John Williams Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Critics Consensus: Playing as both an exciting sci-fi adventure and a remarkable portrait of childhood, Steven Spielberg's touching tale of a homesick alien remains a piece of movie magic for young and old.

Synopsis: After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas). Bringing the extraterrestrial... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Schindler's List blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg's signature tender humanism to create the director's dramatic masterpiece.

Synopsis: Businessman Oskar Schindler arrives in Kraków in 1939, ready to make his fortune from World War II, which has just started. After joining the Nazi... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg's Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.

Synopsis: When a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody (Roy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: With help from a strong performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as real-life wunderkind con artist Frank Abagnale, Steven Spielberg crafts a film that's stylish, breezily entertaining, and surprisingly sweet.

Synopsis: Frank Abagnale, Jr. works as a doctor, a lawyer and as a co-pilot for a major airline, all before his 18th birthday. A master of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Featuring bravura set pieces, sly humor, and white-knuckle action, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most consummately entertaining adventure pictures of all time.

Synopsis: Dr. Indiana Jones, a renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the ark of the covenant, which... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Wolf Kahler

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: An ice-cold noir that retains Robert Altman's idiosyncratic sensibilities, The Long Goodbye ranks among the smartest and most satisfying Marlowe mysteries.

Synopsis: Private detective Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) is asked by his old buddy Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) for a ride to Mexico. He obliges, and when... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden, Mark Rydell

Directed By: Robert Altman

Critics Consensus: Anchored by another winning performance from Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg's unflinchingly realistic war film virtually redefines the genre.

Synopsis: Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) takes his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Surrounded... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Dark, sinister, but ultimately even more involving than A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back defies viewer expectations and takes the series to heightened emotional levels.

Synopsis: The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams

Directed By: Irvin Kershner

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: Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series' former glory while injecting it with renewed energy.

Synopsis: Thirty years after the defeat of the Galactic Empire, the galaxy faces a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and the First... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Critics Consensus: A legendarily expansive and ambitious start to the sci-fi saga, George Lucas opened our eyes to the possibilities of blockbuster filmmaking and things have never been the same.

Synopsis: The Imperial Forces -- under orders from cruel Darth Vader (David Prowse) -- hold Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) hostage, in their efforts to quell the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness

Directed By: George Lucas

Critics Consensus: Superman: The Movie deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Christopher Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon.

Synopsis: Just before the destruction of the planet Krypton, scientist Jor-El (Marlon Brando) sends his infant son Kal-El on a spaceship to Earth. Raised by kindly... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Margot Kidder

Directed By: Richard Donner

Critics Consensus: Part memoir, part ode to the power of the movies, The Fabelmans finds Steven Spielberg digging at the family roots that helped make him a beloved filmmaker -- and proves he hasn't lost his magic touch.

Synopsis: Young Sammy Fabelman falls in love with movies after his parents take him to see "The Greatest Show on Earth." Armed with a camera, Sammy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Star Wars: The Last Jedi honors the saga's rich legacy while adding some surprising twists -- and delivering all the emotion-rich action fans could hope for.

Synopsis: Luke Skywalker's peaceful and solitary existence gets upended when he encounters Rey, a young woman who shows strong signs of the Force. Her desire to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley

Directed By: Rian Johnson

Critics Consensus: Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special effects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg's best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws.

Synopsis: In Steven Spielberg's massive blockbuster, paleontologists Alan Grant (Sam Neill) and Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and mathematician Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are among a select... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Thought-provoking and visceral, Steven Spielberg successfully combines high concept ideas and high octane action in this fast and febrile sci-fi thriller.

Synopsis: Based on a story by famed science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, "Minority Report" is an action-detective thriller set in Washington D.C. in 2054, where... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Under the assured direction of Alfonso Cuaron, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban triumphantly strikes a delicate balance between technical wizardry and complex storytelling.

