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Schindler's list, common sense media reviewers.

Accurate, heartbreaking masterpiece about the Holocaust.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The film shows the best and worst of human nature

The film follows Schindler's transformation fr

Depictions of point-blank shootings, murders, beat

A few scenes of nakedness associated with sex (bar

Anti-Semitic epithets. "F--k," "s--

The Nazi commander is often drunk. Schindler smoke

Positive Messages

The film shows the best and worst of human nature -- psychotic mass murder and altruistic saving of lives.

Positive Role Models

The film follows Schindler's transformation from greedy war profiteer to humanitarian who eventually saves the lives of 1,100 people destined for death at Auschwitz. He learns and demonstrates compassion, integrity, and perseverance.

Violence & Scariness

Depictions of point-blank shootings, murders, beatings, and mass murders. A man kisses a woman against her will.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A few scenes of nakedness associated with sex (bare female breasts, thrusting and moaning), but many other scenes show concentration camp members naked in non-sexual contexts (full-frontal nudity of Jewish prisoners in the shower, when they are being stripped and examined, etc.).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Anti-Semitic epithets. "F--k," "s--t," "bitch," "damn," "ass."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The Nazi commander is often drunk. Schindler smokes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Schindler's List is a brutal, emotionally devastating three-hour drama that won several Oscars and has a powerful message about the human spirit -- but it pulls absolutely no punches when depicting the Holocaust. There are arbitrary murders and mass killings, Nazi commanders compare Jews to rats, children are killed, and there are scenes of shocking, grisly violence. There's also plenty of smoking and drinking, and several scenes of nakedness. In two of them, a woman is naked from the waist up in bed and in sexual situations. But in the rest, nakedness is used to humiliate and harass Jewish residents of concentration camps. There's full-frontal nudity of Jewish prisoners in the shower, when they are being stripped and examined, etc. There are anti-Semitic epithets as well as words such as "f--k," "s--t," "bitch," "damn," and "ass." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (35)
Kids say (106)

Based on 35 parent reviews

The Greatest Movie of all Time!

What's the story.

In SCHINDLER'S LIST, Steven Spielberg displays the virtuosity of a great documentary film maker: The Holocaust, in which six million Jews, political prisoners, Jehovah's Witnesses, and gays were killed, is too vast and too atrocious to fathom. So Spielberg searches history for the one true story that will make it comprehensible. He gives us Czechoslovakian businessman Oskar Schindler ( Liam Neeson ), a grandiose, insinuating businessman bent on making a successful business on the backs of Jews who are robbed of their homes, jobs, property, and, many, their lives. The film follows Schindler's transformation from greedy war profiteer to humanitarian who eventually saves the lives of 1,100 people destined for death at Auschwitz. But there are two main characters in this film. If one is Schindler, the other, undoubtedly, is the Holocaust itself. Spielberg gives us the Holocaust in the names of the Schindler Jews, and uses real-life stories to make it real. We get Ihtzak Stern (played with quiet rage and dignity by Ben Kingsley ), the Jewish accountant who runs Schindler's manufacturing plant. We get Helen Hirsch ( Embeth Davidtz ), the Jewish woman who serves as a Nazi commander's (played with icy sadism by Ralph Fiennes ) maid and the object of his twisted adoration. We get, as the title implies, a list of people, of faces, of stories that make the atrocities of World War II real.

Is It Any Good?

There are few films more powerful and important than this 1993 winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, but that's not why you should watch this film. Watch it for the brilliant storytelling, great acting, and its message that one person can make a difference in the face of evil.

While Schindler's List is a brilliant film, its three-plus hour running time and true-to-life grisly violence make it mostly a film for adults. If you have a particularly mature teen, share this film with him and talk about it afterward. Families that watch the film may want to watch the bonus features on the real-life experiences of the Schindler Jews and on the Survivors of the Shoah Foundation. The film may prompt a discussion of genocide elsewhere in the world and what individuals can do to help put an end to it. It may also prompt a visit to a museum of tolerance or the Holocaust Museum.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about their reaction to Schindler's List 's emotionally difficult material. Do you believe the atrocities depicted here can happen again? Why or why not?

Families may want to watch additional DVDs produced by the Survivors of the Shoah Foundation designed to help kids understand and confront bias.

Discuss other ways in which individuals make a difference.

How do the characters in Schindler's List demonstrate compassion , integrity , and perseverance ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

In theaters : January 1, 1993
On DVD or streaming : September 9, 2004
Cast : Ben Kingsley , Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes
Director : Steven Spielberg
Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian actors
Studio : Universal Pictures
Genre : Drama
Character Strengths : Compassion , Integrity , Perseverance
Run time : 196 minutes
MPAA rating : R
MPAA explanation : language, violence, and some sexuality
Last updated : May 15, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Schindler's List Reviews

It brought the Holocaust to a mass non-Jewish audience at a time when survivors were dying of old age, and testimony was at risk of being lost.

Full Review | Original Score: 10/10 | Feb 7, 2024

Spielberg employs all the emotive Hollywood tools at his disposal and the result is a remarkable film with wide appeal and real importance. Neeson is phenomenal, but matched by towering performances from Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes.

Full Review | Jan 22, 2024

A great film, a powerful film, and even if it’s not the definitive American Holocaust film, it remains on the very short list of the most important ones. (30th anniversary)

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Dec 19, 2023

This isn't your high-octane thriller; rather, acts of heroism unfold with a deliberate, strategic cadence.

Full Review | Dec 12, 2023

Spielberg’s most personal film is also his finest and most altruistic.

Full Review | Jun 8, 2023

It's the faces that make Schindler's List a magnificent, harrowing, stomach-wrenching, emotional piece of cinema.

Full Review | Dec 16, 2022

Schindler's List is not only a masterpiece but something of a miracle.

A film of immense power and the deepest sincerity.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Aug 25, 2022

It’s a bad business

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | May 5, 2022

Steven Spielberg's triumphant Schindler's List is a remarkable and moving memorial to an historical Holocaust. It is also a timely reminder of what genocide and "ethnic cleansing" really mean. But, above all, it is a cracking movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Mar 7, 2022

Using every ounce of his awe some technical skill, the man who sent T. rex and Indiana Jones racing through our imagination brings us a story of human horror beyond imagination.

Full Review | Apr 15, 2021

Once in a very great while, a movie insinuates itself so deeply into your consciousness that it offers not vicarious experience but instead, direct experience. Steven Spielberg's heartfelt, monumental Schindler's List is such a movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Apr 15, 2021

This is a movie that succeeds brilliantly not just in bringing a terrible chapter in history back to life, but in meticulously depicting the processes through which a self-obsessed and immature man becomes integrated and responsible.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Apr 15, 2021

There are enough "Spielbergian" set pieces and incidental touches to keep Schindler accessible to those who believe that the best Spielberg is the perky Spielberg of the E.T. and Indiana Jones romps.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Apr 15, 2021

How does one comprehend the magnitude of the Holocaust? Remarkably, Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List defines the horror of Hitler's "final solution" on vividly human terms without diminishing its scope or impact.

Few films have ever dealt so chillingly with what philosopher Hannah Arendt called "the banality of evil."

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Apr 15, 2021

Liam Neeson is a splendid Schindler, tall, handsome, devil-may-care and a poker-playing genius. Ben Kingsley, as Itzhak Stern, Schindler's accountant and chief aide, is as brilliant as ever, and Ralph Fiennes is evil and powerful as Amon Goeth.

A towering cinematic accomplishment from director Steven Spielberg that left all other 1993 films in its wake.

Full Review | Original Score: A+ | Apr 15, 2021

Spielberg's dazzlingly modulated epic Schindler's List is nothing less than astonishing.

A near-documentary, brilliantly designed and choreographed, [and] a character study in which Ralph Fiennes, the winningly urbane Liam Neeson, and the magnificently impassive Ben Kingsley attain a memorable dramatic intensity.

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Schindler’s List

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

Remember Me 14 years ago
Shutter Island 14 years ago
Green Zone 14 years ago

After several attempts at making a fully realized, mature film, Steven Spielberg has finally put it all together in “Schindler’s List.” A remarkable work by any standard, this searing historical and biographical drama, about a Nazi industrialist who saved some 1,100 Jews from certain death in the concentration camps, evinces an artistic rigor and unsentimental intelligence unlike anything the world’s most successful filmmaker has demonstrated before. Marked by a brilliant screenplay, exceptionally supple technique, three staggeringly good lead performances and an attitude toward the traumatic subject matter that is both passionately felt and impressively restrained, this is the film to win over Spielberg skeptics.

