100 Essential Columbia Pictures Films

Critics Consensus: A bigger, bolder Spider-Man sequel, No Way Home expands the franchise's scope and stakes without losing sight of its humor and heart.

Synopsis: For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero's identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon

Directed By: Jon Watts

Critics Consensus: With a stellar cast and a smart, sensitive retelling of its classic source material, Greta Gerwig's Little Women proves some stories truly are timeless.

Synopsis: In the years after the Civil War, Jo March lives in New York and makes her living as a writer, while her sister Amy studies... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen

Directed By: Greta Gerwig

Critics Consensus: Thrillingly unrestrained yet solidly crafted, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood tempers Tarantino's provocative impulses with the clarity of a mature filmmaker's vision.

Synopsis: Actor Rick Dalton gained fame and fortune by starring in a 1950s television Western, but is now struggling to find meaningful work in a Hollywood... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Kurt Russell

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Critics Consensus: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse matches bold storytelling with striking animation for a purely enjoyable adventure with heart, humor, and plenty of superhero action.

Synopsis: Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali

Directed By: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Critics Consensus: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle uses a charming cast and a humorous twist to offer an undemanding yet solidly entertaining update on its source material.

Synopsis: Four high school kids discover an old video game console and are drawn into the game's jungle setting, literally becoming the adult avatars they chose.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan

Directed By: Jake Kasdan

Critics Consensus: A smart, affectionate satire of '80s nostalgia and teen movie tropes, 21 Jump Street offers rowdy mainstream comedy with a surprisingly satisfying bite.

Synopsis: When cops Schmidt and Jenko join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover as high-school students. They trade in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco

Directed By: Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Critics Consensus: Impeccably scripted, beautifully directed, and filled with fine performances, The Social Network is a riveting, ambitious example of modern filmmaking at its finest.

Synopsis: In 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) begins work on a new concept that eventually turns into the global social network... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer

Directed By: David Fincher

Critics Consensus: Quirky humor, plucky characters and solid slapstick make this family comedy a frenetically tasty time at the movies.

Synopsis: When hard times hit Swallow Falls, its townspeople can only afford to eat sardines. Flint Lockwood, a failed inventor, thinks he has the answer to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg

Directed By: Christopher Miller, Phil Lord

Critics Consensus: Wickedly funny and featuring plenty of gore, Zombieland is proof that the zombie subgenre is far from dead.

Synopsis: Nerdy college student Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) has survived the plague that has turned mankind into flesh-devouring zombies because he's scared of just about everything. Gun-toting,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

Directed By: Ruben Fleischer

Critics Consensus: Though it begins with promise, Hancock suffers from a flimsy narrative and poor execution.

Synopsis: A scruffy superhero named Hancock (Will Smith) protects the citizens of Los Angeles but leaves horrendous collateral damage in the wake of every well-intentioned feat.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Eddie Marsan

Directed By: Peter Berg

Critics Consensus: Step Brothers indulges in a cheerfully relentless immaturity that will quickly turn off viewers unamused by Ferrell and Reilly -- and delight those who find their antics hilarious.

Synopsis: Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) have one thing in common: they are both lazy, unemployed leeches who still live with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen

Directed By: Adam McKay

Critics Consensus: Deftly balancing vulgarity and sincerity while placing its protagonists in excessive situations, Superbad is an authentic take on friendship and the overarching awkwardness of the high school experience.

Synopsis: High school seniors Seth and Evan have high hopes for a graduation party. The co-dependent teens plan to score booze and babes so they can... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader

Directed By: Greg Mottola

Critics Consensus: What makes Dan Brown's novel a best seller is evidently not present in this dull and bloated movie adaptation of The Da Vinci Code.

Synopsis: A murder in Paris' Louvre Museum and cryptic clues in some of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous paintings lead to the discovery of a religious... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina

Directed By: Ron Howard

Critics Consensus: Though it occasionally stalls, Talladega Nights' mix of satire, clever gags, and excellent ensemble performances put it squarely in the winner's circle.

