Best Actor Oscar-Winning Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer
See every movie that won the Academy Award for Best Actor in one place!
The trophy has been around since the very first Academy Award ceremony, starting with Emil Jannings winning for his 1927 double header of The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. Since then, actors who’ve won the Oscar multiple times include Daniel Day-Lewis (My Left Foot, There Will Be Blood, Lincoln), Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump), Jack Nicholson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, As Good As It Gets), Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs, The Father), Marlon Brando (On the Waterfront, The Godfather), Dustin Hoffman (Kramer vs Kramer, Rain Man), Gary Cooper (Sergeant York, High Noon), and Spencer Tracy (Captains Courageous, Boys Town).
There’s been one tie in the history of award, when The Champ‘s Wallace Beery and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde‘s Fredric March shared the stage in 1932. And only one movie Best Actor-winning movie is missing from this list due to lack of a Tomatometer score: 1930’s A Free Soul. Every other movie awarded across a century is featured here so read on and discover all the Best Actor Oscar-winning movies by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
100%
Critics Consensus: Offering a wonderfully witty script, spotless direction from George Cukor, and typically excellent lead performances, The Philadelphia Story is an unqualified classic.
Synopsis: This classic romantic comedy focuses on Tracy Lord (Katharine Hepburn), a Philadelphia socialite who has split from her husband, C.K. Dexter Haven (Cary Grant), due... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey
Directed By: George Cukor
99%
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
98%
Critics Consensus: Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller, The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia.
Synopsis: Anthony (Academy Award Winner, Anthony Hopkins) is 80, mischievous, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Anne (Academy Award and Golden Globe... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots
Directed By: Florian Zeller
98%
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
97%
Critics Consensus: An engrossing look at the triumphs and travails of war veterans, The Best Years of Our Lives is concerned specifically with the aftermath of World War II, but its messages speak to the overall American experience.
Synopsis: Fred, Al and Homer are three World War II veterans facing difficulties as they re-enter civilian life. Fred (Dana Andrews) is a war hero who,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright
Directed By: William Wyler
98%
Critics Consensus: No doubt most will come to My Left Foot for Daniel Day-Lewis' performance, but the movie's refusal to go downbeat will keep it in viewer minds afterwards.
Synopsis: No one expects much from Christy Brown (Daniel Day-Lewis), a boy with cerebral palsy born into a working-class Irish family. Though Christy is a spastic... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Ray McAnally, Brenda Fricker, Ruth McCabe
Directed By: Jim Sheridan
97%
Critics Consensus: One of Hollywood's greatest critical and commercial successes, The Godfather gets everything right; not only did the movie transcend expectations, it established new benchmarks for American cinema.
Synopsis: Widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time, this mob drama, based on Mario Puzo's novel of the same name, focuses on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S. Castellano
Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola
97%
Critics Consensus: Realistic, fast-paced and uncommonly smart, The French Connection is bolstered by stellar performances by Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider, not to mention William Friedkin's thrilling production.
Synopsis: New York Detective Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner (Roy Scheider) chase a French heroin smuggler.
Starring: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey, Roy Scheider, Tony Lo Bianco
Directed By: William Friedkin
97%
Critics Consensus: Director Billy Wilder's unflinchingly honest look at the effects of alcoholism may have had some of its impact blunted by time, but it remains a powerful and remarkably prescient film.
Synopsis: Writer Don Birnam (Ray Milland) is on the wagon. Sober for only a few days, Don is supposed to be spending the weekend with his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman, Howard Da Silva, Phillip Terry
Directed By: Billy Wilder
97%
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
96%
Critics Consensus: Manchester by the Sea delivers affecting drama populated by full-bodied characters, marking another strong step forward for writer-director Kenneth Lonergan.
Synopsis: After the death of his older brother Joe, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is shocked that Joe has made him sole guardian of his teenage nephew... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges
Directed By: Kenneth Lonergan
96%
Critics Consensus: Scriptwriter Paddy Chayefsky's solid dialogue is bolstered by strong performances from Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair in this appealingly low-key character study.
Synopsis: This acclaimed romantic drama follows the life of Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine), a stout bachelor butcher who lives with his mother (Esther Minciotti) in the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Joe Mantell, Esther Minciotti
Directed By: Delbert Mann
93%
Critics Consensus: Oppenheimer marks another engrossing achievement from Christopher Nolan that benefits from Murphy's tour-de-force performance and stunning visuals.
