Ranked: IMDb’s 25 Highest-Rated Movies Ever
Key Takeaways
- With a 9.3 rating from 3.2 million users, The Shawshank Redemption (1994) is the highest-rated film in IMDb history.
- The 1990s account for nearly half of IMDb’s 25 highest-rated films as of 2026.
- Every post-2000 film in the top 25 is either a Lord of the Rings installment or directed by Christopher Nolan.
Millions of movie fans have rated films on IMDb, creating one of the internet’s most influential rankings of cinema.
This timeline highlights the 25 highest-rated movies according to IMDb’s regular voters. Films are rated on a scale from 1 to 10, and the rankings continue to evolve as new votes are submitted.
Why the 1990s Dominate IMDb
Although IMDb’s rankings span nearly 80 years of cinema, the 1990s account for nearly half of the site’s top 25 films.
The decade produced an unusually deep run of acclaimed movies across multiple genres, including GoodFellas (8.7), Schindler’s List (9.0), Forrest Gump (8.8), and the top-ranked The Shawshank Redemption (9.3).
This table highlights IMDb’s 25 highest-rated films alongside their release year and score.
| Rank | Film | Year | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | 9.3 |
| 2 | The Godfather | 1972 | 9.2 |
| 3 | The Dark Knight | 2008 | 9.1 |
| 4 | The Godfather Part II | 1974 | 9.0 |
| 5 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2003 | 9.0 |
| 6 | 12 Angry Men | 1957 | 9.0 |
| 7 | Schindler’s List | 1993 | 9.0 |
| 8 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | 8.9 |
| 9 | Pulp Fiction | 1994 | 8.8 |
| 10 | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | 1966 | 8.8 |
| 11 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | 8.8 |
| 12 | Forrest Gump | 1994 | 8.8 |
| 13 | Fight Club | 1999 | 8.8 |
| 14 | Inception | 2010 | 8.8 |
| 15 | Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | 8.7 |
| 16 | The Matrix | 1999 | 8.7 |
| 17 | Interstellar | 2014 | 8.7 |
| 18 | GoodFellas | 1990 | 8.7 |
| 19 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | 1975 | 8.6 |
| 20 | Seven | 1995 | 8.6 |
| 21 | It’s a Wonderful Life | 1946 | 8.6 |
| 22 | The Silence of the Lambs | 1991 | 8.6 |
| 23 | Saving Private Ryan | 1998 | 8.6 |
| 24 | Seven Samurai | 1954 | 8.6 |
| 25 | The Green Mile | 1999 | 8.6 |
Other highly rated films from the decade include The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and The Green Mile (1999), each with a score of 8.6.
Older Classics That Still Rank Highly
While the rankings lean toward more recent releases, several older classics continue to hold prominent positions.
Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life (8.6) is the oldest film in the top 25. Its score is matched by Seven Samurai, released less than a decade later.
The highest-ranked film from Hollywood’s earlier eras is 12 Angry Men. The 1957 courtroom drama, set almost entirely inside a jury room, ranks sixth overall with a score of 9.0.
Christopher Nolan’s Modern Standouts
Only six movies released since 2000 have entered IMDb’s top 25. Three are installments in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, released from 2001 to 2003, with an average score of 8.9.
The other three were directed by British-American filmmaker Christopher Nolan. His 2008 Batman film The Dark Knight (9.1) ranks third overall and has received 3.2 million ratings, matching the total for The Shawshank Redemption.
Nolan returned to the list with the science-fiction heist film Inception (8.8) in 2010 and Interstellar (8.7) in 2014.
Interstellar is the most recently released movie in IMDb’s top 25. Nolan’s profile has continued to grow through later projects including Oppenheimer (2023) and The Odyssey (2026).
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