The 100% Club: An Ode to Movies With a Perfect Tomatometer Score

Welcome to the 100% Club, where every movie isn’t necessarily perfect, but their Tomatometers are. A place where all the critic reviews are Fresh, as far as the eye can see, without a Rotten mark to disrupt all the 1s and their attendant 0s in the percentage scores.

It’s a tough road for a movie to get a 100% with critics, fraught with peril. What if a small plot hole is big enough to irk a persnickety reviewer? What if the cinematographer didn’t show up that one day for a crucial scene? What if there was a bum performance from one of the background extras?

There’s the old industry adage that no one sets out to make out a bad movie. On the flip side, you’re almost jinxing it if you think the one you’re working on is going to be the one that makes every last cynical, benevolent critic crack a smirk and think, “Yeah, that was freaking awesome.” But the movies here have done just that, ranging from masterpieces of the silent era up until the new classics of today that tap into the pulse of the zeitgeist. Because it’s “relatively” easy to get a 100% score after that first handful of reviews (five is the minimum count for a movie to get its Tomatometer), every film listed here has at least crossed the Certified Fresh threshold. Then we sorted them by movies with more reviews featured higher up.

If you’re a discerning watcher with only time for some of the best movies of all time, you’re come to the right place. It’s time to pack that queue with the legends of cinema with our guide to every Certified Fresh movie with a 100% Tomatometer score! Alex Vo

 

#1

Leave No Trace (2018)
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#1
Adjusted Score: 113815%
Critics Consensus: Leave No Trace takes an effectively low-key approach to a potentially sensationalistic story -- and further benefits from brilliant work by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie.
Synopsis: A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve near Portland, Ore.,... [More]

#2

Toy Story 2 (1999)
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#2
Adjusted Score: 108773%
Critics Consensus: The rare sequel that arguably improves on its predecessor, Toy Story 2 uses inventive storytelling, gorgeous animation, and a talented cast to deliver another rich moviegoing experience for all ages.
Synopsis: Woody (Tom Hanks) is stolen from his home by toy dealer Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight), leaving Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen)... [More]

#3

Man on Wire (2008)
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#3
Adjusted Score: 106184%
Critics Consensus: James Marsh's doc about artist Phililppe Petit's artful caper brings you every ounce of suspense that can be wrung from a man on a (suspended) wire.
Synopsis: Using actual footage from the event seamlessly mingled with new re-enactments, filmmaker James Marsh masterfully recreates high-wire daredevil Philippe Petit's... [More]

#4

Honeyland (2019)
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#4
Adjusted Score: 106516%
Critics Consensus: Honeyland uses life in a remote village to offer an eye-opening perspective on experiences that should resonate even for audiences halfway around the world.
Synopsis: A woman utilizes ancient beekeeping traditions to cultivate honey in the mountains of North Macedonia. When a neighboring family tries... [More]

#5

Minding the Gap (2018)
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#5
Adjusted Score: 106554%
Critics Consensus: Minding the Gap draws on more than a decade of documentary footage to assemble a poignant picture of young American lives that resonates far beyond its onscreen subjects.
Synopsis: Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected... [More]

#6

Gloria (2013)
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#6
Adjusted Score: 105492%
Critics Consensus: Marvelously directed by Sebastian Lelio and beautifully led by a powerful performance from Paulina Garcia, Gloria takes an honest, sweetly poignant look at a type of character that's all too often neglected in Hollywood.
Synopsis: An aging divorcee (Paulina García) embarks on an intense affair with a man (Sergio Hernández) she picked up at a... [More]

#7

His House (2020)
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#7
Adjusted Score: 106794%
Critics Consensus: Featuring genuine scares through every corridor, His House is a terrifying look at the specters of the refugee experience and a stunning feature debut for Remi Weekes.
Synopsis: A refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, but then they struggle to adjust to their new... [More]

#8
#8
Adjusted Score: 115009%
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.... [More]

#9

Crip Camp (2020)
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#9
Adjusted Score: 105263%
Critics Consensus: As entertaining as it is inspiring, Crip Camp uses one group's remarkable story to highlight hope for the future and the power of community.
Synopsis: A groundbreaking summer camp galvanizes teens who have disabilities.... [More]

#10

76 Days (2020)
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#10
Adjusted Score: 105201%
Critics Consensus: A raw, fly-on-the-wall recounting of hospital life in Wuhan in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, 76 Days is an engrossing and potent documentary - and a surprisingly comforting portrait of humanity.
Synopsis: Health care workers and patients combat the COVID-19 outbreak during a lockdown in Wuhan, China.... [More]

#11

Seven Samurai (1954)
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#11
Adjusted Score: 112311%
Critics Consensus: Arguably Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, The Seven Samurai is an epic adventure classic with an engrossing story, memorable characters, and stunning action sequences that make it one of the most influential films ever made.
Synopsis: A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits,... [More]

#12

Summer 1993 (2017)
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#12
Adjusted Score: 104804%
Critics Consensus: Summer 1993 (Estiu 1993) finds writer-director Carla Simón drawing on personal memories to create a thoughtful drama elevated by outstanding work from its young leads.
Synopsis: Six-year-old Frida looks on in silence as the last objects from her recently deceased mother's apartment in Barcelona are placed... [More]

#13
Adjusted Score: 103982%
Critics Consensus: Boasting narrative depth, frank honesty, and exquisite visual beauty, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a modern animated treasure with timeless appeal.
Synopsis: A tiny nymph found inside a bamboo stalk grows into a beautiful and desirable young woman, who orders her suitors... [More]