Synopsis: During World War II, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves Jr. appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer and a team... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
91%
Critics Consensus: Stalag 17 survives the jump from stage to screen with flying colors, thanks to Billy Wilder's typically sterling direction and a darkly funny script.
Synopsis: One night in 1944 in a German POW camp housing American airmen, two prisoners try to escape the compound and are quickly discovered and shot... View Full Synopsis
Starring: William Holden, Otto Preminger, Robert Strauss, Don Taylor
Directed By: Billy Wilder
90%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur (Paul Muni) is on a quest to cure the ailments of the 19th century. But he's thwarted at every... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Muni, Josephine Hutchinson, Anita Louise, Donald Woods
Directed By: William Dieterle
96%
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
96%
Critics Consensus: Perfectly cast, smartly written, and beautifully filmed, The African Queen remains thrilling, funny, and effortlessly absorbing even after more than half a century's worth of adventure movies borrowing liberally from its creative DNA.
Synopsis: After religious spinster's (Katharine Hepburn) missionary brother is killed in WWI Africa, dissolute steamer captain (Humphrey Bogart) offers her safe passage. She's not satisfied so... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Morley, Peter Bull
Directed By: John Huston
96%
Critics Consensus: A well-executed labor of love from star and director Laurence Olivier, Hamlet not only proved that Shakespeare could be successfully adapted to the big screen, it paved the way for further cinematic interpretations.
Synopsis: Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Sir Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" continues to be the most compelling version of Shakespeare's beloved... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Basil Sydney, Eileen Herlie
Directed By: Laurence Olivier
95%
Critics Consensus: A crowd-pleasing tribute to the magic of silent cinema, The Artist is a clever, joyous film with delightful performances and visual style to spare.
Synopsis: In the 1920s, actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a bona fide matinee idol with many adoring fans. While working on his latest film, George... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell
Directed By: Michel Hazanavicius
95%
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and dramatically moving, The Pianist is Polanski's best work in years.
Synopsis: In this adaptation of the autobiography "The Pianist: The Extraordinary True Story of One Man's Survival in Warsaw, 1939-1945," Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody), a Polish... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Frank Finlay, Maureen Lipman
Directed By: Roman Polanski
95%
Critics Consensus: Director Jonathan Demme's smart, taut thriller teeters on the edge between psychological study and all-out horror, and benefits greatly from stellar performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.
Synopsis: Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Directed By: Jonathan Demme
96%
Critics Consensus: Tense, funny, and thought-provoking all at once, and lifted by strong performances from Sydney Poitier and Rod Steiger, director Norman Jewison's look at murder and racism in small-town America continues to resonate today.
Synopsis: African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of tiny... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Quentin Dean
Directed By: Norman Jewison
94%
Critics Consensus: A classic of the Western genre that broke with many of the traditions at the time, High Noon endures -- in no small part thanks to Gary Cooper's defiant, Oscar-winning performance.
Synopsis: Former marshal Will Kane (Gary Cooper) is preparing to leave the small town of Hadleyville, New Mexico, with his new bride, Amy (Grace Kelly), when... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Katy Jurado, Thomas Mitchell
Directed By: Fred Zinnemann
94%
Critics Consensus: Colin Firth gives a masterful performance in The King's Speech, a predictable but stylishly produced and rousing period drama.
Synopsis: England's Prince Albert must ascend the throne as King George VI, but he has a speech impediment. Knowing that the country needs her husband to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce
Directed By: Tom Hooper
94%
Critics Consensus: George Cukor's elegant, colorful adaptation of the beloved stage play is elevated to new heights thanks to winning performances by Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
Synopsis: In this beloved musical, pompous phonetics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) is so sure of his abilities that he takes it upon himself to transform... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White
Directed By: George Cukor
92%
Critics Consensus: Arguably Martin Scorsese's and Robert De Niro's finest film, Raging Bull is often painful to watch, but it's a searing, powerful work about an unsympathetic hero.
Synopsis: The story of a middleweight boxer as he rises through ranks to earn his first shot at the middleweight crown. He falls in love with... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
92%
Critics Consensus: George C. Scott's sympathetic, unflinching portrayal of the titular general in this sprawling epic is as definitive as any performance in the history of American biopics.