Synopsis: Harry Potter's (Daniel Radcliffe) third year at Hogwarts starts off badly when he learns deranged killer Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman

Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón

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

Critics Consensus: The Post's period setting belies its bitingly timely themes, brought compellingly to life by director Steven Spielberg and an outstanding ensemble cast.

Synopsis: Katharine Graham is the first female publisher of a major American newspaper -- The Washington Post. With help from editor Ben Bradlee, Graham races to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bruce Greenwood, Matthew Rhys

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Lighter and more comedic than its predecessor, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade returns the series to the brisk serial adventure of Raiders, while adding a dynamite double act between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.

Synopsis: An art collector appeals to Jones to embark on a search for the Holy Grail. He learns that another archaeologist has disappeared while searching for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Alison Doody

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: In some respects, Rosewood struggles to present a full picture of the real-life tragedy it dramatizes, but it remains a harrowing depiction of racial violence.

Synopsis: Rosewood, Florida, is a small, peaceful town with an almost entirely African-American population of middle-class homeowners, until New Year's Day 1923, when a lynch mob... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Bruce McGill

Directed By: John Singleton

Critics Consensus: Its plot may ape the countercultural road movies of its era, but Steven Spielberg's feature debut displays many of the crowd-pleasing elements he'd refine in subsequent films.

Synopsis: Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean (Goldie Hawn) and Clovis Poplin (William Atherton) lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, Ben Johnson, Michael Sacks

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Thanks to an outstanding script, focused direction by Alan Pakula, and a riveting performance from Harrison Ford, Presumed Innocent is the kind of effective courtroom thriller most others aspire to be.

Synopsis: Prosecuting attorney Raymond Horgan (Brian Dennehy) assigns his chief deputy, the taciturn Rusty Sabitch (Harrison Ford), to investigate the rape and murder of colleague Carolyn... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Brian Dennehy, Raul Julia, Bonnie Bedelia

Directed By: Alan J. Pakula

Critics Consensus: As history, Oliver Stone's JFK is dubious, but as filmmaking it's electric, cramming a ton of information and excitement into its three-hour runtime and making great use of its outstanding cast.

Synopsis: This acclaimed Oliver Stone drama presents the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, Tommy Lee Jones

Directed By: Oliver Stone

Critics Consensus: Led by an unforgettable performance from Tom Cruise, Born on the Fourth of July finds director Oliver Stone tackling thought-provoking subject matter with ambitious élan.

Synopsis: In the mid 1960s, suburban New York teenager Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) enlists in the Marines, fulfilling what he sees as his patriotic duty. During... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Willem Dafoe, Kyra Sedgwick, Raymond J. Barry

Directed By: Oliver Stone

Critics Consensus: Though failing to reach the cinematic heights of its predecessors, Return of the Jedi remains an entertaining sci-fi adventure and a fitting end to the classic trilogy.

Synopsis: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) battles horrible Jabba the Hutt and cruel Darth Vader to save his comrades in the Rebel Alliance and triumph over the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams

Directed By: Richard Marquand

Critics Consensus: It may be too "dark" for some, but Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom remains an ingenious adventure spectacle that showcases one of Hollywood's finest filmmaking teams in vintage form.

Synopsis: The second of the Lucas/Spielberg Indiana Jones epics is set a year or so before the events in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indy needs... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A bird may love a fish -- and musical fans will love this adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof, even if it isn't quite as transcendent as the long-running stage version.

Synopsis: A lavishly produced and critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the international stage sensation tells the life-affirming story of Tevye, a poor milkman whose love, pride... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon

Directed By: Norman Jewison

Critics Consensus: Though perhaps more enchanting for younger audiences, Chamber of Secrets is nevertheless both darker and livelier than its predecessor, expanding and improving upon the first film's universe.

Synopsis: The follow-up to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" finds young wizard Harry Potter and his friends, Ron and Hermione, facing new challenges during their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh

Directed By: Chris Columbus

Critics Consensus: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone adapts its source material faithfully while condensing the novel's overstuffed narrative into an involving -- and often downright exciting -- big-screen magical caper.

