Top Tens Archive

Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Last fall, I finally knocked off a long gestating project to post my all-time lists of movies, music, books and TV shows and, now, I've finally found the time to put up my archive of top 10 lists dating back to the birth of cinema.

Every year, I will update this list with a new top 10 (this year, 2014, for instance) and I'll occasionally rearrange other years' top 10s as I see fit over time. You'll notice in some of the lists that I have included runners-up. I've primarily done this during years that had a number of great films that did not make it into the top 10, but I felt should be recognized.

So, below you'll find the lists. As always, I'd love to hear your comments.

Note: There are several films listed in a few of these top 10s that could be considered quite controversial, mostly due to issues of insensitivity. Those of you with a sense of film history will likely know what I mean when you see them on the lists. In those rare cases, it should be noted that the films are being judged based on their importance to film history and as works of art and not, I repeat, not due to the nature of their content. In other words, they are not among my personal favorite films - but I would be remiss not to recognize their significance.

Note, Pt. II: I'm an enormous fan of Michael Apted's "Up" series - but since they originated as a television series, I'm not including them in the list, mostly because each film adds to the sum of a whole rather than acting as an individual movie. Just in case anyone wondered where they were.



1903-1919
10. Victory (Maurice Tourneur)
  9. J'Accuse! (Abel Gance)
  8. Der Golem (Henrik Galeen and Paul Wegener)
  7. Fantomas (Louis Feuillade)
  6. The Great Train Robbery (Edwin S. Porter)
  5. Broken Blossoms (D.W. Griffith)
  4. The Birth of a Nation (D.W. Griffith)
  3. A Trip to the Moon (Georges Melies)
  2. Intolerance (D.W. Griffith)
  1. Les Vampires (Louis Feuillade)

1920
10. The Monastery of Sendomir (Victor Sjostrom)
  9. The Mark of Zorro (Fred Niblo)
  8. The Penalty (Wallace Worsley)
  7. The Parson's Widow (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
  6. The Last of the Mohicans  (Clarence Brown and Maurice Tourneur)
  5. Erotikon (Mauritz Stiller)
  4. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (John S. Robertson)
  3. Within Our Gates (Oscar Micheaux)
  2. Way Down East (D.W. Griffith)
  1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene)

1921
10. The Dark Road (F.W. Murnau)
  9. The Sheik (George Melford)
  8. Seven Years Bad Luck (Max Linder)
  7. The Ace of Hearts (Wallace Worsley)
  6. Leaves from Satan's Book (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
  5. Destiny (Fritz Lang)
  4. The Idle Class (Charles Chaplin)
  3. Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Rex Ingram)
  2. The Phantom Carriage (Victor Sjostrom)
  1. The Kid (Charles Chaplin)

1922
10. Dr. Jack (Fred C. Newmeyer)
  9. The Toll of the Sea (Chester M. Franklin)
  8. Blood and Sand (Fred Niblo)
  7. Phantom (F.W. Murnau)
  6. Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (Benjamin Christensen)
  5. Orphans of the Storm (D.W. Griffith)
  4. Foolish Wives (Erich Von Stroheim)
  3. Nanook of the North (Robert J. Flaherty)
  2. Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (Fritz Lang)
  1. Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror (F.W. Murnau)

1923
10. The Ten Commandments (Cecil B. DeMille)
  9. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Wallace Worsley)
  8. Crime and Punishment (Robert Wiene)
  7. Three Ages (Buster Keaton)
  6. A Woman of Paris (Charles Chaplin)
  5. The Faithful Heart (Jean Epstein)
  4. The Smiling Madame Beudet (Germaine Dulac)
  3. Our Hospitality (John G. Blystone and Buster Keaton)
  2. La Roue (Abel Gance)
  1. Safety Last! (Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor)

1924
10. The Great White Silence (Herbert G. Ponting)
  9. Waxworks (Paul Leni)
  8. Die Niebelungen (Fritz Lang)
  7. The Hands of Orlac (Robert Wiene)
  6. Kino Eye (Dziga Vertov)
  5. The Last Laugh (F.W. Murnau)
  4. The Thief of Bagdad (Raoul Walsh)
  3. Strike! (Sergei Eisenstein)
  2. Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton)
  1. Greed (Erich Von Stroheim)

1925
10. The Lost World (Harry O. Hoyt)
  9. The Eagle (Clarence Brown)
  8. Lazybones (Frank Borzage)
  7. Go West (Buster Keaton)
  6. The Freshman (Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor)
  5. Seven Chances (Buster Keaton)
  4. The Phantom of the Opera (Rupert Julian)
  3. The Gold Rush (Charles Chaplin)
  2. The Big Parade (King Vidor)
  1. Battleship Potempkin (Sergei Eisenstein)

1926
10. Moana (Robert J. Flaherty)
  9. La Boheme (King Vidor)
  8. Tartuffe (F.W. Murnau)
  7. The Scarlet Letter (Victor Sjostrom)
  6. Mother (Vsevolod Pudovkin)
  5. Faust (F.W. Murnau)
  4. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Lotte Reiniger)
  3. A Page of Madness (Teinosuke Kinugasa)
  2. Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ (Fred Niblo)
  1. The General (Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton)

1927
10. Seventh Heaven (Frank Borzage)
  9. College (James W. Horne)
  8. The Lodger (Alfred Hitchcock)
  7. The Jazz Singer (Alan Crosland)
  6. The Unknown (Tod Browning)
  5. The Kid Brother (J.A. Howe and Ted Wilde)
  4. The Man Who Laughs (Paul Leni)
  3. Napoleon (Abel Gance)
  2. Metropolis (Fritz Lang)
  1. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (F.W. Murnau)

1928
10. The Cameraman (Edward Sedgwick)
  9. Storm Over Asia (Vsevolod Pudovkin)
  8. The Wind (Victor Sjostrom)
  7. The Docks of New York (Josef Von Sternberg)
  6. Steamboat Bill Jr. (Charles Reisner and Buster Keaton)
  5. Lonesome (Pal Fejos)
  4. October (Sergei Eisenstein)
  3. The Crowd (King Vidor)
  2. Un Chien Andalou (Luis Bunuel)
  1. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer)

1929
10. Applause (Rouben Mamoulian)
  9. Throw of the Dice (Franz Osten)
  8. Disraeli (Alfred E. Green)
  7. Coconauts (Robert Florey and Joseph Stantley)
  6. Diary of a Lost Girl (G.W. Pabst)
  5. The Woman in the Moon (Fritz Lang)
  4. Asphalt (Joe May)
  3. Blackmail (Alfred Hitchcock)
  2. The Man with the Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov)
  1. Pandora's Box (G.W. Pabst)

Top Ten of the 1920s
10. Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror (F.W. Murnau)
  9. The General (Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton)
  8. Metropolis (Fritz Lang)
  7. Pandora's Box (G.W. Pabst)
  6. Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton)
  5. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (F.W. Murnau)
  4. Safety Last! (Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor)
  3. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
  2. Greed (Erich Von Stroheim)
  1. Battleship Potempkin (Sergei Eisenstein)

1930
10. Holiday (Edward H. Griffith)
  9. The Divorcee (Robert Z. Leonard)
  8. Animal Crackers (Victor Heerman)
  7. Morocco (Josef Von Sternberg)
  6. L'Age D'Or (Luis Bunuel)
  5. Earth (Aleksandr Dovzhenko)
  4. The Blood of a Poet (Jean Cocteau)
  3. The Blue Angel (Josef Von Sternberg)
  2. Little Caesar (Mervyn LeRoy)
  1. All Quiet on the Western Front (Lewis Milestone)

1931
10. La Chienne (Jean Renoir)
  9. Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (F.W. Murnau)
  8. A Nous La Liberte (Rene Clair)
  7. Le Million (Rene Clair)
  6. Dracula (Tod Browning)
  5. The Public Enemy (William A. Wellman)
  4. Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
  3. Frankenstein (James Whale)
  2. City Lights (Charles Chaplin)
  1. M (Fritz Lang)

1932
10. Love Me Tonight (Rouben Mamoulian)
  9. Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding)
  8. Me and My Gal (Raoul Walsh)
  7. Boudu Saved from Drowning (Jean Renoir)
  6. Trouble in Paradise (Ernst Lubitsch)
  5. Woman of Tokyo (Yasujiro Ozu)
  4. Freaks (Tod Browning)
  3. Shanghai Express (Josef Von Sternberg)
  2. Scarface: Shame of a Nation (Howard Hawks)
  1. I Am A Fugitive from a Chain Gang (Mervyn LeRoy)