#14

One Cut of the Dead (2017)
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#14
Adjusted Score: 104687%
Critics Consensus: Brainy and bloody in equal measure, One Cut of the Dead reanimates the moribund zombie genre with a refreshing blend of formal daring and clever satire.
Synopsis: Real zombies attack a hack director and a film crew who are shooting a low budget zombie film in an... [More]

#15

Toy Story (1995)
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#15
Adjusted Score: 107179%
Critics Consensus: Entertaining as it is innovative, Toy Story reinvigorated animation while heralding the arrival of Pixar as a family-friendly force to be reckoned with.
Synopsis: Woody (Tom Hanks), a good-hearted cowboy doll who belongs to a young boy named Andy (John Morris), sees his position... [More]

#16

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
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#16
Adjusted Score: 103145%
Critics Consensus: Taxi to the Dark Side is an intelligent, powerful look into the dark corners of the War on Terror.
Synopsis: This documentary explores the American military's use of torture by focusing on the unsolved murder of an Afhgani taxi driver... [More]

#17

Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)
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#17
Adjusted Score: 104035%
Critics Consensus: Quo Vadis, Aida? uses one woman's heartbreaking conflict to offer a searing account of war's devastating human toll.
Synopsis: Bosnia, July 11th 1995. Aida is a translator for the United Nations in the small town of Srebrenica. When the... [More]

#18

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
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#18
Adjusted Score: 111788%
Critics Consensus: A disarmingly sweet musical led by outstanding performances from Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien, Meet Me in St. Louis offers a holiday treat for all ages.
Synopsis: "Meet Me in St. Louis" is a classic MGM romantic musical comedy that focuses on four sisters (one of whom... [More]

#19
Adjusted Score: 103111%
Critics Consensus: On paper, GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem might seem less than thrilling, but on the screen, it delivers two hours of nonstop, tightly wound, brilliantly acted drama.
Synopsis: An Israeli woman (Ronit Elkabetz) fights for three years to obtain a divorce from her devout husband (Simon Abkarian), who... [More]

#20

Singin' in the Rain (1952)
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#20
Adjusted Score: 113623%
Critics Consensus: Clever, incisive, and funny, Singin' in the Rain is a masterpiece of the classical Hollywood musical.
Synopsis: A spoof of the turmoil that afflicted the movie industry in the late 1920s when movies went from silent to... [More]

#21

Hive (2021)
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#21
Adjusted Score: 103043%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by Yllka Gashi's outstanding performance, Hive leads viewers on one woman's fact-based quest for self-determination in a patriarchal society.
Synopsis: HIVE is a searing drama based on the true story of Fahrije (Yllka Gashi), who, like many of the other... [More]

#22

Welcome to Chechnya (2020)
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#22
Adjusted Score: 103543%
Critics Consensus: An illuminating and urgent call to action, Welcome to Chechnya portrays the horrors of the mass persecution of the LGBTQ+ community in the Chechen Republic with tenacity and tenderness.
Synopsis: Activists risk their lives to confront Russian leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his government-directed campaign to detain, torture and execute LGBTQ... [More]

#23

Poetry (2010)
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#23
Adjusted Score: 102188%
Critics Consensus: Poetry is an absorbing, poignant drama because it offers no easy answers to its complex central conflict.
Synopsis: Kind-hearted Mija (Yun Jung-hee) is tasked with raising her troubled teenage grandson, Jong-wook, while her daughter works in far-off Busan.... [More]

#24

Deliver Us From Evil (2006)
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#24
Adjusted Score: 102250%
Critics Consensus: Deliver Us From Evil is a superb documentary and a searing look at an institution protecting its leaders at the expense of its followers. A profoundly disturbing chronicle of a wolf in sheep's clothing, the film builds a clear-eyed case against pedophile priest Oliver O'Grady, and the Catholic bureaucracy that protected him. The recollections of O'Grady's victims are nothing short of shocking and heartbreaking.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Amy Berg documents the case of convicted pedophile Oliver Grady who, as a priest in northern California, molested the... [More]

#25

Waste Land (2010)
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#25
Adjusted Score: 102188%
Critics Consensus: Waste Land begins with an eco-friendly premise, but quickly transforms into an uplifting portrait of the power of art and the dignity of the human spirit.
Synopsis: Located just outside Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Gramacho, Brazil, is the world's largest garbage landfill. Modern artist Vik Muniz works... [More]

#26

The Terminator (1984)
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#26
Adjusted Score: 106273%
Critics Consensus: With its impressive action sequences, taut economic direction, and relentlessly fast pace, it's clear why The Terminator continues to be an influence on sci-fi and action flicks.
Synopsis: Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill... [More]

#27

Stop Making Sense (1984)
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#27
Adjusted Score: 106273%
Critics Consensus: Jonathan Demme's Stop Making Sense captures the energetic, unpredictable live act of peak Talking Heads with color and visual wit.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Jonathan Demme captures Talking Heads and an ecstatic ensemble of musicians at their exhilarating best in this iconic live... [More]

#28

20 Days in Mariupol (2023)
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#28
Adjusted Score: 103182%
Critics Consensus: 20 Days in Mariupol offers a grueling but vital look at the devastating impact of war.
Synopsis: As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue... [More]

#29

Descendant (2022)
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#29
Adjusted Score: 103041%
Critics Consensus: Descendant serves as a fantastically compelling example of how history can be reclaimed -- and a stirring tribute to a resilient community.
Synopsis: Documentary filmmaker Margaret Brown ("The Order of Myths", "The Great Invisible") returns to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama to document... [More]

