Empire 500 Greatest

Empire 500 Greatest is a ranked list published in 2008 — one of the 31 sources behind the film canon, weighted as editorial list. 158 of its 500 entries appear in the aggregated canon.

1. 1The Godfather (1972)Canon #2
2. 2Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)Canon #54
3. 3The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. 4The Shawshank Redemption (1994)Canon #95
5. 5Jaws (1975)Canon #35
6. 6GoodFellas (1990)Canon #12
7. 7Apocalypse Now (1979)Canon #6
8. 8Singin' in the Rain (1952)Canon #8
9. 9Pulp Fiction (1994)Canon #22
10. 10Fight Club (1999)
11. 11Raging Bull (1980)Canon #32
12. 12The Apartment (1960)Canon #50
13. 13Chinatown (1974)Canon #9
14. 14Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)Canon #65
15. 15The Dark Knight (2008)Canon #85
16. 162001: A Space Odyssey (1968)Canon #4
17. 17Taxi Driver (1976)Canon #14
18. 18Casablanca (1942)Canon #17
19. 19The Godfather Part II (1974)Canon #7
20. 20Blade Runner (1982)Canon #45
21. 21The Third Man (1949)Canon #44
22. 22Star Wars (1977)
23. 23Back to the Future (1985)Canon #174
24. 24The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)Canon #148
25. 25The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)Canon #130
26. 26Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)Canon #47
27. 27Some Like It Hot (1959)Canon #16
28. 28Citizen Kane (1941)Canon #1
29. 29Die Hard (1988)
30. 30Aliens (1986)
31. 31Gone with the Wind (1939)Canon #37
32. 32Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)Canon #144
33. 33Alien (1979)Canon #69
34. 34The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)Canon #218
35. 35Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
36. 36Andrei Rublev (1966)Canon #70
37. 37A Clockwork Orange (1971)Canon #119
38. 38Heat (1995)
39. 39The Matrix (1999)Canon #200
40. 40Vertigo (1958)Canon #3
41. 41The 400 Blows (1959)Canon #24
42. 42Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)Canon #201
43. 43The Big Lebowski (1998)
44. 44Schindler's List (1993)Canon #133
45. 45Psycho (1960)Canon #13
46. 46On the Waterfront (1954)Canon #64
47. 47E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)Canon #63
48. 48This Is Spinal Tap (1984)Canon #204
49. 49Evil Dead II (1987)Canon #195
50. 50Seven Samurai (1954)Canon #5
51. 5181⁄2 (1963)Canon #27
52. 52The Shining (1980)Canon #71
53. 53Donnie Darko (2001)
54. 54The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
55. 55La Dolce Vita (1960)Canon #57
56. 56Casino Royale (2006)
57. 57Lawrence of Arabia (1962)Canon #11
58. 58His Girl Friday (1940)Canon #76
59. 59Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
60. 60Come and See (1985)Canon #103
61. 61The Usual Suspects (1995)Canon #178
62. 62The Graduate (1967)Canon #82
63. 63Sunset Boulevard (1950)Canon #33
64. 64Oldboy (2003)
65. 65Harold and Maude (1971)
66. 66Edward Scissorhands (1990)
67. 67Tokyo Story (1953)Canon #10
68. 68Annie Hall (1977)Canon #38
69. 69Three Colours: Red (1994)Canon #250
70. 70Stand by Me (1986)
71. 71The Night of the Hunter (1955)Canon #34
72. 7212 Angry Men (1957)Canon #137
73. 73Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)Canon #97
74. 74The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)Canon #134
75. 75A Matter of Life and Death (1946)Canon #136
76. 76Manhattan (1979)Canon #121
77. 77Spartacus (1960)
78. 78Rosemary's Baby (1968)
79. 79The Thin Red Line (1998)
80. 80The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)Canon #188
81. 81Batman Begins (2005)
82. 82The Great Escape (1963)
83. 83Brazil (1985)
84. 84L.A. Confidential (1997)
85. 85Blue Velvet (1986)Canon #102
86. 86Carrie (1976)
87. 87The King of Comedy (1982)
88. 88Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
89. 89Magnolia (1999)
90. 90When Harry Met Sally... (1989)Canon #207