1933
10. 42nd Street (Lloyd Bacon)
  9. Land Without Bread (Luis Bunuel)
  8. The Bitter Tea of General Yen (Frank Capra)
  7. She Done Him Wrong (Lowell Sherman)
  6. Footlight Parade (Lloyd Bacon)
  5. Queen Christina (Rouben Mamoulian)
  4. Zero for Conduct (Jean Vigo)
  3. Duck Soup (Leo McCarey)
  2. L'Atalante (Jean Vigo)
  1. King Kong (Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack)

1934
10. The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock)
  9. It's a Gift (Norman Z. McLeod)
  8. Of Human Bondage (John Cromwell)
  7. Man of Aran (Robert J. Flaherty)
  6. Twentieth Century (Howard Hawks)
  5. The Scarlet Empress (Josef Von Sternberg)
  4. Manhattan Melodrama (W.S. Van Dyke)
  3. The Black Cat (Edgar G. Ulmer)
  2. The Thin Man (W.S. Van Dyke)
  1. It Happened One Night (Frank Capra)

1935
10. The Devil is a Woman (Josef Von Sternberg)
  9. The Little Colonel (David Butler)
  8. Top Hat (Mark Sandrich)
  7. Captain Blood (Michael Curtiz)
  6. David Copperfield (George Cukor)
  5. The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale)
  4. The Informer (John Ford)
  3. A Night at the Opera (Edmund Goulding and Sam Wood)
  2. The Thirty-Nine Steps (Alfred Hitchcock)
  1. Mutiny on the Bounty (Frank Lloyd)

1936
10. Camille (George Cukor)
  9. Things to Come (William Cameron Menzies)
  8. The Petrified Forest (Archie Mayo)
  7. Swing Time (George Stevens)
  6. Dodsworth (William Wyler)
  5. Sabotage (Alfred Hitchcock)
  4. Fury (Fritz Lang)
  3. My Man Godfrey (Gregory La Cava)
  2. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (Frank Capra)
  1. Modern Times (Charles Chaplin)

1937
10. Topper (Norman Z. McLeod)
  9. Pepe Le Moko (Julien Duvivier)
  8. A Star is Born (William A. Wellman)
  7. Stella Dallas (King Vidor)
  6. Captains Courageous (Victor Fleming)
  5. Lost Horizon (Frank Capra)
  4. The Life of Emile Zola (William Dieterle)
  3. The Awful Truth (Leo McCarey)
  2. Make Way for Tomorrow (Leo McCarey)
  1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (David Hand, William Cottrell and Ben Sharpsteen)

1938
10. The Baker's Wife (Marcel Pagnol)
  9. Jezebel (William Wyler)
  8. You Can't Take it With You (Frank Capra)
  7. Olympia: Festival of the Nations (Leni Riefenstahl)
  6. The Adventures of Robin Hood (Michael Curtiz)
  5. Angels with Dirty Faces (Michael Curtiz)
  4. Alexander Nevsky (Sergei Eisenstein)
  3. The Lady Vanishes (Alfred Hitchcock)
  2. Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks)
  1. Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir)

1939
10. Only Angels Have Wings (Howard Hawks)
  9. Gunga Din (George Stevens)
  8. Destry Rides Again (George Marshall)
  7. Wuthering Heights (William Wyler)
  6. Ninotchka (Ernst Lubitsch)
  5. The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming)
  4. Stagecoach (John Ford)
  3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra)
  2. The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir)
  1. Gone with the Wind (Victor Fleming)

Top Ten of the 1930s
10. Stagecoach (John Ford)
  9. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra)
  8. Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks)
  7. It Happened One Night (Frank Capra)
  6. M (Fritz Lang)
  5. All Quiet on the Western Front (Lewis Milestone)
  4. The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir)
  3. Gone with the Wind (Victor Fleming)
  2. Modern Times (Charles Chaplin)
  1. Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir)

1940
10. The Bank Dick (Edward F. Cline)
  9. Pinocchio (Hamilton Luske and Ben Sharpsteen)
  8. Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock)
  7. The Shop Around the Corner (Ernst Lubitsch)
  6. The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor)
  5. His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks)
  4. Fantasia (Norman Ferguson, James Algar, Hamilton Luske and Samuel Armstrong)
  3. The Great Dictator (Charles Chaplin)
  2. The Mortal Storm (Frank Borzage)
  1. The Grapes of Wrath (John Ford)

1941
10. The Wolf Man (George Waggner)
  9. Suspicion (Alfred Hitchcock)
  8. Dumbo (Ben Sharpsteen)
  7. Sergeant York (Howard Hawks)
  6. The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges)
  5. How Green Was My Valley (John Ford)
  4. Meet John Doe (Frank Capra)
  3. Sullivan's Travels (Preston Sturges)
  2. The Maltese Falcon (John Huston)
  1. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)

1942
10. The Palm Beach Story (Preston Sturges)
  9. Now, Voyager (Irving Rapper)
  8. Kings Row (Sam Wood)
  7. The Pride of the Yankees (Sam Wood)
  6. Mrs. Miniver (William Wyler)
  5. To Be Or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch)
  4. Cat People (Jacques Tourneur)
  3. Bambi (James Algar, Samuel Armstrong and David Hand)
  2. Yankee Doodle Dandy (Michael Curtiz)
  1. The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles)

1943
10. Fires Were Started (Humphrey Jennings)
  9. The Man in Grey (Leslie Arliss)
  8. I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur)
  7. Ossessione (Luchino Visconti)
  6. Day of Wrath (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
  5. Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren)
  4. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
  3. The Ox-Bow Incident (William A. Wellman)
  2. Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock)
  1. Casablanca (Michael Curtiz)

1944
10. Lifeboat (Alfred Hitchcock)
  9. To Have and Have Not (John Huston)
  8. Meet Me in St. Louis (Vincente Minnelli)
  7. Henry V (Laurence Olivier)
  6. The Woman in the Window (Fritz Lang)
  5. Ivan the Terrible, Pts. I & II (Sergei Eisenstein)
  4. Gaslight  (George Cukor)
  3. Laura (Otto Preminger)
  2. Hail the Conquering Hero (Preston Sturges)
  1. Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder)

1945
10. The Battle of San Pietro (John Huston)
  9. I Know Where I'm Going! (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
  8. Dead of Night (Alberto Cavalcanti, Charles Crichton, Basil Deardon and Robert Hamer)
  7. Leave Her to Heaven (John M. Stahl)
  6. Detour (Edgar G. Ulmer)
  5. Spellbound (Alfred Hitchcock)
  4. Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz)
  3. Open City (Roberto Rossellini)
  2. The Lost Weekend (Billy Wilder)
  1. Children of Paradise (Marcel Carne)

1946
10. A Day in the Country (Jean Renoir)
  9. Duel in the Sun (King Vidor)
  8. Brief Encounter (David Lean)
  7. Gilda (Charles Vidor)
  6. The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks)
  5. Stairway to Heaven/A Matter of Life and Death (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
  4. Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau)
  3. Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock)
  2. The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler)
  1. It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra)

1947
10. Monsieur Verdoux (Charles Chaplin)
  9. Miracle on 34th Street (George Seaton)
  8. Gentleman's Agreement (Elia Kazan)
  7. Crossfire (Edward Dmytryk)
  6. Brute Force (Jules Dassin)
  5. Odd Man Out (Carol Reed)
  4. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
  3. Black Narcissus (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
  2. Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur)
  1. Shoeshine (Vittorio de Sica)

1948
10. The Snake Pit (Anatole Litvak)
  9. Rope (Alfred Hitchcock)
  8. Force of Evil (Abraham Polonsky)
  7. The Red Shoes (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
  6. Key Largo (John Huston)
  5. The Lady from Shanghai (Orson Welles)
  4. Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophuls)
  3. Red River (Howard Hawks)
  2. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston)
  1. The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio de Sica)

