Critics Pick the Best Movies of the Last 25 Years
In celebration of Rotten Tomatoes’ 25th anniversary, we asked critics to submit their top films and TV shows released in the past 25 years!
Critics’ top movies since the Tomatometer’s inception reflect various titles and tastes; each represents the state of the industry and popular culture, from timeless classics to technical feats. They include iconic award-winners like Parasite and Mad Max: Fury Road. Beside those are hits from beloved directors like Barry Jenkins, Quentin Tarantino, Jordan Peele, the Wachowskis, and the Coen brothers. Epics like The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Black Panther, and Paddington 2 also share their ranks.
Here’s how it worked: We sent out a survey to individually approved Tomatometer critics, asking them to choose (in no particular order) their top five movies and top five TV series released in the last 25 years. Then, we tallied their votes, narrowed down the most popular 25 titles, and voila! We have our lists.
To see which television series made the cut, check out the list of Critics’ Freshest TV Picks from the Last 25 Years, too!
Archival curation for this feature was done by Tim Ryan, Rob Fowler, and Dom.
97%
Critics Consensus: With exhilarating action and a surprising amount of narrative heft, Mad Max: Fury Road brings George Miller's post-apocalyptic franchise roaring vigorously back to life.
Synopsis: Years after the collapse of civilization, the tyrannical Immortan Joe enslaves apocalypse survivors inside the desert fortress the Citadel. When the warrior Imperator Furiosa leads... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne
Directed By: George Miller
99%
Critics Consensus: An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft.
Synopsis: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik
Directed By: Bong Joon Ho
84%
Critics Consensus: David Lynch's dreamlike and mysterious Mulholland Drive is a twisty neo-noir with an unconventional structure that features a mesmerizing performance from Naomi Watts as a woman on the dark fringes of Hollywood.
Synopsis: A dark-haired woman (Laura Elena Harring) is left amnesiac after a car crash. She wanders the streets of Los Angeles in a daze before taking... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Ann Miller
Directed By: David Lynch
94%
Critics Consensus: Dark, complex, and unforgettable, The Dark Knight succeeds not just as an entertaining comic book film, but as a richly thrilling crime saga.
Synopsis: With the help of allies, Lt. Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent, Batman is able to keep a tight lid on crime in Gotham City.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
97%
Critics Consensus: A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance.
Synopsis: In 1770 the young daughter of a French countess develops a mutual attraction to the female artist commissioned to paint her wedding portrait.
Starring: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino
Directed By: Céline Sciamma
92%
Critics Consensus: An exquisitely shot showcase for Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung that marks a somber evolution of Wong Kar-wai's chic style, In the Mood for Love is a tantric tease that's liable to break your heart.
Synopsis: In 1962, journalist Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but Chow's spouse is often away on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Kelly Lai Chen, Rebecca Pan
Directed By: Kar-Wai Wong
96%
Critics Consensus: Spirited Away is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them.
Synopsis: 10-year-old Chihiro (Daveigh Chase) moves with her parents to a new home in the Japanese countryside. After taking a wrong turn down a wooded path,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Susan Egan
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
95%
Critics Consensus: Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups, with the horrors of both reality and fantasy blended together into an extraordinary, spellbinding fable.
Synopsis: In 1944 in Spain, Ofelia and her ailing mother arrive at the post of her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer who is trying... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Álex Angulo
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro
83%
Critics Consensus: Thanks to the Wachowskis' imaginative vision, The Matrix is a smartly crafted combination of spectacular action and groundbreaking special effects.
Synopsis: Neo believes that Morpheus, an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question -- What is the Matrix? Neo... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Directed By: Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
96%
Critics Consensus: Impeccably scripted, beautifully directed, and filled with fine performances, The Social Network is a riveting, ambitious example of modern filmmaking at its finest.
Synopsis: In 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) begins work on a new concept that eventually turns into the global social network... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer
Directed By: David Fincher
93%
Critics Consensus: Bolstered by powerful lead performances from Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and Tommy Lee Jones, No Country for Old Men finds the Coen brothers spinning cinematic gold out of Cormac McCarthy's grim, darkly funny novel.
