There are a lot of ways that filmmakers and storytellers have reworked real history with an alternate version of that history over the years. Often it's a re-imagining of major events like wars, but sometimes it's a smaller bit of history, like Quentin Tarantino did with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

I love these kinds of movies and TV shows because it's always interesting to wonder "what if?" things went differently in key moments in time. This list is a celebration of any kind of alternate history, from shows about Kings ruling America to the Soviets winning the race to the moon and everything in between.

For All Mankind

Man landing on the Moon was a huge moment in history, and for the United States, it marked a victory in the space race. For All Mankind wonders what would have happened if the Soviets had won that race. In the show, from streamer Apple TV+, the Soviets win the race, but the US keeps pushing to get ahead somehow.

Inglourious Basterds

If I'm honest, Inglourious Basterds isn't my favorite Tarantino movie. Some people argue that his re-imagining of the death of that terrible man with the little mustache was killed by an elite group of US soldiers, instead of what actually happened, is his best movie. I don't even think it's his best alternate history movie. Christoph Waltz is amazing, though.

Bridgerton

Bridgerton doesn't jump out as a show that fits into this category, but it is deliberately set in an alternative history timeline. In this timeline, King George III has made sure there is racial equality during his reign in the early 19th Century. This equality is partly achieved by the king granting titles of nobility to a much more diverse group, setting up the romances that happen on the show.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a bit of a tricky one here, because it's really an alternate history story wrapped in pure fantasy. The movie, which was, if I'm honest, disappointing, mostly because the source material, a comic book by Alan Moore, is so great, and the concept is so cool.

The Plot Against America

The HBO miniseries The Plot Against America is a disturbing look into an alternate past where Charles Lindbergh, who is portrayed as an anti-semite, is elected president in 1940 and ends World War II before it began for the US. He does this by striking a deal with the Germans because he agrees with their fascist policies.

C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America

C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America is a wild movie that is almost impossible to explain in a short blurb. It's a mockumentary that aired first on IFC, complete with crazy commercials that tells the triumphant story of the South's victory in the Civil War and all that brought with it. It's ambitious, and it doesn't always work, but it's worth trying to catch, if you can find it.

11.22.63

I was skeptical of 11.22.63 when I first read about it, but in the end, I loved the Hulu miniseries. The series, adapted from a book by Stephen King, stars James Franco as a man who finds himself traveling back in time to Dallas on November 22nd, 1963, the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Of course, he tries to figure out a way to change the future, but is thwarted by fate each time. Technically, this is more of an example of history not changing, but it feels very much like the rest of these movies.

Watchmen

Based on the legendary comic book by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (Moore was uncredited by his choice), Watchmen envisions a future when a superhero named Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup) has ended the Vietnam War in the United States' favor. That propels Richard Nixon to multiple terms as President (he's in his 5th term in 1985, when the movie is set), and the Cold War escalated even more than it did in real life. Watchmen is a superhero movie, sure, but it fits perfectly on this list.

White Man's Burden

The oft-forgotten White Man's Burden, from 1995, is, well, let's just very heavy-handed at times, but it lot of ways it works in what it sets out to do. The movie, which stars John Travolta and Harry Belafonte, reverses the races in America, making African-Americans the dominant race. Yeah, it's tricky, and it could have been a disaster. It's not a total mess, but it's far from perfect.

The Final Countdown

One of the most underrated sci-fi movies of the 1980s is also one of the best movies about the Navy is The Final Countdown. It stars Kirk Douglas as the captain of an aircraft carrier that accidentally travels through a time portal and finds itself in 1941. The crew quickly realizes that they have the opportunity to stop the attack on Pearl Harbor, but doesn't the future still changes two passengers on the ship are marooned in 1941, but use that to their advantage in the future.

The Man In The High Castle

Of course, the Prime series, The Man In The High Castle, would be on this list. I first read the book it was based on, by author Philip K. Dick, when I was in high school, and it is definitely responsible for my interest and love in this whole genre. The show's world-building in Season 1 is remarkable, and I was completely enthralled by the show. I loved how it modernized the book in all the right places and was blown away by the set design, CGI, and costuming. Unfortunately, I think the show kind of fell apart in its later seasons, but in the beginning, it was a masterpiece.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is one of my favorite Quentin Tarantino movies. While the alternate history in Inglourious Basterds frustrated and annoyed me, the fantasy of Sharon Tate's murder being thwarted in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood made me tear up when thinking about how things would have been different. It's just as cartoon-y as Inglourious Basterds, but so much more satisfying in the way it plays out.

District 9

On its surface, District 9 seems like a normal alien invasion movie, but when you dig in, you learn that it's set in a very different timeline than our reality, beginning in 1982 when the aliens arrive over Johannesburg. Once you realize it's set in the early '80s, you see why it belongs on this list.

1984

When the book Nineteen Eighty-Four was published in 1949, it was a dystopian look at a possible future. When the movie came out in 1984, it had transformed into an alternate history. While some of the dystopian ideas that author George Orwell warned everyone of sort of came true, it's still a very different world than what was actually real. For that reason, it works for this list in a roundabout way.

Kings

It's always disappointing when a show you love and one that you see a ton of potential in gets canceled before it really finds its footing. That's what happened to me when NBC canceled Kings after just 13 episodes. The show had a fantastic cast, including Ian McShane as the king of a country that was basically the United States (called Gilboa on the show) and Sebastian Stan as his heir-apparent. There was a ton of palace intrigue, and the show could have gone in so many interesting directions had it found a bigger audience.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Okay, okay, I can already hear the people in the comment section complaining, but at its core, not only is Captain America: The First Avenger a superhero movie (and is high up in the ranking of MCU movies), it's also a different version of history, with World War II essentially being won for the Allies by Captain America. That's not what really happened, so that's why I'm counting it. I don't want to hear any arguments!

DMZ

The American Civil War is a popular place to create diverging timelines in fiction, but in the HBO miniseries DMZ, it envisions a world where there is a second civil war, and Manhattan is where the lines are drawn.

Overlord

Maybe no other event in history has inspired more alternate history stories than World War II. In every genre, across all types of media, the "what ifs" have been explored. That includes horror movies like Overlord. The movie, starring Wyatt Russell, envisions a World War II where US paratroopers face off with Zombies created by human experimentation by the Germans.

Fatherland

Fatherland, starring Rutger Hauer of the many entries on this list that re-imagine World War II with the Germans winning. This one is a murder mystery in German-ruled Europe, where the Allies lost the war after the US withdrew from the European theater. The HBO production came out in 1994 and still holds up pretty well today.

My Lady Jane

When Prime canceled My Lady Jane in 2024, fans were in an uproar. That's always a good sign, and it's easy to see why its audience loved it so much. It's really more of a fantasy series, but the history in it, following Lady Jane Grey in the 1500s, is purposefully set in an alternative timeline.

Civil War

This one is a little tricky, because technically it could be called an "alternate present" as Alex Garland's Civil War from 2024 is set more or less in the present day. It is, however, a very different reality, with the United States at war with itself over politics. For a lot of people, it was among the best movies released in '24, and it certainly lays out a scary look at how bad things could get if politics continues to get uglier and uglier.

Pearl Harbor

Okay, hear me out. There is so much incorrect history in Pearl Harbor is hard to defend it as anything but an alternate history. Sure, this doesn't strictly work here, but imagining Ben Affleck's character in the Battle of Britain, on Oahu during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and as part of the Doolittle raid is complete fantasy, so for me, this is definitely alternative history.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Okay, how much explanation is needed here? Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is obviously a different version of history, straying into fantasy and horror, of course. I thought this movie would be terrible, and...it kind of is, but if you don't get hung up on the protagonist being one of the US's most important figures, it's not that bad.

Fallout

Sure, there is a serious dystopian overtone to Fallout, and if you only look at that, you might not think of it as alternative history, but the lore explains that the timeline diverged after World War II. While it's set in the distant future, its a future based on a very different past.

Never Let Me Go

Alternate histories are sometimes more about romance than science fiction, as in the case of Never Let Me Go starring Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, and Keira Knightley. It's a lot less bombastic than most of the movies on this list, and the plot, which is partly centered around humans having discovered the cure for death, is really a romance in a love triangle.

SS-GB

The BBC show SS-GB is another example of a show based on the Germans coming out victorious over the Allies in World War II. This time, it's set in London in 1941, and the U.K. has already lost the war. Like others on this list, the show is really a murder mystery-turned-political thriller that is well worth your time, if you love British television shows as I do.

Amerika

Surprisingly, there aren't a lot of examples in this genre of the U.S. losing the Cold War to the USSR, but at the height of that cold conflict in 1987, ABC produced Amerika, starring Kris Kristofferson as a politician living in a conquered America, having been overrun by the Soviets. I won't give away the ending, but it's easy to guess who wins in the end, given the timing of the miniseries.

Hello Tomorrow!

Hello Tomorrow! draws inspiration from shows like The Jetsons and other retrofuturistic shows, and tells the story of a man (played by Billy Crudup) selling property on the Moon. It's a decent show, though not as good as some other offerings from Apple TV+, like For All Mankind.

LOLA

LOLA, from director Andrew Legge, is a "found footage" movie about two girls in German-occupied England who invent a device that can pick up radio waves in the future. It's a low-budget indie that can be tough to find, but is really well done, even if you're not into the found footage genre.

An Englishman's Castle

Way back in 1978, a British TV show called An Englishman's Castle explored what life would be like if Germany had won World War II and the country was ruled by a collaborationist government in 1940. That is the backdrop for the show as the main character discovers more and more about the truth of what is really going on.

Wild Wild West

Wild Wild West is often derided for how bad it is, and...it's not great. However, it definitely belongs on this list. As much as I love the idea of a steampunk version of history, this movie could have been so much cooler if it had been done right. Will Smith and Kevin Kline are good, and the production design is awesome. There's just something lacking from the story. It feels way too forced to fit the design of the movie.

Motherland: Fort Salem

This one is unique because the diverging timeline begins after the Salem witch trials in the 17th Century. Motherland: Fort Salem is a TV show set in the present day, but with a very different history, making witches powerful members of society.

Sometimes there are movies that everyone loves, and you don't. I'm generally pretty open-minded about most movies (it helps to be in this business), and I can usually find something I like in almost every movie. There are, however, some movies that I don't like. These aren't all "hot takes." For most of them, I completely appreciate the quality of the movie in question; they just don't land with me on a personal level.

This is a "me problem" most of the time, but still, I wanted to put this list together to talk about movies everyone loves, but have never done anything for me, so without further ado, let's get into it!

The Shawshank Redemption

Let's just get this big one out of the way. The Shawshank Redemption is generally considered one of, if not the, best movies of the 1990s by many people. The Frank Darabont-directed prison movie, based on a book by Stephen King and starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, is beloved by many, especially those people (like me) who watched it on cable all the time in the '90s. The thing is, I just don't like it. Maybe it's because of the prison element, or that it's a little too... I don't know... cheesy to me. It doesn't work for me.

The Deer Hunter

Where to start with The Deer Hunter? Often cited as not only one of the best war movies ever, it's even thought of as one of the best films of all time. I couldn't disagree more with those assessments. This might be a hot take, but I find it boring. Do we really need to see a Russian-Orthodox wedding as it happens? The history is dubious at best. There is nothing that ties Russian Roulette to POW camps in Vietnam in actual history. While the performances are amazing from the entire cast, the movie, with a runtime of 184 minutes, is about 3 hours too long.

Avatar

The first time I saw Avatar, I was on a double date, and my girlfriend and I spent the whole movie snickering about how silly we thought it was. The other couple on the date loved it (as most seem to), so again, we snickered about how silly the movie is, and how much the other couple loved it. The special effects achievements in Avatar are rightfully lauded, but everything else... I can't take it seriously.

300

People were so excited when the graphic novel 300 got a film adaptation in 2006. While I'm often a stickler for good history in a movie about historical events, that's not what bothers me about this one. For me, the movie just looks and feels incredibly cheesy.

Magnolia

Paul Thomas Anderson is a polarizing director, at least in my own head. I tend to either really love his movies (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Hard Eight, and Inherent Vice are all movies you can watch over and over) or I really don't like them at all, like Magnolia. I remember being so excited to see his follow-up to Boogie Nights in the theater and walking away disappointed and, honestly, pretty bored by the movie.

Scarface

Scarface has to be one of the most dated movies of all time. Talk about cheesy! Everything from Miami in the '80s to the score by the legendary Giorgio Moroder all feels like they are trapped in time - and not in a good way. Though some might disagree, it's also a really boring movie for most of it. Sure, the action scenes are classics, but Al Pacino's weird accent ruins even some of the best lines for me.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

I'm the perfect age for someone who loves Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, as I was a preteen when it came it. It is a movie directed right at the audience I was a part of when it became a smash hit in 1980. I never really liked it, even then. The humor doesn't land for me at all. I do like the animation, but other than that, it's just not for me.

Sin City

I don't read a lot of graphic novels, and that might be why I don't like adaptations like 300 or this one, Sin City. Both are adapted from works by Frank Miller, some of whose adaptations I do really like, like the third season of Daredevil, then on Netflix, now part of the MCU on Disney+. The style of Sin City does little for me, and I just couldn't get past that.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid is a movie I really want to like. I love both stars of the movie, Robert Redford and Paul Newman, and The Sting, which I first saw years before seeing Butch and Sundance, is still one of my all-time favorite movies. I'm also a huge fan of Westerns, and despite this being considered one of the best Westerns of all time, I've never been able to connect with this one. I've tried over the years to get into it, but I end up turning it off every time.

Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino is a director, like some others on this list, who is always a little hit-or-miss with me. Reservoir Dogs is one of my all-time favorites, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is an example where I think Tarantino nailed the alternate history in the story he was telling. Inglourious Basterds is the opposite of that. Outside of the incredible opening scene with Christoph Waltz's amazing performance, the movie is just too silly for me, and the ending drives me nuts. I do secretly love Brad Pitt's wacky accent.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Time for me to come clean: I'm not a big fan of any of the Mad Max franchise. Although I'm the perfect age to have grown up with it, I've never been able to get into it. Mad Max: Fury Road is widely praised, and visually, it is really awesome, but seeing it once was enough for me. I have no desire to watch it again.

Titanic

I know I'm not alone here in my dislike of Titanic. That's not to say I hate everything about the movie. I actually really love the set design and the special effects. Visually, it's an amazing movie. It's the story that does absolutely nothing for me. Frankly, it bores me, and now, by no fault of the movie itself, it's been so meme'd and quoted over the years, it leaves me with no desire to watch it again.

Top Gun: Maverick

The original Top Gun is a near-perfect action movie in my opinion. Its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, was disappointing because it's basically a beat-for-beat remake. That's not why I really don't like it, though. It's that silly ending, which is essentially the exact same idea as Luke blowing up the Death Star in the first Star Wars movie, and that left me really bummed out when I finished watching it.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

When people rank the MCU movies, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is often near the top, or at least in the top third of all the movies. For me, though, it's way down the list. But what do I know? I love Iron Man 2, and everyone else hates that one.

Chariots Of Fire

I'm convinced that the reason people love Chariots Of Fire is solely for the incredible score by Vangelis. I love a good period piece, and by all accounts, I should love this movie, and yet, I don't. It's a movie that somehow won Best Picture over Raiders of the Lost Ark, and that never should have happened!

Heat

Another movie that I think I should really love, but just can't buy some of the ridiculous dialogue is Heat. The epic shootout is amazing, and I remember all too well what a huge deal it was that Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were appearing in scenes together in a movie for the first time. That novelty has worn off, and all we're left with is some silly dialogue now.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

This is where Wes Anderson lost me. I was excited for The Grand Budapest Hotel when it was released, as I was a huge fan of Anderson's earlier work, but this one left me feeling flat and, frankly, a little annoyed at the directing. I love that Anderson has a clear vision and style in his movies, but I'm just not into them anymore.

American Hustle

I once had a friend comment that American Hustle should really be called "American Hair and Makeup." The wardrobe and make-up departments more than earned their money on this one; it's all fantastic. The movie could have been so much better, though.

Once Upon a Time in America

Once Upon a Time in America is one of those movies that has what feels like dozens of different versions. The directors cut, the theatrical cut, the USSR cut... it goes on and on, but I have yet to find a version of the movie that makes me love it. Maybe one day a Redux cut will finally make it click.

The Big Chill

I'm pretty outspoken about my feelings about Gen X nostalgia, and that's my generation. I had to grow up in an America drenched in Baby Boomer nostalgia, and no movie represents that quite like The Big Chill. That said, I will always be grateful for the movie introducing me to Motown with its fantastic soundtrack.

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump is a movie that never fails to annoy me. Yes, it has a great soundtrack, and I actually love Tom Hanks' performance in it. But it's just dripping in saccharine Boomer nostalgia, and that will always annoy me about it.

Driving Miss Daisy

I remember what a huge deal Driving Miss Daisy was when it was released, and I'm almost positive it was the first movie I ever saw with Morgan Freeman, so it does get points for that. It loses points for everything else.

The Shape Of Water

Let me get this straight... Is The Shape of Water is a better movie than Dunkirk, Get Out, Darkest Hour, Call Me By Your Name, and The Post? That's what the Academy thought when it named the movie Best Picture at the 2018 Oscars. There's just no way. I don't get it. Maybe it's me, but of all the films directed by Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is by far my least favorite.

Grease

I get, Grease is a beloved movie for generations of kids and teenagers. The musical is one of the most popular movies ever made, and that popularity has never waned. Except with me. It never did anything for me. Except for the song "Greased Lightnin'." That's a great tune.

Harold And Maude

I love a great dark comedy, and Harold and Maude should fit that bill for me, but it just doesn't do anything for me at all. I mean, I kind of appreciate that Maude lives in an old train car; that's fun.

The Iron Giant

The Iron Giant is the perfect example of a movie that just came out at the wrong time for me. I was too old to care about kids' movies and too young to appreciate kids' movies as an adult. It's a movie that I finally watched about 20 years after it came out, simply because it was referenced in Ready Player One, but it still just wasn't for me.

American Sniper

I love a good movie about the military, and American Sniper is a very intense one of those, for sure. This is a case where I don't totally hate the movie, but I don't like it enough to ever watch again. I'm not going to get political here, so I'll leave it at that. Also, the fake baby totally took me out of the movie, and I never really recovered.

Easy Rider

I'm a huge fan of late '60s music and, by extension, the hippie culture. I love literature from the era, and so, by all accounts. I should love Easy Rider. Except... I don't. Like other movies on this list, it feels really dated, as do a lot of movies from the era. The motorcycles will always look cool, though.

Brazil

Terry Gilliam is a genius. I love his work with Monty Python, and I'm a big fan of a bunch of his movies, like Time Bandits, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Fisher King. I'm a huge fan of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, as well. But I just don't like Brazil. I can't put my finger on exactly why I don't, but I find it a little boring, and while I generally appreciate anything weird, this one may just be a little too off-kilter for me.

Moneyball

I read the book Moneyball years before the movie came out, and I have the same issue with the book as I do with the movie. As a baseball fan, it bugs me that the movie completely downplays the epic pitching staff the A's had in this era and gives far too much credit to Billy Beane's rethinking of player evaluation. It's something that I just can't get out of my head whenever I try to watch the movie.

The Fifth Element

I get why people love The Fifth Element. It's visually stunning, and the cast is amazing. It's missing something that I can't put my finger on. Maybe I need to try this one again, but I'm not sure I'll like it anymore than I used to.

Terms Of Endearment

For me, Terms of Endearment isn't one of those movies that is so good, but so brutal to watch that you can never watch it again; it's just a bland movie that I'll never understand how it won so many awards or was so popular at the time. It's a stellar cast, to be sure, but it seems only to serve one purpose: to make people cry. That isn't my kind of movie.

I know this might sound crazy, but there are people out there who actually think that Pulp Fiction isn't Quentin Tarantino's best movie.

Now, I'd consider myself a reasonable man, so I always like to listen to other people's opinions. These other people have said is that Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino's true masterpiece.

And, look, I get it. This an excellent film. In fact, when my colleague, Eric Eisenberg, ranked all of Tarantino's movies, he put Basterds at number two. Which makes sense…to me at least. That said, I really want to get to the bottom of this. So, could Inglourious Basterds actually be Tarantino’s best movie?

Short Answer, No

Look, I recently rewatched Basterds again just to give it another shot, and, while I was just as impressed this time as I was the first two times I watched it, I still can’t say that it’s better than Pulp Fiction, and it’s mostly because of the lopsided tone.

What do I mean by this? Well, Basterds almost seems like it’s trying to be two different movies. You have some of the greatest dramatic and tense moments Tarantino has ever put to screen with this film, with most of those scenes involving Christoph Waltz, who I’ll get into later.

But then, you have some of the more, I’ll call them, cartoony moments with characters like Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, or Eli Roth as “The Bear Jew.” Now, don’t get me wrong. I LOVE these characters (which I’ll also get into later), but they kind of clash with the more dramatic moments in this film.

Some people don’t see this as a problem. I do. Yes, it makes the film very enjoyable (I mean, all of Tarantino movies are enjoyable – including Death Proof). But, it also kind of limits the film, too. Because, in a lot of ways, I feel like Tarantino’s style actually gets in the way with this movie – especially with the dramatic moments, whereas Pulp Fiction doesn’t have that problem. In fact, his style shines the brightest in that film, which is likely why it made him a household name (though, Reservoir Dogs could have just as easily done that over time).

While I really do like Inglourious Basterds, I think its shifting tone (Is it serious? Is it silly? Which is it?) holds it back from being Tarantino’s best movie. Pulp Fiction is just much more consistent throughout. Even so…

I Will Say That Tarantino's Best Character Is In This Movie With Hans Landa

I would argue that Pulp Fiction is easily Samuel L. Jackson’s best movie, and it’s not even close. That said, there are so many excellent characters and moments in that film that I really can’t say that any one character actually steals the show.

The same can’t be said for Inglourious Basterds, because even though it also has a lot of stand-out characters, Christoph Waltz handidly steals this movie. I mean, there’s a reason why he won an Oscar for his performance. It was certainly justified.

This movie has a lot of phenomenal moments, but I would say that the single best is the opening scene where SS-Standartenfuhrer Hans Landa (Waltz) interrogates a dairy farmer who has Jewish people hiding beneath the floorboards. Honestly, I would say that this is not only the best moment in the entire movie, but also the single best moment in any Tarantino film ever.

As somebody who loves HItchcock movies, I would say that this scene is almost Hitchcokian in nature, as the tension is through the roof. The fact that the audience knows (and that Landa likely knows) that there are Jewish people hiding beneath him immediately pulls you into this film, and you’re pretty much on the edge of your seat every time Waltz is on the screen.

Which again, I actually think works against this film, since the movie turns deadly serious (even though Landa is so charming) whenever he’s present, but then turns kind of silly again (in a good way) when most of the other characters are present. It’s almost a shame that Tarantino’s best character (in my opinion, anyway) happens to be in the same movie as Lt. Aldo Raine. But, like I said, I don’t hate Brad Pitt in this film. In fact…

All Of The Characters In This Film Stand Out

It might sound like I’m dogpiling on this film at times, but I’m really not. I wouldn’t say it’s my personal second favorite movie of Tarantino’s (that would be The Hateful Eight), I will say that I’m comfortable with calling it Tarantino’s second best film, and it’s mostly because of the assortment of characters, since they all stand out.

Landa is undisputedly the best character, but I really love the other characters, too, such as Raine, who survived a lynching, and has the scar to prove it. Or Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), who is the sole survivor from the scene at the beginning of the movie, and gets her revenge by the end of the film. She’s also wonderful.

This is also the movie that introduced me, and I’m sure plenty others, to Michael Fassbender. He plays a brief, but potent, role as a British soldier and former film critic helping the Basterds, and he’s in my second favorite scene in the film, which involves a tavern with several German soldiers.

And, who can forget Daniel Bruhl, who plays a German sniper who is getting a movie made about him? He’s both made to be admirable, but also a little goofy, which again, kind of shows that conflicting tone again that I mentioned earlier.

Honestly, Inglourious Basterds is a movie that I think has great scenes, but the parts don’t completely add up to the whole. Be that as it may…

It Has What Might Be Tarantino's Most Satisfying Third Act

From first scene to last, Pulp Fiction is satisfying. Its circular nature makes it feel like you’ve really gone on a journey, and there really isn’t a single thing I would change about that movie.

Basterds is different. Yes, I would say that it also feels like a journey, but not in the same, satisfying way that Fiction does. However, I will say that I think Basterds has the most satisfying third act in any Tarantino movie, and it’s mostly because it all culminates in some extreme revisionist history.

Now, the first time I saw this movie, I didn’t know what to think. The fact that both Hitler AND Goebbels die at the end really threw me for a loop. That didn’t happen in reality, so I didn’t see it coming.

Now that I know that this is how the film ends, though, it’s super satisfying. Much like with Django Unchained, which I also find super satisfying, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, which I find much less satisfying (I should write about why someday), Basterds toys with history, which gives it a much more cathartic ending than the truth.

And, I think it works the best in this movie. The fact that the sole survivor from the beginning literally gets to have the last laugh as the movie theater burns down just feels SO GOOD, and that scene alone almost makes me want to say that this is his best movie, just because I’ve never felt so strongly about any other Tarantino conclusion. Be that as it may…

Inglourious Basterds Still Doesn't Have The Megaton Impact Or Storytelling Of Pulp Fiction

I know this whole article has been about the overall quality of both movies, but I think it would be foolish not to consider the overall impact both movies have had, as well, for Tarantino.

Let’s be clear. Pulp was a more important movie for the trajectory of Tarantino’s career than Basterds, and that means something. For example, let’s look at a director like Martin Scorsese. Yes, Scorsese had several great films in the ‘80s and ‘90s (Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy are actually my favorite Scorsese films).

However, when Scorsese’s career is finally over, I think it’s clear that most people, when ranking his films, would say that 1990’s Goodfellas was his greatest movie. It’s why a lot of people often associate him with gangster films in general, even though a lot of his movies don’t involve the mob at all.

I think the same could be said for Pulp Fiction. It’s the movie that all of Tarantino’s other films are compared to, and for good reason.

So, is Inglourious Basterds Tarantino’s best movie? No. But second ain’t bad. In fact, it’s pretty good!

Quentin Tarantino is a master at using old TV shows and movies as references to get his point across in his dialog. Sometimes, it's wildly obscure (that's what years watching movies in a video shop will get you), but often they are unique and fun ways to refer to the things that people grew up with, especially Gen Xers. This a list of some of those references, both the obscure and the obvious, that Tarantino peppers into so many of his movies.

Green Acres - Pulp Fiction

The diner scene in Pulp Fiction has a bunch of fun references and maybe the best comes from Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) when he is explaining why he doesn't eat pork to Vincent (John Travolta). Jules calls pigs "filthy animals" and to not be, they'd have to be "ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres," referring to the old TV show.

The Lost Boys - Reservoir Dogs

While Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) is rehearsing the story he's going to tell while he's undercover - to sell his character, he explains at one point that he is just trying to watch one of the best vampire movies of all time, The Lost Boys, at home.

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry - Jackie Brown

Tarantino loves to throw in obscure movies that many of us might have missed, Such is the case with Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, a heist movie from 1974 starring Peter Fonda. It's shown briefly on TV as Bridget Fonda (Peter's daughter) and Robert De Niro blankly watch TV. Sneaky Quentin!

The Street Fighter - True Romance

Obviously Tarantino loves Kung Fu movies. Kill Bill is a tribute to genre, but he peppered in references to it much earlier in his career. True Romance was directed by Tarantino, but he wrote it, and he managed to get a reference to not one, but three Kung Fu movies, The Street Fighter series. In the movie, Clarence (Christian Slater) meets Alabama (Patricia Arquette) at a triple feature of the movies.

Twins - Pulp Fiction

This one is great. The legend goes that in a nod to Danny DeVito, who was a producer on Pulp Fiction, Tarantino named Travolta and Jackson's characters Vincent and Jules, respectively, as a tip of the hat to DeVito's movie Twins, where the titular twins played by DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger were named Vincent and Julius. It may or may not be true, but the possibility is too good not to include here.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Four Rooms

The film Four Rooms was a unique moment in '90s cinema when four hot directors joined forces to tell four stories over one night in a hotel. Tarantino based his story directly on an old Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode called "The Bellboy." Taratino's version gets messier, of course.

Convoy - Death Proof

Death Proof ranks pretty low on a list Tarantino's movies, though it has it's moments, and if you love old road movies from the '70s, there are lots of fun inside jokes, like referring to the classic Convoy, a movie created from a hit song that isn't the best movie, but is very memorable.

Top Of The Pops - Reservoir Dogs

In Reservoir Dogs, Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn) makes a strange reference. Instead of referring to a show like Dick Clark's American Bandstand when deriding pop music, he chooses to make mention of Top Of The Pops, a British show of the same ilk as Bandstand. It makes it clear he doesn't like pop music, however.

The Great Escape - Reservoir Dogs, Inglourious Basterds, and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

It's pretty obvious that Tarantino loves the 1963 classic The Great Escape. He's made reference three times. First, in his own monologue about Madonna in Reservoir Dogs, then, in Inglourious Barterds, he cribs a famous line from The Great Escape ("We have all our rotten eggs in one basket," and finally in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood when we see Rick as starring in the Steve McQueen role.

Tora! Tora! Tora! - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Unsurprisingly, Once Upon a Time has many references, both directly and in the background. For example, the billboard for the World War II film Tora! Tora! Tora!

Kung Fu - Pulp Fiction

Many years after Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino cast David Carradine as Bill in Kill Bill. In Pulp Fiction, he made reference to Carradine's most famous role, as Caine in the '70s TV show Kung Fu when Jules takes about giving up his criminal life. It's so great that it comes around full circle.

The Green Hornet - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Kill Bill

Bruce Lee's first role that brought him prominence in the US was in The Green Hornet. Tarantino first referenced this in Kill Bill, but it made a much bigger appearance in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood when Cliff (Brad Pitt) fights Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) on the set of the '60s TV show.

Get Christie Love! - Reservoir Dogs

Get Christie Love! is a classic deep cut from Tarantino. It's mentioned a few times in Reservoir Dogs. Get Christie Love! started as an ABC movie of the week, capitalizing on the popularity of the Blaxploitation genre. It was turned into a short-lived TV show in the mid-'70s. Though it's an obscure reference, the show was notable for starring Teresa Graves as one of the first Black female leads in a network show.

BJ And The Bear - Death Proof

BJ And The Bear is one of the most ridiculous TV shows of all time since it co-stars an actual monkey as part of a truck-driving team. Its reference in Death Proof is perfect, however.

Speed Racer - Pulp Fiction

Sometimes, Tarantino's references are really subtle. In Pulp Fiction, Eric Stoltz's character wears a very cool vintage Speed Racer t-shirt. Honestly, it's a super cool shirt, and at the time, before The Wachowskis made the 2008 movie, Speed Racer was more obscure than it is today.

The Killer - Jackie Brown

There are multiple scenes in Jackie Brown where characters are watching movies, and apparently, one movie that De Niro and Samuel L. Jackson's characters watch too much is The Killer, a relatively recent movie (by Tarantino standards) released in 1989 by director John Woo.

The Mack - True Romance

Gary Oldman in True Romance is one of the greatest examples of an actor looking completely unrecognizable in a role. In that famous scene, his character is watching The Mack and Clarence makes sure that Oldman knows he'd seen it years before.

The Wizard of Oz - Reservoir Dogs

You wouldn't expect a reference to The Wizard of Oz in Res Dogs, but in the most infamous scene in the movie, when Mr. Blonde is torturing the cop, he asks, "How 'bout some fire, scarecrow?" It's a clear reference to the famous movie, and it adds a brilliant, twisted dimension to an already messed-up scene.

Rebel Without A Cause - Pulp Fiction

The restaurant scene in Pulp Fiction is full of pop culture references. Steve Buscemi makes an appearance as a waiter dressed like Buddy Holly and the emcee is an Ed Sullivan impersonator. Another waiter in the scene is clearly dressed like James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.

TJ Hooker - True Romance

It's TJ Hooker, but it's the new TJ Hooker. Such is the show that Clarence's friend Dick Richie (Michael Rapaport) is auditioning for in True Romance. Classic Tarantino, laying in the other show William Shatner starred in.

The Bellboy - Four Rooms

1960's The Bellboy starring Jerry Lewis is a classic slapstick comedy that also marked Lewis' debut as a director. In a number of homages to the movie, Tarantino references in his part of Four Rooms, which, of course, makes perfect sense.

Hullabaloo - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

In the mid-1960s, pop music variety shows were all the rage. ABC's American Bandstand was the most popular and still the best remembered, but NBC tried to get into the game with Hullabaloo. It didn't last long, however, only airing 2 seasons as opposed to the 30 Bandstand aired on ABC. The show is referenced in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

Force Five - Pulp Fiction

"Fox Force Five" is the name of the fictional TV show that Mia Wallace starred in the pilot of in Pulp Fiction. The name of the show is a reference to a very short-lived syndicated show called Force Five that, unless you grew up in New England, you've probably never heard of. Who knows how Tarantino even knew it, it was hardly on anywhere,

Bullitt - Death Proof

Bullitt is one of the best car movies ever, so referencing it in Death Proof is a no-brainer. It also features some of the best car chases in any movie, ever. That was the goal of Death Proof, too, and while it's not Tarantino's best movie, you can't say the car chases aren't great.

3:10 to Yuma (1957) - The Hateful Eight

It's hard to slip references and easter eggs of films into a movie set in the 19th Century, like The Hateful Eight. Still, Tarantino manages to slip in some, including the classic western 3:10 to Yuma from 1957. In both movies, the stagecoach is named the "Butterfield Overland Stage."

The Kid - Inglourious Basterds

There are a lot of connections between Charlie Chaplin and Hitler (that's weird to type), but not only did they share the same style in facial hair, but Chaplin also starred in The Dictator, which was a contemporary satire that took shots at Hitler before most were willing to do so. Referencing one of Chaplin's most famous movies, The Kid, in Inglourious Basterds is perfect.

Natural Born Killers - Kill Bill

Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers was originally based on a script by Quentin Tarantino. Though Tarantino was reportedly unhappy with the end product and even chose to only go with a partial credit, he made reference to the movie later in his career. In Kill Bill, Bill tells Beatrix that she's a "natural-born killer," and there's no way that's a coincidence.

Wanted: Dead Or Alive - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

In the 1950s, Hollywood loved making Western TV shows. One show, which happened to be an early role for Steve McQueen, was Wanted: Dead Or Alive. Though it's not directly mentioned, it's clear that the show within the movie that Rick is the star of, Bounty Law, is based on the McQueen hit.

Baretta - Reservoir Dogs

The 1970s show Baretta is an old network show that no one talks about much these days, but Tarantino was talking about it decades ago in Reservoir Dogs. That was before the show's star, Robert Blake, was charged with murder.

Stroker Ace - Death Proof

One of the most obscure references in Death Proof has to be Stroker Ace. It's a movie from the early '80s starring Burt Reynolds as a NASCAR driver. It was a huge bomb, but it was a staple on cable TV in the early '80s. It has its charms, but maybe the best thing about it is getting references in this Tarantino movie.

Happy Days - Pulp Fiction

The reference to Happy Days in Pulp Fiction is one of the most quoted lines in the movie. In the diner robbery at the end, Jules wants everyone to settle down and tells them that they are all going to "cool like Fonzie." Fonzie, of course, is one of the coolest characters in TV history.

A Fistful of Dollars - Kill Bill

This is one of the most subtle - just a reference to the iconic music in honor of The Bride going after her revenge.

This weekend, Conan O’Brien will host the 97th Academy Awards, but the beloved comedian is obviously no stranger to spending with folks from the film and TV industry. For nearly three decades on his three talk shows, he spoke to actors, directors and other talent from Hollywood, and often that entailed watching whatever new project they were promoting ahead of time. Unfortunately, some miscommunication resulted in his first viewing of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds being a less than ideal experience.

During his visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live! to chat with the title host ahead of the winners of this year’s Oscars nominees being announced on the 2025 TV schedule, O’Brien recalled the time in 2009 when he was given extremely short notice about Tarantino stopping by to plug the Brad Pitt-starring World War II movie. He said:

He went on to compare the situation he found himself in to if Francis Ford Coppola was coming on his show and someone suggested he speed watch The Godfather and The Godfather Part II shortly before the interview. Since Inglourious Basterds now ranks so highly for him, that makes it all the more disappointing that he couldn’t properly absorb it for his first viewing. As he described it:

With a runtime of a little over two and a half hours, having to condense Inglourious Basterds in just the span of an hour just isn’t right. Still, at least it made enough of an impression on Conan O’Brien that he made the time to view the flick at the proper pace and now holds it in high esteem. He’s certainly not alone, as Inglourious Basterds is one of the higher-ranked of Quentin Tarantino’s movies.

You can watch Conan O’Brien host the Oscars this Sunday at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT on ABC, and it will also be available to stream live with a Hulu subscription. You can also stream O’Brien’s series Conan O’Brien Must Go with a Max subscription. Unfortunately, as of this writing, Inglourious Basterds is not available to watch on any of the best streaming services.

Quentin Tarantino has garnered a reputation for a lot of standout elements in his work. Foul language and violence are always part of the equation, as are eclectic soundtracks and sharp, pop culture-centric dialogue. He’s also amazing at inventing characters – and not just lead protagonists and key supporting players, but characters who only appear in a limited number of scenes and/or find a home in the background. It’s to celebrate those particular and special creations that we have put together this feature.

From Reservoir Dogs to Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, who are the best Quentin Tarantino side characters? We’ve highlighted 32 of them for you below.

Lawrence Tierney As Joe Cabot In Reservoir Dogs

There’s a scene in Reservoir Dogs where Tim Roth’s Freddy Newandyke describes Lawrence Tierney’s Joe Cabot a la The Thing from The Fantastic Four, and it’s perfectly apt. Though Cabot only appears in a trio of scenes (the beginning, the end, and a mid-movie flashback), his projected energy is so imposing, massive and memorable that he might as well be made out of orange rock.

Steven Wright As K-Billy DJ In Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino helped change movie soundtracks forever with his jukebox approach to music in Reservoir Dogs, and the cherry on top is Steven Wright’s voice-only performance as the unnamed DJ for K-Billy’s Super Sounds Of The ‘70s. His unmistakable monotone is a strange flavor introducing tracks like “Little Green Bag” and “Stuck In The Middle With You,” but the casting choice is perfection.

Harvey Keitel As Winston Wolfe In Pulp Fiction

“That's thirty minutes away. I'll be there in ten.” In a crisis, you always want to be working with a person who knows how to both move fast and keep their cool, and that’s Pulp Fiction’s Winston Wolfe in a nutshell. The practically magical fixer character makes clean business out of dirty work, and his swagger is captivating.

Christopher Walken As Captain Koons In Pulp Fiction

Considering how incredible Christopher Walken’s career has been, it’s actually a bit wild that one of his greatest performances is what could practically be called a cameo in Pulp Fiction where he spends a single scene talking directly to the camera. Captain Koons’ commitment to delivering the Coolidge family watch showcases him instantly as an honorable man, but the way in which he tells young Butch the story of the timepiece makes him unforgettable.

Frank Whaley As Brett In Pulp Fiction

What were Brett and his friends planning on doing with the contents of Marcellus Wallace’s mysterious briefcase? We have no idea, but that ambition is a great layer of the character to chew on while also appreciating the guy’s futile attempt to stay cool while being interrogated by Samuel L. Jackson’s Jules Winnfield.

Eric Stoltz As Lance As Brett In Pulp Fiction

Eric Stoltz’s Lance may be a total skeeze, but he proves to be a perfect character to have in the mix when Uma Thurman’s Mia Wallace is experiencing a drug overdose. He’s the perfect blend of knowledgeable and incompetent to keep things interesting in the big panic sequence with John Travolta’s Vincent Vega.

Dennis Hopper As Clifford Worley In True Romance

In most movies, there is epic conflict when a cop discovers that his son has committed a crime, but I love that Dennis Hopper’s Clifford Worley in True Romance breaks from that trope and simply opts to help his boy (Christian Slater’s Clarence) and his new blushing bride (Patricia Arquette’s Alabama).

Brad Pitt As Floyd In True Romance

The fact that Dick Ritchie’s stoner roommate is played by future A-lister Brad Pitt in True Romance is fun to recognize, but Floyd is independently a great side character: so totally zonked that he doesn’t know he is putting his friend’s lives in danger.

Christopher Walken As Vincenzo Coccotti In True Romance

Dennis Hopper’s Clifford Worley is tough as nails and really loves his son, and that warmth is perfectly contrasted with the coldness of Christopher Walken’s Vincenzo Coccotti, who comes into True Romance for a single scene and raises the stakes of the movie through the roof with his icy demeanor and threatening presence.

Val Kilmer As Elvis In True Romance

It’s pretty wild that True Romance cast Val Kilmer to play a completely off-screen, imagined version of Elvis Presley, but it’s one of the bits of brilliance in the film, as it’s the King’s words that ultimately motivate Clarence toward the life of which he dreams.

Gary Oldman As Drexl Spivey In True Romance

In the context of the story in True Romance, Drexl Spivey is a terrible person and a bona fide stain on society, but boy, does he make an immortal impression during his limited scenes. It’s Gary Oldman at his character actor best.

Chris Tucker As Beaumont Livingston In Jackie Brown

Samuel L. Jackson’s Ordell Robbie in Jackie Brown is a wannabe kingpin who is unwilling to have anybody mess up his ambitions by talking to the police… and Chris Tucker’s Beaumont Livingston makes for a phenomenal conflict character in this respect. His motormouth clearly demonstrates him as a threat – and fortunately for Ordell, he can’t recognize the danger that the antagonist represents.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. As Winston In Jackie Brown

Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr.’s Winston is principally a presence in Jackie Brown, but damn, what a presence. He is the hulking partner of Robert Forster’s Max Cherry and adds muscle to the bail bondsman operation.

Sonny Chiba As Hattori Hanzō In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Kill Bill Vol. 1 features two sides of Sonny Chiba’s Hattori Hanzō during his brief role, and they are both amazing. One side is the restaurateur who has reached his limit with his disrespectful employee (Kenji Ohba), and the other is the exceptionally gifted swordsmith who elegantly crafts the weapon that The Bride employs in her roaring rampage of revenge.

Chiaki Kuriyama As Gogo Yubari In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Chiaki Kuriyama’s Gogo Yubari is a shocking and awesome study in contrast: her youth and schoolgirl uniform suggest innocence, but she is quite possibly the most craven character in all of Kill Bill and makes terrifying use of a custom flail.

Michael Parks As Ranger Earl Mcgraw In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Not only does Ranger Earl Mcgraw have a special veteran lawman swagger that makes him pop in the opening scene of Kill Bill Vol. 1, but the Michael Parks character also happens to be key connective tissue in the larger canon universe created by Quentin Tarantino – also appearing in the Tarantino-scripted From Dusk Til Dawn and both titles in the double-feature Grindhouse.

Daryl Hannah As Elle Driver In Kill Bill Vol. 1

Daryl Hannah’s Elle Driver graduates to a full-on supporting character in Kill Bill Vol. 2, but she is kept as a colorful side character in Kill Bill Vol. 1, and she is instantly cemented as one of Quentin Tarantino’s greatest stylistic touches. The eyepatch is a killer look by itself, but her nurse disguise is top-notch, and her proper introduction to the film via a Brian De Palma-esque split-screen sequence is unforgettable.

Gordon Liu As Pai Mei In Kill Bill Vol. 2

Quentin Tarantino properly unleashes Gordon Liu as the dangerous Johnny Mo in the bloody House of Blue Leaves sequence in Kill Bill Vol. 1, but it’s in Kill Bill Vol. 2 that the actor gets to truly shine playing Pai Mei: the whispy-haired, exceptionally strict kung fu master who teaches Um Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo all of her most deadly skills.

Michael Parks As Esteban Vihaio In Kill Bill Vol. 2

Kill Bill Vol. 2 is a film with a much different, slower energy than its predecessor, but it’s because of characters like Michael Parks’ Esteban Vihaio that it works, as his scene provides unexpected depth for the world Tarantino has created and a terrific backstory for the movie’s titular antagonist (David Carradine).

Mary Elizabeth Winstead As Lee Montgomery In Death Proof

Is Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Lee Montgomery meant to be pitied or seen as spared? She has a great introduction into Death Proof as a bit of a ditz (good for a few laughs), but when she is left behind as Zoë Bell, Abernathy Ross (Rosario Dawson), and Kim Mathis (Tracie Thoms) go out for their fateful ride, it’s unclear if she dodged a bullet or is left to experience her own special terror with Jonathan Loughran’s super creepy Jasper.

Michael Fassbender As Lieutenant Archie Hicox In Inglourious Basterds

I’m perhaps a bit biased here as a person who professionally writes about film, but it’s a spectacular thing to see a movie expert become enlisted as a military hero – and nothing is harmed by the fact that Michael Fassbender imbues Lieutenant Archie Hicox from Inglourious Basterds with classic cool that oozes off the screen.

