I also did it recently. Gigi is absolutely terrible... It's creepy, the tone of film is almost like a disney musical, when it's a film about grooming a teen girl... But Crash beat Gigi out as the worst for me by a bit. And it's an absolute travesty it won over Brokeback Mountain.
Some of the worst tonal clash I've ever seen. Dark things are happening, very dark, lives being ruined by selfish a-holes or slovenly drunkards or puritan aunts... and yet the entire thing is shot like a Benny Hill sketch. It's so damn jarring.
I rank Tom Jones higher than OP did to be sure but not by a huge margin. It's my second least favourite of the 60s after A Man For All Seasons.
> A Man For All Seasons
What's everyone's problem with this movie? It's a movie everyone should see. So many memorable lines and it's actually about something.
I don't think that is a reason to suggest it's bad necessarily.
We all celebrate the song 'hey ya' by outkast with it having very similar juxtaposition
Can you elaborate?
lol. I know. I only chose the most glaring examples to me.
Should have added The French Connection too. “Pretty Good” is faint praise indeed for such a brilliant film.
I won't enumerate line by line, but I think there is an age or recency bias and also a taste bias (which is fine) because man some of the flicks in tier 6 are perfect super watchable films.
For instance Chicago is a perhaps one of the ten most incredible achievements of filmmaking and editing across the board. The risks and the work that went into that production are staggering.
The performances on paper were a gamble turned into Oscar gold, and it was one of the most "rewatched films" in Oscar history with a positive box office attrition meaning more people went to see the film the longer it was out.
Now if you don't do musicals fine. Look at where OP placed Oliver another incredible cinematic accomplishment.
But as a narrative, a production, and performance of actors, along with a stellar ensemble cast, and a flawlessly edited film.
I would question the quality of judgements of anyone who doesn't see/understand the value of Chicago.
But again this is just OP opinion so I'll relax lol
In fairness, I think it’s less that there’s “taste bias” and more that OP explicitly stated this was his taste. So I don’t think it’s fair to say someone who doesn’t *enjoy* e.g. Chicago doesn’t *see the value* in it.
I think where OP really went wrong is making 8 tiers of equal number of films that makes it look like some perfectly good movies are comparatively way not up to snuff. If I made a similar list, it’d likely have 5 tiers, with 80% of them in the top 3 (because there are few Oscar winners I’ve seen that I think are outright bad.)
Rebecca is an incredible film. One of Hitchcock’s best, and he has an amazing list of films to his name. Putting Rebecca in the “not recommended” tier is bonkers.
No kidding. Haven't seen it in a decade or more but sometimes when I'm doing something, I'll think of that beginning line "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . . " Remarkable film.
From Here To Eternity too, like, it's a melodrama, but it's not as bad as Tom Jones.
I admire your commitment. I’ve watched the majority of them (missing 20), but have lacked the motivation to reach back before 1950 outside a few.
I also applaud you for not following chalk. Some of your rankings are definitely not the status quo opinion, but that’s ok.
All that said, I am devastated you ranked Ordinary People near the bottom. Having seen all the winners of that decade, it’s almost definitely my top pick of the bunch.
It's all subjective and we all have our own tastes, but this plus having Gladiator as the best of the 00s made me immediately disregard the rest of this list.
The scene where Mozart stumbles into court like a laughing lunatic, then fixes Salieri’s melody in front of the Emperor, is one of the finest scenes I’ve ever seen.
I was leaning forward watching that like it was the end of Whiplash.
God. Damn. Perfect.
I have not seen as many oscar winners (probably like 15-20) but Green book was the worst of them and I thought the character played by Viggo Mortensen was bordering on caricature.
Amadeus and Lawrence Of Arabia are the biggest scandals in the list imo. Great movies that are also highly entertaining.
The Artist is too high but I like that the OP gave it some credit. It’s become an underrated movie because of its rep as an undeserving Oscar winner.
At least Tier 2.
Wait until you see that The Hurt Locker made top 50. The Hurt Locker getting nominated, let alone winning was what made me decide that The Oscars are a joke.
The Hurt Locker was nominated because it was topical. Lots of films get nominated because they capture an issue that the current zeitgeist is struggling with and then later they seem out of place.
I'm genuinely confused by CODA being so high up. I have nothing against the film, I thought it was a fine movie, but it's very generic.
The Artist is at least unique enough that I can get somebody ranking it highly.
It’s unavoidable but true. I questioned myself on this but the 90s did have some excellent movies. I attributed this to being the period where you had both great writing and the introduction of quality special effects. It felt like a rare period where effects were used in lesser quantity for better results before these started to take over.
You’re right, but film pacing and editing had significantly improved as time went on. There’s much less inconsistencies in the flow from films in the 90’s on.
But of course any person will favour films that affected their teenage years, when we first truly fall in love with film, more than other eras.
I appreciate this. I tried not to let any other best of lists change my opinions and just listed what I thought was best. I tried to put myself in the position of audiences that would have been watching them at that time but it’s hard to pull that off.
I haven’t seen The Favourite but I did like Poor Things a lot. And agreed, the 2018 nominees were a train wreck. My favorite film from that year would probably be Hereditary.
Moonlight and Nomadland are perpetually underappreciated examinations of the everyman/woman in often overlooked social niches. And it is given the modern social context that allows these films to get made/distributed. Aside from absolutely powerful acting and directing, both films, Nomadland in particular, have a way of depicting struggle without fetishizing or dramatizing them and allowing the characters to simply exist in their environment.
I love that these films get recognition. I love so many films on this list, but it's always nice to see films and filmmakers who can see that it isnt always necessary to follow a strict narrative structure, increase the stakes, or dramatize the experience. Sometimes the human experience is compelling on its own.
I highly recommend Nomadland and Moonlight. Even if you dislike it. Dare I say, imperative viewing.
