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Edgar Wright's 1,000 Favorite Movies, Ranked

In 2016 the director of Shaun of the Dead and Baby Driver published a chronological list of his 1,000 favorite movies — a genre omnivore's canon he still updates, silent comedy beside giallo beside blockbusters. Here is Wright's thousand ranked by our composite score across 20+ lists, awards and polls.

1000 films from this list are in our library; the top 100 by composite score are shown — the ranking is ours, not the list's own order.

  1. 1
    The Godfather1972 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States / Italy · crime, drama, thriller
    9.75

    Empire 500 (2008) #1 · Oscar Best Picture winner 1972 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #3

  2. 2
    Citizen Kane1941 · Orson Welles · United States · drama, biography, mystery
    9.21

    AFI 100 (2007) #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #2 · AFI 100 (1998) #1

  3. 3
    2001: A Space Odyssey1968 · Stanley Kubrick · United States / United Kingdom · adventure, mystery, sci-fi
    7.43

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #6 · AFI 100 (2007) #15

  4. 4
    Apocalypse Now1979 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States · war, action, drama
    6.84

    Palme d'Or winner 1979 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #18 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #19

  5. 5
    Goodfellas1990 · Martin Scorsese · United States · biography, crime, thriller
    6.33

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1991 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #28 · Empire 500 (2008) #6

  6. 6
    Taxi Driver1976 · Martin Scorsese · United States · film-noir, drama, crime
    6.25

    Palme d'Or winner 1976 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1976 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #12

  7. 7
    The Third Man1949 · Carol Reed · United Kingdom · film-noir, mystery, drama
    6.08

    BFI Top 100 British films #1 · Palme d'Or winner 1949 · Cannes Grand Prix winner 1949

  8. 8
    All About Eve1950 · Joseph L. Mankiewicz · United States · drama, comedy
    5.87

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1950 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1951 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1951 #1

  9. 9
    Pulp Fiction1994 · Quentin Tarantino · United States · crime, drama, thriller
    5.76

    Palme d'Or winner 1994 · Empire 500 (2008) #9 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1994

  10. 10
    Parasite2019 · Bong Joon-ho · South Korea · comedy, drama, thriller
    5.72

    Palme d'Or winner 2019 · Oscar Best Picture winner 2019 · Film Comment year-end poll 2019 #1

  11. 11
    Raging Bull1980 · Martin Scorsese · United States · biography, drama, action
    5.71

    AFI 100 (2007) #4 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #22 · Siskel's annual top 10 1980 #1

  12. 12
    Annie Hall1977 · Woody Allen · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    5.55

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1977 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1978 · Siskel's annual top 10 1977 #1

  13. 13
    The Godfather Part II1974 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States · drama, crime, thriller
    5.37

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1974 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #26 · Letterboxd Top 250 #8

  14. 14
    12 Angry Men1957 · Sidney Lumet · United States · drama
    5.25

    Berlin Golden Bear winner 1957 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1959 #1 · Letterboxd Top 250 #3

  15. 15
    Vertigo1958 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · mystery, thriller, drama
    5.16

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #2 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #6 · AFI 100 (2007) #9

  16. 16
    In the Mood for Love2000 · Wong Kar-wai · Hong Kong, China / France / Thailand · romance, drama
    5.13

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #5 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #2 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #9

  17. 17
    The Piano1993 · Jane Campion · France / Australia / New Zealand · drama, romance
    4.99

    Palme d'Or winner 1993 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1994 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #50

  18. 18
    Spirited Away2001 · Hayao Miyazaki · Japan · fantasy, animation, drama
    4.98

    Berlin Golden Bear winner 2002 · Japan Academy Prize winner 2002 · Kehr's annual top 10 2002 #1

  19. 19
    Unforgiven1992 · Clint Eastwood · United States · western, drama, crime
    4.96

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1992 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1992 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1993 #1

  20. 20
    Tokyo Story1953 · Yasujirō Ozu · Japan · drama
    4.91

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #4 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #4 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1953 #2

  21. 21
    Bicycle Thieves1948 · Vittorio De Sica · Italy · drama
    4.78

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1950 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1950 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #20

  22. 22
    Dr. Strangelove1964 · Stanley Kubrick · United States / United Kingdom · comedy, war
    4.66

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1965 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #46 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1964

  23. 23
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975 · Miloš Forman · United States · comedy, drama
    4.63

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1975 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1977 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1976 #2

  24. 24
    Midnight Cowboy1969 · John Schlesinger · United States · drama
    4.62

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1969 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1970 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1969 #2

  25. 25
    The Bridge on the River Kwai1957 · David Lean · United Kingdom / United States · drama, war
    4.61

