The Best German Films of All Time
Expressionist shadows, the New German Cinema and post-reunification masterworks — a century of German cinema ranked by our composite score.
Paris, Texas (1984) leads with a composite score of 3.89. Top 100 of 149 films in our library.
- 1Paris, Texas1984 · Wim Wenders · France / Germany · drama3.89
Palme d'Or winner 1984 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #185 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1985 #6
- 2The Tin Drum1979 · Volker Schlöndorff · France / Germany / Poland · war, drama2.99
Palme d'Or winner 1979 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1981 #1 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies
- 3Wings of Desire1987 · Wim Wenders · France / Germany · fantasy, drama2.83
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1987 #2 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1988 #3 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #185
- 4The White Ribbon2009 · Michael Haneke · France / Germany / Austria · drama, mystery2.58
Palme d'Or winner 2009 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2010 #4 · Film Comment year-end poll 2009 #12
- 5Metropolis1927 · Fritz Lang · Weimar Republic · silent, drama, sci-fi2.18
Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #67 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1929 #4 · TIME All-TIME 100
- 6Ali: Fear Eats the Soul1974 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama, romance2.17
Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #52 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52 · Kehr's annual top 10 1974 #2
- 7Aguirre, the Wrath of God1972 · Werner Herzog · Germany / Mexico / Peru · drama, adventure1.92
Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #118 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1983 #9 · TIME All-TIME 100
- 8Olympia1938 · Leni Riefenstahl · German Reich · documentary1.76
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1940 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1940 #5 · TIME All-TIME 100
- 9Toni Erdmann2016 · Maren Ade · Germany / Austria · drama, comedy1.73
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2016 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2016 #1 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #95
- 10The Marriage of Maria Braun1979 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama1.69
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1980 #6 · Sarris's annual top 10 1979 #3 · Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films
- 11M1931 · Fritz Lang · Germany / Weimar Republic · thriller, film-noir, drama1.66
Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #36 · Letterboxd Top 250 #175 · Empire 500 (2008) #212
- 12The Lives of Others2006 · Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck · Germany · drama, thriller1.60
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2007 #2 · Film Comment year-end poll 2007 #11 · Letterboxd Top 250 #169
- 13Faust2011 · Alexander Sokurov · Russia / Germany · drama, fantasy1.50
Venice Golden Lion winner 2011 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2012 #9 · Film Comment year-end poll 2013 #34
- 14All Quiet on the Western Front2022 · Edward Berger · Germany / United States · war, drama1.45
BAFTA Best Film winner 2023 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2022
- 15Marianne and Juliane1981 · Margarethe von Trotta · Germany · drama1.32
Venice Golden Lion winner 1981 · Sarris's annual top 10 1982 #2
- 16Veronika Voss1982 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama1.29
Berlin Golden Bear winner 1982 · Criterion Collection spine #205 · Roger Ebert's Great Movies
- 17The State of Things1982 · Wim Wenders · Portugal / Germany / United States · drama1.29
Venice Golden Lion winner 1982 · Kehr's annual top 10 1983 #6 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 18Palermo or Wolfsburg1980 · Werner Schroeter · Germany / Switzerland · drama1.29
Berlin Golden Bear winner 1980 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1981 #10
- 19The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser1974 · Werner Herzog · Germany · biography, drama1.28
Cannes Grand Prix winner 1975 · Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films · Empire 500 (2008) #428
- 20The Last Laugh1924 · F. W. Murnau · Germany / Weimar Republic · silent, drama1.25
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1926 #2 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #243 · Roger Ebert's Great Movies
- 21Head-On2004 · Fatih Akin · Germany / Turkey · romance, drama1.25
Berlin Golden Bear winner 2004 · Film Comment year-end poll 2005 #15
- 22Nosferatu1922 · F. W. Murnau · Germany · silent, horror, drama1.20
Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #196 · Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films · Vatican film list
- 23Perfect Days2023 · Wim Wenders · Japan / Germany · drama1.11
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 2023 #2 · Letterboxd Top 250 #143 · Criterion Collection spine #1226
- 24
- 25Mädchen in Uniform1931 · Leontine Sagan · German Reich · drama, romance1.00
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1933 #1
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- 27Artists Under the Big Top: Perplexed1968 · Alexander Kluge · Germany · drama1.00
Venice Golden Lion winner 1968
- 28The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach1968 · Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet · Germany / Italy · musical, biography, drama1.00
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1968 #1
- 29
- 30The Woman and the Stranger1985 · Rainer Simon · Germany / German Democratic Republic · romance, drama1.00
Berlin Golden Bear winner 1985
- 31
- 32Yellow Letters2026 · İlker Çatak · Germany / Turkey / France · drama1.00