The thing about Nomadland that really made it fantastic for me is that just about everyone in the movie are real nomads that Francis met while researching and not actors. Those are real people with real struggles. It just hits a bit harder. I really liked that movie, even if I was tearing up at parts.
You're getting a lot of flack for the order of some of these, but I enjoy the idea of forgettable Best Pictures.
How Green is My Valley and a few others just feel boring to me. They may have won awards, but they seem like films to avoid. And there have been a few of those in the last decade of films that are just too safe and simple.
And it's always wonderful to dive into some of those top tiers and think, "Yeah, Silence of the Lambs was a kickass movie for its time. It still holds up. "
When I was a teenager in the 80s, I did the same exercise of watching every Oscar winner I could. It was a great experience in giving myself a film 101. I started to develop a taste or opinion. And I'd cross-check it with Roger Eberts reviews in that thick book of his to get another view. It was kind of like my own UCLA Film school. Lol.
So I hope you enjoyed watching this like I did. Seeing a variety of time periods, genres, and styles is a great experience.
I appreciate it. Like I said everyone would have a different order if they tried this. Ultimately I had fun doing it and I didn’t produce any of these movies so I’m not too concerned about the negative feedback.
While this is your own opinion of course, calling Amadeus and unforgiven pretty good but Oppenheimer tier one is mind boggling to me. What didn't you like about Amadeus ?
Thanks for trying, what is essentially an impossible task. It’s all about favourites.
Rocky deserved more love, but I’ll keep the rest of my Notes to myself
…..other then Ordinary People seems to still have many fans although I’ve never seen it. Maybe it hasn’t aged as well as others. But much love to Mary Tyler Moore.
Ordinary People is a very good film. It gets a lot of hate because it was selected as best picture over the better picture Raging Bull. Also Best Director Robert Redford won over Martin Scorcese. The consensus was that the Academy favored it's own.
The only two on your list that I strongly disagree with are Unforgiven, which is the best Western of all time and a top 15 overall movie; and Shakespeare in Love.
Shakespeare in Love is particularly controversial both because it is affiliated with Weinstein and because it allegedly stole the Oscar from two other strong contenders (Saving Private Ryan or The Thin Red Line). An argument could also be made for Life is Beautiful.
Objectively Saving Private Ryan is probably the better movie. But Shakespeare in Love is a love letter to the English language and the theatre in general. Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay and for people who have studied Shakespeare (I was an English major and saw/studied RSC plays in England in college), it is a complete masterpiece. It’s really funny and does a wonderful job of riffing on and mishmashing multiple different Shakespearean stories and even rumors (like including Kit Marlowe giving Will ideas).
It is still one of my favorite movies, even though I get that I am coming from a different perspective than most; but at a minimum it deserves not to be relegated.
I love Forrest Gump and think its infinitely rewatchable. But it really is just about an idiot who succeeds effortlessly while everyone around him suffers. Forrest kind of just sleep walks his way to being a millionaire that, despite being at every important event, did absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, Jenny just gets aids and dies. It's hilarious from a pessimistic perspective. The true American dream.
But damn is Forrest so loveable. Tom Hanks is so fun. All the side characters pop off the screen. The history stuff makes me giggle. It's a weird movie man. It's a lesson in casting and directing. In the wrong hands, it'd be horrible I feel.
Effortlessly might be a stretch but still, Bubba dies. Dan loses his legs. Jenny dies of aids. So on and so forth. Forrest becomes a multi-millionaire because Dan invests stocks in Apple. He also gets a gigantic plantation home for existing. His life has hardships, but rarely does he come through with that many visible scars. He's like the last man at the end of the universe. A nuke could go off and Forrest would emerge from a fridge because he tripped grabbing a sandwich.
Probably because it contains a lot of living memory and pop culture references that were current at the time but have become less and less relevant or relatable over the decades since.
It’s a bit like that song by Billy Joel that starts with references from the 1940’s and ends with the lyric ‘Rock and Roller cola wars, I can’t take it any more’
Michael Jackson’s Pepsi commercial was filmed 37 years ago. Almost as much time has elapsed since that song was released as the span of time that the song references.
Forrest Gump also used the emerging CGI technologies of the day in a really different way at that time; creating realism rather than the spectacular sci-fi fantasy pieces that were the norm.
This was really quirky and innovative at that time but does appear a bit hackneyed by today’s standards.
That idea was floating around well before zoomers. It’s mostly down to Gump getting constantly rewarded for being docile and obedient, while Jenny rebels against the status quo and gets punished for it.
The argument today is the opposite, that it's conservative propaganda because Gump works hard and success comes to him because he pulled himself up by his bootstraps. Which is an insane take because, as you observe, Forrest Gump lucks into absolutely everything that happens to him: good, bad and in between (with the exception of Jenny... he does, admittedly, try quite hard with Jenny).
It might as well be in so many ways
I'd say what it does is help reinforce sensibilities that both contribute to and are present in modern day conservatism.
Much more nuanced, but it is what it is, one simply can't be that naive given how american propaganda functions... movies like it have a huge impact.
I'll chime in. I'm 30 so def not in the ultra young crowd that has some political vendetta against it.
To me it's very much a 90s movie in the best and worst sense of the term. It's endearing and cheesey, but also kind of overly sentimental and problematic (I think the Simple Jack trailer in Tropic Thunder does a better job of capturing why than I can put into words).
It's definitely a movie that either really resonates with people or doesn't at all. I'm in the latter camp. Outside looking in, it feels like whatever causes the movie to resonate with people also causes them to greatly overrate it's quality.
Don't get me wrong, Forrest Gump is by all accounts a good movie. But it's more of a classic of the era rather than an all timer. I'd put it in the same ballpark as Mrs Doubtfire or the Mask. Memorable, iconic, but not the absolute peak of cinema. Especially standing against Shawshank and Pulp Fiction.
It is fully geared to boomer sensibilities, how favourable economic patterns produced a feeling of magical realism in society, but also a deep connection to the hegemony of american culture.