How the general public will take to a three-hour, fifteen-minute, black-and-white epic about the Holocaust with no major stars is another matter. Even with the cards of conventional wisdom stacked against it, top reviews, off-entertainment page coverage, possible awards and the Spielberg name should stir enough interest to turn release into an event, elevating it to must-see status for discerning audiences worldwide. The gamble should pay off financially as well as artistically.

Popular on Variety

Taking their cue from Australian writer Thomas Keneally’s 1982 book of the same name, Spielberg and scenarist Stephen Zaillian have overcome the problem of familiarity by presenting innumerable details of this grim history that are utterly fresh and previously unexplored, at least in mainstream films. And they have triumphed over the most obvious potential pitfalls by keeping as their main focus a man whose mercenary instincts only gradually turned him into an unlikely hero and savior.

Oskar Schindler (the imposing, impeccably groomed Liam Neeson) is masterfully introduced in a rowdy nightclub sequence that instantly builds interest and mystique around him as he curries favor with the Nazis, who have completed their lightning conquest of Poland in September 1939.

With Jews being registered and entering Krakow at the rate of 10,000 per week , Nazi Party member Schindler arranges to run a major company that will be staffed by unpaid Jews. Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) becomes his accountant and right-hand man and helps build the concern into a major supplier of pots, pans and cookware for troops at the front.

In near-documentary fashion and often using a dizzyingly mobile, hand-held camera, Spielberg (who operated his own camera for many of these sequences) deftly sketches the descent of the Jews from refugee settlers in Krakow to their confinement within 16 square blocks by 1941, to the creation of a Plaszow Forced Labor Camp in 1942, to the brutal liquidation of the ghetto the following year. In fascinating detail, and using a plethora of vivid characters, the film shows how the black market worked, how previously well-to-do families were forced into miserable dwellings, how the Judenrat — Jews nominally empowered by the Germans — oversaw and carried out Nazi law, how some managed to survive and others didn’t.

In these sequences, the seed is planted for one of the picture’s superbly developed great themes — that the matter of who lived and died was completely, utterly, existentially arbitrary. As one of the characters observes, the casualness and randomness of Nazi cruelty was such that at no point could one develop a strategy for survival; there was no safe way to behave, and even extreme cleverness couldn’t save you in the long run. All morality, justice and personal worth was erased.

With the clearing of Krakow, most of the action shifts to the labor camp, which is set in an extraordinary location at the base of a cliff. Looming above it is the opulent chateau of Commandant Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), from which invited revelers can look down upon the prisoners during glittering parties and, in shocking scenes that, again, are unlike anything previously seen, from the balcony of which the commandant randomly shoots helpless inmates as if taking target practice.

The commandant is a fascinating creation, as evil as any Nazi presented onscreen over the past 50 years, but considerably more complex and human than most. He is deeply and, he admits, disturbingly attracted to the young Jewish woman he keeps as his personal maid. Tellingly, both he and Schindler drink a great deal, but Goeth admires Schindler for not, unlike him, being a drunk. “That’s control,” he says, “and control is power.”

Schindler must use utmost diplomacy in dealing with Goeth and other top-ranking Nazis in order to get his way, gently suggesting that their murderous policies are bad for business and that to bestow a pardon confers even greater power on a ruler than constantly meting out death. Schindler is permitted to continue operating his Krakow factory as a “sub-camp,” which becomes a virtual haven for hundreds of Jews in that they are basically assured they won’t die there.

Still, with the Final Solution being implemented with ever-greater dispatch by 1944, Schindler must finally buy, with his tremendous war profits, the leftover Jews to prevent them from being shipped to Auschwitz. In a harrowing sequence, women he has arranged to rescue wind up at the extermination camp by mistake. For Schindler as well as the Jews, it remains a question of which will last longer, his money or the war.

After listening to Churchill’s announcement of the German surrender, Schindler delivers an extraordinary speech of his own in the presence of both Nazi guards and Jewish workers before fleeing with nothing more than a suitcase. Throughout the mesmerizing narrative so masterfully orchestrated in Zaillian’s faultlessly intelligent screenplay, there are many opportunities for heart-tugging, obvious plays for sympathy and hate, maudlin sentiments and cheap indulgences. Not only because Spielberg resisted every one of them, but also because this film is so different, and so much tougher, than anything else he’s done, if not forewarned as to its director’s identity, even a well-schooled critic could watch virtually the entire picture and never suspect it was Spielberg.

On reflection, some of the themes relating to greed, corruption and inadvertent heroism have been present in his work from early on, but nothing before has been anywhere near this deep or resonant. Images, moments and scenes stay in the mind and become even stronger, well after viewing the film.

Despite its 3 1/4-hour length, the film moves forward with great urgency and is not a minute too long for the story it is telling and the amount of information it imparts. It is, naturally, full of violence and death, but Spielberg makes this both memorable and somehow bearable by staging it all with abrupt, shocking suddenness, which adds to the feeling of arbitrariness.

The only debatable choice is the brief color epilogue, which depicts many of the surviving “Schindler Jews” filing by his grave in Israel accompanied, for the most part, by the much younger actors who have portrayed them in the film. This will have many viewers crying their eyes out, but it also smacks, on a certain level, of direct emotional manipulation, the only such instance in the work.

Another device that uses color is also questionable, that of a little girl whom Schindler notices and whose red coat stands out against the prevailing black-and-white. What this is supposed to signify is anyone’s guess, although it’s so minor that it doesn’t matter.

From top to bottom, the performances from the enormous cast are impeccable. Whereas most major stars would have wanted to tip the audience off early on that Schindler was actually a sensitive, caring guy underneath it all, Neeson leaves no doubt through most of the film that his character was driven foremost by profit. In a superlative performance, Neeson makes Schindler a fascinating but highly ambiguous figure, effectively persuasive and manipulative in one-on-one scenes where he’s determined to get what he wants, and finally rising to dramatic heights with his courageous and stirring farewell speech.

Kingsley must act within much more rigid constraints as his trusted accountant Stern, a man who feels he must never make a misstep. Role is reminiscent of Alec Guinness’ deluded Col. Nicholson in “The Bridge on the River Kwai”; in his compulsion to do a perfect job for Schindler, he often seems to forget that he’s working for the enemy.

The extraordinary Fiennes creates an indelible character in Goeth. With paunch hanging out and eyes filled with disgust both for his victims and himself , he’s like a minor-league Roman emperor gone sour with excess, a man in whom too much power and debauchery have crushed anything that might once have been good.

The dozens of small roles, many of which figure in the action only briefly, have been superbly filled by faces that invariably register immediately and with terrific effectiveness.

Shot mostly on location in Poland, the picture captures in exceptional detail the nightmare world of 50 years ago. Allan Starski’s production design blends imperceptibly with natural locations. This is a film that could have been made only in black-and-white, and yet it is solely because of Spielberg’s commercial stature that it was able to be made that way. Lensing by Janusz Kaminski, a young Polish-American cinematographer whose previous credits include “The Adventures of Huck Finn,” Diane Keaton’s made-for-cable “Wildflower” and some Roger Corman efforts, is outstanding. Lighting is mostly very simple, camera moves are agile and perceptive, and palette features many shades of gray rather than high-contrast black-and-white.

Michael Kahn’s editing moves with dynamic swiftness when desired and holds on scenes when required, making the running time seem shorter. John Williams’ score is atypical, especially in the context of his work for Spielberg, as it’s low-key, soulful and flecked with ethnic flavors.

Dedicated to the late Time Warner chairman Steve Ross , “Schindler’s List” has a deep emotional impact that is extraordinarily well served and balanced by its intelligence, historical perspective and filmmaking expertise.