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1957 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1958 · BFI Top 100 British films #11

  26. 26
    Mulholland Drive2001 · David Lynch · United States · mystery, thriller, crime
    4.61

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2001 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2001 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #8

  27. 27
    8½1963 · Federico Fellini · Italy / France · comedy, drama, fantasy
    4.58

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #6 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1965 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #31

  28. 28
    Sunset Boulevard1950 · Billy Wilder · United States · drama, film-noir
    4.54

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1951 #2 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #62 · AFI 100 (2007) #16

  29. 29
    Do the Right Thing1989 · Spike Lee · United States · comedy, drama
    4.39

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1989 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #24 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #29

  30. 30
    The Apartment1960 · Billy Wilder · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    4.38

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1960 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1961 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #54

  31. 31
    Chinatown1974 · Roman Polanski · United States · film-noir, mystery, thriller
    4.33

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1974 · AFI 100 (2007) #21

  32. 32
    Amadeus1984 · Miloš Forman · United States · biography, musical, drama
    4.33

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1984 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1985 #1 · Ebert's annual top 10 1984 #1

  33. 33
    Singin' in the Rain1952 · Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen · United States · comedy, romance, musical
    4.30

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #10 · AFI 100 (2007) #5 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52

  34. 34
    Wild Strawberries1957 · Ingmar Bergman · Sweden · drama
    4.30

    Berlin Golden Bear winner 1958 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1962 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1959 #1

  35. 35
    Brief Encounter1945 · David Lean · United Kingdom · romance, drama
    4.30

    Palme d'Or winner 1946 · BFI Top 100 British films #2 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1948 #3

  36. 36
    Persona1966 · Ingmar Bergman · Sweden · drama
    4.29

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1967 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #9 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #18

  37. 37
    There Will Be Blood2007 · Paul Thomas Anderson · United States · drama, western, thriller
    4.26

    Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2007 #2 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2008 #2

  38. 38
    MASH1970 · Robert Altman · United States · comedy, drama, war
    4.25

    Palme d'Or winner 1970 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1970 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1970 #5

  39. 39
    La Dolce Vita1960 · Federico Fellini · France / Italy · comedy, drama
    4.24

    Palme d'Or winner 1960 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1960 #2 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #35

  40. 40
    The Silence of the Lambs1991 · Jonathan Demme · United States · thriller, horror, crime
    4.23

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1991 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1991 #2 · AFI 100 (2007) #74

  41. 41
    No Country for Old Men2007 · Ethan Coen, Joel Coen · United States · drama, thriller, western
    4.20

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2007 · Film Comment year-end poll 2007 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2008 #1

  42. 42
    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial1982 · Steven Spielberg · United States · sci-fi, drama
    4.17

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1982 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1982 · AFI 100 (2007) #24

  43. 43
    The Deer Hunter1978 · Michael Cimino · United States · war, drama
    4.15

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1978 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1979 #3 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #211

  44. 44
    Ordet1955 · Carl Theodor Dreyer · Denmark · drama
    4.06

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1955 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1955 #2 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #30

  45. 45
    The 400 Blows1959 · François Truffaut · France · drama, crime
    4.04

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #33 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #50 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1959 #5

  46. 46
    Taste of Cherry1997 · Abbas Kiarostami · Iran · drama
    4.03

    Palme d'Or winner 1997 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #93 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #243

  47. 47
    Psycho1960 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · thriller, horror, mystery
    4.01

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #31 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #46 · AFI 100 (2007) #14

  48. 48
    Breathless1960 · Jean-Luc Godard · France · drama, crime
    3.95

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #14 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #38 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1960 #3

  49. 49
    Barry Lyndon1975 · Stanley Kubrick · United States / United Kingdom · drama, war, adventure
    3.95

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #12 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #45 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1975

  50. 50
    Blowup1966 · Michelangelo Antonioni · United Kingdom / Italy · mystery, thriller, drama
    3.93

    Palme d'Or winner 1967 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1967 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1966 #1

  51. 51
    The Graduate1967 · Mike Nichols · United States · comedy, drama, romance
    3.92

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1969 · AFI 100 (1998) #7 · AFI 100 (2007) #17

  52. 52
    Paris, Texas1984 · Wim Wenders · France / Germany · drama
    3.89

    Palme d'Or winner 1984 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #185 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1985 #6

  53. 53
    Bonnie and Clyde1967 · Arthur Penn · United States · drama, crime, biography
    3.82

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1968 #1 · Ebert's annual top 10 1967 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1967

  54. 54
    Ikiru1952 · Akira Kurosawa · Japan · drama
    3.78

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1952 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #157