Jacky Ido As Marcel In Inglourious Basterds

Jacky Ido’s Marcel is an underrated hero in Inglourious Basterds. Because there are so many moving pieces and perspectives in the epic war film’s grand finale, one can forget that Marcel has a key role in the revenge plot orchestrated by Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), and his deep love for her is one of the most beautiful parts of the movie.

August Diehl As Sturmbannführer Dieter Hellstrom In Inglourious Basterds

We all love to hate Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, but August Diehl’s Sturmbannführer Dieter Hellstrom is able to inspire similar feelings in much more limited screen time. The fear he instills when he interrupts the clandestine meeting between Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) and Archie Hicox is deliciously awful (thankfully, Til Schwiger’s Hugo Stiglitz delivers him the end he wholly deserves).

Mike Myers As General Ed Fenech In Inglourious Basterds

It’s a touch silly to have Mike “Austin Powers” Myers cast to play a British general in charge of recruiting talent for a top secret mission, but it’s a credit to Quentin Tarantino’s vision that it plays so well. Myers’ Ed Fenech brings a “classic British war movie” energy to what is a very exposition-heavy scene in Inglourious Basterds, making interesting what otherwise might be dry material.

Walton Goggins As Billy Crash In Django Unchained

There are a lot of sick and twisted characters in Django Unchained who end up meeting properly terrible fates, but Walton Goggins’ Billy Crash is a standout. Not only is he a hateful and violent monster, but the audience wants to see him punished for the audacity of his powerful swagger.

Zoë Bell As Six Horse Judy In The Hateful Eight

As an ensemble piece mostly set in a single location, The Hateful Eight isn’t a movie abundant with what I would define as side characters, but Zoë Bell’s Six Horse Judy does fit the bill. She ultimately meets a tragic end, but her verve is superb while she is alive in the film’s flashback sequence, as is her great confidence in her horse-wrangling skills.

Margaret Qualley As "Pussycat" In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Between Poor Things, Drive-Away Dolls, Kinds Of Kindness and The Substance in the last few years alone, Margaret Qualley has firmly established herself as one of the best young actresses currently working, but years before all of that, she successfully entranced audiences with her single-scene turn as Pussycat in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood – getting a ride from Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth to Charles Manson’s encampment on Spahn Ranch.

Al Pacino As Marvin Schwarz In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

“What a picture!” That line from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood has become a meme, but part of the reason why it pops is because Al Pacino’s Marvin Schwarz is such a terrific character: an old-school Hollywood casting agent with a passionate love of cinema.

Kurt Russell As Randy Miller/The Narrator In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

After starring as the deadly Stuntman Mike in Death Proof, Kurt Russell plays a stuntman with a totally different kind of energy in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and it’s a delight. Randy Miller is infused with Russell’s veteran charm and charisma, and his voice carries over to be a terrific guide through the period epic when he is featured in the movie as the narrator.

Julia Butters As Trudi Frazer In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino’s movies don’t generally feature many child characters, but that’s just part of what makes Julia Butters’ Trudi Frazer stand out in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Primarily featured opposite Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton, she not only demonstrates remarkable professionalism for such a young person, but totally blows Rick’s mind with her respect for his acting skills.

Damian Lewis As Steve McQueen In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

It’s no secret that Quentin Tarantino has a great love of Steve McQueen movies, and the writer/director brings the legendary actor to life with a single great scene in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood where he smoothly provides the audience with everything we need to know about Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate.

Austin Butler As "Tex" In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Before he became Elvis Presley or Feyd-Rautha, Austin Butler made an awesome impression as Tex in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. His intense devotion to Charles Manson’s cause makes it all the better when he gets taken down during what ends up being a botched murder attempt.

Everybody makes mistakes but that fact does not make it any less frustrating when a character in a movie makes a blunder. Sometimes, the person we are supposed to be rooting for does something that makes us more furious than anything the bad guy is responsible for. See what we mean by reliving these moments that made heroes the accidental villains of their own stories.

Superman II (Clark Gives Up His Powers)

In 1980's Superman II, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) believes he can only have a normal life with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) by becoming human, which he achieves by entering a device at the fortress of solitude. Soon after, he realizes the error of this decision when General Zod (Terrence Stamp) and his allies take over the White House.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (The Jedi Council Hires Anakin To Protect Padme)

In the second Star Wars movie (in chronological order), when Padmé Amidala's (Natalie Portman) life is threatened, the Jedi Council chooses none other than trainee Anakin Skywalker to be her bodyguard. They should have known better, given his obvious emotional connection to her, which would eventually lead to a forbidden affair and marriage. Silver lining: the birth of Luke and Leia in the next movie.

Inglourious Basterds (Lt. Hicox Flashes The American Three)

One of the most intense moments from one of Quentin Tarantino's best movies, 2009's Inglourious Basterds, sees a disguised Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) accidentally reveal to Major Hellstrom (August Diehl) that he is not German by merely holding up the wrong fingers when asking the bar for three drinks. Perhaps this one is really on the British Army for not teaching him that the German Three is made up of the thumb, index, and middle finger but who could have known when that would come in handy?

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Tony Stark Creates Ultron)

Wanting to create a "suit of armor for the entire world," Tony "Iron Man" Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) teams with Bruce "Hulk" Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to develop a powerful computer program that could do their work for them. Little did he know that this creation would become the eponymous villain of 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron (voiced by James Spader), providing another cautionary lesson against relying on AI.

Scream (Sydney Runs Upstairs Away From Ghostface)

Minutes after condemning the slasher movie trope of women running upstairs from the killer instead of out the front door, Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) does the same exact thing after Ghostface first attacks her. The star of the Scream movies is still one of our favorite horror final girls but it almost makes you wonder how she manages to survive as long as she would with a blemish like that on her track record.

Prometheus (Meredith Vickers Runs From A Rolling Spacecraft In A Straight Line)

Ridley Scott's 2012 Alien prequel, Prometheus, is one of the most divisive sci-fi movies ever made but even its strongest supporters cannot argue against one character's uproarious miscalculation. Why Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) does not choose to easily run out of the way of the alien spaceship rolling toward her and, instead, keep running straight until it crushes her is a mystery that may remain unsolved.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Drax Summons Ronan)

In 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, a few drinks make Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) confident enough to fight Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) himself, so he sends the tyrant to his current location. As a result, he gets his butt handed to him and Ronan gets away with The Power Stone.

Shrek Forever After (Shrek Makes A Deal With Rumpelstiltskin)

If there is one downside to Shrek (Mike Myers) finding love with Fiona (Cameron Diaz), she may have made him more willing to let his guard down a bit, potentially leading to his disastrous decision in 2010's Shrek Forever After. His nostalgia for his swamp-dwelling days clouds the ogre's judgment when speaking with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who convinces him to wish himself into an alternate reality where the trickster rules Far Far Away.

Bee Movie (Barry Sues Humanity)

Writer Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie stars the comedian as an insect named Barry B. Benson, who becomes angry at humans profiting off of their honey and seeks legal action. He succeeds and bees no longer work in favor of the human race but it ends up causing an environmental disaster.

Avengers: Infinity War (Star-Lord Punches Thanos)

By putting Thanos (Josh Brolin) under Mantis' (Pom Klementieef's) trance, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Peter Parker (Tom Holland), and the remaining Guardians come super close to removing the Infinity Gauntlet from his hand. However, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt) learns that the Titan killed Gamora and punches Thanos in anger, breaking the trance and allowing him to get away. This is one moment from 2018's Avengers: Infinity War that understandably prevents some fans from calling it one of the best Marvel movies.

The Descent (Juno Chooses An Unmapped Cave To Explore)

We are not sure if we can count Juno (Natalie Mendoza) as a hero of 2005's The Descent, due to the idiotic stunt she pulls in the otherwise great horror movie. Her friends learn that she chose an unexplored cavern for their spelunking trip only after they get trapped inside with man-eating, nocturnal mutants.

Hancock (Hancock Fights Mary)

It is revealed in Hancock that Will Smith's eponymous superhuman gets weaker the longer he stays in contact with Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron), who turns out to be part of his kind, too. That does not stop him from engaging in a cataclysmic fight with her near the end of the superhero movie not based on a comic book from 2008.

The Blair Witch Project (Mike Throws The Map In The River)

It is not unusual for horror movie characters to make questionable decisions but when Mike (Michael C. Williams) tosses the map to the Black Hills Forest in The Blair Witch Project is simply unforgivable. He argues in the 1999 found footage thriller that the map was ultimately useless, and he may have been right, but discarding the one chance you may have of reaching safety is never the right move.

Skyfall (Q Connects Silva's Computer To MI6's Mainframe)

There is a reason they say you should go through IT before you investigate a suspicious piece of equipment at the office yourself and Q (Ben Whishaw) demonstrates why in 2012's Skyfall. Perhaps the older version of the tech wizard from previous James Bond movies would have been smarter about hooking up Silva's (Javier Bardem) laptop to MI6's main system, which causes the organization to lose control of their tech to the villain.

Army Of Darkness (Ash Speaks The Wrong Incantation)

Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams becomes increasingly dumber in each of the Evil Dead movies, leading up to his absolute worst mistake while trapped in the Middle Ages in 1992's Army of Darkness. He does not even bother to properly memorize a set of words that will take him back to modern times when he finds the Necronomicon and, in attempting to fake his way through it, ends up unleashing more evil forces.

The Big Lebowski (Walter Destroys A Stranger’s Car)

Suspecting that teenage Larry Sellers used stolen ransom money to purchase a hot Corvette, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) smashes it repeatedly with a crowbar, only to discover it belongs to Larry's angry neighbor. It is easily one of the funniest moments from one of the best movies of the 1990s, The Big Lebowski, but also makes us sad for The Dude (Jeff Bridges) that he is best friends with such an impulse-driven dolt.

Jeepers Creepers (Darry Tries To See Into The Creeper's Pipe)

In Jeepers Creepers, witnessing the Creeper (Jonathan Breck) shoving dead bodies down a large pipe sticking out of the ground, Darry (Justin Long) tries to investigate by looking down the pipe himself but ends up sliding right into the killer's lair. If only he had listened to his sister, Trish's (Gina Philips), meta warning: "You know the part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid, and everybody hates them for it? This is it."

The Flash (Batman Sacrifices Himself To Destroy Zod's Ship)

While Michael Keaton's return as Batman in 2023's The Flash was awesome, one not-so-stellar moment sees him attempting to save the day by crashing the Batwing into Zod's ship. Unfortunately, the otherwise valiant effort caused very little damage to the craft and only the Dark Knight fatally succumbed to the crash.

Moana (Maui Steals The Heart Of Te Fiti)

The opening scene of the modern Disney animated movie classic, 2016's Moana, explains how Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole and misplaced the heart of Te Fiti, which he insists was for humanity's benefit. It is not until he meets the title character (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) that he realizes that the artifact's absence caused damage to the Hawaiian Islands and their locals.

Jumanji (Peter Tries To Cheat The Game)

In the original 1995 adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book, Jumanji, Peter (Bradley Pierce) tries to end the wild board game's reign of terror by dropping the dice at the right number to finish. Unfortunately, the game knows better and punishes him for trying to beat it by reverting the evolutionary process, turning him into a monkey.

Iron Man 3 (Tony Stark Gives The Mandarin His Address)

One of the major issues fans have with Iron Man 3 is Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) rash decision to challenge The Mandarin to a one-on-one duel, going as far as revealing where he lives on a video recorded by a press member. Well, the fearsome terrorist clearly got the message, based on the violent attack on Stark's home, which forced him to jump ship and get stuck in Tennessee.

Paranormal Activity (Micah Breaks Out A Ouija Board)

If we were to make a list of the worst significant others in horror movie history, there would definitely be a place for Micah (Micah Sloat) from the first Paranormal Activity movie, released in 2009. Exhibit A: after a medium warns against using a Ouija board, as that would make his and Katie's (Katie Featherston) haunting situation much worse, Micah decides to bring one into the house and makes their haunting situation much worse.

Sleeping Beauty (Flora And Merryweather Fight Over Aurora's Dress Color)

In 1959's Sleeping Beauty, Aurora's fairy guardians want to make a dress just for her but Flora wants it to be pink and Merryweather is dead set on making it blue. Despite being advised not to, they use magic to change the dress' color over and over, which ends up alerting Maleficient of their location and putting Aurora in danger.

Evil Dead (Eric Reads From The Necronomicon)

Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead is considered one of the best horror movie remakes of its time but is certainly not without its flaws. In fact, the demonic carnage is caused when Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), for no reason at all, reads aloud from the Necronomicon, ignoring blatant warnings written into the flesh-bound, blood-inked book to leave it alone.

Deadpool (Wade Leaves His Ammo Bag Behind)

Twice in the 2016's Deadpool does the Merc with the Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) leave behind a huge duffle bag full of weaponry that certainly would have really come in handy against his foes. Instead, he is forced to rely on "maximum effort"... and his immortality, of course.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Peter Gives Mysterio E.D.I.T.H.)

In 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, feeling that he has found a trusted friend in Quentin "Mysterio" Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), Peter Parker (Tom Holland) decides to give him full control of E.D.I.T.H. – an augmented reality security, defense, and artificial tactical intelligence system designed by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Unfortunately, that is exactly what the disgruntled former Stark Industries employee wanted him to do, planning to use it to launch an attack on London.

Annabelle Comes Home (Daniela Explores The Warrens' Artifact Room Alone)

Whether or not you believe in the stories behind the Conjuring Universe movies, we imagine no one wants to be caught dead where Ed and Lorraine Warren keep their collection of haunted heirlooms. However, Daniela (Katie Sarife) braves the forbidden room in hopes of making contact with her late father but ends up unleashing the demon that possesses the eponymous doll in Annabelle Comes Home.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (Clark Fails To Properly Explain His Situation To Bruce)

In the moments leading to the climactic battle of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) takes way too long to explain to Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is holding his mother (Diane Lane) captive and, instead, resorts to doing exactly what the evil billionaire wants him to do and fight the Dark Knight. When he finally gives an explanation, with Batman seconds away from killing him with a Kryptonite spear, he says, "Save Martha," instead of the more matter-of-fact, "Lex is going to kill my mom."

The Marvels (Carol Destroys The Supreme Intelligence)

In The Marvels, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is forced to work with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) after their powers become linked but the hero otherwise known as Captain Marvel is reluctant to rope her friends into the battle against Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). This is because she is personally responsible for their enemy's vengeful motivation, having created a Civil War among the Kree after destroying their A.I. leader.

Fantastic Four (Reed And Others Test Their Teleportation Device While Inebriated)

The 2015 Fantastic Four adaptation was widely disliked for a multitude of reasons, including the dumb decision that leads to the four main characters gaining their superpowers. After a few too many drinks, the designers of a groundbreaking teleportation device decide to test it out themselves, changing their lives forever.

Thor: Ragnarok (Loki Summons The Bifrost To Escape Hela)

In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, when he and the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) are confronted by their sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tries to make a quick getaway with the Bifrost. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but Hela ends up chasing after them, ultimately leading her right to Asgard while the half-brothers get stranded on Sakaar.

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (Austin Keeps The Receipt For His Special Pump)

In the spy movie parody, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, when the titular agent (Mike Myers) is collecting the belongings he left behind before being cryogenically frozen, he claims that a certain special, Swedish-made pump does not belong to him. However, a credit card receipt for the item, a warranty slip with his name on it, and a book about his experiences using the product found with his stuff prove otherwise.

Sometimes movies take some time to ease viewers into the show, while others set the tone immediately. The movies on this list are the latter. Whether it's a comedy like Dazed and Confused or an action movies like Raiders Of The Lost Ark, these movies don't waste any time at the beginning.

Dazed And Confused

From the opening notes of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" to the '70s muscle car cruising the parking lot, you know exactly when Dazed And Confused is set. There is no mistaking the era even before you see the characters and their costumes. While it was made in the 90s, the movie is pure 1970s.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most important movies ever made and by opening what everyone expected to be a sci-fi movie with a bunch of monkeys learning how to use tools (and more), it sets a very different kind of tone than any other sci-fi movie before it. It was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before it. Of course, it also has one of the wildest endings of all time, too.

The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight is one of the greatest movie villains of all time and while audiences don't immediately know (or maybe they do) that the opening scene is Clown Prince of Crime from the back, by the end of the opening scene, we know exactly what we are getting into. One of the best comic book movies of all time opens with one of the best scenes of all time for a villain who completely steals the show.

Star Wars

From the opening blast of the classic John Williams score to the now-iconic scroll, and finally, the two massive spaceships firing lasers at each other, Star Wars easily has one of the most memorable opening scenes of any movie, ever. Audiences in 1977 were simply blown away from the moment the movie started and it immediately became the classic it is and how it has endured for decades.

Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino's second film, Pulp Fiction, was one of the most anticipated movies of 1994 and the director immediately let audiences know he was on point with the opening scene between Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer in the diner. It's classic Tarantino with great dialog and finally, a burst of near-violence that sucks moviegoers in at once.

Jaws

Jaws is thought of these days as one of the best movies Hollywood has ever produced. Director Steven Spielberg did an absolutely masterful job of scaring the audience by not showing the shark very much and that starts with the creepy, foreboding scene when a lone swimmer becomes the shark's first victim.

Citizen Kane

"Rosebud" is one of the most mysterious opening lines to any movie, ever. The snow globe falling out of a dying man's hand and breaking on the floor only adds to the mystery. That's how Citizen Kane opens and audiences then and now are captivated from that moment until the end, when they learn what "Rosebud" means in the movie's final scene.

Apocalypse Now

Some movies just need to have some incredible music and one iconic shot to lock you in. Apocalypse Now is one of those movies. From the foreboding sounds of The Doors' song "The End" to the fireball or napalm that rushes across the jungle in the opening scene, director Francis Ford Coppola immediately let everyone know this was going to be a different kind of war movie.

Purple Rain

If you're one of the most iconic musicians of your day and you decide to make a movie about a fictionalized version of yourself, you'd better open the show with a banger. That's exactly what Prince did when he opened Purple Rain with "Let's Go Crazy." It's simply a performance (and guitar solo) for the ages and sets the tone for the movie perfectly.

The Godfather

While it may not start with a bang like some of the other movies on this list, the opening scene of The Godfather sets the tone for the movie in a way nothing else could. Within minutes audiences knew exactly what kind of man Vito Corleone was and what was important to him.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the best adventure films of all time and as such, it opens with one of the most exciting sequences in Hollywood history as our hero Indiana Jones dodges traps and a giant boulder to escape with his treasure. Though he loses it right away, of course. It's a very worthy opening to the Indiana Jones franchise.

Boogie Nights

Director Paul Thomas Anderson knocks it out of the park with the first scene in Boogie Nights that lets you know exactly where and when the movie is happening. The long tracking shot introduced almost every character movie right away and audiences are already getting to know them by the time the shot changes. It's brilliant.

Saving Private Ryan

In many ways, Saving Private Ryan changed how war movies are made and what audiences expect from them. The opening scene, when Tom Hanks and his platoon hit the beaches of Normandy on D-Day is one of, if not the, most intense action scenes ever put on film. It's praised for its depiction of the battle and the visceral feel of it all is simply incredible.

Spectre

The James Bond franchise is famous for its opening, pre-credits scenes, so we had to include one on this list. There are any number of great ones you could go with, but for our money, the opening to Spectre with the tracking shot all across Mexico City and into a hotel, and out to the ledge, is pure magic. And pure Bond.

Scream

In an homage to the great Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho, the opening scene of Scream features one of the biggest stars in the movie, Drew Barrymore, getting killed just minutes into the story. For audiences at the time, it was a completely brilliant and shocking moment as Barrymore had been marketed heavily so no one expected her to meet her demise so soon. It was something Barrymore insisted on.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

When it comes to the Mission: Impossible franchise, fans can always count on an amazing opening sequence. On the one hand, it's hard to pick one as the best, but on the other hand, c'mon, it's the one where Tom Cruise hangs from a freaking plane! That opening to Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation is one of the most incredible stunts Cruise has done on a long, long list of stunts he's done for those movies.

Trainspotting

Danny Boyle's Trainspotting walks a tightrope between really cool and fun, and desperately tragic. This is all summed up in the first few seconds of the movie when audiences see a very rough-looking Renton (Ewan McGregor) running from the police and almost getting hit by a car as Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" accompanies the scene. It's not only the perfect opening scene for the movie, it's a brilliant musical moment as well.

There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood is one of the examples on this list of movies that set a tone immediately, but do so not with action and pizazz but with a gentle slow build. There is virtually no dialog other than some grunts from the protagonist (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he struggles to get his oil well going. Like the rest of the movie, it's intense, but quietly so. It's really perfect.

The Matrix

While we don't meet Neo right away in The Matrix, we do get a great example of how the world in the movie is going to work as we watch Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) barely escape a group of Agents in the Matrix.

Inglourious Basterds

If you want some quiet intensity, there may be no better opening scene than Inglourious Basterds. Christoph Waltz's character sitting and drinking milk while hunting for hidden Jews is seriously intense without anything more than some brilliant dialog by Quentin Tarantino and a glass of milk. It's the least over-the-top moment in te movie, and yet sets the tone perfectly.

Top Gun

The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is an exciting and dangerous place to be. For Top Gun, director Tony Scott didn't need to use any of the stars of the movie, or even any actors at all. Instead, he used actual Navy members doing their actual jobs as jet fighters took off and landed all to the soaring notes of Harold Faltermeyer's guitar-based soundtrack. Talk about pulling you right into a movie!

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 1

Director James Gunn has become famous for his brilliant use of music in the Guardians Of The Galaxy movies. Star-Lord's mixtape quickly became one of the main characters of the movies, almost. That started at the very beginning of the first movie when we all first meet Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) as he dances his way through the opening scene to "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone.

Full Metal Jacket

The very beginning of Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket features young men getting their heads shaved as they join the Marines. The next few minutes are just R. Lee Emery yelling at the new inductees. It's one of the most iconic opening scenes of any movie, much less any war movie and it's a big part of what makes it among the best war movies ever made.

Deadpool

By now we all know just what kind of "superhero" Deadpool is. In fact, even if you weren't familiar with the anti-hero from the comic books, it only takes about the first ten minutes of the first Deadpool movie to know exactly who he is. There really is no better introduction to a superhero movie, and that's really saying something.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

The two main characters in Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels are, in some ways, very competent criminals. In other ways, they are complete disasters. The opening moments show both sides of them perfectly as they pull off their scam selling stolen jewelry for a time before they lose all their merchandise getting chased by the cops.

Jurassic Park

There was no bigger movie in the early '90s than Jurassic Park and there was no bigger opening moment than when audiences were thrown right into the action as the game wardens and staff tried to wrangle a velociraptor into its cage. It did more than just help the movie become iconic for millions of people.

No Country For Old Men

The opening scene to No Country For Old Men immediately draws the audience into the movie and its dark, foreboding nature. After a voiceover by Tommy Lee Jones, we see an unknown character getting arrested for an unknown reason. We soon learn that the character is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) and just how ruthless he is.

Gladiator

Ridley Scott may not care much for historical accuracy, but that doesn't matter when you recreate an ancient battle as he does at the opening of Gladiator. It's an amazing scene reminiscent of the great battle scenes in movies before CGI when it was all about practical effects and a huge number of extras.

Once Upon a Time In The West

To make a great western, you have to set a mood. Once Upon a Time In The West does this as well or better than any other Western. Viewers can feel the heat of the day and the crackling tension well before any action happens. You know it's coming, you just don't how or when.

Baby Driver

Take a great soundtrack, a cool moment of people wearing matching suits and sunglasses, throw in a fantastic car chase and you're guaranteed to suck audiences in immediately. Just like they do in Baby Driver. The movie takes off at full speed right from the jump.

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino told the whole world just who he was in the first few minutes of his first movie, Reservoir Dogs. The intense, fast-paced dialog he's known for is present right at the very beginning as his character Mr. Orange explains the real meaning behind his favorite Madonna song. And it's not what you think.

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange's opening scene definitely has audiences asking more questions than it's ever answering, but that's exactly what draws you in so quickly. You have to know what these guys in the funny outfits are up to and why in the world they are seemingly drinking milk in a weird bar. Later, you might regret getting those answers...

Sometimes an actor can carry an entire movie with a performance, while others make a lasting impression in merely one scene of action. We’re going to focus on the latter category today, as we present this list of single scene crushers who took a moment to bring the house down.

Ned Beatty - Network

Even in a big ticket classic like Sidney Lumet’s Network, there’s room for a performer like Ned Beatty to steal the entire movie in one fell swoop. Brought in as a last minute replacement, and with four pages of dialogue to work through, Beatty booms in a scene that nails the core tenets of writer Paddy Chayefsky’s blistering satire.

Drew Barrymore - Scream

Wes Craven’s reinvention of teen slashers kicked off the legendary Scream franchise with a murder no one saw coming. With Drew Barrymore featuring prominently in trailers and promotional art, everyone thought she’d be safe and sound for a good part of the picture. One scene was all it took to shake the audience to its core, and prove that anything can happen in Woodsboro… and it often does.

J.T. Walsh - Outbreak

As if having the late Donald Sutherland didn’t already inject a White House briefing scene with enough gravitas, legendary character actor J.T. Walsh gets a moment to protest an action that could wipe the small town of Cedar Creek off the map. His righteous anger is a lynchpin moment that perfectly sets the stakes for a nail-biting finale.

Viola Davis - Doubt

In just one scene of Doubt’s powerhouse narrative, Viola Davis scored something every actor dreams of: their first Academy Award nomination. A scene of masterful acting between herself and fellow legend Meryl Streep, Davis drives this moment of intense conversation with a gamut of authority and vulnerability. In a cast that also includes Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, Viola Davis should have been credited on the poster, as her moment is that powerful.

Alec Baldwin - Glengarry Glen Ross

People who go to see David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross on stage are probably disappointed that Alec Baldwin’s Blake doesn’t appear in that version of the narrative. Crafted especially for the 1992 film adaptation the man that taught us to “Always Be Closing” sees Baldwin holding court viciously with a room that includes Ed Harris and Jack Lemmon among its ranks. Don’t worry if you forgot that character’s name… he’ll tell you soon enough.

Dame Judi Dench - Shakespeare In Love

Network actor Beatrice Straight is the record holder for the shortest performance to win an Academy Award. In a similar fashion, one scene in Shakespeare In Love was all it took for Dame Judi Dench to win her own golden accolade, playing the role of Elizabeth I. Although this is Dame Dench we’re talking about here, and that performance was certainly worth the hoopla… even if Saving Private Ryan is the film that should have won Best Picture that year.

Alfred Molina - Boogie Nights

You will never listen to “Sister Christian” the same way again after watching Alfred Molina’s single scene performance in Boogie Nights. His portrayal of unstable drug dealer Rahad runs the gamut from hysterical to horrifying, in a scene that only persists in the horrors that unfold to threaten Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) and his friends. Chekov’s Gun is so much more effective when you have firecrackers going off at irregular intervals.

Cate Blanchett - Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring

Is anyone absolutely sure Cate Blanchett isn’t really an Elf? The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring made a pretty good case for her actually being an ethereal being, as Galdriel’s one scene with Frodo (Elijah Wood) is an all-time stunner. You probably didn’t need the special effects to enhance the scene, as Blanchett’s actual physical performance in that moment makes you believe that she comes from the pages of J.R.R. Tolkien, and we should all be thankful.

August Diehl - Inglourious Basterds

Never, ever, set a meeting in a basement. Quentin Tarantino taught us that lesson in just one scene of Inglourious Basterds, as what was supposed to be a simple clandestine meeting of Allies became a bloody free-for-all. And it was all thanks to Dieter Hellstrom (August Diehl), the Nazi equivalent of Sherlock Holmes, sniffing out the truth behind Lieutenant Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) and his team.

Alice Nunn - Pee Wee’s Big Adventure

Children who grew up on the best ‘80s movies will still tell you that the appearance of Large Marge (Alice Nunn) in Pee Wee’s Big Adventure is something that just may have traumatized them. In a moment that’s akin to the ultimate campfire story, Marge’s story is made even more terrifying by her transformation into a horror only Claymation could properly convey.

Dave Bautista - Blade Runner 2049

Dave Bautista has been building an impressive resume through roles in projects like Blade Runner 2049. The eventual fight between his character Sapper and Officer K (Ryan Gosling) isn’t the point of his soft spoken presence, as the moments leading up to that explosion double as a crucial clue to the existential unraveling our protagonist undergoes. It’s a perfect showcase of the former wrestler turned actor’s range at work.

Vanessa Redgrave - Atonement

Atonement is a film that plays with the truth throughout time, through the eyes of its protagonist Briony. In the final incarnation of the character, Vanessa Redgrave devastates the audience by delivering the stone cold truth of what really happened between Robbie (James McAvoy) and Cecilia (Keira Knightley). Turning this romantic drama into a bittersweet tragedy, Redgrave delivers it like an expert.

Marcel Marceau - Silent Movie

Leave it to Mel Brooks to give famed mime Marcel Marceau the only line of dialogue in a film like Silent Movie. As Mel Funn (Brooks) and his pals make an important phone call to try and convince Mr. Marceau to join their motion picture, they get their answer pretty quickly. In a movie replete with cameos, this one takes the cake.

Carol Kane - The Princess Bride

Everybody remembers Billy Crystal’s Miracle Max from The Princess Bride, otherwise “Have fun storming the castle” wouldn’t be a memorable line of dialogue in human culture. But we also need to give Carol Kane’s Valerie an equal amount of credit for the magic, as she and Crystal are the ultimate double act that absolutely crush in just a short span of time.

Donald Sutherland - JFK

Whether you believe in conspiracy theories or not, Donald Sutherland’s appearance in Oliver Stone’s JFK will probably have you nodding your head in agreement throughout his patch of screen time. Commanding authority with his hushed oaken tones through a scene that lays down a lot of ground, it’s no wonder Kevin Costner’s memory of working with Sutherland is so fond.

Gloria Foster - The Matrix

Exposition is nothing new to The Matrix franchise, and neither is the concept of an all seeing character delivering the knowledge we need for the road ahead. And the OG actor that embodied that concept was the late Gloria Foster, playing the original Oracle who put Neo (Keanu Reeves) onto his path to destiny. Succeeded by actor Mary Alice after her untimely passing, Foster’s on-screen wisdom still sings to this day.

Ralph Fiennes - Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire

The first appearance of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) in the Harry Potter movies is a revelation. Set as the ultimate threshold of importance, The Goblet of Fire heads into that point of no return with a scene so atmospheric, you can feel yourself standing in that graveyard. Seeing Fiennes step into the role for the first time is something akin to magic itself.

Edie McClurg - Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Working the customer service desk of Marathon Car Rental when Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’ Neal Page (Steve Martin) has an expletive filled breakdown over a portion of his trip from hell, veteran character actor Edie McClurg’s rental agent goes from friendly to fierce as quickly as any luxury car in the fleet; dropping the F-bomb that ties the scene together in its ultimate laugh line.

Christopher Walken - Pulp Fiction

With Quentin Tarantino’s non-linear narrative of cool customers trying to make it through the day in Pulp Fiction, anything can fit if you do it right. And Walken’s single moment of action is, without question, a scene that nails in the importance of one gold watch that you can sympathize with Butch (Bruce Willis) when he decides to risk it all to find it.

Alfre Woodard - 12 Years A Slave

12 Years a Slave writer John Ridley once told Vulture that the toughest scene he wrote for that film was the one where Alfre Woodard’s Mistress Burke tells Patsey (Lupita Nyong’o) to “take comfort” that vengeance will eventually visit “the plantation class.” Hearing her alternate between the distant promise of judgment and rationalizing her own lot in life, similar to that of her younger guest, is something that remains as chilling as it was when first heard.

Wilford Brimley - Absence of Malice

In just one scene of Absence of Malice, the legendary Wilford Brimley moves from quips to threats in fast fashion, and the man never fails to compel the audience for his one brief scene. Wasting no time as a character that has none to waste, where Brimley’s Wells cuts to the heart of the entire picture’s mystery and lays out the consequences that will play out, lest anyone involved lose more face than they have to.

Kathy Burke - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Author John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the antithesis of the pulpy action that Ian Fleming injected into the books that would inspire the James Bond movies. Nowhere is that more present than in Kathy Burke’s monumental scene as Connie Sachs, ally and admirer of spy George Smiley (Gary Oldman). All at once, she goes from hitting on her former colleague to lamenting how the Cold War has left their kind adrift, and the sum total is properly heartbreaking.

Bill Murray - Little Shop of Horrors

Much like Jack Nicholson in Roger Corman’s 1960 original, Bill Murray gave Little Shop of Horrors’ musical movie adaptation a moment where the audience just had to laugh at someone who freaks out even sinister dentist Orin (Steve Martin). Coming in for a brief comedic interlude, Murray’s mania is a welcome pit stop in this tale of horror, Faustian bargains, and horticulture.

Molly Ringwald - Not Another Teen Movie

Not Another Teen Movie is Airplane! for generations who grew up in the presence of She’s All That, and some of the other best ‘90s movies. So having John Hughes alum Molly Ringwald highlighting just how ridiculous Janey (Chyler Leigh) and Jake (Chris Evans) are in their young romance is a late hour punchline that absolutely kills.

Clifton Collins Jr. & Thomas Jane - Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Playing something as ridiculous as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’s Vegan Police is something that needs expert timing, as the right amount of menace and lunacy is required to make the gag work. With that in mind, Clifton Collins Jr. and Thomas Jane were just the pair to do it, as director Edgar Wright used their talents to give us a scene where even the threat of finger guns with laser pointers makes you feel something.

Kathleen Freeman - The Blues Brothers

Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman) isn’t called “The Penguin” for nothing. As the inciting character that sends The Blues Brothers’ heroes on their mission from God, her demeanor is as stinging as her ruler. So watch your language, and pray you leave her office standing up.

Brian Tyree Henry - If Beale Street Could Talk

Playing Daniel, an old friend of If Beale Street Could Talk’s Fonny (Stephan James), Brian Tyree Henry briefly holds court in a movie that knows how to simultaneously break and mend its audience’s heart. After James sets the scene up with his character’s own woes, Henry proceeds to build on that foundation with an understated sense of dread and sorrow that only scratches the surface of his talents.

Matt Damon - EuroTrip

What happens when you’re writing a teen sex comedy, and you happen to be friends with Matt Damon? You offer him a role like that of the rocker from EuroTrip, who admits in song that he’s been romancing the girlfriend of our hero. You have to wonder if this was an opportunity Damon took as a break from the intense seriousness of the Bourne movies. Whatever the truth may be, it’s a brief but memorable laugh riot, no matter where you parked your car.

Charlize Theron - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Charlize Theron’s shocking MCU debut in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was the first of a couple big Marvel reveals that still haven’t panned out to something greater. That doesn’t stop her moment in the sun as sorceress Clea from being any less impressive, as she literally shows up, tears a hole of the fabric of dimensions, and invites Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) on an adventure we’d still love to see play out.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson - Reno 911: Miami!

You wouldn’t expect Dwayne Johnson to bite the big one if he were to randomly show up in a movie sporting SWAT tactical gear. And yet, Reno 911!: Miami gave us just that moment brought to hysterical life, thanks to the brave sacrifice of Agent Rick "The Condor" Smith. Ok, maybe “brave” is the wrong term to use, as the man did kind of fumble a live grenade into an unforced error of grave proportions.

Salma Hayek - From Dusk Till Dawn

Having an alluring talent like Salma Hayek in your movie can move things along in a number of ways. Perhaps one of her greatest achievements is when she acted as the literal pivot point of Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn, as the gorgeous Santanico Pandemonium. One moment she’s dancing for a crowd of thankful patrons, and the next she’s plunging this delightful genre mashup into horror-comedy hell.

Will Smith - Winter’s Tale

Winter’s Tale is a movie that still has people scratching their heads, thanks to its magical thinking and high fantasy style story. If you match that description of moviegoer, the appearance of Will Smith in a cameo as Lucifer isn’t going to do much to change your mind. However, this rare performance that sees Smith playing the heavy is amazing, as he commands Shakespearian style language with an intense rage that absolutely sells the CGI enhancement that tops it off.

Tom Cruise has his running, Samuel L. Jackson has his cussing, and Brad Pitt has his eating. Over the years, the Fight Club actor has been seen eating on screen more than anyone else who’s ever stepped in front of a camera, even professional eaters. If you look at Pitt’s best movies like Seven, the Ocean’s trilogy, and even great Quentin Tarantino films, you’ll watch his characters eat everything from popcorn to burgers and shrimp cocktails to chips (so many chips). 

Let’s look at 32 times Brad Pitt ate food in movies and try not to get hungry in the process.

Look At The Shrimp Cocktail In Ocean's Eleven

Rusty Ryan, Brad Pitt’s iconic character from the Ocean movies, snacks on random foods like someone trying to kick a smoking habit whenever on screen, including Ocean’s Eleven, where he can be spotted going to town on a shrimp cocktail in a casino. With his bottomless stomach, it’s no surprise that he needed to pull off a big score.

Eating A Twinkie In Moneyball

Moneyball has some of the most incredible moments from baseball movies, but it also has a handful of great “Brad Pitt eating food” scenes like when Billy Beane takes down a Twinkie in like two bites while discussing advanced analytics with Jonah Hill’s character. Was that even scripted?

Cooking Mac And Cheese In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

There have been some great cooking scenes in movies over the years, ranging from Michelin-level delicacies to more practical fare. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood falls into the latter category thanks to a scene where Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth makes himself a box of mac and cheese in his trailer. Sure, there’s no milk or butter, but you have to admire the simplicity and execution of the bachelor meal.

Digging Into A Greasy Bag Of Tortilla Chips In Johnny Suede

Johnny Suede, one of Brad Pitt’s earliest films, sees the actor eat multiple meals before everything is said and done. But the best? Well, that goes to the scene where the aspiring rock n' roll star is digging through probably the greasiest bag of chips in cinematic history. But hey, we’ve all been there before.

Eating Sandwiches And Killing Nazis In Inglourious Basterds

Though Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) says his team of eight Jewish-American soldiers has one mission in Inglourious Basterds: kill Nazis, you could add “eating sandwiches while killing Nazis” if you want to be more accurate. We’re not sure what he’s eating, but that sandwich does look mighty good.

The Diner Scene In Mr. & Mrs. Smith

One of the best scenes in Mr. and Mrs. Smith is the one where John Smith (Brad Pitt) and Eddie (Vince Vaughn) are chatting in a diner. What makes it so great, you ask? Well, Pitt’s character spends the duration of the chat taking down a pancake like it’s nobody’s business.

Trying Caviar In The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button sees Brad Pitt’s titular character experiencing all life has to offer, including trying some unique and expensive foods along the way. At the top of that list is the caviar a young (or old, depending on how you look at it) Benjamin enjoys with Tilda Swinton’s Elizabeth Abbott.

Detective Mills Waiting... And Eating Chips In Seven

David Mills (Brad Pitt) doesn’t like what he finds in the box during the infamous Seven ending, but the young detective does enjoy getting to the bottom of a bag of Lay’s potato chips while killing time in a library earlier in the movie.

Rusty Eating Chips In Ocean's Twelve

Ocean’s Twelve has just as many Rusty-eating scenes as its predecessor, including the time Brad Pitt’s iconic character is eating chips (one of his favorites, at this point) while on the phone. We’re still trying to figure out how Rusty ranks his passions – does he like snacking or robbing more?

Sharing A Sandwich With A Dog in The Mexican

The Mexican is one of those Brad Pitt movies that seemed like a massive deal before it came out and then was quickly forgotten, which is a shame because it has one of the actor’s funniest food scenes. Where else are you going to see Pitt share a sandwich with a dog in the middle of nowhere?

Sipping A Smoothie In Burn After Reading

Burn After Reading’s Chad Feldheimer, arguably one of the greatest Coen Brothers characters, really gave Brad Pitt the chance to play a dim-witted and hilarious character back in 2008, and he ran with it. Not only that, Pitt also got in another food scene, this time featuring Chad sipping a smoothie while on a stakeout.

Chowing On Some Dog Food In Seven Years In Tibet

The contents are still questionable after all this time, but Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) goes to town on a bowl of dog food (or scraps or slop or some mystery meat) when he’s on his epic journey of self-discovery. Where else are you going to see Pitt down on all-fours competing with fido over a meal?

Rusty Eating Potstickers In Ocean's Thirteen

We pretty much see Rusty take down food from every corner of the planet by the time Ocean’s Thirteen wraps up, including one scene where Brad Pitt’s character pulls off a walk-and-talk with a cell phone in one hand and a pair of chopsticks holding a potsticker in the other.

Chowing On Chinese Food in Kalifornia

For those who haven’t seen it, Kalifornia is a wild 1993 psychological thriller in which Brad Pitt plays the demented and oddly charismatic serial killer Early Grayce. While traveling with journalist Brian Kessler (David Duchovny) on a tour of infamous killing sites, Grayce makes life a living hell for everyone, especially during the scene where he’s chowing down on some Chinese food with table manners so bad they should be a crime.

A Feast in Legends Of The Fall

There’s some good food all through Legends of the Fall, but the one that catches our eye (and nose) the most is the ham feast at the Ludlow house. Though not overly extravagant or anything like that, the dinner is a site for sore eyes, and we get to see Brad Pitt’s Tristan Ludlow eat yet another meal.

Licking Peanut Butter From A Spoon In Meet Joe Black

Though the movie is about 45 minutes to an hour too long, Meet Joe Black does give fans of Brad Pitt eating scenes something to celebrate. The funniest has to be when Joe Black, aka the angel of death, is introduced to the deliciousness of peanut butter on a spoon. 

Eating Fried Eggs In Fury

The vast majority of Fury is spent in a cramped tank on its last leg, but the crew does get to step out of the death trap from time to time, including the scene where Brad Pitt’s Don Collier and company sit down for some ham and eggs. It’s a tense scene, but the look on “Wardaddy’s” face as he’s taking down his first proper meal in ages is pure magic.

Eating And Scolding His Children In The Tree Of Life

Brad Pitt’s Mr. O’Brien from The Tree of Life is probably one of the actor’s meanest characters, and he never passes up an opportunity to scold his children, even during dinner. If you thought a dinner scene directed by Terrence Malick would be conventional or at least happy, this sequence proves otherwise.

Chomping On Chips (Off-Screen) In Fight Club

Okay, Tyler Durden isn’t actually on screen during the scene where Edward Norton’s nameless character calls him after his apartment is destroyed in an explosion, we can hear Brad Pitt chomping down on chips. What kind of chips? We don’t know, but considering the actor’s history, they were either Lay’s or some kind of tortilla chips.

Eating Hot Dogs In A Car Lot In Cutting Class

One of Brad Pitt’s earliest films (his third credited role), Cutting Class saw what is perhaps the first example of one of his characters on screen. At one point in the movie, Dwight Ingalls (Pitt) manages to hold a conversation while eating a hot dog, which is no easy feat.

Achilles Eating A Turkey Leg In Troy

Some people really like Troy, but we don’t think it’s because it sees Brad Pitt eating a turkey leg as Achilles, one of the most iconic figures in Greek mythology. If you want a decent enough historical drama with some killer battle sequences (and food scenes), maybe it’s time to revisit this 2004 epic.

Popping Wasabi Peas In Bullet Train

Bullet Train is an adrenaline-fueled thrill ride from start to finish, but that doesn’t mean Ladybug (Brad Pitt) isn’t going to work in a snack or two before it’s over. The accident-prone yet comically lethal assassin is seen popping wasabi peas during one reprieve from the mayhem in this 2022 action comedy.

Eating A Rat In Interview With The Vampire

Okay, this isn’t food in the traditional sense, but there is an unforgettable scene in Interview with the Vampire in which Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt) feasts on a rat for nourishment. Disgusting? Yes. But a vampire has to do what a vampire has to do, right?

Taking Down Some Bread In The Devil's Own

Stale bread has never looked as good as it did for Francis "Frankie" McGuire (Brad Pitt) in The Devil’s Own. After being pulled out from under a floor while in hiding, the IRA soldier goes to town on a loaf of bread like it’s the finest cut of beef money can buy.

Beef Stew In The Woods In The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford

Though not the best scene in the movie (that would go the train robbery sequence), there’s a key moment in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford where Brad Pitt’s outlaw eats a bowl of beef stew in the woods. A hot bowl of stew has never looked so good.

The Spy Game Lunch Scene

Everyone loves a good lunch scene in a spy thriller, right? Well, we get one in Tony Scott’s 2001 action flick, Spy Game, in which Nathan D. Muir (Robert Redford) and Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) talk shop over a meal. While the older CIA officer is going over some tech, the younger Bishop just sits there and eats and eats and eats.

A Coconut In The Lost City

Jack Trainer in The Lost City is one of the silliest yet coolest Brad Pitt characters in recent history. And while the former Navy SEAL and CIA operative is only in the movie for a hot minute, Pitt, to the surprise of no one, has an eating scene when he’s seen with a coconut early on. 

Hot Dog On A Bench In Sleepers

Even movies that are as dark and unnerving as Sleepers have featured Brad Pitt eating scenes over the years. When having a conversation on a bench with Lorenzo “Shakes” Carcaterra (Jason Patric) while they’re planning their scheme to keep their old buddies out of prison, Michael Sullivan (Pitt) is eating a hot dog. 