Synopsis: Biography of controversial World War II hero General George S. Patton. The film covers his wartime activities and accomplishments, beginning with his entry into the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: George C. Scott, Karl Malden, David Bauer, Edward Binns
Directed By: Franklin J. Schaffner
93%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by Sean Penn's powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of America's first openly gay man elected to public office.
Synopsis: In 1972, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his then-lover Scott Smith leave New York for San Francisco, with Milk determined to accomplish something meaningful in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna
Directed By: Gus Van Sant
92%
Critics Consensus: Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher are worthy adversaries in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, with Miloš Forman's more grounded and morally ambiguous approach to Ken Kesey's surrealistic novel yielding a film of outsized power.
Synopsis: When Randle Patrick McMurphy gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be a less restrictive environment.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif, William Redfield
Directed By: Milos Forman
93%
Critics Consensus: To Kill a Mockingbird is a textbook example of a message movie done right -- sober-minded and earnest, but never letting its social conscience get in the way of gripping drama.
Synopsis: Scout Finch (Mary Badham), 6,and her older brother, Jem (Phillip Alford), live in sleepy Maycomb, Ala., spending much of their time with their friend Dill... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, John Megna
Directed By: Robert Mulligan
92%
Critics Consensus: Dallas Buyers Club rests squarely on Matthew McConaughey's scrawny shoulders, and he carries the burden gracefully with what might be a career-best performance.
Synopsis: In mid-1980s Texas, electrician Ron Woodroof is stunned to learn that he has AIDS. Though told that he has just 30 days left to live,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Denis O'Hare
Directed By: Jean-Marc Vallée
92%
Critics Consensus: Featuring exceptional performances and a cunning script, Reversal of Fortune doubles as a tantalizing mystery and ruthless satire of the rich.
Synopsis: When socialite Sunny von Bülow (Glenn Close) inexplicably slips into an irreversible coma, police suspect foul play -- and the obvious suspect is her urbane... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons, Ron Silver, Annabella Sciorra
Directed By: Barbet Schroeder
91%
Critics Consensus: Widely touted as a masterpiece, this sparse and sprawling epic about the underhanded "heroes" of capitalism boasts incredible performances by leads Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano, and is director Paul Thomas Anderson's best work to date.
Synopsis: Silver miner Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) leads a hardscrabble life with his son, H.W. (Dillon Freasier). When he hears about oil oozing from the ground... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciarán Hinds
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
91%
Critics Consensus: Driven by populist fury and elevated by strong direction, powerful acting, and an intelligent script, Network's searing satire of ratings-driven news remains sadly relevant more than four decades later.
Synopsis: In this lauded satire, veteran news anchorman Howard Beale (Peter Finch) discovers that he's being put out to pasture, and he's none too happy about... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, William Holden, Robert Duvall
Directed By: Sidney Lumet
90%
Critics Consensus: Oscar-awarded Nicolas Cage finds humanity in his character as it bleeds away in this no frills, exhilaratingly dark portrait of destruction.
Synopsis: Adapted from the novel by John O'Brien, this acclaimed drama follows alcoholic screenwriter Ben Sanderson (Nicolas Cage) as he drinks himself into oblivion in Las... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Elisabeth Shue, Julian Sands, Richard Lewis
Directed By: Mike Figgis
91%
Critics Consensus: Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn are a wondrous duo in On Golden Pond, a wistful drama that movingly explores the twilight years of a loving marriage.
Synopsis: Cantankerous retiree Norman Thayer (Henry Fonda) and his conciliatory wife, Ethel (Katharine Hepburn), spend summers at their New England vacation home on the shores of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon
Directed By: Mark Rydell
91%
Critics Consensus: A classic. The definitive version of the Robert Louis Stevenson novella from 1931, with innovative special effects, atmospheric cinematography and deranged overacting.
Synopsis: Testing his theory that in every man dwells a good and an evil force, the reserved Dr. Jekyll (Fredric March) develops a formula that separates... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose Hobart, Holmes Herbert
Directed By: Rouben Mamoulian
91%
Critics Consensus: Featuring a strong performance from Geoffrey Rush, Shine succeeds in telling a compelling, inspirational story without resorting to cheap sentimentality.