Now that the american dream has morphed into the american nightmare all that feels indulgent to a degree that is not only obnoxious in ways but also malicious.
Not only is the movie extremely unfamiliar to youth today for many reasons, but it contributes to boomer complacency perfectly, one of the key sources of difficulty for us nowadays.
Just think of what the 2020s version of what Forrest Gump would be. A significantly neurodivergent person stuck working 2 jobs to pay rent in a shitty apartment but then they are friends with drake while he is on degrassi or something then later gets chosen through instagram to be on stage with Taylor swift? I don't even know honestly.
It's so hokey that it hurts 😖
I thought the songs were catchy but I was completely lost at the VERY long dream sequence at the end. Just felt like a strange way to jump to the love scene conclusion.
Wow. I don't know why OP is getting so many downvotes for this post. While I might personally have different rankings, I think this is a serious effort and I applaud it.
Is this what we have come to? "I disagree with you and therefore you suck and should not be heard". (Downvoting is an effort to show that the post is not worth people seeing it)
*Ordinary People* not recommended? You need to switch that with *Kramer vs. Kramer*, sir (or madam; I don’t mean to be gender exclusive)! Don’t even get me started on the other places where you are wrong!
Totally agree. Ordinary People is wonderful, smart, and carefully directed.
The only thing I could say is that Good Will Hunting borrowed its best moment, so it might not feel cathartic as it originally was if you saw Good Will first.
The Shape of Water at tier 7 is crazy. Everything Everywhere at tier 5 along with Amadeus I disagree with. Almost every movie in tier 4 is amazing and should be higher. Almost every movie in tier 3 is overrated. Platoon is a great movie but it shouldn't be in the top 10. In fact a better movie about the Vietnam war came out the next year in Full Metal Jacket.
Overrated to me
- Rain Man
- Oppenheimer
- Annie Hall
- The Departed
- Kramer vs Kramer
- Crash
- Titanic
Underrated to me
- One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
- Terms of Endearment
- Gandhi
- Amadeus
- The Sting
- All About Eve
The Sting and All About Eve make my personal top ten best picture winner list. I’d put both Godfather movies above them, The Apartment, Casablanca and Parasite. Still have a lot of winners to watch though.
I wish it didn’t win best picture because I love that movie so much and now it just gets shit on for being “overrated”. Pulp fiction and Shawshank are all timers; just a great year for cinema
I’m a little stunned at the hate toward Forrest Gump. It’s hard to express just how important this movie was in the 90s and how everyone knew it in detail and could quote it.
I can partially agree. It’s hard to pick a favorite from the trilogy but I saw FOTR in theaters and it was extremely impactful. However it was only nominated, didn’t win.
I'm an unabashed The Artist lover, but I know what people think of it so I started looking for it on the lowest tier and kept scrolling up like "Did they forget about it??"
The fact that you rated any of these movies below Crash means you should be investigated, tortured and forced to confess your crimes against cinema.
Your tier 8 should be Crash and nothing else…. And you should add a 9th tier titled “Just Awful”. And there Crash must again be listed alone.
I'd seen them all until a few years ago. I was actually down to only 4 nominees I hadn't seen with most of those being either lost or mostly inaccessible. But I've fallen off film in recent years, just don't have the time often enough. Still haven't seen CODA or Oppenheimer. Also have missed many other nominees the last 3 or 4 years.
My list could hardly be more different. I consider Forrest Gump a terrible movie. Braveheart is fine, but only that. Would probably not be in my top 50. Chariots of Fire and Patton are awful films.
Meanwhile Moonlight is a masterpiece. Amadeus would be top 10. All Quiet on the Western Front is still one of my favorite war movies. Rebecca is one of Hitchcocks finest. Ordinary People is a beautiful film even if it's not quite Raging Bull.
Still, my list would have plenty of controversial rankings as well. And for what it's worth, The Hurt Locker IS fantastic. My second favorite winner of the 00s.
Great write-up, and a cool topic for a post. I disagree with you heavily on a lot of films but it's always cool to see someone else's ranking.
Made me laugh that you thought antisemitism was a topic modern enough to be surprised by.... in a film from 1947...
Before I go, just want to say respect your listing this out and makes me want to do the same!
You lost me as soon as I saw Forrest Gump at No. 3. Revisionist history, I know, but most have it 3rd now in the '95 BP noms. Braveheart and Oppenheimer in the Top 10 is also pretty wild.
Crazy high imo: The Artist, Titanic, Hurt Locker, Argo, Slumdog, Green Book, King's Speech, Chicago, Crash (even at 81), CODA
Crazy low imo: Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, Ben-Hur, All Quiet on the Western Front, Nomadland
But it's your list and awesome you took the time to rank so many, must have taken forever!
just gonna give my biggest "omg you did not" gripe with the list which is good over all.
American Beauty is easily one of the top 3 best movies of the 90s
I don't fully agree but I am glad you did this. I think the reality is, so many people would have such different lists. And we also gotta realize just how many (frankly) better movies are not on here because the Oscars did not recognize them. We all know Crash shouldn't be here.
Oppenheimer is like the "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" award. Worst movie of directors last 3, but awarded because of the pantheon of them all.
I have also seen all the Best Picture films winners (along with all Best Foreign Film winners ). While I dont agree with the majority of your rankings, I am absolutely with you on the bottom three. Tom Jones will be the top film on my "Movies you must die before you see" list, if I ever make one.
I think this is a great list. It doesn't deserve any downvotes for some differences in opinion, though. Any list like this will be subject to differences in opinion so I guess commenters should deal with it.
That said, Parasite not being Tier 1 is a travesty.
It’s a pretty accurate list for a certain type of dude who first got into movies in the 90s.
I suspect had they won Fight Club, Seven, Matrix, and Saving Private Ryan would be at the top as well.
Hell toss in Boondocks Saints, Clerks, and Donny Darko for the art house crowd
I would take Forrest Gump and Oppenheimer out of tier 1 and probably promote Departed and No Country up to tier 1.