1949
10. The Reckless Moment (Max Ophuls)
  9. Criss Cross (Robert Siodmak)
  8. Kind Hearts and Coronets (Robert Hamer)
  7. The Heiress (William Wyler)
  6. Gun Crazy (Joseph H. Lewis)
  5. Late Spring (Yasujiro Ozu)
  4. White Heat (Raoul Walsh)
  3. All the King's Men (Robert Rossen)
  2. Adam's Rib (George Cukor)
  1. The Third Man (Carol Reed)

Top Ten of the 1940s
10. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston)
  9. The Maltese Falcon (John Huston)
  8. The Third Man (Carol Reed)
  7. The Bicycle Thief (Vittorio de Sica)
  6. Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder)
  5. The Magnificent Ambersons (Orson Welles)
  4. It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra)
  3. Children of Paradise (Marcel Carne)
  2. Casablanca (Michael Curtiz)
  1. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles)

1950
10. Winchester '73 (Anthony Mann)
  9. Un Chant d'Amour (Jean Genet)
  8. The Gunfighter (Henry King)
  7. Orpheus (Jean Cocteau)
  6. Born Yesterday (George Cukor)
  5. La Ronde (Max Ophuls)
  4. Los Olvidados (Luis Bunuel)
  3. Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa)
  2. All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
  1. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder)

1951
10. The Lavender Hill Mob (Charles Crichton)
  9. The River (Jean Renoir)
  8. A Place in the Sun (George Stevens)
  7. The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise)
  6. An American in Paris (Vincente Minnelli)
  5. Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson)
  4. Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock)
  3. Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder)
  2. The African Queen (John Huston)
  1. A Streetcar Named Desire (Elia Kazan)

1952
10. Casque d'Or (Jacques Becker)
  9. Europa '51 (Roberto Rossellini)
  8. The Bad and the Beautiful (Vincente Minnelli)
  7. The Life of Oharu (Kenji Mizoguchi)
  6. Forbidden Games (Rene Clement)
  5. The Quiet Man (John Ford)
  4. Umberto D. (Vittorio de Sica)
  3. High Noon (Fred Zinnemann)
  2. Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen)
  1. Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa)

1953
10. The Big Heat (Fritz Lang)
  9. I Vitelloni (Federico Fellini)
  8. Ugetsu Monogatari (Kenji Mizoguchi)
  7. Voyage in Italy (Roberto Rossellini)
  6. The Earrings of Madame De... (Max Ophuls)
  5. Stalag 17 (Billy Wilder)
  4. Shane (George Stevens)
  3. The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot)
  2. From Here to Eternity (Fred Zinnemann)
  1. Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu)

1954
10. Touchez Pas au Grisbi (Jacques Becker)
  9. Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi)
  8. Johnny Guitar (Nicholas Ray)
  7. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Stanley Donen)
  6. Samurai I: Miyamoto Musashi (Hiroshi Inagaki)
  5. Diabolique (Henri-Georges Clouzot)
  4. La Strada (Federico Fellini)
  3. On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan)
  2. Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)
  1. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock)

1955
10. The Man with the Golden Arm (Otto Preminger)
  9. Marty (Delbert Mann)
  8. Night and Fog (Alain Resnais)
  7. Bad Day at Black Rock (John Sturges)
  6. East of Eden (Elia Kazan)
  5. Kiss Me Deadly (Robert Aldrich)
  4. Ordet (Carl Theodor Dreyer)
  3. The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton)
  2. Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray)
  1. Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray)

1956
10. All That Heaven Allows (Douglas Sirk)
  9. Seven Men from Now (Budd Boetticher)
  8. Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (Hiroshi Inagaki)
  7. A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson)
  6. The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock)
  5. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Don Siegel)
  4. The Burmese Harp (Kon Ichikawa)
  3. Aparajito (Satyajit Ray)
  2. Giant (George Stevens)
  1. The Searchers (John Ford)

1957
10. Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa)
  9. Love in the Afternoon (Billy Wilder)
  8. 12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet)
  7. Elevator to the Gallows (Louis Malle)
  6. Sweet Smell of Success (Alexander Mackendrick)
  5. Paths of Glory (Stanley Kubrick)
  4. Nights of Cabiria (Federico Fellini)
  3. The Bridge on the River Kwai (David Lean)
  2. Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman)
  1. The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman)

1958
10. Mon Oncle (Jacques Tati)
  9. The Defiant Ones (Stanley Kramer)
  8. Curse of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur)
  7. Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk)
  6. Ashes and Diamonds (Andrzej Wajda)
  5. Some Came Running (Vincente Minnelli)
  4. The Music Room (Satyajit Ray)
  3. The Hidden Fortress (Akira Kurosawa)
  2. Touch of Evil (Orson Welles)
  1. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock)

1959
10. Floating Weeds (Yasujiro Ozu)
  9. Black Orpheus (Marcel Camus)
  8. Hiroshima, Mon Amour (Alain Resnais)
  7. Anatomy of a Murder (Otto Preminger)
  6. Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks)
  5. Pickpocket (Robert Bresson)
  4. The World of Apu (Satyajit Ray)
  3. The 400 Blows (Francois Truffaut)
  2. North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock)
  1. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder)
Honorable Mention: Shadows (John Cassavetes), Good Morning (Yasujiro Ozu)

Top Ten of the 1950s
10. Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder)
  9. All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
  8. Ikiru (Akira Kurosawa)
  7. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder)
  6. The Searchers (John Ford)
  5. On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan)
  4. Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa)
  3. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock)
  2a. Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman)
  2b. The Seventh Seal (Ingmar Bergman)
   1. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock)

1960
10. The Cranes Are Flying (Mikhail Kalatozov)
  9. The Virgin Spring (Ingmar Bergman)
  8. Rocco and His Brothers (Luchino Visconti)
  7. Ballad of a Soldier (Grigori Chukhraj)
  6. Shoot the Piano Player (Francois Truffaut)
  5. The Apartment (Billy Wilder)
  4. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard)
  3. L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni)
  2. Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock)
  1. La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini)
Honorable Mention: Peeping Tom (Michael Powell), Letter Never Sent (Mikhail Kalatozov), Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju), Les Bonnes Femmes (Claude Chabrol), The Young One (Luis Bunuel), When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Mikio Naruse), Le Trou (Jacques Becker)

1961
10. One-Eyed Jacks (Marlon Brando)
  9. Through a Glass, Darkly (Ingmar Bergman)
  8. Viridiana (Luis Bunuel)
  7. La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni)
  6. Kanal (Andrzej Wajda)
  5. Splendor in the Grass (Elia Kazan)
  4. Lola (Jacques Demy)
  3. Last Year at Marienbad (Alain Resnais)
  2. Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa)
  1. The Hustler (Robert Rossen)

1962
10. Days of Wine and Roses (Blake Edwards)
  9. L'eclisse (Michelangelo Antonioni)
  8. Cleo from 5 to 7 (Agnes Varda)
  7. To Kill a Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan)
  6. The Manchurian Candidate (John Frankenheimer)
  5. My Life to Live (Jean-Luc Godard)
  4. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (John Ford)
  3. The Exterminating Angel (Luis Bunuel)
  2. Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean)
  1. Jules and Jim (Francois Truffaut)
Honorable Mention: Keeper of Promises (Anselmo Duarte), Knife in the Water (Roman Polanski), La Jetee (Chris Marker), Lonely Are the Brave (David Miller), The Longest Day (Andrew Marton and Ken Annakin), Testament of Orpheus (Jean Cocteau)

1963
10. Flaming Creatures (Jack Smith)
  9. Pasazerka (Andrzej Munk and Witold Lesiewicz)
  8. Shock Corridor (Samuel Fuller)
  7. Il Posto (Ermanno Olmi)
  6. The Great Escape (John Sturges)
  5. Contempt (Jean-Luc Godard)
  4. The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock)
  3. The Leopard (Luchino Visconti)
  2. Hud (Martin Ritt)
  1. 8 ½ (Federico Fellini)

1964
10. Diary of a Chambermaid (Luis Bunuel)
  9. Red Desert (Michelangelo Antonioni)
  8. A Hard Day's Night (Richard Lester)
  7. A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone)
  6. Scorpio Rising (Kenneth Anger)
  5. Onibaba (Kaneto Shindo)
  4. I Am Cuba (Mikhail Kalatozov)
  3. Woman in the Dunes (Hiroshi Teshigahara)
  2. Band of Outsiders (Jean-Luc Godard)
  1. Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick)