Synopsis: Adaptation of the first of J.K. Rowling's popular children's novels about Harry Potter, a boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, John Cleese

Directed By: Chris Columbus

Critics Consensus: With Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, George Lucas brings his second Star Wars trilogy to a suitably thrilling and often poignant -- if still a bit uneven -- conclusion.

Synopsis: It has been three years since the Clone Wars began. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) rescue Chancellor... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid

Directed By: George Lucas

Critics Consensus: Though the plot elements are certainly familiar, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still delivers the thrills and Harrison Ford's return in the title role is more than welcome.

Synopsis: It's the height of the Cold War, and famous archaeologist Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), returning from his latest adventure, finds out his job at Marshall... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Karen Allen

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Munich can't quite achieve its lofty goals, but this thrilling, politically even-handed look at the fallout from an intractable political conflict is still well worth watching.

Synopsis: After the murder of 11 Israeli athletes and their coach at the 1972 Olympics, the Israeli government secretly assigns Avner Kaufman (Eric Bana) to carry... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Geoffrey Rush, Ciarán Hinds

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Heartfelt without resorting to preachiness, Amistad tells an important story with engaging sensitivity and absorbing skill.

Synopsis: In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque (Djimon Hounsou) leads the slaves in an unprecedented... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey, Nigel Hawthorne

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: One of Steven Spielberg's most ambitious efforts of the 1980s, Empire of the Sun remains an underrated gem in the director's distinguished filmography.

Synopsis: Jamie Graham (Christian Bale), a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Steven Spielberg's adaptation of War of the Worlds delivers on the thrill and paranoia of H.G. Wells' classic novel while impressively updating the action and effects for modern audiences.

Synopsis: Dockworker Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) struggles to build a positive relationship with his two children, Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin). When his ex-wife,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Technically superb, proudly sentimental, and unabashedly old-fashioned, War Horse is an emotional drama that tugs the heartstrings with Spielberg's customary flair.

Synopsis: Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his beloved horse, Joey, live on a farm in the British countryside. At the outbreak of World War I, Albert and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A curious, not always seamless, amalgamation of Kubrick's chilly bleakness and Spielberg's warm-hearted optimism, A.I. is, in a word, fascinating.

Synopsis: A robotic boy, the first programmed to love, David is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Brendan Gleeson

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Much like its subject's time in office, Nixon might have ended sooner -- but what remains is an engrossing, well-acted look at the rise and fall of a fascinating political figure.

Synopsis: This film is a biographical examination of former U.S. President Richard Nixon (Anthony Hopkins). The non-chronological narrative explores Nixon's personal and professional life, touching on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Powers Boothe, Ed Harris

Directed By: Oliver Stone

Critics Consensus: The BFG minimizes the darker elements of Roald Dahl's classic in favor of a resolutely good-natured, visually stunning, and largely successful family-friendly adventure.

Synopsis: Ten-year-old Sophie is in for the adventure of a lifetime when she meets the Big Friendly Giant. Naturally scared at first, the young girl soon... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Drawing deep from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Steven Spielberg has crafted another spirited, thrilling adventure in the form of Tintin.

Synopsis: While shopping at an outdoor market, young reporter Tintin (Jamie Bell), accompanied by his faithful dog, Snowy, buys a model of an old ship called... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Old friendships are awakened by the need for revenge, making Sleepers a haunting nightmare burdened by voiceover yet terrifically captured by Barry Levinson.

Synopsis: Four teenage friends from Hell's Kitchen end up being sent to reform school after almost killing a man. There they are brutalized by the guards.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Patric

Directed By: Barry Levinson

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Charles Bonnet (Hugh Griffith) expresses his passion for art by forging masterpieces -- and selling them at a hefty profit. The trouble starts when his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Eli Wallach, Charles Boyer

Directed By: William Wyler

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Stuffy young Latin instructor Arthur Chipping (Peter O'Toole) is widely disliked by his young charges at a small public school in Great Britain in the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Petula Clark, Michael Redgrave, George Baker

Directed By: Herbert Ross

Critics Consensus: The Master of Suspense's swan song finds him aiming for pulpy thrills and hitting the target, delivering a twisty crime story with pleasurable bite.