Berlin Golden Bear winner 2026
- 33The Merchant of Four Seasons1972 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama0.89
Sarris's annual top 10 1973 #1 · Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films · Criterion Collection spine #758
- 34Pandora's Box1929 · Georg Wilhelm Pabst · Germany · silent, drama, crime0.86
Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #243 · Empire 500 (2008) #248 · Criterion Collection spine #358
- 35Parsifal1982 · Hans-Jürgen Syberberg, Bernard Sobel · France / Germany · musical, drama0.82
Hoberman's annual top 10 1983 #1 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1982 #8
- 36The American Friend1977 · Wim Wenders · Germany / France · film-noir, drama, crime0.81
Kehr's annual top 10 1978 #3 · Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films · NYT Best 1,000 Movies
- 37Rotation1950 · Wolfgang Staudte · Germany / German Democratic Republic · drama0.75
Locarno Golden Leopard winner 1954
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- 42Das Fräulein2006 · Andrea Štaka · Germany / Switzerland · drama0.75
Locarno Golden Leopard winner 2006
- 43Das Boot1981 · Wolfgang Petersen · West Germany · drama, war0.74
Letterboxd Top 250 #128 · Empire 500 (2008) #263 · Ebert's annual top 10 1982 #6
- 44Vampyr1932 · Carl Theodor Dreyer · France / Germany · horror0.69
Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #146 · Criterion Collection spine #437 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 45Lola1981 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama, comedy0.67
Siskel's annual top 10 1982 #6 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Sarris's annual top 10 1982 #7
- 46Downfall2004 · Oliver Hirschbiegel · Germany / Austria / Italy · biography, war, drama0.66
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2005 #10 · Empire 500 (2008) #245 · Film Comment year-end poll 2005 #40
- 47Stroszek1977 · Werner Herzog · Germany · drama, comedy0.66
Ebert's annual top 10 1978 #4 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Sarris's annual top 10 1977 #10
- 48Kings of the Road1976 · Wim Wenders · Germany · drama0.65
Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films · Criterion Collection spine #816 · Ebert's annual top 10 1978 #9
- 49Lessons of Darkness1992 · Werner Herzog · Germany / United Kingdom / France · documentary0.64
Hoberman's annual top 10 1995 #1 · Hoberman's annual top 10 1999 #null
- 50Variety1925 · Ewald André Dupont, Nicolas Farkas · Germany · drama, silent0.63
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1927 #2
- 51Der Kongreß tanzt1931 · Erik Charell · Germany / France · musical0.63
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1934 #2
- 52Klassenverhältnisse1984 · Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub · Germany / France · drama0.63
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1984 #2
- 53The Death of Empedocles1987 · Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet · Germany / France · drama0.63
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1987 #2
- 54Not Reconciled1965 · Jean-Marie Straub, Danièle Huillet · Germany · drama0.61
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1966 #3 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 55Katzelmacher1969 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama, romance0.61
Hoberman's annual top 10 1977 #1 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 56Run Lola Run1998 · Tom Tykwer · Germany · drama, thriller, crime0.61
Sarris's annual top 10 1999 #1 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
- 57Gently My Songs Entreat1933 · Willi Forst · Austria / Germany · musical0.61
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1935 #4 · Kurosawa's 100 favorite films
- 58Europa Europa1990 · Agnieszka Holland · France / Germany / Poland · drama, war, biography0.54
Hoberman's annual top 10 1991 #4 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #985
- 59Bagdad Café1987 · Percy Adlon · Germany · comedy, drama0.53
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1989 #6 · Kurosawa's 100 favorite films
- 60The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari1920 · Robert Wiene · Germany · silent, horror, crime0.53
Kurosawa's 100 favorite films · Roger Ebert's Great Movies · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
- 61Dr. Mabuse the Gambler1922 · Fritz Lang · Germany · silent, thriller, crime0.52
Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films · Kurosawa's 100 favorite films · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
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- 64Hannah Arendt2012 · Margarethe von Trotta · France / Germany / Luxembourg · drama, biography0.50
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2013 #3
- 65Effi Briest1974 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama0.48
Sarris's annual top 10 1977 #2 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies
- 66Phoenix2014 · Christian Petzold · Germany / Poland · drama0.48
Film Comment year-end poll 2015 #8 · Criterion Collection spine #809
- 67Nosferatu the Vampyre1979 · Werner Herzog · France / Germany · drama0.45
Siskel's annual top 10 1979 #7 · Ebert's annual top 10 1979 #9 · Roger Ebert's Great Movies
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- 69The Tiger of Eschnapur1959 · Fritz Lang · Germany / Italy / France · drama, romance, adventure0.40
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1959 #10 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 70Buena Vista Social Club1999 · Wim Wenders · Germany / France / United Kingdom · documentary, musical0.39
National Film Registry (inducted 2020) · Criterion Collection spine #866
- 71The Living Corpse1929 · Fedor Ozep · Germany / Soviet Union · silent, drama0.39