Allied's Shrimp Salad

If you’ve ever wanted to see a movie where a Canadian Intelligence officer posing as one half of a happily married couple on a secret mission during WWII is seen eating a shrimp salad, Allied is for you. Though not the best Robert Zemeckis movie, this 2016 romantic war thriller does see Brad Pitt chow down on the seafood delicacy.

A Cheeseburger In Ocean's Eleven

Ocean’s Eleven sees Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) take down all kinds of food before the credits roll, and Brad Pitt’s character gets to sneak in one final snack at the end when he’s seen eating a cheeseburger while waiting for Danny Ocean (George Clooney) to get out of prison.

Popcorn Out Of A Coffee Filter In Moneyball

Considering Moneyball is all about the cash-strapped Oakland A’s trying to remain competitive with a near-microscopic payroll, it only makes sense for Billy Beane to find other ways to cut costs throughout the organization. And who cares if this means the A’s general manager has to eat popcorn from a coffee filter instead of a bowl?

Some Stir Fry In Ocean's Thirteen

Rusty Ryan finished off the Ocean’s trilogy by taking down some exotic foods in 2007’s Ocean’s Thirteen, including some stir fry (which looks really good, by the way), while planning the film’s big heist. Hey, he can’t think on an empty stomach.

Before shared cinematic universes became commonplace in Hollywood with the establishment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe (and now the DCU), for instance, Quentin Tarantino was already putting together his own. The filmmaker has openly discussed that most of the characters in his films all exist within the same reality and he has dropped the same subtle hints throughout his movies that connect the titles (and even some films outside of his filmography) together. To better explain how the so-called “Tarantinoverse” works, let’s review all of the Easter Eggs from Quentin Tarantino’s movies that we could find.

Vic And Vincent Vega Are Brothers (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction)

Perhaps the most famous Tarantinoverse detail confirmed by the filmmaker himself is that Vincent Vega, played by John Travolta in 1994’s Pulp Fiction, is the sibling of Reservoir Dogs’ Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), whose real name is Vic Vega. Tarantino even had plans to make a prequel spin-off film called The Vega Brothers that never came to fruition. 

The Bride Uses Mr. Blonde’s Razor (Kill Bill Vol. 2)

One of the scariest unseen movie moments occurs in 1992’s Reservoir Dogs when Mr. Blonde slices an ear off of Officer Marvin Nash (Kirk Waltz) with a straight razor. Michael Madsen mentions in the 2019 documentary, QT8: The First Eight, that The Bride (Uma Thurman) uses the same razor to cut the ropes around her wrists after she is buried alive in 2004’s Kill Bill Vol. 2.

The Scagnetti Family (Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers) 

In Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Blonde identifies his parole officer as Seymour Scagnetti — a character we never see. However, we have met his brother, Det. Jack Scagnetti, who is played by the late Tom Sizemore in 1994’s Natural Born Killers, which Tarantino wrote the screenplay for. 

Alabama From True Romance And Mr. White Were Partners (Reservoir Dogs, True Romance)

Tarantino penned the script for director Tony Scott’s 1992 favorite, True Romance, in which Patricia Arquette plays Alabama Whitman. That same year, she was also mentioned in Reservoir Dogs by Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), who recalls that she used to be his partner in crime.

Mr. Blonde’s Soda Comes From Big Kahuna Burger (Reservoir Dogs)

One of the most prevalent and recognizable recurring details in Tarantino’s filmography is the mention of a Hawaiian fast food joint called Big Kahuna Burger, and its first introduction to the Tarantinoverse is a very subtle one. In Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Blonde’s hand blocks the logo on his drink cup, but we know it comes from the same restaurant because it matches the design of Brett’s (Frank Whaley) drink in Pulp Fiction.

Jules Eats Brett’s Big Kahuna Burger (Pulp Fiction)

The first time Big Kahuna Burger is called out by name in the Tarantinoverse is in Pulp Fiction when Vincent and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) pay a visit to Brett’s apartment as he is enjoying his “nutritious” breakfast. As an intimidation tactic — and because, being in a relationship with a vegetarian, he might not have had one in a while — Jules asks if he can have a bite and determines that the Big Kahuna is, indeed, one “tasty burger.”

A Big Kahuna Burger Drink Cup Sits At The Bar (Four Rooms)

Tarantino both stars in and directs a segment from the 1995 anthology thriller Four Rooms called, “The Man from Hollywood.” At one point in the short, you can see a beverage cup from the Big Kahuna Burger sitting at the bar of the Hotel Mon Signor.

Seth Gets Big Kahuna Burger Takeout (From Dusk Till Dawn)

In the 1996 vampire movie favorite, From Dusk Till Dawn — which Tarantino wrote and Robert Rodriguez directed — Seth Gecko (George Clooney) returns to the motel where his brother, Richard (Tarantino), is waiting with some grub. His meal of choice: Big Kahuna Burger, which is also featured prominently in the series adaptation of the film, which premiered in 2014.

Jungle Julia’s Billboard Is Near Big Kahuna Burger (Death Proof)

Tarantino would collaborate with Rodriguez in 2007 for their own B-movie double feature they called Grindhouse. In one scene from Tarantino’s segment, Death Proof, Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) asks radio personality Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) about a billboard advertisement for her show, which he describes as “near the Big Kahuna Burger.”

Big Kahuna Burger Bus Advertisement (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

Big Kahuna Burger has apparently been around since at least the 1960s, as evident by a quick reference in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which boasts plenty of other cool behind-the-scenes facts. At one point in the 2019 alternative history drama, an ad for the restaurant on a passing bus can be found.

Big Kahuna Burger Takeout Seen When Max Meets Sharkboy (The Adventures Of Sharkboy And Lavagirl) 

Proof that Robert Rodriguez’s family-friendly superhero movie, 2005’s The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, is part of the Tarantinoverse lies in its Big Kahuna Burger sighting. When Max (Cayden Boyd) recalls the moment he first met Sharkboy (Taylor Lautner) — in his dreams, at least — you can see a very familiar drinking cup and food bag sitting next to him on the fishing dock.

Captain Koons Is A Descendant Of "Crazy" Craig Koons (Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained)

The last name Koons can be attributed to a couple of different characters in the Tarantinoverse who are separated by more than a century. Christopher Walken’s character in Pulp Fiction, Vietnam War veteran Captain Koons, is related to “Crazy” Craig Koons, who is identified as a member of the Smitty Bacall Gang in 2012’s Django Unchained.

Mr. Blonde And Rick Dalton Have The Same Car (Reservoir Dogs, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

If the 1966 Cadillac DeVille owned by Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), but driven throughout Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), looks familiar, it is not by coincidence. In Reservoir Dogs, Mr. Blonde drives the same model and, in fact, it could very likely be the exact same vehicle.

Jimmie Dimmick Is Related To Mr. White (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction)

We learn in Reservoir Dogs that Mr. White’s real name is Larry Dimmick, which confirms that he is in some way related to Tarantino’s character from Pulp Fiction, Jimmie Dimmick. He must not be a very close relative or else Jimmie might have mentioned something about Winston Wolf (played by Keitel) looking like someone he knows when he shows up at his house.

Eddie Mentions A Nurse Named Bonnie (Reservoir Dogs)

In Reservoir Dogs, with Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) badly hurt from a gunshot to the stomach, Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn) mentions that he could call on a nurse he knows named Bonnie to help him. She never shows up to witness the horrifying events that have transpired, but she may have come close to seeing some other instances of “gangster” stuff on another occasion.

Jimmie Dimmick’s Wife Is A Nurse Named Bonnie (Pulp Fiction)

It is very possible that the same Bonnie whom Eddie mentions in Reservoir Dogs is the wife of Jimmie Dimmick, whom he describes as a nurse named Bonnie in Pulp Fiction.

Pete Hicox Is Archie Hicox’s Ancestor (Inglourious Basterds, The Hateful Eight)

Tim Roth reunited with Tarantino for the first time since Four Rooms for The Hateful Eight to play Oswaldo Mobray, who is later revealed to be named English Pete Hicox. The English actor mentions in QT8: The First Eight that his character in the 2015 Western is the great-great-grandfather of Lt. Archie Hicox, who is played by Michael Fassbender in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds.

The G.O. Juice Billboard (Kill Bill Vol. 1)

The Tarantinovere also has its own brand of soft drink that eagle-eyed fans may have spotted on occasion. The first known sighting is in 2003’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 when, as The Bride’s plane is landing is Okinawa, Japan, a billboard advertising the beverage can be seen.

Abernathy Drinks G.O. Juice (Death Proof)

The recurring energy drink G.O. Juice would make its first physical appearance in the Tarantino film Death Proof. Rosario Dawson’s character, a make-up artist named Abernathy Ross, can be seen sipping from a can while on break from her film shoot.

Donny Donowitz Is Lee Donowitz's Ancestor (True Romance, Inglourious Basterds)

Saul Rubinek stars in True Romance as successful movie producer Lee Donowitz, whom Tarantino would confirm in an interview is the son of Eli Roth’s Inglourious Basterds character, Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz. Perhaps Lee’s war film, Comin’ Home Home in a Body Bag, is a tribute to his father, who did not survive Operation Kino.

Kill Bill Shares Its Premise With Mia’s Fox Force Five Pilot (Pulp Fiction)

In Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) discusses with Vincent that she did a TV pilot about a group of female assassins called Fox Force Five, which sounds quite a bit like the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad from Kill Bill. Considering that Pulp exists in Tarantino’s “realer than real universe” and Kill Bill exists in his “movie universe” — which makes up films that the denizens of his “realer than real universe” go see — it is possible that the failed Fox Force Five series was reworked into the two-part revenge saga.

The Nash Family (Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers, Django Unchained)

Marvin Nash — the cop Mr. Blonde tortures in Reservoir Dogs — shares his last name with multiple characters in the Tarantinoverse. He is somehow related to another cop named Gerald — a victim of the Knoxes in Natural Born Killers — who is a descendent of a Smitty Bacall Gang member who is also named Gerald Nash.

Earl McGraw Shows Up At Benny's (From Dusk Till Dawn)

The most prolific recurring character in the Tarantinoverse is a cop named Earl McGraw, as played by Michael Parks. While the Texas Ranger was first introduced making a stop at a convenience store in From Dusk Till Dawn, his death in that scene suggests the 1996 thriller takes place after the later Tarantino films where he pops up, or outside of the "realer than real universe."

Earl And Edgar McGraw Investigate The Two Pine's Chapel Massacre (Kill Bill Vol. 1)

The reoccurring character Earl McGraw would return, alongside his son and colleague, Edgar (Parks’ real-life son, James Parks), in Kill Bill Vol. 1 to examine the aftermath of the horrifying events that took place at what is believed to be The Bride’s wedding. Parks would also appear in Kill Bill Vol. 2, but in the entirely different role of Esteban Vihaio.

Dakota McGraw-Block Comes To Earl For Shelter (Planet Terror)

Earl McGraw also has an estranged daughter in the form of Marley Shelton’s character, Dakota Block, from Planet Terror -- also one of Robert Rodriguez's best movies. The two awkwardly reunite in the apocalyptic first half of Grindhouse when Dakota reluctantly takes refuge from the infected at Earl’s home.

Earl And Edgar McGraw See Dakota At The Hospital (Death Proof)

Ranger McGraw and “Son #1” would show up together in Death Proof, which we learn is also a prequel to Planet Terror when they meet with Dakota at the hospital where she works as an anesthesiologist. They ask her to update them on the status of Stuntman Mike, whom they suspect intentionally murdered the victims of a head-on collision that was ruled as an accident.

Donny Donowitz's "Antonio Margheriti" Pseudonym (Inglourious Basterds)

Antonio Margheriti was an actual Italian filmmaker famous for making B-movies like one of Tarantino’s favorites, 1980’s Cannibal Apocalypse. As a tribute to him, Tarantino had Donny assume his name as part of the Basterds’ infiltration of Le Gamaar Cinema in Inglourious Basterds.

Antonio Margheriti Directed Operazione Dyn-o-mite! (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

Tarantino would also pay tribute to Antonio Margheriti in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He made him the director of Rick Dalton’s spy movie, Operazione Dyn-o-mite!

Paula Schultz May Be King’s Wife (Kill Bill Vol. 2, Django Unchained)

In Kill Bill Vol. 2, Budd (Michael Madsen) buries The Bride alive in a grave that one belonged to a woman named Paula Schultz. One interesting fan theory suggests that she was the wife of the widowed Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in Django Unchained.

Buddy Holly Could Be Mr. Pink (Pulp Fiction)

Mia and Vincent’s server at Jack Rabbit Slims — who calls himself Buddy, in reference to his resemblance to rock ’n roll pioneer Buddy Holly — is played by Steve Buscemi, who previously starred in Reservoir Dogs as Mr. Pink. It is not confirmed, but some have suggested that the waiter and Mr. Pink are the same person, which could be backed up by the criminal’s mentioning that he used to work minimum wage.

Michael Keaton As Ray Nicolette (Jackie Brown)

The one Tarantino movie that actually exists outside of his shared universes is 1997’s Jackie Brown, which shares ties with another Elmore Leonard adaptation from 1998: Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight. This is supported by Michael Keaton’s appearances in both films as ATF agent Ray Nicolette.

Red Apples (Multiple Films)

Perhaps the most recognizable fictitious brand in the Tarantinoverse is Red Apple, which is seen enjoyed by the likes of Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, multiple Pulp Fiction characters, and Señor Bob (Demián Bichir) in The Hateful Eight. They can also be seen advertised at an airport in Kill Bill Vol. 1 and promoted by Rick Dalton in the mid-credits sequence from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

To be perfectly clear, we do not condone violence (or even something as harmless as a prank) as a solution to any conflict… in reality, that is. However, in the realm of fiction, few things are as satisfying as seeing a character get even with their worst enemy, especially if the inciting incident was something truly unforgivable. See if you agree by reliving some of the best revenge movies and TV shows that incorporate the theme in the coldest, but ultimately justifiable, ways possible.

John Wick (John Wick)

In 2014’s first installment of the John Wick movies, all Keanu Reeves’ eponymous former assassin wanted was a life free of violence, until a Russian mobster's punk son killed his dog and stole his car very shortly after the death of his wife. Getting back into the deadly world he was desperate to leave behind was worth it just to make sure Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his crew paid for their wicked deed.

The Bride (Kill Bill)

The title role of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill movies (David Carradine) and the remaining members of his DiVAS unload a massacre at Beatrix "The Bride" Kiddo's wedding rehearsal, nearly killing her and her unborn child. The retired killer awakens from a four-year coma believing that her child is dead, develops an insatiable desire to punish her former colleagues, and gets her hands on a brand-new samurai sword to go on a “roaring rampage of revenge.”

Jen (Revenge)

In the aptly titled Revenge, Jen (Matilda Lutz) suffers a senseless act by one of her married boyfriend's perverse business partners, and her boyfriend's solution is to push her off a cliff, where she becomes impaled by a tree at the bottom. Inexplicably, she survives and proceeds to ruin the trio's hunting trip by waging a brutal war on them in the middle of the desert in writer and director Coralie Fargeat's enthralling thriller.

Red Miller (Mandy)

Lumberjack Red Miller (Nicolas Cage) watches the love of his life, the titular Mandy (Andrea Riseborough), get burned alive by a sadistic cult led by a spiteful, Charles Manson-inspired musician (Linus Roache). Red retaliates by brutally taking them out one by one (even being forced to take on an otherworldly biker gang) in Panos Cosmatos' visually stunning and truly heartbreaking fantasy.

Wade Wilson (Deadpool)

Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) finds himself extremely dissatisfied by the experimental procedure that, despite curing his cancer by giving him regenerative healing abilities, left him with a "haunting" appearance that forces him to leave his fiancée and don a costume covering every inch of his body. The Canadian mercenary makes it a personal mission to punish Francis "Ajax" Freeman (Ed Skrein) for his cruel experiments on him in 2016's cinematic adaptation of Marvel's hilarious Deadpool comics.

Paul Kersey (Death Wish)

In director Michael Winner’s adaptation of Brian Garfield’s novel, Death Wish, Charles Bronson plays Paul Kersey — an architect whose wife is killed and his daughter is left traumatized by abuse after a brutal home invasion. As a result, he takes it upon himself to find the perpetrators and continue to be judge, jury, and executioner on the streets of Manhattan.

Arya Stark (Game Of Thrones)

Following the infamous events of the Red Wedding, Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) vows to avenge the deaths of her family members, orchestrated by Walder Frey (David Bradley). In the Season 6 premiere of Game of Thrones, she finally gets what she desires by not only killing Frey, but his entire family.

Eric Draven (The Crow)

In Brandon Lee's final film, The Crow, the actor plays Eric Draven — a rock star who is senselessly murdered by a vicious street gang, along with his fiancée, Shelley, on the night before their wedding. One year later, he is resurrected with a mission to punish his killers in one of the best comic book movies not based on a Marvel or DC title.

Hugh Glass (The Revenant)

Bear attack survivor Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is left for dead by fellow fur trader John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), who also murders his son in front of him after he tries to prevent Fitzgerald from murdering Glass. The harrowing journey the badly injured man endures through unforgiven wintry terrain in writer and director Alejandro González Iñárritu's The Revenant makes finding and punishing Fitzgerald all the more satisfying.

Mattie Ross (True Grit)

Two of the greatest Western movies of all time (one made in 1969 and the other in 2010) are based on Charles Portis’ novel 1968 novel, True Grit. It tells the story of an intelligent teenage girl (originally played by Kim Darby and later by Hailee Steinfeld in an Oscar-nominated performance) who goes to far lengths to avenge her father's murder, including enlisting the help of a famed U.S. Marshall (first played by John Wayne in an Oscar-winning performance and later by Jeff Bridges).

Dwight (Blue Ruin)

The story of Jeremy Saulnier's Blue Ruin is a unique one for the revenge category and the key factor is the central protagonist: a homeless man named Dwight (Macon Blair. He proves to be hopelessly inexperienced, unequipped, and unprepared for his bid to avenge the senseless murder of his parents years earlier after learning their killer was released from prison.

Omar Little (The Wire)

“Vengeance” might as well have been the middle name of Omar Little (the late Michael K. Williams) for how much the theme defined his arc on creator David Simon’s The Wire. In Season 1, the good-hearted stick-up man took down Anton “Stinkum” Artis (Brandon Price) after he murdered his boyfriend, Brandon Wright (Michael Kevin Darnall) and in Season 3, he and Brother Mouzone (Michael Potts) killed Russell “Stringer” Bell (Idris Elba) for setting them both up for death previously.

Cassie Thomas (Promising Young Woman)

Emerald Fennell earned a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for her feature-length debut as a writer and director, 2020’s Promising Young Woman, which tells the story of  Cassie Thomas (Carey Mulligan), who becomes consumed by a desire to avenge the horrific abuse that drove her best friend to take her own life. Even though it would cost her her own life (as she predicted), Cassie does manage to bring her friend's abuser, and other people associated with the crime, to justice and even gets the last laugh with a series of text messages programmed to automatically send at the time of his arrest… during his own wedding.

Django Freeman (Django Unchained)

In one of the best Quentin Tarantino movies, 2012’s Django Unchained, the titular hero (Jamie Foxx) is freed by bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), who offers him the chance to punish the men who treated him horribly when he was enslaved. His new partner also helps him reunite with and rescue his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from ruthless plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Frank Castle (The Punisher)

One of the darkest characters in Marvel Comics history is Frank Castle, who became better known as The Punisher for his reputation to show no mercy for the worst criminals imaginable following the savage murder of his own family. The war veteran-turned-vigilante has been adapted for screen multiple times, but one of the most acclaimed portrayals is by Jon Bernthal, who debuted in the role on the Daredevil TV series before earning his own spin-off.

Carl Lee Hailey (A Time To Kill)

Carl Lee Hailey (Samuel L. Jackson) believed he was right to kill Billy Ray Cobb (Nicky Katt) and James Willard (Doug Hutchinson) after he was told the two white men could very likely walk free for what they did to his young, Black daughter, Tonya (Rae’Ven Larrymore Kelly). Honestly, we cannot help but agree with him, which is part of what makes Joel Schumacher's 1996 adaptation of John Grisham’s A Time to Kill so compelling. 

Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad)

Out of every character in the Breaking Bad cast, Jesse Pinkman (Emmy winner Aaron Paul) is the one most deserving of redemption… and revenge. In the series finale of creator Vince Gilligan’s revolutionary drama, he deservingly gets to be the one to rid the world of the most coldly sadistic of his captors, Todd (Jesse Plemons).

Sansa Stark (Game Of Thrones)

On Game of Thrones, Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) undergoes a devastating arc, following her tumultuous relationship with her sadistic, abusive husband, Bolton Ramsay (Iwan Rheon). She later retaliates by feeding her former spouse to his own dogs.

Shosanna Dreyfus (Inglourious Basterds)

In the breathtaking opening scene of Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 World War II-era drama, Inglourious Basterds, Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) becomes the only survivor of a massacre on her French Jewish family orchestrated by the ruthless Col. Hans Landa of the SS (Christoph Waltz). While she does not end up bringing Landa to justice herself, she does wipe out most of the Nazi regime by burning her own movie theater to the ground during the premiere of a propaganda film.

Josey Wales (The Outlaw Josey Wales)

Clint Eastwood both directs and stars in the title role of 1976’s The Outlaw Josey Wales in which a mild-mannered Missouri farmer and family man is transformed into a fearsome, notorious cold-blooded killer. By the end of the Civil War-era Western thriller, Wales kills the leader of the crew who made him into the person he is in the first place by savagely and senselessly murdering his wife and son. 

Bella Baxter (Poor Things)

Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel, Poor Things, chronicles the reanimated Bella Baxter’s (Academy Award winner Emma Stone) discovery of the joys and pains of life, despite the people who wish to coddle her — including the husband of her former self, Alfie Blessington (Christopher Abbott). She punishes the controlling misogynist by also, technically, saving his life by replacing his brain with that of a goat.

Gordon "Gordo" Moseley (The Gift)

While admittedly, quite sinister in his actions (to say the least), it is easy to understand why Gordo (Joel Edgerton) harvested such wicked feelings for Simon (Jason Bateman) in 2015's The Gift. In high school, Simon fabricated a story about him being taken advantage of by a male teacher, leading to incessant bullying, him changing schools, and his homophobic father, subsequently suspecting his son to be gay, attempting to kill him.

Dr. Richard Kimble (The Fugitive)

Both the 1960s series, The Fugitive, and its acclaimed 1993 cinematic adaptation follow the wrongly convicted Richard Kimble (originally played by David Janssen and by Harrison Ford in the film) searching for the one-armed man who actually murdered his wife. The TV show ended with Kimble’s search finally being over and the movie with him learning the conspiracy behind his wife’s death, both with the reluctant help of U.S. Marshal Gerard.

Bud Fox (Wall Street)

In Oliver Stone’s Wall Street, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) becomes consumed by the wealth he initially acquires after being taken under the wing of his hero, Gordon Gekko (Academy Award winner Michael Douglas). However, when he learns his mentor is planning a deal that would ruin his own father's (Martin Sheen) company, Bud opts to turn against the ruthless Gordon, which ultimately puts them both behind bars.

Sam Wheat (Ghost)

In 1990’s Ghost, the lingering spirit of Manhattan banker Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) discovers that his murder was orchestrated by his two-faced friend and colleague, Carl Bruner (Tony Goldwyn). With help from a medium (Whoopi Goldberg) who can hear him and his newly learned abilities as a ghost, he is able to send Carl and the man hired to kill him, Willie Lopez (Rick Aviles), to a darker corner of the afterlife.

Grey Trace (Upgrade)

After a group of attackers render Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) a quadriplegic and murder his wife, the mechanic accepts a tech innovator's offer to be implanted with a device that, not only allows him to control his limbs, but is programmed with an AI named STEM that makes him a brutal fighting machine. Grey and STEM team up to punish his attackers, but — SPOILER ALERT — it turns out that STEM orchestrated the entire thing, wanting to take over a human host and, thus, making 2018’s Upgrade a cautionary revenge tale.

Claire Carroll (The Nightingale)

In writer and director Jennifer Kent's The Nightingale, Claire Carroll (Aisling Franciosi) is taken advantage of by Lt. Hawkins (Sam Claflin), who also kills her husband and her infant child. With the help of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy (Baykali Ganambarr), the burdened Irish woman takes it upon herself to bring the sadistic army lieutenant to justice.

Cecile (Cruel Intentions)

In Cruel Intentions, the 1999 teen drama reimagining of the French 18th Century novel, Dangerous Liaisons, wealthy step-siblings Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) use the innocent and naive Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon) and Cecile Caldwell (Selma Blair) as pawns for a wicked wager in romantic and reputational manipulation. Annette and Sebastian find true love with each other which ends in tragedy, while Kathryn’s reputation is the one that gets destroyed after Cecile makes her manipulative ways public with copies of Sebastian’s journal.  

Kim Soo-hyun (I Saw The Devil)

You could argue that Kim Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) goes a little too far when exacting his revenge on Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) in the 2010 Korean horror favorite, I Saw the Devil. However, there is no debate that Kyung-chul went way too far when he beat Soo-hyun’s wife to death and dismembered her.

The Nerds (Revenge Of The Nerds)

Every socially alienated college student who was ever persecuted for their intelligence or the way they dress received some much-needed wish fulfillment vicariously through the main characters in Revenge of the Nerds. The 1984 sees Lewis Skolnik (Robert Carradine) and others turn the tables on their cruel bullies and acquire the popularity and respect they crave.

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek: First Contact)

In one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) is transformed into a race of cybernetic organisms called Borgs. He eventually punishes the cruel alien race for what they did to him and other crimes in the 1996 feature film, Star Trek: First Contact.

Jason Shepherd (Big Fat Liar)

In 2002’s Big Fat Liar, compulsively dishonest teen Jason Shepherd (Frankie Muniz) accidentally leaves his writing assignment in the limo of movie producer, Marty Wolf (Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti), who passes it off as his own idea for a movie that gets greenlit soon after. Desperate to earn his parents’ trust, he and his best friend, Kaylee (Amanda Bynes), travel all the way to Los Angeles and — with help from more of Wolf’s enemies — set out to expose and ruin the scumbag once and for all.

They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but what these characters achieve makes us feel warm inside.

Movies based on true stories and real history have been staples in Hollywood since its earliest days. Getting the history incorrect has been a tradition as well. It’s important to note that just because a movie isn’t 100% true, doesn’t always mean it’s a bad movie. 

There are many reasons filmmakers may choose to omit facts or change the story for cinematic reasons, but it’s still important that those changes be noted. Other times though, those missing facts or changed moments ruin the film completely. 

Braveheart (1995)

Mel Gibson’s Braveheart is the king of historically inaccurate movies. Fans love the battle sequences, but those sequences are nowhere close to how they were in history. There are too many historical inaccuracies to note here, but one important one is the portrayal of the Battle of Stirling Bridge, in which there is no bridge in the movie. William Wallace used the river and the bridge brilliantly to win the battle, instead, audiences get a giant melee on an open field. 

Pearl Harbor (2001)

There are a lot of reasons to criticize 2001's Pearl Harbor, but for brevity’s sake, let’s just say that there was no one in history who was in the Battle of Britain, and at Pearl Harbor, and who took part in the Doolittle Raid, as Ben Afflect’s character did in the movie. It’s frankly insulting that they would make such a character, diminishing those who did participate in each event. On the other hand, it is about Pearl Harbor. Sort of. 

1492: Conquest Of Paradise (1992)

1492: Conquest Of Paradise is… not a good movie. It’s easy to go on and on about Christopher Columbus’ reputation, and how he is portrayed in the movie as a hero, but rather than do that, we’ll focus on one glaring historical mistake. No one with any kind of education in 1492 believed the world was flat. The idea that Columbus’ ideas were not widely accepted or even heretical is hogwash, like this movie. 

Tombstone (1993)

1993’s Tombstone is one of the best Westerns ever made. That doesn’t mean it’s historically accurate. The movie relies on the myth of Wyatt Earp more than fact. It makes for a doozy of a watch, but don’t go teaching it to kids about how life was in the Wild West. 

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Biopics are notorious for changing the facts to suit the story and the reputation of the people they portray. Bohemian Rhapsody is no exception, even though it deserved the awards it won. The worst moment for fans of Queen and those who know their history comes at the end of the movie. It ends with Queen’s epic performance at LiveAid, but that wasn’t the first time they’d played together in years as depicted, nor was Freddie Mercury aware that he had HIV/AIDS at the time. They crammed a lot in at the end. 

The Imitation Game (2014)

No one can watch The Imitation Game and call it a bad movie. No one, that is, except historians. There are numerous examples of a good story getting in the way of historical accuracy throughout the movie, from Alan Turing’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) personal life, to his personality quirks, indeed even to how he worked, and what he worked on, at Bletchley Park. Just for starters, he had a lot of friends and worked closely with everyone on his team. There are plenty of more examples, but we can leave it that for now. 

Cool Runnings (1993)

It seems a little silly to have a movie like Cool Runnings on this list, but despite being a really fun movie, it takes a lot of creative license. For one, the team was not shunned by the bobsled community, they were celebrated. They also were never in medal contention, as the movie implies. Finally, it was pressure from the whole bobsled world that got their appeal approved to even compete, not the work of one man, as depicted. Still, it’s a wonderful movie. 

Napoleon (2023)

Director Ridley Scott makes great movies, but historians love to jump all over the liberty he takes with the facts. Napoleon is no different, as many historians have come down hard on the film's inaccuracies. The criticism is something Scott simply doesn’t care about, and he strongly denounced those who called him out, telling them to, “Get a life.”

Argo (2012)

Argo is the perfect example of a great movie, that takes a lot of liberties with the actual history. The Best Picture Oscar winner tells the story of the CIA creating a fake movie as a cover to get hostages out of Iran. The problem with the movie is that most of the people involved, including President Jimmy Carter, say that the role of the Canadian government, especially Ambassador Ken Taylor, played by Victor Garber,  was greatly diminished in the movie and that they deserve most of the credit. 

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood isn’t supposed to be the “true” story of the Sharon Tate murder, but it’s still worth noting on this list. It’s presented honestly, as an alternate history where Tate is saved from the Manson Family, but obviously, that’s tragically not what happened. 

JFK (1991)

Oliver Stone’s 1991 epic JFK is a little tricky here. The movie famously focuses on Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) and his investigation into John Kennedy’s assassination. The investigation has been criticized as being mostly conspiracy theory, therefore making it fairly inaccurate. However, the movie is actually pretty accurate to Garrison’s investigation. So that makes it both accurate and inaccurate, a rarity here. 

Apocalypto (2006)

Mel Gibson’s directorial follow-up to The Passion of the Christ took him all the way to the other side of the world with Apocalypto. Set about 500 years ago during the Mayan Empire, Apocalypto is a fascinating movie, but many scholars have called it out it for unfairly portraying the Mayans as far more barbaric than in reality. While there were examples of human sacrifice in Mayan history, for example, it wasn’t as common as the film implies. 

Gladiator (2000)

Remember, historical inaccuracies don’t automatically make for poor movies and Gladiator is a perfect example. It’s a great movie, with amazing performances and set pieces. But it plays very fast and loose with the facts, including, most notably, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) killing his father, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). 

U-571 (2000)

Few movies produce as much anger in historians than U-571. This is especially true of British scholars. Even then-Prime Minister Tony Blair declared the movie “an affront” to British sailors during World War II. Why? The entire plot of the movie revolves around Americans capturing the first German Enigma Machine in 1942. The problem? The Brits had captured one a full year before, months before the Americans even entered the war. Oops. 

Battle Of The Bulge (1965)

1965’s Battle of the Bulge, about the battle of the same in World War II is so historically inaccurate that Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander at the time of the actual battle, was described as “outraged” by the movie. I think that’s all we need to say. 

Dunkirk (2017)

Dunkirk is another tricky one here because most of the inaccuracies are because Christopher Nolan wanted to make a great movie, as well as tell a true story. The biggest problem most scholars have is a lack of soldiers on the beach. In reality, it was 10s of thousands of soldiers. Nolan didn’t want to use CGI, so the beaches look far less crowded than the reality. There is also the stunning scene at the end with the plane flying over the beach after running out of fuel, which is physically impossible. Still, it’s an amazing movie and much of it was very accurate. 

Gods And Generals (2003)

Among the most criticized films on this list is the 2003 Civil War epic Gods and Generals. The Southern Poverty Law Center said it “glorifies the Confederacy” and serves to further the “Lost Cause” narrative of neo-Confederates. Even the author of the book that the movie was based on denounced it. 

Mississippi Burning (1988)

This has to be the most heartbreaking movie to include on this list is Mississippi Burning. The incident it portrays is one of the most important moments of the Civil Rights movement when two Jewish and one Black civil rights workers were murdered in Mississippi in 1964. It’s a critical story to be told. Yet, it was so fictionalized in the movie that many Civil Rights activists denounced and boycotted it. 

The Patriot (2000)

Roland Emmerich 2000’s film about the American Revolution, The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson as a widowed father of seven children who is reluctant to join the fight is so offensively inaccurate that even Gibson himself called it “sheer fantasy.”

Amadeus (1984)

1984’s Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, and for good reason, it’s fantastic. It’s not, however, a true story. It may be based on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, but very little of what happens in the movie happened in real life. It was meant to be a fantastical version of his life, sure, but it’s important to remember that often myths, like the ones this movie creates, become historical beliefs in the future. 

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Like Quentin Tarantino’s other movie, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, his Inglourious Basterds is presented as alternate history. Everyone knows that Adolf Hitler died in a bunker like a coward at the end of World War II, not in a gun battle in a theater, as the movie shows. That’s ok, there’s nothing dishonest about Tarantino’s presentation, but it’s still nowhere close to historically accurate. 

The Death of Stalin (2017)

Okay, so The Death of Stalin is a really tricky one. On one hand, it really does accurately portray the chaos and power-grabbing battle that happened with the high-ranking officials in the Communist Party in the Soviet Union after Stalin died. On the other hand, it’s a comedy and a farce, meant to be funny. It is, of course, hilarious and wonderful, but the characters are very different from how they were in real life. Still, a fantastic movie. 

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

A Beautiful Mind is fairly accurate in its portrayal of mental illness, as it shows the harrowing way that the film’s protagonist, John Nash (Russell Crowe), dealt with his schizophrenia. On the other hand, much of the events of Nash’s life are not accurate, or even fabricated. So this one gets a 50% in its accuracy. 

The Revenant (2015)

The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is a story so wild that audiences would be forgiven for thinking the whole thing was made up. It’s not though, much of what is seen in the movie is true. It’s an insane story, which makes it all the more curious that the filmmakers would not be accurate with Hugh Glass’ private life, where there is no evidence he had a Pawnee wife or children, as the movie claims. 

The Untouchables (1987)

Sean Connery won an Academy Award for The Untouchables, and Robert De Niro’s performance as Al Capone is among the very best of his career. The movie is really fun to watch and is completely rewatchable. It’s not, however, historically accurate at all. Virtually every event in the film is complete fiction. 

300 (2006)

Okay, okay, we’ll obviously acknowledge that 300 is supposed to be a fictionalized version of history, but like other alternate histories, or whatever you want to call 300, it’s important to point out that King Xerxes was not an 8-foot-tall God in real life. We’re just saying. 

The Greatest Showman (2017)

While Hugh Jackman’s performance in The Greatest Showman is truly wonderful, very little about the character resembles the real-life P. T. Barnum. Barnum was cruel to his animals and many of his human performers. He was also a teetotaller, which Jackman’s character was not. A wonderful movie with terrible history.  

The Great Escape (1963)

1963’s The Great Escape is one of the greatest war movies of all time. It’s legendary reputation is based on the wonderful storytelling and great performances from a slew of Hollywood’s biggest stars of the day. While it’s based on a true story of Allied airmen breaking out of a POW camp, how it went down in real life bears little resemblance to how the movie shows. 

Elizabeth (1998)

Cate Blancett’s performance in Elizabeth from 1998 is great. Like, really great. The movie’s history, however, is a total mess. The timelines are totally off, many of the locations are wrong, and some events are totally made up. There’s more historically wrong than right in the movie. Still, it’s worth watching for Blancett. 

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

It’s impossible to imagine that 1998’s Elizabeth isn’t the most inaccurate movie about Queen Elizabeth I of England, and yet, its sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age, is actually an even worse offender. Cate Blanchett is wonderful, again, as she was in the first, but the plot of the movie is even less based on real history than the first. It’s completely frustrating and, unlike the original, completely forgettable, despite Blanchett. 

Captain Phillips (2013)

This is a movie we didn’t want to put on this list because it’s a white-knuckle adventure that is very much based on a true story. Still, it has to be on this list because the crew members of the Maersk Alabama, the ship captained by Capt. Phillips (Tom Hanks), insist the movie does not show how the real events really happened. It seems they disagree that Richard Phillips was not the hero he is portrayed as. 

The Green Berets (1968)

Leave it to John Wayne to make a pro-Vietnam War movie in 1968, at the height of the conflict. With war protests raging across America, Mr. Patriotism John Wayne stepped in to make a piece of pro-war propaganda that extolls the virtues of the US’s involvement in a civil war in Southeast Asia. It is inaccurate and doesn’t represent the mood of the country in any way. 

While many of the movies on this list are excellent movies and we don’t want to discourage you from watching and enjoying them, it’s always good to know how close to the real history they are. 

Easily one of the most legendary SNL stars of the 1990s is Mike Myers — the star and creator of numerous beloved SNL sketches, from “Wayne’s World” to “Coffee Talk.” However, you could say that his most unforgettable characters come from the big screen, like shag-a-delic spy Austin Powers or the titular ogre from the Shrek movies. Well, we decided to take a look at both Saturday Night Live and our favorite Mike Myers movies to find our picks for the comedian’s funniest quotes.

"A Nerd Says, 'What?'" - Saturday Night Live 

Cable access TV host Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) has used various iterations of this disorienting gag on his guests. In a 2011 edition of “Wayne’s World,” it’s at the expense of co-host, Garth Algar (Dana Carvey), after he explains an eyepatch does not actually make Jeff Bridges’ role in 2010’s True Grit “cycloptic.”

"That Must Be Lord Farquaad's Castle. Do You Think Maybe He's Compensating For Something?" - Shrek

What makes 2001’s Shrek a kids movie the whole family will love is jokes like this that adults can appreciate. Of course, what the titular ogre (Mike Myers) doesn’t realize at that time is that Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) makes his kingdom large to counteract his height. 

"Who Throws A Shoe? Honestly!" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery

One of Dr. Evil’s minions, Random Task, is a clear parody of Oddjob from one of the best James Bond movies, Goldfinger. While that villain’s signature gimmick was a throwable, razor-edged bowler hat, in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Random Task just throws his shoe.

"HEAD! MOVE!" - So I Married An Axe Murderer

One of the first times Mike Myers took on multiple characters in one title was in So I Married an Axe Murderer, in which he plays beat poet Charlie MacKenzie and his father, Stuart. In one of the darkly funny 1993 rom-com’s funniest moments, Stuart bluntly tells his younger son, William (Matt Doherty), to get his “huge noggin” out of the way of the TV, which sounds like “Heed! Move!” in his thick Scottish accent.

"We'll Just Take These Home, Run Them Over With A Fine Tooth Comb, Cross The ’T’s,’ And Dot The... Lower Case ‘J’s’ - Wayne's World 2 

When applying for a permit to put on “Waynestock,” Wayne and Garth are caught off guard when they meet a “partial ocular albino” played by Kevin Pollak in one of the best SNL movies, Wayne’s World 2. After several accidental comments about the office worker’s one white eye, Wayne finally catches himself from making yet another mistake with this smooth save.

"I'm Verklempt" - Saturday Night Live

The best kind of SNL character catchphrases are short and simple, much like that of “Coffee Talk” host Linda Richman (Mike Myers). This charmingly boisterous character never failed to get the audience roaring with laughter by the way she let them know she was suddenly overcome with emotion.

"For Five Minutes, Could You Not Be Yourself? FOR FIVE MINUTES!" - Shrek 2

Even after becoming friends, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) still finds a way to get under Shrek’s skin, such as when he can’t keep his mouth shut during their trip with Fiona (Cameron Diaz) to Far Far Away. The ogre’s plea is easily one of the most quotable lines of Shrek 2 and a fun way to tell a friend to can it in real life.

"I Once Thought I Had Mono For An Entire Year. It Turned Out I Was Just Really Bored" - Wayne's World

While on a date with Wayne, Cassandra (Tia Carrere) tells him that she has been so busy with her band that she almost thought her exasperation was caused by meningitis. Wayne responds by revealing that he went through a similar situation in one of Wayne’s World’s funniest lines.

“Basically, We Have All Our Rotten Eggs In One Basket. The Objective Of Operation Kino: Blow Up The Basket" - Inglourious Basterds

A nearly unrecognizable Mike Myers steals the show in a scene from one of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies, Inglorious Basterds, as General Ed Fenech opposite Michael Fassbender’s Lt. Archie Hicox. He uses this rather cheeky metaphor to explain that most high-ranking officials of the World War II-era German government are attending a propaganda film’s premiere, giving them a perfect opportunity to strike.

"Would You Like To Touch My Monkey?" - Saturday Night Live 

The most famous catchphrase uttered by Mike Myers’ recurring character, Dieter, may understandably sound like a double-entendre. However, the host of the West German talk show Sprockets is actually referring to his pet monkey, Klaus, when voicing this request to his guests.

"Believe Me, Donkey, If It Was Me, You'd Be Dead!" - Shrek 

As they grow closer reaching the tower where Fiona is held, Donkey catches whiff of something that he suspects is Shrek letting it rip. The ogre informs his companion that he is smelling brimstone after assuring him that his flatulence is deadly and, as we know from subsequent moments in the franchise, not very silent either.

"Yes, And It's The Choice Of A New Generation" - Wayne's World 

One of the most gut-busting moments from 1992’s Wayne World sees Wayne and Garth voicing their disapproval over product placement while, ironically, showing off various recognizable brands for the camera. One of the more clever examples occurs when Benjamin (Rob Lowe), tells them they could choose to play ball with sponsors or go back to cable access, prompting Wayne to quote Pepsi’s famous slogan at the time.

"No, I Think It's Repellent In Every Way. In fact, I Think Most Scottish Cuisine Is Based On A Dare" - So I Married An Axe Murderer

This is how Charlie responds when butcher shop employee Harriet asks if he actually likes haggis after buying some for his parents during an earlier visit. This biting So I Married an Axe Murderer joke is actually recycled from an SNL sketch starring Mike Myers and Kyle MacLachlan as the father-son owners of a Scottish delicacies shop.

"Everybody In The World Has 'Frampton Comes Alive!’ If You Lived In The Suburbs, You Were Issued It. It Came In The Mail With Samples Of Tide" - Wayne's World 2

In Wayne’s World 2, Cassandra shows Wayne a collection of records she bought at a yard sale, which includes Peter Frampton’s 1976 live album. Wayne is really not too far off from the truth when describing Frampton Comes Alive! as, essentially, a common household object considering its massive popularity at the time.

"Don't Look At My Bum" - Saturday Night Live

One of Mike Myers’ most charming recurring characters is Simon, an English child who hosts his own program from a bathtub. Sometimes, as he was reaching for another drawing to show off, he would accuse the audience of sneaking a peak at his rear end.

"No Stairway. Denied!" - Wayne's World

To those who first saw Wayne’s World on VHS or DVD, this gag seems to imply the guitar shop employee must have assumed Wayne was attempting to play to what really sounds like nothing like Led Zeppelin’s most famous hit. Per GQ, the actual first three notes of “Stairway to Heaven” could be heard in the theatrical cut, but the band and Warner Music Group “denied” the filmmakers from keeping the original audio from further home video releases.

“Well, Somebody Better Be Dying" - Shrek The Third

In Shrek the Third, this is how Shrek responds when he and Fiona are interrupted right as they are about to kiss. In the very next scene, his father-in-law, King Harold (another actor with sketch comedy experience, Monty Python’s John Cleese) announces that he is, indeed, dying.

"Well, That's The Kind Of Song Teenagers Can Crank Up The Volume In Their Car And Bang Their Heads To. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Will Never Be That Song" - Bohemian Rhapsody 

In a memorable scene from the 2018 Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, this is how fictional record executive Ray Foster voices his preference for “I’m in Love with My Car” over the operative, eponymous track. Of course, the actor who plays him, Mike Myers, did, indeed, crank up the volume and bang his head in a car to this exact song in a famous scene from Wayne’s World that reinvigorated its popularity in the early ‘90s.

"Oh, Smashing. Groovy. Yay, Capitalism!" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

After Austin Powers (Mike Myers) awakens from a 30-year cryogenic slumber in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, he is at first bewildered to see a Russian general in his presence, until Basil Exposition (Michael York) tells him the Cold War ended. The spy initially assumes this means “capitalist pigs will pay for their crimes,” until Basil explains that things worked out in the United States’ favor.