Synopsis: Blanche (Barbara Harris), a less than reputable psychic, and her equally shady boyfriend, George (Bruce Dern), are hired by an elderly lady to find her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Dern, Karen Black, Barbara Harris, William Devane

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: As a first-year law student at Harvard, James Hart (Timothy Bottoms) knows he's got his work cut out for him. But things get harder than... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Timothy Bottoms, John Houseman, Lindsay Wagner, Graham Beckel

Directed By: James Bridges

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In Mississippi at the turn of the 20th century, 11-year-old Lucius McCaslin (Mitch Vogel) embarks on a journey he will remember for years to come.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steve McQueen, Rupert Crosse, Mitch Vogel, Sharon Farrell

Directed By: Mark Rydell

Critics Consensus: Generous with its characters' foibles and virtues, The Accidental Tourist is a thoughtful drama vested with insight into the complications of relationships.

Synopsis: After the murder of their young son, the marriage between Macon (William Hurt) and his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) disintegrates, and she moves out. After... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Geena Davis, Amy Wright

Directed By: Lawrence Kasdan

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: When vigilante land baron David Braxton (John McLiam) hangs one of the best friends of cattle rustler Tom Logan (Jack Nicholson), Logan's gang decides to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, Kathleen Lloyd

Directed By: Arthur Penn

Critics Consensus: The Poseidon Adventure exemplifies the disaster film done right, going down smoothly with ratcheting tension and a terrific ensemble to give the peril a distressingly human dimension.

Synopsis: En route from New York City to Greece on New Year's Eve, majestic passenger ship the S.S. Poseidon is overtaken by a tidal wave. With... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons

Directed By: Ronald Neame, Irwin Allen

Critics Consensus: Though it can't best Robert Siodmak's classic 1946 version, Don Siegel's take on the Ernest Hemingway story stakes out its own violent territory, and offers a terrifically tough turn from Lee Marvin.

Synopsis: A hit man (Lee Marvin) and his partner (Clu Gulager) try to find out why their latest victim, a former race-car driver (John Cassavetes), did... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes, Ronald Reagan

Directed By: Don Siegel

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A grizzled veteran rancher, Wil Andersen (John Wayne) is almost ready to embark on a big cattle drive when his crew abruptly quits to join... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst

Directed By: Mark Rydell

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Pete (Walter Matthau) and Tillie (Carol Burnett) are middle-aged and meet at a time in their lives when both have developed a layer of cynicism... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Walter Matthau, Carol Burnett, Geraldine Page, Barry Nelson

Directed By: Martin Ritt

Critics Consensus: Brian De Palma reins in his stylistic flamboyance to eerie effect in The Fury, a telekinetic slow burn that rewards patient viewers with its startling set pieces.

Synopsis: When a devious plot separates CIA agent Peter Sandza (Kirk Douglas) from his son, Robin (Andrew Stevens), the distraught father manages to see through the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Amy Irving, Carrie Snodgress

Directed By: Brian De Palma

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A schizophrenic (Susannah York) confuses her husband (Rene Auberjonois) with her lovers and her self.

Starring: Susannah York, Rene Auberjonois, Marcel Bozzuffi, Hugh Millais

Directed By: Robert Altman

Critics Consensus: A smart, tense thriller from director John Frankenheimer, Black Sunday succeeds on a technical level, even if it fails to bring its characters to vivid life.

