Best fantasy movie from the year you were born

Films are meant to capture the audience’s imaginations, and, arguably, no genre accomplishes that task better than fantasy. It sends viewers to new worlds with magical powers and supernatural beings we would never have the fortune of meeting in our everyday lives. With the right special effects budget or the right stunning animation, the creative possibilities are endless.

One great part of the fantasy genre is that many entries into it are kid-friendly and can be enjoyed by the entire family. In more recent years, Pixar has cornered the market there, delivering gorgeously rendered, accessible, and philosophically smart releases like 2017’s “Coco” and 2020’s “Soul.” The beloved Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli can’t be counted out either. Since 1985, its creators (especially auteur Hayao Miyazaki) have delivered whimsical, environmentally minded masterpieces like “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” and the Academy Award-winning 2001 film “Spirited Away.”

To spotlight the best of what this beloved genre has to offer, Stacker set out to find the best fantasy movies that came out each year, from 1921 to 2020. To do so, we compiled data from IMDb on all feature-length fantasy movies released during those years and found the top film from each year based on IMDb user ratings as of Jan. 27, 2021. With the exception of some years in the 1920s, in which there weren’t films over the minimum vote threshold, fantasy movies released from 1921 to 1990 had to have at least 2,500 votes to make Stacker’s list. Meanwhile, fantasy films released between 1990 and 2020 needed to have at least 5,000 votes to be counted. So sit back, pop some popcorn, and read on to find out the best fantasy film from the year you were born.

1921: The Phantom Carriage

– Director: Victor Sjöström
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 10,672
– Runtime: 107 minutes

In this landmark Swedish film, the driver of the film’s “phantom carriage” compels a drunk man named David Holm (Victor Sjöström) to reflect on his shortcomings. It’s been cited as a major influence for director Ingmar Bergman and director Stanley Kubrick during the creation of “The Shining.”

1922: Nosferatu

– Director: F.W. Murnau
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Votes: 88,727
– Runtime: 94 minutes

An iconic early horror movie, F.W. Murnau’s German classic played a big role in making vampires memorable on-screen characters. It premiered nine years before the adaptation “Dracula,” but Bram Stoker’s estate later attempted to sue the filmmaker for copyright infringement. In the movie, Max Schreck plays a vampire who longs for a married woman.

1923: The Ten Commandments

– Director: Cecil B. DeMille
– IMDb user rating: 6.8
– Votes: 1,970
– Runtime: 136 minutes

Cecil DeMille’s biblical film “The Ten Commandments” unfolds in two different parts. The first retells the story of Exodus, while the second takes place in the present and features two brothers arguing over their interpretations of the Ten Commandments. The movie is part of an unofficial religious film trilogy that includes DeMille’s 1927 movie “The King of Kings” and his 1932 movie “The Sign of the Cross.”

1924: Die Nibelungen: Siegfried

– Director: Fritz Lang
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 5,238
– Runtime: 100 minutes

This Austrian film is the first of Fritz Lang’s two-part fantasy series and is based on the ancient epic poem “Die Nibelungenlied.” In the movie, a powerful prince named Siegfried (Paul Richter) slays a dragon and vies for the beautiful Princess Kriemhild’s (Margarete Schön) hand in marriage.

1925: The Lost World

– Director: Harry O. Hoyt
– IMDb user rating: 7.0
– Votes: 4,631
– Runtime: 110 minutes

This early monster movie is based on famous author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s book of the same name and follows Professor Challenger (Wallace Beery) as he discovers ancient creatures living in the Amazon jungle. “The Lost World” was one of the first feature-length movies to utilize stop-motion animation, which was used to create the story’s dinosaurs.

1926: Faust

– Director: F.W. Murnau
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 13,930
– Runtime: 107 minutes

As “Faust” begins, a demon known as Mephisto (Emil Jannings) attempts to win a bet he made with an angel by corrupting a kindly alchemist’s (Gösta Ekman) soul. It’s a high-profile German Expressionist movie, and in a 2006 review, The New York Times’ Dave Kehr described it as “one of the most astonishing visual experiences the silent cinema has to offer.”

1927: Zvenigora

– Director: Aleksandr Dovzhenko
– IMDb user rating: 7.1
– Votes: 843
– Runtime: 109 minutes

In “Zvenigora,” an elderly Ukrainian man recounts a tale about a secret treasure in a way that blends reality and fiction. The Soviet film was later listed in the 2012 Sight & Sound Director’s Poll of the Greatest Films, with Guy Maddin calling it “mind-bogglingly eccentric.”

1928: A Daughter of Destiny

– Director: Henrik Galeen
– IMDb user rating: 6.2
– Votes: 296
– Runtime: 108 minutes

The German silent movie “A Daughter of Destiny” begins as a scientist inseminates a prostitute with the semen of a murderer. He raises her daughter, who quickly grows into a vampire who, alas, becomes devious and promiscuous.

1929: The Rocket Bus

– Director: W.P. Kellino
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Votes: 9
– Runtime: 65 minutes

“The Rocket Bus” finds several busmen attempting to save a young girl’s father from a caliph with the help of a magic carpet. It’s based on W.A. Darlington’s 1920 novel “Alf’s Button.”

1930: The Blood of a Poet

– Director: Jean Cocteau
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Votes: 5,984
– Runtime: 55 minutes

“The Blood of a Poet” is divided into several sections, as Jean Cocteau creates an avant-garde film that seeks to capture different elements of a poet’s heart and soul. The Criterion Collection refers to it as “one of cinema’s great experiments,” one which “stretches the medium to its limits.”

1931: Dracula

– Directors: Tod Browning, Karl Freund
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Votes: 46,827
– Runtime: 75 minutes

In the first sound movie adaptation of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” the iconic vampire (played by Bela Lugosi) travels to London and begins to prey on young women. It was one of Universal Pictures’ first major monster movies and led to sequels like “Dracula’s Daughter” and “House of Dracula.”

1932: Vampyr

– Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Votes: 15,872
– Runtime: 75 minutes

In “Vampyr,” a traveler (Julian West) in the French countryside attempts to help a girl who’s quickly transforming into a creature of the night. Chicago Reader critic Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote, “The greatness of Carl Dreyer’s [“Vampyr”] derives partly from its handling of the vampire theme in terms of sexuality and eroticism and partly from its highly distinctive, dreamy look, but it also has something to do with Dreyer’s radical recasting of narrative form.”

1933: Gabriel Over the White House

– Director: Gregory La Cava
– IMDb user rating: 6.4
– Votes: 1,171
– Runtime: 86 minutes

“Gabriel Over the White House” sees phony politician Judson Hammond (Walter Huston) bringing peace to America as a dictator after becoming president and is imbued with the divine influence of Abraham Lincoln and the angel Gabriel. In a 2018 Politico article, writer Jeff Greenfield praised it, explaining that the film “offers us significant insights into what tempts countries to travel down an authoritarian road.”

1934: March of the Wooden Soldiers

– Directors: Gus Meins, Charley Rogers
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Votes: 6,227
– Runtime: 77 minutes

Originally known as “Babes in Toyland,” this Christmas musical features several well-known fairytale characters within Toyland, such as Mother Peep, Little Bo, and Barnaby. Ollie Dee and Stanley Dum try to fend over the villainous Barnaby, who wants to marry Mother Peep and take over Toyland. The New York Times writer Andre Sennwald praised it as “an authentic children’s entertainment and quite the merriest of its kind that Hollywood has turned loose on the nation’s screens in a long time.”

1935: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

– Directors: William Dieterle, Max Reinhardt
– IMDb user rating: 6.9
– Votes: 3,159
– Runtime: 133 minutes

This adaptation of one of William Shakespeare’s most famous comedies finds a troupe of actors tangling with mischievous woodland fairies. It later won the 1936 Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Best Black-and-White Cinematography.