Synopsis: As a child piano prodigy, David Helfgott's (Geoffrey Rush) musical ambitions generate friction with his overbearing father, Peter (Armin Mueller-Stahl). When Helfgott travels to London... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Directed By: Scott Hicks
90%
Critics Consensus: King Richard transcends sport biopic formulas with refreshingly nuanced storytelling -- and a towering performance from Will Smith in the title role.
Synopsis: Armed with a clear vision and a brazen 78-page plan, Richard Williams is determined to write his daughters, Venus and Serena, into history. Training on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Saniyya Sidney
Directed By: Reinaldo Marcus Green
89%
Critics Consensus: Daniel Day-Lewis characteristically delivers in this witty, dignified portrait that immerses the audience in its world and entertains even as it informs.
Synopsis: With the nation embroiled in still another year with the high death count of Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln brings the full measure of his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
90%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a captivating performance from Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart transcends its overly familiar origins and finds new meaning in an old story.
Synopsis: With too many years of hazy days and boozy nights, former country-music legend Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) is reduced to playing dives and bowling alleys.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Robert Duvall, Tom Bower
Directed By: Scott Cooper
90%
Critics Consensus: Amadeus' liberties with history may rankle some, but the creative marriage of Miloš Forman and Peter Shaffer yields a divinely diabolical myth of genius and mediocrity, buoyed by inspired casting and Mozart's rapturous music.
Synopsis: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a remarkably talented young Viennese composer who unwittingly finds a fierce rival in the disciplined and determined Antonio Salieri. Resenting Mozart... View Full Synopsis
Starring: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Jones, Elizabeth Berridge
Directed By: Milos Forman
90%
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
89%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by the exceptional acting of its strong cast, Mystic River is a somber drama that unfolds in layers and conveys the tragedy of its story with visceral power.
Synopsis: When the daughter of ex-con Jimmy Marcus is murdered, two of his childhood friends from the neighborhood are involved. Dave, a blue-collar worker, is the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne
Directed By: Clint Eastwood
89%
Critics Consensus: Philip Seymour Hoffman's riveting central performance guides a well-constructed retelling of the most sensational and significant period in author Truman Capote's life.
Synopsis: Reading of the murder of a Kansas family, New York City novelist Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) decides to cover the story himself, and travels... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris Cooper
Directed By: Bennett Miller
89%
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
89%
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
88%
Critics Consensus: This road-trip movie about an autistic savant and his callow brother is far from seamless, but Barry Levinson's direction is impressive, and strong performances from Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman add to its appeal.
Synopsis: When car dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) learns that his estranged father has died, he returns home to Cincinnati, where he discovers that he has... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen
Directed By: Barry Levinson
87%
Critics Consensus: True Grit rides along on the strength of a lived-in late-period John Wayne performance, adding its own entertaining spin to the oft-adapted source material.
Synopsis: After hired hand Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey) murders the father of 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Kim Darby), she seeks vengeance and hires U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Jeremy Slate
Directed By: Henry Hathaway
88%
Critics Consensus: A weakness for melodrama dampens its impact, but Emil Jannings' outstanding performance makes The Way of All Flesh worth following.
Synopsis: Devoted family man and bank worker August Schilling (Emil Jannings) leaves Milwaukee for the first time to deliver bonds to a bank in Chicago. On... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emil Jannings, Belle Bennett, Phyllis Haver, Donald Keith
Directed By: Victor Fleming
87%
Critics Consensus: Flawlessly cast and brimming with dark, acid wit, American Beauty is a smart, provocative high point of late '90s mainstream Hollywood film.
Synopsis: Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a gainfully employed suburban husband and father. Fed up with his boring, stagnant existence, he quits his job and decides... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Directed By: Sam Mendes
87%
Critics Consensus: Forest Whitaker's performance as real-life megalomaniac dictator Idi Amin powers this fictionalized political thriller, a blunt and brutal tale about power and corruption.
Synopsis: While in Uganda on a medical mission, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan becomes the personal physician and close confidant of dictator Idi Amin. Although at first... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson
Directed By: Kevin Macdonald
88%
Critics Consensus: Uneven, but in terms of epic scope and grand spectacle, Ben-Hur still ranks among Hollywood's finest examples of pure entertainment.
Synopsis: An enslaved Judean prince (Charlton Heston) meets his Roman betrayer (Stephen Boyd), a former friend, in a chariot race.
Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet
Directed By: William Wyler
87%
Critics Consensus: That it's inferior to the original goes without saying, but Paul Newman and Tom Cruise are a joy to watch, and Martin Scorsese's direction is typically superb.