91. 91Return of the Jedi (1983)
92. 92Once Upon a Time in America (1984)Canon #163
93. 93The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)Canon #176
94. 94The Wild Bunch (1969)Canon #79
95. 95Yojimbo (1961)Canon #221
96. 96American Beauty (1999)
97. 97Reservoir Dogs (1992)
98. 98North by Northwest (1959)Canon #26
99. 99Toy Story (1995)Canon #210
100. 100Network (1976)Canon #72
101. 101Raising Arizona (1987)
102. 102The Hustler (1961)Canon #232
103. 103Rear Window (1954)Canon #49
104. 104The Rules of the Game (1939)Canon #15
105. 105One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)Canon #154
106. 106A Man for All Seasons (1966)
107. 107An American Werewolf in London (1981)
108. 108The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
109. 109Touch of Evil (1958)Canon #48
110. 110Before Sunset (2004)
111. 111Fitzcarraldo (1982)Canon #184
112. 112I Am Cuba (1964)
113. 113Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
114. 114The Conversation (1974)Canon #183
115. 115Blazing Saddles (1974)
116. 116Rio Bravo (1959)Canon #142
117. 117Miller's Crossing (1990)
118. 118Withnail & I (1987)
119. 119The Wages of Fear (1953)Canon #243
120. 120The Battle of Algiers (1966)Canon #61
121. 121The Young and the Damned (1950)
122. 122The Princess Bride (1987)
123. 123A Woman Under the Influence (1974)Canon #105
124. 124The Silence of the Lambs (1991)Canon #83
125. 125Breathless (1960)Canon #42
126. 126Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
127. 127The Sting (1973)Canon #211
128. 128Lost in Translation (2003)Canon #138
129. 129Harvey (1950)
130. 130The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
131. 131The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
132. 132Pan's Labyrinth (2006)Canon #226
133. 133Double Indemnity (1944)Canon #62
134. 134Se7en (1995)
135. 135Duck Soup (1933)Canon #106
136. 136Amadeus (1984)Canon #115
137. 137Dances with Wolves (1990)
138. 138Cool Hand Luke (1967)
139. 139Blow Out (1981)
140. 140As Good as It Gets (1997)
141. 141Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
142. 142Almost Famous (2000)
143. 143There Will Be Blood (2007)Canon #41
144. 144Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
145. 145Sophie's Choice (1982)
146. 146Shampoo (1975)
147. 147Notorious (1946)Canon #75
148. 148Z (1969)
149. 149The Red Shoes (1948)Canon #78
150. 150The French Connection (1971)
151. 151Gladiator (2000)
152. 152Boogie Nights (1997)
153. 153The Innocents (1961)
154. 154Betty Blue (1986)
155. 155Badlands (1973)Canon #215
156. 156Saving Private Ryan (1998)Canon #118
157. 157True Romance (1993)
158. 158Unforgiven (1992)Canon #122
159. 159The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)Canon #230
160. 160Being There (1979)Canon #237
161. 161The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
162. 162A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
163. 163The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)Canon #101
164. 164The Searchers (1956)Canon #19
165. 165A Day in the Country (1946)
166. 166Goldfinger (1964)Canon #223
167. 167Don't Look Now (1973)Canon #146
168. 168Tootsie (1982)Canon #246
169. 169Viridiana (1961)Canon #153
170. 170La Haine (1995)
171. 171Brief Encounter (1945)Canon #219
172. 172The Wizard of Oz (1939)Canon #23
173. 173Memento (2000)Canon #179
174. 174Superman (1978)
175. 175Rushmore (1998)
176. 176A Canterbury Tale (1944)
177. 177City of God (2002)Canon #166
178. 178Hellzapoppin' (1941)
179. 179Toy Story 2 (1999)
180. 180To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)Canon #132
181. 181Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
182. 182Performance (1970)
183. 183Le Samouraï (1967)
184. 184Dirty Harry (1971)
185. 185Paths of Glory (1957)Canon #199
186. 186United 93 (2006)
187. 187The Big Country (1958)
