Bilge Ebiri

How do you know you’re watching a truly great movie? Trust us: if there were a formula for determining if a film deserves to be considered one of the best ever, it’d make putting together lists like this one much easier. But the truth is, greatness is highly subjective, and one person’s Citizen Kane is another’s Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, or vice versa. (Hey, it’s possible.) Everybody has different criteria, determined by individual taste, personal experience and that intangible feeling that comes when a piece of art puts a dent in your soul.  If there is any one thing that delineates a great movie from an all-time classic, though, it’s rewatchability. The best movies never get stale, no matter how many times you see them, and even the oldest films on this list will seem as fresh watched today as the day they first premiered. It’s a point that underscores the importance of repertory cinema – seeing a movie on the big screen, decades or even a century after its initial release, is a crucial element in film appreciation. Once you finish perusing our selection of the greatest films ever made, consider seeking them out at one of the world’s legendary cinemas, whether it’s the New Beverly in Los Angeles, Le Champo in Paris or Prince Charles Cinema in central London. You won’t regret it.

Everyone has their favorites – that’s why any debate over what makes the best movies of all time can take hours (or, in our cases, a lifetime). Can there ever be one list to rule them all? A canon, as critics like to call it, updated with today’s game changers, that would glance upon all tastes, all genres, all countries, all eras, balancing impact with importance, brains with heart? The challenge was daunting. We just couldn't resist. Our list includes some of the most recognized action, feminist and foreign films. Please let us know how wrong we got it. Written by Abbey Bender, Dave Calhoun, Phil de Semlyen, Bilge Ebiri, Ian Freer, Stephen Garrett, Tomris Laffly, Joshua Rothkopf and Anna Smith RECOMMENDED:– The best movies on Netflix right now– The 100 best comedy movies– The best romantic movies of all time– The 101 best action movies ever made– The best documentaries on Netflix