#30

The Square (2013)
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#30
Adjusted Score: 102473%
Critics Consensus: The Square offers an electrifying -- and edifying -- ground-level glimpse of life inside a real-life political revolution.
Synopsis: Egyptian revolutionaries battle their leaders and regime to build a new society.... [More]

#31
#31
Adjusted Score: 102495%
Critics Consensus: Seymour Bernstein's genuineness shines so brightly in Seymour: An Introduction that viewers will forgive debuting director Ethan Hawke's reverent treatment.
Synopsis: Pianist Seymour Bernstein, who gave up performing for teaching, discusses his passion for music and his philosophy of life.... [More]

#32

The Janes (2022)
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#32
Adjusted Score: 102923%
Critics Consensus: Frighteningly timely and powerfully persuasive, The Janes offers a unique opportunity to look back at a pivotal chapter in American history through the eyes of those who helped define it.
Synopsis: In the spring of 1972, police raided an apartment on the South Side of Chicago. Seven women were arrested and... [More]

#33
Adjusted Score: 103114%
Critics Consensus: All In: The Fight for Democracy lives up to its title as a galvanizing rallying cry for voters to exercise -- and preserve -- their right to be heard.
Synopsis: Filmmakers Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortes examine the history of voter suppression and the activists who fight for the rights... [More]

#34
Adjusted Score: 103112%
Critics Consensus: An absorbing and affectionate tribute to a unique individual, Mucho Mucho Amor should prove fascinating for Walter Mercado fans as well as first-timers.
Synopsis: Puerto Rican astrologer and psychic Walter Mercado discusses his life, career and post-fame seclusion.... [More]

#35

Laura (1944)
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#35
Adjusted Score: 109550%
Critics Consensus: A psychologically complex portrait of obsession, Laura is also a deliciously well-crafted murder mystery.
Synopsis: In one of the most celebrated 1940s film noirs, Manhattan detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of Madison... [More]

#36

Still Walking (2008)
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#36
Adjusted Score: 101918%
Critics Consensus: Hirokazu Kore-eda's film may seem modest at first, but this family drama casts a delicate, entrancing spell.
Synopsis: Twelve years after their beloved eldest son, Junpei, drowned while saving a stranger's life, Kyohei (Yoshio Harada) and Toshiko (Kirin... [More]

#37

M (1931)
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#37
Adjusted Score: 109295%
Critics Consensus: A landmark psychological thriller with arresting images, deep thoughts on modern society, and Peter Lorre in his finest performance.
Synopsis: In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre), a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of... [More]

#38

Playground (2021)
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#38
Adjusted Score: 102446%
Critics Consensus: As honest as it is empathetic, Playground presents a sensitive yet hard-hitting child's-eye view of life in elementary school.
Synopsis: In this debut feature by writer-director Laura Wandel, the everyday reality of grade school is seen from a child's-eye-view as... [More]

#39

Pinocchio (1940)
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#39
Adjusted Score: 108758%
Critics Consensus: Ambitious, adventurous, and sometimes frightening, Pinocchio arguably represents the pinnacle of Disney's collected works -- it's beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant.
Synopsis: When the woodworker Geppetto (Christian Rub) sees a falling star, he wishes that the puppet he just finished, Pinocchio (Dickie... [More]

#40

Afghan Star (2009)
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#40
Adjusted Score: 101817%
Critics Consensus: An enlightening and sobering documentary on Afghanistan's very own X-Factor.
Synopsis: Director Havana Marking dives into the booming, but still young and growing, world of pop culture in Afghanistan. Newly liberated... [More]

#41

Three Colors: Red (1994)
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#41
Adjusted Score: 104158%
Critics Consensus: A complex, stirring, and beautifully realized portrait of interconnected lives, Red is the captivating conclusion to a remarkable trilogy.
Synopsis: Part-time model Valentine (Irène Jacob) meets a retired judge (Jean-Louis Trintignant) who lives in her neighborhood after she runs over... [More]

#42
#42
Adjusted Score: 102171%
Critics Consensus: Dawson City: Frozen Time takes a patient look at the past through long-lost film footage that reveals much more than glimpses at life through the camera's lens.
Synopsis: In 1978 Canada, a bulldozer digs up a long-lost collection of 533 nitrate film prints from the early 1900s.... [More]

#43

Slalom (2020)
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#43
Adjusted Score: 102805%
Critics Consensus: Led by Noée Abita's outstanding central performance, Slalom offers a moving account of oppression and abuse in the guise of mentorship.
Synopsis: This riveting, Cannes-selected #MeToo drama from debut filmmaker Charlène Favier follows the relationship between a teenage ski prodigy and her... [More]

#44

Only Yesterday (1991)
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#44
Adjusted Score: 105182%
Critics Consensus: Only Yesterday's long-delayed U.S. debut fills a frustrating gap for American Ghibli fans while offering further proof of the studio's incredibly consistent commitment to quality.
Synopsis: A put-upon 27-year-old Japanese office worker travels to the countryside and reminisces about her childhood in Tokyo and what life... [More]

#45

12 Angry Men (1957)
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#45
Adjusted Score: 108728%
Critics Consensus: Sidney Lumet's feature debut is a superbly written, dramatically effective courtroom thriller that rightfully stands as a modern classic.
Synopsis: Following the closing arguments in a murder trial, the 12 members of the jury must deliberate, with a guilty verdict... [More]