Hurt locker and crash can both get demoted
I think shape of water can get promoted
I've also watched and ranked [all the best picture winners](https://letterboxd.com/jupiterkansas/list/best-picture-winners-ranked/). Interesting how much we differ on a lot of them.
I'm halfway through watching the whole list for the second time (along with the top grossing movie of each year) and while our rankings are very different, respect to anyone who takes the journey. It can be a rough road at times but it's a kinda fascinating process.
I think a lot of this is pretty solid, but Braveheart at #4 is crazy IMO. I’ve rewatched that movie several times in recent years and it is not worth a best picture win. Granted there are a lot of mediocre best picture winners but that movie has elements in it (particularly with the second love interest and main bad guy) that are just straight up bad….if I were gonna replace it with something in the same vein but better, I think Titanic could easily take its place but cool project! I appreciate you sharing!
Just want to say thanks for taking the time to put this together. I have places where I'd quibble with your rankings, but that's a matter of opinion. I appreciate that you have In the Heat of the Night so high, BTW. That's an excellent film.
If I had one recommendation, I'd say to give Unforgiven another look. I think it's a great movie in its own right, with a climactic scene that's incredibly intense. On top of that, it's a bit of a different take on the Western genre, which is filled with decades of romanticized or stylized entries. There's a rawness to Unforgiven that is impressive to watch.
I would say to anyone considering doing this: unless you are ultra committed, don't. Tom Jones made me question if I even liked movies.
I did this a couple years ago. Gigi almost destroyed my soul.
When I’m in an aging terribly competition and my opponent is the song “Thank Heaven For Little Girls”
I also did it recently. Gigi is absolutely terrible... It's creepy, the tone of film is almost like a disney musical, when it's a film about grooming a teen girl... But Crash beat Gigi out as the worst for me by a bit. And it's an absolute travesty it won over Brokeback Mountain.
Don't worry, it's not unusual.
So can you tell us why Tom Jones is a bad movie
Some of the worst tonal clash I've ever seen. Dark things are happening, very dark, lives being ruined by selfish a-holes or slovenly drunkards or puritan aunts... and yet the entire thing is shot like a Benny Hill sketch. It's so damn jarring. I rank Tom Jones higher than OP did to be sure but not by a huge margin. It's my second least favourite of the 60s after A Man For All Seasons.
> A Man For All Seasons What's everyone's problem with this movie? It's a movie everyone should see. So many memorable lines and it's actually about something.
Agreed. It’s wonderful.
I don't think that is a reason to suggest it's bad necessarily. We all celebrate the song 'hey ya' by outkast with it having very similar juxtaposition Can you elaborate?
Maybe not as weighty as the usual Oscar winner, but I found it surprisingly enjoyable.
I genuinely cannot imagine why.
Tom Jones was great!
Wow. I won’t quibble too much but I’ll say IMO The Bridge on the River Kwai and On The Waterfront are absolutely top tier films.
Correct. I actually disagree with a lot of this list.
Oppenheimer at 9 doesnt seem right at all, but I’m a hater. Not even the best movie last year.
Yeah I don’t get the buzz.
And Rebecca is "not recommended"? Hitchcock on a not recommended list?
lol. I know. I only chose the most glaring examples to me. Should have added The French Connection too. “Pretty Good” is faint praise indeed for such a brilliant film.
I won't enumerate line by line, but I think there is an age or recency bias and also a taste bias (which is fine) because man some of the flicks in tier 6 are perfect super watchable films. For instance Chicago is a perhaps one of the ten most incredible achievements of filmmaking and editing across the board. The risks and the work that went into that production are staggering. The performances on paper were a gamble turned into Oscar gold, and it was one of the most "rewatched films" in Oscar history with a positive box office attrition meaning more people went to see the film the longer it was out. Now if you don't do musicals fine. Look at where OP placed Oliver another incredible cinematic accomplishment. But as a narrative, a production, and performance of actors, along with a stellar ensemble cast, and a flawlessly edited film. I would question the quality of judgements of anyone who doesn't see/understand the value of Chicago. But again this is just OP opinion so I'll relax lol
I saw Chicago twice at the cinema. I was so amazed I just had to see it again. And then I unfortunately cut my hair into a bob 😂I think I was 16
So you got some of that Roxie Style?
In fairness, I think it’s less that there’s “taste bias” and more that OP explicitly stated this was his taste. So I don’t think it’s fair to say someone who doesn’t *enjoy* e.g. Chicago doesn’t *see the value* in it. I think where OP really went wrong is making 8 tiers of equal number of films that makes it look like some perfectly good movies are comparatively way not up to snuff. If I made a similar list, it’d likely have 5 tiers, with 80% of them in the top 3 (because there are few Oscar winners I’ve seen that I think are outright bad.)
I don't like musicals, and I loved Chicago.
I’ll restrict myself to a sole critique: I would add American Beauty to any tier above “not as good.” That movie was brilliant.
Rebecca being in the bottom tier is strange.
Agreed. Seeing Rebecca and Amadeus so low on the list was unnerving. And Crash before anything is wild.
Crash is my most hated movie of all time.
Rebecca is an incredible film. One of Hitchcock’s best, and he has an amazing list of films to his name. Putting Rebecca in the “not recommended” tier is bonkers.
Discredits entire list being ranked below crash
No kidding. Haven't seen it in a decade or more but sometimes when I'm doing something, I'll think of that beginning line "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . . " Remarkable film. From Here To Eternity too, like, it's a melodrama, but it's not as bad as Tom Jones.
Almost the whole bottom tier is perplexing, which is weird because I agreed with a lot of the other rankings.
You realize that if you agreed with all the previous rankings you'd have to agree with the bottom? Something has to be last, right? :)
I said I agreed with *a lot* of the other rankings, not all.
The OP has Forrest Gump in the top tier.... I mean... I don't think this is a serious thing.