Production: A Universal release of an Amblin Entertainment production. Produced by Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen, Branko Lustig. Executive producer, Kathleen Kennedy. Co-producer, Lew Rywin. Directed by Spielberg. Screenplay, Steven Zaillian, based on the novel by Thomas Keneally. Reviewed at Universal Studios, Universal City, Nov. 18, 1993.
Crew: Camera (b&w, Deluxe prints), Janusz Kaminski; editor, Michael Kahn; music, John Williams; violin solos, Itzhak Perlman; production design, Allan Starski; art direction, Ewa Skoczkowska, Maciej Walczak, Ewa Tarnowska, Ryszard Melliwa, Grzegorz Piatkowski; set decoration, Ewa Braun; costume design, Anna Biedrzycka-Sheppard; sound, Ronald Judkins, Robert Jackson; associate producers, Irving Glovin, Robert Raymond; assistant directors, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Marek Brodzki (Poland); casting, Lucky Englander, Fritz Fleischhacker, Magdalena Szwarcbart, Tova Cypin, Liat Meiron, Juliet Taylor. Original review text from 1993. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 195 MIN.
With: Oskar Schindler - Liam Neeson Itzhak Stern - Ben Kingsley Amon Goeth - Ralph Fiennes Emilie Schindler - Caroline Goodall Poldek Pfefferberg - Jonathan Sagalle Helen Hirsch - Embeth Davidtz

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Review/Film: Schindler's List; Imagining the Holocaust to Remember It

By Janet Maslin

Dec. 15, 1993

There is a real photographic record of some of the people and places depicted in "Schindler's List," and it has a haunting history. Raimund Titsch, an Austrian Catholic who managed a uniform factory within the Plaszow labor camp in Poland, surreptitiously took pictures of what he saw. Fearful of having the pictures developed, he hid his film in a steel box, which he buried in a park outside Vienna and then did not disturb for nearly 20 years. Although it was sold secretly by Titsch when he was terminally ill, the film remained undeveloped until after his death.

The pictures that emerged, like so many visual representations of the Holocaust, are tragic, ghostly and remote. The horrors of the Holocaust are often viewed from a similar distance, filtered through memory or insulated by grief and recrimination. Documented exhaustively or dramatized in terms by now dangerously familiar, the Holocaust threatens to become unimaginable precisely because it has been imagined so fully. But the film "Schindler's List," directed with fury and immediacy by a profoundly surprising Steven Spielberg, presents the subject as if discovering it anew.

"Schindler's List" brings a pre-eminent pop mastermind together with a story that demands the deepest reserves of courage and passion. Rising brilliantly to the challenge of this material and displaying an electrifying creative intelligence, Mr. Spielberg has made sure that neither he nor the Holocaust will ever be thought of in the same way again. With every frame, he demonstrates the power of the film maker to distill complex events into fiercely indelible images. "Schindler's List" begins with the sight of Jewish prayer candles burning down to leave only wisps of smoke, and there can be no purer evocation of the Holocaust than that.

A deserted street littered with the suitcases of those who have just been rounded up and taken away. The look on the face of a captive Jewish jeweler as he is tossed a handful of human teeth to mine for fillings. A snowy sky that proves to be raining ashes. The panic of a prisoner unable to find his identity papers while he is screamed at by an armed soldier, a man with an obviously dangerous temper. These visceral scenes, and countless others like them, invite empathy as surely as Mr. Spielberg once made viewers wish E.T. would get well again.

But this time his emphasis is on the coolly Kafkaesque aspects of an authoritarian nightmare. Drawing upon the best of his storytelling talents, Mr. Spielberg has made "Schindler's List" an experience that is no less enveloping than his earlier works of pure entertainment. Dark, sobering and also invigoratingly dramatic, "Schindler's List" will make terrifying sense to anyone, anywhere.

The big man at the center of this film is Oskar Schindler, a Catholic businessman from the Sudetenland who came to occupied Poland to reap the spoils of war. (You can be sure this is not the last time the words "Oscar" and "Schindler" will be heard together.) Schindler is also something of a cipher, just as he was for Thomas Keneally, whose 1982 book, "Schindler's List," marked a daring synthesis of fiction and fact. Reconstructing the facts of Schindler's life to fit the format of a novel, Mr. Keneally could only draw upon the memories of those who owed their lives to the man's unexpected heroism. Compiling these accounts (in a book that included some of the Titsch photographs), Mr. Keneally told "the story of the pragmatic triumph of good over evil, a triumph in eminently measurable, statistical, unsubtle terms."

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Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, black writers week, the list is life: on the 30th anniversary of schindler's list.

Film critics have both the educational blessing and the soul-crushing curse of watching a lot of Holocaust films, and they mostly come in two varieties. Some, like “ The Pianist ,” “ The Survivor ,” “In Darkness,” and “ Defiance ,” are survival stories, usually showing a single character or a small group navigating the breadth of inhumanity surrounding them, and somehow living through it. Others, like “ Son of Saul ” and the new “ The Zone of Interest ”—or documentaries like “Night and Fog” and “ Shoah ”—are bleak, harrowing viewing experiences that emphasize the fact that survival sadly wasn’t the reality that most European Jews experienced. And then there’s “Schindler’s List,” which somehow navigated both of these realities at the same time, and did so for a mass audience.

Released thirty years ago last month, “Schindler’s List” went on to become a genuine blockbuster, finishing fourth at the international box office for 1993 (behind only “ Jurassic Park ,” “ Mrs. Doubtfire ,” and “ The Fugitive ”). It also became an Oscar juggernaut, with 12 nominations and seven wins, including Best Picture and Steven Spielberg ’s long-awaited first win for Best Director. Rewatching “Schindler’s List” today, I’m once again staggered at how it balances both hope and hopelessness more effectively than perhaps any other film ever has. It’s a story that concludes with one of the strongest and most unforgettable sequences of hope to ever grace cinema screens, but the journey to that catharsis submerges the viewer in nearly three hours of genocide, uncompromising in its portrayal.

The film was adapted from Thomas Keneally ’s 1982 historical novel, Schindler’s Ark , which detailed how Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and member of the Nazi party, transitioned from war profiteering off Jewish slave labor in the early years of WWII, to eventually spending his fortune to buy the lives of 1,200 Jews from the Nazis in the closing months of the war, saving them from near-certain death at Auschwitz. Universal Studios quickly bought the film rights to the book and Spielberg was attached almost immediately, but he didn’t believe he was ready for the material, and he spent years trying to recruit other directors onto the project—including Martin Scorsese , Sydney Pollack , and Roman Polanski (a Holocaust survivor who eventually directed 2002’s “The Pianist”)—before finally deciding to mount it himself.

The legacy of the film looms large in several different ways, both for the film industry and for our collective understanding and preservation of Holocaust stories. Most obviously, it led to Spielberg establishing the Shoah Foundation in 1994, which has become one of the world’s most invaluable resources for Holocaust accounts, research, and education. But given how much “Schindler’s List” became synonymous for audiences with Hollywood prestige and awards success in the ‘90s, the film’s critical legacy has become curiously almost non-existent. For example, it has never appeared on one of Sight & Sound ’s once-per-decade polls of the greatest films of all time, including 2022’s extended top 250 list.

In part this may be a byproduct of Spielberg himself, whose films have always had a slightly complicated relationship with the critical community because of how ubiquitous and populist they lean, to the extent that nearly all of his films performed poorly in the last Sight & Sound poll (" Jaws " placed the highest, at #104). Today, “Schindler’s List” seems to exist almost beyond criticism or praise, neither lauded as an essential part of film history nor dissected with revisionist critical hot takes. And that lack of a critical legacy even extends to this anniversary; a few years ago, I wrote about the 20th anniversary of “ The Royal Tenenbaums ,” and I was disappointed that my piece got lost amid seemingly every other publication on Earth writing a similar piece the same week. But for “Schindler’s List,” the 30th anniversary has barely merited a mention anywhere, with only The Guardian opting to revisit it.

But that wasn’t always the case, and those who didn’t see it play out in real time may be shocked at some of the critical backlash “Schindler’s List” received in 1993. A few prominent critics and directors really took it to task, with Claude Lanzmann , director of the nine-hour Holocaust documentary “Shoah” (1985), calling it “kitschy melodrama” and a fictionalized “transgression.” But Roger Ebert loved it, and in his 2001 “Great Movies” essay on the film, he retorted that “the medium of film does not exist unless there is an audience between the projector and the screen.” For as astonishing a historical achievement as “Shoah” is—and it’s surely one of the most important films ever made (not just to the cinematic art form, but to humanity)—it never found audiences beyond small academic settings.

Though Ebert also had some questions about the film. He was unsure of the film’s juxtaposition between Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson ), who saved the lives of 1,200 Jews, and Amon Göth ( Ralph Fiennes ), who might have personally murdered just as many. In his unrelenting sadism, Göth was so evil that Ebert worried it might have diminished the reality of most Nazis as normal people who were programmed into evil deeds, rather than born psychopaths like Göth. But I believe the film needed Göth to be just as he was, for a few reasons.

The most important is simple accuracy. It’s historical fact that Göth was in charge of the Polish camp (Kraków-Płaszów) that Schindler took Jewish workers from, and it’s historical fact that Göth really was that sadistic. (Göth was the first person in history convicted of homicide at a war crimes trial, for “personally killing, maiming and torturing a substantial, albeit unidentified number of people.”) To downplay Göth’s inherent evil in the service of movie plotting would have been a disservice to a historical record that deserves as much accuracy as possible.