Synopsis: NASCAR superstar Ricky Bobby is at the top of his game; adored by fans, a trophy wife by his side, and incredible wealth. But Ricky... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole

Directed By: Adam McKay

Critics Consensus: A charming father-and-son tale filled with typical Tim Burton flourishes, Big Fish is an impressive catch.

Synopsis: When Edward Bloom (Albert Finney) becomes ill, his son, William (Billy Crudup), travels to be with him. William has a strained relationship with Edward because... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange

Directed By: Tim Burton

Critics Consensus: Dizzyingly original, the loopy, multi-layered Adaptation is both funny and thought-provoking.

Synopsis: Nicolas Cage is Charlie Kaufman, a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton

Directed By: Spike Jonze

Critics Consensus: Odd, touching, and unique, Punch-Drunk Love is also delightfully funny, utilizing Adam Sandler's comic persona to explore the life of a lonely guy who finds love.

Synopsis: Although susceptible to violent outbursts, bathroom supply business owner Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a timid and shy man by disposition, leading a lonely, uneventful... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzmán

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Critics Consensus: Not only does Spider-Man provide a good dose of web-swinging fun, it also has a heart, thanks to the combined charms of director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire.

Synopsis: "Spider-Man" centers on student Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who, after being bitten by a genetically-altered spider, gains superhuman strength and the spider-like ability to cling... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco

Directed By: Sam Raimi

Critics Consensus: Though perhaps no film could fully do justice to the fascinating life and personality of Muhammad Ali, Mann's direction and Smith's performance combine to pack a solid punch.

Synopsis: With wit and athletic genius, with defiant rage and inner grace, Muhammad Ali forever changed the American landscape. Fighting all comers, Ali took on the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles

Directed By: Michael Mann

Critics Consensus: Though it's light on character development and cultural empathy, Black Hawk Down is a visceral, pulse-pounding portrait of war, elevated by Ridley Scott's superb technical skill.

Synopsis: In 1993, the U.S. sends special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. Using Black... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Critics Consensus: Adam Sandler acquits himself admirably, but his charm isn't enough to make up for Big Daddy's jarring shifts between crude humor and mawkish sentimentality.

Synopsis: Thirty-two-year-old Sonny Koufax (Adam Sandler) has spent his whole life avoiding responsibility. But when his girlfriend dumps him for an older man, he's got to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adam Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, Jon Stewart, Dylan Sprouse

Directed By: Dennis Dugan

Critics Consensus: Visually inventive and gleefully over the top, Luc Besson's The Fifth Element is a fantastic piece of pop sci-fi that never takes itself too seriously.

Synopsis: The Earth is about to be destroyed by a huge ball of fire racing toward the planet. Cornelius, an old monk, knows how to stop... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich

Directed By: Luc Besson

Critics Consensus: Intelligent and scientifically provocative, Gattaca is an absorbing sci fi drama that poses important interesting ethical questions about the nature of science.

Synopsis: Vincent Freeman has always fantasized about traveling into outer space, but is grounded by his status as a genetically inferior in-valid. He decides to fight... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal

Directed By: Andrew Niccol

Critics Consensus: Thanks to a smart script, spectacular set pieces, and charismatic performances from its leads, Men in Black is an entirely satisfying summer blockbuster hit.

Synopsis: Working for a highly funded yet unofficial government agency, Kay and Jay are the Men in Black, providers of immigration services and regulators of all... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio

Directed By: Barry Sonnenfeld

Critics Consensus: Bottle Rocket is Reservoir Dogs meets Breathless with a West Texas sensibility.

Synopsis: In Wes Anderson's first feature film, Anthony has just been released from a mental hospital, only to find his wacky friend Dignan determined to begin... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Robert Musgrave, Andrew Wilson

Directed By: Wes Anderson

Critics Consensus: The People Vs. Larry Flynt pays entertaining tribute to an irascible iconoclast with a well-constructed biopic that openly acknowledges his troublesome flaws.

Synopsis: Pursued by opponents who say his "Hustler" magazine breaks decency laws, pornographer Larry Flynt (Woody Harrelson) hires lawyer Alan Isaacman (Edward Norton) to help fight... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Edward Norton, James Cromwell

Directed By: Milos Forman

Critics Consensus: Bad Boys stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have enjoyable chemistry; unfortunately, director Michael Bay too often drowns it out with set pieces and explosions in place of an actual story.