1965
10. The War Game (Peter Watkins)
  9. Subarnarekha (Ritwik Ghatak)
  8. Tokyo Olympiad (Kon Ichikawa)
  7. Before the Revolution (Bernardo Bertolucci)
  6. Repulsion (Roman Polanski)
  5. Pierrot Le Fou (Jean-Luc Godard)
  4. Loves of a Blonde (Milos Forman)
  3. The Shop on Main Street (Jan Kadar and Elmar Klos)
  2. Dr. Zhivago (David Lean)
  1. Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard)

1966
10. Two or Three Things I Know About Her (Jean-Luc Godard)
  9. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Sergei Parajanov)
  8. Closely Watched Trains (Jiri Menzel)
  7. Masculin Feminin (Jean-Luc Godard)
  6. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (Sergio Leone)
  5. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Mike Nichols)
  4. Au Hasard Balthazar (Robert Bresson)
  3. Blowup (Michelangelo Antonioni)
  2. The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo)
  1. Persona (Ingmar Bergman)
Honorable Mention: Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (Russ Meyer), Red Angel (Yasuzo Masumura)

1967
10. In the Heat of the Night (Norman Jewison)
  9. Mouchette (Robert Bresson)
  8. Marketa Lazarova (Frantisek Vlacil)
  7. Weekend (Jean-Luc Godard)
  6. Cool Hand Luke (Stuart Rosenberg)
  5. Belle De Jour (Luis Bunuel)
  4. The Red and the White (Miklos Jancso)
  3. Le Samourai (Jean-Pierre Melville)
  2. The Graduate (Mike Nichols)
  1. Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn)
Honorable Mention: Point Blank (John Boorman), In Cold Blood (Richard Brooks), Elvira Madigan (Bo Widerberg), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (Stanley Kramer), Playtime (Jacques Tati)

1968
10. Bullitt (Peter Yates)
  9. Planet of the Apes (Franklin J. Schaffner)
  8. Stolen Kisses (Francois Truffaut)
  7. Shame (Ingmar Bergman)
  6. Night of the Living Dead (George Romero)
  5. If... (Lindsay Anderson)
  4. Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone)
  3. Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski)
  2. Faces (John Cassavetes)
  1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)
Honorable Mention: Memories of Underdevelopment (Tomas Gutierrez Alea), Targets (Peter Bogdanovich), The Producers (Mel Brooks), Pretty Poison (Noel Black), The Two of Us (Claude Berri), The Lion in Winter (Anthony Harvey), Valley of the Bees (Frantisek Vlacil)

1969
10. Kes (Ken Loach)
  9. Medium Cool (Haskell Wexler)
  8. Le Boucher (Claude Chabrol)
  7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (George Roy Hill)
  6. Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper)
  5. Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville)
  4. The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah)
  3. Z (Constantin Costa-Gavras)
  2. Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky)
  1. Midnight Cowboy (John Schlesinger)
Honorable Mention: Lucia (Humberto Solas), This Man Must Die (Claude Chabrol), My Night at Maud's (Eric Rohmer), The Color of Pomegranates (Sergei Parajanov), Putney Swope (Robert Downey Sr.), True Grit (Henry Hathaway), They Shoot Horses Don't They? (Sydney Pollack), Katzelmacher (Rainer Werner Fassbinder), Alice's Restaurant (Arthur Penn)

Top Ten of the 1960s
10. Persona (Ingmar Bergman)
  9. Midnight Cowboy (John Schlesinger)
  8. Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick)
  7. The Graduate (Mike Nichols)
  6. Lawrence of Arabia (David Lean)
  5. 8 ½ (Federico Fellini)
  4. Jules and Jim (Francois Truffaut)
  3. Bonnie and Clyde (Arthur Penn)
  2. La Dolce Vita (Federico Fellini)
  1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick)

1970
10. Performance (Nicolas Roeg and Donald Cammell)
  9. Tristana (Luis Bunuel)
  8. El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky)
  7. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Vittorio de Sica)
  6. The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci)
  5. Woodstock (Michael Wadleigh)
  4. Five Easy Pieces (Bop Rafelson)
  3. Little Big Man (Arthur Penn)
  2. Patton (Franklin J. Schaffner)
  1. M.A.S.H. (Robert Altman)
Honorable Mention: Zabriskie Point (Michelangelo Antonioni), Even Dwarfs Started Small (Werner Herzog), Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (Russ Meyer), Deep End (Jerzy Skolimowski)

1971
10. Two English Girls (Francois Truffaut)
  9. Murmur of the Heart (Louis Malle)
  8. Claire's Knee (Eric Rohmer)
  7. Klute (Alan J. Pakula)
  6. Minnie and Moscowitz (John Cassavetes)
  5. Carnal Knowledge (Mike Nichols)
  4. The French Connection (William Friedkin)
  3. The Last Picture Show (Peter Bogdanovich)
  2. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Robert Altman)
  1. A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick)
Honorable Mention: Straw Dogs (Sam Peckinpah), Walkabout (Nicolas Roeg), Out 1 (Jacques Rivette), Wake in Fright (Ted Kotcheff), Sunday Bloody Sunday (John Schlesinger), Two Lane Blacktop (Monte Hellman), Vanishing Point (Richard C. Sarafian), Dusty and Sweets McGee (Floyd Mutrux), The Sorrow and the Pity (Marcel Ophuls), Punishment Park (Peter Watkins)

1972
10. The Emigrants (Jan Troell)
  9. Deliverance (John Boorman)
  8. Sleuth (Joseph L. Mankiewicz)
  7. Cabaret (Bob Fosse)
  6. Cries and Whispers (Ingmar Bergman)
  5. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Bunuel)
  4. Solaris (Andrei Tarkovsky)
  3. Last Tango in Paris (Bernardo Bertolucci)
  2. Aguirre: The Wrath of God (Werner Herzog)
  1. The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola)
Honorable Mention: Frenzy (Alfred Hitchcock), The King of Marvin Gardens (Bob Rafelson), Pink Flamingos (John Waters)

1973
10. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (Sam Peckinpah)
  9. The Spirit of the Beehive (Victor Erice)
  8. Don't Look Now (Nicolas Roeg)
  7. The Last Detail (Hal Ashby)
  6. Badlands (Terrence Malick)
  5. The Exorcist (William Friedkin)
  4. Scenes from a Marriage (Ingmar Bergman)
  3. Day for Night (Francois Truffaut)
  2. Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese)
  1. American Graffiti (George Lucas)
Honorable Mention: The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman), The Mother and the Whore (Jean Eustache), The Sting (George Roy Hill), Serpico (Sidney Lumet), World on a Wire (Rainer Werner Fassbinder), The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy), Turkish Delight (Paul Verhoeven), Love and Anarchy (Lina Wertmuller), Sleeper (Woody Allen), Paper Moon (Peter Bogdanovich), Lady Snowblood (Toshiya Fujita)

1974
10. The Mirror (Andrei Tarkovksy)
  9. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (Sam Peckinpah)
  8. Lacombe, Lucien (Louis Malle)
  7. A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes)
  6. Lenny (Bob Fosse)
  5. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
  4. The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola)
  3. The Godfather Part II (Francis Ford Coppola)
  2. Chinatown (Roman Polanski)
  1. Amarcord (Federico Fellini)
Honorable Mention: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper), Effi Briest (Rainer Werner Fassbinder), Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks), Celine and Julie Go Boating (Jacques Rivette), The Parallax View (Alan J. Pakula), Phase IV (Saul Bass)

1975
10. Fox and His Friends (Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
  9. Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir)
  8. The Passenger (Michelangelo Antonioni)
  7. Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet)
  6. Swept Away... by an Unusual Destiny on the Sea of August (Lina Wertmuller)
  5. Night Moves (Arthur Penn)
  4. Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick)
  3. Jaws (Steven Spielberg)
  2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Milos Forman)
  1. Nashville (Robert Altman)
Honorable Mention: Overlord (Stuart Cooper), The Man Who Would Be King (John Huston), Jeanne Dielman 23 Quai du Commerce 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman), India Song (Marguerite Duras), The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (Werner Herzog), Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom (Pier Paolo Pasolini), Kings of the Road (Wim Wenders), Manila in the Claws of Brightness (Lino Brocka), Numero Deux (Jean-Luc Godard)