#46

The Black Pirate (1926)
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#46
Adjusted Score: 112006%
Critics Consensus: With a never-better Douglas Fairbanks leading the dashing action, The Black Pirate sets the standard for action and adventure on the high seas.
Synopsis: Pirates loot a ship of its riches before blowing it up. Father-and-son survivors of noble birth wash ashore of an... [More]

#47

Athlete A (2020)
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#47
Adjusted Score: 102682%
Critics Consensus: Harrowing yet essential viewing, Athlete A shines an unforgiving light on horrific abuses -- as well as the culture that allowed them to continue unabated for years.
Synopsis: Reporters from The Indianapolis Star expose Dr. Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of young gymnasts.... [More]

#48

Nowhere Special (2020)
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#48
Adjusted Score: 102684%
Critics Consensus: Focusing pragmatically on the ordinary human moments that bind us, Nowhere Special leads us somewhere devastating yet surprisingly uplifting.
Synopsis: When single father John is given only a few months left to live, he tries to find the perfect family... [More]

#49

Beyond Utopia (2023)
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#49
Adjusted Score: 102465%
Critics Consensus: A documentary that feels like a thriller, Beyond Utopia is a gripping -- and frightening -- glimpse of life under oppression.
Synopsis: A suspenseful, riveting portrait of the lengths people will go to gain freedom, BEYOND UTOPIA follows various families as they... [More]

#50

The Work (2017)
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#50
Adjusted Score: 102342%
Critics Consensus: The Work takes a gut-wrenching look at lives all too often written off as lost causes, persuasively arguing that growth and change can be waiting where we least expect it.
Synopsis: Set inside a single room in Folsom Prison, three men from the outside participate in a four-day group therapy retreat... [More]

#51
Adjusted Score: 101916%
Critics Consensus: Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds is a touching, bittersweet, and ultimately charming love story that serves as a poignantly effective tribute to the strangely complicated, uniquely resilient mother/daughter duo.
Synopsis: A portrait of Hollywood royalty Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds.... [More]

#52

Tampopo (1985)
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#52
Adjusted Score: 105038%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to director Juzo Itami's offbeat humor and sharp satirical edge, Tampopo is a funny, sexy, affectionate celebration of food and its broad influence on Japanese culture.
Synopsis: Two Japanese milk-truck drivers (Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken Watanabe) help a restaurant owner (Nobuko Miyamoto) learn how to cook great noodles.... [More]

#53

Attica (2021)
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#53
Adjusted Score: 102015%
Critics Consensus: Attica revisits the titular riot with intelligence, compassion, and anger, presenting a version of events that honors history as much as it exemplifies the art of documentary filmmaking.
Synopsis: During the summer of 1971, tensions between inmates and guards at the Attica Correctional Facility are at an all-time high.... [More]

#54

Last Train Home (2009)
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#54
Adjusted Score: 101504%
Critics Consensus: Last Train Home is a haunting, vivid documentary exploring the human toll of China's economic boom in intimate, unforgettable detail.
Synopsis: Annually, an estimated 130 million factories workers in China migrate from their city of employment back to the village they... [More]

#55

Cool Hand Luke (1967)
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#55
Adjusted Score: 106361%
Critics Consensus: Though hampered by Stuart Rosenberg's direction, Cool Hand Luke is held aloft by a stellar script and one of Paul Newman's most indelible performances.
Synopsis: When petty criminal Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is sentenced to two years in a Florida prison farm, he doesn't play... [More]

#56

O.J.: Made in America (2016)
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#56
Adjusted Score: 101864%
Critics Consensus: O.J.: Made in America paints a balanced and thorough portrait of the American dream juxtaposed with tragedy and executed with power and skill.
Synopsis: Director Ezra Edelman examines race and celebrity through the life of O.J. Simpson. Beginning at the emergence of his football... [More]

#57

A Secret Love (2020)
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#57
Adjusted Score: 102377%
Critics Consensus: In telling one couple's story, A Secret Love pays understated yet powerful tribute to a lifetime of choices and sacrifices made in the name of enduring devotion.
Synopsis: A former baseball player keeps her lesbian relationship a secret from her family for seven decades.... [More]

#58
Adjusted Score: 108362%
Critics Consensus: Remade but never duplicated, this darkly humorous morality tale represents John Huston at his finest.
Synopsis: In this classic adventure film, two rough-and-tumble wanderers, Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Curtin (Tim Holt), meet up with a veteran... [More]

#59

Writing with Fire (2021)
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#59
Adjusted Score: 101912%
Critics Consensus: Writing with Fire pays stirring tribute to the power of journalism -- and presents a chilling glimpse of the forces aligned against it.
Synopsis: Armed with smartphones and tenacity, a fearless group of journalists from India's only women-led news outlet confront social injustice while... [More]

#60

The Gold Rush (1925)
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#60
Adjusted Score: 108464%
Critics Consensus: A delightful blend of slapstick humor, poignant emotion, and social commentary, The Gold Rush encapsulates Chaplin's strengths as a writer, director, and star.
Synopsis: In this classic silent comedy, the Little Tramp (Charles Chaplin) heads north to join in the Klondike gold rush. Trapped... [More]

#61

Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
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#61
Adjusted Score: 106040%
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... [More]

#62
Adjusted Score: 101906%
Critics Consensus: Three Minutes - A Lengthening movingly captures a moment in time while honoring lives soon to be cut short by unimaginable horror.
Synopsis: Three Minutes - A Lengthening presents a home movie shot by David Kurtz in 1938 in a Jewish town in... [More]