Synopsis: Miami-Dade detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) blow a fuse when $100 million worth of heroin they recently confiscated is heisted... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, Téa Leoni, Tchéky Karyo

Directed By: Michael Bay

Critics Consensus: Desperado contains almost too much action and too little story to sustain interest, but Antonio Banderas proves a charismatic lead in Robert Rodriguez's inventive extravaganza.

Synopsis: Mariachi (Antonio Banderas) plunges headfirst into the dark border underworld when he follows a trail of blood to the last of the infamous Mexican drug... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin

Directed By: Robert Rodriguez

Critics Consensus: Sense and Sensibility is an uncommonly deft, very funny Jane Austen adaptation, marked by Emma Thompson's finely tuned performance.

Synopsis: When Elinor Dashwood's (Emma Thompson) father dies, her family's finances are crippled. After the Dashwoods move to a cottage in Devonshire, Elinor's sister Marianne (Kate... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant

Directed By: Ang Lee

Critics Consensus: Equal measures romantic and wistful, Martin Scorsese's elegant adaptation of The Age of Innocence is a triumphant exercise in both stylistic and thematic restraint.

Synopsis: Wealthy lawyer Newland Archer (Daniel Day-Lewis) is engaged to sweet socialite May Welland (Winona Ryder) in the 1870s New York. On the surface, it is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Richard E. Grant

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Critics Consensus: Smart, sweet, and inventive, Groundhog Day highlights Murray's dramatic gifts while still leaving plenty of room for laughs.

Synopsis: Phil (Bill Murray), a weatherman, is out to cover the annual emergence of the groundhog from its hole. He gets caught in a blizzard that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky

Directed By: Harold Ramis

Critics Consensus: Smart, elegant, and blessed with impeccable performances from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson, The Remains of the Day is a Merchant-Ivory classic.

Synopsis: During the 1930s, James Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) serves as a proper English butler to the doltish Lord Darlington (James Fox). Stevens is so dedicated that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Christopher Reeve

Directed By: James Ivory

Critics Consensus: Overblown in the best sense of the word, Francis Ford Coppola's vision of Bram Stoker's Dracula rescues the character from decades of campy interpretations -- and features some terrific performances to boot.

Synopsis: Adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel. Gary Oldman plays Dracula whose lonely soul is determined to reunite with his lost love, Mina. In Britain,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves

Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola

Critics Consensus: An old-fashioned courtroom drama with a contemporary edge, A Few Good Men succeeds on the strength of its stars, with Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and especially Jack Nicholson delivering powerful performances that more than compensate for the predictable plot.

Synopsis: Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) is a military lawyer defending two U.S. Marines charged with killing a fellow Marine at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon

Directed By: Rob Reiner

Critics Consensus: Sentimental and light, but still thoroughly charming, A League of Their Own is buoyed by solid performances from a wonderful cast.

Synopsis: As America's stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty

Directed By: Penny Marshall

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and thematically rich, Boyz N the Hood observes Black America with far more depth and compassion than many of the like-minded films its success inspired.

Synopsis: Tre is sent to live with his father, Furious Styles, in tough South Central Los Angeles. Although his hard-nosed father instills proper values and respect... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Nia Long

Directed By: John Singleton

Critics Consensus: My Girl has a mostly sweet story and a pair of appealing young leads, but it's largely undone by its aggressively tearjerking ending.

Synopsis: Tomboy Vada Sultenfuss (Anna Chlumsky) has good reason to be morbid: her mother died giving birth to her, and her father (Dan Aykroyd) operates a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anna Chlumsky, Macaulay Culkin, Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis

Directed By: Howard Zieff

Critics Consensus: Although the central romance arguably suffocates the heart of the drama, a moving performance by Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand's deft direction give The Prince of Tides a soulful edge.

Synopsis: A New York psychiatrist treating an emotionally scarred woman finds it helpful to discuss her South Carolina family's troubled history with the woman's twin brother.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nick Nolte, Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Kate Nelligan

Directed By: Barbra Streisand

Critics Consensus: Elevated by some of Robin Williams' finest non-comedic work and a strong performance from Robert De Niro, Awakenings skirts the edges of melodrama, then soars above it.

