The top 10 ‘best films of all time’ | Films | Entertainment

We all rely on Rotten Tomatoes to decide whether a movie is worth watching. It’s the most popular film-reviewing platform, and it includes both critics’ ratings and audience ratings; these can differ quite widely at times. But here, the critics and audience have come together to rank the best movies of all time.

Here are the top 10 best movies of all time according to Rotten Tomatoes users and critics.

This 1993 classic, starring Liam Neeson, is a story of a German industrialist who saved more than a thousand mostly Polish–Jewish refugees from the Holocaust during World War 2. The critics give it 98% and state: “Schindler’s List blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg‘s signature tender humanism to create the director’s dramatic masterpiece.”

The Battle of Algiers follows Colonel Philippe as he is tasked with suppressing the uprising against the French government in French Algeria. The film gets 95% from the audience and 99% from the critics. They said: “A documentary-like depiction of a nation’s real-life efforts to expel a colonising force, The Battle of Algiers puts viewers on the front lines with gripping realism.

The film’s plot states: “Charlot works at the modern factory where he is bored of the same mechanical gesture. One day out of clumsiness, he misses one component and disrupts the production line. How will he fix this mess now?” Modern Times has an impressive score of 98% from the critics. Their consensus reads: “A slapstick skewering of industrialised America, Modern Times is as politically incisive as it is laugh-out-loud hilarious.”

Chinatown is a mystery from 1974 that the critics describe as “bruised and cynical as the decade that produced it, this noir classic benefits from Robert Towne’s brilliant screenplay, director Roman Polanski’s steady hand, and wonderful performances from Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway”. The film is widely considered one of the greats.

1954’s On the Waterfront is a classic drama-meets-gangster movie starring Marlon Brando. The critics prefer it here and award it 99%, stating: “With his electrifying performance in Elia Kazan’s thought-provoking, expertly constructed melodrama, Marlon Brando redefined the possibilities of acting for film and helped permanently alter the cinematic landscape.”

L.A. Confidential centres on three policeman each dealing with their own motives and demons. With 99%, the critics think it’s “taut pacing, brilliantly dense writing and Oscar-worthy acting combine to produce a smart, popcorn-friendly thrill ride”.

Rear Window gets 99% from the critics, their consensus states: “Hitchcock exerted full potential of suspense in this masterpiece.” The film’s plot reads: “A newspaper photographer with a broken leg passes time recuperating by observing his neighbours through his window. He sees what he believes to be a murder, and decides to solve the crime himself. With the help of his nurse and wife, he tries to catch the murderer without being killed himself.”

Casablanca is a story of love and morals and was both filmed and set during World War 2. The critics award it with 99% and say: “An undisputed masterpiece and perhaps Hollywood‘s quintessential statement on love and romance, Casablanca has only improved with age, boasting career-defining performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.”

1956’s Seven Samurai follows a samurai and six others whom he trains to help defend themselves and their village. The critics rank it with a stellar 100% and say: “Arguably Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, The Seven Samurai is an epic adventure classic with an engrossing story, memorable characters, and stunning action sequences that make it one of the most influential films ever made.”