Synopsis: Former pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson (Paul Newman) decides he wants to return to the game by taking a pupil. He meets talented but green... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Helen Shaver
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
86%
Critics Consensus: James L. Brooks and Jack Nicholson, doing what they do best, combine smart dialogue and flawless acting to squeeze fresh entertainment value out of the romantic-comedy genre.
Synopsis: Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is an obsessive-compulsive writer of romantic fiction who's rude to everyone he meets, including his gay neighbor Simon (Greg Kinnear), but... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Directed By: James L. Brooks
82%
Critics Consensus: It might soar on Al Pacino's performance more than the drama itself, but what a performance it is -- big, bold, occasionally over-the-top, and finally giving the Academy pause to award the star his first Oscar.
Synopsis: Frank is a retired Lt. Col. in the US army. He's blind and impossible to get along with. Charlie is at school and is looking... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar
Directed By: Martin Brest
84%
Critics Consensus: Darkest Hour is held together by Gary Oldman's electrifying performance, which brings Winston Churchill to life even when the movie's narrative falters.
Synopsis: The fate of Western Europe hangs on Winston Churchill in the early days of World War II. The newly appointed British prime minister must decide... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Lily James
Directed By: Joe Wright
81%
Critics Consensus: Part biopic, part love story, The Theory of Everything rises on James Marsh's polished direction and the strength of its two leads.
Synopsis: In the 1960s, Cambridge University student and future physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) falls in love with fellow collegian Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones). At 21,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Emily Watson, David Thewlis
Directed By: James Marsh
80%
Critics Consensus: Benigni's earnest charm, when not overstepping its bounds into the unnecessarily treacly, offers the possibility of hope in the face of unflinching horror.
Synopsis: A gentle Jewish-Italian waiter, Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), meets Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a pretty schoolteacher, and wins her over with his charm and humor. Eventually... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano
Directed By: Roberto Benigni
83%
Critics Consensus: Philadelphia indulges in some unfortunate clichés in its quest to impart a meaningful message, but its stellar cast and sensitive direction are more than enough to compensate.
Synopsis: Fearing it would compromise his career, lawyer Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) hides his homosexuality and HIV status at a powerful Philadelphia law firm. But his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas
Directed By: Jonathan Demme
80%
Critics Consensus: While not everyone will be entertained by Gladiator's glum revenge story, Russell Crowe thunderously wins the crowd with a star-making turn that provides Ridley Scott's opulent resurrection of Rome its bruised heart.
Synopsis: Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) takes power and strips rank from Maximus (Russell Crowe), one of the favored generals of his predecessor and father, Emperor Marcus Aurelius,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Directed By: Ridley Scott
79%
Critics Consensus: An engrossing and energetic portrait of a great musician's achievements and foibles, Ray is anchored by Jamie Foxx's stunning performance as Ray Charles.
Synopsis: Legendary soul musician Ray Charles is portrayed by Jamie Foxx in this Oscar-winning biopic. Young Ray watches his 7-year-old brother drown at age seven. When... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell
Directed By: Taylor Hackford
78%
Critics Consensus: With Wall Street, Oliver Stone delivers a blunt but effective -- and thoroughly well-acted -- jeremiad against its era's veneration of greed as a means to its own end.
Synopsis: On the Wall Street of the 1980s, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a stockbroker full of ambition, doing whatever he can to make his way... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Terence Stamp
Directed By: Oliver Stone
78%
Critics Consensus: As starkly beautiful as it is harshly uncompromising, The Revenant uses Leonardo DiCaprio's committed performance as fuel for an absorbing drama that offers punishing challenges -- and rich rewards.
Synopsis: While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) sustains life-threatening injuries from a brutal bear attack. When a member (Tom Hardy)... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter
Directed By: Alejandro González Iñárritu
75%
Critics Consensus: Tom Hanks' rigorously earnest performance keeps Forrest Gump sincere even when it gets glib with American history, making for a whimsical odyssey of debatable wisdom but undeniable heart.