1936: Dracula’s Daughter

– Director: Lambert Hillyer
– IMDb user rating: 6.4
– Votes: 5,921
– Runtime: 71 minutes

In this sequel to the 1931 “Dracula,” the vampire’s daughter, Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden), attempts to get rid of her vampiric thirst for blood. But in seeking help from psychiatrist Dr. Garth (Otto Kruger), she soon fights the urge to turn him into a vampire. The film has been cited as an early example of negative Hollywood queer coding, with Marya coded as gay.

1937: Lost Horizon

– Director: Frank Capra
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Votes: 11,999
– Runtime: 132 minutes

Adapted from James Hilton’s novel of the same name, “Lost Horizon” follows British diplomat Robert (Ronald Colman) as he and several others become stranded on the mythical valley of Shangri-La after a plane crash. The movie took home multiple Academy Awards in 1938, including Best Art Direction and Best Film Editing.

1938: A Christmas Carol

– Director: Brian Desmond Hurst
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 20,473
– Runtime: 86 minutes

Reginald Owen stars in one of the best-known film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella of the same name, playing grouchy miser Ebenezer Scrooge. With the help of several ghosts, he learns to treat his fellow man better and recognizes the error of his ways. The movie has been a mainstay on TV during the holidays for decades, often appearing on Turner Classic Movies during December.

1939: The Wizard of Oz

– Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Mervyn LeRoy, Norman Taurog, Richard Thorpe, King Vidor
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 371,239
– Runtime: 102 minutes

“The Wizard of Oz” is the most popular adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s book, and arguably one of the best-known American movies of all time. It tells the story of Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), a Kansas girl magically transported to the fantastical land of Oz. It was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and won Best Original Song for “Over the Rainbow.”

1940: Fantasia

– Directors: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Votes: 88,582
– Runtime: 125 minutes

In Disney’s third animated feature, the studio paired animated sequences with classical music pieces like Paul Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and Beethoven’s “The Pastoral Symphony.” The Los Angeles Times critic hailed it as a masterpiece in 2011, calling it “courageous beyond belief.”

1941: Here Comes Mr. Jordan

– Director: Alexander Hall
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Votes: 5,846
– Runtime: 94 minutes

At the start of “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” boxer Joe Pendleton (Robert Montgomery) unexpectedly dies in a plane crash but is given a second shot at life when an angel (Edward Everett Horton) accidentally places him in the body of a recently murdered millionaire. At the time, Variety praised the film for its “expert handling of characters and wringing utmost interest out of every scene.”

1942: Cat People

– Director: Jacques Tourneur
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Votes: 20,080
– Runtime: 73 minutes

“Cat People” follows Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a recently married Serbian immigrant who becomes fixated on the fear that she’s descended from a tribe with the ability to transform into panthers when aroused. The film was later followed by a 1944 sequel titled “The Curse of the Cat People.”

1943: Heaven Can Wait

– Director: Ernst Lubitsch
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Votes: 9,646
– Runtime: 112 minutes

In “Heaven Can Wait,” playboy Henry van Cleve (Don Ameche) arrives in Hell after his death and feels compelled to prove he belongs there to Satan. He then tells the story of his life, including a short-lived affair he embarked upon during his long-term marriage to his wife, Martha (Gene Tierney). Ernst Lubitsch’s movie was later nominated for Best Picture at the 1944 Academy Awards.

1944: The Uninvited

– Director: Lewis Allen
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Votes: 9,995
– Runtime: 99 minutes

When composer Rick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland) and his sister Pamela (Ruth Hussey) attempt to buy an English seaside mansion in “The Uninvited,” they’re soon left to contend with a pair of ghosts. The New York Times critic Bosley Crowther found the film’s suspense effective, writing that it was “solemnly intent on raising gooseflesh as any ghost-story weirdly told to a group of shivering youngsters around a campfire on a dark and windy night.”

1945: The Picture of Dorian Gray

– Director: Albert Lewin
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Votes: 11,883
– Runtime: 110 minutes

Based on Oscar Wilde’s acclaimed novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” follows its titular protagonist, who is mysteriously able to retain his youthful beauty over the years. But soon, a painting with mysterious powers begins to reveal his inner corruption.

1946: It’s a Wonderful Life

– Director: Frank Capra
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Votes: 405,354
– Runtime: 130 minutes

In this Christmas classic, guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers) helps a suicidal man named George Bailey (James Stewart) realize how he’s touched the lives of the people around him for the better. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is widely regarded as one of the best films ever made and was later named as one of the 100 best American movies by the American Film Institute.

1947: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

– Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Votes: 15,768
– Runtime: 104 minutes

Adapted from Josephine Leslie’s 1945 novel, “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” centers on Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney), who moves to an isolated seaside cottage and strikes up an unexpected relationship with the sea captain ghost (Rex Harrison) haunting the house. Variety praised it as a “warmly human” movie with an “out-of-this-world romance” that “pulls audience sympathy.”

1948: Portrait of Jennie

– Director: William Dieterle
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Votes: 6,206
– Runtime: 86 minutes

“Portrait of Jennie” takes place in Depression-era New York City, where struggling painter Eben (Joseph Cotten) becomes enamored with a girl (Jennifer Jones) who he continues to meet over the years. The title song, which Nat King Cole performed, became a musical success in its own right.

1949: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

– Directors: James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, Jack Kinney
– IMDb user rating: 7.0
– Votes: 13,231
– Runtime: 68 minutes

Through “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad,” Disney retells two classic stories in the studio’s signature animated style. The first follows a consumerist, Mr. Toad (Eric Blore), while the second adapts “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

1950: Orpheus

– Director: Jean Cocteau
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 10,532
– Runtime: 112 minutes

“Orpheus” retells the classic Greek myth of the same name, as a poet (Jean Marais) accompanies his wife (Marie Déa) into the underworld. It’s part of Jean Cocteau’s larger Orphic film trilogy, which also includes “The Blood of a Poet” and “Testament of Orpheus.”

1951: A Christmas Carol

– Director: Brian Desmond Hurst
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 20,473
– Runtime: 86 minutes

This version of Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas tale stars Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge. Reel Reviews critic James Berardinelli described it as “the most memorable of any adaptation of the tale” because of “the strength and depth of its drama.”

1952: Road to Bali

– Director: Hal Walker
– IMDb user rating: 6.5
– Votes: 4,476
– Runtime: 91 minutes

The musical “Road to Bali” centers on unemployed vaudeville performers Harold (Bob Hope) and George (Bing Crosby), who get in trouble when an island prince (Murvyn Vye) recruits them to hunt for treasure. The film also features a soundtrack with songs by Hope and Peggy Lee.

1953: Ugetsu

– Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Votes: 20,859
– Runtime: 96 minutes

“Ugetsu” takes place during the 16th-century Japanese Civil Wars, as two supernatural peasants deal with the ramifications of selling their wares to soldiers. Roger Ebert called it “one of the greatest of all films,” adding, “the film style is elegant and mysterious, and somehow we know before we are told that this is a ghost story.”

1954: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

– Director: Richard Fleischer
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Votes: 29,393
– Runtime: 127 minutes

Based on Jules Vernes’ 1870 novel of the same name, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” follows a submarine crew sent to investigate a mysterious and deadly sea monster. The movie is considered one of the earliest examples of steampunk.

1955: Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

– Director: Charles Lamont
– IMDb user rating: 6.4
– Votes: 5,221
– Runtime: 79 minutes

In “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy,” iconic comedy duo Abbott and Costello decide to earn some money by guarding an ancient mummy. However, they get more than they bargained for when they get involved with a cursed medallion.