1976
10. Carrie (Brian De Palma)
  9. Assault on Precinct 13 (John Carpenter)
  8. Harlan County U.S.A. (Barbara Kopple)
  7. Seven Beauties (Lina Wertmuller)
  6. All the President's Men (Alan J. Pakula)
  5. Rocky (John G. Avildsen)
  4. Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa)
  3. Small Change (Francois Truffaut)
  2. Network (Sidney Lumet)
  1. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese)
Honorable Mention: The Man Who Fell to Earth (Nicolas Roeg), Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (Alain Tanner), Who Can Kill a Child? (Narciso Ibanez Serrador), Martin (George Romero)

1977
10. That Obscure Object of Desire (Luis Bunuel)
  9. Eraserhead (David Lynch)
  8. Sorcerer (William Friedkin)
  7. Saturday Night Fever (John Badham)
  6. Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett)
  5. 3 Women (Robert Altman)
  4. Stroszek (Werner Herzog)
  3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg)
  2. Star Wars (George Lucas)
  1. Annie Hall (Woody Allen)
Honorable Mention: Man of Marble (Andrzej Wajda), Soldier of Orange (Paul Verhoeven), Rolling Thunder (John Flynn), Suspiria (Dario Argento), House (Nobuhiko Obayashi)

1978
10. The Ascent (Larisa Shepitko)
  9. An Unmarried Woman (Paul Mazursky)
  8. Gates of Heaven (Errol Morris)
  7. The Tree of Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi)
  6. Midnight Express (Alan Parker)
  5. Blue Collar (Paul Schrader)
  4. Halloween (John Carpenter)
  3. Coming Home (Hal Ashby)
  2. Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick)
  1. The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino)

1979
10. Norma Rae (Martin Ritt)
  9. The China Syndrome (James Bridges)
  8. Siberiade (Andrey Konchalovskiy)
  7. Dawn of the Dead (George Romero)
  6. Breaking Away (Peter Yates)
  5. All That Jazz (Bob Fosse)
  4. Being There (Hal Ashby)
  3. Manhattan (Woody Allen)
  2. Nosferatu: Der Vampyre (Werner Herzog)
  1. Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola)
Honorable Mention: Kramer vs. Kramer (Robert Benton), Alien (Ridley Scott), The Warriors (Walter Hill), Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky)

Top Ten of the 1970s
10. Chinatown (Roman Polanski)
  9. Star Wars (George Lucas)
  8. Nashville (Robert Altman)
  7. American Graffiti (George Lucas)
  6. A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick)
  5. Amarcord (Federico Fellini)
  4. Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola)
  3. Annie Hall (Woody Allen)
  2. The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola)
  1. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese)

1980
10a. Cruising (William Friedkin)
10b. American Gigolo (Paul Schrader)
  9. Berlin Alexanderplatz (Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
  8. The Ninth Configuration (William Peter Blatty)
  7. Melvin and Howard (Jonathan Demme)
  6. The Shining (Stanley Kubrick)
  5. Dressed to Kill (Brian De Palma)
  4. Atlantic City (Louis Malle)
  3. The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kershner)
  2. Ordinary People (Robert Redford)
  1. Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)

1981
10. Possession (Andrzej Zulawski)
  9. Out of the Blue (Dennis Hopper)
  8. My Dinner with Andre (Louis Malle)
  7. Mephisto (Istvan Szabo)
  6. Reds (Warren Beatty)
  5. Chariots of Fire (Hugh Hudson)
  4. Blow Out (Brian De Palma)
  3. Pixote (Hector Babenco)
  2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg)
  1. On Golden Pond (Mark Rydell)
Honorable Mention: Prince of the City (Sidney Lumet), The Long Good Friday (John Mackenzie), Cutter's Way (Ivan Passer), Thief (Michael Mann), Man of Iron (Andrzej Wajda), Gallipoli (Peter Weir), Diva (Jean-Jacques Beineix), Ms. 45 (Abel Ferrara), Body Heat (Lawrence Kasdan), The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi), The Decline of Western Civilization (Penelope Spheeris)

1982
10. Diner (Barry Levinson)
  9. Missing (Constantin Costa-Gavras)
  8. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott)
  7. The Verdict (Sidney Lumet)
  6. Tootsie (Sydney Pollack)
  5. Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog)
  4. Das Boot (Wolfgang Petersen)
  3. Gandhi (Richard Attenborough)
  2. E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg)
  1. Sophie's Choice (Alan J. Pakula)
Honorable Mention: White Dog (Samuel Fuller), The Draughtsman's Contract (Peter Greenaway), An Officer and a Gentleman (Taylor Hackford)

1983
10. The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese)
  9. Terms of Endearment (James L. Brooks)
  8. Risky Business (Paul Brickman)
  7. Return of the Jedi (Richard Marquand)
  6. El Norte (Gregory Nava)
  5. Danton (Andrzej Wajda)
  4. Scarface (Brian De Palma)
  3. The Year of Living Dangerously (Peter Weir)
  2. Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman)
  1. The Right Stuff (Philip Kaufman)
Honorable Mention: Sans Soleil (Chris Marker), Videodrome (David Cronenberg), A Christmas Story (Bob Clark), The Ballad of Narayama (Shohei Imamura)

1984
10. Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman)
  9. Sugar Cane Alley (Euzhan Palcy)
  8. Diary for My Children (Marta Meszaros)
  7. The Cotton Club (Francis Ford Coppola)
  6. A Passage to India (David Lean)
  5. Stranger Than Paradise (Jim Jarmusch)
  4. Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders)
  3. The Killing Fields (Roland Joffe)
  2. Amadeus (Milos Forman)
  1. Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone)
Honorable Mention: Moscow on the Hudson (Paul Mazursky), Streamers (Robert Altman), Gremlins (Joe Dante), The Terminator (James Cameron), Repo Man (Alex Cox), A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven), This is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner), Purple Rain (Albert Magnoli), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Steven Spielberg)

1985
10. Shoah (Claude Lanzmann)
  9. Lost in America (Albert Brooks)
  8. Ran (Akira Kurosawa)
  7. After Hours (Martin Scorsese)
  6. Come and See (Elem Klimov)
  5. Witness (Peter Weir)
  4. Prizzi's Honor (John Huston)
  3. Out of Africa (Sydney Pollack)
  2. Blood Simple (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  1. The Color Purple (Steven Spielberg)
Honorable Mention: The Falcon and the Snowman (John Schlesinger), Kiss of the Spider Woman (Hector Babenco), My Life as a Dog (Lasse Hallstrom), The Purple Rose of Cairo (Woody Allen), Brazil (Terry Gilliam), To Live and Die in L.A. (William Friedkin), Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis), The Breakfast Club (John Hughes)

1986
10. At Close Range (James Foley)
  9. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (John McNaughton)
  8. Stand By Me (Rob Reiner)
  7. Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (Claude Berri)
  6. Sid and Nancy (Alex Cox)
  5. Peggy Sue Got Married (Francis Ford Coppola)
  4. A Room with a View (James Ivory)
  3. Hannah and Her Sisters (Woody Allen)
  2. Platoon (Oliver Stone)
  1. Blue Velvet (David Lynch)
Honorable Mention: Mauvais Sang (Leos Carax), The Fly (David Cronenberg), Something Wild (Jonathan Demme), Trouble in Mind (Alan Rudolph), Down by Law (Jim Jarmusch)

1987
10. Broadcast News (James L. Brooks)
  9. Au Revoir Les Enfants (Louis Malle)
  8. Matewan (John Sayles)
  7. Empire of the Sun (Steven Spielberg)
  6. The Last Emperor (Bernardo Bertolucci)
  5. Full Metal Jacket (Stanley Kubrick)
  4. House of Games (David Mamet)
  3. Moonstruck (Norman Jewison)
  2. Radio Days (Woody Allen)
  1. Hope and Glory (John Boorman)
Honorable Mention: Wall Street (Oliver Stone), River's Edge (Tim Hunter), The Untouchables (Brian De Palma), Angel Heart (Alan Parker), Red Sorghum (Zhang Yimou), Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (Todd Haynes), Crazy Love (Dominique Deruddere), Good Morning Vietnam (Barry Levinson)