But perhaps just as important is the effect witnessing Göth’s abject evil had upon Schindler. Spielberg wisely avoids any sort of interiority with Schindler, and as a result the film doesn’t attempt to truly answer the questions about Schindler’s dramatic character transition. We simply watch a charismatic and well-connected man begin the 1940s as a war profiteer who personally made millions by staffing his factory with Jewish slave labor, and then by 1945 he had spent every last dime he had to rescue 1,200 Jews from almost-certain death at Auschwitz—which is where the remaining Kraków-Płaszów Jews were sent when the labor camp was closed in January of 1945—hiding them out in a factory that secretly produced nothing. No one knows for sure what caused this change, but perhaps spending years witnessing the actions of a pure evil like Amon Göth inspired Schindler to an opposite path.

Other choices in the film also merit debate and analysis. One thing that particularly struck me on this viewing was the sexualized nudity of the Nazi women that Schindler and Göth sleep with in the film. There have been Holocaust films with sex before (“Black Book” and “ The Night Porter ” quickly come to mind), but they’ve all been cases of either Nazis overtly raping Jews, or, at the very least, the result of a highly problematic power dynamic between the two. “Schindler’s List” remains the only Holocaust film I’ve seen with sex between two Nazis, where the sex is really just a consensual act of pleasure, and it’s jarring. It initially seems out of place (especially for Spielberg, whose 50-year filmmaking career has been virtually devoid of sex scenes). But it’s jarring in a way that’s tremendously effective. These people were having sex while they were committing genocide. The genocide, it seems, did not kill the mood. Even Jonathan Glazer ’s brilliant new film, “The Zone of Interest” (which is about the domestic life of the commandant of Auschwitz and his wife), never portrays that.

The most debated of Spielberg’s choices is undoubtedly the little girl in the red coat, one of the only instances of color in the otherwise black-and-white film. We see her during the 1943 Nazi liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in Krakow, and then later among a pile of dead bodies. Many feel this was so heavy-handed that it takes you out of the film. I think it reminds us of reality. Janusz Kamiński ’s Oscar-winning cinematography in the film is consistently stunning, but one effect of black and white visuals is placing things firmly into a long-ago past. And it’s easy to think of the Holocaust as yesteryear, but we must remember how recently it really was. For example, Amon Göth’s daughter is still alive today (and she’s been a willing and articulate participant in documentaries about the descendants of Nazi leaders, like the deeply sad yet undeniably powerful “Hitler’s Children”).

Thinking about that recency is particularly chilling in early 2024, just a few months after the Jewish community suffered its worst attack since the Holocaust. And Israeli leadership has responded to that attack in a way that many describe as genocidal, calling into question whether anyone, on either side, has really learned or retained any lessons from the Holocaust about the xenophobic demonizing of marginalized groups. Personally, it’s hard not to wonder what subtle effect the absence of a truly ubiquitous Holocaust film in the three decades since “Schindler’s List” may have had on the steady rise in antisemitism we’ve seen during that same span. If you believe Holocaust education has the power to help stem the tide of hate, there was no bigger asset to that education than “Schindler’s List,” which made over $300 million at the global box office in 1993. And I don’t cite that as an achievement of studio profit, but rather as an achievement of viewer volume.

How many movie tickets did $300 million equate to in 1993 dollars? A lot. One wishes that many people showed an interest in learning about the Holocaust today and sitting uncomfortably with its stark realities. In 2013, most of the people I know refused to see “ 12 Years a Slave ,” because they said it was just too depressing. But in 1993, many of those same people flocked to the theater for “Schindler’s List.” (I know this is an imperfect comparison, and White Guilt is certainly a significant element of what kept audiences from “12 Years a Slave,” but it also feels like a dwindling percentage of people each year are willing to subject themselves to real discomfort from a movie. Not when social media dopamine is waiting right in our pocket, 24/7.)

This is also an interesting time to think about the legacy of “Schindler’s List” because “The Zone of Interest” opened in limited release on December 15, thirty years to the day after “Schindler’s List” opened wide in 1993. What kind of audience will it find as it expands to more markets in the coming weeks? It’s much more obviously an art film, with a foreign cast and not much plot to speak of, and by a filmmaker who’s far less well-known than Spielberg. Though “The Zone of Interest” doesn’t feature a single on-screen death, it’s arguably one of the most spine-chilling and difficult films ever made. While it’s reductive to ever refer to “Schindler’s List” as “entertainment,” that feels like a vaguely appropriate descriptor when compared to “Zone.” For as great as “The Zone of Interest” is (and I think it’s the best film of 2023), it’s exceedingly likely that it will play almost exclusively to a small echo chamber of viewers who already understand antisemitism and the banality of evil. But “Schindler’s List” helped bring an understanding of those evils to the masses—to people who hadn’t already learned those lessons, and otherwise might never have.

And that’s part of “Schindler’s” greatness. It tackles arguably the most depressing subject imaginable and portrays that subject with uncompromising accuracy, and yet it leaves you with such hope that the whole 196-minute venture felt palatable for mass consumption. For as much death and inhumanity as there is on the screen, the final message of the film is how those 1,200 Jews saved by Oskar Schindler had, by 1993, multiplied to 6,000. Thirty years on, that number may have doubled.

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Schindler’s List Review

01 Jan 1993

195 minutes

Schindler’s List

Towards the end of Thomas Keneally's 'non-fiction novel' Schindler's Ark (as it is known in the UK), Liam Neeson's reformed profiteer Oskar Schindler reassures his trusted plant manager Itzhak Stern (Kingsley) that he will receive "special treatment" once he reaches the concentration camp. Stern demurs, recalling the directives from Berlin that have recommended 'special treatment' for all Jews. "Preferential treatment, then," Schindlers sighs, slightly piqued. "Do we have to invent a whole new language now?" Stern does not miss a beat. "I think so," he says.

That a mere movie - much less a motion p[icture authored by cinema's most successful crowd-pleaser - should flout Steiner's dictum would have horrified the post-War elite and remains controversial to this day. 'Schindler's List' is at once the most celebrated and most keenly criticised film in the Spielberg canon. During an awards season that resembled a victory lap, it became commonplace to talk of 1993 as Spielberg's annus mirablis - that year also spawned the monster hit 'Jurassic Park' - and of 'Schindler's List' as his 'Bar Mitzvah movie', the masterpice that signalled his emergence as an emotionally adult filmmaker.

And yet elements in the critical community cried foul, noting with disgust that the director of 'Jaws' can be found pulling the strings of an overwrought shower scene - where an expected gassing does not occur - or, smugly, that typically Spielbergian sentiment creeps into Schindler's over-emotional goodbye.

And that was the least of it. Among certain liberal and Jewish groups, the very notion of a holocaust movie with a blonde Nazi as the central protagonist, and 1,100 survivors taking centre stage when six million perished, sparked furious debate.

Despite Spielberg's avowed intention to check his "desire to entertain, 'Schindler's List' the movie remains true to the director's first, instinctive, reaction to Keneally's book - "a helluva story". This is no accident. Without the narrative sweep, the majority of the audience simply would not journey into the very darkest places Spielberg knows they must eventually face.

One of the most persistent canards of highbrow criticism is that greatart should not be easy. For the millions of people who watched the little girl in the red coat dumped onto a horrifying mountain of burning corpses, the idea that 'Schindler's List' should, infact, be more gruelling, that it should be less inspirational, that it should include more death, is hard to countenance.

A purely horizontal movie - one without a dramatically interesting protagonist or a focus on survivors - might satisfy the most searching complaints, but it would be almost impossible to stomach. (Spielberg is in fact so anxious to keep death gate-crashing into what is fundamentally a survivor's story that occasionally, as with the shower scene, he stumbles slightly.) As it stands, 'Schindler's List' which Spielberg thought would lose every dime of its $22 million budget, made an unprecedented $321.2 million at the box office. That kind of reach for a film of this nature is nothing short of a miracle.

When he made his famous call for silence, George Steiner could not have known that, by the last decade of the 20th century, Holocaust denial would have become a cottage industry, nor that 25 percent of young Americans would have little idea what the word 'holocaust' even meant. And he would not have dared imagine that the chilling language of Nazi directives would find echoes in the 'ethnic cleansing' once more taking place in Eastern Europe.