Synopsis: The story of a doctor's extraordinary work in the Sixties with a group of catatonic patients he finds languishing in a Bronx hospital. Speculating that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner, Ruth Nelson

Directed By: Penny Marshall

Critics Consensus: Uniting a pair of powerhouse talents with a smart, sharply written script, Postcards from the Edge makes compelling drama out of reality-inspired trauma.

Synopsis: Hollywood actress Suzanne Vale is on a slippery slope as a recovering addict. On exit from rehab, it is recommended she stay with her mother,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman

Directed By: Mike Nichols

Critics Consensus: Bursting with Terry Gilliam's typically imaginative flourishes, this story of a possibly deranged Baron recounting his storied life is a flamboyant and witty visual treat.

Synopsis: During the "Age of Reason" of the late 18th century, the Turkish army lays siege to a European city where a theater production about the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Neville, Eric Idle, Sarah Polley, Oliver Reed

Directed By: Terry Gilliam

Critics Consensus: School Daze is undeniably messy, but thought-provoking themes, strong performances, and Spike Lee's ingratiating energy help tie it all together.

Synopsis: At historically black Mission College, the activist-minded Dap (Larry Fishburne) immerses himself in a world of political rhetoric and social movements -- one day he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Joe Seneca

Directed By: Spike Lee

Critics Consensus: Elevated by a perceptive performance by a perfectly cast Lou Diamond Phillips, La Bamba distills its subject's creative energy -- and reflects his music's enduring appeal.

Synopsis: Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called Donna that he wrote for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña

Directed By: Luis Valdez

Critics Consensus: Fright Night deftly combines thrills and humor in this ghostly tale about a man living next to a vampire.

Synopsis: Teenage Charley Brewster is a horror-film junkie, so it's no surprise that when a reclusive new neighbor moves next-door, Brewster becomes convinced he's a vampire.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse

Directed By: Tom Holland

Critics Consensus: Boasting rich detail and well-told story, Silverado is a rare example of an '80s Hollywood Western done right.

Synopsis: Rambling man Emmett (Scott Glenn) assembles a group of misfit cowboys (Kevin Costner), (Kevin Kline, Danny Glover). After helping a group of settlers track down... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Rosanna Arquette

Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan

Critics Consensus: St. Elmo's Fire is almost peak Brat Pack: it's got the cast, the fashion, and the music, but the characters are too frequently unlikable.

Synopsis: A group of recent college graduates embark on a series of misadventures in the real world. There's Kirby, a waiter who wants to be a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Judd Nelson

Directed By: Joel Schumacher

Critics Consensus: Exemplifying Brian De Palma's filmmaking bravura and polarizing taste, Body Double is a salacious love letter to moviemaking.

Synopsis: After losing an acting role and his girlfriend, Jake Scully (Craig Wasson) finally catches a break: he gets offered a gig house-sitting in the Hollywood... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Craig Wasson, Melanie Griffith, Gregg Henry, Deborah Shelton

Directed By: Brian De Palma

Critics Consensus: An infectiously fun blend of special effects and comedy, with Bill Murray's hilarious deadpan performance leading a cast of great comic turns.

Synopsis: After the members of a team of scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) lose their cushy positions at a university in New York City,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver

Directed By: Ivan Reitman

Critics Consensus: Utterly predictable and wholly of its time, but warm, sincere, and difficult to resist, due in large part to Pat Morita and Ralph Macchio's relaxed chemistry.

Synopsis: Daniel (Ralph Macchio) moves to Southern California with his mother, Lucille (Randee Heller), but quickly finds himself the target of a group of bullies who... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Randee Heller

Directed By: John G. Avildsen

Critics Consensus: A Passage to India is a visually striking exploration of colonialism and prejudice, although it doesn't achieve the thematic breadth of director David Lean's finest work.