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1929 #5
- 72Germany, Pale Mother1980 · Helma Sanders-Brahms · Germany · drama, war0.39
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1981 #5
- 73Western2017 · Valeska Grisebach · Germany / Bulgaria / Austria · drama0.39
Film Comment year-end poll 2018 #5
- 74The Testament of Dr. Mabuse1933 · Fritz Lang · Germany / Weimar Republic / France · crime, horror, drama0.38
Criterion Collection spine #231 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 75Alice in the Cities1974 · Wim Wenders · Germany · drama0.38
Criterion Collection spine #814 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 76Heart of Glass1976 · Werner Herzog · Germany · drama0.38
Ebert's annual top 10 1978 #3 · Roger Ebert's Great Movies
- 77In a Year of 13 Moons1978 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama0.37
Sarris's annual top 10 1980 #4 · Hoberman's annual top 10 1979 #8
- 78Faust1926 · F. W. Murnau · Germany / Weimar Republic · silent, drama, fantasy0.36
Roger Ebert's Great Movies · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
- 79The Threepenny Opera1931 · Georg Wilhelm Pabst · Germany / France / United States · drama, musical0.34
Kurosawa's 100 favorite films · Criterion Collection spine #405
- 80Pina2011 · Wim Wenders · Germany / France · musical, documentary0.34
Film Comment year-end poll 2011 #50 · Criterion Collection spine #644
- 81The Girl Irene1936 · Reinhold Schünzel · Germany · drama0.33
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1939 #7
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- 85The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl1993 · Ray Müller · Germany · documentary0.32
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1995 #8
- 86The Third Generation1979 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · West Germany · comedy, crime0.31
NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Sarris's annual top 10 1980 #10
- 87The Saltmen of Tibet1997 · Ulrike Koch · Germany / Switzerland · documentary0.30
Kehr's annual top 10 1998 #8 · Sarris's annual top 10 1998 #null
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- 89Such Great Foolishness1937 · Carl Froelich · Germany · drama0.29
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1939 #10
- 90Fear1954 · Roberto Rossellini · Italy / Germany · drama, romance0.29
Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1956 #10
- 91The Name of the Rose1986 · Jean-Jacques Annaud · France / Italy / Germany · crime, thriller, mystery0.29
Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1987 #10
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- 94People on Sunday1930 · Curt Siodmak, Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinnemann, Rochus Gliese · Germany · silent, drama0.27
Criterion Collection spine #569 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies
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- 97Henry Fonda for President2025 · Alexander Horwath · Austria / Germany · documentary0.24
Film Comment year-end poll 2025 #16
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German cinema is unusual in having not one golden age but three — the Expressionist silents of the Weimar Republic, the New German Cinema of the 1960s and 70s, and a post-reunification revival that keeps producing world films into the present. Most national lists let the oldest peak dominate on reputation alone. Ours does the opposite: it re-ranks the entire national output by composite score, and the result quietly rearranges the textbook.
What the score rewards
The single loudest surprise is that the silent monuments do not lead. Wim Wenders's Paris, Texas (1984) tops the German field at #65 overall, well ahead of anything from the 1920s, and his Wings of Desire (1987) sits at #177. Between them comes Volker Schlöndorff's The Tin Drum (1979) at #160 — the first German film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film — with The White Ribbon (2009) close behind at #224. By contrast Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927), a UNESCO Memory of the World entry, ranks only #314; his M (1931) lands at #524 and F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu (1922) all the way down at #870. The composite measures accumulated critical weight rather than historical primacy, and on that measure the New German Cinema, not Weimar, is the country's centre of gravity.
The New German spine
That spine is dense. Werner Herzog's Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) and Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974, #317) and The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) all cluster in the upper reaches — the generation that signed and inherited the Oberhausen Manifesto of 28 February 1962, which declared the old cinema dead. The tail carries the modern revival: Edward Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) at #663, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's The Lives of Others (2006), Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann (2016), and Fatih Akin's Head-On (2004) — proof the third peak is still rising.
Where membership comes from
Inclusion is by country of production (Wikidata P495), not by director passport, and historical states fold into the modern country — so Weimar Republic, Nazi-era, and East German DEFA titles all pool into one German ledger, which is why Metropolis and the DEFA rubble-era Rotation (1950) sit on the same list. The one honest caveat is The White Ribbon: it is a German-language, German-set, German-financed film, and so it qualifies here — but Michael Haneke, born in Munich in 1942, is Austrian by nationality, and his Palme d'Or belongs as much to Austrian cinema as to German. The page ranks films by where they were made, not filmmakers by where they were from.