#63

Chained for Life (2018)
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#63
Adjusted Score: 102103%
Critics Consensus: Darkly funny and impressively ambitious, Chained for Life is as unpredictable as it is original.
Synopsis: An actress bonds with a young man who has a severe facial deformity.... [More]

#64

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
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#64
Adjusted Score: 109849%
Critics Consensus: Alfred Hitchcock's earliest classic -- and his own personal favorite -- deals its flesh-crawling thrills as deftly as its finely shaded characters.
Synopsis: Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) visits his relatives in Santa Rosa. He is a very charming man, but his niece slowly... [More]

#65

Coded Bias (2020)
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#65
Adjusted Score: 102254%
Critics Consensus: Clear, concise, and comprehensive, Coded Bias offers a chilling look at largely unseen side effects of modern society's algorithmic underpinnings.
Synopsis: An exploration into the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's discovery of racial bias in facial recognition algorithms.... [More]

#66

Tokyo Story (1953)
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#66
Adjusted Score: 106712%
Critics Consensus: Tokyo Story is a Yasujiro Ozu masterpiece whose rewarding complexity has lost none of its power more than half a century on.
Synopsis: The elderly Shukishi (Chishu Ryu) and his wife, Tomi (Chieko Higashiyama), take the long journey from their small seaside village... [More]

#67

The Wages of Fear (1953)
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#67
Adjusted Score: 106567%
Critics Consensus: An existential suspense classic, The Wages of Fear blends nonstop suspense with biting satire; its influence is still being felt on today's thrillers.
Synopsis: In the South American jungle, supplies of nitroglycerine are needed at a remote oil field. The oil company pays four... [More]

#68
Adjusted Score: 110633%
Critics Consensus: Errol Flynn thrills as the legendary title character, and the film embodies the type of imaginative family adventure tailor-made for the silver screen.
Synopsis: When King Richard the Lionheart is captured, his scheming brother Prince John (Claude Rains) plots to reach the throne, to... [More]

#69

White Riot (2019)
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#69
Adjusted Score: 101839%
Critics Consensus: Raw and energetic like the music that inspired the 1970s political movement, White Riot offers invaluable insight into how music can change the world -- and how Rock Against Racism still resonates.
Synopsis: An exploration of how punk influenced politics in late-1970s Britain when a group of artists united to take on the... [More]

#70

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
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#70
Adjusted Score: 106776%
Critics Consensus: A potent drama that is as socially important today as when it was made, The Grapes of Wrath is affecting, moving, and deservedly considered an American classic.
Synopsis: The Joad clan, introduced to the world in John Steinbeck's iconic novel, is looking for a better life in California.... [More]

#71

Before Sunrise (1995)
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#71
Adjusted Score: 103300%
Critics Consensus: Thought-provoking and beautifully filmed, Before Sunrise is an intelligent, unabashedly romantic look at modern love, led by marvelously natural performances from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy.
Synopsis: On his way to Vienna, American Jesse (Ethan Hawke) meets Celine (Julie Delpy), a student returning to Paris. After long... [More]

#72
Adjusted Score: 101695%
Critics Consensus: Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror takes a fascinating deep dive that'll leave like-minded viewers making numerous new additions to their streaming queues.
Synopsis: WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED is the first feature-length documentary on the history of folk horror, exploring the phenomenon from... [More]

#73

Slay the Dragon (2019)
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#73
Adjusted Score: 101784%
Critics Consensus: Slay the Dragon takes a suitably outraged -- but ultimately optimistic -- look at modern-day gerrymandering that doubles as a heartfelt call to action.
Synopsis: Activists work to rid gerrymandering from America's election process.... [More]

#74
#74
Adjusted Score: 101614%
Critics Consensus: 3 And 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets tells a gut-wrenching story in overall gripping fashion -- and wisely underplays its outrage, letting the details speak for themselves.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Marc Silver uses the shooting death of black teenager Jordan Davis to examine Florida's "Stand Your Ground" self-defense law.... [More]

#75
#75
Adjusted Score: 108086%
Critics Consensus: Performed with chameleonic brio by Alec Guinness, Kind Hearts and Coronets is a triumphant farce.
Synopsis: When his mother eloped with an Italian opera singer, Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) was cut off from her aristocratic family.... [More]

#76

Battleship Potemkin (1925)
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#76
Adjusted Score: 107763%
Critics Consensus: A technical masterpiece, Battleship Potemkin is Soviet cinema at its finest, and its montage editing techniques remain influential to this day.
Synopsis: When they are fed rancid meat, the sailors on the Potemkin revolt against their harsh conditions. Led by Vakulinchuk (Aleksandr... [More]

#77

The Kid (1921)
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#77
Adjusted Score: 111387%
Critics Consensus: Charles Chaplin' irascible Tramp is given able support from Jackie Coogan as The Kid in this slapstick masterpiece, balancing the guffaws with moments of disarming poignancy.
Synopsis: Chaplin's first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him... [More]

#78

The Age of Shadows (2016)
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#78
Adjusted Score: 101506%
Critics Consensus: The Age of Shadows justifies its imposing length with a richly detailed period drama whose sprawling size is matched by strong acting, impressive craft, and narrative depth.
Synopsis: Korean resistance fighters smuggle explosives to destroy facilities controlled by Japanese forces.... [More]

#79
Adjusted Score: 101200%
Critics Consensus: Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone is an entertaining, heartwarming, and balanced documentary about the influential Los Angeles band.
Synopsis: With a blistering combination of punk and funk, Fishbone demolishes the walls of genres and challenges the racial stereotypes and... [More]