“Let Me Get This Straight: You Pay This Woman To Sit On Babies? That's Disgusting. I'd Do It For Nothing" - The Cat In The Hat

The live-action, 2003 adaptation of The Cat in the Hat is not widely regarded as one of the best Dr. Seuss movies, but it does have its moments. Case in point: this cheeky little play on words courtesy of the titular feline (played by Mike Myers) and at the expense of Conrad (Spencer Breslin) and Sally’s (Dakota Fanning) babysitter, Mrs. Kwan (Amy Hill).

"If It's A Severed Head, I'm Going To Be Very Upset" - Wayne's World 

Wayne is approached by his “psycho hose beast” ex-girlfriend, Stacy (Twin Peaks cast member Lara Flynn Boyle), who is under the impression that she can wish him a happy anniversary two months after their breakup. Still, she insists Wayne open his gift, which he fears could be something very morbid, to say the least.

“Talk Amongst Yourselves. I’ll Give You A Topic: Rhode Island Is Neither A Road, Nor Is It An Island" - Saturday Night Live 

Any time Linda Richman gets “verklempt” and needs to take a moment, she offers the Coffee Talk audience a topic to discuss for the time being. Not only is this one of the funniest examples of the recurring gag, but also one of the more thought-provoking.

"Who Does Number Two Work For?" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

When Dr. Evil’s assassin, Patty O’Brien (Paul Dillon), attacks Austin Powers in a casino bathroom, the spy retaliates and takes the opportunity to interrogate the “cycloptic” gambler outside called Number Two (Robert Wagner). However, the “cowboy” in the nearby stall (played by Tom Arnold) assumes Austin is referring to a different kind of “number two.”

"I Can't Believe Paramount Is Spending The Money To Fly Us To England. I Would Have Thought They Would Just Use Two Doubles" - Wayne's World 2

Both of the Wayne’s World movies handle meta humor brilliantly, such as with this gag from the 1993 sequel. Wayne’s suspicions that the studio would not actually send him and Garth to the United Kingdom are proven correct, but only the audience is aware.

"I'm Afraid You're Gonna Ki- Leave Me"  So I Married An Axe Murderer 

In So I Married an Axe Murderer, Charlie (Mike Myers) breaks up with Harriet (Nancy Travis) and almost gives away that he fears she will kill him before replacing the word with “leave” as an explanation. However, it ends up sounding like he’s afraid she might “cleave,” which is exactly what he was worried about.

"No, Scott. I Have An Even better Idea. I'm Going To Place Him In An Easily Escapable Situation Involving An Overly Elaborate And Exotic Death" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

It really is amazing to think of how many James Bond villains could have succeeded if they just killed 007 on the spot instead of putting the skilled operative in unnecessary death traps. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery attacks this trope head-on when Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) reveals his plans for Powers, which his son, Scott (Seth Green), points out has flaws, to say the least.

"Yeah, And Monkeys Might Fly Out Of My Butt" - Saturday Night Live 

Few characters can master sarcasm quite as charmingly as Wayne Campbell. He has demonstrated this talent in just about every edition of his recurring SNL sketch with this hilarious bit.

"You Know, I Have One Simple Request, And That Is To Have Sharks With Frickin' Laser Beams Attached To Their Heads!" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

Probably the one thing that made Dr. Evil relatable was his interest in this odd combination of machine and beat that, admittedly, sounds pretty cool. He would finally get his wish in 2003’s Austin Powers in Goldmember when the newly wicked Scott presents his father with the long-desired gift.

"Oh, No No No No. Dead Broad Off The Table" - Shrek 

When Shrek finds a group of exiled fairytale creatures invading his swamp, he finds that the seven dwarfs have taken the initiative to put Snow White’s casket on his dining table. In their defense, the bed was taken by the Big Bad Wolf.

"Women: You Cannot Walk With Them, And Yet, You Cannot Club Them" - Saturday Night Live 

In a sketch called “Lothar of the Hill People,” Mike Myers plays the titular barbarian chieftain who converses with his brethren over their experiences and philosophies. One of the funniest instances of the recurring bit is when Lothar utters this unique take on an old adage.

"No One Gets Married At Your Age Unless They're Trying To Prove Something” - 54 

In 1998’s 54, Mike Myers plays Steve Rubell, the real-life co-owner of the famous, eponymous night club, Studio, who, at one point, comes on to Breckin Meyer’s character, Greg Randazzo with an indecent proposal. When Greg explains that he is, Steve insists that it can’t be genuine for a young man like him.

"Throw Me A Frickin' Bone Here!" - Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery 

When the freshly unfrozen Dr. Evil comes to his subordinates about his evil plans, he is soon informed that none of them apply to the way things are in 1997, prompting him to ask that they give him a break and try better to bring him up to speed. This line has since become one of the first things people quote when demonstrating their own impersonation of Austin Powers’ nemesis. 

These quotes are are undeniably groovy, baby.

World War II was exactly as it was billed, fought all over the world. World War II movies, of which there are many, are set across the world as well. Across Europe, Africa, and Asia, if there was fighting, there is probably a movie about it. Here is a list of some of those many movies -- some of which are among the best war movies of all time -- and where they took place. 

Saving Private Ryan (France)

For a movie that feels like it's set all over the place, Saving Private Ryan actually takes place in a condensed area. Capt. John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his men landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy on D-Day and they found Private Ryan (Matt Damon) in the fictional town of Remelle, also in Normandy, so all the action in the movie takes place in a small area of Northwest France.  

The Great Escape (Poland)

One of the great World War II movies of all time, The Great Escape mostly takes place in a prisoner-of-war camp in German-occupied Poland. After the escape, the soldiers are all over Europe, including Switzerland, Germany, and beyond. The movie is a highly fictionalized account, however, and it never really pins down exactly where the camp is.  

The Thin Red Line (Guadalcanal)

Terence Malik's The Thin Red Line is a very different kind of war movie, as you'd expect from the director. The action in the movie takes place on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Much of the movie was shot on location in the Solomons, including some near the actual sites of the battle, highlighting just how beautiful the islands are and how brutal the battle was. 

Das Boot (North Atlantic)

The German film Das Boot is often hailed as one of the best World War II movies of all time. Of course, most of the movie was filmed in a very cramped and realistic-looking set of a submarine, but the titular German U-boat was patrolling the North Atlantic in the film. 

The Bridge On The River Kwai (Thailand)

Considered a stone-cold classic of the war movie genre, The Bridge On The River Kwai is an amazing movie. It tells a fictional story of British POWs in a Japanese prisoner camp charged with building a bridge over the Khwae Yai River in Thailand for the Burma Railroad. Though it is set in Thailand, the movie was filmed in Sri Lanka.

Flags Of Our Fathers (Iwo Jima)

While both Flags of Our Fathers and its companion piece Letters From Iwo Jima take place on the island of Iwo Jima, both were filmed mostly in California (and weirdly, Iceland). The movies tell the story of the pivotal Battle of Iwo Jima from both the American side of the battle and the Japanese side. 

Downfall (Berlin)

Downfall has become one of the most-memed movies of all time, with people using Hitler's meltdown for thousands of different things they are upset about. It's also an incredibly powerful movie that shows the final days of the Third Reich, taking place in and around the infamous Fuhrer Bunker in Berlin as the Allied forces close in on the capital. 

Pearl Harbor (Hawaii)

The attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 has been turned into a lot of movies. The 2001 Michael Bay film, Pearl Harbor actually takes place in quite a few locations, though, obviously, mostly at the naval base at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu. Hawaii was not a state in 1941, that wouldn't happen for another 18 years or so. 

Dunkirk (France)

Another movie where the location is revealed right in the title is Dunkirk. Director Christopher Nolan's masterpiece was filmed at the actual beach in northern France, in the town of Dunkirk, near the Belgian border, where the evacuation happened in 1940. There are pluses and minuses to this approach, as the town and the beach look very different today than they would have in 1940, still, it's really cool to see a movie filmed where the events took place. 

Patton (North Africa, Europe)

Patton tells the story of the legendary General George S. Patton (George C. Scott) and follows his path across northern Africa and Europe in World War II. It starts with Patton in Tunisia, then through Sicily. It also depicts Patton's push across northern Europe during the decisive Battle of the Bulge, where he "rescued" the 101st Airborne, though as Band of Brothers taught us, the 101st didn't believe they needed to be saved. 

A Bridge Too Far (The Netherlands)

One of the most impressive casts of all time assembled for A Bridge Too Far. James Caan, Robert Redford, Sean Connery, Gene Hackman, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, and Ryan O'Neill are just a few of the big names in the film. The movie tells the story of the disastrous Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands which was meant to "end the war by Christmas" but failed miserably. 

Empire Of The Sun (China)

Empire of the Sun doesn't land in many lists of Steven Spielberg's best films, but it should. The story takes place in China, which is somewhat unique, and it stars a very young Christian Bale as a snobby English prep school kid who is forced to adapt to the harsh life in a Japanese internment camp near the Chinese city of Suzhou.

Fury (Germany)

Most of the action in 2016 Fury takes place in the cramped quarters of a Sherman tank. With a great cast including Brad Pitt and Jon Bernthal, that tank crew battles it out with Germans across the countryside and small towns of Germany in the last days of the war.  

The Imitation Game (England)

The Imitation Game is a war movie with no battles and no violence. Still, it tells one of the most important stories of World War II. In the movie, Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch, in maybe his best role) and the other codebreakers race to unlock the secrets of the Enigma Machine and the German codes. The movie takes place in an English country manor called Bletchley Park, near Milton Keynes, northwest of London. 

Escape To Victory (Paris)

Escape To Victory or simply Victory does something very few other movies do, it combines the war movie genre with sports. In the movie, the Allied prisoners of war in a German camp take on the Germans in a soccer match. It stars Sylvester Stallone as the goalie and the great Pele as one of the Allied players. The match takes place in Paris before the prisoners make their escape. 

Hacksaw Ridge (Okinawa)

In Hacksaw Ridge Andrew Garfield portrays conscientious objector Desmond Doss in the Battle of Okinawa. Based on a true story, the movie is a heartwrenching look at the battle for which Doss won the Medal of Honor as a medic on the island of Okinawa during the final days of the war in the Pacific. 

Unbroken (Kwajalein Atoll, Japan)

Angelina Jolie's Unbroken is a mixed bag. At times it is brilliant, at others, it's a letdown. It is the story of American pilot Louis Zamperini who survived 47 days at sea after his plane crashed into the Pacific. When he is rescued by the Japanese military, he is imprisoned first on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, then on mainland Japan.

Schindler's List

There isn't a more powerful film in history than Steven Spielberg's masterpiece, Schindler's List. The movie gives an unvarnished look at the atrocities of the Holocaust through the story of Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson). It takes place mostly in Poland and in what is now Czechia, both parts of Germany during the war after the Nazis invaded them. 

Midway (Pacific Ocean)

The Battle of Midway has been told in a few films over the years. The most recent, Midway, directed by Roland Emmerich tells the same story as the others. The epic naval battle near Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean was a decisive victory for the United States in the war and turned the tide completely. Today Midway Atoll is still a US territory. 

Enemy at the Gates (Stalingrad)

The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest of the war, indeed of any war in history. The Soviets held off the advancing German army for almost six months a horrific battle of attrition. Enemy at the Gates portrays the brutality and desperation of the battle that took place in Stalingrad, modern-day Volgograd, in southern Russia. 

Casablanca (Morocco)

Many decades since its release during World War II in 1942, Casablanca remains one of the most beloved Hollywood films of all time, one that is still influencing movies today. Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick Blaine, a nightclub owner riding out the war in Casablanca, Morocco. 

Windtalkers (Saipan)

Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands is the setting for most of Windtalkers. The movie tells a little-known-at-the-time story of the Navajo Indians who served in the war as communications experts, using their native language to code orders and plans over the radio. It's not the best movie, but it tells an important story. 

The Pianist (Warsaw)

The Pianist is the story of the Holocaust told through the eyes of one man, Jewish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman (Adrien Brody). It's a brutal, true telling of his struggle to survive the war in hiding after the German invasion of Poland. Living through the war in different hideouts around Warsaw, Szpilman ultimately survives, but many who helped him were not as lucky. 

The Dirty Dozen (France)

The Dirty Dozen is a good, old-fashioned romp through France. It's the kind of war movie that is rarely made today, filled with the biggest stars of the day and without a lot of real stakes. Still, it's a true classic. 

Tora! Tora! Tora! (Hawaii)

The first movie to really tell the full story of Pearl Harbor was the classic Tora! Tora! Tora!. Obviously, as the story implies, most of it takes place on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base. 

The English Patient (Tunisia, Italy)

The English Patient, one of the many war movies to win Best Picture, is a war movie and a love story. Hungarian aristocrat László Almásy (Ralph Fiennes) tells his story to his Italian nurse, (Juliette Binoche) of being lost in the desert as he recovers from his wounds. While the story is told from a bed in Italy, much of the story he tells takes place in North Africa, especially Tunisia.  

Inglourious Basterds (France, Germany)

The opening scene in Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds is intense. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) interrogating the LaPadites at the French farm is one of the most enduring scenes ever filmed. Of course, large parts of the alternate history movie take place in Berlin (the famous final scene) and elsewhere around Europe. 

The Guns of Navarone (Turkey, Greece)

In The Guns Of Navarone a group of soldiers led by Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn, climb a cliff in to take out a German gun instillation on the fictional Aegean Island, Navarone, between Greece and Turkey. It's another one of those early '60s World War II movies that are as much an adventure film as it is a sober look at war. 

Valkyrie (Tunisia, Germany, German-Occupied Poland)

The action in Valkyrie starts in Tunisia when Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) sustains his injuries early in the war. Von Stauffenberg later attempts to assassinate Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, Hitler's secret hideout in the forest in German-occupied Poland. Most of the rest of the movie takes place in Berlin and elsewhere in Germany as they hatch the plan. 

The Longest Day (Normandy)

Before Saving Private Ryan set the standard for D-Day depictions, The Longest Day stood alone in it's glorious telling of the story. With an all-star cast with seemingly every big star of the day, the movie was a huge hit and became a template upon which many war movies were built in later years. Of course, it takes place on the beaches of Normandy and in nearby towns like Sainte-Mère-Église. 

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage

In a classic example of a movie not living up to the true story it's trying to tell, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage is just not that good. It's too bad, too, because the story of the USS Indianapolis, from transporting the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima to its sinking and the shark attacks that followed is incredible. Instead of watching the movie, mostly set in the middle of the Philippine Sea, just watch Quint's famous speech in Jaws.

The Final Countdown

Is it fair to call The Final Countdown a World War II movie? It does that rarest of things, combining a World War II story with science fiction, which sends a modern (by 1980 standards) aircraft carrier through a time porthole back to 1941 with a chance to stave off the Pearl Harbor attack. It sure seems like a WWII movie when the Japanese planes are shot down over the Pacific which means it counts. 

One of the best things about films is seeing exotic locations and nothing frames those locations quite like a war film. 

Narrative works of fiction and nonfiction alike have always been a strong device when it comes to examining the many facets of warfare. A subject that can be both personal, but also wide reaching, there’s so many lenses one can use to tell a story about the various armed combats the people of the world have experienced. It’s because of this that today, we’re here to honor the best war movies that make up the canon, from movies about Pearl Harbor and Vietnam to great films about World War I and  World War II films set around the world, and that's just breaching the surface. 

Whether on the battlefield, or at the homefront, tales such as these can help us better understand one of the most complicated impulses of humanity. Some of the movies highlighted are even based on fictional characters/conflicts, but those entries aren’t any less effective for it. Some of the best action movies even qualify for this feature as a result. With that in mind, please enjoy CinemaBlend’s rundown of the best war movies of all time. 

30. Dunkirk (2017)

Leave it to Christopher Nolan (Inception, Tenet) to take the fairly straightforward concept of a war picture and filter it through three intersecting time frames, which all converge on the key battle that’s mentioned in the title. 

You don’t quite pick it up at first. But as Nolan – and, by extension, the audience – follows the events of the Allied forces trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk during WWII, we see the timeline of a soldier (Fionn Whitehead), a pilot (Tom Hardy), and a civilian boat captain (Mark Rylance) all intersecting while the narrative unfurls. Dunkirk delivers a thinking-man’s approach to the brutality of combat, an intelligent dissection of combat as seen from the land, the sea, and the air. 

29. Ben-Hur (1959)

Few movies are more befitting of the word “epic” than William Wyler’s masterpiece, Ben-Hur. Oh, and fun fact, but Wyler also won two more Oscars for two other war films, those being Mrs. Miniver, and The Best Years of Our Lives. But back to Ben-Hur, which stars Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who becomes a slave, but then ultimately rises up and becomes a respected charioteer during the Roman Empire. This sprawling movie has some of the most impressive scenes in cinema, like when the Roman fleet is attacked by pirates, or of course the groundbreaking chariot race. But the real war is more of a personal battle between Ben-Hur and his former friend, Messala. All of this is set to a story of the Christ, which ultimately makes Ben-Hur’s quest for vengeance really a quest for redemption. It’s a film for the ages!

28. Valkyrie (2008)

While most World War II movies focus on the action in the major battlefields, director Bryan Singer’s Valkyrie pays tribute to a piece of history that’s more localized. One of the great Tom Cruise movies you may have never seen, the action star plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, a key figure in an attempt to overthrow Adolf Hitler from within his own military.

Heading up an all star cast, including Terrence Stamp, Eddie Izzard, and Kenneth Branagh - among others, Cruise commands the picture as its dramatic anchor. A portrait of people who rejected their own government’s cruelty by using its very machinery against it, Valkyrie’s plot skews away from traditional war stories. Opting to show a more clandestine battle, the action is mixed with a climate of tension and personal stakes that makes this more confined tale as thrilling as one told with a more open battlefield.

27. Lincoln (2012)

Though Lincoln probably isn’t the first title that comes to mind when thinking about the best war movies, it’s more than deserving of a spot on this list. With the American Civil War in the background, Steven Spielberg’s historical drama follows U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he attempts to accomplish two major goals: bring an end to the bloody military conflict, and ban slavery once and for all.

Again, there’s not much in terms of battles (the only major sequence is in the opening minutes of the film), but Lincoln does a masterful job of capturing the attitudes and fears of a nation torn in two as well as the impact it has on the country 150 years later.

26. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

When Brad Pitt’s Lt. Aldo Raine looks down upon the carved forehead of Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa at the end of Inglourious Basterds and remarks, “I think this might just be my masterpiece,” it’s A) hard not to read it as a meta sentiment from Quentin Tarantino, and B) hard not to agree with said sentiment. The writer/director has made some phenomenal films, and there is an argument to be made that his 2009 contribution to the war movie genre is his greatest.

It’s gnarly and awesome to see the titular collection of commandos execute their mission to start up a collection of Nazi scalps, but the genius comes in with the integration of the fiery revenge plot unfurled by Mélanie Laurent’s Shosanna Dreyfus. With the sinister, slimy Landa slithering through both stories, it’s a movie that shocks, thrills, and delights with a killer vision of alternative history.

25. Gladiator (2000)

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is more about the aftermath of a war, and a power struggle that ensues when the Emperor’s son murders him in order to prevent losing his right to the throne to a successful war general. Scott is a master when it comes to directing historical films, and he really knocked it out of the park pitting established star Russell Crowe against a young but phenomenal Joaquin Phoenix. 

The film won five Academy Awards after its release, and was nominated for a whole lot more. Russell Crowe received his Best Actor Oscar, though Joaquin Phoenix would have to wait longer before finally getting one of his own. When it comes to modern gladiator films, there’s really no better option to choose from. 

24. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

“Please Lord, help me get one more.” Repeated variations on that plea are heard throughout director Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge, as combat medic Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) tries to save as many of his fellow soldiers. The story of the first Medal of Honor recipient to be a conscientious objector, it’s a cross between a more traditional, combat heavy picture, and a moving biographical drama.

Through his dedication to protecting and saving as many lives as he could, especially during the Battle of Okinawa, Desmond’s career as a World War II combat medic is brought to life through an intense performance from Andrew Garfield. Producer Bill Mechanic once remarked on the reason Hacksaw Ridge resonates with audiences is due to how the story affects people. Basing its message on the universal belief that true heroes can rise to the darkest of occasions, it’s not hard to agree.

23. The Deer Hunter (1978)

While the famous “Russian roulette” scene is the most iconic image of The Deer Hunter, what makes the movie great, what makes it important, is the metaphorical Russian roulette of three friends who go to war, and come out of it in very different ways. Many war movies deal with the terrible cost of war, but few do it in quite the same way as The Deer Hunter. 

The movie ultimately spends little of its three-hour runtime on the Vietnam War itself. This is a story about the men who fought in it, both before and after their time there. By spending so much time with Mike (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken) and Steven (John Savage) before they ever go to war, we understand who they truly were, and therefore we understand the loss of those men that much more.

22. The Dirty Dozen (1967)

What do you get when a group of colorful criminals-turned-commandos are sent out on a top secret, high risk mission to disrupt German command ahead of the D-Day invasion during World War II? If your answer is one hell of a movie, you’re 100% right. With legend Robert Aldrich at the helm, The Dirty Dozen sports one of the best ensemble casts of any movie from the 1960s – including Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Sutherland, George Kennedy, Robert Ryan, Telly Savalas, and more – and their mission as expendables soldiers risking their lives for a pardon is a blast.

Not just a great movie unto itself, The Dirty Dozen also happens to be hugely influential. Number 26 on this list wouldn’t exist without it, not to mention the Suicide Squad blockbusters and the comics on which they are based.

21. Black Hawk Down (2001)

There are two major aspects of warfare that Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down commits to displaying in its adaptation of author Mark Bowden’s account of the Battle of Mogadishu. On one hand, the picture shows the importance of tactical awareness, as what seemed like a “routine mission” for UN peacekeepers during the Somali Civil War turned into what was known as the “longest sustained firefight” since the Vietnam War. 

Adding to the masterfully claustrophobic feel of that very war zone is the atmosphere of personal valor. Black Hawk Down’s cast boasts actors like Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, and Sam Shepherd; all playing the peacekeepers who unexpectedly find themselves in harm's way. Rather than merely showing the battle as a lesson of preparedness, Ridley Scott and writer Ken Nolan also dig into why we fight, especially when the battle becomes greater than we could have ever anticipated. 

20. The Hurt Locker (2008)

Where has director Kathryn Bigelow gone? After bursting onto the scene with Near Dark, Blue Steel and Point Break, the searing action director settled into a groove of gripping combat features with the back-to-back releases of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, winning Best Picture and Director for Locker. Bigelow has only made one movie since then – Detroit in 2017 – and when you watch The Hurt Locker, you realize how much we, as an audience, are missing. 

The Hurt Locker goes deep behind enemy lines during the Iraq War, following bomb technicians (Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner) as they tackle fresh waves of devastating new threats. The film put human faces on a war that played out in our nation’s headlines, while also remembering to be a riveting and suspense-filled action thriller. 

19. Born On The Fourth of July (1989)

The second movie in Oliver Stone’s Vietnam trilogy (the first film being the Academy-Award winning, Platoon, and the third being Heaven & Earth), Born on the Fourth of July may just be the most potent and personal of the three. In one of Tom Cruise’s best movie performances, the talented actor portrays real-life figure, Ron Kovic, a proud American who was itching to get into Vietnam, but returned home broken and disillusioned. 

The film chronicles his change, from gung-ho soldier, to wounded veteran, to activist, and it never shies away from the message that war is never kind to anyone, especially those who go into it thinking it’s noble or glorious.

18. Beasts Of No Nation (2015)

Beasts Of No Nation is not an easy movie to watch. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s unflinching look at the story of a young boy in an unnamed West African country who finds himself forced into a warlord’s army of children is brutal, horrific, and completely brilliant. 

The boy, Agu (Abraham Attah) is enlisted into the Commandant's army after most of his family flees his village in the midst of a civil war and his father is killed after telling Agu to run into the jungle as the village is attacked. The Commandant, played exceptionally by Idris Elba, is remorseless and cruel with his child soldiers and the movie pushes the emotions of its viewers as far as anyone would want. It’s well worth the sacrifice, but maybe not repeat viewings.

17. M*A*S*H (1970)

While M*A*S*H is mostly famous for the television series that lasted years longer than the Korean War itself, that show owes its existence to Robert Altman’s excellently subversive film. It’s not a shock the movie translated well to television considering the film is fairly episodic, following Hawkeye (Donald Sutherland) and Trapper (Elliot Gould) from one wild situation to the next, with each story having little to do with those around it. 

Still, M*A*S*H does a fantastic job of looking at the Korean War (as well as the Vietnam War), which was raging alongside the film’s release, with a hilariously dark sense of humor, something the men in the actual conflict likely had to do to make it through.

16. Enemy At The Gates (2001)

Few war movies are as riddled with the tension that Enemy At The Gates provides, as two opposing snipers look to kill the other during the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II. Jean-Jacques Annaud does a phenomenal job of building the tension between Jude Law’s Vassili Zaitsev as he takes on Ed Harris’ Major Erwin König. 

This movie delivers both the massive battles that other great war films feature, and does a great job at showcasing some of the key minor battles that were fought, and how just a couple of key players could play a massive role in the morale of an entire army.  

15. Patton (1970)

Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola (another filmmaker known for a brilliant war movie), Patton features one of the best depictions of a military leader in the medium’s history with George C. Scott’s portrayal of U.S. General George S. Patton. This epic war movie, which starts with one of the most iconic speeches of all time, spends 172 minutes dissecting the man, the myth, and the legend of the decorated military mind.

A Best Picture winner, Patton took home an impressive seven Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor, though Scott refused to accept the award.

14. Starship Troopers (1997)

For sci-fi fans, it might be hard to pick which is the best Paul Verhoeven movie: Total Recall, RoboCop, or Starship Troopers, but for the sake of this article, we’re going to focus on Starship Troopers, which is definitely worthy of being in consideration as one of the best war movies of all time. On the surface, this might not seem right. Here we have a movie about soldiers fighting giant bugs, which wasn’t in any textbooks that we remember growing up. 

Underneath the pulse-pounding action, however, is a satire that is definitively anti-fascism. In fact, many of our “heroes” are dressed like Nazis, and when our protagonists capture the enemy species, they rejoice in the fact that “it’s afraid.” So, yeah. It might not be the first movie you think of when it comes to great anti-war movies, but it definitely is once you think about it.

13. The Thin Red Line (1998)

Released the same year as Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan and set during the same conflict (World War II), Terrence Malick’s 1998 epic war film, The Thin Red Line, couldn’t be any more different than the Tom Hanks-led spectacle. Set during the Battle of Mount Austen in the Pacific Theater of WWII, the movie largely consists of a series of internal monologues by characters played by Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, and others, as they contemplate their respective roles in the war and what fate has in store for them.

Malick’s first movie in 20 years, The Thin Red Line is less of a straightforward portrayal of war and more an artistic exploration of the internal struggles soldiers face while staring death in the eye.

12. Spartacus (1960)

Spartacus, which is the story of a slave-cum-gladiator who becomes a leader of men and leads a revolt, is one of Stanley Kubrick’s most underappreciated gems. Starring Kirk Douglas (who also starred in Kubick’s anti-war masterpiece, Paths of Glory), the film is as epic in scope as you’d want it to be. 

Set during the Third Servile War (also known as the Gladiator War), the film follows the rise, and ultimate fall of its titular character. But along the way, we get stirring speeches, and excellent scenes of combat – most notably a gladiatorial fight involving a man using a net and a trident! Yes, at over three hours, it’s a bit long, but the voyage along the way is rewarding as all hell. I am Spartacus!

11. Platoon (1986)

Oliver Stone’s Platoon is considered to be one of the top war movies to win Best Picture as well as one of the most realistic military films of all time. Centering on Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), an idealistic young soldier thrown into the meat-grinder that was Vietnam, this harrowing drama is as disturbing as it is decorated with its depictions of heroism, human depravity, and a battle between right and wrong on the battlefield.

Remembered for its unflinching examination of one of the bloodiest conflicts in American military history, Platoon also gave the world one of the most emotional and cinematic scenes in movie history with Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe) being chased through the jungle set to Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings.”

10. Glory (1989)

One way to guarantee success in a war movie is to assemble an all-star cast and tell an inspirational, if little told, story of a war. That is exactly what director Edward Zwick did with 1989’s Glory. Telling the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in the Civil War, one of the few all-Black outfits to fight for the Union, Zwick put together a cast of serious heavyweights to show all the emotion, the glorious highs and the heartbreaking lows of the regiment. 

The movie stars Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington (who won an Oscar for his performance), Andre Braugher (in his first film role), as members of the unit, and Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes as their commanding officers. It’s a powerful film that is as true to history as a movie can be, but also as inspiring as a film can be. It was nominated for five Academy Awards and won two –  Best Cinematography as well as Washington’s win.

9. 1917 (2019)

In 2019, Sam Mendes gave audiences one of the best World War I movies with 1917, a blistering and grueling thriller about two young British soldiers – Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) – as they try to reach the frontline and deliver an important message that could save scores of lives. But this proves to be no simple task, as the pair has to cross enemy lines where they encounter attacks on land and from the air before they can reach their destination and call off a doomed offensive.

The winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography for the legendary Roger Deakins, 1917 is presented as two extended takes, a decision that creates a sensation of being right there in the trenches and on the battlefields with its stars. This chaotic, fast-paced, and intense delivery of a story of survival and hope created a war movie like no other, and one we’ll probably remember for years if not decades to come. 

8. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is almost three movies in one, with each act being very distinct from the others. The first, and most famous, is the Marine boot camp for new recruits. R. Lee Ermey steals the show with his amazing performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Still, it’s the intensity of Vincent D’Onofrio as Leonard “Gomer Pyle” Lawrence that leaves the most haunting impression. 

The second act details the futility of war, particularly the Vietnam War that it depicts. Joker (Matthew Modine) travels the combat zone and sees just how pointless the whole war is and how no one seems to care, they are just doing what they are told. The third act takes on a horror-movie vibe as the platoon attempts to take out an unseen enemy sniper in the spooky, bombed-out town of Huế. Fear, death, and hopelessness consume the latter third of the movie. The film is a masterpiece by one of film’s greatest directors.

7. All Quiet On The Western Front (2022)

It seemed pretty impossible that the modern version of All Quiet on the Western Front could actually be superior to the groundbreaking 1930 movie that won Best Picture back at the third Academy Awards (making it one of sixteen war films to take home the prestigious statue), but 2022’s version manages to do it. It’s the grand scope of it all, but also the fact that it feels extremely personal. By focusing mainly on one soldier — an enthusiastic 17-year-old who can’t wait to get into the trenches of World War I, but also featuring a subplot involving officials working toward armistice, the dual plots really add layers to the people on the ground, but also the people who worked toward ending the war. 

The movie is grueling, and our once plucky hero sees firsthand that war is hell. Director Edward Berger got the best performances out of his actors, while the cinematography by James Friend is top notch, really putting us in the heat of combat. It’s a powerful film that spotlights the horrors of combat, making it a modern masterpiece, and one of the greatest anti-war movies ever made.

6. The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

“What have I done?” Alec Guinness’ horrified line delivery as he realizes the extreme consequences of his abetting the construction of the titular structure is perhaps the most iconic part of The Bridge On The River Kwai, but it’s really just a part of the immense power and drama of David Lean’s 1957 epic. It’s both one of the all-time great war movies and one of the all-time great prison movies – something it shares in common with other entries on this list.

An adaptation of Pierre Boulle’s novel, the branched narrative follows American and British prisoners of war building a bridge to connect Bangkok and Rangoon (aided by Guinness’ tortured/Stockholm Syndrome-afflicted Colonel Nicholson) and the efforts by escapee Navy Commander Shears (William Holden) to return to the camp and sabotage the work. It’s magnificent and gripping throughout, and yes, the film’s ending packs an incredible punch.

5. Master and Commander: Far Side Of The World (2003)

Perhaps the reason that co-writer/director Peter Weir and co-writer John Collee’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a brilliant war movie is because, frankly, it’s not totally a war movie. Adapted from selected texts out of author Patrick O’Brien’s Aubrey-Maturin series, the Russell Crowe/Paul Bettany-led ensemble drama cares just as much about its mythic characters as it does its Napoleonic Wars setting. Nowhere is that better shown than through the camaraderie of the HMS Surprise’s crew, most notably through the friendship of the vessel’s captain Jack Aubrey (Crowe) and his ship surgeon Stephen Maturin (Bettany). While Aubrey’s orders border on obsession, we don’t totally see Russell Crowe’s protagonist lose himself in the fog of war, carefully walking between protecting his crew, while also recognizing when and how to strike. 

Master and Commander also uses a handful of intense, expertly crafted set-pieces to depict the era of warfare the story occupies. Naval battles of close proximity and great destruction are shown, which are only heightened by getting to know the HMS Surprise and its proud sailors. With great warmth, humor, and action, it’s a true shame that this attempted franchise never sailed far from port.

4. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

I’m not sure if there’s any movie that can truly give viewers the full scope of what invading allied forces felt when storming the Omaha beach in Normandy during World War II, but Saving Private Ryan does a damn good job. In fact, veterans who actually were present at D-Day told Time that Steven Spielberg’s opening battle featured very little Hollywood embellishment, to the point that it may be painful for those who were there to experience. That’s truly horrifying to hear as a viewer, and a great scene to showcase the brutality of war. 

Many would call Saving Private Ryan Steven Spielberg’s best movie, and that’s hard to argue with the amount of care that went into crafting it. Even if the story is only loosely based on the rescue of paratrooper Fritz Niland after the death of his two brothers, it is a wonderful story that works to give the audience a fairly solid depiction of the most brutal war in human history. 

3. The Great Escape (1963)

We often see World War II depicted on-screen on a massive scale, it was a world war, after all. And yet, part of what makes The Great Escape such a wonderful movie is how it tightens that focus onto a relatively small group of soldiers located in one place at one point in time. It humanizes the scale of it all in a real way and tells a story of true bravery and heroism. The only way for a group of men to fight the Nazis is to try and escape from them.

The events of The Great Escape are broadly embellished for the sake of drama, to be sure, but the story of a massive jailbreak from a POW camp is exactly the sort of exciting story that works well as a blockbuster movie. While it made Steve McQueen a star, The Great Escape has one of the best ensemble casts in movie history, and one of the most iconic movie themes ever written.

2. Paths of Glory (1957)

The first war movie that springs to many people’s minds when somebody mentions Stanley Kubrick’s name is Full Metal Jacket, which makes sense, as Jacket is definitely the more popular war movie. However, Paths of Glory is probably the better one, mostly since its anti-war message is much clearer and more pronounced. Based on the novel of the same name by Humphrey Cobb, the story centers around a commanding officer, played by Kirk Douglas, who defends three French soldiers against being court-martialed and shot. 

In this war movie set during World War I, Douglas delivers a powerful performance, and the film gives a more nuanced look at the closed-door machinations that occur in offices while soldiers go off to die. The film also gives a fascinating look at the effects of shell shock, and does an admirable job of showcasing the hell that was no man’s land. It’s definitely one of Stanley Kubrick’s very best movies.

1. Apocalypse Now (1979)

War is hell. As Apocalypse Now proves, making a movie about war can be hell, as well. Francis Ford Coppola’s masterful interpretation of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness addresses the physical and mental toll that combat has on soldiers, as a platoon of Special Forces troops are ordered to head upriver in Vietnam and deal with rogue commander Kurtz (Marlon Brando). Turn up “The End” by The Doors, and lose yourself in Coppola’s disturbing haze.  

The story of the making of Apocalypse Now is almost as famous as the finished movie, which boasts a commanding cast (Martin Sheen, Brando, Robert Duvall, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, Scott Glenn, Harrison Ford) in service of a filmmaker renowned for his two Godfather features. But it’s Coppola’s unflinching approach to the horrors of overseas conflict, and the psychological damage it does to our soldiers, that keeps Apocalypse Now atop virtually every list made about iconic war movies… this one, included.  

While there are certainly other great, impactful and intriguing movies that depict battles and the inner workings of military conflicts in a variety of ways, these are our picks for the thirty best war films. 

Every year, the Academy Awards ends with the honors of Best Picture being announced to the world. Admittedly, the Academy doesn’t always get it right. For every Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, there’s a potential Crash to take its place the next year. So let’s talk about the Best Picture losers that really should have won, and why these golden competitors deserved more. 

Belfast

Kenneth Branagh’s bittersweet story of Buddy (Jude Hill) growing up during The Troubles in Ireland was bested by CODA as the top of the 2022 Academy Awards winners lineup. It was a surprising upset that made history for streaming originals, but it also left a beautifully formed tale of childhood and struggle behind in the dust.

1917

Bong Joon-ho’s darkly comedic Parasite, was an absolutely sterling choice for Best Picture. However, looking back on 2019’s films to be honored, Sam Mendes’ 1917 was both a technical and emotional marvel. Depicting World War I through what looked like a single take, the powerful film should have emerged victorious.

A Star Is Born

On the sliding scale of egregious wins/losses at the Oscars, 2019’s Academy Award winners possess one of the most upsetting upsets in the show’s entire history. Director/star Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born failed to secure the win over Peter Farrelly’s Green Book when it came time to award the top prize. You can still hear the screams from that night floating through the air, if you listen close enough.

Arrival

2017’s Academy class of nominees saw La La Land and Moonlight duking it out for Best Picture honors, right to the epic Oscar night mistake that saw victory proclaimed and reversed in the same moment. If only Arrival had seen its fortunes faring better as the true BP winner, perhaps this whole incident could have been avoided entirely. We’ll never truly know.

The Big Short

How strong of a year did the Oscars have in 2016? There are several movies that could have handily taken the prize, despite the fact that Spotlight’s Best Picture win is still something to celebrate. Much like that true-to-life drama, Adam McKay’s The Big Short was a movie that tackled personally identifiable issues and should have won the top prize in the process.

Whiplash

You could very easily mention Birdman’s 2015 win in a room of movie fans and draw a fair amount of sighs and cheers. At the same time, if you said something like "Whiplash was the true best picture of 2014," you just might hear a more unified response supporting that very claim. 

The Wolf of Wall Street

Oh, The Wolf of Wall Street, how you deserved so much more. Though 12 Years A Slave took the top prize, 2014’s Best Picture race did have some other competitors that felt as deserving as the winner. What’s even crazier than this film not winning is that Margot Robbie wasn’t even nominated for her star-making performance.

Gravity

Another heavy hitter that looked like it might take Best Picture in 2014 was Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity. Though it was nominated in the same class as Wolf of Wall Street and 12 Years A Slave, Sandra Bullock’s bad day in space was an absolutely golden flick that should have triumphed.

Hugo

2012 gave the world another divisive Best Picture winner that’s still questioned to this day: The Artist. However, if Hollywood wanted to honor the art of filmmaking, with another movie made with visual gimmicks and a story full of heart and emotion, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo would have been a fantastic choice for the honors. 

The Social Network

Some upsets in the category are so large the world tends to skate over history in favor of a more fitting result. 2011’s victory for The King’s Speech is definitely present, since just as we’ll continue to call out Andrew Garfield deserving an Oscar nod, we’ll continue to highlight how The Social Network should have been the top movie of this Academy Awards scrum.

Up in the Air

The first year of the modern Academy Awards with an expanded Best Picture field, The Hurt Locker was named the top flick of its class. And yet another story about wounds that cut personally and professionally should have really been the belle of the ball. It’s ok: Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air will still reign in our hearts, even if the Academy was not so kind.

Inglourious Basterds

Some might argue that with a newly expanded nominee field came some nominations for movies that could have won the “popular film” Oscar. If anyone tells you Inglourious Basterds is one of those movies, you look them straight in the eye and ask them to repeat it. This just might be Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece, and that's a bingo.

Frost/Nixon

History comes alive at its best in movies like Frost/Nixon. Watching the verbal sparring match between Michael Sheen and Frank Langella was one of the joys of the film. Ultimately, No Country For Old Men took the top prize at the 2009 Academy Awards, but there’s a silent majority that would make the case for this being the truly deserving title. 

Milk

At once deeply heartwarming and utterly tragic, Gus Van Zant’s Milk chronicled the life and loss of openly gay politician and activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn). A member of the highly competitive year that saw No Country For Old Men win top honors, the picture deserves extra consideration to this day. 

Michael Clayton

Some years are just too good in the history of film, and it’s a shame there aren’t more ties for movies that equally deserve the win. No Country For Old Men saw itself at the heart of that very storm as the victor of 2008’s Oscars. That being said, good luck trying to make a case against Michael Clayton being the true victor of that year, especially with that explosive finale.

Brokeback Mountain

Mark 2006 down as yet another Oscar competition where the winner was marked as a controversial bad kid of the family. Crash would take the top prize, but you could already hear viewers openly questioning why Brokeback Mountain’s heartbreaking tale of forbidden love didn’t make the grade. 

Good Night, And Good Luck

Crash’s 2006 win saw a field of better, more competitive films losing out on the Best Picture moniker. Even with George Clooney walking away with a Best Supporting Actor win for Syriana, the loss of his directing/co-writing efforts in Good Night, and Good Luck still remains one of the most notable mistakes. At least the film made the list of CinemaBlend's 100 Best Movies of the 2000s, and rightfully so.

The Aviator

How, how, how did Million Dollar Baby beat The Aviator in 2005’s Best Picture race? Martin Scorsese’s historical drama brilliantly danced between celebrating old Hollywood opulence while also diving into the tortured psyche of Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio). Scorsese eventually scored a big win with The Departed a couple years later, but this loss still stings quite a bit.

The Green Mile

When Stephen King goes to the Oscars, his work goes in style. Just five years after Frank Darabont sent The Shawshank Redemption to its Best Picture showdown, the legendary collaborator scored another nod with The Green Mile. American Beauty won that year, a win that over time and consideration makes this King loss all the more upsetting.

Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan feels like a movie that should have, without question, won a BP trophy at the Oscars. That feeling was firmly in place right until the night the actual victor, Shakespeare in Love, took home its spoils. Go ahead and take some time to punch the floor if you have to. It’s perfectly natural.

L.A. Confidential

Titanic truly was the ship of dreams for James Cameron and most everyone involved in its production. It was a mythic victory that made history for years to come, but was it really the correct choice? When the BP race that included that film also featured L.A. Confidential within its ranks, you don’t need to be a detective to know the real answer.

Apollo 13

Here’s an interesting Academy Awards two-step: in 1995, Forrest Gump won Best Picture, but it probably shouldn’t have. Meanwhile,1996 saw Mel Gibson’s Braveheart winning those same honors; the same year that the Tom Hanks starring Apollo 13 should have brought home the gold. 

The Shawshank Redemption

Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption is a perfect movie; full stop. Darabont’s adaptation of Stephen King’s fairy tale for adults is still a well-regarded picture to this very day, standing as one of the best films of all time. And yet it couldn’t beat Forrest Gump for the big prize at the 1995 Oscars. I wish I could tell you that was the right choice.

Goodfellas

As far back as Oscar watchers can remember, the loss of Goodfellas to Dances With Wolves was one of the worst upsets to behold at the Academy Awards. Whether you’re a clown or not, that competition was not funny or amusing and may have inspired some fans to swear as much as Joe Pesci has in his entire career with Martin Scorsese.

Working Girl

1989's Oscars were all about Rain Man fever, as Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman's dramedy took home that year's top prize. Which is fine and good but, if the Academy wanted to reward that genre in a better fashion, director Mike Nichols' Working Girl was right there, waiting for the chance. At least Carly Simon's iconic "Let The River Run" won Best Original Song in that same year, so the Melanie Griffith/Harrison Ford/Sigourney Weaver love triangle didn't go home empty handed.

Broadcast News

The Last Emperor is the movie that won the 1988 Academy Award for Best Picture; at least that’s what it says in the history books. And yet, there’s quite a bit of room for doubt, when taking into account that the powerhouse dramedy Broadcast News was also up in that same race. At the same time, the movie’s loss is one that Albert Brooks’ Aaron Altman would view as just another day at the office.

Network

1977 was a red hot year in Academy history, as Rocky became the underdog to rise up and claim ultimate Oscar victory. While the flick's place in the pantheon of sports movies is without question, the presence of Sidney Lumet’s Network in that same contest makes me wonder if the right choice was made, or if anyone else is as mad as hell that this satire wasn’t chosen as the top film.

Little Women

Greta Gerwig not being nominated for directing Little Women is an Oscar travesty. But the fact that the movie failed to win Best Picture in 2020 just makes that fact even more heartbreaking. And considering how the movie's story breaks viewers' hearts with a classic and well-known piece of literature, it’s even more aggressively aggravating. 

The Post

The Shape of Water absolutely deserved Best Picture in 2017, especially when it came to striking a blow for genre films at the Oscars. Even with that in mind, Steven Spielberg’s political/journalistic epic The Post is admittedly a more traditional pick that stands as one of the best “What If” cases in Academy Awards history.

The Martian

Admittedly The Martian is a movie that, while technically being a work of science fiction, rides the lines of more traditional Oscar genres rather well. You can argue whether it’s a comedy or a drama contender, especially thanks to the Golden Globes debacle that inspired that same question. What you can’t argue is that Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel wasn’t a prime contender for the Academy's biggest honor in 2016.