1956: Carousel

– Director: Henry King
– IMDb user rating: 6.6
– Votes: 5,689
– Runtime: 128 minutes

“Carousel” is a film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s acclaimed 1945 musical of the same name. It stars Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones as Billy and Julie, a young couple whose turbulent financial situation makes Billy resort to life-threatening measures to support them.

1957: The Seventh Seal

– Director: Ingmar Bergman
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Votes: 164,735
– Runtime: 96 minutes

While the Black Death rages on in Sweden, a downbeat knight called Antonious (Max von Sydow) competes in a Chess match against the Grim Reaper in hopes of defending his life. The Criterion Collection lauds “The Seventh Seal” as “one of the most influential films of its time,” adding that it’s a “stunning allegory of man’s search for meaning.”

1958: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad

– Director: Nathan Juran
– IMDb user rating: 7.1
– Votes: 12,041
– Runtime: 88 minutes

In this Sinbad film, the hero (Kerwin Mathews) plans to marry Princess Parisa (Kathryn Grant), but their wedding is interrupted when she’s shrunken by the evil sorcerer Sokurah (Torin Thatcher). The movie was followed by two sequels: 1973’s “The Golden Voyage of Sinbad” and 1977’s “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.”

1959: Black Orpheus

– Director: Marcel Camus
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Votes: 9,989
– Runtime: 100 minutes

Marcel Camus’ “Black Orpheus” reimagines the Greek myth of the star-crossed lovers Orpheus and Eurydice. In this version, the lovers are being pursued by a hitman through a Brazilian Carnival event.

1960: Macario

– Director: Roberto Gavaldón
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Votes: 2,756
– Runtime: 91 minutes

In this Mexican supernatural tale, a poor man named Macario (Ignacio López Tarso) is suddenly visited by Death, God, and the Devil. It was the first Mexican movie to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

1961: Mysterious Island

– Director: Cy Endfield
– IMDb user rating: 6.8
– Votes: 6,656
– Runtime: 101 minutes

“Mysterious Island” opens as a group of Civil War soldiers escaping a Confederate camp via a hot air balloon find themselves crash-landed on a strange island filled with mutant creatures. It’s based on Jules Verne’s 1874 novel of the same name.

1962: The Exterminating Angel

– Director: Luis Buñuel
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 29,663
– Runtime: 95 minutes

In “The Exterminating Angel,” chaos erupts when wealthy dinner party guests find themselves unable to leave. It was later adapted into a 2016 opera.

1963: Jason and the Argonauts

– Director: Don Chaffey
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Votes: 24,656
– Runtime: 104 minutes

“Jason and the Argonauts” recounts Greek legend, as hero Jason (Todd Armstrong) is tricked into seeking the mythical Golden Fleece. Memorably, Tom Hanks remarked at the 1992 Oscars, “Some people say ‘Casablanca’ or ‘Citizen Kane.’ I say ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ is the greatest film ever made.”

1964: Kwaidan

– Director: Masaki Kobayashi
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 15,403
– Runtime: 183 minutes

“Kwaidan” brings four classic Japanese folk tales to the screen, such as the story of a poor samurai (Rentarô Mikuni) who marries for magic, and the musician (Osamu Takizawa) forced to perform for an audience only composed of ghosts. Roger Ebert once described it as “an assembly of ghost stories that is among the most beautiful films I’ve seen.”

1965: The Saragossa Manuscript

– Director: Wojciech Has
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Votes: 4,863
– Runtime: 182 minutes

When the Spanish soldier protagonist finds a book that recounts his own grandfather’s (Zbigniew Cybulski) story, he learns about the man’s travels in a land filled with malevolent spirits. Wall Street Journal writer Kristin Jones called it “a celebration of storytelling and the marvels of cinema.”

1966: The Hawks and the Sparrows

– Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
– IMDb user rating: 7.3
– Votes: 4,265
– Runtime: 91 minutes

In “The Hawks and the Sparrows,” an Italian man (Totò) and his son (Davoli Ninetto) take a walk with a talking crow as they describe Marxist ideas about class-conflict. It was Totò’s final film performance before his death in 1967.

1967: Viy

– Directors: Konstantin Ershov, Georgiy Kropachyov
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Votes: 5,960
– Runtime: 77 minutes

After accidentally killing a landowner’s daughter (Natalya Varley) when fighting a witch, aspiring priest and “Viy” lead character Khoma (Leonid Kuravlyov) is forced to sit vigil with the girl’s body for three nights all by himself. The movie was the first official Soviet-era horror film that the USSR released.

1968: Yellow Submarine

– Director: George Dunning
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Votes: 24,471
– Runtime: 85 minutes

In this fantastic musical exhibition for The Beatles, the band is called for help by sailor Old Fred (Lance Percival). They help the people of Pepperland defeat the music-hating and evil Blue Meanies who have tried to conquer it.

1969: Medea

– Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
– IMDb user rating: 7.0
– Votes: 4,355
– Runtime: 118 minutes

After “Medea’s” titular sorceress (Maria Callas) helps the hero Jason (Giuseppe Gentile) capture the Golden Fleece and become royalty once again, she’s forced to enact revenge upon him after he casts her out. Callas was mainly an opera singer, and this was her first and only film role.

1970: Scrooge

– Director: Ronald Neame
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Votes: 9,512
– Runtime: 113 minutes

This retelling of Charles Dickens’ Christmas tale sets itself apart by being a musical, with 11 original songs. Albert Finney, who played Scrooge, won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy in 1971.

1971: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

– Director: Mel Stuart
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Votes: 178,596
– Runtime: 100 minutes

This adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” follows a poor boy named Charlie (Peter Ostrum), who wins a ticket to tour the mysterious Willy Wonka’s (Gene Wilder) world-renowned chocolate factory. Although Dahl is credited with writing the movie’s screenplay, he ultimately disowned it because of the added musical numbers and changes to his source material.

1972: Man of La Mancha

– Director: Arthur Hiller
– IMDb user rating: 6.7
– Votes: 3,911
– Runtime: 132 minutes

“Man of La Mancha” tells the story of the chaotic but chivalrous nobleman Don Quixote (Peter O’Toole) and takes place as a play within a play. The story is actually being told by writer Miguel Cervantes (also O’Toole), who has been imprisoned during the Spanish Inquisition.

1973: The Holy Mountain

– Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Votes: 37,122
– Runtime: 114 minutes

“The Holy Mountain” takes place in a corrupt world, where a Mexican alchemist (Alejandro Jodorowsky) brings a Christ-like messiah (Horacio Salinas) and several companions to a holy mountain where they can hopefully find enlightenment. The film’s Rotten Tomatoes consensus describes it as “a visual treat rich in symbolism.”

1974: Céline and Julie Go Boating

– Director: Jacques Rivette
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Votes: 4,809
– Runtime: 193 minutes

“Céline and Julie” centers on librarian Julie (Dominique Labourier) and magician Céline (Juliet Berto), who become fast friends and embark on a time-warping adventure full of imagination. The Criterion Collection’s synopsis for the film described it as “one of the all-time-great hangout comedies and a totally unique, enveloping cinematic dream space.”

1975: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

– Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Votes: 500,565
– Runtime: 91 minutes

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” stars iconic British comedy troupe Monty Python, who plays King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on a quest to find the legendary Holy Grail. The movie still has many iconic lines used over four decades after its release, such as “Tis but a scratch” and “I fart in your general direction.”

1976: The Twelve Tasks of Asterix

– Directors: René Goscinny, Henri Gruel, Albert Uderzo, Pierre Watrin
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Votes: 15,446
– Runtime: 82 minutes

In this Belgian-French animated tale, Julius Caesar offers the Roman Empire to two heroes (Roger Carel and Pierre Tornade), provided they accomplish 12 impossible tasks. The movie is based on the “Asterix” comics franchise.