#80
#80
Adjusted Score: 101811%
Critics Consensus: Hannah Gadsby: Nanette brilliantly moves modern comedy into nakedly honest new territory, pivoting from dry humor to raw, powerful storytelling.
Synopsis: Australian comic Hannah Gadsby reshapes standard stand-up by pairing punchlines with personal revelations on gender, sexuality and childhood turmoil.... [More]

#81
#81
Adjusted Score: 101155%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In Chile's Atacama Desert, widows search for the bones of loved ones, left by Pinochet's atrocities.... [More]

#82

Stagecoach (1939)
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#82
Adjusted Score: 106143%
Critics Consensus: Typifying the best that the Western genre has to offer, Stagecoach is a rip-roaring adventure given dramatic heft by John Ford's dynamic direction and John Wayne's mesmerizing star turn.
Synopsis: John Ford's landmark Western revolves around an assorted group of colorful passengers aboard the Overland stagecoach bound for Lordsburg, New... [More]

#83

Strong Island (2017)
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#83
Adjusted Score: 101756%
Critics Consensus: Strong Island uses one family's heartbreaking tragedy to offer a sobering picture of racial injustice in modern America.
Synopsis: When filmmaker Yance Ford investigates the 1992 murder of a young black man, it becomes an achingly personal journey since... [More]

#84
Adjusted Score: 101754%
Critics Consensus: Inspirational and unabashedly political, Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down pays passionate tribute to its resilient subject.
Synopsis: Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down tells the extraordinary story of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords: her relentless fight to recover... [More]

#85

Sabaya (2021)
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#85
Adjusted Score: 101534%
Critics Consensus: Sabaya presents a scary and sobering look at human suffering -- and the efforts of those dedicated to ending it.
Synopsis: Members of a group risk their lives trying to save Yazidi women and girls who are being held as sex... [More]

#86

We Were Here (2011)
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#86
Adjusted Score: 101073%
Critics Consensus: We Were Here revisits the crises facing the gay community in the early 1980s -- and offers a powerful tribute to the inspiring resolve shown at a time of turmoil.
Synopsis: During the 1970s, San Francisco became a safe haven for the gay and lesbian community, providing a place where one... [More]

#87

Open City (1945)
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#87
Adjusted Score: 106110%
Critics Consensus: Open City fills in the familiar contours of its storyline with three-dimensional characters and a narrative depth that add up to a towering -- and still powerfully resonant -- cinematic achievement.
Synopsis: Rome, 1944. Giorgio Manfredi, one of the leaders of the Resistance is tracked down by the Nazis. He goes to... [More]

#88

Fanny and Alexander (1982)
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#88
Adjusted Score: 104198%
Critics Consensus: Ingmar Bergman conveys the sweep of childhood with a fastidious attention to detail and sumptuous insight into human frailty in Fanny & Alexander, a masterwork that crystalizes many of the directors' preoccupations into a familial epic.
Synopsis: As children in the loving Ekdahl family, Fanny (Pernilla Allwin) and Alexander (Bertil Guve) enjoy a happy life with their... [More]

#89

A Thousand Cuts (2020)
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#89
Adjusted Score: 101823%
Critics Consensus: A sobering documentary and a stark warning, A Thousand Cuts underscores the importance of the press at a pivotal moment in world history.
Synopsis: Journalist Maria Ressa risks her life and freedom as an outspoken critic of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.... [More]

#90

Ilo Ilo (2013)
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#90
Adjusted Score: 101315%
Critics Consensus: Quietly compassionate and rich in detail, Ilo Ilo is a strikingly mature debut from writer-director Anthony Chen.
Synopsis: A hardworking mother (Yann Yann Yeo) becomes jealous of her rambunctious son's (Koh Jia Ler) close bond with his nanny... [More]

#91

The Velvet Queen (2021)
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#91
Adjusted Score: 101477%
Critics Consensus: Its narration might not be distracting for some, but The Velvet Queen more than makes up for it with some truly striking cinematography.
Synopsis: In the heart of the Tibetan highlands, multi-award-winning nature photographer Vincent Munier guides writer Sylvain Tesson on his quest to... [More]

#92
#92
Adjusted Score: 103616%
Critics Consensus: An achingly sad anti-war film, Grave of the Fireflies is one of Studio Ghibli's most profoundly beautiful, haunting works.
Synopsis: A teenager (J. Robert Spencer) is charged with the care of his younger sister (Rhoda Chrosite) after an Allied firebombing... [More]

#93

Coup 53 (2019)
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#93
Adjusted Score: 101505%
Critics Consensus: Rife with the political intrigue promised by its title, Coup 53 is a spellbinding documentary with the heart of a thriller.
Synopsis: The story of Operation Ajax, the CIA/MI6 staged coup in 1953 in Iran that overthrew Prime Minister Mossadegh.... [More]

#94

Mickey and the Bear (2019)
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#94
Adjusted Score: 101505%
Critics Consensus: Brought to life by a breakout performance by Camila Morrone, Mickey and the Bear finds affecting drama at the crossroads of a young woman's coming-of-age journey.
Synopsis: A Montana teenager navigates a loving but volatile relationship with her single, veteran father. In a desperate search for independence... [More]

#95

Rewind (2019)
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#95
Adjusted Score: 101505%
Critics Consensus: Rewind pulls at the roots of a family's horrific trauma with a deeply personal documentary that's hard to watch, but worth the effort.
Synopsis: Digging through his father's home videos, a young man reconstructs the story of his boyhood and recalls the abuse he... [More]