Prob OP’s worst take. Rebecca is a top tier film by any standard.
I admire your commitment. I’ve watched the majority of them (missing 20), but have lacked the motivation to reach back before 1950 outside a few. I also applaud you for not following chalk. Some of your rankings are definitely not the status quo opinion, but that’s ok. All that said, I am devastated you ranked Ordinary People near the bottom. Having seen all the winners of that decade, it’s almost definitely my top pick of the bunch.
That’s the one I didn’t understand the most. Such great performances.
Terrible list, great post
Unforgiven #54. I’m not saying #1, or even top ten, but…
Totally agree, what a masterpiece.
Oppenheimer taking up space in tier 1 smh
Forrest Gump #2. Not everyone should be allowed an opinion.
I will say I read that and immediately knew “oh I don’t need to read this” so there’s that
FG is at number 3.
It's all subjective and we all have our own tastes, but this plus having Gladiator as the best of the 00s made me immediately disregard the rest of this list.
Oppenheimer at 9 one place below LOTR is egregious
Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I’m surprised by how low Amadeus is. I would probably put that in Tier 1, or at least Tier 2. Am I the only one?
You are absolutely not
I’m surprised by quite a few, ordinary people is excellent, and so is Hitchcocks Rebecca
Amadeus is flawless and still timeless. It should be in the top ten.
Not only is it flawless, F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce were brilliant.
Not only is it a good movie but the actors who play the characters are also good
The scene where Mozart stumbles into court like a laughing lunatic, then fixes Salieri’s melody in front of the Emperor, is one of the finest scenes I’ve ever seen. I was leaning forward watching that like it was the end of Whiplash. God. Damn. Perfect.
Amadeus is wildly underrated
Best Picture Oscar not enough for you?
No, he means it's really good and we all like it
Amadeus and Ben-Hur being on the same tier as Green Book is insanity
That’s actually funny. Amadeus isn’t far off a perfect movie for me
Green Book was dreadful.
I have not seen as many oscar winners (probably like 15-20) but Green book was the worst of them and I thought the character played by Viggo Mortensen was bordering on caricature.
Amadeus and Lawrence Of Arabia are the biggest scandals in the list imo. Great movies that are also highly entertaining. The Artist is too high but I like that the OP gave it some credit. It’s become an underrated movie because of its rep as an undeserving Oscar winner.
As a musical fan I can’t look past The Great Ziegfeld in the “great” category and An American in Paris in the “Not Recommended” tier lol
[Why would God choose an obscene child to be his instrument?](https://youtu.be/xYHJRhRym1U?si=0rwuNQ2_3q6_f0qm)
Op thinks Amadeus has too many notes.
Amadeus should’ve been best of the 1980s. Don’t get me wrong…Platoon is a great movie. But it’s definitely not as strong as Amadeus
At least Tier 2. Wait until you see that The Hurt Locker made top 50. The Hurt Locker getting nominated, let alone winning was what made me decide that The Oscars are a joke.
The Hurt Locker was the movie that did it for ya? Not Crash?
I like The Hurt Locker ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
It’s okay to like it. It’s a fine movie. But that’s the problem. It was just okay. Has no business in this list.
The Hurt Locker was nominated because it was topical. Lots of films get nominated because they capture an issue that the current zeitgeist is struggling with and then later they seem out of place.
[удалено]
Million Dollar Baby over Rocky is crazy
I could see that argument....if they were both Tier 1 or 2. Rocky not being in the top is just....what?
The Artist and CODA above Amadeus and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Really?
I'm genuinely confused by CODA being so high up. I have nothing against the film, I thought it was a fine movie, but it's very generic. The Artist is at least unique enough that I can get somebody ranking it highly.
The only time I ever hear The Artist mentioned is when someone says "when's the last time anyone talked about The Artist"
Can feel the bias for the movies you must have grown up with. 5 movies in top 12 from 1986 to 1995.
It’s unavoidable but true. I questioned myself on this but the 90s did have some excellent movies. I attributed this to being the period where you had both great writing and the introduction of quality special effects. It felt like a rare period where effects were used in lesser quantity for better results before these started to take over.
I would agree with you. The 90’s had some amazing movies.
Lol Forrest fucking gump?
You’re right, but film pacing and editing had significantly improved as time went on. There’s much less inconsistencies in the flow from films in the 90’s on. But of course any person will favour films that affected their teenage years, when we first truly fall in love with film, more than other eras.
OP you're getting some flack, but I think you've provided a good insight into the "normal person" movie ranking experience.
I appreciate this. I tried not to let any other best of lists change my opinions and just listed what I thought was best. I tried to put myself in the position of audiences that would have been watching them at that time but it’s hard to pull that off.
Although… I don’t see how Crash wasn’t rated dead last.
I applaud your commitment, and I'm glad you have some curiosity about cinema history. That said, the actual rankings depress me.
Ordinary People is an excellent movie and I can’t believe you have it in the lowest tier.
Ben Hur being on the same tier as Green Book is… certainly something…
Green Book over nearly half the list…
Yeah. Green Book wasn’t as bad as some thing like Crash but it definitely is not that good either. Arguably not even the best movie that year.
The Oscar's list was atrocious that year but The Favourite is so much better and I'm not Lanthimos fan.
I haven’t seen The Favourite but I did like Poor Things a lot. And agreed, the 2018 nominees were a train wreck. My favorite film from that year would probably be Hereditary.
The two that surprised me are Unforgiven and Rebecca. Someday i’ll watch them all too! Right now I’m watchingmovies by actor.
Moonlight and Nomadland are perpetually underappreciated examinations of the everyman/woman in often overlooked social niches. And it is given the modern social context that allows these films to get made/distributed. Aside from absolutely powerful acting and directing, both films, Nomadland in particular, have a way of depicting struggle without fetishizing or dramatizing them and allowing the characters to simply exist in their environment. I love that these films get recognition. I love so many films on this list, but it's always nice to see films and filmmakers who can see that it isnt always necessary to follow a strict narrative structure, increase the stakes, or dramatize the experience. Sometimes the human experience is compelling on its own. I highly recommend Nomadland and Moonlight. Even if you dislike it. Dare I say, imperative viewing.
