From E.T to the blue Na´vi of  Avatar, here is my personal list of the 25 best films ever made. A lot of hard decisions were made to decide on which films should be on the list, but more importantly, how to rank them. All films listed here are films I have personally seen multiple times—some I have seen 25 times. There are many other great films out there still left for me to explore, so you won’t see films like  The Godfather (1972) or Interstellar (2014)  on this list.

All of these films are must-watch experiences, and just a few of these films managed to evoke a tear or two from me. You won’t see any silly CGI Marvel movies or recent Star Wars sequel films on here, either; those films represent the loss of artisan theatrical cinema, a trend accelerated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

So, Here is the list of the 25 best films ever made… Ranked:

1. E.T: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
2. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. Lord of The Rings The Return of the King (2003)
5. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn (1982)
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
7. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)*
8. Aliens (1986)
9. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
10. Skyfall (2012)
11. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)
12. Avatar (2009)
13. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
14. Titanic (1997)**
15. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
16. The Terminator (1984)
17. Alien (1979)
18. Godzilla (2014)
19. Star Wars: Episode III: The Revenge of The Sith (2005)
20. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
21. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
22. Close Encounters of The Third Kind (1977)
23. Jurassic Park (1993)
24. Jaws (1975)
25. Dirty Harry (1971)

*Currently playing exclusively in theaters as of January 3rd 2023

**Currently re-released in theaters as of February 10th 2023