Synopsis: Slow-witted Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) has never thought of himself as disadvantaged, and thanks to his supportive mother (Sally Field), he leads anything but a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
96%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Champ is a down-on-his-luck boxer in Tijuana whose son, Dink, adores him despite Champ's addictions to alcohol and gambling. When Champ wins enough money from... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Irene Rich, Roscoe Ates
Directed By: King Vidor
95%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Tsarist general Sergius Alexander (Emil Jannings) is basking in the glory of imperial Russia. After sending the revolutionary Lev Andreyev (William Powell) to prison, he... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Emil Jannings, Evelyn Brent, William Powell, Nicholas Soussanin
Directed By: Josef von Sternberg
94%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Renowned for his excess, King Henry VIII (Charles Laughton) goes through a series of wives during his rule. With Anne Boleyn (Merle Oberon), his second... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Binnie Barnes, Robert Donat
Directed By: Alexander Korda
94%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When spoiled Harvey Cheyne (Freddie Bartholomew) is suspended from boarding school, his businessman father (Melvyn Douglas) takes him to Europe on a business trip. When... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Freddie Bartholomew, Lionel Barrymore, Melvyn Douglas
Directed By: Victor Fleming
89%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Gypo Nolan (Victor McLaglen) is a former Irish Republican Army man who drowns his sorrows in the bottle. He's desperate to escape his bleak Dublin... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Victor McLaglen, Heather Angel, Preston Foster, Margot Grahame
Directed By: John Ford
93%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In this film adaptation of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, widowed Welsh mother Anna Leonowens (Deborah Kerr) becomes a governess and English tutor to the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Deborah Kerr, Yul Brynner, Rita Moreno, Martin Benson
Directed By: Walter Lang
93%
Critics Consensus: Judgment at Nuremberg dramatizes historical atrocity with thoughtfulness and vitality, interrogating complicity and genocide with an all-star cast at the peak of their respective powers.
Synopsis: In 1947, four German judges who served on the bench during the Nazi regime face a military tribunal to answer charges of crimes against humanity.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich
Directed By: Stanley Kramer
92%
Critics Consensus: Sidney Poitier lends heart and humor to the wonderfully simple Lilies of the Fields, in which splendor sprouts from wholesome soil.
Synopsis: When traveling African-American handyman Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier) stops by a farm in rural Arizona, he is welcomed by a group of Roman Catholic nuns... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Lilia Skala, Lisa Mann, Isa Crino
Directed By: Ralph Nelson
91%
Critics Consensus: James Cagney deploys his musical gifts to galvanizing effect in Yankee Doodle Dandy, a celebration of patriotic fervor as much as it is a biopic of George M. Cohan.
Synopsis: Brought to the White House to receive a Congressional Gold Medal from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Broadway legend George M. Cohan (James Cagney) reflects on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf
Directed By: Michael Curtiz
90%
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
88%
Critics Consensus: Making his sorely belated debut in a big-screen leading role, Art Carney brings Harry and Tonto brilliantly to life.
Synopsis: Harry Coombes (Art Carney) is a man in his seventies who is evicted from his Manhattan apartment when the building is set to be demolished.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Art Carney, Ellen Burstyn, Chief Dan George, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Directed By: Paul Mazursky
86%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The devout but iron-willed Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) leads a community called Boys Town, a different sort of juvenile detention facility where, instead of being... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Henry Hull, Leslie Fenton
Directed By: Norman Taurog
88%
Critics Consensus: Kiss of the Spider Woman weaves an alluring exploration of sexual and societal norms that's further elevated by strong work from William Hurt and Raul Julia.
Synopsis: In a prison cell somewhere in Latin America, two very different men warily confront each other. Molina (William Hurt) is first seen wrapping his head... View Full Synopsis
Starring: William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sônia Braga, José Lewgoy
Directed By: Hector Babenco
88%
Critics Consensus: Jack Lemmon's outstanding performance helps Save the Tiger grab early '70s American anxiety firmly by the tail.
Synopsis: Clothing manufacturer Harry Stoner (Jack Lemmon) mourns the loss of his youthful idealism even as he seals his fate by arranging to have an arsonist... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Laurie Heineman, Norman Burton
Directed By: John G. Avildsen
81%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Prize-winning Tennessee marksman Alvin York (Gary Cooper), a recent convert to Christianity, finds himself torn between his non-violent beliefs and his desire to serve his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie, George Tobias
Directed By: Howard Hawks
83%
Critics Consensus: Coming Home's stellar cast elevates the love triangle in the center of its story - and adds a necessary human component to its none-too-subtle political message.