1977: Star Wars

– Director: George Lucas
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Votes: 1,230,530
– Runtime: 121 minutes

“Star Wars” has become one of the biggest film franchises of all time, and it all started with the 1977 original. In the iconic movie, fans met characters Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Darth Vader (David Prowse), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) as they set off on an action-packed space epic.

1978: Heaven Can Wait

– Director: Ernst Lubitsch
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Votes: 9,646
– Runtime: 112 minutes

In the second movie adaptation of the play “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” Los Angeles Rams player Joe (Warren Beatty) dies and is accidentally returned to Earth in a dead millionaire’s body. The movie received nine nominations at the 1979 Oscars.

1979: Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro

– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Votes: 26,962
– Runtime: 102 minutes

In this “Lupin” installment, skilled thief Lupin III (Yasuo Yamada) fights to rescue Princess Clarisse (Sumi Shimamoto) from an evil count’s clutches. The movie was Hayao Miyazaki’s feature-length directorial debut.

1980: Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

– Director: Irvin Kershner
– IMDb user rating: 8.7
– Votes: 1,158,387
– Runtime: 124 minutes

In the second of the original “Star Wars” movies, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) trains with the wise Jedi Master Yoda (Frank Oz), while Han (Harrison Ford) and Leia (Carrie Fisher) try to evade the Empire’s forces on the Millennium Falcon. The film is widely regarded as one of the best sequels in film history.

1981: The Mystery of the Third Planet

– Director: Roman Kachanov
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 2,545
– Runtime: 48 minutes

In this Soviet animated movie, several space explorers set out to find endangered space animals but run into dangerous space pirates. The film is based on Kir Bulychev’s children’s novella “Alice’s Travel.”

1982: Pink Floyd: The Wall

– Director: Alan Parker
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 76,033
– Runtime: 95 minutes

“Pink Floyd: The Wall” is a visualization of the popular rock band of the same name’s 1979 album, “The Wall.” It stars Bob Geldof as Pink, a troubled rockstar who looks back on his life while tripping on drugs.

1983: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

– Director: Richard Marquand
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Votes: 949,763
– Runtime: 131 minutes

In the final installment of the original “Star Wars” trilogy, Luke Skywalker has his final showdown with Darth Vader. Meanwhile, the Rebellion battles the Empire on the forest moon of Endor. Although the movie received somewhat mixed reviews, its success led to it being re-released in theaters as a “Special Edition” by 1997.

1984: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 150,723
– Runtime: 117 minutes

This Japanese animated film tells the tale of a princess named Nausicaä (Sumi Shimamoto), who attempts to stop two warring nations from destroying their shared planet. The movie is considered a precursor to Studio Ghibli.

1985: The Purple Rose of Cairo

– Director: Woody Allen
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Votes: 47,068
– Runtime: 82 minutes

As “The Purple Rose of Cairo” begins, 1930s waitress Cecilia (Mia Farrow) is unhappy with her life and marriage. But everything changes when dreamy film character Tom Baxter (Jeff Daniels) walks off the movie screen and into her life.

1986: Castle in the Sky

– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 149,975
– Runtime: 125 minutes

In “Castle in the Sky,” a boy and girl with a powerful amulet search for a floating castle as they avoid a series of dangerous enemies. Notably, it was beloved Japanese company Studio Ghibli‘s first full-length animated movie.

1987: The Princess Bride

– Director: Rob Reiner
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 393,624
– Runtime: 98 minutes

“The Princess Bride” unfolds as a story within a story, as a grandfather (Peter Falk) tells his sick grandson (Fred Savage) the story of Princess Buttercup (Robin Wright) and her true love, farmhand-turned-pirate Westley (Cary Elwes). The movie was one of Wright’s first major roles and is now regarded as a cult favorite.

1988: My Neighbor Totoro

– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Votes: 290,683
– Runtime: 86 minutes

In “My Neighbor Totoro,” two young sisters (voiced by real-life siblings Dakota and Elle Fanning in the English dub) move to the Japanese countryside and meet magical forest spirits while their ill mother recovers in a nearby hospital. Director Hayao Miyazaki based part of it on his own experiences coping with having a sick mother as a child.

1989: Kiki’s Delivery Service

– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Votes: 123,953
– Runtime: 103 minutes

From Studio Ghibli, this story centers on a young witch named Kiki, who moves to a new town with her cat Jiji and struggles to grow up while making money by running her own delivery service.

1990: Edward Scissorhands

– Director: Tim Burton
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Votes: 447,147
– Runtime: 105 minutes

In this classic Tim Burton film, Johnny Depp stars as Edward, a gentle and unfinished artificial man with scissors for hands. When Edward moves into a nearby town, he falls in love with a young woman named Kim (Winona Ryder) but struggles to be accepted.

1991: Beauty and the Beast

– Directors: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 416,997
– Runtime: 84 minutes

This Disney Renaissance classic tells the tale of a prince doomed to exist as a beast unless he can earn another’s love. That person comes in the form of Belle, a headstrong woman from a local village in search of a greater life. Its success led to a 2017 live-action remake starring Emma Watson.

1992: We Are Not Angels

– Director: Srdjan Dragojevic
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Votes: 8,146
– Runtime: 98 minutes

In “We Are Not Angels,” reckless playboy Nikola (Nikola Kojo) accidentally impregnates a teenage girl named Marina (Milena Pavlović) during a one-night stand. Later, an angel (Uroš Đurić) and a devil (Srđan Todorović) fight for control of his soul.

1993: Groundhog Day

– Director: Harold Ramis
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 577,682
– Runtime: 101 minutes

Iconic comedy actor Bill Murray stars in “Groundhog Day” as Phil Connors, a grouchy weatherman who’s forced to live the same day over and over again. The movie also features a groundhog called Scooter, who reportedly bit Murray three times during filming.

1994: The Crow

– Director: Alex Proyas
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Votes: 166,336
– Runtime: 102 minutes

“The Crow” was adapted from James O’Barr’s comics of the same name and is about a rock musician named Eric Draven (Brandon Lee). The character is resurrected after a gang brutally murdered him and his fiancée, and he goes forth seeking revenge on the criminals. Lee tragically died due to an on-set accident.

1995: Toy Story

– Director: John Lasseter
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Votes: 886,711
– Runtime: 81 minutes

“Toy Story” was the first movie from animation studio Pixar and an early example of the computer animation that dominates so much of the animated film landscape today. The movie focuses on children’s toys who come alive when humans aren’t looking and stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz Lightyear.

1996: The Frighteners

– Director: Peter Jackson
– IMDb user rating: 7.1
– Votes: 82,035
– Runtime: 110 minutes

After losing his wife in a car accident, architect Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) gains the strange ability to con ordinary people with the help of spirits. However, things become more complicated when a demonic spirit shows up just as he’s falling for Dr. Lucy Lynskey, who was married to one of the demon’s victims.

1997: Princess Mononoke

– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Votes: 342,756
– Runtime: 134 minutes

This Studio Ghibli classic follows a young warrior called Ashitaka, who finds himself torn between mining town residents and a girl raised by forest gods. While many Ghibli films have themes of environmentalism, those themes are arguably most explicitly realized in “Princess Mononoke.”

1998: Mulan

– Directors: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Votes: 256,666
– Runtime: 88 minutes

Inspired by the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, this Disney film stars Ming-Na Wen as Mulan, a young woman who poses as a man to take her father’s place in a war against the Huns. Mulan is notably the studio’s first Asian and first gender-bending princess.