#96
Adjusted Score: 101505%
Critics Consensus: Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street compassionately draws on an actor's personal journey to offer a compelling and illuminating reexamination of the franchise's first sequel.
Synopsis: Actor Mark Patton shares his story of being a closeted gay man while starring in "A Nightmare on Elm Street... [More]

#97

Sound City (2013)
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#97
Adjusted Score: 101265%
Critics Consensus: Smart, affectionate, and unabashedly sincere, Sound City pairs a great soundtrack with a well-argued ode to one of rock 'n' roll's most fondly remembered bygone eras.
Synopsis: Artists and producers highlight the history of the recording studio in Van Nuys, Calif., and discuss the impact of music... [More]

#98

Fireworks Wednesday (2006)
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#98
Adjusted Score: 101060%
Critics Consensus: Well-written and powerfully acted, Fireworks Wednesday gives audiences an early, assured glimpse of writer-director Asghar Farhadi's emerging talent.
Synopsis: Upon hearing of the engagement of her housekeeper, Roohi (Taraneh Alidoosti), housewife Mozhde (Hedye Tehrani) sends the betrothed to enjoy... [More]

#99
#99
Adjusted Score: 103874%
Critics Consensus: As sensitive as the young man at its center, Searching for Bobby Fischer uses a prodigy's struggle to find personal balance as the background for a powerfully moving drama.
Synopsis: After he beats his dad (Joe Mantegna) in a chess match, Josh Waitzkin (Max Pomeranc), a 7-year-old, gets noticed for... [More]

#100

Nights of Cabiria (1957)
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#100
Adjusted Score: 106176%
Critics Consensus: Giulietta Masina is remarkable as a chronically unfortunate wretch with an indomitable spirit in Federico Fellini's unrelentingly bleak -- yet ultimately uplifting -- odyssey through heartbreak.
Synopsis: The magnificent Giulietta Masina (Fellini's wife) plays an eternally optimistic Rome streetwalker with a heart of gold and a head... [More]

#101

Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)
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#101
Adjusted Score: 105311%
Critics Consensus: Au Hasard Balthazar uses one animal's lifelong journey to trace a soberly compelling -- and ultimately heartbreaking -- outline of the human experience.
Synopsis: This thoughtful and unique French film reveals the surprisingly deep connection between Marie (Anne Wiazemsky), a sensitive farm girl, and... [More]

#102

Mayor (2020)
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#102
Adjusted Score: 101701%
Critics Consensus: A clear-eyed look at an extraordinary subject, Mayor makes essential viewing out of one politician's quest to preserve dignity in the midst of bureaucracy.
Synopsis: A look at the life of Musa Hadid, the charismatic mayor of Palestinian city Ramallah, who aspires to lead the... [More]

#103

Maedchen in Uniform (1931)
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#103
Adjusted Score: 105975%
Critics Consensus: Beautifully filmed and performed, Mäedchen in Uniform avoids easy melodrama with its sensitive handling of oft-sensationalized subject matter.
Synopsis: After the death of her mother, teenage Manuela (Hertha Thiele) is sent off to a boarding school run by the... [More]

#104

Stalker (1979)
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#104
Adjusted Score: 103886%
Critics Consensus: Stalker is a complex, oblique parable that draws unforgettable images and philosophical musings from its sci-fi/thriller setting.
Synopsis: In an unnamed country at an unspecified time, there is a fiercely protected post-apocalyptic wasteland known as The Zone. An... [More]

#105

The First Slam Dunk (2022)
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#105
Adjusted Score: 101578%
Critics Consensus: A heart-pumping, breathtaking, wonderfully crafted manga adaptation, The First Slam Dunk shoots and scores.
Synopsis: Shohoku's "speedster" and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while... [More]

#106

Paper Spiders (2021)
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#106
Adjusted Score: 101640%
Critics Consensus: A coming-of-age drama that thoughtfully handles hard-hitting themes, Paper Spiders is anchored by heartbreaking performances from its leads.
Synopsis: Dawn (Lili Taylor) recently lost her husband and experiences growing anxiety as her daughter Melanie (Stefania Owen) plans to move... [More]

#107
Adjusted Score: 101199%
Critics Consensus: Bertrand Tavernier is an engaging guide through this Journey Through French Cinema, curating a revelatory tour through his homeland's film history with a personal touch that will delight movie fans and the culturally curious alike.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier examines the great directors, actors, writers, composers and cinematographers of French cinema, including Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard,... [More]

#108
Adjusted Score: 100897%
Critics Consensus: Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness serves as an effective primer on its subject, as well as an evocative portrait of the era in which he lived.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Joseph Dorman presents the life, work and legacy of the Yiddish writer who used the vernacular of the common... [More]

#109

Top Hat (1935)
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#109
Adjusted Score: 108082%
Critics Consensus: A glamorous and enthralling Depression-era diversion, Top Hat is nearly flawless, with acrobatics by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers that make the hardest physical stunts seem light as air.
Synopsis: The story centers on wealthy Dale Tremont (Ginger Rogers), on holiday in London and Venice. She assumes that American entertainer... [More]

#110
Adjusted Score: 101518%
Critics Consensus: An indispensable watch for film buffs, Is That Black Enough for You?!? shines a sorely needed spotlight on a remarkably rich period in the medium's history.
Synopsis: From celebrated writer and film historian Elvis Mitchell, IS THAT BLACK ENOUGH FOR YOU?!? is both a documentary and deeply... [More]

