The 100 best movies of all time (updated January 2026)
Great movies were made to be debated. All right, maybe thatâs not their primary function, but all art deserves to be argued over. If youâre passionate about something, youâre going to feel compelled to fiercely defend your favourites and shout down whatever you think is undeserving. Inflaming public discussion is one of the reasons weâve put together this list of the greatest films ever made. It gets you thinking, and, when reasoned and civil enough, perhaps rethinking your own opinion. Â
It seems like a particularly good time to get the discussion going, too, given that movies are, slowly but surely, inching back toward the center of popular culture. Young people are going to cinemas again, particularly for repertory screenings, and making hits of original movies from fresh filmmakers like Ryan Coogler's Oscar-record-breaking Sinners. Letterboxd is growing in usage, and the Criterion closet is all over social media. New cinephiles are being made every day, and weâve always thought of this list mostly as an educational tool for burgeoning film buffs. It covers a lot of ground: over 100 years, multiple countries, and just about every genre imaginable. So letâs get talking â and most importantly, watching. Â
Jump to list: 100-91 |Â 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
How we chose our 100 best movies of all time
Admittedly, the process is not an exact science. Mostly, it involves a bunch of arguing, whittling and deal-making amongst Time Outâs mo