The 10 Most Entertaining Movies of All Time, Ranked (2024)

Entertainment value is an important aspect of cinema, as there is certainly a significant portion of the audience that seek out new films purely for a sense of escapism. While there are obviously works of true artistry that are intended to provoke more psychological questions, whether a film is able to sustain the interest of audience members of all ages is a critical reason why it may stand the test of time.

Films that are entertaining don’t have to be without artistic merit, as it is often cinema that is both complex and accessible that ends up standing the test of time. While some may claim that the film industry has lost its ability to entertain after the fall of the “Golden Age of Hollywood,” there have certainly been some modern classics that have proven those assumptions to be untrue. Here are the ten most entertaining movies of all-time, ranked.

10 ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)

Directed by Guy Hamilton

Goldfinger is often cited as the definitive entry in the James Bond series, as it identified many of the core elements of the series that would become iconic. The lavish opening musical numbers, cheeky humor, eccentric villains, exotic locations, cool gadgets, and subtle winks at the audience all had their origins in Goldfinger.

Much of Goldfinger succeeds because of the undeniable charisma of Sean Connery, who proves once again that he was born to play Ian Fleming’s 007 character. While Connery certainly did great work in the previous films, Dr. No and From Russia With Love, Goldfinger is the film in which he best embodied the mix of spontaneity and smugness that made Bond one of the most beloved screen heroes of all-time. The film’s action was groundbreaking and still holds up today, even when compared to some of the more modern iterations of the same franchise.

Goldfinger

PG

Action

Adventure

Crime

Thriller

Release Date

September 20, 1964

Director

Guy Hamilton

Cast

Sean Connery , Honor Blackman , Gert Fröbe , Shirley Eaton , Tania Mallet , Harold Sakata

Runtime

112

Main Genre

Action

Writers

Richard Maibaum , Paul Dehn , Ian Fleming

Tagline

James Bond is back in action! Everything he touches turns to excitement!

Website

http://www.mgm.com/view/movie/760/Goldfinger/

Watch on Prime Video

9 ‘North by Northwest’ (1959)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

North by Northwest is by far the most entertaining film that Alfred Hitchcock ever directed, even if classics like Vertigo or Rear Window are more influential within arthouse cinema. Despite having a very twisty plot that constantly changes the stakes of the story, North by Northwest succeeds because of the very basic idea of an ordinary man caught up in extraordinary circumstances.

Cary Grant’s movie star charisma added a lot to North by Northwest, as he was able to show a reluctant side to a very compelling hero. What’s most impressive is that Hitchcock is so relentless in his pacing that the viewer almost never is given the opportunity to slow down and catch their breath; the terrific final chase and brawl at Mount Rushmore embodies the best that action cinema can be, and certainly spawned countless imitators in the subsequent decades.

North By Northwest

Action

Adventure

Mystery

A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.

Release Date

December 18, 1959

Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Cast

Cary Grant , Eva Marie Saint , James Mason , Jessie Royce Landis , Leo G. Carroll , Josephine Hutchinson

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Runtime

136 minutes

Main Genre

Mystery

Writers

Ernest Lehman

Tagline

Alfred Hitchcock takes you.... North by Northwest!

Watch on Tubi

8 ’The Wizard of Oz’ (1939)

Directed by Victor Fleming

The Wizard of Oz is a vibrant, beautiful embodiment of the “Golden Age of Hollywood” that was so striking in its visuals that many have assumed that it was actually the first color film. The musical genre is certainly not for everyone, but The Wizard of Oz managed to incorporate some truly iconic songs with a sweeping adventure story that anyone who’d ever dreamed of a better life can relate to.

The Wizard of Oz is a far more complex film than it gets credit for, as it contains some deep themes about the influence of power and the corruptive nature of media. While it has spawned several sequels, prequels, and the popular musical Wicked (which already has a two-part film adaptation), the original version of The Wizard of Oz is a film that can be shown to audiences of all ages to show them what the magic of the movies looks like.