188. 188School of Rock (2003)
189. 189Ghostbusters (1984)
190. 190Big (1988)
191. 191Brokeback Mountain (2005)Canon #173
192. 192Eraserhead (1977)
193. 193Ed Wood (1994)
194. 194Bicycle Thieves (1948)Canon #40
195. 195It's a Wonderful Life (1946)Canon #36
196. 196Amélie (2001)
197. 197Point Break (1991)
198. 198Fargo (1996)Canon #92
199. 199The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)Canon #222
200. 200Before Sunrise (1995)
201. 201JFK (1991)
202. 202The Killer (1989)
203. 203Life of Brian (1979)
204. 204Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
205. 205The Addiction (1995)
206. 206The Exorcist (1973)
207. 207The Misfits (1961)
208. 208The Departed (2006)
209. 209Local Hero (1983)
210. 210Platoon (1986)
211. 211Moulin Rouge! (2001)
212. 212M (1931)Canon #39
213. 213Songs from the Second Floor (2000)
214. 214Army of Shadows (1969)
215. 215Jackie Brown (1997)
216. 216Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)
217. 217The Magnificent Seven (1960)
218. 218Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953)Canon #224
219. 219The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
220. 220Far from Heaven (2002)
221. 221McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
222. 222Mother and Son (1997)
223. 223Safe (1995)
224. 224Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)
225. 225Get Carter (1971)
226. 226Romeo + Juliet (1996)
227. 227Léon: The Professional (1994)
228. 228No Country for Old Men (2007)Canon #113
229. 229The Celebration (1998)
230. 230Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
231. 231Shaun of the Dead (2004)
232. 232Jurassic Park (1993)
233. 233Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
234. 234The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
235. 235Battle Royale (2000)
236. 236Black Narcissus (1947)
237. 237Delicatessen (1991)
238. 238Requiem for a Dream (2000)
239. 239Cinema Paradiso (1988)Canon #190
240. 240Forrest Gump (1994)Canon #248
241. 241Brighton Rock (1948)
242. 242King Kong (1933)Canon #84
243. 243Homeland (1938)
244. 244Dazed and Confused (1993)
245. 245Downfall (2004)
246. 246The Philadelphia Story (1940)Canon #241
247. 247All That Jazz (1979)
248. 248Pandora's Box (1929)
249. 249My Darling Clementine (1946)
250. 250Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)Canon #18
251. 251Darling (1965)
252. 252The Leopard (1963)Canon #81
253. 253First Blood (1982)
254. 254The Verdict (1982)
255. 255Ninotchka (1939)
256. 256Port of Shadows (1938)
257. 257The Black Cat (1934)
258. 258The Blues Brothers (1980)
259. 259Groundhog Day (1993)Canon #213
260. 260Field of Dreams (1989)
261. 261Roman Holiday (1953)
262. 262The Virgin Suicides (1999)
263. 263Das Boot (1981)
264. 264American Graffiti (1973)
265. 265A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
266. 266Ghost World (2001)
267. 267Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
268. 268The Lady Vanishes (1938)
269. 269A Place in the Sun (1951)
270. 270The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)
271. 271Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
272. 272The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)
273. 273The Maltese Falcon (1941)Canon #140
274. 274Sin City (2005)
275. 275My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
276. 276Layer Cake (2004)
277. 277On the Town (1949)
278. 278Carlito's Way (1993)
279. 279Animal House (1978)
280. 280Mad Max 2 (1981)
281. 281Interview with the Vampire (1994)
282. 282The Godfather Part III (1990)
283. 283Ran (1985)Canon #187
284. 284Scarface (1983)
285. 285Solaris (1972)
286. 286L'Avventura (1960)Canon #59
287. 287Secrets & Lies (1996)
288. 288Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
289. 289The Thing (1982)
290. 290Rashomon (1950)Canon #29