1988
10. Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata)
  9. Running On Empty (Sidney Lumet)
  8. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (Robert Zemeckis)
  7. Talk Radio (Oliver Stone)
  6. Mississippi Burning (Alan Parker)
  5. The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris)
  4. Salaam Bombay! (Mira Nair)
  3. A Fish Called Wanda (Charles Crichton)
  2. The Last Temptation of Christ (Martin Scorsese)
  1. Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders)
Honorable Mention: My Neighbor Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki), They Live (John Carpenter), Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg), The Vanishing (George Sluizer), The Accidental Tourist (Lawrence Kasdan), Chocolat (Claire Denis), Distant Voices Still Lives (Terence Davies), Gorillas in the Mist (Michael Apted), Rain Man (Barry Levinson)

1989
10. Santa Sangre (Alejandro Jodorowsky)
  9. Parenthood (Ron Howard)
  8. Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen)
  7. Sex, Lies and Videotape (Steven Soderbergh)
  6. Say Anything (Cameron Crowe)
  5. Field of Dreams (Phil Alden Robinson)
  4. My Left Foot (Jim Sheridan)
  3. Drugstore Cowboy (Gus Van Sant)
  2. Born on the Fourth of July (Oliver Stone)
  1. Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
Honorable Mention: The Fabulous Baker Boys (Steve Kloves), Scandal (Michael Caton-Jones), Roger and Me (Michael Moore), A City of Sadness (Hou Hsiao Hsien), Mystery Train (Jim Jarmusch), Driving Miss Daisy (Bruce Beresford), Batman (Tim Burton), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Steven Spielberg)

Top Ten of the 1980s
10. Ordinary People (Robert Redford)
  9. The Right Stuff (Philip Kaufman)
  8. E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg)
  7. Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
  6. Sophie's Choice (Alan J. Pakula)
  5. Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders)
  4. Platoon (Oliver Stone)
  3. Blue Velvet (David Lynch)
  2. Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese)
  1. Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone)

1990
10. Miller's Crossing (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  9. An Angel at My Table (Jane Campion)
  8. The Godfather Part III (Francis Ford Coppola)
  7. Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty)
  6. Cinema Paradiso (Giuseppe Tornatore)
  5. Landscape in the Mist (Theo Angelopoulos)
  4. The Grifters (Stephen Frears)
  3. Dances with Wolves (Kevin Costner)
  2. The Decalogue (Krzysztof Kieslowski)
  1. Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese)
Honorable Mention: Avalon (Barry Levinson), Jacob's Ladder (Adrian Lyne), Wild at Heart (David Lynch), King of New York (Abel Ferrara), Days of Being Wild (Wong Kar Wai), Europa Europa (Agnieszka Holland), Damnation (Bela Tarr), Close-Up (Abbas Kiarostami), Monsieur Hire (Patrice Leconte), Ariel (Aki Kaurismaki)

1991
10. City of Hope (John Sayles)
  9. Life is Sweet (Mike Leigh)
  8. Thelma and Louise (Ridley Scott)
  7. Barton Fink (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  6. Beauty and the Beast (Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise)
  5. My Mother's Castle/My Father's Glory (Yves Robert)
  4. Grand Canyon (Lawrence Kasdan)
  3. The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme)
  2. Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton)
  1. JFK (Oliver Stone)
Honorable Mention: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (James Cameron), Lovers on the Bridge (Leos Carax), My Own Private Idaho (Gus Van Sant), A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang)

1992
10. Bad Lieutenant (Abel Ferrara)
  9. The Long Day Closes (Terence Davies)
  8. Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino)
  7. Howards End (James Ivory)
  6. Husbands and Wives (Woody Allen)
  5. Raise the Red Lantern (Zhang Yimou)
  4. Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood)
  3. The Player (Robert Altman)
  2. Malcolm X (Spike Lee)
  1. The Crying Game (Neil Jordan)
Honorable Mention: Glengarry Glen Ross (James Foley), Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (David Lynch), One False Move (Carl Franklin), Basic Instinct (Paul Verhoeven), Dust Devil (Richard Stanley), My Cousin Vinny (Jonathan Lynn)

1993
10. Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis)
  9. Menace II Society (Albert and Allen Hughes)
  8. Dazed and Confused (Richard Linklater)
  7. Short Cuts (Robert Altman)
  6. Naked (Mike Leigh)
  5. The Age of Innocence (Martin Scorsese)
  4. The Remains of the Day (James Ivory)
  3. The Piano (Jane Campion)
  2. In the Name of the Father (Jim Sheridan)
  1. Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg)
Honorable Mention: The Fugitive (Andrew Davis), Philadelphia (Jonathan Demme), The Puppetmaster (Hou Hsiao Hsien), Carlito's Way (Brian De Palma), The Joy Luck Club (Wayne Wang), What's Love Got to Do With It? (Brian Gibson), Strictly Ballroom (Baz Luhrmann), What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (Lasse Hallstrom), King of the Hill (Steven Soderbergh)

1994
10. Chungking Express (Wong Kar Wai)
  9.Three Colors: Blue, White, Red (Krzysztof Kieslowski)
  8. Bullets Over Broadway (Woody Allen)
  7. Ed Wood (Tim Burton)
  6. The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont)
  5. Hoop Dreams (Steve James)
  4. Quiz Show (Robert Redford)
  3. Natural Born Killers (Oliver Stone)
  2. Forrest Gump (Robert Zemeckis)
  1. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino)
Honorable Mention: The Madness of King George (Nicholas Hytner), Before the Rain (Milcho Manchevski), The Lion King (Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff), Clerks (Kevin Smith), Heavenly Creatures (Peter Jackson), The Blue Kite (Tian Zhuangzhuang)

1995
10. Exotica (Atom Egoyan)
  9. Strange Days (Kathryn Bigelow)
  8. Heat (Michael Mann)
  7. Casino (Martin Scorsese)
  6. Nixon (Oliver Stone)
  5. Leaving Las Vegas (Mike Figgis)
  4. Clockers (Spike Lee)
  3. The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer)
  2. Il Postino (Michael Radford)
  1. Dead Man Walking (Tim Robbins)
Honorable Mention: Braveheart (Mel Gibson), Fallen Angels (Wong Kar Wai), Safe (Todd Haynes), Seven (David Fincher), Underground (Emir Kusturica), Antonia's Line (Marleen Gorris), Before Sunrise (Richard Linklater), Crumb (Terry Zwigoff), Kids (Larry Clark), Toy Story (John Lasseter)

1996
10. The English Patient (Anthony Minghella)
  9. The People Vs. Larry Flynt (Milos Forman)
  8. Breaking the Waves (Lars Von Trier)
  7. Lone Star (John Sayles)
  6. Slingblade (Billy Bob Thornton)
  5. Shine (Scott Hicks)
  4. Satantango (Bela Tarr)
  3. Secrets and Lies (Mike Leigh)
  2. Trainspotting (Danny Boyle)
  1. Fargo (Joel and Ethan Coen)
Honorable Mention: Welcome to the Dollhouse (Todd Solondz), Big Night (Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci), Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch), Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson), When We Were Kings (Leon Gast), Scream (Wes Craven)

1997
10. As Good As It Gets (James L. Brooks)
  9. Contact (Robert Zemeckis)
  8. Donnie Brasco (Mike Newell)
  7. The Sweet Hereafter (Atom Egoyan)
  6. The Ice Storm (Ang Lee)
  5. Amistad (Steven Spielberg)
  4. Good Will Hunting (Gus Van Sant)
  3. L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson)
  2. Jackie Brown (Quentin Tarantino)
  1. Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Honorable Mention: Crash (David Cronenberg), Lost Highway (David Lynch), Happy Together (Wong Kar Wai), Titanic (James Cameron), Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami), Character (Mike van Diem), In the Company of Men (Neil LaBute), Chasing Amy (Kevin Smith), Deconstructing Harry (Woody Allen), Waiting for Guffman (Christopher Guest)

1998
10. Dark City (Alex Proyas)
  9. Happiness (Todd Solondz)
  8. Shakespeare in Love (John Madden)
  7. Bulworth (Warren Beatty)
  6. Rushmore (Wes Anderson)
  5. Pleasantville (Gary Ross)
  4. The Thin Red Line (Terrence Malick)
  3. Saving Private Ryan (Steven Spielberg)
  2. Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni)
  1. The Truman Show (Peter Weir)
Honorable Mention: Out of Sight (Steven Soderbergh), Pi (Darren Aronofsky), The Big Lebowski (Joel and Ethan Coen), A Simple Plan (Sam Raimi), Your Friends and Neighbors (Neil LaBute), There's Something About Mary (Peter and Bobby Farrelly), After Life (Hirokazu Koreeda), The Hole (Tsai Ming Liang), Affliction (Paul Schrader), Gods and Monsters (Bill Condon), A Bug's Life (John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton)