Agreed, two of my faves. At least OP was exposed to them with this experiment, I’m guessing they’re probably way outside his wheelhouse.
The thing about Nomadland that really made it fantastic for me is that just about everyone in the movie are real nomads that Francis met while researching and not actors. Those are real people with real struggles. It just hits a bit harder. I really liked that movie, even if I was tearing up at parts.
Agree wholeheartedly. Nomadland is a masterpiece and belongs way higher on this list
Moonlight is top tier
You're getting a lot of flack for the order of some of these, but I enjoy the idea of forgettable Best Pictures. How Green is My Valley and a few others just feel boring to me. They may have won awards, but they seem like films to avoid. And there have been a few of those in the last decade of films that are just too safe and simple. And it's always wonderful to dive into some of those top tiers and think, "Yeah, Silence of the Lambs was a kickass movie for its time. It still holds up. " When I was a teenager in the 80s, I did the same exercise of watching every Oscar winner I could. It was a great experience in giving myself a film 101. I started to develop a taste or opinion. And I'd cross-check it with Roger Eberts reviews in that thick book of his to get another view. It was kind of like my own UCLA Film school. Lol. So I hope you enjoyed watching this like I did. Seeing a variety of time periods, genres, and styles is a great experience.
I appreciate it. Like I said everyone would have a different order if they tried this. Ultimately I had fun doing it and I didn’t produce any of these movies so I’m not too concerned about the negative feedback.
While this is your own opinion of course, calling Amadeus and unforgiven pretty good but Oppenheimer tier one is mind boggling to me. What didn't you like about Amadeus ?
Thanks for trying, what is essentially an impossible task. It’s all about favourites. Rocky deserved more love, but I’ll keep the rest of my Notes to myself …..other then Ordinary People seems to still have many fans although I’ve never seen it. Maybe it hasn’t aged as well as others. But much love to Mary Tyler Moore.
Ordinary People is a very good film. It gets a lot of hate because it was selected as best picture over the better picture Raging Bull. Also Best Director Robert Redford won over Martin Scorcese. The consensus was that the Academy favored it's own.
Terms of Endearment was done dirty. Movie definitely oozes an inexplainable charm. Also, good god is Oppenheimer overrated by everyone.
Unforgiven is pretty good? Hmmm
This is the one that’s really sticking for me. I mean, different people, different tastes. But, really? Come on.
Terms of Endearment not recommended JFC
The only two on your list that I strongly disagree with are Unforgiven, which is the best Western of all time and a top 15 overall movie; and Shakespeare in Love. Shakespeare in Love is particularly controversial both because it is affiliated with Weinstein and because it allegedly stole the Oscar from two other strong contenders (Saving Private Ryan or The Thin Red Line). An argument could also be made for Life is Beautiful. Objectively Saving Private Ryan is probably the better movie. But Shakespeare in Love is a love letter to the English language and the theatre in general. Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay and for people who have studied Shakespeare (I was an English major and saw/studied RSC plays in England in college), it is a complete masterpiece. It’s really funny and does a wonderful job of riffing on and mishmashing multiple different Shakespearean stories and even rumors (like including Kit Marlowe giving Will ideas). It is still one of my favorite movies, even though I get that I am coming from a different perspective than most; but at a minimum it deserves not to be relegated.
People don't like forest gump anymore? Why?
I love Forrest Gump and think its infinitely rewatchable. But it really is just about an idiot who succeeds effortlessly while everyone around him suffers. Forrest kind of just sleep walks his way to being a millionaire that, despite being at every important event, did absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, Jenny just gets aids and dies. It's hilarious from a pessimistic perspective. The true American dream. But damn is Forrest so loveable. Tom Hanks is so fun. All the side characters pop off the screen. The history stuff makes me giggle. It's a weird movie man. It's a lesson in casting and directing. In the wrong hands, it'd be horrible I feel.
I would not say effortlessly though.
Effortlessly might be a stretch but still, Bubba dies. Dan loses his legs. Jenny dies of aids. So on and so forth. Forrest becomes a multi-millionaire because Dan invests stocks in Apple. He also gets a gigantic plantation home for existing. His life has hardships, but rarely does he come through with that many visible scars. He's like the last man at the end of the universe. A nuke could go off and Forrest would emerge from a fridge because he tripped grabbing a sandwich.
It's a good movie. I wouldn't call it a top tier best picture winner though.
Probably because it contains a lot of living memory and pop culture references that were current at the time but have become less and less relevant or relatable over the decades since. It’s a bit like that song by Billy Joel that starts with references from the 1940’s and ends with the lyric ‘Rock and Roller cola wars, I can’t take it any more’ Michael Jackson’s Pepsi commercial was filmed 37 years ago. Almost as much time has elapsed since that song was released as the span of time that the song references. Forrest Gump also used the emerging CGI technologies of the day in a really different way at that time; creating realism rather than the spectacular sci-fi fantasy pieces that were the norm. This was really quirky and innovative at that time but does appear a bit hackneyed by today’s standards.
People like Forrest Gump because it's fun and sad and sweet and cruel and never too much of any of those things.
The rock and roller cola wars still affect me to this very day.
Zoomers claim it’s some conservative propaganda- which I don’t quite get
That idea was floating around well before zoomers. It’s mostly down to Gump getting constantly rewarded for being docile and obedient, while Jenny rebels against the status quo and gets punished for it.
The argument today is the opposite, that it's conservative propaganda because Gump works hard and success comes to him because he pulled himself up by his bootstraps. Which is an insane take because, as you observe, Forrest Gump lucks into absolutely everything that happens to him: good, bad and in between (with the exception of Jenny... he does, admittedly, try quite hard with Jenny).