291. 291Rocco and His Brothers (1960)Canon #245
292. 292Beauty and the Beast (1946)Canon #205
293. 293The Mother and the Whore (1973)Canon #164
294. 294The Red Balloon (1956)
295. 295The Intouchables (2011)
296. 296All the President's Men (1976)
297. 297It Happened One Night (1934)Canon #170
298. 298Le Cercle Rouge (1970)
299. 299The Palm Beach Story (1942)
300. 300Sawdust and Tinsel (1953)
301. 301Love and Death (1975)
302. 302The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)Canon #110
303. 303Together (2000)
304. 304Radio Days (1987)
305. 305The Prestige (2006)
306. 306Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
307. 307Midnight Cowboy (1969)Canon #212
308. 308The Terminator (1984)
309. 309Transformers (2007)
310. 310Gremlins (1984)
311. 311American History X (1998)
312. 312Suspiria (1977)
313. 313Battleship Potemkin (1925)Canon #53
314. 314Sweet Smell of Success (1957)Canon #128
315. 315Sense and Sensibility (1995)
316. 316Trainspotting (1996)
317. 317Midnight Run (1988)
318. 318Rebecca (1940)
319. 319The Lion King (1994)
320. 320Braveheart (1995)
321. 321Funny Face (1957)
322. 322Aladdin (1992)
323. 323The Last Seduction (1994)
324. 324Lone Star (1996)
325. 325Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
326. 326Out of Sight (1998)
327. 327The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
328. 328The Truman Show (1998)
329. 329The Lives of Others (2006)
330. 330Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
331. 331The Green Mile (1999)
332. 332The Sixth Sense (1999)
333. 333Grease (1978)
334. 334The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)Canon #220
335. 335The Seventh Seal (1957)Canon #73
336. 336300 (2006)
337. 337Jules and Jim (1962)Canon #236
338. 338Spirited Away (2001)Canon #55
339. 339Titanic (1997)Canon #206
340. 340High and Low (1963)
341. 341The Passenger (1975)
342. 342The Gold Rush (1925)Canon #171
343. 343Monsters, Inc. (2001)
344. 344The Last Waltz (1978)
345. 345Fatal Attraction (1987)
346. 346Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
347. 347All About Eve (1950)Canon #46
348. 348Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)Canon #111
349. 349Arthur (1981)
350. 350Planet of the Apes (1968)
351. 351Zulu (1964)
352. 352Unfaithfully Yours (1948)
353. 353Bugsy Malone (1976)
354. 354Un Chien Andalou (1929)
355. 355Sunshine (2007)
356. 356Napoleon (1927)
357. 357The Long Goodbye (1973)
358. 358Russian Ark (2002)
359. 359The Lady Eve (1941)Canon #162
360. 360The Return (2003)
361. 361Clerks (1994)
362. 362The Elephant Man (1980)
363. 363Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
364. 364Natural Born Killers (1994)
365. 365The Bourne Identity (2002)
366. 366Predator (1987)
367. 367Cabaret (1972)
368. 368Airplane! (1980)
369. 369The Breakfast Club (1985)
370. 370Rocky (1976)
371. 371Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
372. 372Army of Darkness (1992)
373. 373WALL·E (2008)
374. 374Hot Fuzz (2007)
375. 375Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
376. 376Zodiac (2007)
377. 377Mean Streets (1973)Canon #149
378. 378The Goonies (1985)
379. 379Ratatouille (2007)
380. 380Children of Men (2006)Canon #180
381. 381Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
382. 382Caché (2005)
383. 383Serenity (2005)
384. 384The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
385. 385Ace in the Hole (1951)
386. 386The Great Silence (1968)
387. 387Rain Man (1988)
388. 388The English Patient (1996)
389. 389Election (1999)
390. 3902 Days in Paris (2007)
391. 391Mulholland Drive (2001)Canon #28
392. 392Paris, Texas (1984)
393. 393Garden State (2004)
394. 394Cloverfield (2008)
395. 395Casino (1995)
396. 396The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
397. 397Night of the Living Dead (1968)
398. 398Killer of Sheep (1978)Canon #193