Synopsis: Blimp pilot Michael Lander (Bruce Dern), who has endured the horrors of the Vietnam War, is now psychotic. Hoping to kill himself in grand fashion,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern, Marthe Keller, Fritz Weaver

Directed By: John Frankenheimer

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Former government assassin Jonathan Hemlock now devotes his time to teaching and collecting paintings, but his quiet life is interrupted when he is persuaded by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee, Jack Cassidy

Directed By: Clint Eastwood

Critics Consensus: A flawed yet fun and fast-paced space adventure, Solo: A Star Wars Story should satisfy newcomers to the saga as well as longtime fans who check their expectations at the theater door.

Synopsis: Young Han Solo finds adventure when he joins forces with a gang of galactic smugglers and a 190-year-old Wookiee named Chewbacca. Indebted to the gangster... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson

Directed By: Ron Howard

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this uplifting drama based on the memoir "The Water is Wide," Pat Conroy (Jon Voight) accepts a teaching position on an isolated island in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jon Voight, Paul Winfield, Hume Cronyn, Madge Sinclair

Directed By: Martin Ritt

Critics Consensus: While devotees of John Updike's novel may want to put a hex on George Miller's cartoonish and effects-laden adaptation, Jack Nicholson lends enough decadent devilry to make this high-concept comedy sizzle.

Synopsis: Three small-town friends, Alexandra (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer), each having lost the man in their lives, are feeling unfulfilled -- until... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer

Directed By: George Miller

Critics Consensus: Home Alone's uneven but frequently funny premise, stretched unreasonably thin, is buoyed by Macaulay Culkin's cute performance and strong supporting stars.

Synopsis: When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother makes him sleep in the attic. After the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara

Directed By: Chris Columbus

Critics Consensus: Although it is not consistently engaging enough to fully justify its towering runtime, The Towering Inferno is a blustery spectacle that executes its disaster premise with flair.

Synopsis: Classic 1970s disaster movie about a fire that breaks out in a state-of-the-art San Francisco high-rise building during the opening ceremony attended by a host... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway

Directed By: John Guillermin, Irwin Allen

Critics Consensus: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones benefits from an increased emphasis on thrilling action, although it's undercut by ponderous plot points and underdeveloped characters.

Synopsis: Set ten years after the events of "The Phantom Menace," the Republic continues to be mired in strife and chaos. A separatist movement encompassing hundreds... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee

Directed By: George Lucas

Critics Consensus: Its central romance takes occasional dives into excessive sentimentality, but Always otherwise flies high thanks to director Steven Spielberg's rousing feel for adventure.

Synopsis: Aerial firefighter Pete (Richard Dreyfuss) risks himself and his vintage World War II airplane in a constant and death-defying quest to fight forest wildfires, much... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Brad Johnson, John Goodman

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Sydney Pollack's Sabrina doesn't do anything the original didn't do better, but assured direction and a cast of seasoned stars make this a pleasant enough diversion.

Synopsis: Sabrina Fairchild is a chauffeur's daughter who grew up with the wealthy Larrabee family. She always had unreciprocated feelings for David, the family's younger son... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, Greg Kinnear, Nancy Marchand

Directed By: Sydney Pollack

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A sailor falls in love with a prostitute but finds it difficult to cope when she resumes her former lifestyle after they are married. When... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Caan, Marsha Mason, Kirk Calloway, Eli Wallach

Directed By: Mark Rydell

Critics Consensus: The Patriot can be entertaining to watch, but it relies too much on formula and melodrama.

Synopsis: Mel Gibson portrays Benjamin Martin, an unassuming man who is forced to join the American Revolution when the British threaten to take his farm away... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs

Directed By: Roland Emmerich

Critics Consensus: The Terminal transcends its flaws through the sheer virtue of its crowd-pleasing message and a typically solid star turn from Tom Hanks.

Synopsis: When Viktor Navorski (Tom Hanks), an Eastern European tourist, arrives at JFK in New York, war breaks out in his country and he finds himself... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chi McBride

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Jaws 2 never approaches the lingering thrills of its classic predecessor, but it's reasonably entertaining for a sequel that has no reason to exist.