1999: The Green Mile

– Director: Frank Darabont
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Votes: 1,146,559
– Runtime: 189 minutes

Tom Hanks stars in “The Green Mile” as Paul Edgecomb, a Death Row security guard with a charge named John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), who was convicted of murdering two children. However, as Coffey begins to display a supernatural ability, Edgecomb begins to doubt whether Coffey actually committed the crime.

2000: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

– Director: Ang Lee
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Votes: 253,073
– Runtime: 120 minutes

In this Chinese martial arts epic, two 19th-century warriors search for a missing sword. It became one of the most successful foreign-language films ever released, and a much less popular sequel was released on Netflix in 2016.

2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

– Director: Peter Jackson
– IMDb user rating: 8.8
– Votes: 1,660,051
– Runtime: 178 minutes

Peter Jackson’s beloved “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy kicked off with this 2001 hit, which was based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel of the same name. It begins as an ordinary hobbit named Frodo (Elijah Wood) becomes the owner of an all-powerful ring, which must be destroyed before it falls into evil creatures’ hands.

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

– Director: Peter Jackson
– IMDb user rating: 8.7
– Votes: 1,484,351
– Runtime: 179 minutes

The second installment in the “Lord of the Rings” movies centers on Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin), as they continue their trek to Mordor in hopes of destroying the series’ ultra-powerful ring. Accompanying them is the untrustworthy creature Gollum, who has ulterior motives.

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

– Director: Peter Jackson
– IMDb user rating: 8.9
– Votes: 1,641,467
– Runtime: 201 minutes

In the third of the original “Lord of the Rings” movies, the fight for Middle Earth’s future commences as Frodo (Elijah Wood) nears the end of his journey. The movie won a record 11 Academy Awards and grossed over a billion dollars at the box office.

2004: Howl’s Moving Castle

– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Votes: 333,393
– Runtime: 119 minutes

Based on Diana Wynne Jones’ children’s novel of the same name, the Studio Ghibli movie “Howl’s Moving Castle” tells the tale of Sophie, a shy young woman who befriends moody wizard Hal after being cursed by a witch.

2005: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

– Director: Mike Newell
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Votes: 548,056
– Runtime: 157 minutes

In the fourth “Harry Potter” installment, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is forced to compete in a magical tournament involving dragons, mermaids, and the return of the evil wizard Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). It was the first “Potter” movie to receive a PG-13 rating.

2006: Pan’s Labyrinth

– Director: Guillermo del Toro
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Votes: 618,236
– Runtime: 118 minutes

In this Oscar-winning Spanish fantasy, a girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) discovers a magical underworld against the backdrop of World War II. She’s told she’s meant to be the princess of the world, but she must first complete three dangerous tasks.

2007: Ratatouille

– Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 641,102
– Runtime: 111 minutes

This Pixar entry follows a Parisian rat named Remy (Patton Oswalt), who maneuvers a French chef called Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano) from under his hat and manages to transform the restaurant he works at for the better. It recently inspired a TikTok musical of the same name, which was performed by an all-star Broadway cast.

2008: Let the Right One In

– Director: Tomas Alfredson
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Votes: 205,525
– Runtime: 114 minutes

In “Let the Right One In,” a shy boy named Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) forms a friendship with his new neighbor, a vampire girl named Eli (Lina Leandersson). Horror website Bloody Disgusting ranked the film #1 in their list of the top 20 horror movies of that decade, calling it “an austerely beautiful creation.”

2009: Avatar

– Director: James Cameron
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Votes: 1,118,401
– Runtime: 162 minutes

James Cameron’s visionary futuristic film stars Sam Worthington as a paraplegic Marine who finds himself torn between an alien race and a greedy corporation seeking to exploit them after landing on the moon of Pandora. The movie won Oscars for Art Direction, Cinematography, and Visual Effects.

2010: Toy Story 3

– Director: Lee Unkrich
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Votes: 756,517
– Runtime: 103 minutes

In the third “Toy Story” movie, Woody (Tom Hanks) and his pals are taken to daycare after their beloved owner, Andy (John Morris), gets too old to play with them. There, they’re forced to contend with the evil teddy bear (Ned Beatty) who runs the place.

2011: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

– Director: David Yates
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 763,756
– Runtime: 130 minutes

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” is the second of two film adaptations of the final “Harry Potter” novel of the same name. It’s now the 13th highest-grossing movie of all time and the most financially successful of all the “Potter” movies.

2012: It’s Such a Beautiful Day

– Director: Don Hertzfeldt
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Votes: 11,001
– Runtime: 62 minutes

Don Hertzfeldt’s experimental film follows Bill, a stick figure who suffers hallucinations as his psyche begins to break down. Made up of three distinct parts, the philosophical comedy took five years to make.

2013: The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

– Director: Isao Takahata
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Votes: 38,652
– Runtime: 137 minutes

“The Tale of Princess Kaguya” is based on a Japanese folktale and tells the story of a young girl found within a bamboo stalk and how she grows into a mythical princess. The movie reportedly took Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata more than eight years to make.

2014: Song of the Sea

– Director: Tomm Moore
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 51,590
– Runtime: 93 minutes

“Song of the Sea” centers on an Irish boy named Ben (David Rawle) and his younger sister Saoirse (Lucy O’Connell), who’s able to turn into a seal. The two embark on an adventure to free imprisoned fairies in the second of Tomm Moore’s animated “Irish folklore trilogy.“

2015: Inside Out

– Directors: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 615,415
– Runtime: 95 minutes

“Inside Out” is another emotional and complex Pixar movie, this one taking place within the mind of a young girl called Riley (Kaitlyn Dias). As she adjusts to a new town, her different emotions (voiced by actors like Bill Hader and Amy Poehler) go on an epic journey to help her cope.

2016: Your Name.

– Director: Makoto Shinkai
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Votes: 194,279
– Runtime: 106 minutes

This Japanese film details a magical connection between a teenage girl in rural Japan and a teenage boy living in Tokyo. It allows them to mysteriously swap bodies, with unforeseen consequences. It found massive success upon release and is currently the highest-grossing anime movie of all time internationally.

2017: Coco

– Directors: Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Votes: 383,064
– Runtime: 105 minutes

“Coco” follows Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), a young boy who enters the Land of the Dead to find his singer great-great-grandfather after music has been banned in his family for generations. The Pixar film won Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Animated feature at the 2018 ceremony.

2018: Isle of Dogs

– Director: Wes Anderson
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Votes: 138,769
– Runtime: 101 minutes

“Isle of Dogs” is another entry in renowned filmmaker Wes Anderson’s quirky filmography. It takes place in Japan, where a boy named Atari (Koyu Rankin) searches for his missing dog, who has been sent to an island full of canines.

2019: Toy Story 4

– Director: Josh Cooley
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Votes: 202,657
– Runtime: 100 minutes

In the latest “Toy Story” installment, Woody and Buzz help a new toy called Forky (Tony Hale), as Woody ponders whether he wants to live as a child’s toy anymore. The film features guest voice roles performed by Keanu Reeves and the comedy duo Key & Peele.

2020: Soul

– Directors: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Votes: 152,301
– Runtime: 100 minutes

Another Pixar installment, “Soul” follows Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a Brooklyn band teacher and pianist who accidentally winds up trapped in a dimension full of souls preparing for life on Earth. He then mentors a wayward soul named 22 (Tina Fey). The movie was praised for exploring the small joys of being human and not equating your value with certain jobs but received criticism for its handling of race.

25 best space movies of all time

For as long as there have been humans, we’ve looked up at the night sky and wondered what lies beyond the ever-present border of our atmosphere. Our ancestors had myths to explain the formation of the stars, and today we have cinema as a tool to share theories of our own. Stacker compiled a list of the best space movies of all time according to the Stacker score, which equally weighs a film’s IMDb user score and Metascore, so both critics’ and fans’ opinions are taken into account.