1999
10. Cookie's Fortune (Robert Altman)
  9. Fight Club (David Fincher)
  8. Boys Don't Cry (Kimberly Peirce)
  7. Three Kings (David O. Russell)
  6. The Straight Story (David Lynch)
  5. Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick)
  4. The Insider (Michael Mann)
  3. Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze)
  2. Magnolia (Paul Thomas Anderson)
  1. American Beauty (Sam Mendes)
Honorable Mention: All About My Mother (Pedro Almodovar), Bringing Out the Dead (Martin Scorsese), Topsy Turvy (Mike Leigh), Election (Alexander Payne), Flowers of Shanghai (Hou Hsiao Hsien), Cradle Will Rock (Tim Robbins), Titus (Julie Taymor), The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella), The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez), Toy Story 2 (John Lasseter)

Top Ten of the 1990s
10. Malcolm X (Spike Lee)
  9. Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni)
  8. The Truman Show (Peter Weir)
  7. The Decalogue (Krzysztof Kieslowski)
  6. Fargo (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  5. The Crying Game (Neil Jordan)
  4. Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson)
  3. Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg)
  2. Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese)
  1. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino)

2000
10. Beau Travail (Claire Denis)
  9. Dancer in the Dark (Lars Von Trier)
  8. American Psycho (Mary Harron)
  7. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  6. Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky)
  5. Nurse Betty (Neil LaBute)
  4. You Can Count On Me (Kenneth Lonergan)
  3. Traffic (Steven Soderbergh)
  2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee)
  1. Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe)
Honorable Mention: Wonder Boys (Curtis Hanson), High Fidelity (Stephen Frears), The Color of Paradise (Majid Majidi), Girl on the Bridge (Patrice Leconte), Cure (Kiyshoi Kurosawa), Platform (Jia Zhangke), The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola), Yi Yi (A One and a Two) (Edward Yang), The Wind Will Carry Us (Abbas Kiarostami), Gladiator (Ridley Scott)

2001
10a. Werckmeister Harmonies (Bela Tarr)
10b. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar Wai)
    9. In the Bedroom (Todd Field)
    8. The Man Who Wasn't There (Joel and Ethan Coen)
    7. A Beautiful Mind (Ron Howard)
    6. Monster's Ball (Marc Forster)
    5. Black Hawk Down (Ridley Scott)
    4. Memento (Christopher Nolan)
    3. The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson)
    2. Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
    1. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch)
Honorable Mention: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Peter Jackson), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Steven Spielberg), Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff), Waking Life (Richard Linklater), Vanilla Sky (Cameron Crowe), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Chris Columbus), Moulin Rouge! (Baz Luhrmann), Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly), Gosford Park (Robert Altman), Fat Girl (Catherine Breillat), Monster's Inc. (Pete Docter), La Captive (Chantal Akerman)

2002
10. Talk to Her (Pedro Almodovar)
  9. The Pianist (Roman Polanski)
  8. Punch Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson)
  7. Minority Report (Steven Spielberg)
  6. Moonlight Mile (Brad Silberling)
  5. About Schmidt (Alexander Payne)
  4. Road to Perdition (Sam Mendes)
  3. Adaptation (Spike Jonze)
  2. Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes)
  1. Gangs of New York (Martin Scorsese)
Honorable Mention: Frailty (Bill Paxton), Y Tu Mama Tambien (Alfonso Cuaron), Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (Zacharias Kunuk), Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Peter Jackson), Spider (David Cronenberg), Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki), The Son (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne), Femme Fatale (Brian De Palma), 25th Hour (Spike Lee), Russian Ark (Aleksandr Sokurov), What Time Is It There? (Tsai Ming Liang), Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis), The Man Without a Past (Aki Kaurismaki), Morvern Callar (Lynne Ramsay), 24 Hour Party People (Michael Winterbottom)

2003
10. Monster (Patty Jenkins)
  9. Northfork (Michael and Mark Polish)
  8. In America (Jim Sheridan)
  7. American Splendor (Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini)
  6. Elephant (Gus Van Sant)
  5. Big Fish (Tim Burton)
  4. Kill Bill Vol. I (Quentin Tarantino)
  3. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola)
  2. City of God (Fernando Meiralles)
  1. Mystic River (Clint Eastwood)
Honorable Mention: The Best of Youth (Marco Tullio Giordana), 28 Days Later (Danny Boyle), Time of the Wolf (Michael Haneke), Unknown Pleasures (Jia Zhangke), Cold Mountain (Anthony Minghella), The Barbarian Invasions (Denys Arcand), Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Peter Jackson), Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton), Memories of Murder (Bong Joon Ho), House of Sand and Fog (Vadim Perelman), The Fog of War (Errol Morris)

2004
10. Fahrenheit 9/11 (Michael Moore)
  9. Kinsey (Bill Condon)
  8. The Aviator (Martin Scorsese)
  7. The Motorcycle Diaries (Walter Salles)
  6. Dogville (Lars Von Trier)
  5. Million Dollar Baby (Clint Eastwood)
  4. Bad Education (Pedro Almodovar)
  3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry)
  2. Kill Bill Vol. II (Quentin Tarantino)
  1. Sideways (Alexander Payne)
Honorable Mention: I Heart Huckabee's (David O. Russell), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Wes Anderson), Goodbye Dragon Inn (Tsai Ming Liang), Before Sunset (Richard Linklater), Saved! (Brian Dannelly), A Home at the End of the World (Michael Mayer), Finding Neverland (Marc Forster), Hotel Rwanda (Terry George), The Incredibles (Brad Bird), The Saddest Music in the World (Guy Maddin)

2005
10. Match Point (Woody Allen)
  9. The Squid and the Whale (Noah Baumbach)
  8. Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki)
  7. Good Night and Good Luck (George Clooney)
  6. Crash (Paul Haggis)
  5. Syriana (Stephen Gaghan)
  4. Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog)
  3. Munich (Steven Spielberg)
  2. A History of Violence (David Cronenberg)
  1. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee)
Honorable Mention: Cache (Michael Haneke), Capote (Bennett Miller), Kings and Queen (Arnaud Desplechin), 2046 (Wong Kar Wai), Broken Flowers (Jim Jarmusch), Tropical Malady (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), Pusher II: With Blood on My Hands (Nicolas Winding Refn), Sin City (Robert Rodriguez), No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (Martin Scorsese), Last Days (Gus Van Sant)

2006
10. Three Times (Hou Hsiao Hsien)
  9. Volver (Pedro Almodovar)
  8. Flags Of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood)
  7. The Queen (Stephen Frears)
  6. Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro)
  5. Inland Empire (David Lynch)
  4. United 93 (Paul Greengrass)
  3. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron)
  2. Babel (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
  1. The Departed (Martin Scorsese)
Honorable Mention: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Larry Charles), The Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck), Dreamgirls (Bill Condon), L'Enfant (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne), The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Cristi Puiu), Colossal Youth (Pedro Costa), V for Vendetta (James McTeigue)

2007
10. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Tim Burton)
  9. In the Valley of Elah (Paul Haggis)
  8. Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik)
  7. Grind House (Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez)
  6. American Gangster (Ridley Scott)
  5. Eastern Promises (David Cronenberg)
  4. I'm Not There (Todd Haynes)
  3. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
  2. Zodiac (David Fincher)
  1. No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen)
Honorable Mention: Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud), Once (John Carney), Margot at the Wedding (Noah Baumbach), Regular Lovers (Philippe Garrel), Ratatouille (Brad Bird), Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

2008
10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (David Fincher)
  9. Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood)
  8. The Edge of Heaven (Fatih Akin)
  7. Rachel Getting Married (Jonathan Demme)
  6. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu)
  5. The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky)
  4. Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle)
  3. Happy Go Lucky (Mike Leigh)
  2. Wall-E (Andrew Stanton)
  1. Milk (Gus Van Sant)
Honorable Mention: Changeling (Clint Eastwood), The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan), Burn After Reading (Joel and Ethan Coen), Frost/Nixon (Ron Howard), Che (Steven Soderbergh), Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson), Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou Hsiao Hsien), Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant)