Synopsis: Years after the shark attacks that left Amity Island reeling, Sheriff Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) finds new trouble lurking in the waters. Mayor Vaughn (Murray... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Joseph Mascolo

Directed By: Jeannot Szwarc

Critics Consensus: Despite an occasionally imbalanced mix of romance and overly grotesque scares, Dracula offers chilling atmosphere in spades and a seductively enigmatic turn from Frank Langella as the legendary vampire.

Synopsis: A man washes ashore in England after a shipwreck and is found by Mina Van Helsing (Jan Francis). The man introduces himself as Count Dracula... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Donald Pleasence, Kate Nelligan

Directed By: John Badham

Critics Consensus: Seven Years in Tibet tells its fascinating true-life story with a certain stolid grace, even if it never quite comes to life the way it could.

Synopsis: Hired as an instructor, an egocentric Austrian mountaineer gradually learns selflessness from the young Dalai Lama.

Starring: Brad Pitt, David Thewlis, BD Wong, Mako

Directed By: Jean-Jacques Annaud

Critics Consensus: The Lost World demonstrates how far CG effects have come in the four years since Jurassic Park; unfortunately, it also proves how difficult it can be to put together a truly compelling sequel.

Synopsis: Four years after "Jurassic Park," mathematician Ian Malcolm ventures onto a second island to save his girlfriend from becoming dinosaur bait.

Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Pete Postlethwaite, Arliss Howard

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker suffers from a frustrating lack of imagination, but concludes this beloved saga with fan-focused devotion.

Synopsis: When it's discovered that the evil Emperor Palpatine did not die at the hands of Darth Vader, the rebels must race against the clock to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley

Directed By: J.J. Abrams

Critics Consensus: In spite of its attempts to accurately record Frank McCourt's memoirs, the onscreen adaptation fails to capture any of the drama or humor of his life.

Synopsis: In 1935 when it is more common for Irish families to leave their famine-stricken country for America, the impoverished McCourt family does the reverse. Following... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Ciaran Owens

Directed By: Alan Parker

Critics Consensus: Burdened by exposition and populated with stock characters, The Phantom Menace gets the Star Wars prequels off to a bumpy -- albeit visually dazzling -- start.

Synopsis: Experience the heroic action and unforgettable adventures of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. See the first fateful steps in the journey of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd

Directed By: George Lucas

Critics Consensus: Handsome and simplistic, Far and Away has the beauty of an American epic without the breadth.

Synopsis: Joseph (Tom Cruise) and his landlord's daughter, Shannon (Nicole Kidman), travel from Ireland to America in hopes of claiming free land in Oklahoma. The pair... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Thomas Gibson, Robert Prosky

Directed By: Ron Howard

Critics Consensus: A bit too safe in its handling of its Nazi Germany setting, The Book Thief counters its constraints with a respectful tone and strong performances.

Synopsis: In 1938, young orphan Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) arrives at the home of her new foster parents, Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson). When Hans,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, Sophie Nélisse, Nico Liersch

Directed By: Brian Percival

Critics Consensus: The destruction of Los Angeles is always a welcome sight, but Earthquake offers little besides big actors slumming through crumbling sets.

Synopsis: When a major earthquake hits Los Angeles, the various residents of the city cope with the chaos and destruction. Successful architect Stewart Graff (Charlton Heston)... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Geneviève Bujold

Directed By: Mark Robson

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this dramatization of the Battle of Midway during World War II, U.S. Navy Adm. Chester Nimitz (Henry Fonda) leads an outnumbered unit in the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, James Coburn, Glenn Ford

Directed By: Jack Smight

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Andie Bergstrom (Kate Capshaw), an astronaut eagerly awaiting her first trip to space, runs a summer camp for teenagers with her NASA-employed husband, Zach (Tom... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kate Capshaw, Lea Thompson, Kelly Preston, Larry B. Scott

Directed By: Harry Winer

Critics Consensus: Solid work from Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon isn't enough to save Stepmom from a story whose manipulations dilute the effectiveness of a potentially affecting drama.

