What makes a good movie? Jaw-dropping action? A story that leaves you in tears? Stitches from laughing? No matter what you’re into or might be into, there’s a movie for you. The aggregate rating site Rotten Tomatoes knows this, and it has a plethora of different ways to rank all kinds of different films.
There are comedies, war movies, romcoms, heist movies, experimental films and many, many others, but all forms of cinema have a purpose and hold their own meaning. Within that framework, some films rise to the top of their genres and become must-see movies.
Let’s look at what Rotten Tomatoes considers to be the top movies of all time in various genres. This should be fun!
Best Fantasy Movie: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
No surprises here. Few movies ever match the kind of cultural cache that The Wizard of Oz carries with it. This classic “fish out of water” story follows a girl named Dorothy who finds herself in a strange land after her house is transported from Kansas to Oz.
It sits at a healthy 98 percent on the Tomatometer with a consensus that calls it “every bit as resonant” today as it was the day it came out. Also, it has one of the most iconic transitions from black and white to color in all of cinema.
Best Sports Movie: Ford V Ferrari (2019)
Ford V Ferrari is one of the newer movies on the list, but that doesn’t take anything away from it at all. It’s star-studded, for one thing, featuring both Christian Bale and Matt Damon in marquee roles. It sits at a comfortable 92% and is chock full of both “polished auto action” and “gripping human drama.”
In a fun tip to a very different kind of car movie, Stephanie Zacharek from Time said that the movie is “fast but never furious.” Isn’t that what we’re all looking for in a racing movie?
Best Heist Movie: The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
There are so many good heist movies. We got Ocean’s Eleven, The Italian Job, Reservoir Dogs and The Town, just to name a few. However, few movies reach the heights of suspense and action reached by The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
The movie tells the story of four men with codenames that feature colors who hijack the NY train from the Pelham Bay Park station. It is a fast-moving, serious film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This one sits at 98% on the Tomatometer, which isn’t too shabby at all.
Best War Movie: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
An animated movie is the best war movie? Don’t worry, it’s a really, really good one. Grave of the Fireflies is a Studio Ghibli meditation on the horrors of war, and it’s told in a way that is hard to forget. It has a 100% rating on the site, which is nothing to sneeze at.
The reviews for this one are like angels singing. It’s described as “profoundly beautiful” and “haunting” in the same sentence, and it’s one of those movies that you won’t soon forget after you see it. It’s also heart-achingly sad, but definitely worth the journey.
Best Action Movie: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
When Mad Max: Fury Road came out in 2015, no one could have predicted that a “sequel” to a 1987 action film would become a genre-defining classic, but here we are. Technically, the movie is a reboot, but director George Miller likes to call it more of a “revisiting” than either of those other terms.
The movie has an impressive 97% rating, especially impressive considering it has more than 430 reviews. People love this movie! While the visuals are top-notch and impressive, what drives the engine is an impressive story with the right amount of stakes and drama.
Best Classic Movie: The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Not familiar with this classic? The Philadelphia Story features the biggest stars of its day in Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart – the equivalent of a Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and Timothee Chalamet movie today.
The movie tells the tale of socialite Tracy Lord, who’s about to marry a very newly rich man named George Kittredge. However, her ex-husband and a magazine writer throw a wrench in those plans, and hijinks ensue. it’s a “remarriage” story, a genre popular at the time where divorced couples meet new partners but eventually end up back together.
Best Best Picture Winner: Parasite (2019)
What can we say about Parasite? This dark tale about class and poverty dives down to the deepest depths of humanity, and what people are willing to do when they’re pushed beyond their limits. It’s the first South Korean film to win Best Picture at the Oscars, which at first blush seems odd but once you watch the film it transcends language, despite being dubbed from Korean.
It’s directed by Bong Joon Ho, and it arrived at a time in society when inequality between social classes is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, that seems to always be the case.
Best Western: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1967)
Who doesn’t love a good Western? There’s maybe no better Old West character than the one Clint Eastwood plays in The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. It’s the third film in Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy,” following A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More.
Many cowboy movie tropes were cemented by this film. Eastwood plays bounty hunter Blondie with equal parts cool indifference and weathered skillful murderous ability. And it has arguably the greatest movie score of all time from Ennio Morricone.
It’s tense, exciting and hefty all at once.
Best High School Movie: The Last Picture Show (1971)
There have been a lot of high school movies over the years, but The Last Picture Show is in a class of its own. From the ’80s onward, the genre veered mostly toward comedy and slapstick, but back in the ’70s it was not such a common sight. It’s more than a teen movie, however. It’s a movie about coming of age during a time of loss. About finding oneself despite the chaos around you.
Out of 115 reviews, the movie sits at a comfortable 98% on the site, buoyed by strong performances from Cybill Shepherd and Jeff Bridges.
Best Sci-Fi Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
What can be said about 2001: A Space Odyssey? It’s the template for which all sci-fi movies are judged since its release in 1968. 1968! Hard to believe it came out so long ago and it still gets brought up in conversation often due to its groundbreaking effects and themes.
It dove deep into questions about humanity, both how ingenious we can be and how that same energy can spell doom. And HAL! We can’t forget about HAL, the ultimate villain. Understandably, this one sits at 92% on the Tomatometer.
Best Summer Blockbuster: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
This decade-defining hit printed money back in the ’80s. It was made during the heyday of Steven Spielberg, who was getting rolling when it came to record-breaking blockbusters. E.T. became a cultural phenomenon and, even though there’s never been a sequel, has firmly lodged itself within pop culture where it continues to be referenced to this day.
it’s also just simply a good movie about friendship and family. A 99% rating on the Tomatometer is hard to argue with, regardless of the circumstances.