Synopsis: Based on the renowned E.M. Forster novel, this expansive period drama centers on the changing dynamic between British colonials and native locals in India during... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Judy Davis, Peggy Ashcroft, Victor Banerjee, James Fox

Directed By: David Lean

Critics Consensus: Starman initially begins as an offbeat sci-fi adventure, but transforms into a surprisingly sweet drama, courtesy of Jeff Bridges' disarming performance and John Carpenter's careful direction.

Synopsis: Answering a NASA message intended for aliens, a space being tries to contact mankind, but an American missile grounds his ship. Scrambling, the so-called Starman... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: The Big Chill captures a generation's growing ennui with a terrific cast, a handful of perceptive insights, and one of the decade's best film soundtracks.

Synopsis: This compassionate "comedy of values" probes the growing pains of seven college housemates from the 1960s who have drifted apart and then reunite at the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Hurt, Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, Tom Berenger

Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan

Critics Consensus: John Carpenter revs up Christine into a brisk thrill ride whose sharp direction, lively performances, and stylish flourishes make its absurd premise easy to forgive.

Synopsis: Unpopular nerd Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) buys a 1958 Plymouth Fury, which he names Christine. Arnie develops an unhealthy obsession with the car, to the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: Director Richard Attenborough is typically sympathetic and sure-handed, but it's Ben Kingsley's magnetic performance that acts as the linchpin for this sprawling, lengthy biopic.

Synopsis: This acclaimed biographical drama presents major events in the life of Mohandas Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), the beloved Indian leader who stood against British rule over... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Kingsley, Rohini Hattangadi, Roshan Seth, Candice Bergen

Directed By: Richard Attenborough

Critics Consensus: Tootsie doesn't squander its high-concept comedy premise with fine dialogue and sympathetic treatment of the characters.

Synopsis: New York actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is a talented perfectionist who is so hard on himself and others that his agent (Sydney Pollack) can... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman

Directed By: Sydney Pollack

Critics Consensus: A raucous military comedy that features Bill Murray and his merry cohorts approaching the peak of their talents.

Synopsis: Hard-luck cabbie John Winger (Bill Murray) -- directionless after being fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend -- enlists in the U.S. Army... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P.J. Soles

Directed By: Ivan Reitman

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: With a jailbreak offering them their only way out, a despondent duo rack their brains to figure out a foolproof plan. Fortuitously, one of them... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Georg Stanford Brown, JoBeth Williams

Directed By: Sidney Poitier

Critics Consensus: With gripping themes and a stellar cast, The China Syndrome is the rare thriller that's as thought-provoking as it is tense.

Synopsis: A news reporter (Jane Fonda) and her cameraman (Michael Douglas) are unintentional witnesses to a SCRAM incident, an emergency core shutdown procedure at a nuclear... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, Scott Brady

Directed By: James Bridges

Critics Consensus: The divorce subject isn't as shocking, but the film is still a thoughtful, well-acted drama that resists the urge to take sides or give easy answers.

Synopsis: On the same day Manhattan advertising executive Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) lands the biggest account of his career, he learns that his wife, Joanna (Meryl... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander

Directed By: Robert Benton

Critics Consensus: Raw and unrelenting, Midnight Express is riveting in its realistic depiction of incarceration -- mining pathos from the simple act of enduring hardship.

Synopsis: Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is a young American caught by Turkish police while attempting to smuggle hash out of Istanbul. He's tried and sent to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brad Davis, Randy Quaid, John Hurt, Bo Hopkins

Directed By: Alan Parker

Critics Consensus: Close Encounters of the Third Kind is deeply humane sci-fi exploring male obsession, cosmic mysticism, and music.

Synopsis: Science fiction adventure about a group of people who attempt to contact alien intelligence. Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) witnesses an unidentified flying object, and even... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A must-see film for movie lovers, this Martin Scorsese masterpiece is as hard-hitting as it is compelling, with Robert De Niro at his best.

Synopsis: Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Critics Consensus: Very profane, very funny, very '70s: Director Hal Ashby lets Jack Nicholson and the cast run loose, creating a unique dramedy that's far out to sea.

Synopsis: When sailor Larry Meadows (Randy Quaid) is sentenced to eight years in a New Hampshire prison, Navy lifers Billy Buddusky (Jack Nicholson) and Mule Mulhall... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Otis Young, Randy Quaid, Clifton James

Directed By: Hal Ashby

Critics Consensus: The Way We Were is not politically confrontational enough for its story of ideological opposites falling in love to feel authentic, but Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford's beaming star power gives this melodrama romantic lift.