Science fiction has always addressed the big questions surrounding the nature of life, what it means to be human, and what being alone in the universe (or not) would mean for human civilization. Are we just a pale blue dot in an ocean of darkness? Or are we one of many civilizations with a delusional belief in the exceptionalism of our species?

The films on this list include soaring space operas, faithful docudramas, gripping thrillers, and speculative musings, but all of them deal with space to some degree. These films span the recent history of cinema, and thus a chronological progression can be observed, with the early successes influencing later films.

Though some movies got the dates wrong, many of the themes explored in the best space movies deal directly with our day-to-day lives. “Gattaca” explores the perils of the creation of so-called “designer babies.” “WALL-E,” “Blade Runner,” and “Planet of the Apes” muse on what will happen to the Earth when humans destroy it. Another is responsible for taking us back to one of humanity’s greatest scientific achievements—the moon landing—where we witness the sheer amount of effort and creativity needed to accomplish such a feat.

All films with over 1,000 IMDb votes and at least four Metacritic reviews were counted, so read carefully through the list for some hidden gems. Read on to find out which animated film takes the top spot, and where fan favorites “Star Wars” and “E.T.” land.

#25. Planet of the Apes (1968)

– Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
– Stacker score: 88.8
– Metascore: 79
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 112 minutes

One of the most famous sci-fi films of all time, “Planet of the Apes” sees a crashed spaceship’s crew wander a planet dominated by primates, only to discover a dark secret. With groundbreaking prosthetics that hold up to this day, it’s worth watching or re-watching just for the famous quote: “Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!”

#24. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

– Director: J.J. Abrams
– Stacker score: 88.8
– Metascore: 80
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 138 minutes

Achieving a higher place on this list than its sequel, “The Last Jedi,” this first entry in the third “Star Wars” trilogy introduces a new cast of characters and brings back some fan favorites to fight against the First Order, the next iteration of the franchise’s evil colonialist empire. Featuring standout performances from newcomers Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and Oscar Isaac, and an anti-heroic return to form for Harrison Ford, “The Force Awakens” will fill you with the same childlike wonder of the original trilogy.

#23. Interstellar (2014)

– Director: Christopher Nolan
– Stacker score: 89.4
– Metascore: 74
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 169 minutes

Christopher Nolan is known for making mind-bending films that challenge and enthrall the viewer, and 2014’s “Interstellar” is a worthy addition to that canon. In a not-too-distant future, humanity suffers the widespread effects of climate change. Abandoning Earth is the only hope, and when a mysterious wormhole opens up at the end of the solar system, a daring crew travels through. Working against impossible odds and the forces of space and time, the crew must do everything possible to survive in this three-hour epic starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine.

#22. The Martian (2015)

– Director: Ridley Scott
– Stacker score: 89.4
– Metascore: 80
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 144 minutes

Based on the popular novel, “The Martian” is about mankind joining for a singular mission: save astronaut Mark Watney, who was abandoned on Mars after the rest of his crew made an emergency exit during a dust storm. Played by a charismatic Matt Damon, Watney is a genius scientist who works in tandem with the forces on Earth to return home. A fantastic ensemble cast assists him in his efforts, including Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, and Donald Glover, among many others.

#21. Arrival (2016)

– Director: Denis Villeneuve
– Stacker score: 89.4
– Metascore: 81
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 116 minutes

In many movies on this list, humankind ventures far out into the galaxy, discovering alien planets and their inhabitants. In 2016’s enigmatic “Arrival,” the aliens come here. Whether they’re bearing gifts or baring their teeth remains to be seen; it’s up to a linguist (Amy Adams) and a physicist (Jeremy Renner) to interpret the alien language. Villeneuve has already shown himself to be a powerful force in the speculative science fiction genre, and “Arrival” is a head-spinning masterpiece.

#20. District 9 (2009)

– Director: Neill Blomkamp
– Stacker score: 89.4
– Metascore: 81
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 112 minutes

“District 9” sees an alien species set up camp on Earth. Using the xenophobia humans display against aliens as an allegory for the racism of South Africa’s apartheid, this found-footage mockumentary turns the glamour of interspecies contact into a biting critique of contemporary affairs.

#19. The Lego Movie (2014)

– Directors: Christopher Miller, Phil Lord
– Stacker score: 89.4
– Metascore: 83
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 100 minutes

Many were skeptical that a concept as vague as “Lego” could be adapted into a compelling film. Lord and Miller, rising stars in the comedy and animation genres, proved even the most serious doubters wrong. “The Lego Movie” is 100 minutes of intense action, side-splitting dialogue, and creative animation. Anchored by an all-star cast, “The Lego Movie” is family friendly perfection.

#18. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

– Director: Denis Villeneuve
– Stacker score: 89.9
– Metascore: 81
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 164 minutes

Previously in this slideshow, we referred to director Denis Villeneuve as “a powerful force in the speculative science fiction genre.” Consider this film Exhibit B. “Blade Runner 2049” is beautiful in its tragedy, or perhaps tragic in its beauty. Anchored by a deeply empathetic performance from Ryan Gosling and featuring Ana de Armas, Mackenzie Davis, Jared Leto, and others, “Blade Runner 2049” is a worthy sequel to its groundbreaking predecessor.

#17. Star Trek (2009)

– Director: J.J. Abrams
– Stacker score: 89.9
– Metascore: 82
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 127 minutes

Like “The Force Awakens,” this film was preceded on this list by its sequel, “Star Trek: Into Darkness.” 2009’s “Star Trek” likewise contains all the charm of the original series, with big-budget special effects and a stellar (pun intended) cast.

#16. Avatar (2009)

– Director: James Cameron
– Stacker score: 89.9
– Metascore: 83
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 162 minutes

The highest-grossing movie of all time, despite the ongoing efforts of “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avatar” brought eye-popping CGI to a global audience in a classic story of colonialism, romance, and resistance. Cameron waited nearly a decade, until 2005, to make the film as the technology wasn’t advanced enough in the 1990s to complete his vision. The wait paid off, both financially and in the stunning visuals of the film, which hold up very well 10 years later.

#15. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

– Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
– Stacker score: 90.5
– Metascore: 78
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 181 minutes

The climax fans waited a decade for, “Avengers: Endgame” sees the titular characters reeling from the events of the prior film and navigating a strange world. Some are focused on undoing the fallout of Infinity War, while others just want to move on and accept the world as it is. The three-hour runtime flies by as our heroes find a promising way forward.

#14. Blade Runner (1982)

– Director: Ridley Scott
– Stacker score: 92.2
– Metascore: 84
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 117 minutes

Directed by Alien’s Ridley Scott and loosely based on a book by sci-fi master Philip K. Dick, “Blade Runner” focuses on Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard, a retired “blade runner,” tasked with hunting down and killing renegade androids known as replicants, just like he used to. The film takes place entirely on Earth; however, it’s a grimy and squalid one, as anyone with significant wealth has already left for the off-world colonies. Though space travel doesn’t feature directly, the film questions technology’s effect on the environment and human interactions.

#13. The Iron Giant (1999)

– Director: Brad Bird
– Stacker score: 92.2
– Metascore: 85
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 86 minutes

Sci-fi films have a peculiar tendency of underperforming at the box office, only to be treated as a cult classic and idolized long after they left the theatres. Such is the case with “The Iron Giant,” the directorial debut of “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille” director Brad Bird, which sees a young boy befriending a giant robot who fell from the sky. Featuring an all-star cast of voice actors, including Vin Diesel as the titular automaton, “The Iron Giant” is a gem in Bird’s stellar filmography.