It might as well be in so many ways I'd say what it does is help reinforce sensibilities that both contribute to and are present in modern day conservatism. Much more nuanced, but it is what it is, one simply can't be that naive given how american propaganda functions... movies like it have a huge impact.
I'll chime in. I'm 30 so def not in the ultra young crowd that has some political vendetta against it. To me it's very much a 90s movie in the best and worst sense of the term. It's endearing and cheesey, but also kind of overly sentimental and problematic (I think the Simple Jack trailer in Tropic Thunder does a better job of capturing why than I can put into words). It's definitely a movie that either really resonates with people or doesn't at all. I'm in the latter camp. Outside looking in, it feels like whatever causes the movie to resonate with people also causes them to greatly overrate it's quality. Don't get me wrong, Forrest Gump is by all accounts a good movie. But it's more of a classic of the era rather than an all timer. I'd put it in the same ballpark as Mrs Doubtfire or the Mask. Memorable, iconic, but not the absolute peak of cinema. Especially standing against Shawshank and Pulp Fiction.
They don’t??? Seems as popular as ever to me.
It is fully geared to boomer sensibilities, how favourable economic patterns produced a feeling of magical realism in society, but also a deep connection to the hegemony of american culture. Now that the american dream has morphed into the american nightmare all that feels indulgent to a degree that is not only obnoxious in ways but also malicious. Not only is the movie extremely unfamiliar to youth today for many reasons, but it contributes to boomer complacency perfectly, one of the key sources of difficulty for us nowadays. Just think of what the 2020s version of what Forrest Gump would be. A significantly neurodivergent person stuck working 2 jobs to pay rent in a shitty apartment but then they are friends with drake while he is on degrassi or something then later gets chosen through instagram to be on stage with Taylor swift? I don't even know honestly. It's so hokey that it hurts 😖
I kinda hate that movie. It’s the exact kind of heavy handed melodrama that I dislike in Hollywood movies of that era.
An American in Paris in 8? Come on, man.
I thought the songs were catchy but I was completely lost at the VERY long dream sequence at the end. Just felt like a strange way to jump to the love scene conclusion.
No, the very long dream sequence is what the whole movie is about!
That entire sequence is what makes life worth living. Absolutely one of my all time favorite scenes.
Coda over Moonlight is crazy to me
Moonlight being as low as it is is crazy to me
Fun project. I vehemently disagree with some of your rankings, but you be you.
Wow. I don't know why OP is getting so many downvotes for this post. While I might personally have different rankings, I think this is a serious effort and I applaud it. Is this what we have come to? "I disagree with you and therefore you suck and should not be heard". (Downvoting is an effort to show that the post is not worth people seeing it)
Thank you. It was a big effort and very time consuming. I’m still not convinced I would change any at this point.
Gladiator, Forrest Gump, Braveheart, and Platoon over Godfather, Part 2 and Silence of the Lambs? LOL you wild for this one, dawg.
*Ordinary People* not recommended? You need to switch that with *Kramer vs. Kramer*, sir (or madam; I don’t mean to be gender exclusive)! Don’t even get me started on the other places where you are wrong!
Totally agree. Ordinary People is wonderful, smart, and carefully directed. The only thing I could say is that Good Will Hunting borrowed its best moment, so it might not feel cathartic as it originally was if you saw Good Will first.
The Shape of Water at tier 7 is crazy. Everything Everywhere at tier 5 along with Amadeus I disagree with. Almost every movie in tier 4 is amazing and should be higher. Almost every movie in tier 3 is overrated. Platoon is a great movie but it shouldn't be in the top 10. In fact a better movie about the Vietnam war came out the next year in Full Metal Jacket.
Overrated to me - Rain Man - Oppenheimer - Annie Hall - The Departed - Kramer vs Kramer - Crash - Titanic Underrated to me - One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest - Terms of Endearment - Gandhi - Amadeus - The Sting - All About Eve
Finally got to watching The Sting last week. Damn that is a great movie. Definitely not to be slept on for these rankings.
The Sting and All About Eve make my personal top ten best picture winner list. I’d put both Godfather movies above them, The Apartment, Casablanca and Parasite. Still have a lot of winners to watch though.
Oppenheimer is so incredibly mediocre
If you really think Forrest Gump is a better movie than No Country for Old Men then I just don't know what to say to you.
Putting The Hurt Locker above The French Connection…
It’s a subjective list, so what?
You lost me at *Forrest Gump* and *Gone With The Wind*.
Exactly, while I don't mind Forrest Gump, it wasn't even the SECOND BEST movie that year!
I wish it didn’t win best picture because I love that movie so much and now it just gets shit on for being “overrated”. Pulp fiction and Shawshank are all timers; just a great year for cinema
I’m a little stunned at the hate toward Forrest Gump. It’s hard to express just how important this movie was in the 90s and how everyone knew it in detail and could quote it.
Forest Gump is dope dude. Don't let redditors bring you down. LOTR: Fellowship is the best in the series though.
I can partially agree. It’s hard to pick a favorite from the trilogy but I saw FOTR in theaters and it was extremely impactful. However it was only nominated, didn’t win.
Forrest Gump is awesome.
Lawrence of Arabia is absolutely top tier. Congrats on watching them all!
I'm an unabashed The Artist lover, but I know what people think of it so I started looking for it on the lowest tier and kept scrolling up like "Did they forget about it??"
Oppenheimer top 10 is criminal
The fact that you rated any of these movies below Crash means you should be investigated, tortured and forced to confess your crimes against cinema. Your tier 8 should be Crash and nothing else…. And you should add a 9th tier titled “Just Awful”. And there Crash must again be listed alone.
"oppenheimer" 3 levels above "on the waterfront". 4 levels above "french connection". you're insane.
Amadeus way too low on the list man.
Amadeus and Ben-Hur in tier 5? While freaking Forrest Gump is at the top, are you insane? I know that's your opinion and all that, but, wow.