  55. 55
    Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans1927 · F. W. Murnau · United States · drama, silent, romance
    3.77

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1928 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #11 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #33

  56. 56
    The Conversation1974 · Francis Ford Coppola · United States · thriller, drama, mystery
    3.76

    Palme d'Or winner 1974 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1974

  57. 57
    Boyhood2014 · Richard Linklater · United States · drama
    3.66

    BAFTA Best Film winner 2015 · Film Comment year-end poll 2014 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2014 #2

  58. 58
    The Wages of Fear1953 · Henri-Georges Clouzot · France / Italy · drama, adventure
    3.63

    Palme d'Or winner 1953 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1955 · Berlin Golden Bear winner 1953

  59. 59
    Ben-Hur1959 · William Wyler · United States · drama, action
    3.61

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1959 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1960 · AFI 100 (2007) #100

  60. 60
    Seven Samurai1954 · Akira Kurosawa · Japan · drama, action, adventure
    3.60

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #14 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #20 · Letterboxd Top 250 #5

  61. 61
    Viridiana1961 · Luis Buñuel · Mexico / Spain · comedy, drama
    3.59

    Palme d'Or winner 1961 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1962 #4

  62. 62
    Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope1977 · George Lucas · United States · sci-fi, action, adventure
    3.58

    AFI 100 (2007) #13 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1977 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #225

  63. 63
    The Seventh Seal1957 · Ingmar Bergman · Sweden · fantasy, drama
    3.58

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1958 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1958 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72

  64. 64
    The Shawshank Redemption1994 · Frank Darabont · United States · drama, crime
    3.55

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1995 #1 · Empire 500 (2008) #4 · Letterboxd Top 250 #7

  65. 65
    It's a Wonderful Life1946 · Frank Capra · United States · comedy, romance, fantasy
    3.52

    AFI 100 (2007) #20 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1946 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #133

  66. 66
    Jaws1975 · Steven Spielberg · United States · thriller, horror, adventure
    3.52

    Empire 500 (2008) #5 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #62 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1975

  67. 67
    Brokeback Mountain2005 · Ang Lee · United States · romance, drama
    3.49

    BAFTA Best Film winner 2006 · Venice Golden Lion winner 2005 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2005

  68. 68
    Raiders of the Lost Ark1981 · Steven Spielberg · United States · action
    3.47

    Empire 500 (2008) #2 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1981 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #211

  69. 69
    Some Like It Hot1959 · Billy Wilder · United States · comedy, romance, crime
    3.47

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #38 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #62 · AFI 100 (2007) #22

  70. 70
    The French Connection1971 · William Friedkin · United States · crime, action, thriller
    3.44

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1971 · AFI 100 (2007) #93 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #10

  71. 71
    The Red Shoes1948 · Emeric Pressburger, Michael Powell · United Kingdom · romance, drama, musical
    3.41

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #67 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · BFI Top 100 British films #9

  72. 72
    City Lights1931 · Charlie Chaplin · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    3.40

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #36 · AFI 100 (2007) #11 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52

  73. 73
    Network1976 · Sidney Lumet · United States · comedy, drama, romance
    3.39

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1977 #2 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1976 · AFI 100 (2007) #64

  74. 74
    Rashomon1950 · Akira Kurosawa · Japan · drama, crime
    3.38

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1951 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #20 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #41

  75. 75
    The Last Picture Show1971 · Peter Bogdanovich · United States · drama
    3.35

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #1 · Ebert's annual top 10 1971 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1971

  76. 76
    A Man Escaped1956 · Robert Bresson · France · drama, documentary, war
    3.35

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1956 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #41 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #95

  77. 77
    The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring2001 · Peter Jackson · New Zealand / United States · fantasy, adventure, action
    3.35

    BAFTA Best Film winner 2002 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2001 · AFI 100 (2007) #50

  78. 78
    Fanny and Alexander1982 · Ingmar Bergman · France / Germany / Sweden · drama
    3.30

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1985 #3 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #129

  79. 79
    All That Jazz1979 · Bob Fosse · United States · musical, drama, biography
    3.28

    Palme d'Or winner 1980 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1979 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1980 #8

  80. 80
    Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid1969 · George Roy Hill · United States · comedy, drama, western
    3.27

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1971 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1969 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1970 #4

  81. 81
    Day for Night1973 · François Truffaut · France / Italy · drama, comedy
    3.25

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1974 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1974 #3 · Siskel's annual top 10 1974 #1

  82. 82
    If....1968 · Lindsay Anderson · United Kingdom · drama
    3.22

    Palme d'Or winner 1969 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1969 #3 · BFI Top 100 British films #12

  83. 83
    The Searchers1956 · John Ford · United States · western, drama, war
    3.22