If no mere movie can become an "absolute good" - to borrow Stern's description of the list itself - then by 1993 a popular motion picture about the Holocaust had become an absolute necessity. That the picture born of this necessity was Steven Spielberg's 'Schindler's List' is enough to restore your faith in not just the medium, but also the human race itself.

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Schindler's List (United States, 1993)

There have been numerous documentaries and dramatic productions focusing on the Holocaust, including a television mini-series which many consider to be the definitive work. As a result, in deciding to film Schindler's List , director Steven Spielberg ( Jurassic Park ) set an imposing task for himself. His vision needed to differ from that of the film makers who preceded him, yet the finished product had to remain faithful to the unforgettable images which represent the legacy of six million massacred Jews. Those who see this motion picture will witness Spielberg's success.

The film opens in September of 1939 in Krakow, Poland, with the Jewish community under increasing pressure from the Nazis. Into this tumult comes Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a Nazi businessman interested in obtaining Jewish backing for a factory he wishes to build. He makes contact with Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), an accountant, to arrange financial matters. For a while, there is no interest and nothing happens.

March 1941. The Krakow Jewish community has been forced to live in "the Ghetto", where money no longer has any meaning. Several elders agree to invest in Schindler's factory and the DEF (Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik) is born - a place where large quantities of pots are manufactured. To do the work, Schindler hires Jews (because they're cheaper than Poles), and the German army becomes his biggest customer.

March 1943. Germany's intentions towards the Jews are no longer a secret. The Ghetto is "liquidated", with the survivors being herded into the Plaszow Forced Labor Camp. Many are executed, and still others are shipped away by train, never to return. During this time, Schindler has managed to ingratiate himself with the local commander, Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a Nazi who kills Jews for sport. Using his relationship with Goeth, Schindler begins to secretly campaign to help the Jews, saving men, women, and children from certain death.

Spielberg elected to film this motion picture in black-and-white, and it's impossible to argue with his choice. Director of Photography Janusz Kaminski has made effective use of shadow and light, meticulously limiting the application of hue. The opening scene is in color, as is the closing sequence (which features the surviving "Schindler Jews", each accompanied by the actor who played their character, placing a stone on their savior's grave). There are also two instances when color is allowed to bleed into the blacks, whites, and grays. One little girl's jacket appears red so that she stands out from the masses, and a pair of candles burn with orange flames. When color is used, it makes a point and an impression.

Schindler's List gives us three major stories and a host of minor ones. First and foremost, it tells the tale of the Holocaust, presenting new images of old horrors. These are as ghastly and realistic as anything previously filmed, and Spielberg emphasizes the brutality of the situation by not pulling punches when it comes to gore. The blood, inky rather than crimson in stark black-and-white, fountains when men and women are shot in the head or through the neck.

The second story is that of Oskar Schindler, the Nazi businessman who saved 1200 Jews from death. Schindler starts out as a self-centered manufacturer, concerned only about making money. He hires Jews because they're cheap, not because he likes them. But his perspective changes, and he risks losing everything to save as many lives as he can. His eventual lament that he couldn't save more is heartbreaking.

The third story belongs to Amon Goeth, the Nazi commander of Krakow, a man who teeters on the brink of madness. Despite his intense hatred for Jews, he is inexplicably attracted to his Jewish housekeeper, Helen Hirsch (Embeth Davidtz). Disgusted by his feelings, he lashes out at her with a display of violence that is almost Scorsese-like in its blunt presentation. As written, Goeth could easily have become a conscienceless monster, but Spielberg works carefully to show unexpected depth and complexity to his character.

Often, the experiences of the minor characters provide the most lasting images. Helen's story is memorable, as is the plight of young Danka Dresner and her mother as they strive to avoid death while staying together. There's a Jewish couple that marries in the Plaszow camp, even though their chances of survival are dim, and a Rabbi who survives a close encounter with a Nazi gun.

Of course the Holocaust images are grim, but scenes of mass graves and exhumed bodies are not unique to Schindler's List . While it's impossible to deny their power, potentially more distubing are the instances of callous, individual murder. Spielberg doesn't spare his audience when it comes to sudden violence or the dehumanizing factors involved in such events. After all, Jews were viewed as "vermin." Schindler's List is replete with moments like this.

The acting is uniformly excellent. Liam Neeson's Schindler is shown in all his complexity, and his transformation is played with studied control. This is no sudden reversal of philosophy, but a matter of conscience that slowly dawns on the man. With a keen sense of Schindler's character, Neeson depicts the metamorphosis from self-centered businessman to driven messiah.

Ben Kingsley, whose Gandhi transfixed audiences years ago, has the movie's most understated role -- one that he acts with simple sincerity. Equally as impressive is Embeth Davidtz, who snares the viewer's attention during her limited screen time as Helen Hirsch, the object of Amon Goeth's twisted affection. Speaking of Goeth, Ralph Fiennes stuns with his intricate, savage portrayal of the Nazi commander, a man fascinated by power and murder. Fiennes' Goeth has the rare ability to both mesmerize and repulse, and this is a performance that will long be remembered.

Despite the grisly subject matter, this movie is essentially about uncovering a kernel of hope and dignity in the midst of a monstrous tragedy. The story of Oskar Schindler's sacrifices for the Jews sets this apart from other Holocaust dramas. Uncompromising in its portrayal of good, evil, and all the shades in between, Schindler's List offers a clear view of human nature laid bare: hatred, greed, lust, envy, anger, and, most important of all, empathy and love. Because this film touches us so deeply, the catharsis has a power that few -- if any -- other moments in film history can match. And that's what establishes this as a transcendent motion picture experience.

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Commentary: Why ‘Schindler’s List’ remains brilliant and troubling 25 years after its release

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“Schindler’s List” won seven Academy Awards, including best picture and director, and turned Steven Spielberg from a popular filmmaker (whose “Jurassic Park” was released the same year) into a more serious one. But it remains a quintessential problem movie, one that raised questions about genocide, historical memory and cinematic representation that remain, to this day, unresolved.

Twenty-five years after its initial release, Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” returns to theaters this week with digitally remastered picture and sound.

An epic-length adaptation of Thomas Keneally’s historical novel, the Universal film arrived in 1993 as not just a worthy cause, but a historical phenomenon. Released just a few months after the opening of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, it was poised to address a serious gap in historical representation. It was both a critical success and a popular one; made on a $22 million budget, it grossed $321.2 million worldwide.

“I think ‘Schindler’s List’ will wind up being so much more important than a movie,” said Walt Disney Studios then-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg at the time. “I don’t want to burden the movie too much, but I think it will bring peace on earth, good will to men. Enough of the right people will see it that it will actually set the course of human affairs.”

We are clearly not living in a world defined by Spielberg’s humanism, but the film remains a kind of litmus test for Hollywood moviemaking, asking whether it’s morally defensible to dramatize unspeakable horror and trauma via the language of mass entertainment.

The most obvious and durable critique of “Schindler’s List” is that the highest-profile Holocaust movie ever made (one designed to be used as an educational tool) is focused on a statistical anomaly – the Nazi who has a change of heart. Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, is a war profiteer and bon vivant who initially sees Jews as cheap labor for his enamelware factory, but eventually, for reasons that remain somewhat opaque, decides to offer them a safe haven from certain death.

It’s a drama that invokes the Great Man theory of history, in which grand elements of fate become a matter of individual choice. It tells the story of the 6 million murdered by focusing on the 1,200 whom Schindler saved and, more precisely, on the savior himself.

As journalist Philip Gourevitch wrote in a pointed dissent in 1993,”The mindless critical hyperbole which has greeted ‘Schindler’s List’ suggests that powerful spectacle continues to be more beguiling than human and historical authenticity -- and that the psychology of the Nazis is a bigger draw than the civilization of the people they murdered.”

Far from a somber, forbidding museum piece, “Schindler’s List” uses all the tricks of Spielberg’s trade. It is perhaps inappropriately beautiful; Janusz Kaminski’s Oscar-winning black-and-white cinematography alternates between wide-angle, deep-focus mise en scene and hand-held documentary-style realism, and he often lights Neeson like he was Humphrey Bogart. Despite its subject matter, the movie is never afraid of its own movie-ness. As a drama, the film is manipulative, but every scene contains something indelible.

It’s certainly a defensible approach, as film scholar Annette Insdorf said when it was released. “Oskar Schindler himself was a larger-than-life figure, who did indeed save over 1,100 Jews,” Insdorf said. “How? By manipulation. By a showmanship (not unlike Spielberg’s) that knows -- and plays -- its audience, but in the service of a deeper cause.”