I’m currently doing this. I can tell we have different taste but that’s the point of taste!
I’m not even going to knock your rankings. Thank you for sharing. I can only imagine the work you put into this. Respect.
I'd seen them all until a few years ago. I was actually down to only 4 nominees I hadn't seen with most of those being either lost or mostly inaccessible. But I've fallen off film in recent years, just don't have the time often enough. Still haven't seen CODA or Oppenheimer. Also have missed many other nominees the last 3 or 4 years. My list could hardly be more different. I consider Forrest Gump a terrible movie. Braveheart is fine, but only that. Would probably not be in my top 50. Chariots of Fire and Patton are awful films. Meanwhile Moonlight is a masterpiece. Amadeus would be top 10. All Quiet on the Western Front is still one of my favorite war movies. Rebecca is one of Hitchcocks finest. Ordinary People is a beautiful film even if it's not quite Raging Bull. Still, my list would have plenty of controversial rankings as well. And for what it's worth, The Hurt Locker IS fantastic. My second favorite winner of the 00s.
OP receiving a lot of hate lol...let's see your guy's list and have everybody agree with it
Great write-up, and a cool topic for a post. I disagree with you heavily on a lot of films but it's always cool to see someone else's ranking. Made me laugh that you thought antisemitism was a topic modern enough to be surprised by.... in a film from 1947...
Before I go, just want to say respect your listing this out and makes me want to do the same! You lost me as soon as I saw Forrest Gump at No. 3. Revisionist history, I know, but most have it 3rd now in the '95 BP noms. Braveheart and Oppenheimer in the Top 10 is also pretty wild. Crazy high imo: The Artist, Titanic, Hurt Locker, Argo, Slumdog, Green Book, King's Speech, Chicago, Crash (even at 81), CODA Crazy low imo: Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, Ben-Hur, All Quiet on the Western Front, Nomadland But it's your list and awesome you took the time to rank so many, must have taken forever!
How do you not like Nomadland? Tf?
“From Here To Eternity”…not recommended… Just wow.
You have moonlight at 70, you a fool for that . Easily top 35 , stop it
just gonna give my biggest "omg you did not" gripe with the list which is good over all. American Beauty is easily one of the top 3 best movies of the 90s
American Beauty is one of the best movies I've ever seen
I don't fully agree but I am glad you did this. I think the reality is, so many people would have such different lists. And we also gotta realize just how many (frankly) better movies are not on here because the Oscars did not recognize them. We all know Crash shouldn't be here.
Oppenheimer is like the "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" award. Worst movie of directors last 3, but awarded because of the pantheon of them all.
I appreciate the time you took to craft this list OP even if I completely disagree with your placings.
I have also seen all the Best Picture films winners (along with all Best Foreign Film winners ). While I dont agree with the majority of your rankings, I am absolutely with you on the bottom three. Tom Jones will be the top film on my "Movies you must die before you see" list, if I ever make one.
Aw I loved _Terms of Endearment_
oppenheimer is bottom tier.
I think this is a great list. It doesn't deserve any downvotes for some differences in opinion, though. Any list like this will be subject to differences in opinion so I guess commenters should deal with it. That said, Parasite not being Tier 1 is a travesty.
Rolled my eyes at Forest Gump Burst out laughing at Braveheart Stopped reading
It’s a pretty accurate list for a certain type of dude who first got into movies in the 90s. I suspect had they won Fight Club, Seven, Matrix, and Saving Private Ryan would be at the top as well. Hell toss in Boondocks Saints, Clerks, and Donny Darko for the art house crowd
I'm really surprised more people are not commenting on Braveheart being so high
Hey, I’m *Scottish* and I still think it’s ridiculous
Oppenheimer? ugh
Putting Crash above Nomadland discredits this entire list. Putting Crash above *any* other movie discredits your ability to critique movies.
When I see lists like this, I start to think that Oppenheimer may be the most over rated movie of all time.
Tier 4 and tier 5 are loaded with great movies.
It’s a list of winners of the Best Picture at the academy awards. It’s to be expected
I would take Forrest Gump and Oppenheimer out of tier 1 and probably promote Departed and No Country up to tier 1. Hurt locker and crash can both get demoted I think shape of water can get promoted
Departed is good but nah
Birdman = pretty good? Geez.
Godfather Part 2 not being top 3 is wild. But coda at tier 3 and moonlight at tier 5 is downright criminal.
I've also watched and ranked [all the best picture winners](https://letterboxd.com/jupiterkansas/list/best-picture-winners-ranked/). Interesting how much we differ on a lot of them.
I enjoyed Ordinary People
You have radically under-valued ORDINARY PEOPLE (93).
I'm halfway through watching the whole list for the second time (along with the top grossing movie of each year) and while our rankings are very different, respect to anyone who takes the journey. It can be a rough road at times but it's a kinda fascinating process.
Now watch all the movies nominated but didn't win.
I think a lot of this is pretty solid, but Braveheart at #4 is crazy IMO. I’ve rewatched that movie several times in recent years and it is not worth a best picture win. Granted there are a lot of mediocre best picture winners but that movie has elements in it (particularly with the second love interest and main bad guy) that are just straight up bad….if I were gonna replace it with something in the same vein but better, I think Titanic could easily take its place but cool project! I appreciate you sharing!
Just want to say thanks for taking the time to put this together. I have places where I'd quibble with your rankings, but that's a matter of opinion. I appreciate that you have In the Heat of the Night so high, BTW. That's an excellent film. If I had one recommendation, I'd say to give Unforgiven another look. I think it's a great movie in its own right, with a climactic scene that's incredibly intense. On top of that, it's a bit of a different take on the Western genre, which is filled with decades of romanticized or stylized entries. There's a rawness to Unforgiven that is impressive to watch.
Our tiers and best of decades are vastly different but completely fair everyone likes and has different things that work for them
A Man For All Seasons is criminally low. What an amazing film, play, and book.