Lists
15 Must-Watch Movies Everyone Should See at Least Once
The Shawshank Redemption, The Dark Knight, Parasite and more: the films people quote, rewatch and recommend most, and why each one earns its place.
DailyMovieHub TeamEditorial team3 min read
Some movies are so widely loved that not having seen them means missing half the jokes on the internet. This is our list of the films worth seeing at least once, whatever your usual taste.
We skipped films that only critics love. Everything here is a movie normal audiences rate highly and keep recommending.
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
★ 8.72h 22mDrama · CrimeEnglish
Directed by Frank Darabont · Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman
A banker sentenced to life in prison for a crime he says he didn't commit slowly builds a friendship with a fellow inmate over two decades. It flopped in theaters and became one of the most-loved films ever on home video.
Watch it if you need a story about hope. It works every time.
2. The Godfather (1972)
★ 8.72h 55mDrama · CrimeEnglish
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola · Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino
The aging head of a mafia family hands power to his reluctant youngest son. Every crime family story since owes something to this one, and Al Pacino's transformation from outsider to boss is still chilling.
Long, but it never drags.
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
★ 8.52h 32mAction · Thriller · CrimeEnglish
Directed by Christopher Nolan · Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger
Batman faces the Joker, a criminal who wants nothing except chaos. Heath Ledger's performance won a posthumous Oscar, and the film proved a superhero movie could also be a serious crime drama.
4. Pulp Fiction (1994)
★ 8.52h 34mThriller · Crime · ComedyEnglish
Directed by Quentin Tarantino · Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson
Hitmen, a boxer, a gangster's wife and a pair of diner robbers cross paths in stories told out of order. Quentin Tarantino's dialogue made this one of the most quoted movies ever.
Violent and full of language, so not for kids.
5. Forrest Gump (1994)
★ 8.52h 22mComedy · Drama · RomanceEnglish
Directed by Robert Zemeckis · Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright
A kind man with a low IQ wanders through the biggest moments of 20th-century America while waiting for the woman he loves. Funny, sad and very rewatchable, with Tom Hanks at his best.
6. Parasite (2019)
★ 8.52h 13mComedy · Thriller · DramaKorean
Directed by Bong Joon Ho · Starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun
A poor family cons its way into working for a rich one, and then something in the house changes everything. Bong Joon-ho's film became the first non-English-language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars.
Go in knowing as little as possible.
7. The Matrix (1999)
★ 8.32h 16mAction · Science FictionEnglish
Directed by Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski · Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne
A hacker learns that the world he lives in is a simulation and that he may be the one to free humanity. Its "bullet time" action and big ideas changed action movies for a decade.
8. Fight Club (1999)
★ 8.42h 19mDrama · ThrillerEnglish
Directed by David Fincher · Starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt
An exhausted office worker meets a charismatic soap salesman, and their underground fight club grows into something much bigger. Sharp, dark and famous for its twist.
9. Se7en (1995)
★ 8.42h 7mCrime · Mystery · ThrillerEnglish
Directed by David Fincher · Starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt
Two detectives hunt a killer who murders according to the seven deadly sins. David Fincher's grim, rainy thriller has an ending people still talk about.
Disturbing at times. Not a date-night movie.
10. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
★ 8.31h 59mCrime · Thriller · DramaEnglish
Directed by Jonathan Demme · Starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins
A young FBI trainee asks an imprisoned cannibal psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter, for help catching another killer. Anthony Hopkins is only on screen for about sixteen minutes and owns the whole film.
11. GoodFellas (1990)
★ 8.52h 25mDrama · CrimeEnglish
Directed by Martin Scorsese · Starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta
The true story of Henry Hill's life in the mob, from teenage errand boy to paranoid informant. Martin Scorsese's energy, music and narration make it endlessly watchable.
12. Gladiator (2000)
★ 8.22h 35mAction · Drama · AdventureEnglish
Directed by Ridley Scott · Starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix
A Roman general betrayed by the new emperor becomes a slave, then a gladiator, and fights his way back toward revenge. Big, emotional and built for a loud sound system.
13. The Prestige (2006)
★ 8.22h 11mDrama · Mystery · Science FictionEnglish
Directed by Christopher Nolan · Starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale
Two rival magicians in Victorian London destroy each other's lives in pursuit of the perfect trick. Christopher Nolan's puzzle box rewards a second viewing more than almost any film here.
14. Whiplash (2014)
★ 8.41h 47mDrama · Music · ThrillerEnglish
Directed by Damien Chazelle · Starring Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons
A young jazz drummer joins a conservatory band run by a terrifying instructor. A thriller in everything but name, with an ending that feels like a battle.
15. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
★ 8.41h 57mAnimation · Action · AdventureEnglish
Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey · Starring Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson
Teenager Miles Morales becomes Spider-Man and meets Spider-people from other dimensions. The animation looks like a comic book come to life, and it is the best superhero origin story in years.
Great for the whole family.
How we picked
We chose films that both audiences and critics rate highly, that people still rewatch and quote years later, and that cover different genres, so there is something here for everyone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most-loved movie of all time? On most audience polls, The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather trade the top spot.
Which of these are family-friendly? Forrest Gump and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse are the easiest picks for mixed ages. Many others are rated for adults.
Where can I stream them? Check each card above. Streaming rights change often and differ by country.
Ratings, runtimes and streaming availability come from TMDB and JustWatch and update automatically. Availability differs by country.