The Mirror
17
1975

Soviet Union

Andrei Tarkovsky

Chinatown
Chinatown
18
1974

United States

Roman Polanski

Pather Panchali
Pather Panchali
19
1955

India

Satyajit Ray

Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
20
1979

United States

Francis Ford Coppola

Moonlight
Moonlight
21
2016

United States

Barry Jenkins

Tokyo Story
Tokyo Story
22
1953

Japan

Yasujirō Ozu

Bicycle Thieves
Bicycle Thieves
23
1948

Italy

Vittorio De Sica

The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows
24
1959

France

François Truffaut

Heat
Heat
25
1995

United States

Michael Mann

Parasite
Parasite
26
2019

South Korea

Bong Joon-ho

Vertigo
Vertigo
27
1958

United States

Alfred Hitchcock

Children of Men
Children of Men
28
2006

United Kingdom, United States

Alfonso Cuarón

A Separation
A Separation
29
2011

Iran

Asghar Farhadi

Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth
30
2006

Spain, Mexico

Guillermo del Toro

Taxi Driver
Taxi Driver
31
1976

United States

Martin Scorsese

The Third Man
The Third Man
32
1949

United Kingdom

Carol Reed

Close-Up
Close-Up
33
1990

Iran

Abbas Kiarostami

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
34
1975

Belgium, France

Chantal Akerman

Network
Network
35
1976

United States

Sidney Lumet

Alien
Alien
36
1979

United Kingdom, United States

Ridley Scott

Fanny and Alexander
Fanny and Alexander
37
1982

Sweden

Ingmar Bergman

Chungking Express
Chungking Express
38
1994

Hong Kong

Wong Kar-wai

The Shining
The Shining
39
1980

United Kingdom, United States

Stanley Kubrick

Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
40
1972

West Germany

Werner Herzog

Blade Runner
Blade Runner
41
1982

United States

Ridley Scott

Come and See
Come and See
42
1985

Soviet Union

Elem Klimov

The Battle of Algiers
The Battle of Algiers
43
1966

Italy, Algeria

Gillo Pontecorvo

No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men
44
2007

United States

Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

M
M
45
1931

Germany

Fritz Lang

Breathless
Breathless
46
1960

France

Jean-Luc Godard

Memories of Murder
Memories of Murder
47
2003

South Korea

Bong Joon-ho

Mad Max: Fury Road
Mad Max: Fury Road
48
2015

Australia

George Miller

Solaris
Solaris
49
1972

Soviet Union

Andrei Tarkovsky

The Conformist
The Conformist
50
1970

Italy, France

Bernardo Bertolucci

Raise the Red Lantern
Raise the Red Lantern
51
1991

China

Zhang Yimou

All That Jazz
All That Jazz
52
1979

United States

Bob Fosse

Nights of Cabiria
Nights of Cabiria
53
1957

Italy

Federico Fellini

The Apartment
The Apartment
54
1960

United States

Billy Wilder

Harakiri
Harakiri
55
1962

Japan

Masaki Kobayashi

McCabe & Mrs. Miller
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
56
1971

United States

Robert Altman

Amadeus
Amadeus
57
1984

United States

Miloš Forman

Oldboy
Oldboy
58
2003

South Korea

Park Chan-wook

The Thin Red Line
The Thin Red Line
59
1998

United States

Terrence Malick

8½
8½
60
1963

Italy

Federico Fellini

Cléo from 5 to 7
Cléo from 5 to 7
61
1962

France

Agnès Varda

The Spirit of the Beehive
The Spirit of the Beehive
62
1973

Spain

Víctor Erice

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
63
1974

West Germany

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Touki Bouki
Touki Bouki
64
1973

Senegal

Djibril Diop Mambéty

House of Flying Daggers
House of Flying Daggers
65
2004

China

Zhang Yimou

Amores Perros
Amores Perros
66
2000

Mexico

Alejandro González Iñárritu

The Wages of Fear
The Wages of Fear
67
1953

France

Henri-Georges Clouzot

Playtime
Playtime
68
1967

France

Jacques Tati

A Brighter Summer Day
A Brighter Summer Day
69
1991

Taiwan

Edward Yang

Zodiac
Zodiac
70
2007

United States

David Fincher

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
71
2000

Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, United States

Ang Lee

Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
72
1950

United States

Billy Wilder

Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia
73
1962

United Kingdom

David Lean

The Night of the Hunter
The Night of the Hunter
74
1955

United States

Charles Laughton

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
75
2003

South Korea

Kim Ki-duk

Nostalgia
Nostalgia
76
1983

Italy, Soviet Union

Andrei Tarkovsky

Once Upon a Time in the West
Once Upon a Time in the West
77
1968

Italy, United States

Sergio Leone

Touch of Evil
Touch of Evil
78
1958

United States

Orson Welles

Synecdoche, New York
Synecdoche, New York
79
2008

United States

Charlie Kaufman

The Act of Killing
The Act of Killing
80
2012

Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom, Indonesia

Joshua Oppenheimer

Shoplifters
Shoplifters
81
2018

Japan

Hirokazu Kore-eda

Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
82
1987

West Germany, France

Wim Wenders

Killer of Sheep
Killer of Sheep
83
1978

United States

Charles Burnett

Certified Copy
Certified Copy
84
2010

France, Italy, Iran

Abbas Kiarostami

Nashville
Nashville
85
1975

United States

Robert Altman

Raging Bull
Raging Bull
86
1980

United States

Martin Scorsese

Ran
Ran
87
1985

Japan, France

Akira Kurosawa

The Leopard
The Leopard
88
1963

Italy

Luchino Visconti

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
89
2004

United States

Michel Gondry

Sansho the Bailiff
Sansho the Bailiff
90
1954

Japan

Kenji Mizoguchi

Roma
Roma
91
2018

Mexico

Alfonso Cuarón

The Passion of Joan of Arc
The Passion of Joan of Arc
92
1928

France

Carl Theodor Dreyer

Au Hasard Balthazar
Au Hasard Balthazar
93
1966

France

Robert Bresson

Dazed and Confused
Dazed and Confused
94
1993

United States

Richard Linklater

Picnic at Hanging Rock
Picnic at Hanging Rock
95
1975

Australia

Peter Weir

The Handmaiden
The Handmaiden
96
2016

South Korea

Park Chan-wook

Daughters of the Dust
Daughters of the Dust
97
1991

United States

Julie Dash

Happy Together
Happy Together
98
1997

Hong Kong

Wong Kar-wai

Wanda
Wanda
99
1970

United States

Barbara Loden

Belly
Belly
100
1998

United States

Hype Williams

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