Synopsis: The wife of a Marine serving in Vietnam, Sally Hyde (Jane Fonda) decides to volunteer at a local veterans hospital to occupy her time. There... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Robert Ginty
Directed By: Hal Ashby
83%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by a deftly understated performance from Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies is a quiet character study that leaves a lasting emotional impact.
Synopsis: Down-on-his-luck country singer Mac Sledge (Robert Duvall) has nowhere to turn when he wakes up in a motel, short on cash. So he takes a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Duvall, Tess Harper, Betty Buckley, Wilford Brimley
Directed By: Bruce Beresford
81%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Young schoolteacher Charles Edward Chipping (Robert Donat) imposes strict discipline on his young charges at a Victorian-era English public school, becoming a fearsome presence on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Donat, Greer Garson, Terry Kilburn, John Mills
Directed By: Sam Wood
83%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (George Arliss) is intent on buying the Suez Canal. If realized, the purchase would complete the British Indian Empire, but... View Full Synopsis
Starring: George Arliss, Joan Bennett, Anthony Bushell, David Torrence
Directed By: Alfred E. Green
85%
Critics Consensus: Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald are eminently likable, and film is pleasantly sentimental, but Going My Way suffers from a surplus of sweetness.
Synopsis: Father Charles O'Malley (Bing Crosby) is an easy-going, golf-playing young priest whose entry into a tough neighborhood parish in midtown Manhattan is viewed with skepticism... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, Rise Stevens, Gene Lockhart
Directed By: Leo McCarey
80%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Anti-Fascist German engineer Kurt Muller (Paul Lukas), with his American-born wife, Sara (Bette Davis), and their three children, returns to the United States in 1940... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Lucile Watson
Directed By: Herman Shumlin
77%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Former Broadway hoofer Paula McFadden (Marsha Mason) and her young daughter, Lucy (Quinn Cummings), are outraged to find that Paula's former lover has fled to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings, Paul Benedict
Directed By: Herbert Ross
88%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Highly regarded theater actor Anthony John (Ronald Colman) has a violent temper, which leads his actress wife, Brita (Signe Hasso), to leave him. When the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ronald Colman, Signe Hasso, Shelley Winters, Edmond O'Brien
Directed By: George Cukor
74%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Poet, romantic and sword fighter Cyrano de Bergerac (Jose Ferrer) loves the beautiful Roxane (Mala Powers), but although he is proud enough of his bulbous... View Full Synopsis
Starring: José Ferrer, Mala Powers, William Prince, Morris Carnovsky
Directed By: Michael Gordon
74%
Critics Consensus: The ending may be less than satisfying, but Denzel Washington reminds us why he's such a great actor in this taut and brutal police drama.
Synopsis: Police drama about a veteran officer who escorts a rookie on his first day with the LAPD's tough inner-city narcotics unit. "Training Day" is a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger
Directed By: Antoine Fuqua
68%
Critics Consensus: Joker gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star -- and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema.
Synopsis: Forever alone in a crowd, failed comedian Arthur Fleck seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City. Arthur wears two masks -- the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy
Directed By: Todd Phillips
68%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: During the off-season at the Beauregard Hotel, the secrets of some guests are exposed. Lovely but vulnerable Ann Shankland (Rita Hayworth) travels to the hotel... View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Niven, Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Rita Hayworth
Directed By: Delbert Mann
64%
Critics Consensus: Held together by a killer Brendan Fraser, The Whale sings a song of empathy that will leave most viewers blubbering.
Synopsis: A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins
Directed By: Darren Aronofsky
60%
Critics Consensus: Bohemian Rhapsody hits a handful of high notes, but as an in-depth look at a beloved band, it offers more of a medley than a true greatest hits collection.
Synopsis: Freddie Mercury -- the lead singer of Queen -- defies stereotypes and convention to become a beloved entertainer; the band's popular songs lead to Queen's... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy
Directed By: Bryan Singer
56%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In this early Western, notorious bandit the Cisco Kid (Warner Baxter) is so feared that he rarely has to fire his gun to rob a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Edmund Lowe, Warner Baxter, Dorothy Burgess
Directed By: Raoul Walsh, Irving Cummings
55%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Charly Gordon (Cliff Robertson), who has an IQ of 69, is constantly derided by his boss and fellow employees at the bakery where he works.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney
Directed By: Ralph Nelson