Brooklyn

Director John Crowley’s Brooklyn was a quietly effective story that recounted the immigrant experience and all of its highs and lows. But not all of the beauty in the world could push this film ahead of Spotlight in 2016’s Oscars race; and that’s something that will continue to stick out for as long as we keep these records.

The Queen

2007 saw Martin Scorsese winning pretty huge for The Departed, after losing some well-fought battles with films like Goodfellas and The Aviator. At the same time, Stephen Frears’ The Queen was sitting right there, expertly navigating the story of Princess Diana’s death and how Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) worked though the ensuing public fallout. 

Even royalty can somehow be overlooked at the awards show, proving how unpredictable this long-held tradition truly can be. The Academy Awards have always been a night of winners and losers, and all anyone can do is hope that the right balance between both sides is struck. 

But there will always be a history of people arguing over who the real winners were, as you can see with the films we’ve highlighted above. So when things don’t go the way you hoped on Oscar night, take comfort in the fact that there’s usually someone that’ll be in that same corner you’re cheering from.

There’s no single CinemaBlend opinion on anything. Through countless arguments over the years, I’ve learned we’re not even on the same page about how to define the word best, from our choices for the top 100 '90s movies to our picks for the best horror movies of all time. What makes a movie the best is impossible to nail down from one person to the next, though it's perhaps easier to consider when thinking about a decade of movies that came and went and can't be added to anymore. But for the most part, it's all about what you like.

It’s because of those clashing perspectives that this Best Movies Of The 2000s list is unlike any list that a single person from our team could have crafted, taking into account both Oscar-worthiness and popcorn-friendliness. The list accounts for movies that have aired 5,000 times on cable, and movies that have been shared lovingly from generation to generation. It’s a retro-hodgepodge of what we loved then and then, from Adam Sandler's raunch to Daniel Day Lewis' aplomb.

This list is CinemaBlend’s collective celebration of the 2000s, in all its neon-hued glory, and we hope everyone will find plenty to love, though a few disagreements and good-natured debate never hurt anyone. Let the arguments begin…

100. Avatar (2009)

While it's the last on this list, there's no denying Avatar's impact on the film industry back in 2009. The movie is a sci-fi masterpiece that features incredible visuals, mainly following the tale of Jake Sully, a human who finds love and acceptance within the world of the Na'vi, the native people of Pandora.

The film takes the audience on a wild ride for two and a half hours. While the story of saving a planet from foreign invaders could be more groundbreaking, the unique visual effects that fans get to see are. And now, with a successful sequel out more than ten years later, it's the perfect chance to revisit the original.

99. Erin Brockovich (2000)

Julia Roberts had established herself as one of the most beloved actors in the world in the 1990s, and as calendars flipped over to the year 2000, she didn’t waste any time starring in yet another critically acclaimed box office hit. Hitting theaters in March 2000, Erin Brockovich tells the story of the titular lawyer who started a landmark case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for groundwater contamination, and it’s a stellar work that further cemented the clear talents of director Steven Soderbergh. It’s thrilling and dramatic, but also funny and fun – in large part due to Roberts’ charm and charisma.

98. The Hangover (2009)

The Hangover is part travelogue and part comedic shitshow. It races its characters through what feels like an entire TV season’s worth of odd locations and ridiculous scenarios, somehow finding time for hospital visits, naked gangsters, weddings, Blackjack heaters, stolen tigers, missing babies and stun gun demonstrations. It sounds like way too much plot for an hour and forty minute movie, but the key to a good comedy isn’t the situations the characters find themselves in, it’s the rapport and natural chemistry between the actors/characters going through those situations. And Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis and Ed Helms are fantastic together. Their clashing vibes, energy levels and comedic sensibilities somehow blend into a perfect cocktail, and with Oscar-nominated director Todd Phillips stirring the drink, The Hangover is able to turn its B-movie premise into one of the funniest comedies of the 2000s.

97. Cloverfield (2008)

The first decade of the Aughts saw one word playing into many of its most cherished cinematic successes: reinvention. For director Matt Reeves’ Cloverfield, two different types of genre favorites were mashed together to create a wildly new, very mysterious product: monster movies like Godzilla and found footage pictures such as The Blair Witch Project. 

Amping up the scale of what a handheld camera could cover, Cloverfield’s ingenious marketing campaign kept audiences guessing about what its true intentions were. In the wake of a mysterious/title-free teaser, it was anyone’s guess what writer Drew Goddard’s movie was about. To live up to the hype after stoking such anticipation for an unknown quantity only cemented Cloverfield as a certified success. In a market where it felt like the trailers gave everything away, a major studio movie broke with the norm, all in the name of a monstrous triumph. 

96. National Treasure (2004)

The race to steal the Declaration of Independence was on in 2004 as Nicolas Cage and his team of treasure hunters went on a high stakes mission to find the greatest treasure. This story sweeps across American history, and is held together by Cage’s protagonist and his drive to find this great prize, and protect the Declaration of Independence by stealing it, of course.

This Disney staple is a family classic, and an action adventure bound to entertain just about anyone. It was such a success that a sequel soon followed, and maybe, someday, National Treasure 3 will happen. However, let us not forget the majesty that is the original National Treasure. 

95. The Notebook (2004)

There’s a reason that when one thinks of the genre “romance” The Notebook instantly comes to mind. The 2004 Nicholas Sparks adaptation is nothing short of a timeless classic that gracefully dances between being a forbidden and second-chance love story. It’s the movie that made Ryan Gosling a Hollywood hunk matched by a passionate yet grounding performance by Rachel McAdams. Together they are a firecracker of chemistry who left a generation longing to kiss in the rain. Cliché and mushy as The Notebook can be, when the music swells on the final scene, it never ceases to remind us why it’s one of the most endearing and cathartic love affairs we’ve ever seen. 

94. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

Though it's been nearly two decades since its release, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy still stands as one of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s greatest collaborations. The 70s-set movie marked McKay’s directorial debut and, with it, he masterfully injects humor and social commentary into a satirical workplace comedy set within the world of broadcast news. His screenplay is funny and occasionally, downright hilarious, but the cast truly makes the movie shine. Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell and more are just flawless. And of course, it’s Ferrell’s portrayal of the titular character that really puts it over the top.

93. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Anyone angling for a great sports drama that not only delivers sheer emotion but also captures the spirit of the pastime it’s tackling should check out Million Dollar Baby. Director Clint Eastwood’s Best Picture-winning film tells the story of an aspiring boxer (played by Hilary Swank), who teams up with a veteran trainer (Eastwood) in the hopes of achieving in-ring glory. The result is an emotionally affecting – and sometimes brutal – story about resilience and parental bonds. This boxing flick won Swank, Eastwood and co-star Morgan Freeman all Oscars and, when you see the movie, you’ll understand why.

92. Saw (2004)

2004's Saw revitalized the horror genre years ago, thanks to James Wan and Leigh Whannell, with its shocking twists and equally astonishing violence. But while the movie did include some truly grotesque “games” for Jigsaw’s victims, this was more than the mere “torture porn” that plagued the aughts. There was intention behind Jigsaw’s pain — making people think about the lives they’d led before forcing them to, “Live or die, make your choice.” 

The audience was along for the ride, trying to figure out why Adam (Whannell) and Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes) were chained up in a bathroom and how they could escape before it was too late. Thanks to some brilliant misdirection, the ensuing plot twist was truly gasp-inducing. These days you might not be able to get away with that ending, but don’t say you saw it coming back in 2004.

91. Super Troopers (2001)

Super Troopers From a plotting and acting perspective, Super Troopers isn’t exactly The Departed. Its basic premise, and even many of its specific scenes, are just nimbly bimbly excuses for the cast to make raunchy jokes about the natural absurdities of being a cop. That works, though, because the movie understands what we want as an audience: non-stop jokes and shenanigans about liters of cola, littering and smokin’ the reefer. From cat game to syrup fights to biker confusion, Super Troopers has its own vibe and unique sense of humor. It’s just out there, doing its own thing, and that’s why, more than two decades later, fans are still pulling over to watch it… even if they’re already pulled over and they can’t pull over any further.

90. War of the Worlds (2005)

Steven Spielberg wouldn’t be the first to adapt H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds novel for the screen, nor would he be the last. But his modern-day take on the 19th Century sci-fi novel certainly made an impression. From the main characters — led by Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, father to Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin) — to the various settings, to the unnerving sight (and sound) of the tripods emerging from below the ground to decimate or capture any humans in their path, War of the Worlds made its mark as an epic sci-fi action movie about survival and the choices a struggling parent has to make to protect his children from a worst-case-scenario. In true Spielberg fashion, the movie is thrilling and occasionally chilling, but also offers that added layer of a family element to keep us invested from beginning to end. 

89. Sin City (2005)

Most comic book adaptations aim to reimagine the characters and events of the source material in a way that more closely resembles reality. However, when director Robert Rodriguez teamed up with famed author and illustrator Frank Miller (acting as co-director) to bring his graphic novel series, Sin City, to the big screen, they did more than just adapt it. They brought it to life.

This anthology-style collection of three interconnected stories — all of which take place in the same hopelessly down-trodden, crime-ridden metropolis — is a masterclass in noirish storytelling (the razor sharp dialogue is straight out of a Raymond Chandler classic), astonishingly unique visual design (every beautifully grayscale frame resembles a comic book panel), and flawless acting from the entire Sin City cast, including Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Mickey Rourke, and so many more amazing A-listers. When it comes to non-superhero-related comic book movies, this might be the best of them all.

88. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Anticipation for the feature adaptation of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary — itself a reinterpretation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice — was high, to say the least, for those of us who adored the book, when it finally made its way into theaters in 2001. Renee Zellweger’s mix of charm, determination for romance and occasional awkwardness alone are reason enough to love the adaptation. Then factor in the excellent chemistry she shares with both love interests — Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy — not to mention the fantastic supporting cast, well-timed bits of hilarity and genuinely heartfelt moments of romance and what’s not to love about Bridget Jones’s Diary? 

87. Taken (2008)

Taken isn’t the most emotionally complicated or the most realistic movie, but it has a really good sense of its own strengths and leverages that particular set of skills perfectly. Liam Neeson might not be the prototypical action star, but he’s an Oscar-nominated actor uniquely good at portraying single-mindedness and determination. Taken is able to harness the badass fatherly intensity of a desperate man searching for his daughter and pair it with ruthless action sequences that rely more on craftiness than brute strength. The result is one of the best and most rewatchable action movies of the 2000s, a tight 90 minutes that’s so much fun it produced two sequels, a TV series and an unexpected late career resurgence for Neeson.  

86. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Before Will Smith earned his third Oscar nomination for King Richard, and after his nomination for Ali, he received his second Academy Award nod for The Pursuit of Happyness. Based on the real story of Chris Gardner, the movie follows Gardner's struggle to find a job to provide for his son during a year when they are homeless. 

The movie is inspiring for anyone, featuring an uplifting and memorable story. That, paired with an incredible performance from Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith – who made his acting debut in the film – makes this the perfect movie to watch on any given day. 

85. The Bourne Identity (2002)

Before Daniel Craig came along and ushered in a new era for the James Bond movie franchise a few years later, Doug Liman’s The Bourne Identity welcomed audiences to the 21st century with this fresh, unique, and action-packed spy thriller. Matt Damon, who had already shown a great deal of depth in movies like Good Will Hunting and The Talented Mr. Ripley a few years earlier, became a bonafide action star with his portrayal of Jason Bourne, a trained killer with no recollection of his dark past.

There are few early 2000s action sequences as memorable as the movie’s iconic car chase through the streets of Paris. Audiences, used to seeing spies and assassins whipping around in souped-up sports cars were in for the ride of their lives with Bourne behind the wheel of a weathered Mini Cooper.

84. Love Actually (2003)

Love Actually has become annual holiday viewing for many since its premiere in 2004. Renowned rom-com filmmaker Richard Curtis struck gold with an A-list cast, as ten loosely connected plotlines each portray a different kind of love. Everybody’s sure to have their favorite stories within the movie, but they all strike an emotional chord, albeit in different ways. 

As these characters navigate the holidays, Love Actually tackles themes of grief, infidelity, unrequited love, workplace romance and more, while never losing its charm and eliciting tons of laughs. Throw in infinitely quotable dialogue (“Let’s get the shit kicked out of us by love!”), an infuriatingly hilarious cameo by Rowan Atkinson, and one absolutely iconic dance from Hugh Grant, and you’ve got yourself a classic.

83. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

In a decade greatly defined by bubblegum romantic comedies where audiences can take comfort in the same three act structure often ending in wedding bells, (500) Days Of Summer flipped the genre on its head. Romance and love can be a tricky, complicated thing that not only may be finite, but clouded by one’s fantasies, projections of potential and manic pixie dream girls. Marc Webb’s indie rom-com announces up front that it is “not a love story” and cleverly plays with structure as Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Tom falls for Zooey Deschanel’s Summer. Between its stunningly memorable soundtrack, creative use of mixed media against its gorgeous L.A. backdrop, (500) Days Of Summer is a dark horse of a romantic comedy that tackles the expectations vs. reality of love with a sharp wit. 

82. Knocked Up (2007)

Most romantic comedies try a lot harder at one of those two things. They’re either romantic movies with a few solid laughs sprinkled in or they’re clearly comedies that shoehorn a romance in there as an afterthought. Knocked Up works so well because it tries really hard at both. It succeeds a little more as a comedy, given it has Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Martin Starr, Craig Robinson, Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd, but it also takes a lot of time and care with its love story and has many thoughtful things to say about relationships and parenting. It never takes the easy way out or betrays itself for a cheap, inauthentic laugh, which lets the natural chemistry between Rogen and co-lead Katherine Heigl grow into a budding relationship you actually root for. 

81. Dawn Of The Dead (2004)

As proven decades ago by George A. Romero, slow zombies are quite scary – but in 2004, director Zack Snyder and screenwriter James Gunn teamed up to show us just how freaky fast zombies can be. Dawn Of The Dead is a movie that stays true to its source material, gathering a bunch of strangers in a shopping mall as the dead come back to life, but it has its own energy and no shortage of standout moments. The beginning is a terror, the ending is deeply unsettling (including the material in the end credits), but the baby is where this one hits its peak.

80. Remember the Titans (2000)

Remember the Titans will make you laugh, cry, cheer and feel a whole range of emotions as you go on a journey with newly integrated T.C. Williams football team to win the state championship. This incredible movie about bringing a football team together is led by Denzel Washington, and it’s not only regarded as one of his best movies, but it’s also widely known as one of the greatest sports films. 

Washington and Will Patton lead the stacked cast of Remember the Titans, which includes Wood Harris and Ryan Hurst as the team’s leaders. Along with them, the movie also features Donald Faison, Craig Kirkwood and Ethan Suplee as well as a very young Ryan Gosling and 10-year-old Hayden Panettiere, among many others. Overall, it’s an inspiring and moving movie about acceptance and determination. Let’s just say Remember the Titans always has us saying “We want some more!” 

79. Juno (2007)

While Elliot Page was an actor at a young age, Juno was the movie that made him into a household name. And for good measure, as Jason Reitman’s quirky 2007 flick delivers in both comedy and heartfelt, human moments. Page earned an Academy Award nomination at the time for his performance, which surely feels justified. 

2007's Juno centers around its title character, a teenage girl who accidentally gets pregnant. She decides to carry the baby to term, arranging an adoption with a married couple (played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman). After being filled with plenty of funny moments (and a killer soundtrack) the ending provides an emotional catharsis that puts Juno above many movies around its time.

78. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

It’s no wonder that Disney has been trying for 20 years to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Inspired by a theme park attraction, but blazing its own trail, Pirates created one of modern cinema’s most iconic characters in Captain Jack Sparrow. But the rest of the cast, including Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and a scene-stealing Geoffrey Rush, is no less compelling. From sword fights to ship battles, Black Pearl’s action is near perfect, with the Johnny Depp vs. Orlando Bloom duel a textbook example of how to tell a story with an action scene. It set a bar so high that even its own sequels were never going to clear it.

77. Ray (2004)

Cinema lovers have been graced with plenty of great biopics over the decades, and Ray certainly stands as one of the best. Directed by Taylor Hackford, the movie chronicles the life and career of the great Ray Charles. James L. White’s screenplay effectively tells Charles’ story, chronicling his professional and personal highs and lows in the process. And of course, the production is (appropriately) infused with incredible music. There are plenty of great performances on display, but it’s Jamie Foxx’s uncanny – and Oscar-winning – turn as the titular musician that really makes this period drama worth a watch or two.

76. Unbreakable (2000)

M. Night Shyamalan had an unenviable task in 2000 – following up his overnight sensation, The Sixth Sense. Was that movie a flash in the pan? Or would Shyamalan live up to the billing he was receiving in the press as, “The next Spielberg?” Remarkably, Shyamalan came up with a deeper, more meaningful film that also started the bandwagon for superhero-movie fascination, only with a meditative origin story for a strong man (Bruce Willis) who doesn’t recognize his invulnerability. Pulp Fiction co-star Samuel L. Jackson tapped into his fiendish side to play Willis’s nemesis, a man plagued with brittle bones who assumed that his opposite had to exist in the world. But it was Night’s ability to generate an intense mood that boosted Unbreakable. We rode a wave of increasingly suspenseful tension until the moment Willis donned his raincoat and embraced his destiny. Unbreakable started a trilogy, but also guaranteed that Shyamalan was here to stay as one of our most original and effective storytellers. 

75. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall occasionally gets overlooked as being just another rom-com from the aughts – specifically the rom-com featuring the oddball pairing of Mila Kunis and Jason Segel, but I can’t imagine that anyone who’s lumping this movie into just another group of rom-coms has seen it recently because it is profoundly and consistently weird. 

Segel’s TV composer main character dreams of creating a Dracula musical featuring puppets called A Taste For Love. He also wants to get over his titular ex-girlfriend - hilariously played by Kristen Bell, who somehow ends up in the hotel room next to him having loud sex with her new rock star boyfriend. That messy journey of acceptance and moving on, amidst all its weirdness or maybe because of all its weirdness, never feels like a cliche. It’s consistently funny and has so many thoughtful things to say about relationships, break-ups and finding yourself. Don’t write it off.

74. School of Rock (2003)

Jack Black was many things in 2003, though many wouldn’t have considered his comedic stylings family-friendly until School Of Rock. Black’s musical abilities from his band Tenacious D paired with the wholesome story of teaching some kids how to rock, was fun for everyone and really skyrocketed him further into the mainstream and into more roles for younger audiences like Kung Fu Panda and Nacho Libre. Sure, he’d still do raunchier stuff like Tropic Thunder, but this movie was imperative to show the range he had as an actor. 

Let’s also not forget this movie boasted other celebrities who are notable talents in 2023, like Miranda Cosgrove and The White Lotus showrunner Mike White. Oh, and the music is still as great as it was then, even decades later. There’s a strong message here about the importance of teaching children about music and helping them follow their passion, and it’s that message that will keep this movie relevant for decades to come. 

73. Up (2009)

Pixar Animation Studios, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, has always been known for its films that have reached a broad audience, starting with their debut full-feature film, Toy Story. However, in 2009, the studio released Up, the first Pixar film to receive a nomination for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Up is mainly about Carl, an older man living a lonely life, and to fulfill his promise to his late wife, he travels across the world in a floating house to South America – with the help of a local wilderness explorer who tags along for the ride. 

A lot can be said about Up, from its stunning animation to the beautiful soundtrack, but nothing beats the story. It's a tale of a found family and of finding love and compassion in places you would never expect. And you must always remember – the wilderness must be explored!

72. District 9 (2009)

Coming in at 72 on the list might just be an indicator of how underrated District 9 is, considering it’s one of the best science fiction movies of the 2000s. Neill Blomkamp’s feature walks the line between messaging about the various mistreatment marginalized groups are subjected to, to how humanity would respond if aliens were really discovered to be on Earth. Given recent reports at government hearings, it isn’t all that unbelievable that it wouldn’t take long for humanity to get back to normal after finding a bunch of alien refugees on Earth. 

Perhaps the best compliment to pay District 9 is that it’s a phenomenal standalone sci-fi movie with no sequels or prequels. This could be why it’s typically lower on the sci-fi lists as there may be a community of people that simply forgot about it as the years went on. Now is the time to revive the credit it deserves and maybe bump it up a few notches on future top lists. 

71. Shrek (2001)

Think of every DreamWorks Animation movie you can think of – I bet Shrek is one of the first that pops into your head. 

Shrek was a momentous occasion for DreamWorks Animation when it was released. It was a huge box office success, received rave reviews, and was even the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature winner. The movie mainly follows Shrek, an ogre whose swamp is suddenly overrun with fairytale creatures, and to get them out, he must save Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a dragon on a mountain of lava and bring her to Lord Farquad. 

The DreamWorks Animation film created an empire of Shrek success. With numerous sequels and spinoff movies, Shrek is one of the most successful animated franchises ever. The first film featured some great CGI animation for 2001 but also had the hilarity of adult jokes that parents would get while their kids enjoyed the fantasy, animation, and love story. Besides, who wouldn't love listening to Eddie Murphy crack jokes as Donkey for an hour and a half? 

70. Mulholland Drive (2001)

There are two sides to David Lynch: the fairly normal filmmaker who wants to tell a linear story in a somewhat straightforward manner (examples include The Elephant Man and The Straight Story), and the absolute bonkers off-the-wall batshit fever dream of an avante-garde video artist (examples include Eraserhead and Inland Empire). What makes Mulholland Drive such a beautiful film, is that it’s the perfect balance of these two sides of the iconic writer/director. In fact, without spoiling anything, the film even has a pivotal moment where it completely changes tonally, effectively showing these two distinct sides of Lynch. Perhaps more importantly, this tonal switch is expertly pulled off by the film’s star Naomi Watts, who, between this and 2001’s 21 Grams, was at a point in her career where she was showing off her chops with an authenticity that was hard not to notice. Mulholland Drive will show you the full range of skill you need to see from both Watts, and the legendary auteur that is David Lynch. 

69. Watchmen (2009)

“Unadaptable” is a word that’s been used when approaching the most ambitious literary adaptations. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ landmark graphic novel Watchmen was one such project, earning that brand after decades of potential adaptations failed to tackle the ambitious superhero narrative properly. 

Even in light of multiple cuts, and the ending being substantially altered from what was depicted in the 1985 source material, Watchmen is a miracle to behold. Somehow, the complicated narrative told through various mediums in that graphic novel was streamlined into a product that didn’t water down the full story. 

Only Zack Snyder’s third directorial effort, Watchmen is a powerful statement of the man’s developing skills in that point of his career. Arriving in the wake of Iron Man and The Dark Knight, it proved comic adaptations could be more than market-driving crowd pleasers. In the case of Watchmen, such movies could also be masterpieces.

68. Sideways (2004)

How the hell did Sideways, a dialogue-driven dramedy about a schoolteacher who loves wine, become such a mainstream pop-culture phenomenon? Try going wine-tasting without hearing a joke about drinking from the spit bucket, or somebody saying, “I am not drinking any fucking merlot!”

Sideways’ writer and director, Alexander Payne, has always told stories that are rather grounded in reality. Aside from Downsizing where he literally shrank Matt Damon, these are movies about common issues that most folks can relate to. The Descendants is about grief, About Schmidt is about aging, and Sideways is about letting go. With the script came Payne’s first Academy Award, a life-changing role for Paul Giamatti, and one of the best films of that decade. The bleak nature of the ending with just a dash of hope is a testament to real-life, and relatable for the average person. That is how a movie about a failed middle-aged writer with a drinking problem managed to cement its place in film history. 

67. Lost In Translation (2003)

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) is an American actor past his prime. Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is a young, married, recent college graduate. Both are in Tokyo — Bob to shoot promos for a Japanese whiskey and Charlotte to follow her photographer husband (Giovanni Ribisi) on his latest assignment — and overcome with feelings of loneliness and disillusionment until a chance meeting at their hotel bar gives the unlikely duo a sense of fulfillment when they both need it most.

Lost in Translation is one of the first films produced by Focus Features and is still considered to be one of the production company’s best releases two decades later for the refreshingly unique — albeit, unlikely — love story that still manages to warm hearts from its unforgettable opening shot to its cryptic, much-debated final moment. The charming, invigoratingly honest dramedy also managed to be a major turning point for Murray (who earned his sole Academy Award nomination), Johansson (a breakthrough performance), and second-time writer and director Sophia Coppola, who earned a well-deserved Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

66. The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

In the mid-2000s, big screen comedy underwent a titanic shift. Through the late ‘90s and the turn of the century, the genre was dominated by the so-called Frat Pack (Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson)… but then along came The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the directorial debut from Judd Apatow. The film is hilarious and sweet, with a collection of wonderful characters exploring the high highs and low lows of sexuality and romance in the 21st century – and while not everything about it has aged perfectly, it does a tremendous job at leaning into the talents of its stars. And it’s a game-changer.

While it’s Steve Carell’s movie, a huge part of its legacy is featuring the breakout performance by Seth Rogen. In the wake of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Rogen and Apatow became the biggest names in funny, with not just their own comedic voices becoming popular, but also their improvisation-heavy styles.

65. Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz is the kind of action movie where every second feels crafted by a team of action movie fans, as opposed to a cast and crew just going through the motions. Co-written by the A+ pair Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, starring Pegg opposite frequent co-star Nick Front, Hot Fuzz is mostly set far from metropolitan skylines and endless high-rises, and its quaint Wicker Man-esque village makes for a wildly unique setting for any story filled with this many Point Break references.

As the second film in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, Hot Fuzz built on Shaun of the Dead's already stellar cast with a host of UK legends such as Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Bill Nighy, Edward Woodward, Billie Whitelaw, Olivia Colman, Bill Bailey, and the list goes on and on. (When you have Cate Blanchett making uncredited appearances, you're doing something right.) Unlike the other two Cornetto films, though, Hot Fuzz probably deserves another straightforward sequel set in this universe, with a new killer crime for Nicholas Angel and Danny Butterman to get crackin’ on.

64. Walk The Line (2005)

Music biopics might feel like they’re a dime a dozen, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t gems to behold in the genre, and one of those is absolutely James Mangold’s Academy Award-winning drama, Walk the Line. In it, Joaquin Phoenix portrays country music legend Johnny Cash through his tumultuous rise to fame, which includes his relationship with eventual wife, June Carter (Reese Witherspoon).

Sure, on one hand, we’ve seen music’s superstars descend into alcoholism and drug addiction on the big screen time and time again, but it’s how all the pieces of Cash and Carter’s story are put together that make the film a must watch. As such, the performances of the leads are everything here, and seeing June attempt to staunch her feelings for her married co-performer, while also trying to knock some sense into him as she watches his addictions grow and Johnny become more erratic, are some of the best parts of the movie. Witherspoon didn’t win a Best Actress Oscar for nothing, and Phoenix is at his peak here, as well.

63. Lilo & Stitch (2002)

With Walt Disney Animation fresh out of its renaissance after the ‘90s, the 2000s were a particularly experimental period for the studio which, looking back, found inspiration from numerous science fiction classics. The best 2D animated movie from the House of Mouse of the decade is a lively spin on E.T., but this mysterious alien is an intergalactic fugitive with a bad temper who falls to the Hawaiian Islands, becomes best friends with a young orphaned girl who teaches him the gospel of Elvis Presley. 

Not only is Lilo & Stitch an incredibly quotable, fun, family adventure, it’s one of Disney’s most authentic and original films that speaks to finding one’s ohana in unexpected places amidst great loss. Few Walt Disney Animation movies have felt as simultaneously intimate and commercial as Lilo & Stitch. Experiment 626 remains a gem that made Disney’s growing pains of the 2000s worth the while. 

62. Monsters, INC (2001)

Before Up, The Incredibles and even Finding Nemo, there was Monsters, Inc. Pixar’s decision to make its fourth feature a story about a company that generates scream-based power in a world inhabited by ferocious creatures may have seemed odd at the time. However, it ultimately turned out to be an inspired (and very) lucrative decision. Set in the world of Monstropolis, the film centers on two pals – both employees of the titular corporation – who must return a human child to her world in order to keep her out of harm’s way. And the result is a hilarious and heartwarming romp about loyalty and tolerance.

Pete Docter – who’d go on to direct Up, Inside Out and more – really proved himself as a filmmaker with this directorial debut. The flick is beautifully animated and populated with plenty of lovable characters. Speaking of which, John Goodman’s James P. “Sully” Sullivan and Billy Crystal’s Mike Wasowski still stand as two of Pixar’s most popular creations. The interactions between the two sometimes mirror the interplay of some of cinema’s best comedic duos. Monsters, Inc. would spawn a sequel and TV spinoff, but it’s the 2001 movie that’s truly an eclectic piece of storytelling.

61. The Hurt Locker (2008)

Best Picture award, but the voters got it right when it came to the prize handed out at the end of the 21st century’s first decade. Director Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker is a heart-stopper that tears down the wall between film and audience: when Jeremy Renner’s Staff Sergeant William James is suited up and defusing bombs, you hold your breath in fear, terrified to feel the heat of the fiery explosion that will result with one false move by the protagonist.

Screenwriter Mark Boal’s work puts us directly in James’ mind – a soldier who is incapable of leaving the battlefield behind – and Jeremy Renner’s turn is a career best. In retrospect, it’s wholly understandable why Renner’s performance changed the trajectory of his career and turned him into the Marvel-bona fide star that he is today.

60. Moulin Rouge (2001)

On paper, Moulin Rouge is a movie that just should not exist. The premise alone, a modern jukebox musical set in 1890s Paris, creates a level of cognitive dissonance on its own that suspension of disbelief should be impossible. It’s the sort of thing that only a director like Baz Luhrmann would even try, but somehow, he not only makes it happen, he makes it work.

Everything about Moulin Rouge goes hard. The performances, the songs, the sets. It creates its unreality so perfectly that it’s near-impossible to avoid being swept up by it and brought along for the ride. And the absinthe-infused magic is so far removed from reality that even 20 years later Moulin Rouge feels just as fresh. Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor are perfect as the star-crossed lovers. We know how the story will end before it begins, but it doesn’t make any of it less heartbreaking. Luhrmann’s films can sometimes focus on style over substance, but there’s no lack of substance here. 

59. Elf (2003)

Elf is probably the most recent Christmas movie that became an instant classic. Jon Favreau crafted a delightful and bonkers story for the 2003 movie, with Will Ferrell offering one of his most iconic performances of all time. And it’s a movie that’s re-watched annually by countless families every Holiday Season… or other times in the year when you need a good laugh.

Elf’s concept is both ridiculous and simple; Buddy is a human raised by elves who eventually goes to New York City to find his birth father (played by Godfather icon James Caan). The juxtaposition between Buddy’s eternal optimism and the hard streets of the Big Apple is fodder for countless funny bits throughout its runtime. There’s also a touching story about family and the holiday spirit that makes Elf a true beloved Christmas movie. Plus, it’s got a pre-Game of Thrones appearance by Peter Dinklage. And of course, Santa (I know him!).

58. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)

In the 1950s, few people were as outspoken about the threat of Communism than Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy, whose blacklisting of anyone he deemed suspicious was so notoriously frequent that “McCarthyism” — a term associated with fear mongering — was coined after him. One of the few people brave enough to take a stand against him was CBS reporter Edward R. Murrow, whose defiance of the politician and the Red Scare nearly cost him his career, but also made him into one of the most influential icons of his craft.

This monumental moment in journalism history is dramatized with nearly the same level of passion for truth and justice in Good Night, and Good Luck. — named after the famous concluding catchphrase of Murrow, portrayed here in an Academy Award-nominated performance by David Strathairn. George Clooney, who also plays Murrow’s producer, Fred Friendly, earned his first Oscar nominations as a director and co-writer for this riveting history lesson, made even better with Robert Elswit’s gorgeous cinematography and exquisite acting from the star-studded ensemble, which also includes Jeff Daniels, Patricia Arquette, Robert Downey Jr., and Frank Langella.

57. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Wes Anderson’s style is so distinct that it has become something of a joke in pop culture, frequently being parodied on shows like Saturday Night Live. When folks reference Wes Anderson, and the trademarks of a Wes Anderson film, they’re primarily lifting it from The Royal Tenenbaums. The point is, Tenenbaums is by far the most Wes Anderson-y film to ever Wes Anderson; absolutely jam-packed with quirkitude, a variety of eccentric characters and deadpan dialogue delivery. This is the quintessential hipster flick that helped to define a generation of indie millennial film buffs.

Aside from The Royal Tenenbaums’ effect on pop culture, it truly exists as a wonderful, honest, hilarious, and heartbreaking film. Over twenty years ago when the film was released, there wasn’t a lot like it in mainstream American cinema, with the somewhat privileged (yet painfully relatable) themes it explores being limited to conversations had by those gathering to watch Jean-Luc Godard in their NYU dorm rooms. With his first Oscar nomination, The Royal Tenenbaums introduced much of the world to Wes Anderson, and many still consider it to be his finest work to date. 

56. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Oftentimes sequels don’t measure up to their predecessor, but Spider-Man 2 is one of the exceptions. Director Sam Raimi and screenwriter Alvin Sargent kept the best elements from the first Spider-Man movie and improved upon them, with the follow-up doing an excellent job exploring how Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker handles the burden of heroism and trying to balance his web-sliding activities with his civilian life. However, Spider-Man 2’s MVP is Alfred Molina, whose more sympathetic take on Doctor Octopus quickly cemented him as one of the best superhero movie villains of all time. It’s no wonder we still have yet to see another actor play the tentacled antagonist in a live-action movie. As a bonus, I love how the movie recreated the panel from 1967’s The Amazing Spider-Man #50 of Peter Parker leaving his costume behind in the garbage. A touch like that is a great Easter egg for Marvel fans, but is also just a gorgeous shot for the casuals watching the tale unfold.

55. Ratatouille (2007)

Pixar Animation’s eighth feature film, Ratatouille, is as surprising as its premise. It came at a time when the studio was high on a winning streak, redefining how we looked at toys, bugs, monsters, cars, superheroes and fish. Sure, making an audience empathetic to rats feels like a stretch, but the 2007 movie had a fresh and quirky way in that kept Pixar at an all-time high. What if one rat was secretly a gourmet cook in Paris, France? The results are so charming. 

Fronted by a charismatic voice performance from Patton Oswalt as Remy, packed with decadent and often mouth-watering animation greatly displayed inside a top-tier French kitchen and beautifully underlined by an all-time great score from Michael Giacchino, Pixar told a hilarious underdog story with the creativity and wonder the studio remains beloved for. It’s one of those movies that has one doing a double take at every human and animal you encounter next time you walk outside in playful curiosity about the world thinking “Anyone Can Cook.” 

54. Superbad (2007)

Seth Rogen has touted himself as a “permanent teenager,” and never has that title been truer than in the 2007 teen buddy comedy Superbad. The movie — which he penned with Evan Goldberg and stars a number of the regular Judd Apatow players — carries the funky vibe of the 1970s throughout, but its story is timeless. The only thing more relatable than high-school seniors Seth and Evan (played perfectly by Jonah Hill and Michael Cera) trying to get to a party to impress some girls was their underlying anxiety over not knowing what would happen to their friendship after graduation.

The laughs come a mile a minute — some may say it’s the funniest movie of all time — with an impressive cast that also includes Bill Hader, Joe Lo Truglio, Emma Stone and, of course, Seth Rogen. But in the end it’s the friendship at the heart of the story that makes this one worth watching again and again. Superbad is also responsible for giving us “McLovin,” for which we should be forever grateful.

53. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

One of the most intriguing stories related to the crime of check fraud is that of Frank Abagnale Jr., who impersonated various professions, passed off millions of dollars worth of phony checks, and outran the FBI between the ages of 16 and 21. At least, that is what the fraud prevention consultant claimed in his memoir, Catch Me If You Can. The book inspired an excellent movie of the same name.

This 1960s-set crime drama stars future Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio as the young, elusive con artist, who enters an intense, enduring game of cat-and-mouse with two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks as a veteran FBI agent who will stop at nothing to bring him to justice, even if he becomes friends with him in the process. Following Minority Report, director Steven Spielberg completed his one-two punch of masterfully entertaining films in 2002 with this dazzling, devilishly charming, and even heartwarming tale. 

52. Cast Away (2000)

Everybody scream “Wilson!” with me! Now, let’s all break into violent sobs as we remember Tom Hanks losing his best friend… a volleyball with a face painted on it. Cast Away is a miracle. It’s essentially a one-man show that you can’t pull your eyes off of, because you root so hard for Hanks and want to see how he’s going to get off the deserted island on which he is stranded. Director Robert Zemeckis places us in Hanks’ sandals, so we feel frustration as he fails to get a makeshift raft over the incoming tide, and elation when he figures out how to start a fire. Hanks already was viewed as one of our greatest actors before he single handedly carried this survival story, but the gripping performance earned him his fifth Oscar nomination. (He lost to Russell Crowe in Gladiator.) Listen to this remarkable stat: Zemeckis filmed Cast Away’s first half with a chunky Hanks, then had to pause production while his leading man lost enough weight and grew enough hair to play his marooned self in the movie’s second half. During that pause, Zemeckis filmed an entire feature: 2000’s marital thriller What Lies Beneath, with Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford.

51. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

One thing to know about Ang Lee is that he keeps audiences guessing when it comes to his projects. And given his body of work leading up to the 2000s, not too many people might’ve expected him to helm a wuxia martial arts epic with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yet movie lovers should be so glad he did. His seventh directorial effort is a masterpiece featuring beautifully choreographed fight sequences, impeccable production design, imposing performances and more.

Based on Wang Dulu’s 1942 novel of the same name, the highly ambitious production centers on a seasoned warrior and his equally skilled ally (and love interest), who aim to hunt down the former’s fabled sword so it can be delivered for safekeeping. Their quest ultimately leads them down a path neither could’ve ever imagined. Ang Lee assembled a highly formidable ensemble of actors led by Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi, who all give career-best performances. The martial arts genre features a wide array of movies, but few can meet the standard set by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

50. Legally Blonde (2001)

“What? Like it’s hard” to be one of the top 50 movies of the 2000s? It’s not for Legally Blonde, that’s for sure. Casually going to law school at Harvard to win back your ex-boyfriend is a far-fetched idea, but Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods doesn't just pull it off, she succeeds in grand fashion, obviously.  

Elle Woods is such an icon, she’s funny, gorgeous, and hyper-intelligent, and seeing her harness all of that to succeed at Harvard was empowering. Reese Witherspoon and the cast of Legally Blonde are also on their A-games in this movie, creating a hilariously smart and unique story. From Jennifer Coolidge’s “bend and snap” moment with our leading lady to the adorable rom-com subplot between Elle and Luke Wilson’s Emmett, the film is packed with memorable stories from fabulous characters.

Since then, Withersoon’s lawyer’s story has expanded into a sequel and a Broadway musical, because a world with more Elle Woods in it is “So Much Better.” 

49. Tropic Thunder (2008)

Tropic Thunder is a relentless and vicious commentary on the motion picture industry and all the absurdities associated with it. For two unyielding hours, Ben Stiller’s satirical action comedy mercilessly skewers the executives, the actors, the directors, the writers, the agents and even an explosives coordinator, painting them as deeply flawed and emotionally unstable people who will do anything to stay relevant and protect their own fragile egos. From blackface to stolen valor to exploiting the mentally handicapped, there’s no line they won’t cross in pursuit of their next award, their next paycheck or their next high.

Tropic Thunder shouldn’t work. From one angle, it’s a big budget, big studio action comedy filled with explosions, fart jokes and Tom Cruise dancing to Flo Rida. From another angle, it’s a deeply clever satire that repeatedly and without apology seeks out complicated and problematic subject matter. It’s a movie within a movie disguised as another movie, but instead of a disorganized mess, it somehow all comes together thanks to a fantastic script, an Oscar-nominated Robert Downey Jr. performance and the greatest little kid reaction shot in the history of movies.

48. Gladiator (2000)

Russell Crowe went on an absolute tear in the 2000s with a number of memorable movies, so it’s no surprise that the one he won the Best Actor Oscar for is on this list. Gladiator is an absolute triumph from start to finish, with knockout performances led by the direction of Ridley Scott. Maximus is an immediately likable character brought down to the lowest point of his life. He keeps fighting and survives solely because of the revenge he hopes to deliver to Commodus. 

And while Joaquin Phoenix did not win an Oscar for his nominated performance as Commodus, Maximus’ journey isn’t quite as sweet without him being every bit as unlikable as he should be. When the big scene finally comes for Maximus and Commodus to square off, how can you not be on the edge of your seat? Without a doubt one of the best gladiator movies of all time.

47. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

While not strictly a love story, Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire definitely owes a lot to the genre, as Jamal’s (Dev Patel) lifelong love for childhood friend Latika (Freida Pinto) drives much of what he does. The drama follows Jamal as he relays the events of his young life that have led him to correctly answering questions on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, after he’s arrested and tortured for cheating.

As Jamal takes us through the harrowing events of his childhood that led him not only to fall for Latika, but to compete on the show in an effort to find her again, we’re taken through an action-packed tale of survival under extreme circumstances, what a young man will go through to save the love of his life, and how we all probably know a lot more than we think we do. Definitely hard to watch at times, but inspirational nonetheless.

46. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

On one hand, Jonathan Daylon and Valerie Faris’ Little Miss Sunshine is one of the funniest movies of the 2000s, but on the other hand it’s one of the most tragic stories to come out of the decade. The “road trip from Hell” setup had been done countless times prior to the film’s 2006 release, but rarely had the subgenre been as effective, emotional, or laugh out loud funny.

Michael Arndt’s hilarious, heartbreaking, and nuanced screenplay, which earned him an Oscar, doesn’t play it safe by avoiding life’s tragedies (both major and minor), but instead faces them head-on, creating a cathartic experience for his characters and audience alike. Transformative performances by the late Alan Arkin (he also won an Academy Award), Abigail Breslin, Toni Collette and the rest of the Little Miss Sunshine cast make you feel their characters are family, which is the heart and soul of this outstanding film.

45. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Keira Knightley’s Pride & Prejudice is hardly the first take on the novel of the same name, but the 2005 film arguably set the standard for modern Jane Austen movie adaptations. The love story between Elizabeth Bennet (Knightley) and Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) is beautifully told, and made all the more memorable for the cinematography, soundtrack, and chemistry between the stars. In fact, the cast was stacked with stars who either already had or would become big names, including Donald Sutherland, Judi Dench, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Carey Mulligan, and Kelly Reilly in addition to Knightley and Macfadyen. 

The world of the Bennet family in this Pride & Prejudice feels lived in and domestic in a way that adds a touch of modern realism to a Regency-era period drama and contrasts the more austere beauty of Mr. Darcy’s Pemberley estate. The film isn’t as faithful to the book as the beloved 1995 BBC miniseries, but it hits the important beats of the original Jane Austen story in just over two hours while also being completely accessible to viewers who haven’t read the book, with moments like the iconic hand flex of Mr. Darcy that fans far and wide know well. 

44. Adaptation (2002)

Adaptation is a book adaptation about the adaptation process. Understood? Wonderful. 

Nicolas Cage plays dual roles as the most neurotic possible version of screenwriter Charlie Kauffman, as well as his fictitious twin Donald Kauffman. Originally hired to write the film adaptation for Susan Orlean’s bestseller The Orchid Thief, Charlie Kauffman experiences a debilitating case of writer’s block, stemming from a slew of mental health issues including social anxiety, body dysmorphia and depression. This sends him on something of a tortured artist’s odyssey that leads him to write himself, and the experience, into his script. Thus, we get Adaptation, a hybrid of both the story of The Orchid Thief, and Kauffman’s experience adapting it.

These days, such a meta concept is somewhat commonplace, but over 20 years ago, this was the most bonkers script since Kauffman’s Being John Malkovich. Malkovich was even worked into Adaptation’s storyline, with John Cusack, Catherine Keener and the titular John Malkovich playing themselves. The point is, this film is WEIRD in the best of ways, yet still managed to grab Oscar nominations for Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep, as well as a win for Chris Cooper. Adaptation is perhaps the greatest cinematic insight into the creative writing process, and the effect it has on one’s psyche, ever made.

43. Love & Basketball (2000)

The best romantic comedies might get a lot of attention from fans of lovey dovey stories, but romantic dramas deserve our eyeballs as well, and Love & Basketball is one that really should be praised. This romance (which is also a fantastic sports drama) tells the story of Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps), two talented, basketball-obsessed kids who bond over their love of the sport, but have several trials as they attempt to take their relationship from friends to lovers in their high school and college years and, later, in their twenties.

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s feature-length directorial debut does an amazing job of showing how hard it can be for two people who are so dedicated to their craft to make time for one another, especially as the pressure to succeed in their sport pulls them in different directions. But, it goes much further than that, with each of their complicated family dynamics and emotional wounds taking this love story to the next level.

42. Minority Report (2002)

If you had the chance to predict and prevent a tragic crime, the choice sounds obvious, right? That is until you are faced with the possibility that the prediction is wrong and your arrestee was destined to be innocent. That provocative idea was the basis for a 1956 short story by prolific science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick, which was later adapted into one of director Steven Spielberg’s most exciting films of the decade, if not his full career.