Synopsis: Three years after divorcing Jackie (Susan Sarandon), the mother of his children, Luke Harrison (Ed Harris) decides to take the next step with his significantly... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris, Jena Malone

Directed By: Chris Columbus

Critics Consensus: Steven Spielberg's attempt at screwball comedy collapses under a glut of ideas, confusing an unwieldy scope for a commensurate amount of guffaws.

Synopsis: After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, residents of California descend into a wild panic, afraid that they might be the next target. Among them are... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Lorraine Gary, Ned Beatty

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: In this playful comedy, Paul Manning (Walter Matthau) is happily married to his beautiful wife, Ruth (Inger Stevens), but he still has a wandering eye.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Walter Matthau, Robert Morse, Inger Stevens, Sue Ane Langdon

Directed By: Gene Kelly

Critics Consensus: Less nuanced than its source material, Memoirs of a Geisha may be a lavish production, but it still carries the simplistic air of a soap opera.

Synopsis: In the 1920s, 9-year-old Chiyo gets sold to a geisha house. There, she is forced into servitude, receiving nothing in return until the house's ruling... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Kôji Yakusho

Directed By: Rob Marshall

Critics Consensus: A change of venue -- and more sentimentality and violence -- can't obscure the fact that Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a less inspired facsimile of its predecessor.

Synopsis: After snarky youth Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) loses track of his father at the airport, he mistakenly gets on a plane headed for New York... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara

Directed By: Chris Columbus

Critics Consensus: Trashy, campy, soapy, and melodramatic, Valley of the Dolls may be a dud as a Hollywood expose, but has nonetheless endured as a kitsch classic.

Synopsis: In New York City, bright but naive New Englander Anne Welles (Barbara Parkins) becomes a secretary at a theatrical law firm, where she falls in... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, Paul Burke

Directed By: Mark Robson

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Italian opera star Giorgio Fini is on tour in the U.S. when he discovers that he has lost his voice. Seeking the help of a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Luciano Pavarotti, Kathryn Harrold, Eddie Albert, Paola Borboni

Directed By: Franklin J. Schaffner

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Iris has a rough go of it after the death of her husband. Though still grieving, she needs to support her dysfunctional family, and so... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jane Fonda, Robert De Niro, Swoosie Kurtz, Martha Plimpton

Directed By: Martin Ritt

Critics Consensus: The look of Hook is lively indeed but Steven Spielberg directs on autopilot here, giving in too quickly to his sentimental, syrupy qualities.

Synopsis: When his young children are abducted by his old nemesis, Capt. Hook (Dustin Hoffman), middle-aged lawyer Peter Banning (Robin Williams) returns to his magical origins... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: During the 1880s, Martha Price (Maureen O'Hara), a widowed cattle breeder, travels from England to St. Louis with her daughter, Hilary (Juliet Mills). Martha hopes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, Brian Keith, Juliet Mills

Directed By: Andrew V. McLaglen

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Tom and Mae Garvey are a Tennessee farming couple battling violent floods to save their land. In addition to natural disasters, the Garveys fight to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek, Scott Glenn, Shane Bailey

Directed By: Mark Rydell

Critics Consensus: The Superman series bottoms with The Quest for Peace -- the action is boring, the special effects look cheaper, and none of the actors appear interested in where the plot's going.

Synopsis: Seeing the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in a nuclear arms race that could lead to Earth's destruction, Superman (Christopher Reeve) decides that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Mariel Hemingway, Jackie Cooper

Directed By: Sidney J. Furie

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: While at the repair factory, Val (Andy Kaufman), a robot valet, meets Aqua (Bernadette Peters), a fellow automaton who functions as a party hostess. Remarkably,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andy Kaufman, Bernadette Peters, Randy Quaid, Kenneth McMillan

Directed By: Allan Arkush