#12. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

– Director: Steven Spielberg
– Stacker score: 92.7
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 7.6
– Runtime: 138 minutes

Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” is considered one of best science-fiction films of all time. A smash hit with critics and audiences alike, the movie is about a blue-collar Indiana man who finds his life completely changed after a chance encounter with a UFO. Praised for its originality, the movie has been instrumental in leading many to believe we may not be alone after all.

#11. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

– Director: Stanley Kubrick
– Stacker score: 93.3
– Metascore: 84
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 149 minutes

Sci-fi movies would look a lot different without “2001,” undoubtedly the most influential film of the genre ever to hit the silver screen. The precarity of artificial intelligence, the vastness of space, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life are among the themes explored by Kubrick’s masterpiece. From the visuals to the score, “2001” earns its spot among the greatest films of all time.

#10. Aliens (1986)

– Director: James Cameron
– Stacker score: 93.3
– Metascore: 84
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 137 minutes

In several places on this list, sequels fared worse in the hearts of critics and audiences than the film that came before. Such is the case with “Aliens,” the sequel to 1979’s “Alien,” though Empire magazine named it the greatest sequel of all time. The franchise has yet to recapture the magic since “Aliens,” a terrifying thriller of galactic proportions starring Sigourney Weaver in an Emmy-nominated performance as Ellen Ripley, a hero for a spacefaring generation.

#9. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

– Director: Irvin Kershner
– Stacker score: 94.4
– Metascore: 82
– IMDb user rating: 8.7
– Runtime: 124 minutes

Another of the best-received sequels of all time, Empire had a lot to live up to when it premiered three years after “Star Wars: Episode IV.” Luckily, the story matured from “chosen one saves universe” into a more complex series of blows and counter-attacks. With cinema’s most famous twist in the middle, Empire recaptures all the magic of the original and further explores the galaxy far, far away.

#8. The Right Stuff (1983)

– Director: Philip Kaufman
– Stacker score: 94.4
– Metascore: 91
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 193 minutes

The films on this list that deal with America’s space program each focus on a different period. Such is the case with “The Right Stuff,” which focuses on the Mercury program of supersonic flight, sometimes in the sub-orbital region of space, which took place between 1958 and 1963. Based on the bestselling book by the same name, “The Right Stuff” was, like many others on this list, a box office failure though it was beloved by critics and remains a modern classic.

#7. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

– Director: Steven Spielberg
– Stacker score: 94.4
– Metascore: 91
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 115 minutes

“E.T. phone home,” mutters the titular character as he attempts to contact his home planet, and audiences around the world fell in love. The timeless story of an intimate friendship between a boy and his alien friend, “E.T.” has resonated with generations of families, and is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time.

#6. Apollo 11 (2019)

– Director: Todd Douglas Miller
– Stacker score: 95
– Metascore: 88
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 93 minutes

The only documentary on this list, “Apollo 11” consists solely of archival footage and is absent of narration, commentary from talking heads, or re-creations. The film presents the story of the titular mission, moonwalk and all. There’s not much else to say here, just a word of advice: see it on the biggest screen you can find.

#5. Solaris (1972)

– Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
– Stacker score: 95.5
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 167 minutes

At the same time Americans were celebrating a comeback victory in the Space Race, Soviet Russians were dealing with their own questions of space travel and communism’s place in the future. Such is the case with “Solaris,” a Soviet film, which questions the limits of human rationality in a gorgeous, haunting, nearly three-hour production.

#4. Alien (1979)

– Director: Ridley Scott
– Stacker score: 96.6
– Metascore: 89
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 117 minutes

Facehugger, Xenomorph, Chestburster; the titular alien in “Alien” takes many forms, all of them terrifying, as the creation of gory special effects and a dark imagination. The crew of the spaceship Nostromo is hopelessly outmatched against this unique evil, though they never stop trying to kill it, even as more and more humans fall victim to the alien’s attacks. A straightforward human-versus-nature story, the movie manages to slip in a biting critique of mega-corporations which are more interested in the bottom line than human lives.

#3. Gravity (2013)

– Director: Alfonso Cuarón
– Stacker score: 96.6
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 91 minutes

Cuarón, the five-time Oscar winner and director of “Children of Men” and “Roma,” tried his hand at an outer-space thriller in 2013’s seven-time Oscar winner “Gravity,” starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as stranded astronauts doing whatever it takes to return home. As evidenced by the awards, Gravity was received warmly by both critics and fans, who praised the realistic visuals, performances from the leads, and stirring score.

#2. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

– Director: George Lucas
– Stacker score: 98.3
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 121 minutes

What is there to say about “Star Wars?” The 1977 film has established itself in every corner of our collective consciousness, from the global fame of its cast to the innumerable sci-fi and adventure films it influenced, not to mention the films in the franchise still being released every couple of years. The soundtrack is iconic, the characters are legendary, and the story of a chosen hero leading the galaxy to victory has inspired millions of young people all across the globe.

#1. WALL·E (2008)

– Director: Andrew Stanton
– Stacker score: 100
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 98 minutes

“WALL·E’s” striking depiction of Earth as a barren wasteland, destroyed by the forces of climate and human overconsumption, is made even more impactful through the film’s choice to not include human dialogue for much of the film. The titular robot is an emotive trash compactor, the only one left on Earth, meant to clean up the planet’s waste; imagine his shock when a futuristic robot arrives, searching the planet for any sign of organic life. When humans are finally shown, they’re nearly comatose and incapable of social relationships, as work has become obsolete thanks to automation. A story about finding a purpose in the universe’s vastness, “WALL·E” has the right mix of charm, complex storytelling, beautiful visuals and soul-searching questions to land at the top of our list.

Where can you stream the 50 best films of the 21st century

Although some hardened cinephiles may argue that the true film masterpieces exist primarily in the movies of the 20th century, the past two decades have brought with them enduring cinema staples that arguably earned their place among the very best in the genre. With directors of the prestigious “New Hollywood” filmmaking movement of the ’60s and ’70s still alive and creating as good of work as ever, alongside modern and older auteurs and up-and-comers around the world carving their own distinct paths in the film industry, there is enough groundwork laid out between 2000 and 2020 to distinguish this century’s own classic canon.

The best films of the 21st century span genre and style, from art films like Béla Tarr’s “Werckmeister Harmonies” and Cristian Mungiu’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” to the animated superhero film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” to the epic fantasy trilogy of “The Lord of the Rings,” to the modern musical “La La Land.” While many of these films went on to be Academy Award-nominated (and winning), others—such as Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunset” or Don Hertzfeldt’s “It’s Such a Beautiful Day”—maintain enduring critical and audience acclaim regardless of accolades.

For this list, Flixed compiled data on the top 21st-century films to come up with a Flixed score—a weighted index split evenly between IMDb and Metacritic scores as of Dec. 28, 2020. To qualify, the film had to have a Metascore and at least 10,000 IMDb user votes. Ties were broken by Metascore and further ties were broken by IMDb user rating and vote count. Movies are ranked from 50 down, with the best in the #1 slot. Five of these films are only available to rent online, and two are not available to rent or stream anywhere.

Keep reading to see where you can stream the best films of the 21st century.

#50. Her (2013)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: Spike Jonze
– Flixed score: 92.9
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 126 minutes

In a not-so-distant future, lonely and divorced Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) finds companionship in his life-like new operating system, which creates the manufactured persona of a playful woman named Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). But the more time he spends with his artificial intelligence, the more he finds himself falling for it as if it was real. From acclaimed director Spike Jonze, the film is also available for rent on various sites such as Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and YouTube.