The Wizard of Oz

PG

Musical

Fantasy

Family

Adventure

Release Date

August 25, 1939

Director

Victor Fleming

Cast

Margaret Hamilton , Jack Haley , Judy Garland , Bert Lahr , Ray Bolger

Runtime

102 minutes

Writers

Florence Ryerson , Noel Langley , Edgar Allan Woolf

Budget

$2.8 million

Studio(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Watch on Max

7 ‘The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly’ (1966)

Directed by Sergio Leone

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is perhaps the most iconic Western of all-time, as Sergio Leone was highly influential within the rise of the “Spaghetti Western” movement that became popular in Italy in the 1960s. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is technically a continuation of the larger “The Man With No Name” trilogy that began with A Fistful of Dollars and A Few Dollars More, but it is still a standalone story that is compelling in its own right.

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly features one of the most iconic movie heroes of all-time, as Clint Eastwood’s performance as the drifter known only as “Blondie” became the basis for countless dark, brooding anti-heroes in the subsequent decades. The film also added a lot of entertainment value thanks to the score by Ennio Morricone, which somehow managed to make each scene more exciting.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Western

Release Date

December 29, 1967

Director

Sergio Leone

Cast

Clint Eastwood , Eli Wallach , Lee Van Cleef , Aldo Giuffrè , Luigi Pistilli

Runtime

161 minutes

Main Genre

Western

Watch on MGM+

6 ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Raiders of the Lost Ark was a terrific throwback to the classic era of Hollywood adventure movies that combined the practical brilliance of Steven Spielberg as a director, the creative worldbuilding of George Lucas as a writer, and the unparalleled star power of Harrison Ford in the role that he is most often associated with, despite having a career that is filled with all-time great performances.

Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most relentless movies ever made, as it does not take any time to slow down from the moment that Indy begins running away from a boulder during the opening chase in Peru. Nonetheless, Raiders of the Lost Ark is also a film that is able to tug at the viewers’ heartstrings thanks to the fantastic romantic chemistry between Ford and Karen Allen, who co-starred as Marion Ravenwood.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

PG

Action

Adventure

In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.

Release Date

June 12, 1981

Director

Steven Spielberg

Cast

Harrison Ford , Karen Allen , Paul Freeman , John Rhys-Davies , Ronald Lacey , Denholm Elliott

Runtime

115 minutes

Main Genre

Adventure

Production Company

LucasFilm

Watch on Prime Video

5 ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ (1952)

Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly

Singin’ in the Rain is perhaps the most beloved musical of all-time, but it is also a great film about the history of Hollywood productions. The rousing musical tells the story of how Hollywood evolved from the silent era of the “talkies” to the industry that existed at the time, which included all the joys that Technicolor could provide.

The dancing and music in Singin’ in the Rain is simply the best, as it was produced and released in an era in which these sorts of elaborate sequences could not be made any way other than practically. Gene Kelly had many iconic roles in classics like It’s Always Fair Weather and An American In Paris, but the image of him joyfully dancing in the rain is often cited as one of the most striking moments in the history of cinema.

Singin' in the Rain

G

Musical

Romance

Comedy

Release Date

April 10, 1952

Director

Stanley Donen , Gene Kelly

Cast

Gene Kelly , Donald O'Connor , Debbie Reynolds , Jean Hagen

Runtime

103 minutes

Main Genre

Musical

Watch on Max

4 ‘Die Hard’ (1988)

Directed by John McTiernan

Die Hardis often seen as the definitive action film, as it set up a brilliant template that would be endlessly ripped off by imitators for decades. Although it is a film in which nearly every line has become iconic, Die Hard succeeds because it has a very simple story that is easy to follow. John McClane is a lonely man who is in the midst of a divorce, and his feelings of discontent were ones that audiences could relate to thanks to the terrific performance by Bruce Willis in the role he was born to play.

Die Hard features one of the greatest movie villains of all-time, and it is very impressive that Hans Gruber was the first character that Alan Rickman ever played in a movie. While it is a great film to revisit during the holiday season, Die Hard is always entertaining at any point in the year.

Die Hard

R

Action

Thriller

New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realizes that there's no one to save the hostages -- but him.

