The Film Canon · No. 2 of 250Methodology
The Godfather poster

The Godfather (1972)

0.6866Canon Score · ranked #2 all time

Aggregated from 22 of 31 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →

About the film

Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

Why it ranks #2

Every list on which The Godfather appears, with its position as published.

ListAuthorityPosition
THR Hollywood's 100 Favorite (2014)Critics' canon#1 / 100
DGA 80 Greatest Directorial (2016)Critics' canon#1 / 78
Empire 500 Greatest (2008)Editorial list#1 / 500
Time Out 100 Best (2026 ed.)Critics' canon#2 / 99
WGA 101 Greatest Screenplays (2006)Critics' canon#2 / 101
Time Out Centenary Top 25 (1995)Critics' canon#2 / 25
Entertainment Weekly 100 (2013)Editorial list#2 / 87
Empire 100 Best (2025)Editorial list#2 / 100
Sight & Sound Directors' 100 (2022)Major international poll#3 / 104
Variety 100 Greatest (2022)Critics' canon#3 / 100
TIFF Essential 100 (2010)Editorial list#4 / 100
Halliwell's Top 1000 (2005)Critics' canon#4 / 1041
Sight & Sound Critics' 250 (2022)Major international poll#12 / 264
Village Voice 100 Best of 20th C (2000)Critics' canon#12 / 100
Letterboxd Top 500 (2026-07 snapshot)Editorial list#15 / 500
Total Film 100 Greatest (2005)Editorial list#23 / 100
Cahiers du Cinéma 100 (2008)Major international poll#40 / 100
Ebert Great Movies (I–IV)Critics' canonSelected
1001 Movies (2003-2024 union)Critics' canonSelected
NYT Best 1000 Movies (2004)Critics' canonSelected
TIME All-TIME 100 (2005)Editorial listSelected
Academy Award Best Picture winnersAwardWinner