Synopsis: Opposites attract when, during their college days, Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand), a politically active Jew, meets Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford), a feckless WASP. Years later,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Bradford Dillman, Murray Hamilton

Directed By: Sydney Pollack

Critics Consensus: Making excellent use of its period and setting, Peter Bogdanovich's small town coming-of-age story is a sad but moving classic filled with impressive performances.

Synopsis: High school seniors and best friends, Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (Jeff Bridges), live in a dying Texas town. The handsome Duane is dating local... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson

Directed By: Peter Bogdanovich

Critics Consensus: An important touchstone of the New Hollywood era, Five Easy Pieces is a haunting portrait of alienation that features one of Jack Nicholson's greatest performances.

Synopsis: Rejecting his cultured upper-class background as a classical pianist, Robert Dupea (Jack Nicholson) opts for a blue-collar existence, working in a California oil field and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Billy Green Bush

Directed By: Bob Rafelson

Critics Consensus: Edgy and seminal, Easy Rider encapsulates the dreams, hopes, and hopelessness of 1960s counterculture.

Synopsis: Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper), two Harley-riding hippies, complete a drug deal in Southern California and decide to travel cross-country in search of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Antonio Mendoza

Directed By: Dennis Hopper

Critics Consensus: Barbara Streisand elevates this otherwise rote melodramatic musical with her ultra-memorable star turn as Fanny Brice.

Synopsis: In this bittersweet, classic musical drama, the vibrant and beautiful young Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) starts out as a bit player on the New York... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Walter Pidgeon, Kay Medford

Directed By: William Wyler

Critics Consensus: Oliver! transforms Charles Dickens' muckraking novel into a jaunty musical Victorian fairytale, buoyed by Ron Moody's charming star turn and Onna White's rapturous choreography.

Synopsis: In this award-winning adaptation of the Broadway musical based on the Charles Dickens novel, 9-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) falls in with a group... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ron Moody, Oliver Reed, Mark Lester, Shani Wallis

Directed By: Carol Reed

Critics Consensus: In Cold Blood is a classic docudrama with a fictional thriller's grip -- and a pair of terrific lead performances from Robert Blake and Scott Wilson.

Synopsis: In this adaptation of Truman Capote's seminal true-crime novel, ex-convicts Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Richard Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson) hatch a plan to rob... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Blake, Scott Wilson, John Forsythe, Paul Stewart

Directed By: Richard Brooks

Critics Consensus: More well-intentioned than insightful in its approach to interracial marriage, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner succeeds thanks to the fizzy chemistry of its star-studded ensemble.

Synopsis: When Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton), a free-thinking white woman, and black doctor John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) become engaged, they travel to San Francisco to meet... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Houghton

Directed By: Stanley Kramer

Critics Consensus: Solid cinematography and enjoyable performances from Paul Scofield and Robert Shaw add a spark to this deliberately paced adaptation of the Robert Bolt play.

Synopsis: When the highly respected British statesman Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) refuses to pressure the Pope into annulling the marriage of King Henry VIII (Robert... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, Orson Welles, Wendy Hiller

Directed By: Fred Zinnemann

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Four soldiers of fortune are hired by a wealthy rancher to rescue his beautiful young wife who has been kidnapped by a villainous Mexican bandit.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale, Robert Ryan

Directed By: Richard Brooks

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When hired gun Tim Strawn (Lee Marvin) kills her rancher father, Cat Ballou (Jane Fonda) becomes an outlaw set on vengeance. Enlisting the help of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman

Directed By: Elliot Silverstein

Critics Consensus: Major Dundee is a Western-type with big war scenes, shot with bombast typical of Sam Peckinpah.

Synopsis: During the end of the Civil War, Major Dundee guards Confederate prisoners, Union deserters and ordinary hard-bitten criminals in a remote fort. When Apaches attack... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, James Coburn

Directed By: Sam Peckinpah

Critics Consensus: Stanley Kubrick's brilliant Cold War satire remains as funny and razor-sharp today as it was in 1964.