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #15 · AFI 100 (2007) #12 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72

  84. 84
    West Side Story1961 · Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins · United States · musical, romance, drama
    3.20

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1961 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1961 #4 · AFI 100 (2007) #51

  85. 85
    The Wizard of Oz1939 · Victor Fleming, King Vidor · United States · fantasy, musical, adventure
    3.17

    AFI 100 (2007) #10 · AFI 100 (1998) #6 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1939

  86. 86
    Blue Velvet1986 · David Lynch · United States · mystery, thriller, drama
    3.13

    Hoberman's annual top 10 1986 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #85

  87. 87
    In the Heat of the Night1967 · Norman Jewison · United States · crime, drama, mystery
    3.12

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1967 · AFI 100 (2007) #75 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1967 #8

  88. 88
    Double Indemnity1944 · Billy Wilder · United States · crime, film-noir, drama
    3.11

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1944 · AFI 100 (2007) #29 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #196

  89. 89
    Late Spring1949 · Yasujirō Ozu · Japan · drama
    3.08

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1949 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #21 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #62

  90. 90
    A Clockwork Orange1971 · Stanley Kubrick · United Kingdom / United States · drama, crime, thriller
    3.06

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1971 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #4 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #243

  91. 91
    Fargo1996 · Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · United States / United Kingdom · crime, drama, film-noir
    3.02

    Ebert's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Siskel's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1996

  92. 92
    Ran1985 · Akira Kurosawa · Japan / France · war, drama
    3.00

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1985 #2 · Kehr's annual top 10 1985 #1 · Siskel's annual top 10 1985 #1

  93. 93
    Sansho the Bailiff1954 · Kenji Mizoguchi · Japan · drama
    3.00

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1960 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #75 · Sarris's annual top 10 1969 #2

  94. 94
    Barton Fink1991 · Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · United States / United Kingdom · film-noir, comedy, drama
    2.98

    Palme d'Or winner 1991 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1991 #3 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1992 #5

  95. 95
    Cabaret1972 · Bob Fosse · United States · musical, drama
    2.98

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1973 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1972 · AFI 100 (2007) #63

  96. 96
    Modern Times1936 · Charlie Chaplin · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    2.97

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #78 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1938 #4

  97. 97
    Mad Max: Fury Road2015 · George Miller · Australia / United States · action, adventure, sci-fi
    2.96

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2015 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2015 #3 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #7

  98. 98
    Lost in Translation2003 · Sofia Coppola · United States / Japan · comedy, romance, drama
    2.95

    Film Comment year-end poll 2003 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 2003 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2003

  99. 99
    The Spirit of the Beehive1973 · Víctor Erice · Spain · drama, fantasy
    2.94

    San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1973 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #85

  100. 100
    Last Year at Marienbad1961 · Alain Resnais · France / Italy / Germany · drama
    2.91

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1961 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1964 #3 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #169

The omnivore's canon

Edgar Wright (born 1974) is an English director whose own films — Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), The World's End (2013), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), Baby Driver (2017), Last Night in Soho (2021) — run on kinetic editing, whip pans, wipes and pop music cut tight to the frame. He is a filmmaker who watches everything and hides what he watches inside what he makes; the density of reference in his releases is thick enough that he calls it a "Homage-O-Meter." His stated formative loves skew hard toward genre — John Landis's horror comedy, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II, the Coens' Raising Arizona — and his documentary The Sparks Brothers (2021) is one long act of the same evangelism.

The thousand films gathered on this page are the ones Wright has named as favorites: not a ranking, not a best-of, but a personal roll call with no hierarchy of its own — silent slapstick beside Italian giallo beside studio blockbusters. What's interesting is what happens when a taste that eclectic is fed through a scoring machine.

How to read our ranking

The order here is ours, not Wright's. His own list carries no ranking; we re-sort his thousand by our composite score across 20-plus critics' lists, awards and polls, so the sequence you scroll measures where the wider canon lands, not where Wright would place anything. Read top-down and you get consensus: Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972) tops his thousand on our score, with Orson Welles's Citizen Kane (1941) close behind and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) next in line. These are the films every canon endorses; that they surface first tells you Wright's taste overlaps heavily with the critical establishment.

But the list's soul lives lower down, and that gap is the point. A genre-literate director's affections don't map cleanly onto prestige, so the animation, the mystery and the mood pieces settle into the middle — Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away (2001), David Lynch's Mulholland Drive (2001), Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000) — while the horror, comedy and cult titles Wright actually cites as his own influences score lower still and sit deeper in the thousand. Our number tells you what the canon rewards; Wright's decision to include a film at all tells you something the number can't.