399. 399Greed (1924)Canon #96
400. 400The Incredibles (2004)
401. 401Batman Returns (1992)
402. 402Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
403. 403Do the Right Thing (1989)Canon #52
404. 404RoboCop (1987)
405. 405Dirty Dancing (1987)
406. 406Iron Man (2008)
407. 407The Jungle Book (1967)
408. 408Zelig (1983)
409. 409Men in Black (1997)
410. 410A Hard Day's Night (1964)Canon #217
411. 411Spider-Man 2 (2004)
412. 412Heathers (1989)
413. 413Finding Nemo (2003)
414. 414The Double Life of Véronique (1991)
415. 415Dawn of the Dead (1978)
416. 416Bad Taste (1987)
417. 417Lords of Dogtown (2005)
418. 418V for Vendetta (2005)
419. 419Days of Heaven (1978)Canon #197
420. 420Jerry Maguire (1996)
421. 421Lethal Weapon (1987)
422. 422A Man Escaped (1956)Canon #114
423. 423Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
424. 424To Have and Have Not (1944)
425. 425Wonder Boys (2000)
426. 426Enduring Love (2004)
427. 427Spring in a Small Town (1948)
428. 428The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
429. 429Danger: Diabolik (1968)
430. 430Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
431. 431Electra Glide in Blue (1973)
432. 432X2 (2003)
433. 433Good Will Hunting (1997)
434. 434The Cat Concerto (1947)
435. 435American Psycho (2000)
436. 436Beauty and the Beast (1991)
437. 437Spider-Man (2002)
438. 438The Lost Boys (1987)
439. 439Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
440. 440Akira (1988)
441. 441Being John Malkovich (1999)
442. 442Atonement (2007)
443. 443Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
444. 444Hairspray (1988)
445. 445Dumb and Dumber (1994)
446. 446High Fidelity (2000)
447. 447Ten (2002)
448. 448Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
449. 449A History of Violence (2005)
450. 450King Kong (2005)
451. 451Speed (1994)
452. 452Unbreakable (2000)
453. 453Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
454. 454The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
455. 455Top Gun (1986)
456. 45628 Days Later (2002)
457. 457Full Metal Jacket (1987)
458. 458Batman (1989)
459. 459Ikiru (1952)Canon #139
460. 460Crash (2004)
461. 461Halloween (1978)
462. 462Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
463. 463Juno (2007)
464. 464Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
465. 465Twelve Monkeys (1995)
466. 466Snatch (2000)
467. 467The Deer Hunter (1978)Canon #150
468. 468The Crow (1994)
469. 469Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
470. 470Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
471. 471Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
472. 472Le Doulos (1962)
473. 473Into the Wild (2007)
474. 474Enter the Dragon (1973)
475. 475Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
476. 476Santa Sangre (1989)
477. 477Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
478. 478Flesh (1968)
479. 479The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
480. 480The Son's Room (2001)
481. 481Topsy-Turvy (1999)
482. 482Scream (1996)
483. 483The Big Red One (1980)Canon #242
484. 484The Fountain (2006)
485. 485The Wicker Man (1973)
486. 486Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
487. 487Superbad (2007)
488. 488Princess Mononoke (1997)
489. 489Brick (2005)
490. 490Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
491. 491Ben-Hur (1959)
492. 492Amores Perros (2000)
493. 493In the Company of Men (1997)
494. 494Sideways (2004)
495. 495Jailhouse Rock (1957)
496. 496Superman Returns (2006)
497. 497Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)Canon #202
498. 498Back to the Future Part II (1989)
499. 499Saw (2004)
500. 500Ocean's Eleven (2001)

List compiled and published by its original authors; positions shown as published. Canon ranks link to each entry's full evidence page.