Release Date

July 15, 1988

Director

John McTiernan

Cast

Bruce Willis , Bonnie Bedelia , Reginald VelJohnson , Paul Gleason , William Atherton , Hart Bochner

Runtime

132 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Writers

Roderick Thorp , Jeb Stuart , Steven E. de Souza

Tagline

Website

Franchise

Die Hard

Sequel

Live Free or Die Hard, Die Hard With a Vengeance, Die Hard 2, A Good Day to Die Hard

Cinematographer

Jan de Bont

Producer

Lawrence Gordon, Joel Silver

Production Company

Silver Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Gordon Company

Budget

$28 million

Watch on Prime Video

3 ‘The Big Lebowski’ (1998)

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

The Big Lebowski flipped the noir genre on its head for a rousing, spiritual, and uncompromisingly funny adventure that showed how truly unparalleled Joel and Ethan Coen were when it comes to pure creativity. Every line in The Big Lebowski is brilliant, and there are countless latent details hidden within the background that some massive fans may not have picked upon until they had already watched the film several times.

The Big Lebowski would not be nearly as successful if it did not star Jeff Bridges, whose performance as “The Dude” would even go on to inspire its own religion. While Bridges is undeniably the standout, the film also includes amazing supporting performances from Sam Elliott, John Turturro, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, and John Goodman. Even those that have not seen it are likely aware of lines like “that’s just like, your opinion, man.”

The Big Lebowski

R

Comedy

Crime

Sport

Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.

Release Date

March 6, 1998

Director

Joel Coen , Ethan Coen

Cast

Julianne Moore , Jeff Bridges , Steve Buscemi , John Turturro , John Goodman , David Huddleston , Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Runtime

117 Minutes

Writers

Ethan Coen , Joel Coen

Watch on The Criterion Channel

2 ‘Ghostbusters’ (1984)

Directed by Ivan Reitman

Ghostbusters is an odd film that cannot be characterized by just one genre, as it combines an action-adventure storyline with some genuinely creepy moments, great chemistry between an amazing cast, and some subtle satire about the realities of starting a business. As unusual as it was to imagine that Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson would be at the center of a genre movie, Ghostbusters is a film that became an iconic blockbuster because it threw the rulebook out the window.

Every aspect of Ghostbusters has held up very well, as the practical creature effects and legendary theme song have become entwined with popular culture history. While opinions range drastically on whether any of the subsequent sequels or reboots were able to do the franchise justice, the original Ghostbusters is the rare work of populist entertainment that is without any flaws.

Ghostbusters

PG

Action

Comedy

Fantasy

Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.

Release Date

June 8, 1984

Director

Ivan Reitman

Cast

Bill Murray , Dan Aykroyd , Sigourney Weaver , Harold Ramis , Ernie Hudson , Rick Moranis

Runtime

105 minutes

Main Genre

Action

Writers

Dan Aykroyd , Harold Ramis , Rick Moranis

Rent on Amazon

1 ‘Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope’ (1977)

Directed by George Lucas

Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope embodies everything that audiences go to the movies for, as it combines a rousing coming-of-age story about a young hero finding his place, an exciting series of highly imaginative locations, a grandiose mythology where every moment has depth, some of the greatest characters in the history of cinema, and the sheer power of seeing good vanquish evil.

The Star Wars franchise is arguably the most important within the history of cinema, but the first installment is still the most accessible story, as it centers around Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) learning about the ways of the force as he joins the Rebel Alliance. Iconic moments like the Death Star trench run are still just as riveting today as they were in 1977, and it is impossible to finish watching the film and not immediately start humming John Williams’ iconic theme song.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

PG

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Fantasy

A farm boy from a desert planet becomes an unlikely hero in the fight against the oppressive Galactic Empire. Guided by a former Jedi Knight and alongside a rebellious princess, a smuggler, and his co-pilot, he embarks on a mission to destroy the Death Star, a massive space station capable of annihilating entire planets. As he learns about the mystical Force, he discovers his destiny and the true strength within himself.

Release Date

May 25, 1977

Director

George Lucas

Cast

Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Alec Guinness , David Prowse , James Earl Jones , Frank Oz , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Peter Mayhew , Peter Cushing

Runtime

121 Minutes

Main Genre

Sci-Fi

Writers

George Lucas

Budget

$11 Million

Studio(s)

Lucasfilm

Distributor(s)

20th Century

Sequel(s)

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back , Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi , Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens , Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi , Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker

prequel(s)

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace , Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones , Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith , Solo: A Star Wars Story , Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Franchise(s)

Star Wars

Watch on Disney+

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