Tom Cruise stars as John Anderton — the chief for a special police unit that uses a trio of clairvoyant siblings to detect future murders — who begins to question their seemingly “perfect” system when he makes the horrifying discovery that the potential perpetrator of his next case is himself, forcing him to go on the run. The truth behind this prediction revealed in the brilliant twist ending of Minority Report is one of the many fascinating and thought-provoking aspects of this astonishingly inventive sci-fi masterpiece that is not quite dystopian, but far from utopian either.

41. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Over the past few years, there have been great strides for representation and diverse stories in Hollywood. But back in the early 2000s, this wasn’t exactly the case. Which is why Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain was such a groundbreaking movie upon its release. Hollywood simply wasn’t telling queer love stories through major blockbusters, let alone honoring them with major Awards Nominations.

While there’s been some backlash about straight actors playing LGBTQ+ roles, Brokeback likely only got produced because of its bankable (and yes straight) lead actors. For their part, both Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger offer moving and complicated performances that still stand up today. Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway also really deliver, which is par for the course for those talented actresses. This quartet of performers tell their characters’ stories through decades of time, and to devastating results. And the acclaimed film is still so beloved that it’s being adapted for the stage on the West End, starring Mike Faist and Lucas Hedges. 

40. American Psycho (2000)

Author Bret Easton Ellis’ novel American Psycho is a shocking literary experience. There are scenes in it that will make even the most seasoned horror fan blanche – and reading it, you can understand why it was deemed unadaptable for a time after its publication. When it did finally get brought to the big screen, co-adapted by screenwriter Guinevere Turner and director Mary Harron, the material was understandably pulled back a bit, but the movie still remains a scary and biting satire that takes aim at the hardcore capitalism in the 1980s.

Years before he became a big screen legend playing Batman, Christian Bale became a horror icon with his performance as Patrick Bateman – a white, rich sociopath who enjoys torturing and slaughtering women… but who nonetheless blends in with all the rest of New York’s white, rich sociopaths. It’s a rich cinematic experience that manages to be both satisfyingly scary and surprisingly funny.

39. 28 Days Later (2002)

Certain movies can be credited as causing shifts so powerful, an entire genre felt its influence. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland’s 28 Days Later is one such film, as this lo-fi British horror-thriller would go on to see interest in movies like Dawn of the Dead (2004) and Shaun of the Dead being boosted. 

Revitalizing the zombie genre, while not calling its own creatures by the Z-word, the normal rules didn’t apply in this horror masterpiece. In the world of the previously coma-ridden Jim (Cillian Murphy), the vicious “infected” could come from anywhere, with blazing speed. Survival, in some situations, could be measured in a heartbeat, with a drop of blood or saliva making the difference. 

Stocked with a who’s who of actors like Brendan Gleeson, Christopher Eccleston, and Naomie Harris, 28 Days Later did for zombies what Scream did for slasher films. Challenging the status quo with relentless energy, the film is all at once terrifying, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland resurrected the undead genre with stunning results.

38. Amelie (2001)

One of the most delightful stories committed to film. French ingénue Audrey Tautou was perfectly cast as the title character Amelie, who is believed to have a delicate heart condition and so is overprotected by her doting parents. As a result of her gently-imposed isolation, Amelie develops an overactive imagination, which leads her on a series of whimsical adventures. Amelie director Jean-Pierre Jeunet embraces magical realism as a style, with Tautou basically gliding through this giddy fantasy as she works to make the lives of everyone around her happy, and possibly find love on her own in the process. Amelie seems to transmit joy, and if you aren’t uplifted by Tautou’s effervescent performance, you might want to check to ensure you still have a pulse. Now, go borrow someone else’s lawn gnome, photograph it in front of a celebrated vacation spot, and spread the joy of Amelie with anyone who hasn’t yet seen this delightful gem. 

37. Donnie Darko (2001)

There may not be a more aggressively strange and maddeningly perplexing movie on this list than Donnie Darko. Yet, its mysterious and nearly off-putting nature may be the reason why — despite nearly becoming a cable TV movie (if not for Christopher Nolan’s praise) and ultimately bombing at the box office — it remains an enduring cult hit.

At its core, writer and director Richard Kelly’s feature-length debut is the story of an emotionally troubled young man (Jake Gyllenhaal) whose struggle to navigate adolescence in the late 1980s is worsened by visions of an apocalyptic soothsayer in a horrifying rabbit suit, but it is much more than that. It is a sharp coming-of-age satire on par with some of John Hughes’ films, a classic time travel movie, and a pervasively grim fantasy tale that serves as a perfect Halloween tradition, among other things. Above all, however, Donnie Darko is unique enough to defy categorization, resulting in a one-of-a-kind experience. 

36. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

If we’re only including one adaptation of the Harry Potter series on this list, it has to be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The source material has our lead trio entering into their teen years with more studies than ever and higher stakes all around. New characters are introduced, major reveals transpire and there’s also that twisty bit of time travel. Oh, and let’s not forget the bone-chilling Dementors, whose powers include dredging up a person’s darkest memories and fears. 

Those things on their own give Prisoner of Azkaban an edge over some of the other books, but Alfonso Cuarón’s adaptation does more than just bring one of the best installments of the series to life. New layers of the magical world emerge on the screen thanks to the cinematography, not to mention Cuarón’s vision and patient approach to the pacing, which gives us the chance to really soak in the surroundings in any given scene. Whether it’s showing the change of seasons at Hogwarts or the stunning sight of Harry soaring over the lake on the back of a Hippogriff, it’s more than enough to set the film above its predecessors and raise the bar firmly for the adaptations that would follow. 

35. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

The Devil Wears Prada is already a classic. While the film quality itself is high, the movie has also become part of the fabric of pop culture, thanks to its quotable lines and the unbelievable performance of one Meryl Streep. Anne Hathaway is regularly transformed into a meme thanks to the scene where Annie shows up to work post-makeover in Chanel Boots.

Aside from the pop culture of it all, The Devil Wears Prada is a delightful movie romp. The fashions are aspirational, and the cast is truly on top of their game. Special points to Emily Blunt, who became a household name following her performance as Emily. And considering how light and frothy even the movie’s drama is, the rewatchability of this book to movie adaptation cannot be understated. If you haven’t watched Devil Wears Prada recently, by all means move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me.

34. The Lord Of The Rings Movies (2001-2003)

There are very few fantasy movie franchises out there that have been great all the way through. They have their dips and slides, but if there’s one major fantasy franchise to rule them all, it has to be The Lord of the Rings movies. 

The film franchise mainly follows Frodo Baggins as he travels with the Fellowship on a quest to destroy the One Ring in order to take down the person who made it, Sauron. But don't take that premise at face value – there is so much more to this story than meets the eye. 

The Lord of the Rings movies are perfect in every shape and form. From the battle sequences to the visual effects to the acting, there is much to love and adore about these films. The Lord of the Rings delivers in ways fans can't even imagine. There's a reason why the franchise is so popular years later – and how spinoffs, such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, have been released in recent years. The love keeps pouring in. 

33. Casino Royale (2006)

When James Bond was given his iconic Walther PPK in Dr. No, Sean Connery’s initial incarnation is told the weapon has “a delivery like a brick through a plate glass window.” The same could be said for 2006’s Casino Royale, as the introduction to Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies wasn’t shy about changing things up, and surprising even the most experienced 007 fans with how it would depict Commander Bond’s exploits.

Director Martin Campbell’s franchise reboot was as lean and mean as they come. Casino Royale showed 007 getting his ass handed to him, and his heart broken. Such vulnerability didn’t weaken the character, but rather it humanized him and added a suspense that the Bond movies had lost for some time.

Daniel Craig stepped into the role of the modern James Bond as if it were a tuxedo perfectly tailored for his presence. Wryly funny, yet cold and calculating when he had to pull the trigger, Craig made the role his own from frame one. To see such an iconic series redefined so perfectly, after 20 movies and over four decades of history before it, is something that still astonishes as much now as it did upon initial viewing.

32. Batman Begins (2005)

One of the most notorious bombs in Hollywood history is 1997’s Batman & Robin — a movie that, despite having some fans, is so cartoonishly absurd and dismissive of the source material’s essential themes and tone that it would be the last we would see of one of DC Comics’ most important characters on the big screen for years. The Caped Crusader’s resurgence in cinema — and in modern pop culture — can be traced back to when director Christopher Nolan went back to basics and all the way back to the beginning of his war on crime in Batman Begins.

Christian Bale immediately asserted himself as one of the best actors to play Batman with his grounded and stoic performance as a Bruce Wayne desperate to rescue his beloved Gotham City — one of the most stunningly realistic and effectively grimy depictions of the burdened metropolis — from the cesspool of crime and corruption it has become. While it is not widely considered to be the absolute best of the live-action Batman movies so far (more on that one later), most would agree that Batman Begins is one of the best superhero movies in general for its refreshingly earnest and complex approach to comic book lore, exhilarating action sequences and technical mastery, and reinventing the Dark Knight for a new generation without losing sight of what made him an icon in the first place.

31. Children of Men (2006)

In a dystopian future, environmental malpractice has led to constant war, famine, and total human infertility. So imagine the surprise felt by former political activist Theo Faron (Clive Owen) when he learns that a young female refugee (Clare-Hope Ashitey) is pregnant, and is poised to deliver the first natural childbirth in eighteen years. 

Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron was coming off of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (considered by many to be the best film in that saga) when he unleashed his talents on Children of Men. His breathtaking approach to editing and cinematography propels the action forward at a feverish pitch, with Cuaron often choosing to stage his movements in long, eye-popping, unbroken shots that lure the audience to the edge of their seats. Cuaron says this is a movie about hope, but you have to endure a lot of credible despair to finally unearth it. It’s worth the effort.

30. Ocean's Eleven (2001)

As times change, what’s considered popular is as fluid as water itself. Sometimes a movie can be ahead of the curve in that respect, dictating a whole era of cool in its very existence. Director Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven did just that, as both an uber slick heist movie, and as a modernized remake of a pre-existing film. 

The 1960’s Rat Pack extravaganza about war veterans looking for one big score was turned into a gathering of thieves, assembled by one man (George Clooney) looking for something more than cash. While the stakes were changed, and the number spelled out in the title, this film nailed the breezy energy that made the original so lovely.

Be it an all-star cast including Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Andy Garcia, and Julia Roberts, the insanely slick soundtrack, or even just the way George Clooney could rock a suit without a tie, Ocean’s Eleven doesn’t telegraph its style. It presents it with great confidence, and allows you to decide if it’s worth your while. It’s a love letter to the past, while playing to the viewer of today; with a result as cool as that drink you just ordered at the bar.

29. Chicago (2002)

If you look at just about any list of the best musicals of the 21st century, it’s basically a guarantee that Chicago will be there. The adaptation of Bob Fosse’s long-running musical is one of few musical films to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Catherine Zeta-Jones took home a trophy as well for her stellar performance as the “All That Jazz” singer who killed her husband and sister, Velma Kelly. This film has intrigue, sex, murder, genius performances and a whole lot of jazz, and it's truly a masterful musical adaptation.

Rob Marshall ultimately made a musical that stays true to its stage roots, but also heightens the entire story through movie magic. Take “Cell Block Tango” for example, the majority of the song is performed on a stage, and the women singing about murdering their husbands are in black costumes similar to the wardrobe from Broadway. However, it’s bigger as a whole, and it flashes between the actual prison, and this staged dream-like sequence. By doing this for every number, the film both elevated and paid homage to its predecessor, which is just one of the many reasons it’s so incredible.

28. Iron Man (2008)

From being the first self-financed Marvel Studios production, executives initially being opposed to casting Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, and most of the dialogue being improvised since the script wasn’t finished when production began, there was a lot that could have gone wrong with Iron Man. And yet, the end result stands as a triumph in large part due to Downey’s performance as the genius/billionaire/playboy/philanthropist.

But of course, one can’t discuss Iron Man without addressing how it changed the film franchise game. Once Nick Fury emerged from the shadows and mentioned the Avengers Initiative in the post-credits scene, that was the first big tipoff that this movie was the first chapter in a shared universe, just like in the original Marvel comics. More than a decade later, the MCU still stands as a Hollywood powerhouse, and many franchises, both superhero and from other genres, have followed in its footsteps. 

27. Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

The slacker bastard child of George Romero's Dead films and Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead is a rarity in cinema, and not just for having the gall to sacrifice the soundtrack to 1989's Batman. It's a largely perfect amalgam of authenticity and parodical storytelling, anchored to the comedic whims and wiles of  director Edgar Wright, his co-writer Simon Pegg,  and Pegg’s co-star Nick Frost. As it goes with that trio’s other film on this list (see #65), Shaun’s biggest strength is its characters who feel real enough to legitimize the zombie apocalypse chaos, while also making viewers care about them even when the gory threats aren’t around the corner.

Shaun of the Dead may go down as the funniest horror movie to have ever existed, while also delivering some genuinely disturbing moments throughout that keep the adventure from falling too far into the funnies. Simon Pegg even transcends the dual genre description by spinning palpable emotion out of his struggle to prioritize the safety of his relationship, his BFF, and his mom. And if that wasn’t enough, it allowed moviegoers to spend some time in the Winchester, and that’s a slice of fried gold that makes everyone’s life better.

26. Moon (2009)

Whenever we sit down for a sci-fi film, especially one that takes place on a remote station somewhere away from our planet, we all know that we’re in for a twisty tale, and Moon certainly fulfills that promise. Duncan Jones’ 2009 directorial debut (he also came up with the story) focuses on Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell), the lone human working a mostly automated mining facility on the far side of the moon, who begins to have troubling hallucinations as he nears the end of his work contract.

What follows is surprising, as not only does the story take several intriguingly unexpected turns, but it also examines what it’s like to be isolated from others (including loved ones), holding on to a sense of community, and one’s willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. Throw in a creepy AI, which can’t quite be determined as a helper or a hindrance for a time, and you get science fiction gold.

25. The Incredibles (2004)

Released during the early years of the superhero movie’s surging popularity, The Incredibles still holds up tremendously after all this time, despite so many other offerings from Marvel, DC and other studios being delivered nearly two decades after its release. To be sure, Pixar’s sixth full-length feature does a spectacular job at both honoring classic superhero stories and tropes, as well as poking fun at them, including the hilarious ‘no capes’ gag. But The Incredibles’ greatest feat isn’t how it handles these larger-than-life elements, but rather how it makes these characters feel relatable and complex in the midst of the action.

From Bob and Helen Parr being concerned about their children’s welfare, whether they’re living everyday life in suburbia or fighting bad guys in costume, to understanding that Syndrome’s sinister motivations stem from the hurt he endured as an adolescent, The Incredibles never pushes aside its humanity in favor of spectacle; instead, they compliment each other quite nicely. Throw in outstanding vocal performances from actors like Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter, and Brad Bird excelling as both the director and screenwriter, this movie stands out not just as a superhero movie, but as one of the greatest entries in Pixar’s library.

24. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Join Us In Creating Excellence. More powerful than any anti-drug ad, Requiem for a Dream hit theaters in 2000 and has stood the test of time as possibly the most affecting portrayal of addiction to date. Based on the Hubert Selby Jr. book of the same name, Darren Aronofsky’s film explores more than just the heroin addictions of Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans’ characters. Ellen Burstyn’s obsession with being on television and fitting into her red dress is haunting, and there’s no questioning why the role earned her an Academy Award nomination.

The work behind the camera was equal to the all-around horrifying performances, as Darren Aronofsky and cinematographer Matthew Libatique added to the story in how every shot was framed, the choreography of the characters’ movements, and the use of sound effects and split screens. The score was worthy of praise all on its own, with "Lux Aeterna" — the song that played over the climax of the film — leaving such an impression that it has gone on to be re-orchestrated for several other movie and video game trailers. 

Combine all of this and add a little of Christopher McDonald’s Tappy Tibbons J.U.I.C.E., and you’ve got a real feel-bad movie that may never fully leave you.

23. Oldboy (2003)

Because many have such good storylines, South Korean films have become some of the biggest international movies.. A few examples could be Parasite and The Wailing. One movie in particular stands above many of them, and that's Oldboy. 

Directed by Park Chan-wook, the film is loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name and focuses on Dae-su, a man imprisoned in a cell that looks like a hotel room, for fifteen years, without knowing who the person was behind his capture. But when he gets his chance at freedom, he makes it his mission to find out who committed the crime all those years ago – only to find out there is much more to his imprisonment than he thought. 

Oldboy is incredible. The action scenes are probably some of the best recorded on a movie screen and have been imitated many times – just the corridor fight scene itself is enough to satisfy any action-movie fan. The story is intriguing all the way until the end, which will blow the minds of first-time viewers. Truly, Oldboy is a staple of the South Korean film industry – and a fantastic movie of the 2000s. 

22. Collateral (2004)

Michael Mann had already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest directors in the world of crime thrillers, but he further made a case for himself with his 2004 thriller, Collateral. Clocking in at exactly two hours, this cool, violent, and ruthless neo-noir classic not only sees one of the best Jamie Foxx performances with his portrayal of cab driver Max (a role that should have earned him an Oscar), it also introduces one of Tom Cruise’s most unhinged characters: Vincent, a mysterious and deadly assassin.

Cruise, who was coming off movies like Minority Report and The Last Samurai, is incredibly refreshing as the film’s antagonist, and it shows a side of the star that audiences don’t get to see as much. Seeing the actor’s undeniable charm and big-screen energy used to breathe life into someone who is pure evil is quite the experience, and really messes with the viewers’ mindset. In addition to actors like Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, and Jada Pinkett Smith, the movie also treats the city of Los Angeles less like a backdrop and more as another character, one that feels more alive as the story goes on, much like Mann’s 1995 heist film, Heat.

21. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Since the early days of moviemaking, Walt Disney’s viewpoint of the fairytale has had a stake in popular culture. It’s G-rated, soft and sweet, and there’s always a happy ending. Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth brings to life a fairytale that redefined what a fantasy movie can look like with its distinct and unforgettable vision. Set in 1944 Spain as the country picks up the pieces of the Spanish Civil War, the R-rated fantasy film follows a young girl named Ofelia as she faces the violent reality of the Francoist period and stumbles upon a dark wonderland in the shadows (or at least the shadows of her imagination). 

As del Toro was coming off two more commercial movies in Blade II and Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth is a breathtaking highlight in an all-time great filmmaker’s career. Across two hours, the Spanish-language movie brings to life an extraordinary vision that beautifully balances being twisted and innocent all at once with memorable horror, gore, mythical creations and a ton of gorgeous practical creature effects. How does he balance a magical quest with political drama? Some especially memorable words in Pan’s Labyrinth answers that question: If “door is locked,” one must “create your own.” In a landscape where fairytales can be predictable, del Toro opened a wonderfully defiant world of his own with Pan’s Labyrinth.

20. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) And Vol. 2 (2004)

After turning the heist movie on its head with 1992’s Reservoir Dogs, and changing the way audiences perceive movies in general (and winning a screenwriting Oscar) with 1994’s Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino very quickly made himself into one of the most unique and esteemed icons of the medium. However, after releasing his 1997 Elmore Leonard adaptation, Jackie Brown, we would not see him direct anything for another six years. Little did we know that he was planning to come back with something big — so big, that just one movie was not enough to tell the story. Based on a character Tarantino created with star Uma Thurman on the Pulp Fiction set, Kill Bill follows a deadly assassin initially known only as The Bride — one of the greatest female action heroes — who wakes up from a four-year coma with a furious urge to punish those who tried to put her to sleep permanently, with her former boss (David Carradine) being the primary target. 

For years, it was debated whether or not the stylistically disparate halves of the story — with Vol. 1 being an ode to ‘70s kung fu movies and Vol. 2 counting as Tarantino’s first western, essentially — should count as one film. Well, even if the director had never officially clarified that he does see Kill Bill as one movie, we still would have designated one spot for both volumes of this exquisitely crafted, gorgeously choreographed, visually and emotionally breathtaking epic on this list, because that is the only way to experience "the whole bloody affair.” 

• A Kill Bill Quote To Remember: “That's right. I killed your master. And now I'm gonna kill you too, with your own sword, no less, which in the very immediate future, will become... my sword.” (The Bride)

19. Training Day (2001)

In 100 years, when film historians look back to determine why Denzel Washington was considered one of the best actors of his generation, director Antoine Fuqua's Training Day should be at the top of any screening list. Detective Alonzo Harris is a special kind of monster, and Washington’s work offers incredible escalation and power. At first, he just seems like a hardened detective who has made some scary discoveries about how best to patrol the city of Los Angeles, but he becomes a whole different kind of beast by the end – one that King Kong ain’t got nothin’ on.

But while Training Day features an all-time great performance from one of the all-time great actors, not to be ignored is just how terrific the movie as a whole is. Ethan Hawke is also at the top of his game as up-and-coming officer Jake Hoyt, who faces death and peril as he slowly understands the real game that Alonzo is playing, and David Ayer’s screenplay is special – packing the believable character arcs and growing stakes into a limited 24-hour time frame. Even on the tenth viewing it is successful at raising your pulse and getting you to invest in the protagonist’s peril, and that’s the mark of a truly great thriller.

• A Training Day Quote To Remember: “You gotta control your smiles and cries, because that's all you have and nobody can take that away from you.” (Jake Hoyt)

18. The Wrestler (2008)

Still considered one of the best movies of 2008 more than a decade later, Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler is a grueling battle royale of emotions that doesn’t pull any punches with its story about a broken-down professional wrestler looking for one last shot at redemption. Channeling both the triumph and tragedy, and the agony and ecstasy of putting one’s life on the line day-in and day-out for decades, Mickey Rourke gave audiences the performance of a lifetime with his portrayal of washed-up wrestler, Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a one-time larger-than-life titan caught somewhere between his past and uncertain future.

There are a lot of parallels between the character and Rouke’s own journey in this semi-autobiographical drama, which adds a tremendous amount of depth to not only his performance, but also the movie in general. Though wrestling is often considered a fake sport, Rourke’s performance and Aronofsky’s commitment to portraying the industry in an honest and genuine light is incredibly real. The physical, mental, and emotional pain can be felt in each of Randy’s movements, heard in his voice, and seen in his eyes as the former champ wrestles in high school gyms and attempts to make ends meet by taking on shifts at a local grocery store deli. Then there are the religious allegories that are explored through Randy’s character, as well as Marisa Tomei’s Cassidy, which make it all even more potent.

• A The Wrestler Quote To Remember: “I'll tell you somethin', I hate the fuckin' 90's.” (Randy Robinson)

17. Finding Nemo (2003)

Pixar has created some of the greatest animated films of all time, and Finding Nemo may be the studio’s true crowning achievement. It is as beautifully animated as it is emotionally powerful. The undersea world of Nemo is gorgeous simply to look at, and that’s just as true today as it was when the film was released. 

2003's Finding Nemo’s voice casting is second to none. Nobody does neurotic like Albert Brooks. Nobody can play clueless like Ellen DeGeneres. Nobody plays a tough guy of questionable sanity like Willem Dafoe. These are the actors you would cast if you were telling this story in live-action, and they bring it all to the voice performances in a way that truly brings these characters to life.

And Finding Nemo is able to balance its emotional extremes perfectly. We’re used to Pixar movies making us cry but years before Up, Finding Nemo opened with an incredibly heartbreaking moment. But after that, it’s able to be hilarious, scary, and even exciting. Finally, it concludes with the sort of resolution that stands the test of time, as young children will see the film and relate with Nemo, then grow up, and begin to understand Marlin in a new way.  Nemo does it all, not bad for a clownfish with a bad fin. 

• A Finding Nemo Quote To Remember: “Of course I like you. It’s because I like you, I don’t want to be with you. It’s a complicated emotion.” (Marlin)

16. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

“I think this just might be my masterpiece.” That’s the final line in writer/director Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, and coming as it does at the end of 153 minutes of perfection, it’s hard not to read it as a message directly from the filmmaker to the audience. In 2009, Tarantino was coming off of a low point in his career with the disappointing theatrical release of Grindhouse, but his follow-up is a phenomenal World War II epic that only he could make: Nazi-killing action packaged in a love letter to cinema.

Two stories – the revenge of Mélanie Laurent's Shosanna Dreyfus and the mission of the titular troop – play out in parallel with equal captivating energy right up until they collide in the (literally) explosive finale. While there isn’t a star in the expansive ensemble who doesn’t deliver a memorable performance (from Brad Pitt to Michael Fassbender to even Mike Myers), there isn’t a person who can watch the film and not walk away mesmerized by the work done by Christoph Waltz in his star-making turn as Hans Landa. It’s not an easy thing to blend a vibe of dastardly evil with sharp charisma, but Waltz is a force in the role, and it remains the best thing he has done in his career.

• An Inglourious Basterds Quote To Remember: “Well, you don't got to be Stonewall Jackson to know you don't want to fight in a basement.” (Lt. Aldo Raine)

15. Spirited Away (2001)

Studio Ghibli is one of the world's most-known anime film studios. Co-founded by legendary anime director Hayao Miyazaki, the studio has created some of the best anime films of all time, one of which is Spirited Away – which Hayao Miyazaki directed. 

Spirited Away is about a journey into the spirit world following the young Chihiro. Taking place in Japan, we follow the little girl, who happens to be moving to a new neighborhood with her family. When her parents decide to take a shortcut to their new home and explore what looks to be an abandoned amusement park, Chihiro is forced to go along. However, there's magic everywhere, and her mom and dad turn into pigs against their will for eating a gluttonous feast. For her to get them back, she must work for the spirits in the bathhouse, so they can return to the human world. 

The premise itself sounds like a lot at first, but it's become Studio Ghibli’s – and Hayao Miyazaki's – highest-grossing film. It’s also the only anime film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the only hand-drawn film (so far) to accomplish the task. The movie features themes about love and learning to grow up and be brave. It's the perfect gateway movie into the anime film – indeed, one of the best movies of the 2000s. 

• A Spirited Away Quote To Remember: “I don't need any help; this place is full of soot.” (Kamaji)

14. The Prestige (2006)

The Prestige is a battle of wills between two talented and irreparably flawed magicians, who can’t stay out of each other’s lives. Their differing roles in a shared tragedy push them apart and then repeatedly back together, as their initial determination to succeed steadily gives way to an obsession for vengeance. That obsession drives them to sacrifice and abandon everything healthy about their lives until they’re each left with only a singular drive to sabotage the other.

Based on that description, The Prestige sounds like a really dark movie. In many ways, it is, but in director Christopher Nolan’s hands, it’s also often really fun. It has a sense of wonder and mystery about it, as it not only dives into the idiosyncrasies of magic but also the exciting possibilities of science in the 1890s and early 1900s. It was a time and place in which anything felt possible, and you really feel that hopeful uncertainty thanks to a timeline that jumps to and fro and fantastic performances from Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and a perfectly cast David Bowie as Nikola Tesla. Like a great magic trick, the first time you watch The Prestige, you’re fascinated by the spectacle and simply along for the ride. Then every time you rewatch it afterwards, you’re blown away by all the subtle skill required to pull it off.

• A The Prestige Quote To Remember: “Nobody cares about the man in the box.” (Robert Angier)

13. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Looking back, 2007 was one of the best movie years in recent memory, considering classics like No Country For Old Men, Zodiac, and Superbad all premiered on the big screen. But one of the biggest, baddest, and most arresting of those releases was Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. An epic period drama about oilman Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) doing everything in his power and stepping on anyone in his way in his quest for wealth in the early 20th-century oil boom, the movie is a deep and vast exploration of a man’s psyche and desire to become the biggest player in the game.

While Day-Lewis’s performance is tremendous and more than deserving of the Oscar he received, it’s made even better thanks to his character’s conflict with Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), a religious zealot who is just as tenacious and hungry for power as his counterpart. Several of the movie’s most iconic scenes (like the oil-town baptism and shocking ending sequence) are the result of the actor’s tremendous chemistry and ability to play off each other’s words. The pair, who get along like oil and holy water, create a dynamic that’s not quite a battle between good and evil, but instead something much deeper than that, which adds another level to this incredible cinematic achievement.

• A There Will Be Blood Quote To Remember: “You're an orphan from a basket in the middle of the desert, and I took you for no other reason than I needed a sweet face to buy land.” (Daniel)

12. In Bruges (2008)

Prior to 2008, Martin McDonagh was established as a talented and popular playwright, but he had ambitions to make his way into movies. In 2004, he directed the incredible short film Six Shooter (which won an Academy Award), and then he moved to features. He made his debut with In Bruges, and anyone who saw it instantly recognized McDonagh’s potential to become one of the best filmmakers working today (potential he has made good on with the genius of Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Banshees of Inisherin).

In Bruges takes a high concept premise – two hitman hide out in Belgium waiting for instructions after a job goes bad – and weaves a remarkable meditation on life and death. It’s a dark comedy (and a hilarious one at that), but it has a beautiful blend of tones that radiate from the genius work of stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes. Farrell and Gleeson have a unique chemistry that works on both comedic and dramatic levels (it’s far from a mystery why McDonagh reunited them for The Banshees of Inisherin) and the bizarrely rage and logic-filled energy that Fiennes brings in the third act is icing on the cake.

• An In Bruges Quote To Remember: “I kinda like hearing people having sex. Means at least somebody around here's happy.” (Ray)

11. Almost Famous (2000)

If a 15-year-old going on tour with a raucous rock band wasn’t enough of a hook, Almost Famous also happens to have one of the most memorable posters/ DVD box covers of all time. It focuses on the enigmatic Penny Lane, the heroine of Cameron Crowe’s film, whom everyone loves to love and admire and most don’t bother to understand. With distinct shades and tendrils of blonde hair, she draws you into her world of Humble Pie and heartbreak, and in between commentary on what made the ’70s the ’70s and a slick soundtrack including Led Zeppelin, The Who and of course Elton John, she helps turn the film into one of the best of the 2000s.

It’s a career-defining performance for Kate Hudson, and she’s not the only one who delivers. Jason Lee grows a mustache and long hair to fall into his hilarious lead singer role while Billy Crudup is similarly unrecognizable as the talented and moody Russell Hammond. Patrick Fugit plays William Miller, younger than most but wiser than some, and he finds a terrific foil in Philip Seymour Hoffman, who plays famed music writer Lester Bangs. Throw in great work from Frances McDormand, Zooey Deschanel and even Jimmy Fallon and it’s a masterclass of terrific performances. If it’s been a while since you’ve revisited the movie, maybe throw on some purple-tinted sunglasses and kick back to the tune of Simon & Garfunkel’s “America.” Settle in, you’re almost home.

• An Almost Famous Quote To Remember: “If you never take it seriously, you never get hurt. If you never get hurt, you always have fun. And if you ever get lonely, you just go to the record store and visit your friends.” (Penny Lane)

10. No Country For Old Men (2007)

No matter what kind of film genre is up for discussion, the power and breadth of the Coen Brothers' filmography is worthy of inclusion, and they don't make 'em much better than 2007's No Country for Old Men. An adaptation of Carmac McCarthy’s 2005 novel that’s every bit as faithful as it is chilling, the film meticulously dips its toes most heavily into the cinematic waters of crime thrillers and westerns. That said, Javier Bardem’s unflinching hitman, Anton Chigurh, would be at home in any horror narrative, with his Two-Face-esque coin flips and an unstoppable drive that rivals Jason Voorhees or Michael Meyers. At least if a big ol’ stack of cash was also their end goal.

Despite being one of Joel and Ethan Coen’s driest films regarding their signature screwball humor, the movie is an exercise in tension that thrives on its lack of levity, though it’s hard not to smile whenever Woody Harrelson is on the screen in any capacity. With a stellar cast including Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt and more, No Country for Old Men is, to date, the only Coen brothers masterpiece to win them the Oscars for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture, with Bardem taking the gold for Best Supporting Actor. It’s not the awards that best signify its impact, however, but the bolt pistol gripped in Chigurh’s ever-steady hand.

• A No Country For Old Men Quote To Remember: “Well all the time ya spend trying to get back what's been took from ya, more is going out the door. After a while you just have to try to get a tourniquet on it.” (Ellis)

9. Memento (2000)

Talk about a movie that you definitely need to watch without your phone in your hand. Christopher Nolan’s Memento is a mind-bending combination of different angles that demands and deserves your entire attention. The story is told backward, broken up by clips of a black and white, forward-moving montage of a mysterious one-sided phone call in a hotel, led by Guy Pearce, whose character Leonard, also happens to have anterograde (or short-term) amnesia, stopping our protagonist from creating new memories as he looks for his wife’s killer, who also gave him this debilitating injury.

As mentioned, Nolan basically begins at the end and works his way back, for the most part. The juxtaposition of the timelines bring the audience into the obvious confusion that Leonard lives with every day. "Even if you get revenge, you're not going to remember it," he's told by his new friend Teddy (played by Joe Pantoliano) but his reply shows just how far his love and determination will go, stating "My wife deserves revenge whether or not I remember it."  Toss in Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) to add some confusing sympathy (or treachery) and you will probably want a second viewing just to wrap your mind around what you might have initially dismissed as unimportant plot points from this Nolan classic. You’ll notice that Nolan has popped up numerous times on this list (and rightfully so) and he has also once again recently hit it out of the park with 2023’s Oppenheimer.  

• A Memento Quote To Remember: “So you lie to yourself to be happy. There’s nothing wrong with that. We all do it.” (Teddy G.)

8. Wall-E (2008)

Do you know who is a genius? Sound designer Ben Burtt. You might not know his name, but you certainly know the movies he contributed to over the years, including Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and 2009’s Star Trek. Burtt designed the “vocals” for R2-D2, Darth Vader’s heavy breathing, and the “voice” of E.T. But, his work truly soared when he lent dialogue to the adorable Waste Allocation Load Lifter assigned to an abandoned Earth. MIraculously, the first half of Pixar’s ingenious WALL-E works as a silent film, following our main character as it goes about its daily routine with a pet cockroach in tow. WALL-E’s life is upended when another robot named EVE arrives, searching for any sign of life. 

From there, the fate of humanity starts to be revealed, and it’s rather grim. Director Andrew Stanton’s animation for the film ranks as some of Pixar’s most magnificent, embracing the scorched orange of a deserted Earth and then painting with vivid colors for WALL-E’s eventual outer-space adventure. The environmental messages of the film are important without ever being preachy. And, the eventual romance felt and shared by WALL-E and EVE will lift every single heart, with the lovers sharing hardly any words. 

• A Wall-E Quote To Remember: “I see the ship's log is showing that today is the 700th anniversary of our five year cruise. Well, I'm sure our forefathers would be proud to know that 700 years later we'd be... doing the exact same thing they were doing.” (Captain B. McCrea)

7. The Departed (2006)

There are crime films and then there are Martin Scorsese crime films, and when it comes to The Departed, the director doesn’t let us down. A remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, the 2006 movie gives us a range of characters to root for, root against or simply watch just to see what they’ll do or say next. That includes Leonardo DiCaprio’s undercover cop character Billy Costigan, Matt Damon’s sneaky, spying Colin Sullivan, Jack Nicholson’s mob boss character Frank Costello, and Vera Farmiga’s well-meaning therapist Dr. Madolyn Madden. To say that things get complicated might be understating it, but it’s the complexity of the characters and their roles in this story that makes The Departed such a fantastic and gripping movie from beginning to end. 

In a way, it’s all business for everyone involved, but it’s also personal for each character on some level or another. It’s impossible not to feel anxious for DiCaprio’s character as he attempts to navigate the criminal world without being caught for who he really is, just as it’s impossible not to grow increasingly frustrated by Matt Damon’s character for posing as an upstanding law enforcer who’s actually up to no good. It’s thrilling, stressful, riveting and ultimately satisfying, and that’s not even factoring in Mark Wahlberg’s character every time he has something to say (that’s just a bonus). 

• A The Departed Quote To Remember: “You know what I like about restaurants? . . . You can learn a lot, watching things eat.” (Frank Costello)

6. Best In Show (2000)

Nobody does mockumentaries like Christopher Guest, and 2000’s Best in Show is an absolute masterclass. The mundane musings of everyday conversation combine with outlandish characters and awkward situations to deliver one of the best movies of the decade. The dog show is the event that brings these unique and individually brilliant characters under one roof, but it’s no Maguffin. As bonkers as each dog-lover’s trip is to get to the show, everything is turned up to 11, if you will, when they all come together, and the event itself is perfectly colored by Fred Willard’s commentary.

There’s a reason this phenomenal cast has stuck together to appear in other projects. The chemistry between Eugene Levy’s Gerry and Catherine O’Hara’s Cookie (with her “hundreds” of boyfriends) left people begging for more, which they got in A Mighty Wind. Jennifer Coolidge was excellent in her attempts to substantiate her marriage to her ancient sugar daddy husband by saying they bonded over a love of soup and the ability to “not talk or talk forever.” The genius casting of John Michael Higgins and Michael McKean gave audiences the married couple they never knew they needed. 

Best in Show exploits the banal in some situations while heightening reality in others, to where Harlan Pepper naming nuts and the couple describing how they met at Starbucks (but two different Starbucks) land laughs just as hard as Gerry’s literal two left feet or Cookie walking with her knee out of socket.

• A Best In Show Quote To Remember: “Why don’t they put the bloodhound — put on one of those Sherlock Holmes hats and put a little pipe in his mouth? Are they ever allowed to do anything like that? Dress up the dog in a funny way? It would really get the crowd going. You know what I mean? The Sherlock Holmes hat with a pipe. I don’t know if you could make it look like smoke is coming out of the pipe.” (Buck Laughlin)

5. Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher’s greatest accomplishment, and that’s saying a lot. The director has spent countless hours analyzing the compulsion that drives people to seek the truth – be it lawyers parsing through statements to figure out who invented Facebook (The Social Network), or detectives tracking a serial killer who is inspired by the Seven Deadly Sins (Seven). But Zodiac is Fincher’s magnum opus, an engrossing true-crime thriller based on the books of Robert Graysmith tracking the diligent work of three men consumed by the search for the identity of the Zodiac Killer. 

Jake Gyllanhaal serves as the ideal audience surrogate, a puzzle designer for the San Francisco Chronicle who gets swept up in the mystery of the serial killer, who antagonized the police and the media as he committed vicious murders around San Francisco in the 1970s, Fincher painstakingly recreates the time period with breathtaking visuals and top-notch costuming and set design. His emphasis on the bustle of a newsroom is particularly spot on. The film also lingers in the haze of fear, anxiety, and suspense that comes from a killer on the loose. But it’s the supporting roles of Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, as well as an inability to truly deliver a concrete ending, that makes Zodiac such a rewatchable movie, and a captivating masterpiece.

• A Zodiac Quote To Remember: “I am not the Zodiac. And if I was, I certainly wouldn't tell you.” (Arthur Leigh Allen)

4. Mean Girls (2004)

From wearing pink on Wednesdays to shouting “You go Glen Coco” it’s undeniable that Mean Girls has seriously influenced pop culture over the last (almost) two decades. So, “get in loser,” it’s time to appreciate this beloved coming-of-age comedy from Tina Fey.

This movie is a classic teenage tale about a girl who moves from Africa to the United States where she experiences the rude awakening that is high school by way of The Plastics. While it’s your typical coming-of-age story, it’s infused with the signature sense of humor from Fey – who was in the midst of her legendary run at Saturday Night Live – and it shows the high school experience in a totally unique way with a cast of characters played by actors who have since become icons. 

Not only did the film solidify Lindsay Lohan as an early 2000s star, it also simultaneously jumpstarted the careers of many in the Mean Girls cast, including little known actresses like Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried. On top of that, its legacy has lived on, as it was adapted into a Broadway musical, and is eventually coming back to the screen with an adaptation of said stage production. To say this film is a quintessential 2000s classic almost feels like an understatement because of the lasting impact it has managed to have on people of all ages since its release in 2004. 

• A Mean Girls Quote To Remember: "She doesn't even go here!" (Damian)

3. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)

You could argue that Jim Carrey makes much better dramatic movies than he does comedic features. And that opinion is coming from someone who adores Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, as well as Dumb & Dumber. But when you factor in the dramatic detours he embarked on for The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, and this incredible romance, you begin to wonder how many Oscars Carrey might have if he got the industry to treat him seriously, instead of talking out of his ass (literally). 

Carrey and Kate Winslet are magnificent as Joel and Clementine, two soul mates who undergo a radical procedure to have their memories of each other erased after a bitter argument. Only screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) could keep such a twisty premise from flying off the rails. And while the side-mission actions of the memory technicians can get a little silly, we remain wholly invested in Joel and Clementine’s complicated journey because of the heartbroken and beautiful chemistry shared between Carrey and Winslet. It’s a real challenge presented to these stars, as we’re not supposed to know whether Joel and Clementine are better off together or apart. But the satisfying resolution says as much about fate as it does about the existence of true love, so long as we remember how and when to look for it.

• An Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Quote To Remember: “Constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating.” (Joel Barish)

2. The Dark Knight (2008)

It’s been said before, but it’ll be said again – The Dark Knight is one of the greatest superhero films (and one of the greatest movies) ever made. Christopher Nolan’s ambition as a filmmaker has been well-noted, but even he outdid himself with his 2008 follow-up to 2005’s Batman Begins. The second chapter in the journey of Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne sees the iconic DC Comics hero going up against the dangerous and unpredictable Joker. All the while, the Caped Crusader and his allies must also contend with mob bosses and Harvey Dent, Gotham City’s honorable district attorney who becomes the deformed Two-Face.

Where does one even start when it comes to singing this movie’s praises? There’s the impeccable screenplay, massive set pieces, engrossing score and much more. Yet I suppose what stands out the most are the performances, especially that of the late Heath Ledger. The actor, who posthumously won an Oscar for his work, fully committed to his role as the Clown Prince of Crime and is absolutely mesmerizing. His villainous turn is just one of the many reasons why Nolan’s film is a thrilling and compelling piece of work that’s still incredibly entertaining now, over a decade later.

• A The Dark Knight Quote To Remember: “Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it! You know, I just...do things.” (The Joker)

1. City Of God (2002)

Making its Brazil and festival run in 2002 and eventually hitting theaters in the U.S. and elsewhere  in the year that followed, Fernando Meirelles’ City of God, based on Paulo Lins’ semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, served as an inflection point in the world of cinema and served as a preview of what the the next few years would look like. Told through the eyes of young photographer Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), the movie explores the life of street kids in the Cidade de Deus (City of God) favela in Rio de Janeiro, an expansive slum filled with endless supplies of drugs, ruthless gangsters, and corrupt cops who allow the madness to continue. One of the most violent movies of the 2000s, City of God is a lesson in brutality, especially whenever depicting the exploits of Li’l Dice (Douglas Silva), a ruthless and sociopathic young criminal who stops at nothing in his quest for complete control. Oddly enough, the older version of the character known as Li’l Ze (Leandro Firmino) never comes off as cold blooded as his younger self, which further illustrates the movie’s point about youth and violence. 

At the same time, City of God is also one of the most beautiful movies of the 2000s, and not just on an aesthetic level (though César Charlone’s cinematography is out of this world). The endearing spirit of those who wish to escape a life of crime, ranging from Rocket to the ill-fated drug dealer Benny (Phellipe Haagensen), adds a level of heart and soul one may not expect from a two-hour crime drama about young criminals with short fuses and, in many cases, tragically  shorter lifespans. 

• A City Of God Quote To Remember: “You need more than guts to be a good gangster; you need ideas.” (Rocket)

How we put this list together

Using a combination of internal recommendations and other best of lists, we compiled a spreadsheet of all the movies from the 2000s that we considered to be culturally relevant and/or critically well-reviewed. We pushed together some multi-part movies like Kill Bill and Lord Of The Rings and then had our staff of almost 30 go through and assign a score for each movie they’ve seen based on their own personal opinions. We disqualified any movies that didn’t get a minimum number of ratings and dropped the lowest score for each, as if we were judging a figure skating competition. We then ordered the top 100 based on average score and had someone who gave that movie a particularly high score write up a paragraph explaining what’s so great about it. This rigorous scientific process resulted in Idiocracy being slotted at 101, an omission I’m still furious about.

Along with her time as Dr. Abigail Chase in the National Treasure movies, Diane Kruger is arguably best known for playing Bridget von Hammersmark in Inglourious Basterds. That role in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 movie netted the actress numerous accolades, but it wasn’t easy for Kruger to join the cast. In fact, Kruger recently dripped an f-bomb about her difficult Inglourious Basterds audition, including the fact that Tarantino wasn’t even interested in seeing her.

While discussing on the podcast Reign with Josh Smith how as she’s gotten older, she’s had numerous “fuck you” moments when it comes to people trying to fit her into one type of categorical box, Diane Kruger admitted that there have been times where it’s felt “unfair” that she’s not where she wants to be. She then recalled the hoops she jumped through just to audition for Inglourious Basterds, saying:

Diane Kruger didn’t share which movie it was that Quentin Tarantino didn’t like her in, but evidently it was enough that he wasn’t willing to consider putting her in Inglourious Basterds. Between that, only being called in because she was the last person on the list and having to travel to another continent simply to audition, Kruger could have easily kept looking around for work elsewhere. Instead, she decided to put in the extra effort to show Tarantino that she could play the role, and it paid off, with the actress taking on the role that had previously been lined up for Nastassja Kinski.