Synopsis: A film about what could happen if the wrong person pushed the wrong button -- and it played the situation for laughs. U.S. Air Force... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Keenan Wynn, Slim Pickens

Directed By: Stanley Kubrick

Critics Consensus: A poppy satire on pop music, Bye Bye Birdie is silly, light, and very, very pink.

Synopsis: When the draft selects rock star Conrad Birdie, his fans are devastated, but none more than struggling songwriter Albert Peterson (Dick Van Dyke), whose song... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, Ann-Margret, Maureen Stapleton

Directed By: George Sidney

Critics Consensus: Don Chaffey's Jason and the Argonauts is an outlandish, transportive piece of nostalgia whose real star is the masterful stop-motion animation work of Ray Harryhausen.

Synopsis: After saving the life of his royal father's usurper, Pelias (Douglas Wilmer), whom he fails to recognize, Jason (Todd Armstrong) is encouraged by the conniving... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Todd Armstrong, Nancy Kovack, Gary Raymond, Honor Blackman

Directed By: Don Chaffey

Critics Consensus: The epic of all epics, Lawrence of Arabia cements director David Lean's status in the filmmaking pantheon with nearly four hours of grand scope, brilliant performances, and beautiful cinematography.

Synopsis: Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness)... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif

Directed By: David Lean

Critics Consensus: Bolstered by a cast of memorable stars and an impressive sense of scale, The Guns of the Navarone fires with vivid characterization and entertaining spectacle.

Synopsis: In 1943, a small commando team is sent to destroy huge German guns on the Greek Island of Navarone in order to rescue Allied troops... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker

Directed By: J. Lee Thompson

Critics Consensus: Led by a masterful performance from Sidney Poitier, A Raisin in the Sun expertly blends social commentary with pure entertainment.

Synopsis: This lauded drama follows the Youngers, an African-American family living together in an apartment in Chicago. Following the death of their patriarch, they try to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands

Directed By: Daniel Petrie

Critics Consensus: One of cinema's greatest courtroom dramas, Anatomy of a Murder is tense, thought-provoking, and brilliantly acted, with great performances from James Stewart and George C. Scott.

Synopsis: Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) takes the case of Army Lt. Manion (Ben Gazzara), who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife (Lee... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell

Directed By: Otto Preminger

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Diminutive teenager Francie Lawrence (Sandra Dee) has a bunch of boy-crazy friends, but she couldn't care less about boys. That is, until she goes to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sandra Dee, James Darren, Cliff Robertson, Arthur O'Connell

Directed By: Paul Wendkos

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Bounty hunter Ben Brigade (Randolph Scott) is on his way to California with his prisoner, Billy John (James Best), who is unaware that Brigade is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Randolph Scott, Karen Steele, Pernell Roberts, James Best

Directed By: Budd Boetticher

Critics Consensus: This complex war epic asks hard questions, resists easy answers, and boasts career-defining work from star Alec Guinness and director David Lean.

Synopsis: Adaptation of the Pierre Boulle novel about POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Hawkins

Directed By: David Lean

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Charming Hal Carter (William Holden) turned to wandering after a failed acting career left him loose in the wind. Interested in reuniting with an old... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Holden, Kim Novak, Rosalind Russell, Betty Field

Directed By: Joshua Logan

Critics Consensus: Humphrey Bogart is superb as a domineering captain with brittle composure in The Caine Mutiny, an inquisitive courtroom drama teeming with memorable performances.

Synopsis: During World War II, a dilapidated vessel, the Caine, gets a new ensign, Willis Keith (Robert Francis), and a new captain, Commander Queeg (Humphrey Bogart).... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, José Ferrer, Van Johnson, Robert Francis

Directed By: Edward Dmytryk

Critics Consensus: With his electrifying performance in Elia Kazan's thought-provoking, expertly constructed melodrama, Marlon Brando redefined the possibilities of acting for film and helped permanently alter the cinematic landscape.