According to Emory University Holocaust scholar Deborah Lipstadt, whose legal battle against a Holocaust denier was dramatized in the film “Denial,” Spielberg’s film was not made for those who had a strong sense of historical memory. “We were not the audience,” Lipstadt said in a recent interview. “It was the general public.”

She continues: “Is it the best depiction of the Holocaust in film? I don’t know. But did it reach a tremendous number of people who would otherwise not have been reached? Did it bring the story to countless people who no other filmmaker would have been able to reach? There is no question. So in terms of its impact, it certainly deserves its iconic status.”

Spielberg declined an interview for this piece, but at a recent 25th anniversary screening of the film, he said: “I have never felt, since ‘Schindler’s List,’ the kind of pride and satisfaction and sense of real, meaningful accomplishment. I haven’t felt that in any film post-‘Schindler’s List.’”

For the critic J. Hoberman, “Schindler’s List” has always been a problematic film. “He made a feel-good movie about the ultimate feel-bad experience,” he said. In 1994, in response to the film’s seemingly universal acclaim, Hoberman convened a symposium in the Village Voice for skeptical critics, academics and artists to wrestle with their complicated responses.

I have never felt, since ‘Schindler’s List,’ the kind of pride and satisfaction and sense of real, meaningful accomplishment.

— Steven Spielberg

For example, the experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs argued that the movie, which largely focuses on Schindler’s relationships with his introverted Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) and the brutal Nazi commandant Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), is all “about styles of manhood and how one deals with one’s lessers. Jews function as background and pawns of this dramatic contest.”

Hoberman, like many others, considers Claude Lanzmann’s 10-hour documentary, “Shoah,” to be the most cinematically and morally rigorous film ever made on the Holocaust. A series of direct interviews with witnesses — which include perpetrators and survivors of the death camps — Lanzmann’s film, shot in color, makes no attempt to re-create the past. Instead, the film is structured around a series of absences, forcing the viewer to imagine the horrors oneself.

“It’s devastating,” Hoberman says. “Because of Lanzmann’s strategy, where you have to imagine this yourself, you live it in a way you don’t when you’re watching it transformed into narratives, with characters and resolution. I suppose it’s utopian to imagine that people would learn from ‘Shoah’ rather than ‘Schindler’s List,’ but … I thought it was really unfortunate.”

Appreciation: Lanzmann’s ‘Shoah’ changed our understanding of the Holocaust — and altered documentary filmmaking »

Though I too find “Shoah” to be a monumental and essential experience, I am ultimately grateful for the existence of Spielberg’s film. “Schindler’s List” may not have brought peace on earth, but the phenomenon of the film helped ensure the Holocaust would remain a matter of public consciousness and provided a boon to historians. After the film, Spielberg established the USC Shoah Foundation, which has collected the testimonies of more than 55,000 Holocaust survivors.

As a movie made by a celebrated Jewish artist, it gave other filmmakers permission to treat the Holocaust as a subject of legitimate cinematic inquiry. Films as stylistically varied as Roman Polanski’s “The Pianist,” Paul Verhoeven’s “Black Book,” Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds,” and László Nemes’ “Son of Saul” all owe Spielberg a debt.

There are moments when I wish Spielberg had been gutsier, more willing to alienate his audience and gesture toward what is unrepresentable — and unspeakable. Late in the film, at the end of his climactic speech on the factory floor, Schindler asks for three minutes of silence to honor the memory of the countless victims. But Spielberg allows the silence to play out for less than 10 seconds before a rabbi begins intoning the kaddish .

Still, Lipstadt suggests, it is perhaps the only possible mass-market movie about the Holocaust. “Does it compare to a Lanzmann film? Of course not. Spielberg’s objective was to make a film that would reach millions, and he succeeded — without unduly cheapening the story.”

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The 25 Highest-Rated Movies on IMDb, Ranked by Votes

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While internet popularity can be a fickle and fleeting thing, in the case of IMDb , there are a few top-rated movies that tower above their rivals and stand the test of time . Moviegoers can rate the films they see on the website, and some are cemented as being at the top of their class. Seen by many as the go-to resource for film ratings and opinions, the ten most-voted films are usually, if not some of the best movies of all time. At the very least, IMDb's top movies are comfortably the internet's favorite movies and are likely recognizable to most viewers.

As IMDb continues to be a popular resource for those looking for must-see 10-star movies, its ratings and number of voters also constantly change as more viewers flock to the site to share their opinions about their favorite films. For the most-voted movies on the platform, they remain above these shifts, except for some subtle differences in their ranking and number of votes.

25 'Schindler's List' (1993)

Votes: 1.5 million | imdb rating: 9.0.

Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler crying while facing a man in Schindler's List

The magnum opus of legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg , Schindler's List has consistently been in conversation as one of the greatest and most acclaimed films of all time ever since its release 30 years ago. The film follows the incredible true story of businessman Oskar Schindler ( Liam Neeson ), in his pivotal and important role in using factory jobs as a way to save over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis during the holocaust and World War II.

Much like many of the other movies in the IMDb Top 250, Schindler's List 's high placement on the site as the #6 best film of all time brings many more eyes and attention to check it out and provide their own votes. This is all on top of the massive legacy that the film had already cemented for itself before this point, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and being one of the most influential dramas of the 90s. The only thing holding this back from having as many votes as others in the top 10 is the movie's gargantuan 3+ hour length , which is daunting to some casual viewers.

Schindler's List (1995)

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24 'The Avengers' (2012)

Votes: 1.5 million | imdb rating: 8.0.

Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hulk (mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), stand heroically in the wreckage of Stark Tower, staring down at the camera in The Avengers.

The first true crossover and quintessential chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe , The Avengers proved the concept of a shared universe and took the world by storm in a way that had never truly been seen before. The film follows Nick Fury ( Samuel L. Jackson ), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., who enacts the "Avengers Initiative" in calling together a group of heroes in order to stop a new global threat.

Seeing characters from four different blockbuster movies coming together in a beautiful, hilarious, and action-packed thrill ride made a massive splash among audiences, and set the MCU up for success in the decade to come. Even still, as the franchise has seen theoretically higher highs and greater moments, the original crossover event film still has a special place in the eyes of the IMDb user base , as it's still the most voted and popular among the entire franchise.

The Avengers

23 'shutter island' (2010), votes: 1.5 million | imdb rating: 8.2.

Leonardo DiCaprio looking pensive, while Mark Ruffalo stands in the background, in 'Shutter Island'

One of many iconic and masterful films by director Martin Scorsese , Shutter Island 's high tension, powerful mystery, and iconic twist has helped the film become a fan favorite among the IMDb user base. The film follows the story of soldier turned U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels ( Leonardo DiCaprio ), who is in the middle of investigating the mysterious disappearance of a patient from the hospital for the criminally insane. However, his search proves to be much more difficult than expected, as he is riddled with an array of troubling visions as well as a strange, unknown doctor.

While Scorsese has certainly had higher-rated and more beloved films both before and since Shutter Island , its timing of release, all-star cast, and mystery element have helped it find a massive audience on IMDb . The film's 2010 release coincides with the most popular era of the site's history, bringing many eyes to the newest release from one of the most beloved and acclaimed directors of all time following up on his legendary Best Picture win, The Departed . This, combined with the also high popularity of DiCaprio in 2010, skyrocketed the film to being one of the most watched and rated on the site.

Shutter Island

22 'joker' (2019), votes: 1.5 million | imdb rating: 8.4.

Joaquin Phoenix smoking a cigarette in a dressing room in Joker

One of the most infamous and controversial superhero movies of all time, Joker 's gritty, R-rated origin story of the clown prince of crime quickly made a name for itself as one of the most defining films of the generation. The film follows the story of failed stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck as the struggles and tribulations of society slowly but surely fracture his mind and transform him into the vicious villainous figure, The Joker. The film also featured a brilliant lead performance by Joaquin Phoenix , who won his first Academy Award for his work in the film.

Joker found the perfect balance between awards contention and mass controversy that quickly made it a must-watch film . Critics were widely divided on the film, audiences fell in love with the film, news outlets were discussing the dangerous aspects of the film's themes and messaging, and all of this combined quickly made Joker one of the biggest films of recent memory. It became the first R-rated film to gross over a billion dollars , and with the upcoming sequel on the horizon, the film's legacy and popularity only continue to grow day by day.

Joker (2019)

21 'saving private ryan' (1998), votes: 1.6 million | imdb rating: 8.6.