Synopsis: While out hunting, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds the grisly aftermath of a drug deal. Though he knows better, he cannot resist the cash left... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson
Directed By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
91%
Critics Consensus: Widely touted as a masterpiece, this sparse and sprawling epic about the underhanded "heroes" of capitalism boasts incredible performances by leads Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano, and is director Paul Thomas Anderson's best work to date.
Synopsis: Silver miner Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) leads a hardscrabble life with his son, H.W. (Dillon Freasier). When he hears about oil oozing from the ground... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciarán Hinds
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
98%
Critics Consensus: Funny, scary, and thought-provoking, Get Out seamlessly weaves its trenchant social critiques into a brilliantly effective and entertaining horror/comedy thrill ride.
Synopsis: Now that Chris and his girlfriend, Rose, have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway with Missy and Dean.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Directed By: Jordan Peele
98%
Critics Consensus: Moonlight uses one man's story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema.
Synopsis: A look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mahershala Ali, Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes
Directed By: Barry Jenkins
93%
Critics Consensus: Led by an outstanding Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses.
Synopsis: Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong
Directed By: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
82%
Critics Consensus: An eruption of feeling that's as overwhelming as it is overwrought, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia reaches a feverish crescendo and sustains it thanks to its fearlessly committed ensemble.
Synopsis: On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father, a young wife, a male caretaker, a famous lost son, a police officer... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jason Robards, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
94%
Critics Consensus: Intense, inspiring, and well-acted, Whiplash is a brilliant sophomore effort from director Damien Chazelle and a riveting vehicle for stars J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller.
Synopsis: Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) is an ambitious young jazz drummer, in pursuit of rising to the top of his elite music conservatory. Terence Fletcher (J.K.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser
Directed By: Damien Chazelle
92%
Critics Consensus: Smart, funny, and profoundly melancholy, Inside Llewyn Davis finds the Coen brothers in fine form.
Synopsis: In 1961 New York City, folk singer Llewyn Davis is at a crossroads. Guitar in hand, he struggles against seemingly insurmountable obstacles to make a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund
Directed By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
91%
Critics Consensus: Full of eye-popping special effects, and featuring a pitch-perfect cast, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring brings J.R.R. Tolkien's classic to vivid life.
Synopsis: The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen
Directed By: Peter Jackson
90%
Critics Consensus: A quiet, dialogue-driven thriller that delivers with scene after scene of gut-wrenching anxiety. David Fincher also spends more time illustrating nuances of his characters and recreating the mood of the '70s than he does on gory details of murder.
Synopsis: In the late 1960s and 1970s, fear grips the city of San Francisco as a serial killer called Zodiac stalks its residents. Investigators (Mark Ruffalo,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards
Directed By: David Fincher
89%
Critics Consensus: A classic Tarantino genre-blending thrill ride, Inglourious Basterds is violent, unrestrained, and thoroughly entertaining.
Synopsis: It is the first year of Germany's occupation of France. Allied officer Lt. Aldo Raine assembles a team of Jewish soldiers to commit violent acts... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth
Directed By: Quentin Tarantino
86%
Critics Consensus: Terrence Malick's singularly deliberate style may prove unrewarding for some, but for patient viewers, Tree of Life is an emotional as well as visual treat.
Synopsis: In this highly philosophical film by acclaimed director Terrence Malick, young Jack (Hunter McCracken) is one of three brothers growing up as part of the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, Jessica Chastain, Fiona Shaw
Directed By: Terrence Malick
99%
Critics Consensus: Paddington 2 honors its star's rich legacy with a sweet-natured sequel whose adorable visuals are matched by a story perfectly balanced between heartwarming family fare and purely enjoyable all-ages adventure.
Synopsis: Settled in with the Brown family, Paddington the bear is a popular member of the community who spreads joy and marmalade wherever he goes. One... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville
Directed By: Paul King
96%
Critics Consensus: Black Panther elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while telling one of the MCU's most absorbing stories -- and introducing some of its most fully realized characters.
Synopsis: After the death of his father, T'Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira
Directed By: Ryan Coogler
94%
Critics Consensus: Arrival delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person's sci-fi that anchors its heady themes with genuinely affecting emotion and a terrific performance from Amy Adams.
Synopsis: Linguistics professor Louise Banks leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
photo: Jasin Boland/©Warner Bros. Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