Synopsis: Dockworker Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) had been an up-and-coming boxer until powerful local mob boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) persuaded him to throw a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb

Directed By: Elia Kazan

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Johnny (Marlon Brando) and his motorcycle gang roll into Carbonville for a biker competition and raise enough hell to get kicked out of town. They... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marlon Brando, Mary Murphy, Robert Keith, Lee Marvin

Directed By: Laslo Benedek

Critics Consensus: Presented with stark power by director Fritz Lang, The Big Heat is a delightfully grim noir that peers into the heart of darkness without blinking.

Synopsis: A police officer seems to have committed suicide, but Detective Dave Bannion thinks there's more to the story. After talking to the man's mob-connected mistress,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Alexander Scourby

Directed By: Fritz Lang

Critics Consensus: It has perhaps aged poorly, but this languidly paced WWII romance remains an iconic, well-acted film, featuring particularly strong performances from Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift.

Synopsis: At an Army barracks in Hawaii in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor, lone-wolf soldier and boxing champion Prew Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) refuses... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra

Directed By: Fred Zinnemann

Critics Consensus: Marrying screwball romance with political satire, Born Yesterday is a substantive romp with a ferociously smart performance by Judy Holliday as an uncouth bombshell.

Synopsis: Brassy blonde moll Billie Dawn (Judy Holliday) hits Washington, D.C., with her unscrupulous millionaire sugar daddy, Harry Brock (Broderick Crawford), and his sleazy lawyer, Jim... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Judy Holliday, William Holden, Broderick Crawford, Howard St. John

Directed By: George Cukor

Critics Consensus: Broderick Crawford is spellbinding as politician Willie Stark in director Robert Rossen's adaptation of the Robert Penn Warren novel about the corrosive effects of power on the human soul.

Synopsis: Drama about the rise and fall of a corrupt southern governor who promises his way to power. Broderick Crawford portrays Willie Stark, who, once he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Broderick Crawford, Joanne Dru, Mercedes McCambridge, John Ireland

Directed By: Robert Rossen

Critics Consensus: Energetic and inventive, The Lady from Shanghai overcomes its script deficiencies with some of Orson Welles' brilliantly conceived set pieces.

Synopsis: A seaman becomes involved in a complex murder plot when he is hired to work on a yacht. He soon finds himself implicated in the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders

Directed By: Orson Welles

Critics Consensus: Rita Hayworth carries Gilda on the sheer strength of her screen presence, rendering the film's somewhat middling story almost irrelevant.

Synopsis: Johnny Farrell (Glenn Ford) is a small-time American gambler, newly arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When he is caught cheating at a game of blackjack,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, George Macready, Joseph Calleia

Directed By: Charles Vidor

Critics Consensus: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington -- and returns with an uplifting ode to idealism that distills the strengths of its director and leading man.

Synopsis: When the idealistic young Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) winds up appointed to the United States Senate, he gains the mentorship of Senator Joseph Paine (Claude... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold

Directed By: Frank Capra

Critics Consensus: It's predictably uplifting fare from Frank Capra, perhaps the most consciously uplifting of all great American directors -- but thanks to immensely appealing performances and a nimble script, You Can't Take It With You is hard not to love.

Synopsis: Sweet-natured Alice Sycamore (Jean Arthur) falls for banker's son Tony Kirby (James Stewart). But when she invites her snooty prospective in-laws to dinner to give... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart, Edward Arnold

Directed By: Frank Capra

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Based on a novel by James Hilton, this fantastical drama follows a group of plane-crash survivors who have landed in the mythical Shangri-La, a valley... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ronald Colman, Jane Wyatt, Sam Jaffe, John Howard

Directed By: Frank Capra

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Longfellow Deeds (Gary Cooper), a resident of small-town Vermont, leads a simple life until he inherits a vast fortune from a late uncle. Soon, unscrupulous... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, George Bancroft, Lionel Stander

Directed By: Frank Capra

Critics Consensus: Capturing its stars and director at their finest, It Happened One Night remains unsurpassed by the countless romantic comedies it has inspired.

Synopsis: In Frank Capra's acclaimed romantic comedy, spoiled heiress Ellie Andrews impetuously marries the scheming King Westley, leading her tycoon father to spirit her away on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns

Directed By: Frank Capra