2009
10a. Where the Wild Things Are (Spike Jonze)
10b. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow)
    9. Hunger (Steve McQueen)
    8. Up (Pete Docter)
    7. Adventureland (Greg Mottola)
    6. An Education (Lone Scherfig)
    5. Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas)
    4. Up in the Air (Jason Reitman)
    3. The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke)
    2. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)
    1. A Serious Man (Joel and Ethan Coen)
Honorable Mention: Precious (Lee Daniels), Bronson (Nicolas Winding Refn)

Top Ten of the 2000s
10. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee)
  9. Sideways (Alexander Payne)
  8. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
  7. Zodiac (David Fincher)
  6. The Departed (Martin Scorsese)
  5. Gangs of New York (Martin Scorsese)
  4. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee)
  3. Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe)
  2. No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  1. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch)

2010
10. The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko)
  9. Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese)
  8. The King's Speech (Tom Hooper)
  7. True Grit (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  6. Another Year (Mike Leigh)
  5. Greenberg (Noah Baumbach)
  4. Carlos (Olivier Assayas)
  3. Black Swan (Darren Aronofsky)
  2. Winter's Bone (Debra Granik)
  1. The Social Network (David Fincher)
Honorable Mention: Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos), The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski), A Prophet (Jacques Audiard), Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich)

2011
10a. The Artist (Michel Hazanavicius)
10b. Hugo (Martin Scorsese)
    9. City of Life and Death (Chuan Lu)
    8. A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)
    7. The Descendants (Alexander Payne)
    6. Le Havre (Aki Kaurismaki)
    5. A Dangerous Method (David Cronenberg)
    4. Take Shelter (Jeff Nichols)
    3. Melancholia (Lars Von Trier)
    2. Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn)
    1. The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick)
Honorable Mention: Margaret (Kenneth Lonergan), Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen), Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Apichatpong Weerasethakul), Bridesmaids (Paul Feig)

2012
10. Holy Motors (Leos Carax)
  9. Argo (Ben Affleck)
  8. Lincoln (Steven Spielberg)
  7. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
  6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
  5. Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
  4. Amour (Michael Haneke)
  3. Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin)
  2. Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow)
  1. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson)

2013
10. The Spectacular Now (James Ponsoldt)
  9. The Place Beyond the Pines (Derek Cianfrance)
  8. Blue is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche)
  7. Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve)
  6. Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)
  5. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)
  4. Her (Spike Jonze)
  3. American Hustle (David O. Russell)
  2. Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  1. 12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)
Honorable Mention: Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass), Nebraska (Alexander Payne), Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach), Before Midnight (Richard Linklater), Blue Jasmine (Woody Allen)

2014
10. Whiplash (Damien Chazelle)
  9. American Sniper (Clint Eastwood)
  8. The Immigrant (James Gray)
  7. Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh)
  6. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer)
  5. Selma (Ava DuVernay)
  4. Foxcatcher (Bennett Miller)
  3. Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson)
  2. Birdman (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
  1. Boyhood (Richard Linklater)
Honorable Mention: Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy), Snowpiercer (Bong Joon Ho), Life Itself (Steve James), The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson), Winter Sleep (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

2015
10. Straight Outta Compton (F. Gary Gray)
  9. Inside Out (Pete Docter)
  8. The Revenant (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
  7. The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino)
  6. Brooklyn (John Crowley)
  5. Clouds of Sils Maria (Olivier Assayas)
  4. It Follows (David Robert Mitchell)
  3. Son of Saul (Laszlo Nemes)
  2. Carol (Todd Haynes)
  1. Spotlight (Thomas McCarthy)
Honorable Mention: Mustang (Deniz Gamze Erguven), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (J.J. Abrams), Bridge of Spies (Steven Spielberg), While We're Young (Noah Baumbach), Sicario (Denis Villeneuve), Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako), Hard to Be a God (Aleksei German)

2016
* Bonus: O.J. Made in America (Ezra Edelman), which debuted on TV but was later released in theaters.
10. American Honey (Andrea Arnold)
  9. Hail, Caesar! (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  8. Silence (Martin Scorsese)
  7. Everybody Wants Some!! (Richard Linklater)
  6. Paterson (Jim Jarmusch)
  5. La La Land (Damien Chazelle)
  4. Sing Street (John Carney)
  3. Manchester by the Sea (Kenneth Lonergan)
  2. Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)
  1. Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)
Honorable Mention: Sunset Song (Terence Davies), 13th (Ava DuVernay), Mountains May Depart (Jia ZhangKe), Jackie (Pablo Larrain)

2017
* Bonus: Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch), which was a TV show, but was shot like a movie.
10. Okja (Bong Joon Ho)
  9. Baby Driver (Edgar Wright)
  8. Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan)
  7. Detroit (Kathryn Bigelow)
  6. Mother! (Darren Aronofsky)
  5. Personal Shopper (Olivier Assayas)
  4. Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)
  3. Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino)
  2. Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)
  1. The Florida Project (Sean Baker)
Honorable Mention: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson), Mudbound (Dee Rees), The Shape of Water (Guillermo del Toro), The Post (Steven Spielberg)

2018
10. Shoplifters (Hirokazu Kore-eda)
  9. Widows (Steve McQueen)
  8. First Reformed (Paul Schrader)
  7. Cold War (Pawel Pawlikowski)
  6. Blindspotting (Carlos Lopez Estrada)
  5. If Beale Street Could Talk (Barry Jenkins)
  4. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Joel and Ethan Coen)
  3. Burning (Lee Chang-dong)
  2. Roma (Alfonso Cuaron)
  1. BlacKkKlansman (Spike Lee)
Honorable Mention: Hereditary (Ari Asher), Mandy (Panos Cosmatos), The Other Side of the Wind (Orson Welles), Happy as Lazzaro (Alice Rohrwacher), The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos)

2019
10. Little Women (Greta Gerwig)
  9. Ash is Purest White (Jia Zhangke)
  8. Birds of Passage (Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego)
  7. Transit (Christian Petzold)
  6. Parasite (Bong Joon Ho)
  5. Long Day's Journey Into Night (Bi Gan)
  4. Marriage Story (Noah Baumbach)
  3. Pain and Glory (Pedro Almodovar)
  2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino)
  1. The Irishman (Martin Scorsese)
Honorable Mention: Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story (Martin Scorsese), The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers), 1917 (Sam Mendes), The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Joe Talbot)

2020

10. The Climb (Michael Angelo Covino)
  9. The Vast of Night (Andrew Patterson)
  8. First Cow (Kelly Reichardt)
  7. Soul (Pete Docter)
  6. Crip Camp (James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham)
  5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Eliza Hittman)
  4. Small Axe, Pts. I-V (Steve McQueen)
  3. Mank (David Fincher)
  2. Da 5 Bloods (Spike Lee)
  1. Nomadland (Chloe Zhao)

2021
10. The Tragedy of Macbeth (Joel Coen)
  9. Parallel Mothers (Pedro Almodovar)

  8. Belfast (Kenneth Branagh)
  7. CODA (Sian Heder)
  6. No Sudden Move (Steven Soderbergh)
  5. The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson)

  4. Titane (Julia Ducournau)
  3. Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)
  2. The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)
  1. Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Honorable Mention: The Card Counter (Paul Schrader), In the Heights (Jon M. Chu), Red Rocket (Sean Baker), Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King), The Velvet Underground (Todd Haynes), Nightmare Alley (Guillermo del Toro)

2022

10. Holy Spider (Ali Abassi)

  9. Fire of Love (Sara Dosa)
  8. Cha Cha Real Smooth (Cooper Raiff)

  7. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)
  6. EO (Jerzy Skolimowski)
  5. Petite Maman (Celine Sciamma)
  4. Armageddon Time (James Grey)
  3. The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh)
  2. TAR (Todd Field)
  1. The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg)
Honorable Mention: The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier), Crimes of the Future (David Cronenberg)

2023
10a. A Thousand and One (A.V. Rockwell)
10b. Air (Ben Affleck)
    9. All Of Us Strangers (Andrew Haigh)

    8. Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos)
    7. The Zone of Interest (Jonathan Glazer)
    6. Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)
    5. Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)
    4. The Holdovers (Alexander Payne)
    3. Past Lives (Celine Song)
    2. Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese)
    1. Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)
Honorable Mention: Barbie (Greta Gerwig), May December (Todd Haynes)