#111

A Man Escaped (1956)
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#111
Adjusted Score: 106316%
Critics Consensus: A Man Escaped is blockbuster Bresson, a well-acted POW drama that builds with subtle, seat-gripping tension.
Synopsis: In a film based on the writings of French Resistance fighter and POW André Devigny, Fontaine (François Leterrier) is being... [More]

#112

LaRoy, Texas (2023)
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#112
Adjusted Score: 101569%
Critics Consensus: Distinguished by sharp writing and a talented cast, LaRoy, Texas is a generally satisfying neo-noir treat for crime thriller fans.
Synopsis: Broke and depressed, Ray (John Magaro) is mistaken for a dangerous hitman and given an envelope of cash. Along with... [More]

#113
Adjusted Score: 102254%
Critics Consensus: An affectionate retrospective on Christopher Reeve's bravery and heroism in his own personal life, Super/Man takes to the skies in inspirational uplift.
Synopsis: The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal... [More]

#114

Free Chol Soo Lee (2022)
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#114
Adjusted Score: 101459%
Critics Consensus: Free Chol Soo Lee powerfully relates a story of injustice while issuing a searing indictment of the systemic racism that enabled it.
Synopsis: In 1970s San Francisco, 20-year-old Korean immigrant Chol Soo Lee is racially profiled and convicted of a Chinatown gang murder.... [More]

#115
Adjusted Score: 101400%
Critics Consensus: Mr. Death outlines its subject's controversial life's work with the deeply fascinating and thought-provoking élan film fans have come to expect from director Errol Morris.
Synopsis: Documentary filmmaker Errol Morris investigates the case of a man who became an authority on capital punishment, but was discredited... [More]

#116

Sullivan's Travels (1941)
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#116
Adjusted Score: 105821%
Critics Consensus: Blending screwball comedy with a socially conscious message, Sullivan's Travels offers delightful proof of writer-director Preston Sturges' ability to provoke serious thought as well as helpless laughter.
Synopsis: Successful movie director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea), convinced he won't be able to film his ambitious masterpiece until he... [More]

#117
Adjusted Score: 103526%
Critics Consensus: The Decline of Western Civilization takes a frank, often funny look at the punk culture of the late '70s and early '80s.
Synopsis: Director Penelope Spheeris surveys the late-1970s Los Angeles punk scene: X, Black Flag, Fear, Germs, Catholic Discipline, Alice Bag Band.... [More]

#118
#118
Adjusted Score: 104110%
Critics Consensus: Regarded as one of the high-water marks in German New Wave cinema of the 1970s, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul is at once an intense portrayal of a relationship and a tribute to one of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film heroes, Douglas Sirk.
Synopsis: Emmi Kurowski (Brigitte Mira), a cleaning lady, is lonely in her old age. Her husband died years ago, and her... [More]

#119

Acasa, My Home (2020)
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#119
Adjusted Score: 101516%
Critics Consensus: Acasa, My Home presents a powerful documentary portrait of one family's odyssey that illustrates bittersweet truths about freedom and society.
Synopsis: A rural Romanian couple and their nine children must learn to live in the big city.... [More]

#120
#120
Adjusted Score: 101283%
Critics Consensus: Engrossing for casual listeners as well as hardcore fans, Mystify: Michael Hutchence sheds a poignant light on a life and career cut short by tragedy.
Synopsis: Archival footage, private home movies and intimate interviews offer insight into the extraordinary life and career of former INXS singer... [More]

#121

More Than Honey (2012)
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#121
Adjusted Score: 101112%
Critics Consensus: A rare advocacy documentary that fully trusts its subject's ability to fascinate, More Than Honey enlightens without badgering -- and is all the more effective for it.
Synopsis: Beekeepers, scientists and others discuss the world's declining bee population and what it may mean for modern society.... [More]

#122

Sugar Cane Alley (1983)
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#122
Adjusted Score: 103763%
Critics Consensus: Visually and thematically evocative, Sugar Cane Alley tells a story that's heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure.
Synopsis: In the French colony of Martinique in the 1930s, rambunctious teenager Jose (Garry Cadenat) lives in a rundown shack in... [More]

#123

Local Hero (1983)
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#123
Adjusted Score: 103763%
Critics Consensus: A charmingly low-key character study brought to life by a tremendously talented cast, Local Hero is as humorous as it is heartwarming.
Synopsis: Up-and-coming Houston oil executive "Mac" MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) gets more than he bargained for when a seemingly simple business trip... [More]

#124

California Typewriter (2016)
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#124
Adjusted Score: 101097%
Critics Consensus: California Typewriter is an affectionate, nostalgic love letter to the typed word from enthusiasts and experts alike.
Synopsis: A look at the people who remain loyal to the typewriter as a tool and muse, and a portrait of... [More]

#125

Changing the Game (2019)
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#125
Adjusted Score: 101227%
Critics Consensus: Urgent and empathetic, Changing the Game takes an affecting and admirably nuanced look at young transgender athletes.
Synopsis: This intimate story takes us into the lives of three high school athletes from across the US -- all at... [More]

#126

Bait (2019)
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#126
Adjusted Score: 101227%
Critics Consensus: As visually distinctive as it is narratively satisfying, Bait blends a classic aesthetic with timely themes to produce a thrillingly original and uniquely enriching drama.
Synopsis: Tension rises to the breaking point in a Cornwall fishing village when the local citizens are crowded out by tourists.... [More]