With her character being a German film star who becomes a spy for the allies, Diane Kruger appeared alongside Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Daniel Brühl and many more in Inglourious Basterds. Released in theaters on August 21, 2009, The Quentin Tarantino World War II flick was met with primarily positive reviews and made over $321 million worldwide off a reported $70 million budget. It later walked away with the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Waltz) and was nominated in seven other Oscars categories.

Diane Kruger can currently be seen co-starring with Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o, Fan Bingbing and Sebastian Stan in The 355, which is playing in theaters. Meanwhile, Quentin Tarantino still hasn’t announced what his 10th and final movie will be, but his novelization of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is available to purchase.

Angelina Jolie has been a bit more in the limelight recently as her divorce to Brad Pitt continues, her new movie Eternals begins to gear up for release and her new book Know Your Rights gains momentum. Oh yeah, and now that she's on Instagram too. The actress recently spoke out about her new book specifically in a recent interview, talking about how she felt assaulted by Harvey Weinstein and said she was “hurt” by Brad Pitt for working with him. Now, we’ve heard from Weinstein and sources close to Pitt on the matter.

Essentially a few days ago Angelina Jolie was promoting Know Your Rights, a book about rights children essentially have under a UN convention policy, including things like rights like, dignity, health, equality and more. As part of this, Jolie was asked about the early part of her career and working in the industry, and she stated working with Harvey Weinstein had been difficult, equating it with assault.

Harvey Weinstein spoke from jail to his publicist to note to TMZ “THERE WAS NEVER AN ASSAULT” (all caps were his) and to state he feels the actress is simply attempting to “sell books.” But that was only part of what Angelina addressed in her interview with The Guardian. The other part was about how she felt that ex Jonny Lee Miller was supportive while ex Brad Pitt made choices she didn’t agree with.

Brad Pitt worked for Quentin Tarantino as part of the Weinstein Company-produced flick Inglourious Basterds. Years later, Angelina Jolie called him out for it, but a source familiar with the situation also told TMZ that while The Weinstein Company did distribute Inglourious Basterds it was simply Tarantino that Pitt was interested in and whom Pitt felt he was working for. The source noted he never "teamed up" with Harvey Weinstein. A later movie, Killing Them Softly, was distributed by The Weinstein Company.

Pitt has since gone on to work with Tarantino on Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, though that movie was distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing after the Weinstein allegations broke. Though technically Pitt has worked on movies that were related to The Weinstein Company, his other ex Gwyneth Paltrow painted a different picture of the actor when she said that Pitt defended her against Weinstein after he behaved inappropriately toward her while they were dating early in her career.

To note, Angelina Jolie is still friendly with ex Jonny Lee Miller and the two even met up over the last year. Meanwhile, she and Brad Pitt have been involved in a long and contentious divorce for years now and given the judge was just removed from the case, it could go on for a while still. As part of this split both members of the former couple have spent a whole lot of moolah and Jolie herself has pushed to maintain custody over the kids, though she has since moved the family to a home that is closer to where their dad lives. There hasn't been a ton of positivity following their split, as Jolie has said she separated from the actor for "the well-being of her family" also alleging alcohol problems from Pitt, who is now sober. It's unclear what all happened with the Inglourious Basterds incident, but Pitt took that role in 2009 when the two were well into the throes of a romantic relationship and already shared children.

There are movie fans and there are music fans, but where those two fandoms tend to coincide most harmoniously is in the filmography of Oscar winner Quentin Tarantino, who has also earned five Grammy nominations for personally compiling some of the most rousing movie soundtracks in cinematic history.

When you hear a song in one of his movies (whether or not it was the first time you heard it), it immediately becomes impossible to disassociate the track from the moment, such as in Reservoir Dogs when Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You” comes on. We will talk more about that infamous scene, and others from Quentin Tarantino movies, in the following look back on their most memorable musical moments, starting with a unique two for one deal.

"Misirlou" Is Switched To "Jungle Boogie" Mid-Credits - Pulp Fiction

While not its official “theme,” Dick Dale’s surfer rock staple “Misirlou” is the song most commonly associated with Pulp Fiction, even though we do not hear it in its entirety. The song plays over the opening credits when it is suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone changing stations before the tuner lands on “Jungle Boogie” by Kool and the Gang. It cuts to the reveal that we have been hearing Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent’s (John Travolta) car radio the whole time - effectively the first tease that Quentin Tarantino was giving us something refreshingly unique with his 1994 sophomore effort.

"Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" Plays Over O-Ren Ishii’s House Of Blue Leaves Arrival - Kill Bill Vol. 1

The de facto theme for the first of half of Quentin Tarantino’s two-part revenge saga, Kill Bill, is, undoubtedly, “Battle Without Honor or Humanity.” The first image that may come to mind whenever you hear Japanese musician Tomoyasu Hotei’s epic instrumental is The Bride (Uma Thurman) in a deadly sword fight with O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) at the House of Blue Leaves. Yet, the song actually accompanies the moment in the 2003 kung-fu homage when the crime boss and the Crazy 88 first walk into the restaurant, preparing you for the bloodbath that will soon take place.

Jackie Brown Lip Syncs "Across 110th Street" - Jackie Brown

The first time I ever heard 1972’s “Across 110th Street” actually was in the opening credits of Jackie Brown, Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel Rum Punch. However, the moment that the arresting funk ballad always takes me back to is its reprisal, at the end of the crime drama, when Pam Grier’s titular heroine lip syncs to Bobby Womack’s lyrics from behind the wheel of her car, reflecting on the “repugnant shit” she has survived.

Django And Broomhilda Are Looking For "Freedom" - Django Unchained

Speaking of survival, 2012’s Django Unchained is one of Quentin Tarantino’s most ultimately satisfying masterpieces, primarily for its unapologetically honest portrait of the pre-Civil War South before culminating in a brutal revenge tale. The most essential and harrowing example is Django’s (Jamie Foxx) flashback to his attempted escape with his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) - interwoven with scenes of her torture - accompanied by Anthony Hamilton and Elayna Boynton’s “Freedom.” The haunting R&B track and its poignant, heartbreaking lyrics lend so much to the scene and its importance to Django’s journey that it is surprising to learn it was not written directly for the film.

Mr. Blonde Tortures Marvin To "Stuck In The Middle With You" - Reservoir Dogs

While there is not really a “good guy” in Reservoir Dogs, Michael Madsen as Vic “Mr. Blonde” Vega is easily the most despicable character - made abundantly clear when he tunes the warehouse radio to K-Billy’s Super Sounds of the ‘70s (playing “Stuck in the Middle with You”) and proceeds (off camera) to giddily slice off the ear of captured cop Marvin Nash (Kirk Baltz). He is about burn the helpless man alive before Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) wakes up and unloads his clip into the psychopath, at which point Stealers Wheel’s best-known hit inexplicably cuts off (maybe a bullet hit the stereo?). The song’s “wrong place, wrong time” theme speaks to Marvin’s situation quite perfectly, but in a much darker way than the Scottish rock band may have intended.

Sharon Tate’s Heartwarming Relationship With Music - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Perhaps we should take a break from the darkness and revisit one (or two) of the more unusually warm and light moments from a Quentin Tarantino movie. Much of the warmth and lightness of 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is credited to Margot Robbie’s performance as Sharon Tate, especially when she is jamming out to “Good Thing” by Paul Revere and and Raiders on her record player or later as she appears perfectly at peace as Buffy St. Marie’s Joni Mitchell-penned “The Circle Game” plays on her Porsche radio. The scenes are initially a bittersweet reminder of the actress/model’s high-spirited personality, as we expect the film to follow history and end with her untimely murder on August 9, 1969.

Cliff Takes Out Manson Followers As "You Keep Me Hangin’ On" Plays - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Of course, we come to learn that Quentin Tarantino was pulling a fast one with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood by reimagining a more favorable (yet, still pretty grisly) turnout of that fateful night. Stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) puts on Vanilla Fudge’s “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” to help him enjoy his incoming “trip,” when three members of the Manson Family step into Rick Dalton’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) house, before Cliff, his dog, Daisy, and Rick’s wife Francesca (Lorenza Izzo) give them a taste of medicine they probably could not have dreamed up themselves. The moving, psychedelic 1967 cover of the Supremes’ hit proves to be an almost tasteful compliment to the carnage.

Shosanna Puts On Her War Paint To David Bowie’s "Cat People" - Inglourious Basterds

The first time Quentin Tarantino rewrote history in such an explosive way (literally) was at the end of his 2009 World War II fantasy Inglourious Basterds, during the premiere of a Nazi propaganda film at the La Gamaar Cinema in France. The owner of the theater is Shosanna (Melanie Laurent) - who does not realize that Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and the Basterds plan to put on their own show for the Third Reich this same night, just as she does. The 1982 David Bowie song “Cat People” (also the title track for a horror film of the same) plays over rousing montage of her preparing for the big event which boasts a perfect balance of elegance and fury.

Vincent And Mia Dance To "You Never Can Tell" - Pulp Fiction

I may have said earlier that “Misirlou” is, just about, the defining song of the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, but you could argue that the defining musical moment of the film (and even of Quentin Tarantino’s career) happens at Jack Rabbit Slim’s. Vincent is showing his boss’ wife, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman), a good time at the ‘50s-style diner when she convinces him to participate in a dance contest. Their impromptu choreography to Chuck Berry’s “You Never Can Tell” is relatively amateur, but authentic and charming enough to earn them the top prize.

Mia’s Dance To "Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon" - Pulp Fiction

The winning dance and the platonic couple’s obvious chemistry also leads to an “uncomfortable silence” at the Wallace household, where Vincent retreats to the bathroom whilst Mia performs a solo routine in her living room to Urge Overkill’s cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon.” The seductive folk rock ballad sends Vincent into a frenzy of conflicted emotions and keeps him unaware that Mia has mistaken the heroin she finds in his trench coat for cocaine, causing an overdose. The climactic moment from the first of Pulp Fiction’s three interwoven tales is a testament to Quentin Tarantino’s penchant for subverting audience expectation, and choosing the perfect song to achieve it.

Indeed, Quentin Tarantino always knows what song is right for the occasion. We can only imagine the playlist of epic proportions he has in store for what he claims will be his tenth and final film.

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I remember when Brad Pitt was easily the biggest name in the Inglourious Basterds cast (despite not actually being the main character) when it first came out in 2009. Arguably, he still is, but after Christoph Waltz earned his first Oscar, Diane Kruger became a household name, and Michael Fassbender and others started doing superhero movies, Quentin Tarantino’s World War II epic (very, very loosely inspired by the 1978 B-grade period piece The Inglorious Bastards) soon became a star-studded modern classic. Those stars have had a lot of notable movies, TV shows, and more on their plates since changing history with a loud bang, so, let’s see what they are up to these days, starting with our American hero.

Brad Pitt (Lt. Aldo “The Apache” Raine)

Technically, this superstar first collaborated with his Inglourious Basterds director for 1992’s Quentin Tarantino-penned, Tony Scott-directed True Romance before playing Lt. Aldo Raine (one of Brad Pitt’s most badass characters), and his Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time in Hollywood role as Cliff Booth.

He later starred in more grounded World War II-era dramas (2014’s Fury and Allied in 2016), sort of followed X-Men movies star Michael Fassbender’s footsteps by making one of the funniest superhero movie cameos as Vanisher, and even became The Jim Jefferies Show’s Weatherman on Comedy Central. Pitt is reuniting with Deadpool 2 director David Leitch for 2022’s Bullet Train (also starring his Lost City of D co-star Sandra Bullock), is teaming up with Damien Chazelle for the first time with Babylon, and has many upcoming producer credits, such as an adaptation of the horror graphic novel, Black Hole.

Mélanie Laurent (Shosanna Dreyfus)

I believe Inglourious Basterds’ true hero is Shosanna, played by Mélanie Laurent - who was previously known best for having Pierre Laurent, voice actor for the French-language version of The Simpsons, as a father. Playing the resilient Jewish refugee led to roles in more American films, such as the Academy Award-winning Beginners in 2010, the 2013 magic show/heist thriller combo Now You See Me, Denis Villeneuve’s Enemy the same year, a true Nazi-hunting story called Operation Finale, and two Netflix movies - including 6 Underground with Ryan Reynolds and Oxygen in 2021.

Laurent still stars in and even helms French-language films to this day, including The Mad Women’s Ball (premiering exclusively on Amazon Prime September 17, 2021), but also a new English-language directorial feature in the works, called The Nightingale, starring sisters Elle Fanning and Dakota Fanning.

Christoph Waltz (Col. Hans “The Jew Hunter” Landa)

Other than Hitler, of course, the biggest thorn in Aldo and Shosanna’s sides is Col. Hans Landa - played to Academy Award-winning perfection by Austrian-born Christoph Waltz, who also worked almost exclusively in Europe before Inglourious Basterds. Quentin Tarantino directed him in a second (and more heroic) Oscar-winning performance from 2012’s Django Unchained, before Waltz revisited his villainous talent in comedies like Horrible Bosses 2 or even series like Quibi’s Most Dangerous Game, to name a few, in addition to another kindly mentor role in Alita: Battle Angel from 2019.

Next, Waltz is starring in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, reprising his Bond villain role in No Time to Die, playing Mikhail Gorbachev opposite Michael Douglas’ Ronald Regan in a miniseries about their 1986 meeting, and is voicing a fox for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, most notably.

Diane Kruger (Bridget Von Hammersmark)

Secretly working against Landa and the Third Reich is German actress Bridget von Hammersmark - played by German actress Diane Kruger, who actually broke into American cinema pretty early before landing starring roles in films like Troy (opposite Inglourious Basterds' Brad Pitt) and the National Treasure movies with Nicolas Cage. She would then go back and forth between playing more heroes (such as a Texas detective on FX’s The Bridge), more antagonists (like in the 2013 Stephenie Meyer movie The Host), and another World War II-inspired femme fatale in Robert Zemeckis’ Welcome to Marwen from 2018.

Netflix’s The 355 was originally set to be next of Kruger’s 2021 movies before it was postponed to the 2022 movies schedule and, unless Quibi’s serialized Swimming with Sharks remake does not find a new home soon, you will likely see her next in the romantic drama, First Love.

Eli Roth (Sgt. Donny “The Bear Jew” Donowitz)

While better known for directing and cameoing in horror movies, Eli Roth was appointed by friend and collaborator Quentin Tarantino (who helped produced the Hostel movies) to star in Inglourious Basterds as Sgt. Donny Donowitz and direct Nation’s Pride - the film-within-a-film where its premiere is the setting of the explosive third act. The director has since branched out slightly beyond his typical gore fests to dabble in the action genre (his 2018 Death Wish remake with Bruce Willis), and even family films (The House with a Clock in its Walls) and documentaries (Fin - his upcoming investigation of shark deaths). Speaking of, his AMC docuseries History of Horror has been renewed for a third season you can expect in 2021, and his adaptation of the popular video game Borderlands is expected to hit theaters the following year.

Michael Fassbender (Lt. Archie Hicox)

Appearing as British Army officer and Basterds ally Lt. Archie Hicox for less than 20 minutes in Inglourious Basterds was enough to pave the way for Michael Fassbender to become one of the most acclaimed and busiest actors of his time. Soon after, he would be cast in the Marvel movies (not the MCU, however) as Magneto, earn two Oscar nominations (for the Brad Pitt-produced 12 Years a Slave, and the Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs), tried his hand at video game movies with Assassin’s Creed, and joined the Alien movies franchise as two different android characters.

Fassbender will next star in Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, appear in a feature-length sequel to the hit Kung Fury short, work with director David Fincher on The Killer, and rumors suggest Mel Gibson’s The Wild Bunch remake may be his latest western.

Daniel Brühl (Fredrick Zoller)

Playing Nazi turned film star Fredrick Zoller in Inglourious Basterds also proved to be a star-making turn for Daniel Brühl, whose biggest role in the American mainstream had been a small part in The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007. His next antagonistic role in a period piece was Formula One racer Niki Lauda (opposite Chris Hemsworth) in Rush before later playing a respectable 19th-Century psychiatrist on the TNT series The Alienist, for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Brühl recently played Baron Zemo a second time in Disney+’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast, will star in a different sort of comic book flick with Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service prequel The King’s Man, and is re-enlisting into the German Army for the First World War with a new adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.

Til Schweiger (Sgt. Hugo Stiglitz)

While a fair share of American audiences might not have known Til Schweiger before Inglourious Basterds burned the name Hugo Stiglitz into their brains, he has been acting in English-language releases since the late 1990s, including 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life opposite Angelina Jolie, and the raunchy Rob Schneider comedy Deuce Bigalow: European Gigalo in 2005.

Despite his subsequent fame from films like 2011’s The Three Musketeers or Muppets Most Wanted in 2014 (both also starring Christoph Waltz), the German actor and filmmaker’s most recent American film appearance was in Atomic Blonde from 2018. However, he is still working steadily in front of and behind the camera and will soon appear alongside the likes of Ben Foster and Michael Caine in Medieval - a retelling of Jan Ziska’s defeat of the Teutonic Order and the Holy Roman Empire in the 14th Century.

B.J. Novak (Smithson "The Little Man" Utivich)

Also known for his work in front of and behind the camera is B.J. Novak, who was best known as a writer, director, and star of The Office cast before playing the unfortunately nicknamed Smithson Utivich in Inglourious Basterds. He would later follow-up his tenure as Ryan Howard by trying his hand at comic book movies (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), biopics directed by John Lee Hancock (Disney’s Saving Mister Banks in 2013 and 2016’s The Founder), and other TV shows like HBO’s The Newsroom or The Mindy Project, which his friend Mindy Kaling created and starred on.

Novak created an anthology series called The Premise (formerly known as Platform) that is premiering to FX in September 2021 and is working on his feature-length debut as a writer and director with the horror film Vengeance, which is currently set for a 2021 release as well.

Mike Myers (Gen. Ed Fenech)

Another Inglourious Basterds star who broke out on a popular comedy series is Saturday Night Live cast veteran Mike Myers, who became one of the most famous comedians in the world thanks to characters like Wayne from Wayne’s World as well as lending his voice to the Shrek movies as the titular Ogre. Thus, it was quite surprising for the almost completely unrecognizable Canadian to make a cameo in a Quentin Tarantino movie until going undercover become more of his thing, such when he hosted the Gong Show reboot as Tommy Maitland or appeared in Bohemian Rhapsody as a fictional record producer. Myers is currently working on Oscar-nominated Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell’s next film and developing a Netflix original comedy series reportedly called The Pentaverate, but whether or not we should expect Austin Powers 4 remains to be determined.

Few filmmakers know how to put a movie cast together as well as Quentin Tarantino. In terms of using each actor appropriately and to the best of their talents, and propelling a few members into extremely successful careers, the Inglourious Basterds cast just may be his masterpiece.

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Academy Award-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has turned his own film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood into a novel, following the somewhat forgotten tradition in show business of adapting cinema into literature as a marketing tool, as opposed to the more common reversed method. While the idea of expanding on the story of the exhilarating 2019 period piece in a book was already intriguing enough, it also does call to mind just how many other movies there are that have not been made into movie novelizations but perhaps should. That being said, the following are a few favorites that sound like perfect candidates to be given such treatment and we thought a couple of other classic Quentin Tarantino movies would be a perfect way to start.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

This 2009 tale of soldiers and refugees targeting the Third Reich during World War II is already one of the most exciting and inventive twists on the historical fiction genre in recent memory. Plus, as one of the most sophisticated and engagingly complex narratives that Quentin Tarantino has ever crafted, Inglourious Basterds begs to be fleshed out in novel form (even at a runtime that nears three hours) especially for the chance to venture further beyond its revolutionary conclusion. Plus, since Samuel L. Jackson narrates the film, we already have the perfect choice to read the audiobook.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Speaking of Samuel L. Jackson, his character, Jules, is just one of the many characters from Pulp Fiction whom I would love to learn more about in a novelization, which could be another anthology or a linear retelling of its increasingly intense interwoven stories. Plus, we already know that John Travolta’s Vincent Vega is the brother of Victor “Mr. Blonde” Vega (Michael Madsen) from Reservoir Dogs, among other connections to the rest of the Tarantinoverse. It would be fun to see those clues more widely realized in what could easily be another prime piece of pulp.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Pulp detective novels (and their stoner friend, producer Jeff Dowd) are actually what inspired Joel and Ethan Coen to make The Big Lebowski - one of the best movies on Netflix at the moment - in the first place. Therefore, I think rephrasing the bizarre adventures of The Dude (Jeff Bridges) - involving ransom, mistaken identities, and tainted rugs - in a straight-forward noir-style narrative similar to Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep (another direct influence of the film) is too perfect and hilarious to pass up. If you think the much-celebrated dark comedy should be left alone instead, well, you know, that's just like, uh, your opinion, man.

Uncut Gems (2019)

I am of the opinion that one of the most exhilarating crime thrillers in the last several years is Uncut Gems, which many have argued almost lives and dies by Adam Sandler’s performance and his reputation as a likable comedic personality. As much as I agree that the former Saturday Night Live cast member is electrifying and brilliantly sympathetic as the otherwise despicable Howard Ratner in the film, I also believe that Josh and Benny Safdie’s story of a crooked New York City jeweler with a life-threatening gambling addiction is brilliant on its own. Transferring this cinematic equivalent of relentless tension to prose could be the ultimate test to prove if this theory is correct.

John Wick (2014)

Speaking of relentless tension, a film that masters the same emotions in a more fun and tastefully absurd way is John Wick, the first of three (soon to be four) instant classics that revitalized Keanu Reeves’ action career. I could not agree more that the fight choreography and stunt work is phenomenal - it helps that the directors, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, are experienced stunt performers - but also find myself more intrigued by the world in which these conflicts take place and the underground network of assassins it hides in plain sight. I love how each of the John Wick movies have slowly brought more of this mythology to light, but would bet that one novel offering a more complete explanation of what goes on at the Continental and beyond amid the otherwise simple revenge story of the first installment would make an excellent read.

Donnie Darko (2001)

There is nothing simple at all about the story of Donnie Darko, the debut of writer and director Richard Kelly that stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a high school student haunted by visions of an apocalyptic soothsayer in a creepy rabbit suit in the late 1980s. Quite frankly, though, I love all the reasons that this cult classic remains such a transfixing mystery and would not change a thing, but would also love to know more about the supporting characters, such as the challenging Karen Pomeroy’s (Drew Barrymore) inspirations or how Kitty Farmer (Beth Grant) came to be so blindly and problematically overbearing. Plus, I think the amount of people who favor the Director’s Cut is enough reason to prove that fans are clamoring for Kelly to provide a little more insight into the unique world he created.

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)

Speaking of a unique world, say what you want about Rob Zombie movies, but the rock star-turned-filmmaker’s debut (a twisted tribute to the grindhouse movie era) is surprisingly layered with a mysterious and truly terrifying history at its coattails. Not to mention, at its core, the story of House of 1000 Corpses - about four young travelers stumbling upon a nightmare while in search of America’s most notorious urban legends - has much of the same raw, grounded brutality of a Stephen King classic. Also, Zombie himself has claimed to ScreenRant that he actually sees the film as a “calamitous mess,” so a novel adaptation would be a perfect opportunity to correct every “flaw, upon flaw, upon flaw… upon flaw” as he sees it.

Army Of The Dead (2021)

Say what you want about Zack Snyder movies, but I would actually call the director’s Netflix original hybrid of George A. Romero, The Dirty Dozen, and Ocean’s Eleven some of his finest work, if not his best ever (and I really do mean that). However, I can also empathize with critics’ frustration over the details that Army of the Dead introduces but to little avail, such as time loops, how zombies could reproduce, and what the deal is with those zombie robots. We could just wait to see how Snyder intends to answer these questions in possible sequels and the upcoming animated spin-off series, but if some would prefer to have those blanks filled now, I would say that a direct novelization is the way to go.

Fantastic Beasts Movies (2016-Present)

Speaking of filling in the blanks, a franchise that especially could use a novel adaptation to help better explain its plot is the Harry Potter prequel movies kicked off by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2016. Itself an adaptation of a Hogwarts textbook J.K. Rowling wrote for charity, the story (in just two of its proposed five installments) has evolved from whimsical creature features to fantasy crime thrillers with a dizzying amount of subplots that only a powerful spell could help the average muggle keep track of. I am actually surprised that these stories have started as screenplays and not books, which I think would be an even more sufficient way to present their increasingly complex story arc.

In the old days, novelizations were mainly used as a marketing tool, but as you can see, they can be quite useful for enhancing the movie going experience. Would you agree that a book adaptation of any of the movies above would be a good idea and, if so, is there one you would be most excited to add to your reading list?

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Marvel villain Helmut Zemo is back after appearing on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier recently. I don’t know about you, but upon his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I want to revisit (and also discover for the first time) some of the best Daniel Bruhl movies available to stream right now. I actually managed to find quite a plentiful assortment of films (and one TV show) starring the 43-year-old German actor, starting with what must have been how many younger comic fans became acquainted with him.

Captain America: Civil War (Disney+)

An accident during a routine mission puts the Avengers under heavy scrutiny and at odds with one another, which only worsens after Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) goes rogue to prove Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) is wrongfully accused of murder.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: Orchestrating (some of) the events leading to the titular conflict in Captain America: Civil War is Daniel Bruhl's vengeful Sokovian, Helmut Zemo - one of Marvel's best villains and a key reason why this movie is a must to revisit before watching The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, if you have not already.

Stream Captain America: Civil War on Disney+.

The Cloverfield Paradox (Netflix)

While testing a device intended to solve a global energy crisis, a space station crew of international scientists accidentally create a rift in the space time continuum, which splices their reality and another with grave circumstances.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: In one of their weirder original movies on Netflix that also attempts explain the events of the found footage classic Cloverfield, Daniel Bruhl does not really play a villain, but his trustworthiness is put into questions in The Cloverfield Paradox, the third in producer J.J. Abrams' Cloverfield franchise, which attempts explain the secrets behind the original found footage classic.

Stream The Cloverfield Paradox on Netflix.

7 Days In Entebbe (Tubi)

In July 1976, Wilfried Böse (Daniel Bruhl) and Brigitte Kuhlmann (Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike) hijack a French plane and force it to land in Uganda, where they hold the Jewish passengers with demands to release terrorists being held in Israeli prisons.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: You will have no trouble deciphering whether or not Daniel Bruhl's character from 2018's 7 Days in Entebbe is worth trusting in RoboCop remake director José Padilha's gripping retelling of the historical hostage situation.

Stream 7 Days in Entebbe on Tubi.

2 Days In Paris (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV, IMDb TV)

An American interior designer (Adam Goldberg) accompanies his photographer girlfriend (Julie Delpy) on a trip to France to improve their romance, if not for the intervention of her family and many ex-lovers.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: In a more lighthearted travel movie by comparison, Daniel Bruhl plays a stranger who helps Adam Goldberg's Jack understand his overreaction to discovering the romantic history of Marion (Julie Delpy) in 2 Days in Paris, a clever romantic comedy which Delpy also wrote and directed in 2007.

Stream 2 Days In Paris on Hulu, on Amazon Prime, on Tubi, on Pluto TV, or on IMDb TV.

2 Days In New York (Hoopla)

Marion (Julie Delpy) and her new boyfriend Mingus (Chris Rock) have their relationship put to the test when her family visits their home in Manhattan.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: Five years after 2 Days in Paris, Julie Delpy returned to write, direct, and star in the sequel 2 Days in New York, in which Daniel Bruhl also reprises his role.

Stream 2 Days In New York on Hoopla.

Intruders (Tubi, Peacock, Crackle, Pluto TV, IMDb TV, Vudu)

A boy from Spain and a girl from the United Kingdom each find themselves haunted by a mysterious evil entity that has no face.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: A year before 2 Days in New York, in 2012, Daniel Bruhl played a man of faith from Madrid whose beliefs are tested by reports of this malevolent presence in Intruders, a positively creepy thriller also starring Clive Owen, from the director of 28 Weeks Later, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo.

Stream Intruders on Tubi, on Peacock, on Crackle, on Pluto TV, on IMDb TV, or on Vudu.

The Alienist (HBO Max)

In the late 1800s, a German psychologist (Daniel Bruhl), his American newspaper illustrator friend (Luke Evans), and the first woman employed by the New York City police department (Dakota Fanning) attempt to use new, experimental tactics that begin to spark controversy among their peers and from the public as they attempt to catch a killer with some shocking methods of his own.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: From playing a man of faith to a man of science, but forced to be very protective of his methods either way, Daniel Bruhl earned a Golden Globe nomination in 2019 for his strong lead performance in the title role of The Alienist - an engrossing period drama which later inspired an 8-episode follow-up on TNT in 2020.

Stream The Alienist on HBO Max.

Burnt (Tubi, Pluto TV, IMDb TV)

Hoping to clean-up his act after succumbing to his selfish behavior and destructive addictions, American celebrity chef Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) becomes the head of a low-rated London restaurant and tries to help boost its public appeal.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: As the manager of Adam Jones' London restaurant in Burnt - a 2015 drama that makes the art of preparing high class food look like trench warfare - this marks one of the earlier times Daniel Bruhl shared the screen with a fellow actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before he joined the franchise himself.

Stream Burnt on Tubi, on Pluto TV, or on IMDb TV).

Woman In Gold (Tubi, Pluto TV, IMDb TV)

A Jewish woman (Oscar winner Helen Mirren) who successfully escaped persecution during World War II enlists the help of a young American attorney (Ryan Reynolds) to help reclaim a stolen family heirloom from the Nazis: a priceless portrait of her aunt painted in gold.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: In another early instance of him sharing the screen with a fellow Marvel movie actor (before Ryan Reynolds portrayal of Deadpool would become part of the MCU, of course), in the 2015 biopic Woman in Gold, Daniel Bruhl plays an ally against the Nazis, unlike the role which brought him closer than ever before to mainstream movie star status in the United States.

Stream Woman in Gold on Tubi, on Pluto TV, or on IMDb TV.

Inglourious Basterds (Amazon Rental)

A Southern-accented lieutenant of the U.S. Army (Brad Pitt) puts together a special team of Jewish-American soldiers with the intent to wipe out as much of the Third Reich as possible, not knowing that their plans will soon converge with that of a secretly Jewish refugee (Melanie Laurent) whose French movie theater has been commissioned to host the premiere of a Nazi propaganda film.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: The star and focus of said Nazi propaganda film, Nation's Pride - directed by co-star Eli Roth - is German soldier Fredrick Zoller, the role that solidified Daniel Bruhl as one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the cast of Inglourious Basterds - the bold, bloody, and beautiful War World II fantasy that only Quentin Tarantino could have made.

Rent Inglourious Basterds on Amazon.

Rush (Amazon Rental)

English playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) endures a mercilessly bitter rivalry with the ambitious Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) while competing against each other off and on the Formula One racing track throughout the 1970s.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: While Inglourious Basterds notably marks another early pairing of Daniel Bruhl with a future Marvel actor (namely X-Men's Michael Fassbender), it was years later when he shared the screen with Thor actor Chris Hemsworth in Rush, director Ron Howard's 2013 racing biopic for which he earned his first Golden Globe nomination in the role of Niki Lauda.

Rent Rush on Amazon.

The Bourne Ultimatum (Amazon Rental)

Long after uncovering the secrets of his days as a government assassin, amnesiac Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) discovers that he has even more to learn about his past as the CIA continues to come after him.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Daniel Bruhl: You know, I guess if we really want to get technical here, the first movie in which Daniel Bruhl co-starred with an MCU actor, and a Thor movie actor more specifically, is The Bourne Ultimatum - the third, and arguably best, installment of Matt Damon's Jason Bourne movie franchise from 2007.

Rent The Bourne Ultimatum on Amazon.

Daniel Bruhl is steadily approaching the role of the ultimate wild card in any game of Six Degrees of Separation with the entire MCU cast at this point. I mean, he already starred alongside most of them in Captain America: Civil War anyway. Now, with his return in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, who knows where he will take Zemo to next?

War movies are a special genre, as the nature of human conflict is a sordid and devastating affair. There have been hundreds of films covering the tragedy of World War II, but over the years, a few directors have given their own, sometimes humorous spin on the subject. It's now been announced that Guy Ritchie is attached to direct a WWII movie of his own, and the plot sounds like it will be the coolest cinematic story covering this conflict we’ve seen since Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.

Guy Ritchie will be teaming up with Paramount Pictures for the WWII film, which will follow Great Britain's first black-ops unit and their daring escapades behind enemy lines. As first reported by Deadline, the upcoming film is titled Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and Ritchie is attached to both write and direct. The director's next project is based on Damien Lewis’ 2015 novel Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze and Gave Birth to Modern Black Ops.

Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare will follow a group of thieves, criminals and other ne'er-do-wells as they assemble to become a covert unit during WWII. The source material for the film details an unlikely brotherhood and the bold missions that often took place behind enemy lines. Ironically dubbed the Maid Honour Force by Winston Churchill, the group was cleared to break all accepted conventions of warfare during their tour, and proved to be an effective tool against the German advance.

Quentin Tarantino fans may recognize the plot as slightly similar to the director's 2009 film Inglourious Basterds, where an uncover group of Jewish Allied soldiers seek retribution against Nazi forces in the first years of WWII. While some consider Inglourious Basterds to be one of the best WWII films of the last two decades, I think at Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is worth an honorable mention, at least.

Guy Ritchie’s upcoming flick comes after last year's The Gentleman, which had an all-star ensemble cast featuring Colin Farrell, Matthew McConaughey and Hugh Grant. While some may know the director for his foul-mouthed British mob flicks, like Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, he’s ventured into lighter territory in recent years, teaming up with Disney for the live-action Aladdin remake.

From the plot, it sounds like Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare will have Guy Ritchie getting back to his crime roots. I wouldn't be surprised if it featured some colorful language and violence. Ritchie has been able to attach some seriously high-caliber talent for his previous projects, so there’s a good chance we will see a few big names featured in this movie too.

While Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare doesn’t currently have a release date, Guy Ritchie fans can revisit The Gentleman on Showtime, or check out his foray into family friendly film with Aladdin on Disney Plus. As for this year’s movie slate, be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 Release Schedule for the latest on everything heading to the big (and small) screens near you.

Cinema history is filled with brilliant director/actor team-ups, from Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro to Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart, and one of the truly great contemporary examples is Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson. The two first came together in the early 1990s, and the relationship has been fruitful from the get-go, as Jackson earned his one and only Academy Award nomination from the collaboration, while Tarantino won the award for Best Original Screenplay. They have been close ever since, collaborating on a total of six different features over the years out of the writer/director’s nine total.

Each time the two men get together the result is memorable magic – but how do those performances and characters stack up against one another? Using “Badassness” as a yardstick, we set out to answer that very question, and what you’ll find below are our results. From Pulp Fiction to The Hateful Eight, here is how we rank the work of Samuel L. Jackson and Quentin Tarantino’s in their time together.

6. Stephen (Django Unchained)

One would imagine that most of you would agree that “badassness” makes for a fine metric when it comes to judging Samuel L. Jackson’s Quentin Tarantino characters, but that means that the first role discussed is the one who isn’t badass in the slightest. While Tarantino generally casts Jackson as cool guys who have the capacity to turn real mean, Stephen in Django Unchained is a messed up piece of work. The man is a life-long slave who chooses to sympathize with his captor instead of his fellow captives, and he goes to some horrible lengths to help his sadistic master. Watching the movie you can’t help but really hate Stephen, and while means that Jackson very much does his job with his performance, it also means that he is ranked last on this list.

5. Narrator (Inglourious Basterds)

That’s right: Django Unchained’s Stephen is such a noxious characters that we’ve even ranked him behind Samuel L. Jackson’s only incorporeal role in a Quentin Tarantino movie – which is his part as the narrator in Inglourious Basterds. It’s not a big role, but it’s certainly a notable one, as Tarantino has Jackson tell the audience the legend of Til Schweiger's Hugo Stiglitz, a German Nazi hunter who is recruited by the titular group in the midst of their European mission. The role not being a fully-formed individual, there’s not a great deal that we can say about the “performance,” but what is undeniable is that Jackson’s voice is iconic and badass in its own right, which is enough to qualify it for inclusion on this list instead of just being skipped. It’s frankly too bad that Tarantino doesn’t have Tarantino do more voiceover work when he doesn’t have a role for Jackson carved out, like with Death Proof and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

4. Ordell Robbie (Jackie Brown)

Badassness is always easier to appreciate when its being wielded by a protagonist instead of an antagonist, so as we move to the middle of this list it’s time to give the spotlight to Samuel L. Jackson’s other great heel turn in a Quentin Tarantino film: Ordell Robbie from Jackie Brown. Ordell certainly isn’t the smartest character on this list, as he is consistently outfoxed in the film by Pam Grier’s eponymous heroine, but the guy gets respect for his hustle as he works to achieve the millionaire lifestyle through the illegal arms trade. As demonstrated through his relationship with Robert De Niro’s Louis, he can be a chill guy and cool to hang out with, but he can also be a scary dude when things don’t go his way, and that energy goes a long was in making the third act of Jackie Brown one of Tarantino’s most thrilling.

3. Rufus (Kill Bill)

Like the aforementioned Narrator, Rufus in Kill Bill isn’t exactly the biggest part played by Samuel L. Jackson in a Quentin Tarantino film, but the character leaves a lasting impression as a result of his metaphorical wheelbarrow full of badassness. Appearing at the start of Vol. 2, he is the piano player at the church where Uma Thurman’s Beatrix Kiddo plans on getting married, and he’s a guy with the capacity to capture the attention of every single person in the room whenever he speaks. At the end of the day we don’t get to know much about him personally, and he ultimately meets a grisly end courtesy of Bill and the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, but he’s still not a guy you quickly forget, and that earns him a high rank on this list. Simply put, he’s the man.

2. Major Marquis Warren (The Hateful Eight)

With The Hateful Eight, Quentin Tarantino had the idea to tell a story by taking a selection of some of the best actors working today and jamming them together in a small haberdashery during a blizzard – and yet Samuel L. Jackson still walks away from the project having delivered the film’s most memorable performance as revenge-seeking bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren. The character fascinates from the very start, seated upon a stack of dead bodies in the cold while waiting for a ride, and he’s consistently crafty enough to keep you perpetually smiling from ear-to-ear as he spins yarns about his Lincoln letter and a notable Confederate soldier who tried to take him out. Warren is a pure blood badass and one of the key inspirations for this list, and would be number one if not for one of Tarantino’s most iconic protagonists.

1. Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)

You probably could have predicted from the beginning that Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction would top this list, as, frankly, the character could justifiably rank as one of the great badasses in cinema history – not needing either “Samuel L. Jackson performances” or “Quentin Tarantino movies” as qualifiers. Far more than just a hitman trope, Jules is a guy who sees the world for all of its vivid colors and various shades, made curious by the mysteries of the universe and looking for its deeper meanings as his life is miraculously spared during what should be an ordinary job. Even given the non-linear, anthology-esque structure of the story, he still winds up having a powerful arc in the film, going from assassin to philosopher as he starts to understand the depths of existence, and it’s an epic journey to follow that’s made ever delightful having a total badass at the center of it.

What’s your favorite Samuel L. Jackson performance in a Quentin Tarantino film? Do you agree with our rankings, or would you put them in a different order? Answer our poll, hit the comments section with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates and news about Jackson and Tarantino’s upcoming projects.

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Decades before the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Quentin Tarantino was putting together his own interconnected world on the big screen. By leaving little hints and clues in his movies, the writer/director established not only that many of his films are set in the same world, but even in some cases feature related characters. The list of titles confirmed to exist on the same timeline includes Reservoir Dogs, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained, and The Hateful Eight, and in 2019 Once Upon A Time In Hollywood became the seventh entry in the loose continuity.

So how exactly does the wild adventure of Rick Dalton, Cliff Booth, and Sharon Tate line up with Quentin Tarantino’s body of work? Allow us to spell it out…

*(Spoilers ahead!) *

“What If?” Historical Fiction

While the majority of the entries on this list focus on practical things like characters and items, this one is focusing a bit more spiritual connection that exists between the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and the larger Tarantinoverse. While it’s not universal, one of the common traits among some of the titles listed above is a predilection towards historical fiction, and an approach to real events that veer off from reality. Django Unchained saw the rise of a legend in the years before the American Civil War; Inglourious Basterds changed the ending of World War II; and Quentin Tarantino’s latest found a way to save the life of Sharon Tate.

Chaos theory tells us that the actions of Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth against the Manson Family murderers must have changed at least something in the universe, though it’s possible that the ripple effect didn’t extend too far. At the very least we can imagine that Sharon Tate had the opportunity to make a bunch more movies and become a massive star in the wake of the events that transpire in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

The 14 Fists Of McCluskey And The Death Of Adolf Hitler

As alluded to earlier, one of the key differences between the world of the Tarantinoverse and our own is the way in which the Nazi reign of terror came to an end – specifically with the key leaders of the party being shot/incinerated in a trap set in a movie theater (as seen in Inglourious Basterds). Given the significance of cinema in the plot, one could make the argument that it inspires people decades later to love movies just a little bit more – explaining the hyper real banter in Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and the like), but it’s also easy to imagine that Shosanna Dreyfus’ design also provided terrific inspiration for storytellers. As seen in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, the Rick Dalton feature The 14 Fists Of McCluskey could be a perfect example.

We don’t exactly see a lot of the fake film in the 2019 release, as there’s simply a brief clip shown from it in the first scene, but it’s not a stretch to see how the events that unfold are reflective of those in the finale of Inglourious Basterds. While it’s not a movie theater, Dalton’s McClusky finds himself behind a curtain at a Nazi meeting, and after getting the jump on the group fries them all with a flamethrower. It’s hard to ignore the base similarities.

Director Antonio Margheriti

Set only about 24 years apart, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Inglourious Basterds are relatively close together on the Tarantinoverse, so it makes sense that the former’s connection to the big picture is primarily through the latter. This one is easy to miss, however, so don’t feel bad if you missed it. In the World War II film, Lt. Aldo Raine (more on him in a minute) and a pair of his crew work to personally infiltrate the special Nation’s Pride screening by pretending to be a group of Italian filmmakers. The guise used by Eli Roth's Sgt. Donny Donowitz is Antonio Margheriti, and while its highlighted moment in the movie stems from Roth’s funny pronunciation and Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa making him repeat it, the identity now exists as an Easter egg on two levels.

For starters, Antonio Margheriti is a real director, having helmed features from 1958 up until his death in 2002. In the Tarantinoverse, however, he also has the distinction of being one of the three directors to make a film starring Rick Dalton while the actor was living in Italy. As noted by narrator Kurt Russell, Margheriti is credited with directing Operazione Dyn-O-Mite, a Euro action comedy.

Cliff Booth and Lt. Aldo Raine

In our world, Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood share not only a writer/director in common, but also a star, as both films feature Brad Pitt in key supporting roles. It’s a minor piece of trivia, but where it has larger consequences is within the confines of the Tarantinoverse. While it’s obviously not unheard of that two unrelated people can share similar looks, the nature of Quentin Tarantino’s world makes us wonder if there might be some shared blood between Lt. Aldo Raine and stuntman Cliff Booth.

Presumably born in the mid-1920s, Cliff Booth is actually a World War II veteran himself, operating during the conflict as a Green Beret, and one can’t write off the idea that he possibly comes from a military family, with multiple generations fighting Hitler. The last name difference could be explained by something as simple as Raine being a relative on his mother’s side. Likewise, one can’t rule out some blood shared between Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton and Django Unchained’s Calvin Candie, but that would be a much more distant familial relationship.

Randy And Stuntman Mike & Janet Miller and Zoe Bell

Going back to the list at the top of this feature, you may have noticed that not all of Tarantino’s features are listed. This is because while the majority of his stories are set in the main Tarantinoverse, there also exists the Movie Tarantinoverse – which is essentially the idea that films like Kill Bill and Jackie Brown are actually films that exist not only in our reality, but are released in the main Tarantinoverse. Both titles in the double feature Grindhouse are included in this separate group, but that in turn makes one wonder about Kurt Russell and Zoe Bell’s characters in Death Proof and their possible connection to their respective roles in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

If Death Proof is a movie in the Tarantino-verse, is it possible that the actors playing Stuntman Mike and “Zoe Bell” are actually the children of Randy and Janet Miller from Once Upon A Time In Hollywood? Clearly this would mean that the parents have crazy strong genes, but the timelines could match up – Death Proof clearly being a modern film based on the technology used. The 27 year age difference between Kurt Russell and Zoe Bell makes this a bit tricky, but maybe Janet is actually way younger than she looks in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and when her son is grown up she has a daughter with Randy in the late 1970s who looks just like her and grows up to follow in her stunt coordinator father’s footsteps.

