Hollywood, behind the creation of innumerable masterpieces, has indeed created few luminaries which have, launched themselves as icons. Based on ratings provided by IMDb users, these are the 10 top Hollywood movies from the very beginning till now.Here would be included the details of the directors, lead actors, plot summaries, ranks, and worldwide grossing, etc.
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Director: Frank Darabont
Starring: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton
IMDb Rating: 9.3
Worldwide Box Office: $73.3 million
Summary: It was adapted from a novella by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption; the epic account of life in Shawshank Prison centers on the story of Andy Dufresne, a banker who was unjustly convicted of murder. He befriends fellow inmate Red, and he finds redemption and freedom in the most unlikely way throughout decades’ worth of prison life.
2. The Godfather (1972)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan
IMDb Rating: 9.2
Worldwide Box Office: $250 million
Summary: A monumental crime drama that chronicles the powerful Italian-American Corleone mafia family. When the aging patriarch hands control to his reluctant son Michael, a saga of betrayal, violence, and power unfolds. It remains a benchmark in storytelling and character development.
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart
IMDb Rating: 9.0
Worldwide Box Office: $1.006 billion
Summary: For the second part of Nolan’s trilogy on Batman, The Dark Knight talks about chaos and morality through the psychotic criminal mastermind that is Joker. A posthumous Oscar came Heath Ledger’s way for his iconic performance, which has now sealed the fate of this movie to become one of the most appreciated superhero films ever made.
4. The Godfather Part II (1974)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall
IMDb Rating: 9.0
Worldwide Box Office: $93 million
Summary: This sequel (and prequel) to the Godfather tells parallel stories-the rise of young Vito Corleone and the fall of Michael, his son. A rare sequel that manages to match or even exceed its predecessor.
5. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam
IMDb Rating: 9.0
Worldwide Box Office: Estimated $1 million (limited release)
Summary: This courtroom drama almost entirely unfolds within a single room, where a jury of 12 discusses the fate of a teenage boy charged with murder. The film brilliantly captures themes such as justice, prejudice, and the power of reasonable doubt.
6. Schindler’s List (1993)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley
IMDb Rating: 9.0
Worldwide Box Office: $322 million
Summary: A deeply emotional and historically accurate study of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over a thousand Jews during the Holocaust. The film, shot in stark black and white, stands as a haunting reminder of human courage and compassion.
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen
IMDb Rating: 9.0
Worldwide Box Office: $1.146 billion
Summary: The final chapter of the massive fantasy trilogy tells of Frodo and Sam reaching Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, as Middle-earth forces unite for a final stand. Winner of 11 Academy Awards including Best Picture.
8. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson
IMDb Rating: 8.9
Worldwide Box Office: $213 million
Summary: A nonlinear darkly comic crime film that intertwines multiple tales in Los Angeles. Famous for its acerbic dialogue, iconic characters, and unforgettable scenes, Pulp Fiction redefined the indie cinema era of the 90s.
9. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Director: Sergio Leone
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef
IMDb Rating: 8.8
Worldwide Box Office: Estimated $25.1 million
Summary: Concerning three gunslingers competing to find hidden money in the American Civil War, a legendary Spaghetti Western. It boasts an epic score and some of the most unforgettable standoffs in cinema history; one of the greatest Westerns ever made.
10. Fight Club (1999)
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter
IMDb Rating: 8.8
Worldwide Box Office: $101.2 million
Summary: Disillusioned with everything from office work to the bourgeois lifestyle, an insomniac partners with a mysterious soap salesman to form an underground fight club that devolves into an anarchist group. Fight Club has a healthy dose of the provocative and philosophical and over the years has become something of a cult classic.