Tom Hanks as Captain Miller, in a group of WWII soldiers on a boat in Saving Private Ryan

A technological marvelstone and one of many masterpieces from Steven Spielberg at the height of his career, Saving Private Ryan is one of the first films that people think of when they think of war dramas. The film follows a group of U.S. troops who, after storming the beaches of Normandy in World War II, come to the realization that three brothers died on the battlefield, with the fourth now being trapped behind enemy lines. In order to save him and give the family some refugee, Captain John Miller ( Tom Hanks ) and a group of seven men are tasked with going behind enemy lines in able to bring Private Ryan home.

The film's striking and nightmarishly realistic portrayal of WWII battles and the carnage of warfare left a powerful impact on audiences that can still be felt today as one of the most influential American war films of all time . The film was largely touted as one of Spielberg's best throughout the 2000s and 2010s, leading to many IMDb users watching and raving about the film and its masterful execution. The film now sits on IMDb as the #24 highest-rated movie of all time, continuing to draw in a larger and larger audience atop its pedestal as one of the highest rated war films on the site.

Saving Private Ryan

20 'the silence of the lambs' (1991).

Hannibal Lecter wearing a muzzle in The Silence of the Lambs

A cinematic masterpiece and still the first movie many think of when considering psychological horror, The Silence of the Lambs is an award-winning film directed by Jonathan Demme based on Thomas Harris ' eponymous 1988 novel. It tells the story of a young FBI trainee, Clarice Starling ( Jodie Foster ), who asks the imprisoned Dr. Hannibal Lecter ( Anthony Hopkins ) for help in her pursuit of a serial killer, "Buffalo Bill" ( Ted Levine ).

Hopkins' performance as the brilliant psychiatrist and notorious cannibal helps cement the character as a pop culture icon . The timeless film's cat-and-mouse game between Clarice and Lecter, coupled with Buffalo Bill's gruesome crimes, creates a suspenseful atmosphere that's still just as riveting upon a well-deserved rewatch today. The votes on IMDb prove that Silence of the Lambs deserves all the praise it received.

The Silence of the Lambs

19 'the wolf of wall street' (2013), votes: 1.6 million | imdb rating: 8.2.

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort, standing amid a celebration at his office while confetti falls around him in The Wolf of Wall Street

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort 's career as a stockbroker as outlined in his eponymous 2007 memoir, director Martin Scorsese 's The Wolf of Wall Street is a renowned dark comedy movie. It revolves around the charismatic stockbroker's (played by Leonardo DiCaprio ) experiences as he rises to financial success after opening his own firm, which engages in fraud and other criminal activities. It also chronicles his epic downfall after his infamy catches the attention of the authorities.

A fantastic movie about excess , the high-energy, darkly comedic exploration of Belfort's unbridled ambition is wholly original and wildly entertaining. This unapologetic portrayal of the chaotic and hedonistic world of Wall Street in the 1990s has understandably been a point of debate among critics and audiences, but it doesn't take away from the film's enduring popularity.

The Wolf of Wall Street

18 'batman begins' (2005).

Batman running down a hallway surrounded by bats in Batman Begins

Christian Bale 's Batman is introduced to millions of fans in Christopher Nolan 's first entry in The Dark Knight trilogy, Batman Begins . The first in the legendary superhero movie trilogy tells the origin story of the legendary DC anti-hero, all the way to his fight against Ra's al Ghul ( Liam Neeson ) and the Scarecrow ( Cillian Murphy ), who want nothing more than to see Gotham in shambles.

The 2005 movie would mark an important turn in the superhero genre, proving that blockbusters can be infused with gritty realism and psychological depth, particularly for the iconic character it portrays. Its depiction of Batman's journey from a traumatized orphan to the caped crusader captures the character's complexities and inner turmoil with ease, laying the groundwork for what many still consider to be the best film series that depicts the anti-hero.

Batman Begins

17 'inglourious basterds' (2009), votes: 1.6 million | imdb rating: 8.4.

Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger in Tavern Scene in Inglourious Basterds

One of Quentin Tarantino 's most iconic films, Inglourious Basterds is a unique war movie set during World War II that follows a group of American soldiers led by Lieutenant Aldo Raine ( Brad Pitt ), as they embark on a mission to hunt and exterminate Nazis. Another plot running alongside this is Shosanna Dreyfus' ( Mélanie Laurent ) plan to assassinate Nazi Germany's leadership, and the two stories collide in an explosive way.

Tarantino's movie is a remarkable combination of historical drama, dark humor, and intense action , with its unexpected narrative structure only enhancing the unfolding events. It's a one-of-a-kind humorous portrayal of what is one of the darkest periods of history. Of course, career-best performances from actors like Christoph Waltz (for his portrayal of the villainous Colonel Hans Landa) add depth and an element of rewatchability to the 2009 film.

Inglourious Basterds

16 'gladiator' (2000), votes: 1.6 million | imdb rating: 8.5.

Maximus screaming with his arms spread in Gladiator

Director Ridley Scott 's Gladiator is a masterwork in the historical drama genre. Starring Russell Crowe as Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, the film portrays his great fall following a betrayal by the emperor's overly ambitious son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Instead of accepting defeat, Maximus works his way up in the arena and swears vengeance, fighting against numerous foes to reach the very top and leave an important message for the emperor himself (with many onlookers).

The film is full of thunderous spectacles that are flawlessly choreographed battles between gladiators, perfectly complemented by a powerful score by Hans Zimmer . Crowe's commanding performance anchors the film, which traces his path to Commodus – and to revenge – in a way that will have viewers rooting for him until the very end. At this point, Gladiator is an essential revenge movie with a dramatic story that benefits from Scott's direction .

15 'Django Unchained' (2012)

Votes: 1.7 million | imdb rating: 8.5.

Jamie Foxx as Django with Franco Nero as Amerigo Vessepi in Django Unchained

A fan-favorite Western directed by Quentin Tarantino , Django Unchained tells the story of the titular slave (played by Jamie Foxx ) who gains his freedom when he encounters a German bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz ( Christoph Waltz ). The duo embarks on a dangerous journey across the country to look for Django's wife, Broomhilda ( Kerry Washington ), who is revealed to have been sold to a cruel plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Widely regarded as one of Quentin Tarantino's best movies , Django Unchained is a modern masterpiece that is unflinching in its use of irreverent humor and stylistic violence to delve into racism and slavery. With stellar performances from its cast (most notably resulting in DiCaprio's glass scene) and no shortage of sharp dialogue, it's easy to see why the offbeat film became mainstream.

Django Unchained

14 'the lord of the rings: the two towers' (2002), votes: 1.8 million | imdb rating: 8.8.

Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) looking for the kidnapped hobbits in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (2002)

It's hard to call any of director Peter Jackson 's The Lord of the Rings movies bad, but if fans had to pick the weakest entry in the trilogy, it would probably be The Two Towers . Picking up where the first movie left off, the film follows Frodo ( Elijah Wood ) and Sam's ( Sean Astin ) increasingly risky journey to Mordor, as well as Aragorn ( Viggo Mortensen ), Legolas ( Orlando Bloom ), and Gimli's ( John Rhys-Davies ) literally breathtaking pursuit of the Uruk-hai who have kidnapped the lovable duo Merry ( Dominic Monaghan ) and Pippin ( Billy Boyd ).

The epic LotR masterpiece does an excellent job of accomplishing the gargantuan task of bridging the two movies in an exciting enough way that leaves audiences wanting more, but not dissatisfied. One of its many highlights and arguably the best is its dramatic portrayal of the Battle of Helm's Deep, also called the Battle of the Hornburg, which sees some beloved characters up against impossible odds. Its high number of votes on IMDb is a testament to just how many people likely have this bookmarked as part of their annual marathons of the acclaimed film trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

13 'se7en' (1995), votes: 1.8 million | imdb rating: 8.6.

Sergeant Mills (Brad Pitt) looks into the distance distraught as he stands in a large field at sunset.

The twisty crime thriller to end all twisty crime thrillers, director David Fincher 's Se7en set a new standard and elevated the genre when it first premiered in the late 90s. The legendary film is centered on two detectives, the disillusioned William Somerset ( Morgan Freeman ) and his rookie partner David Mills (Brad Pitt). The detectives are assigned to a bizarre case about a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as inspiration for his gruesome yet meticulous murders.