Red Apple Cigarettes

Wrapping this whole thing up is Red Apple Cigarettes – a brand of smokes found it not only the main Tarantinoverse, but also in the Movie Tarantinoverse. A part of the filmmaker’s work since Pulp Fiction, sometimes it’s merely represented through advertising in the production design, and occasionally it’s referenced in dialogue, but what’s most significant is that it’s the preferred tobacco of pretty much all Quentin Tarantino characters. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is the latest big screen adventure to feature the cigarettes, and it does so in a rather special way.

Most Quentin Tarantino fans probably caught that Red Apple is the brand that is smoked by Cliff Booth throughout the 2019 film (though potentially not including the acid-dipped cigarette he gets off a hippy), but those who watch the end credits of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood are treated to a bit with Rick Dalton literally hocking for the company. That being said, he apparently isn’t a big fan, as the commercial ends with him talking about how disgusting they are.

Have you spotted any other Once Upon A Time In Hollywood connections to the Tarantinoverse? (Note: the LAX hallway in Jackie Brown doesn’t count because A) that film is a Movie Tarantinoverse title, and B) it’s simply a real world location). Hit the comments section with your observations, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend as we wait for the next addition to Quentin Tarantino’s awesome body of work.

Why do violent movies often become the subject of controversy? Last time I checked, putting a “healthy” dose of action on the screen is just what you need to give an audience the thrill they paid for. At least Netflix understands, for even a good chunk of its exclusive content is known for pushing boundaries.

However, what exactly is there to understand about the appeal of violence in fictional media? Well, some theorize that the second hand experience of watching good guys take out bad guys has a cathartic quality, satisfying our own inner aggressions or more perverse curiosities. Others may simply applaud a filmmaker for a courageous depiction of brutality and harsh truths we do not like to talk about in real life with a bold authenticity.

Furthermore, no one is forcing anyone to watch these kinds of programs anyway, which means, to keep things fair, one should be able to force another person not to watch them either. So, go ahead and indulge in all the blood, gore, and bullets you want without shame, just as it should be. In fact, allow me to assist you in your binge by recommending these 12 movies and TV shows now available on Netflix that really go for it.

Green Room (2016)

An indie punk band’s (featuring the late Anton Yelchin on bass) final tour destination could be their final destination after they witness a murder from backstage of a bar crawling with neo-Nazis.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: A strong stomach is required when watching any film written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, also know for the cartoonishly grotesque Murder Party and harrowingly bleak Blue Ruin, but this 95-minute fight for survival, which villain Patrick Stewart needed whiskey to get through reading, may be his magnum opus of trauma translated to celluloid.

Stream it on Netflix here

Goodfellas (1990)

An Irish-Italian American (Ray Liotta) recalls the greatest successes and hardships of his life as part of the New York mafia.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: This intensely realistic cautionary tale based on the experiences of mobster turned FBI informant Henry Hill, and also stars Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci in an Oscar-winning performance, is, arguably, director Martin Scorsese’s crowning achievement and, according to Roger Ebert, the greatest gangster movie ever made (yes, he has seen The Godfather).

Stream it on Netflix here

Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)

After accidentally awakening an ancient evil after a 30-year slumber, aging veteran demon killer Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) must come out of retirement to defend the world once again, this time aided by his supermarket co-workers Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo).

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: While Sam Raimi treated gorehounds to three films of wall-to-wall “grueling terror” with his Evil Dead trilogy, this sequel series has three seasons worth of its chainsaw-handed, absent-minded hero slaughtering “deadites” to bloody bits in, what I would say is, the finest combination of slapstick comedy with blood splattered horror in the franchise yet.

Stream it on Netflix *here *

Sin City (2005)

A brutish criminal (Mickey Rourke) out to avenge the prostitute he falls for, a loner (Clive Owen) waging war on corruption within the law, and a disgraced cop (Bruce Willis) risking it all to protect an innocent girl are the loosely connected stories from this anthology set in the bleak town of Basin City.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: “Adaptation” would not be a suitable word to describe this film based on the relentlessly grim series of noir graphic novels by Frank Miller, who co-directs with Robert Rodriguez and guest director Quentin Tarantino for a scene, because this visually unmatched, stylishly brutal stunner is more like a comic book brought into, not the real world, but a new world of its own.

Stream it on Netflix here

Final Destination 3 (2006)

A high school senior’s (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) premonition saves her and a few others from a tragic roller coaster accident, unwittingly making them the next set of targets for the unruly wrath of death itself.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: In a franchise known for challenging itself to up the ante in macabre and improbably fatal situations in each of its five installments (and counting), I believe this one bears the most comparatively gleeful, and somehow even tasteful, indulgence in what is, otherwise, an amusement park of senseless depravity.

Stream it on Netflix here

Daredevil (2015-2018)

Blinded by a chemical accident that also enhanced his remaining sense, attorney Matt Murdoch (Charlie Cox) takes on a devilish alter ego to viciously lay waste of crime and in corruption Hell’s Kitchen on a nightly basis.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: Before its unfair and premature cancelled after just three seasons, the premiere installment of the “Netflix Marvel Universe” works as courtroom drama, a kung fu exploitation thriller, and a thoroughly bleak, yet thrilling, and viscerally shocking comic book adaptation that gives new, refreshing meaning to the term “graphic novel.”

Stream it on Netflix here.

Drive (2011)

A stoic, nameless Hollywood stuntman by day and criminal getaway driver by night (Ryan Gosling) hopes to protect the woman he loves (Carey Mulligan) by offering his help in a robbery that instead goes horribly wrong.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: It is rare to find a film by innovative Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn that is not about violent men, but it is even rarer to find a crime thriller such as this that, amid its gruesome, unflinching brutality, envelopes into an operatic, mythical morality tale that will prevent you from ever looking at a hammer the same way again.

Stream it on Netflix here

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

As a hick-accented, neck-scarred military lieutenant (Brad Pitt) puts together a special unit of Jewish-American Nazi hunters, a young refugee (Melanie Laurent) managing a cinema in Nazi-occupied France has her own history-shattering plans against the Third Reich, while a giddy S.S. Colonel (Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz) has set his sights on both of them.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: I believe it might actually be safe to say that Quentin Tarantino’s World War II-era revenge fantasy could be one of the few grindhouse-level thrillers in which its exploitative nature is not only justified but also oddly, yet joyously, satisfying from the first sight a scalped Nazi’s head all the way to its chaotic, literally explosive conclusion.

Stream it on Netflix here

The Green Inferno (2013)

I cannot say the same, however, about this film, in which a college student (Lorenza Izzo) follows a group of activists to Peru to protest the deforestation of the Amazon, only to become the next items on the menu for a native tribe of nefarious cannibals.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: I must say, I find it amazing that writer-director Eli Roth (whose name is all you really need to hear to know what you’re getting into) and star Izzo’s meeting on the set of this film resulted in four years of marriage until their 2018 split after the torturous experience he must have put her through to make this agonizing, excessively disgusting goriest.

Stream it on Netflix here

Happy! (2017-2019)

An ex-cop turned hard drinking hired gun (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alum Christopher Meloni) becomes the only one who can save a kidnapped little girl after near-death experience makes him acquainted with her imaginary friend, a talking blue unicorn (voiced by Patton Oswalt).

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: This series, which ran for two seasons on Syfy, may be named after a sprightly cartoon character, but this is also from the twisted mind of prolific comic book writer Grant Morrison, so prepare yourself for plenty of chaotic, blood-soaked, psychedelic insanity.

Stream it on Netflix here

Taxi Driver (1976)

A lonely, insomniac Vietnam veteran (Robert De Niro, in his second Oscar-nominated performance) gets a deeper look into his treacherous urban environment after taking a job as a New York City cabbie, only further informing his own dangerous instabilities.

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: If not for stunning supporting cast (including Cybill Shepherd as an unlikely love interest and Jodie Foster as an underage prostitute) and the bleak commentary on toxic masculinity subtly portrayed in the screenplay (which Paul Schrader wrote with a loaded revolver at his side), this Martin Scorsese classic would be written off as a cynical exercise in mindless savagery.

Stream it on Netflix here

Terrifier (2016)

On one luckless Halloween night, two young partygoers (Jenna Kanell and Catherine Corcoran) learn that the tricks and treats are just beginning (just not for them) when they become stalked by silent, clownish creep (former mime David Howard Thornton).

Why It's A Good Option for Fans Of Violence: I assure that Pennywise will no longer have any effect on you after bearing witness to the blood-stained grin, playful sadism, and gut-wrenchingly merciless methods of mayhem from slasher icon in the making Art the Clown in writer and director Damien Leone’s masterpiece of shock and ugh.

Stream it on Netflix here

So, what do you think? Are these films and TV shows just what spectators of the sinister are looking for, or are you more shocked by the Netflix-available films and/or TV shows that I left off? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for more rancid recommendations to stream here on CinemaBlend.

He is Brad freakin’ Pitt, and he never forgets it. It is that confidence that helped Brad Pitt earn his first acting Oscar (Best Supporting Actor) for playing stuntman Cliff Booth in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, which is easily one of the most badass roles of his career.

In fact, the 56-year-old, who had previously received an Academy Award for producing the Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave in 2013, has played quite a few badasses (in various senses of the word) throughout the years. It is why, even at a time when he is technically a veteran of the industry, Brad Pitt is still sought out to play roles like a bold space explorer in Ad Astra, a World War II tank commander in Fury, and an invisible vigilante in Deadpool 2.

Yet those are only a couple of the notable characters that have made Brad Pitt one of the most badass actors alive. If you want to hear about more, I have 11 right below here, ranked by badassness.

11. John Smith (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)

World class secret agent. Deadly assassin. Devoted suburban husband. These are the lives that John Smith, while not privy to the fact that his wife, Jane (Angelina Jolie, who would eventually become his real-life spouse) has the same job and he is her next target. Coincidentally, she is his.

Directed by Edge of Tomorrow helmer Doug Liman from a screenplay by Simon Kinberg, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, is a fun, heartwarming romantic comedy about a strained marriage given a second chance when they realize their failure to kill each other must mean that they are made for each other. Shout out to Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie, too, of course, for doing what they do best: making such a despicable occupation look so effortlessly cool.

10. Gerry Lane (World War Z)

What sets author Max Brooks’ acclaimed oral history of a global zombie outbreak apart from other stories of reanimated, flesh-eating corpses is that World War Z plays out more like a geo-political thriller than an action/horror hybrid. Star and producer Brad Pitt made the film adaptation into an action/horror hybrid, but at least made it fun by giving us a hero worth rooting for.

Retired United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is forced to leave his wife and children behind (in safety, nonetheless) to travel the world in search of a cure to the pandemic turning people into mindless, angry, cannibalistic monsters. What makes Pitt’s World War Z protagonist a badass is the lengths he will go to save the world, even if that means giving his own life.

9. Rusty Ryan (Ocean’s Eleven)

It may have been Danny Ocean’s show, but Rusty Ryan was the showrunner. The secret to how Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven-- about a parolee (George Clooney) who recruits 10 other professional criminals to nab the ultimate Las Vegas jackpot by robbing three casinos in one night -- became one of the coolest movies of its, or really any, generation is, arguably, Brad Pitt.

From his impeccably calm line delivery, aspirational sense of style, and the unusual aura of sophistication he brings to snacking on a carton of nachos, Brad Pitt made his character the ultimate badass of Ocean’s Eleven. The criminal lifestyle is the one that comes with a price, but Rusty Ryan makes it look priceless.

8. Tristan Ludlow (Legends of the Fall)

There are several key moments throughout the 1990s which could be credited as the beginning of Brad Pitt's reputation as a Hollywood hunk and several that could mark the beginning of his reputation as a badass. I feel that a good candidate for both might be the 1994 World War I-era drama Legends of the Fall.

Brad Pitt gives a Golden Globe nominated performance as Tristan Ludlow, one of three brothers living in the Montana wilderness with their father (Anthony Hopkins), whose relationship is tested when he and his brother Alfred (Aidan Quinn) fall in love with Susannah (Julia Ormond), the fiancée of their younger brother, Samuel (Henry Thomas), after he is killed in the war. Of course, Susannah cannot help but choose Tristan, the charming war hero and globe-trotting man of the wild. You could also say he is the kind of man who would willfully go toe-to-toe with a bear.

7. Achilles (Troy)

In 1250 B.C., Trojan prince Paris (Orlando Bloom) convinces Spartan Queen, Helen (Diane Kruger), to leave her husband (Brendan Gleeson) for him, igniting a war. Keeping Troy’s undefeated reputation in mind, the Greeks enlist the help of the greatest warrior known to man: Achilles (Brad Pitt)

If there is just one reason to watch director Wolfgang Peterson’s 163-minute 2004 adaptation of Homer’s poem “The Iliad,” it is Brad Pitt’s performance as the resilient, unmatched, legendary Achilles, tearing through his enemies like a knife through hot butter with no sense of mercy. Even if Troy turned out to be a critical misfire with underwhelming box office returns and Pitt himself credits it as a huge turning point in how he chooses projects, at least he can credit his role as an undisputed badass.

6. David Mills (Se7en)

In a world defined by unrelenting grimness, where corruption is its spirit and humanity is its prey, Lt. William Stone (Morgan Freeman) is desperate for an escape. Meanwhile, newly minted hotshot detective David Mills (Brad Pitt), his partner on a case tracking down a killer inspired by the Seven Deadly sins, is ready to grab this miserable existence by the balls and bring it to its knees, if only he knew what fate awaits him.

Until its devastating conclusion, Brad Pitt’s David Mills spends most of David Fincher’s grisly 1995 noir masterpiece Se7en exhibiting a nearly indulgent outlook to his otherwise dismal job, unfazed by his partner’s dispirited nature and assuming himself to be an incorruptible force against evil. It is an admirable and decidedly badass quality to attain, despite proving to have no avail in the film’s unnamed setting: a place that evil calls home.

5. Mickey O’Neil (Snatch)

Brad Pitt’s undeniably badass role in Guy Ritchie’s classic sophomore directorial outing is purely a testament to the actor’s physicality. This is not only due to Irish Gypsy Mickey O’Neil intense fighting ability, but because there is not a single line of decipherable dialogue spoken by the character throughout the film.

Brad Pitt was actually so impressed by Guy Ritchie’s 1998 debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels that he personally asked the filmmaker to be in whatever he would do next, inspiring him to rewrite Snatch with a role specially created for the actor. This explains why the often misunderstood boxer’s role feels so loose from the diamond hunt at the center of the plot, yet Mickey O’Neil still ended up becoming, arguably, the film’s most memorable (and undeniably badass) character.

4. Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier (Fury)

I guess Brad Pitt just has the look of a 1940s military officer because Fury, from director David Ayer, is one of two World War II-era films mentioned on this list, but he has starred in a handful. His role as a gruff tank commander fixing to toughen up his young new gunner (Logan Lerman) is one of his darker and, of course, badass characters in that regard.

The quality of his fatherly leadership and resilience in the face of the enemy makes Sergeant Don “Wardaddy” Collier an army of his own. His decision to stay and face a fleet of German soldiers even with his titular tank is an act of valor few people would be willing to make.

3. Cliff Booth (Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood)

Leonardo DiCaprio played the role of film and TV star Rick Dalton in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood. However, I walked out of Quentin Tarnatino’s love letter to the industry’s Golden Age feeling that I would much rather be his second banana, Cliff Booth.

Brad Pitt won an Oscar for making an overly confident, down-on-his-luck stuntman who may or may not have murdered his wife, somehow, the most likable gent in a movie that fuses a fictionalized behind the scenes look at celebrity in the 1960s with revisionist history lesson in the Manson Family. Even during his hilarious quarrel with Mike Moh’s Bruce Lee to his intense visit to Spahn Ranch to his bloody, acid-laced final stand-off nearly the film’s conclusion, Cliff Booth never ceases to emit the kind of charming magnetism you would have to kill for (which, in his case, is not unlikely).

2. Lt. Aldo Raine (Inglourious Basterds)

Despite the fact that Brad Pitt has top billing, the real hero of Inglourious Basterds is not his character, Lt. Aldo Raine, but Melanie Laurent’s French-Jewish cinema operator Shoshanna. However, every minute of screen time featuring the leader of the special unit of Nazi scalpers is owned by Pitt.

The hick-accented, neck-scarred soldier’s commitment to bringing the greatest villains of World War II to justice, made especially evident by the eloquent savagery of his introductory speech to his Jewish-American brethren, makes him as fearsome as it does admirable. Lt. Aldo Raine may have his moments of bumbling (essentially giving up any effort for a convincing Italian accent at a movie premiere crawling with Nazis), Brad Pitt’s first collaboration with writer and director Quentin Tarantino was a match made in history rewriting heaven.

1. Tyler Durden (Fight Club)

Many would agree that Tyler Durden is the ultimate Brad Pitt role, if not one of the top 10 ultimate movie characters in cinematic history. As the unlikely companion to Edward Norton’s anxious nobody in the formation of the titular Fight Club, he redefines what men aspire to be, for better or worse.

It is difficult not to get lost in, and almost be inspired by, the clearly heinous and despicable philosophies preached by Tyler Durden in this 1999 adaptation of Chuck Palhniuk’s novel that satirizes modern consumerism’s influence on toxic masculinity, but how can you resist the words coming from a guy who looks like you want look and is free in all the ways that you are not? Fight Club is yet another collaboration between Brad Pitt and David Fincher that sees the world through a deeply cynical and antagonistic lens, which the unforgettable portrayal of Tyler Durden makes an irresistible classic.

Needless to say, Brad Pitt is, and has always been, a badass. But, he is even more than that: he is an Oscar-winning badass.

There are a number of outstanding film directors who never have been recognized by the Academy for their efforts. Alfred Hitchcock stands out at the top of that heap, but he’s joined by the likes of Sir Ridley Scott, David Lynch, Michael Mann and David Fincher, to name just a few. Quentin Tarantino has two Oscars, though they’re both for screenwriting on his brilliant efforts, Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained. But the rest of his Oscar nominations remained just that – nominations – and never turned into wins.

Quentin Tarantino hopefully is going to get a few more chances at Oscar gold this upcoming year with Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. And while hitting the awards circuit to promote that film, the director sat down with CinemaBlend’s own ReelBlend podcast and opened up about his filmography and his past flirtations with Oscar. In a candid bit of conversation, Tarantino mentioned the one time he felt like he truly was robbed by the Academy, confessing:

You know, he probably was. The opening monologue alone, with Christoph Waltz and the farmer, should have earned Quentin Tarantino the Screenplay Oscar over Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker. Later in our conversation, Tarantino actually confirmed to ReelBlend that he thinks that monologue is the best he has ever written, topping the Sicilian one he wrote for True Romance.

Years after Basterds, Tarantino faced Mark Boal one more time. In 2013, Boal wrote Zero Dark Thirty (again with Bigelow at the helm), and Tarantino had Django Unchained in competition. And Tarantino hilariously told us:

And he did. Quentin Tarantino picked up his second Oscar for screenwriting for Django Unchained that year, and Mark Boal assumedly got up to use the bathroom during the Academy Awards. Will Quentin get another shot at a third Oscar this year? We hope that Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood gets him there, and we will find out soon enough.

Are you looking for something good to watch on Netflix? It's a common concern in our digital age. The streaming service has hours upon hours of content available at the click of a button, but it seems impossible to narrow down what you want to watch. It's certainly a fine problem to have, but a problem nonetheless. But you're in luck, especially if you're looking for fun spy movies to watch. Because we have narrowed the selection down a bit. Hopefully, there's something for everyone on this list — whether you're looking for action, comedy, mystery, suspense, or something else altogether.

There are still a treasure trove of movies available on Netflix, but if you're looking for solid recommendations, especially in the spy genre, then look no further than this list, where we'll offer just eight of the best spy films currently available on Netflix's streaming platform. Whether it's something a little more adult or family-friendly, or it's something action-friendly or full of laughs, we've got your picks waiting for you to pick from. Should you choose this mission, of course. Without further ado, let's break down just eight of the finest, funniest and/or silliest spy films currently available for your viewing pleasure on Netflix. Action, adventure, danger and mystery all wait for you at the click of a button with these titles. Enjoy your movie night!

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997)

Who said spy movies needed to be so serious? With the Austin Powers franchise, Saturday Night Live veteran Mike Myers firmly cemented himself as a household name. The loving 007 parody spawned a franchise that quite nearly rivaled the scope and scale of its blockbuster inspiration. While the sequels never quite reached the same heights as its predecessor, the original Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is still a great slice of satire fun. Portrayed by Mike Myers, who also wrote the comedy's screenplay, Myers adopts the wacky, weird persona of the title character, a super spy with a healthy libido and no shortage of chest hair to boot. The character's love for raunchy humor and double entendres inform the movie's super silly sense of humor, particularly as it focuses on the '70s character's fish out of water adventures in the '90s. If you haven't seen it, it is positively groovy. Stream it here.

The Lives Of Others (2006)

Writer/director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's spellbinding The Lives of Others is an appropriately mesmerizing achievement, if one that doesn't quite have the glamor or radiance that comes with other spy movies. Closer in the vein to Francis Ford Coppola's The Conversation than anything that might come to mind when you think about spy movies, this mystery-thriller, which follows an agent conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover and increasingly finds himself engrossed in their intimate lives, is nevertheless a thrilling and captivating achievement. It should come as little surprise that it took home the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 2007. This intriguing, thoughtful, and thematically dense tale is one worth sharing to others. Watch it here.

Spy Kids (2001)

But spy adventures shouldn't be solely for the adults. Let the kids join in on the fun! While Robert Rodriguez's family-friendly features haven't always resulted in his best work, the filmmaker channelled the charm, creativity, and energy of his adult movies and provided an engaging, entertaining new take on the spy genre with 2001's delightful Spy Kids, one that found the children taking the center stage in a brave effort to rescue their parents from an evil television personality. It is filled with fun gadgets, enjoyable set pieces, several light-hearted moments, and lots of hijinks. Suffice to say, audiences of all-ages can enjoy this early '00s action-adventure. When it comes to the sequels... well, you might be better off not accepting those missions. We'll leave it at that. Check out Spy Kids here.

The Informant! (2009)

While Steven Soderbergh might be more commonly known for his heist trilogy, Ocean's Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen, as well as his award-winning titles like Erin Brockovich and Traffic, to name only two, one very entertaining romp from the acclaimed filmmaker that unfortunately slipped through the cracks was 2009's The Informant!, a true story that's so ludicrous, you'd swear it's fiction. Featuring a career-best performance from Matt Damon, this dramedy finds Damon playing Mark Whitacre, a whistleblower in the lysine price-fixing conspiracy in the mid-'90s who finds himself caught up in a large stream of absurd circumstances throughout the movie's runtime. While the tale never fails to recognize the humor in this situation, the film's portrayal of Mark Whitacre shows a midwestern man who wants to believe he's at the center of a spy capper. Suffice to say, the irony of it all provided a far richer tale. See it all play out here.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Like many Quentin Tarantino movies, Inglourious Basterds isn't simply one thing. The revisionist war drama/dark comedy is a film that's defined more by the eccentric filmmaker's eclectic tastes than any one specific genre. Therefore, it's a little strange to suggest that it's a spy film, since that's only one of several things that someone can call the controversial film, but it does fit the mold — if even marginally. Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine many opportunities where one wouldn't want to celebrate this sensationally good film. The story of a group of allied Jewish soldiers tasked with taking down any and all Nazi soldiers, particularly by way of scalping, plays fast-and-loose with the facts and it isn't one that's easy to define. Nevertheless, it does feature one dazzling sequence with its central spy character, played by Diane Kruger, and it offers plenty of other stylish twists and turns. Check it out here.

Traitor (2008)

A straightforward-yet-engaging American spy thriller, Traitor features strong performances from both Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce as the former plays a Sudanese-American former U.S. soldier with a history of high explosives whom the latter, an FBI special agent, is searching for related to a series of explosions directed at civilians. It's a tense character piece, with a story credit from Steve Martin (surprisingly), yet it's a compelling and dynamic little thriller, one that should make for an engaging viewing. Often, a pair of acclaimed actors providing commanding work is more than enough to satisfy. You can certainly expect to find a number of solid, well-realized performances, as well as thrilling dramatic moments and a whole lot more, in Traitor. Check it out here.

xXx (2002)

Sometimes, you just want to watch something dumb. There's no shame in that. After a long day of work, or an exhausting run of errands, you want to snuggle up on the couch, put on Netflix and relax your brain for two hours. If that's the case, then you will likely get a kick out of Vin Diesel's extremely stupid, yet often entertainingly absurd, xXx. A movie title that will produce no shortage of inappropriate responses if you put it in wrong, this early '00s vehicle for the Fast and the Furious actor is macho movie with a teenage boy's understanding of cool. It has pretty woman, dangerous stunts, fast-moving vehicles and several scenes with its lead actor trying to act like the toughest mofo there is. It's not necessarily a good movie. Hell, it might not even be a decent one. But if you want to unwind and watch something that verges damn well near "so bad it's good" territory, this one could be fun. Stream it here.

Layer Cake (2004)

While Layer Cake might not exactly fit the bill as a traditional spy movie, as it owes more to the crime genre than your typical spy adventure, it has its roots in making at least two of the biggest spy franchises of the early 21st century. Specifically, Layer Cake is the movie that literally got Daniel Craig the gig as James Bond, while it was the directorial debut of producer Matthew Vaughn, who would go on to helm the Kingsman movies. Suffice to say, this Guy Ritchie-esque movie has certainly gone a long way towards influencing the spy movies we see at the multiplex today. That's certainly not an accident. If you're waiting eagerly for either The King's Man, No Time To Die, or both, you should throw Layer Cake on to help you ease the wait for those films. Watch it here.

These are only a mere few of the spy movies currently made available on Netflix. Some of them are more serious than others, certainly. And a few of them are geared more towards younger audiences, while others are decidedly much more adult in their thematic material. Nevertheless, we hope we provided a wide, yet equally narrow, array of titles to choose from based on your personal preferences. Whatever you're looking forward, you should hopefully find from our selections listed above. Let us know what you think of these titles. Also, be sure to name your favorite spy movies available on Netflix below. Maybe we didn't look for all the proper clues and missed a few worth considering? If that's the case, let us know what should be added.

Even in an age when big brands and franchises are totally dominating the cinematic world, the work of writer/director Quentin Tarantino has a special draw for movie fans. In the last 27 years he has been one of the most consistent voices in filmmaking, building one of the most impressive filmographies in modern Hollywood, and regularly produced brilliantly entertaining and unique stories that also happen to be fueled by violence and overflowing with adult language. Of course, there’s also a love-him-or-hate-him side to things, but there is no denying the impact that he’s made – and that’s only been further proven with the release of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

The ninth film from Quentin Tarantino (and supposedly his penultimate as a big screen director), the new movie just had the biggest opening of the filmmaker’s career, and has inspired chatter among cinephiles all over the world. It’s with this in mind that we figured now would be the perfect time to take a look back at Tarantino’s career, and rank his epic contributions to the artform so far:

9. Death Proof (2007)

Death Proof may be the lowest ranking title on this list, but don’t get it twisted – it’s a fantastic film. It just also happens to be the weakest Quentin Tarantino movie. Released as part of 2007’s Grindhouse along with Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, it’s Tarantino offering audiences a lesson about a special particular period of cinematic history close to his heart, while also delivering a balls-out thriller that features some of the best car stunt work of the 21st century. Getting to operate both in his wheelhouse and distinctly outside of it, Kurt Russell puts on one of his most memorable performances as the killer Stuntman Mike, and paired with the ridiculous over-the-top energy of Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell, and Tracie Thoms we get one of the most satisfying conclusions of any offering from the filmmaker.

8. Django Unchained (2012)

If Quentin Tarantino goes the rest of his career without making a traditional superhero project, at the very least audiences can be happy with 2012’s Django Unchained mostly fitting the bill. The film has the same myth-making style storytelling as many other titles in the genre, as Tarantino crafts an epic about a would-be folk hero (were he actually ever alive): the freed slave who fought back. It’s fun and thrilling as a revenge story, while also a deeply emotional look back and the true horrors of American slavery – brought to life by some of the best performances featured in a Tarantino movie. If it weren’t for a bit of plot/pacing janky-ness at the end of the second act it might be ranked higher on this list, but instead it has to settle for being the eighth best from the writer/director.

7. The Hateful Eight (2015)

After more than a decade of making genre adventures much larger in scale than the stories that launched his career, Quentin Tarantino decided to tell a more intimate tale when crafting his eighth feature film. He put aside exciting car chases and continent-spanning revenge missions in favor of a plot centering on a group of individuals in post-Civil War Wyoming who get stranded together during a blizzard and slowly learn that not everything is as it seems. And the end result is magnificent. The Hateful Eight was a gamble for Tarantino, as it’s not easy to create a nearly three-hour-long movie almost exclusively set in one location, but with brilliant performances from Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh; a series of tight, dark twists; an Oscar-worthy Ennio Morricone score, and genius punctuation moments of violence, it still remains one of the filmmaker’s most thrilling works.

6. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Quentin Tarantino came up in the industry at a time when a lot of other insanely talented filmmakers were getting their movies shown, as the rise of independent film brought us names like Sam Raimi, Richard Linklater, the Coen brothers, and Robert Rodriguez, but watching 1992’s Reservoir Dogs it’s easy to understand how the filmmaker immediately distinguished himself. So many of his greatest auteur qualities are right up on the big screen from jump street, from the sharp, pop culture-obsessed dialogue, to the long tracking shots, to the eclectic song choices on the soundtrack. Telling the story of a group of mysterious thieves in the aftermath of a job gone horribly wrong, the feature is simply one of the greatest directorial debuts in history, and is filled with iconic moments and lines from end-to-end.

5. Jackie Brown (1997)

The legacy of Quentin Tarantino in Hollywood will always be primarily centered around his contributions as a filmmaker who specializes in original stories – but this should do nothing to undercut the immense value of Jackie Brown, which arguably exists as the writer/director’s most underrated work. The filmmaker combines the Elmore Leonard-authored source material with a fantastic modern take on Blaxploitation, and weaves an intensely fun crime caper busting at the seams with amazing characters. Samuel L. Jackson’s Ordell Robbie is easily one of the best antagonists featured in a Tarantino movie, while both Pam Grier and Robert Forster deliver the two best performances of their respective careers. It’s a gem filled with iconic moments literally from beginning to end (the moving walkway opening at LAX is a stunner, as is the achingly romantic and painful final sequence), and it’s the best big screen adaptation of a Leonard novel – which is saying a lot when you consider the greatness of Out Of Sight and Get Shorty.

4. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

After nearly 30 years of watching his movies, you’d think that we’d have a solid beat on everything Quentin Tarantino… but then he comes along and directs a film that is completely different from the rest of his filmography as his ninth feature. The fact alone that it’s not a plot totally steeped in violence makes it a work apart, but simultaneously Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is one of Tarantino’s most passionate and personal releases in telling the story of two best friends – an actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and a stuntman (Brad Pitt) – who have come to the understanding that the world has passed them by. It has an excellent, explosive finish courtesy of the Manson Family subplot that is strung throughout, but the great takeaway is that it’s a work of real poignancy from the writer/director, and analytically a fascinating inward look from a guy who sees himself slowly approaching the end of his career.

3. Kill Bill (2003 & 2004)

Though some confuse it with plagiarism, what makes Quentin Tarantino particularly fascinating as a filmmaker is his shockingly deep knowledge of motion picture history, and his ability to first totally understand why certain choices are made, and then apply those lessons learned to his own work. Kill Bill is perhaps the greatest example of this: Tarantino is an uber-passionate fan of martial arts cinema, and every ounce of that passion is distilled into the two-part epic following Beatrix Kiddo a.k.a. The Bride (Uma Thurman) on a roaring rampage of revenge. The end result is one of the greatest films the genre has ever produced--and he considers what was released as two movies to be one film. Between its action choreography, general stylistic flair, and amazing cast, there’s endless things to love about it, but arguably the most impressive is just how different the first and second halves are while still coming together as a stunning cohesive whole.

2. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Just about everyone has pondered the question of going back in time to kill Adolf Hitler, but in 2009 Quentin Tarantino took that idea an extra step further with Inglourious Basterds. In it, the filmmaker imagines an alternate world history where the efforts of allied forces result in the assassination of the Nazi leader… and one could make a case for it being the most entertaining World War II movie ever made. In its three-pronged story – following a squad of Jewish guerrilla fighters; a theater owner executing a mission of vengeance; and a Nazi colonel maneuvering against both of them – there is absolutely everything you could want from a 1940s-set revenge story. It famously ends with the seemingly self-referential line, “I think this just might be my masterpiece,” and we would totally agree… if it were not for one of Tarantino’s other titles.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)

As noted above, Reservoir Dogs proved to be a perfect start for Quentin Tarantino’s career, immediately telling audiences what he’s all about and what he can deliver as a filmmaker, but it was Pulp Fiction that quickly proved to the world that the writer/director is one of the all-time greats (which is pretty insane when you consider it was just his sophomore effort). Broken down it’s a non-linear collection of vignettes with shared characters telling a variety of tales around Los Angeles, but the way in which in brings everything together was revolutionary in the mid-1990s, and it became a total game-changer. This movie defined the shift into the post-modern era for the crime genre, and its influence can be found in hundreds if not thousands of features released since. It’s one of the most important films of all time, and Tarantino’s greatest to date.

How do you rank the films of Quentin Tarantino? Does your rundown line up with ours, or are there some key differences? Hit the comments section below with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions, and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates about the writer/director's cinematic future.

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As a former child star-turned-major league superstar, with more than thirty years of professional acting experience under his belt, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most prolific working actors in Hollywood, and he provides his newest leading role in Quentin Tarantino's much-anticipated ninth movie, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. He didn't become an Oscar-winning mega-star overnight; it took a lot of hard-work in high-profile films for him to excel.

Whether it's Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, Django Unchained, The Aviator, The Departed, The Revenant, Catch Me If You Can, Blood Diamond, The Great Gatsby, Gangs of New York, Inception or any number of other high-profile roles, Leonardo DiCaprio has continued to establish himself in many different films, and it's all-the-more impressive what he has accomplished when you consider the high volume of roles and films he had to turn down.

For every memorable performance he brought to the screen, there are at least half a dozen roles he turned down — for any variety of reasons. Let's take a look at the most noteworthy films that Leonardo DiCaprio didn't appear in, and the various different explanations for why things didn't work out.

Inglorious Basterds (2009)

While Leonardo DiCapario has established a working relationship with writer/director Quentin Tarantino in recent years, giving one of his best performances to date in Django Unchained and playing one of the lead roles in the filmmaker's new film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, there was once a point in time when DiCaprio was sought to play Col. Hans Landa, the main antagonist, in a role that since iconized by Christoph Waltz.

As the Nazi colonel who hunted down our title gang of soldiers in this alternate history take on World War II, Hans Landa would've certainly been a departure for Leonardo DiCaprio, playing a charismatic-yet-deeply-sinister foe for our lead Nazi-hating heroes. But Quentin Tarantino was interested in the actor playing the villainous part before he decided that it would be better for a German actor to play the role. Clearly, this was the right decision. Christoph Waltz's work was unmatchable, and it's hard to imagine anyone else playing the part. Tarantino later noted that Waltz "gave him" his movie.

Spider-Man (2002)

These days, we're used to a number of different actors playing the part of Spider-Man. Whether it's Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire, we have seen many variations of the Web-Slinger on the screen. But what if Leonardo DiCaprio don the tights? It's kind of hard to imagine, but there was once a point in time where Leonardo DiCaprio was in consideration to play Peter Parker himself in one version of Spider-Man.

James Cameron was planning to direct Spider-Man in the '90s, being the first filmmaker to ever bring the Web-Slinger to the big screen. (Can you imagine a time so simple?) Alas, his version of the famous Marvel superhero never came to pass, with Sam Raimi taking the reigns of the project and casting Tobey Maguire in the lead role. But in an interview with Empire, Leonardo DiCaprio claims that his Titanic director was interested in having the young actor star in the film, and he claims there was a screenplay, but little else. DiCaprio ultimately claims that his career "would have changed" if he decided to play Spidey, though one has to wonder if that would be true. Alas, we'll never know for certain.

The Matrix (1999)

Much like Will Smith, there was once a point in time where Leonardo DiCaprio was considered for the lead role of Neo in The Matrix. You have to remember that there were a number of big name stars being considered for this role, including Brad Pitt. With Titanic coming out only a couple years earlier, it makes perfect sense that both Warner Bros. and The Wachowskis would be interested in this young superstar leading their major sci-fi film.

Alas, it wasn't meant to be. According to Elite Daily, Leonardo DiCaprio allegedly had major concerns about the number of visual effects required for the film, perhaps believing that it'd either take away from his performance or become too daunting to ever reach completion. Instead, Keanu Reeves took on this lead role, and it gave the John Wick actor's career a major boost during a pivotal point in his life and career. It all worked out.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (2002)

It's rare that you find an actor who is willing to turn down a lead role in a new Star Wars movie, but Leonardo DiCaprio is not your average, ordinary actor. When it came time to bring adult Anakin Skywalker's story to the big screen, there were several actors in consideration for the role. One of them being Leonardo DiCaprio, which makes sense given the actor's ability to portray sorrow, lust, anguish and deep, fiery anger. He might've been a good fit.

But apparently, Leonardo DiCaprio didn't want to do it. While he sat down with George Lucas to discuss the part, he explained in an interview with ShortList magazine that he didn't feel he was "ready to take that dive at that point," and he ultimately passed on the role. Hayden Christensen was the actor who was ultimately chosen to play the future Darth Vader, and when you consider the amount of vitriol he gets on a regular basis, maybe it was the right call for Leo to pass on the part. Though one wonders what Anakin Skywalker would've been like had Leonardo DiCaprio said yes.

American Psycho (2000)

For many moviegoers, American Psycho was their introduction to future Oscar-winning chameleon of an actor, Christian Bale. But if fate wound up differently, Leonardo DiCaprio would've taken on the role of Patrick Bateman in the 2000 film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' best-selling novel. As it was reported by The Huffington Post, director and screenwriter Mary Harron was interested in Bale for the lead role, but the studio wanted Leonardo DiCaprio. They temporarily fired the director for the project and hired DiCaprio for the part. Eventually, things did turn back around again.

While Mary Harron was deadset on having Christian Bale in the role, Lionsgate reportedly felt that the British actor wasn't a big enough name, and they wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to bring in a wider audience. The original filmmaker and a producer felt DiCaprio wasn't right for the part, but the studio fetched a number of other directors, including Tim Burton and Oliver Stone. But DiCaprio ultimately disagreed with Stone, and he decided to make Danny Boyle's The Beach instead. This casting change invited Mary Harron to return to the director's chair, and it allowed Bale to play the part.

Batman Forever (1995)

Can you imagine a scenario where Leonardo DiCaprio played Robin in a Batman movie? Apparently it almost happened, depending on who you ask. While there were reports claiming that DiCaprio was being heavily sought out for the part in 1995's Batman Forever, including a screen test, the actor claims in the Shortlist magazine interview that he never got a screen test, but he met with director Joel Schumacher to discuss the hit superhero film.

However, while Leonardo DiCaprio was quick to praise Joel Schumacher as a "very talented director," the actor didn't feel comfortable taking on the role. He claims he had little interest in it to begin with, and while he went to the meeting for pleasantries sake, he felt no strong desire to participate in this film. Ultimately, the role of Robin went to Chris O'Donnell, who would also reprise the role in Schumacher's ill-fate Batman & Robin. Ultimately, it seems that Leonardo DiCaprio made the right call this time. After all, he might not have taken the role in Titanic if he'd been stuck in these movies.

Boogie Nights (1997)

Dirk Diggler is one of Mark Wahlberg's most acclaimed and revered performances, but it was almost Leonardo DiCaprio who starred in the lead role in Paul Thomas Anderson's masterful three-hour, rise-and-fall porn saga epic, Boogie Nights, from 1997. As you would expect, the production would be a big commitment for any actor, let alone Leonardo DiCaprio, and with the production of the movie often on uncertain terms at times, it wasn't to be.

While some might assume that Leonardo DiCaprio turned down the part because the porn elements might possibly go against his teen heartthrob image at the time, it sounds like DiCaprio was interested in the film, but he ultimately decided to make Titanic. While that movie's production wasn't much smoother, it was the movie that DiCaprio felt more inclined to make. And obviously, it worked out in the end. Boogie Nights was a tremendous showcase for Mark Wahlberg's early acting chops, while Titanic remains the biggest hit of DiCaprio's career. And while there were mumblings about a potential feud being born between Wahlberg and DiCaprio due to the casting of this particular film, the record has since been shown that it's all false.

Interview With The Vampire (1994)

After the tragic circumstances surrounding the late River Phoenix's untimely death, the role of Malloy, i.e. The Interviewer, in Neil Jordan's Anne Rice adaptation, Interview with a Vampire, was left open. There were several actors being considered for the role, and reportedly, Leonardo Dicaprio was one of the actors in the running for the part in the major vampire fable. That said, just like a number of other actors, Leonardo DiCaprio didn't get the part.

It was ultimately Christian Slater who was cast to play the part in the film opposite Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and a young Kirsten Dunst. It's not entirely clear what happened with Leonardo DiCaprio, but it sounds like he declined the part more than he was passed over. In any case, while DiCaprio did not end up appearing in this particular film, the actor did take River Phoenix's one-time role in 1995's drama Total Eclipse, in an odd turn-of-events.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

The Talented Mr. Ripley, Anthony Minghella's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's well-acclaimed novel, is often considered one of Matt Damon's best performances. But in another timeline, if the stars had aligned in a different formation, it sounds like Leonardo DiCaprio would've gotten the chance to take on the part of the calculated young title character who takes to extreme measures during a trip to Italy in this cold, compelling character study.

There are always a number of actors considered for any one part, and it sounds like Leonardo DiCaprio was one of many actors who were in contention to play the role. Ultimately, the actor declined to take on the title role, leaving the invitation open to Matt Damon. It seems like some people have the luxury to turn down a work trip to Italy. If one we were all so lucky to have such luxuries in our life. But Leo certainly isn't a mere somebody. It should also be noted that Leonardo DiCaprio was also in contention for another Anthony Minghella movie, Cold Mountain, for the role Jude Law took.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

While Disney's Hocus Pocus might be more of a fan favorite than a critical darling, there is no denying that there are a ton of people who love this bewitching movie. And there's a good chance that they would love it even more than they do already if Leonardo DiCaprio took on one major role.

The young child star auditioned for the role of Max, and he reportedly left a big impression on director Kenny Ortega. However, the actor was too busy with a number of other movies to take on this role, and it ultimately went to Omri Katz. But if the producers had their way, it might've gone to Leo.

These are only a few of the movies Leonardo DiCaprio almost starred in, and there's a good chance he passed on the opportunity to appear in countless more movies. But if you do want to see Leo in his newest movie, check out Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which opens in theaters tonight.

Quentin Tarantino has made some of the most interesting and unique films of the modern day but none of them may quite as unusual as Inglorious Basterds. It's a World War II movie that takes an alternate history take on the key moment in world history. It's one thing to make minor tweaks to history to make a story work, but Inglorious Basterds takes things much further than that by actually killing off Adolf Hitler in a way utterly unrelated to actual history.

Recently, in advance of the premiere of Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live and revealed that the decision to kill off Hitler in a movie theater came during a late night writing session for Inglorious Basterds where he came up against the question of what to do about the Nazi leader, and decided to simply take the easy way out. According to Tarantino...

When you've got Hitler trapped in a movie theater, you need to figure out what's going to happen to him. It's not exactly a moment to ignore. It seems Tarantino considered some ideas that wouldn't have necessarily messed with the historical record quite so much, like having it not actually be Hitler, or seeing Hitler escape. However, Tarantino didn't love those ideas, and finally came upon a radical idea, just let the Basterds kill him.

The idea of killing Hitler off didn't make it directly into the script. Tarantino says that he decided to sleep on the idea before deciding if it was the right call...

Most fans of Inglorious Basterds would probably agree that it's a great idea. The fact that the movie doesn't feel obligated to actual history at the very least allows it to be as creative with the rest of its story as it wants to be.

Quentin Tarantino's new movie, Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood also deals with actual historical events, but also inserts a great deal of fiction inside them. You can check out the director's full comments on both films in the clip below.

Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood hits theaters tomorrow.

Competition continues to heat up in the streaming world, as Netflix is driving the conversation around its platform yet again with a new slew of material debuting on the streaming service in July. With the usual mix of older movies and new additions headed to the streaming catalog, there are some long-awaited TV programs that are returning. In one particular case, fans will be saying goodbye to a long running Netflix Original as it takes its final bow.

If you're curious about June's slate of releases, you can head over to that lineup to see what's been added throughout this past month. But if you're ready for the future of Netflix's continued campaign of entertainment, then follow us into July's brand new offerings...

Week of July 1

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - 7/1/19

Astro Boy - 7/1/19

Caddyshack - 7/1/19

Caddyshack 2 - 7/1/19

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - 7/1/19

Cheech & Chong's Up in Smoke - 7/1/19

Cloverfield - 7/1/19

Designated Survivor: 60 days - NETFLIX ORIGINAL - 7/1/19

Disney's Race to Witch Mountain - 7/1/19

Frozen River - 7/1/19

Inkheart - 7/1/19