Famous for its unforgettable twist ending , Se7en gives viewers an enthralling story with brilliantly suspenseful moments that build up to its wild conclusion . It was a surprisingly especially dark entry from Fincher, who established numerous trademarks in this film. Fantastic performances from Freeman and Pitt make the flawless material they have to work with even better. It's a movie that captured lightning in a bottle, and one that continues to be referenced, discussed, and studied today.

12 'The Dark Knight Rises' (2012)

Votes: 1.8 million | imdb rating: 8.4.

Batman and Bane fighting in The Dark Knight Rises.

Set eight years after the events of The Dark Knight , director Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises is the gripping conclusion to his award-winning film trilogy. It depicts Gotham in a state of uncharacteristic peace thanks to the Dent Act, which is unsurprisingly soon disturbed by the iconic villain, Bane ( Tom Hardy ). Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is forced to come out of retirement one last time to face this new threat, with the help of the reliable Commissioner Gordon ( Gary Oldman ) and an exciting new ally, Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman ( Anne Hathaway ).

A great example of a final movie done right, The Dark Knight Rises is a proper send-off for the beloved anti-hero , who's impossible not to root for at this point. Gotham's fate hangs in the balance as the caped crusader meets yet another foe. Of course, it's Tom Hardy's portrayal of the villainous Bane that manages to outshine heroic attempts from the protagonist, and will forever be associated with this massively successful trilogy.

The Dark Knight Rises

11 'the lord of the rings: the return of the king' (2003), votes: 2 million | imdb rating: 9.0.

Gandalf riding towards Gondor in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The closer to Peter Jackson's trilogy of films adapting J.R.R. Tolkien 's seminal fantasy novels is blockbuster filmmaking done right. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King provides a satisfying conclusion to the nearly nine hours of story. This film sees Aragorn claim his birthright as the King of Gondor, possibly the most outstanding cavalry charge ever put to film, after an unbelievable struggle. It also includes the final leg of Frodo and Samwise's grueling journey towards the eventual destruction of the ring and the defeat of the big bad, Sauron.

This film holds a three-way tie for the most-awarded film in Oscars history, with Ben-Hur and Titanic all sharing the illustrious honor of taking home 11 awards. Perhaps as much an acknowledgment by the academy of the monumental achievement the trilogy as a whole was, The Return of the King also marked one of the rare times in history where the big winner was an epic, crowd-pleasing fantasy film .

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

10 'the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring' (2001), votes: 2 million | imdb rating: 8.9.

The fellowship in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

The task of adapting The Lord of the Rings trilogy that Tolkien spent most of his lifetime developing — and had a massive influence on the genre as a whole — was perhaps rightly seen as one that was, for all intents and purposes, impossible. However, Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema decided to take on the challenge — and it paid off.

Is the beginning of a tale better than the end? The internet certainly seems to think so, as The Fellowship of the Ring places above the conclusion to the trilogy. Why this is so is anyone's guess — but The Fellowship of the Ring is certainly an excellent, well-made film that does a great job of introducing the characters , their motivations, and the stakes of the story. It sees gorgeous depictions of the Shire, the creation of the Fellowship, and the first hints of the terrible antagonists they'll be facing along the way (including themselves). Among the three films, it's the most rewatchable, not just because it came first, but also due to the magical and nostalgic viewing experience it offers.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

9 'the godfather' (1972), votes: 2 million | imdb rating: 9.2.

A man whispering in Don Vito Corleone's ear in The Godfather.

Rarely does a film so completely transcend the medium's limits to become a staple of popular culture, but The Godfather is an odd confluence of factors. A niche Hollywood had thought dead, a young, maverick filmmaker with the vision to revitalize the gangster movie genre , and one of the best casts of all time combine to bring this all-time classic to life.

The Godfather portrays Mario Puzo 's mob novel on the big screen, depicting the life of the head of a mafia, Don Vito Corleone ( Marlon Brando ), as well as his reluctant son's – Michael ( Al Pacino ) – path to joining him and eventually taking control. It's mobster drama at its best, portraying the betrayals, violence, and familial conflicts, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at a compelling crime family. It's tough to find fault with this film — everything from the script to the production design, the cinematography, pacing, action, and acting are all top-notch. The Godfather gave viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of a mafia, which revolutionized an entire genre of filmmaking .

The Godfather (1972)

8 'the matrix' (1999), votes: 2.1 million | imdb rating: 8.7.

Keanu Reeves as Neo and Carrie-Ann Moss as Trinity walking in The Matrix.

"What is the Matrix?" is a seemingly simple question, but one that perplexed and intrigued audiences as part of one of the most effective marketing campaigns in history. An odd combination of the height of stunt work, exciting new technologies, and philosophical contemplation of humanity's relationship with machines combined to make The Matrix a massive hit and a cultural phenomenon. It introduced the world to Keanu Reeves ' Neo, who could be the one that could save humanity from a grand illusion, at least according to Morpheus ( Laurence Fishburne ).

This film holds a special place in many people's hearts, and it's easy to see why. It changed the way blockbusters were made, introducing the world to bullet-time and revolutionary special effects, not to mention toe Keanu Reeves' acting chops as an action star. It's worth noting that it's still considered the best one in the Matrix franchise , and is still worth watching again today.

7 'Interstellar' (2014)

Matthew McConaughey walking in another planet in 'Interstellar.'

Another ambitious film from Nolan, Interstellar is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time . Set in a dystopian future where blight is causing the rapid decline of life on earth, the film focuses on a former pilot and now farmer named Cooper ( Matthew McConaughey ), who finds a secret NASA location and is soon placed in charge of a mission that could be humanity's last hope. As he leads his team through a wormhole, they don't expect what they find on the other side.

Interstellar hit every mark, from its stunning visual effects and commendable scientific accuracy to its outstanding performances and surprising emotional depth. Alongside its epic intergalactic story, it tells a more intimate father-daughter narrative that eventually influences Cooper's mission. Judging by its number of votes, it's safe to say that it is the movie for sci-fi fans who have likely gotten their dose of space, mind-bending physics, and dystopian settings on more than one rewatch.

Interstellar

6 'pulp fiction' (1994), votes: 2.2 million | imdb rating: 8.9.

Two men raising their guns in Pulp Fiction.

Pulp Fiction is the film that cemented Quentin Tarantino as a creative force in Hollywood. It uses a non-linear narrative structure to depict a variety of arcs, which include two hitmen who have darkly humorous conversations, an actress who gets in trouble after a fun night out, and a Bonnie-and-Clyde-esque couple who hype themselves up for a robbery.

It's hard to put a finger on precisely what makes this film so good — an all-star cast trading barbs with each other from Tarantino's whip-smart script and playing with editing conventions to tell a non-linear story are two of the top reasons. But perhaps most of all, Pulp Fiction is just cool . There's no other word for it. From the stylish hitmen played with panache by Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta to the soundtrack of absolute bangers from start to finish, this film epitomized the mid-90s. It's one of the most influential American films of the decade.

Pulp Fiction

The Shawshank Redemption

IMDb Charts

Imdb top 250 movies.

Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

1. The Shawshank Redemption

2. The Godfather

Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cillian Murphy, and Chin Han in The Dark Knight (2008)

3. The Dark Knight

Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II (1974)

4. The Godfather Part II

Henry Fonda, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, Edward Binns, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Joseph Sweeney, George Voskovec, Jack Warden, and Robert Webber in 12 Angry Men (1957)

5. 12 Angry Men

6. Schindler's List

Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

8. Pulp Fiction

Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, and John Rhys-Davies in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

10. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

11. Forrest Gump

Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, and Andy Serkis in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

12. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in Fight Club (1999)

13. Fight Club

Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe, and Dileep Rao in Inception (2010)

14. Inception

Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, and Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

15. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Joe Pantoliano, and Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix (1999)

16. The Matrix

Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci in Goodfellas (1990)

17. Goodfellas

Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

18. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in Se7en (1995)

20. Interstellar

James Stewart and Donna Reed in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

21. It's a Wonderful Life

22. Seven Samurai

Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

23. The Silence of the Lambs

Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, and Edward Burns in Saving Private Ryan (1998)

24. Saving Private Ryan

Inhabitants of Belo Vale Boa Morte and Cidade de Congonhas and Paige Ellens in City of God (2002)

25. City of God

The Top Rated Movie list only includes feature films.

Shorts, TV movies, and documentaries are not included
The list is ranked by a formula which includes the number of ratings each movie received from users, and value of ratings received from regular users
To be included on the list, a movie must receive ratings from at least 25000 users

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The 25 Highest-Rated Movies on IMDb, Ranked by Votes

25 'Schindler's List' (1993)

Schindler's List (1995)

24 'The Avengers' (2012)

The Avengers