#49. The Incredibles (2004)

– Where to stream: Disney+
– Director: Brad Bird
– Flixed score: 92.9
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 115 minutes

Forced into hiding after superpowers are banned by the government, the Parrs assume the identities of mundane, average civilians, but patriarch Bob—alias “Mr. Incredible”—longs to return to the life of a superhero. However, when he’s called on mysterious circumstances to battle a dangerous threat, his whole family must save him. This Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature is streaming on Disney+, but is also available to rent on other streaming platforms.

#48. The Hurt Locker (2008)

– Where to stream: Prime Video, Hulu, DIRECTV, EPIX, Watch TCM
– Director: Kathryn Bigelow
– Flixed score: 92.9
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Runtime: 131 minutes

Winner of Best Picture (and five other Oscars) at the 82nd Academy Awards, this war thriller centers on an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team and the harmful psychological effects combat has on the soldiers involved. To this day, the film remains the only winner of the Best Picture Oscar to have been directed by a woman.

#47. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

– Where to stream: Only available for rent
– Directors: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
– Flixed score: 93.4
– Metascore: 87
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 117 minutes

This animated Marvel film follows teenager Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) as he transforms into New York City’s titular web-slinging superhero. But Miles soon learns there are numerous other Spider-People (and pigs) from other dimensions, who must band together to stop the villainous Kingpin (Liev Schreiber).

#46. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)

– Where to stream: MUBI Amazon Channel
– Director: Anurag Kashyap
– Flixed score: 93.4
– Metascore: 89
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 321 minutes

This two-part Indian crime film chronicles an epic, years-long feud between a gangster and the ruthless kingpin who killed his father. The movie was divided into two films for the Indian market due to its length, but screened as one film at its premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight section.

#45. Before Sunset (2004)

– Where to stream: HBO Max, DIRECTV
– Director: Richard Linklater
– Flixed score: 93.4
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 80 minutes

In 1995’s “Before Sunrise,” Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) meet by chance on a train to Vienna and share one intimate night with the promise to meet again in six months. “Before Sunset” picks things up nine years later as Jesse reunites with Celine in Paris during a stop along his book tour. Through a long, meandering walk through the city, they share the separate paths their lives have taken and their enduring desire for one another.

#44. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

– Where to stream: DIRECTV, TNT, TBS, Spectrum
– Director: George Miller
– Flixed score: 93.4
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 120 minutes

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, water is scarce and cruel despot Immortan Joe has taken control over a desert civilization with the remaining survivors. But a rogue warrior (Charlize Theron) on the run with the tyrant’s wives forms an alliance with escaped captive Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), together pursued by Joe’s henchman on an epic chase across the barren wasteland in search of a better world. Director George Miller’s reimagining of his original film garnered him a Best Director nomination at the 88th Academy Awards, along with a slew of other nominations.

#43. Finding Nemo (2003)

– Where to stream: Disney+
– Directors: Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
– Flixed score: 93.4
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 100 minutes

After being separated from his son, cautious Clownfish father Marlin must embark on a quest to find Nemo, encountering an array of colorful (and occasionally dangerous) characters who help him on his way. The celebrated Disney Pixar film features the voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen Degeneres, and Willem Dafoe.

#42. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: Michel Gondry
– Flixed score: 94
– Metascore: 89
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 108 minutes

In the aftermath of their painful breakup, Clementine (Kate Winslet) decides to undergo a procedure to erase all memories of her time spent with Joel (Jim Carrey). But when Joel discovers what Clementine is doing, he wants the procedure for himself as well—until his subconscious changes its mind. Written by acclaimed screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, the film won the award for Best Original Screenplay at the 77th Academy Awards.

#41. No Country for Old Men (2007)

– Where to stream: Starz, DIRECTV
– Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
– Flixed score: 94
– Metascore: 91
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 122 minutes

This neo-Western thriller from the Coen brothers centers on Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), an opportunistic antelope hunter who steals a briefcase of cash he finds abandoned after a drug deal goes sideways. Hunter becomes hunted as Moss is pursued by a ruthless hitman (Javier Bardem) who won’t stop until Moss is dead. The film also features Tommy Lee Jones as an aging sheriff reckoning with a rapidly changing world.

#40. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

– Where to stream: HBO, DIRECTV, Max Go
– Directors: Julian Schnabel, Laura Obiols
– Flixed score: 94
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 112 minutes

Elle France editor Jean-Dominique Bauby (portrayed by Mathieu Amalric) was left paralyzed after a stroke, his movement suddenly limited to use of his left eye. Bauby goes on to painstakingly dictate his memoir through his eye, his only means left of communication. “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is based on Bauby’s 1997 memoir of the same name.

#39. Call Me by Your Name (2017)

– Where to stream: Starz
– Director: Luca Guadagnino
– Flixed score: 94
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 132 minutes

Starring Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet, Luca Guadagnino’s intimate look at first love and sexual awakening observes the romance between a 17-year-old boy and his father’s older doctoral student, set against the backdrop of idyllic 1983 Lombardy, Italy. The film won Best Adapted Screenplay at the 90th Academy Awards.

#38. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

– Where to stream: Prime Video
– Director: Ang Lee
– Flixed score: 94
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 120 minutes

A missing sword is the object of a widespread chase to find it between two warriors in Qing dynasty China, leading them to the house of a young and physically skilled nobleman’s daughter. The Chinese film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, maintaining a tie with 2018’s “Roma” for most Academy Award nominations for a non-English language film.

#37. The Social Network (2010)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: David Fincher
– Flixed score: 94
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 120 minutes

The story of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s (Jesse Eisenberg) rise to power is told in this dynamic bio-drama from tour de force writer/director pairing David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin, chronicling the Harvard drop-out’s quest for power at the expense of others. There are talks of a sequel currently on the table, with Sorkin and Eisenberg reportedly both on board.

#36. Whiplash (2014)

– Where to stream: IMDb TV, Pluto TV
– Director: Damien Chazelle
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 88
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 106 minutes

Success-hungry jazz drummer Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller) has dreams of being the best but finds a challenge in his ruthless new instructor, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), who pushes Neiman to his breaking point. The drama film was based on director Damien Chazelle’s short film of the same name, which was screened at Sundance in 2013.

#35. The Lives of Others (2006)

– Where to stream: Only available for rent
– Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 89
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 137 minutes

In 1984, a member of East Germany’s secret police is tasked with wiretapping a famous playwright and his actress lover under suspicions that they are not loyal to the Communist party. However, things take a turn with the officer’s burgeoning sympathy for the couple paired with his superior’s growing fixation on the actress. This German drama won Best Foreign Language film at the 79th Academy Awards.

#34. It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

– Where to stream: Only available for rent on Vimeo
– Director: Don Hertzfeldt
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 62 minutes

Don Hertzfeldt’s existentialist animated experimental film follows a stick figure man as he grapples with an increasingly unreliable psyche. It was Hertzfeldt’s debut feature film, and the three chapters it was divided into were originally released independently as short films. Though the film was released for streaming on both iTunes and Netflix, it is now only available to rent on Vimeo.

#33. Shoplifters (2018)

– Where to stream: Hulu, Hoopla
– Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 121 minutes

A found family of misfit thieves lives on the margins of society in Tokyo, coping with poverty by shoplifting to survive. But their bond is tested when one of them is caught and arrested, and their loyalty to one another is upended by exposed secrets. The Japanese drama won the Palme D’Or and was nominated for Best Forgein Language Film at both the 91st Academy Awards and the 76th Golden Globes Awards.

#32. Amour (2012)

– Where to stream: Starz, DIRECTV
– Director: Michael Haneke
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 127 minutes

The strength of a long-lasting relationship between two elderly music teachers is tested, when wife Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) suffers a stroke. Though husband George (Jean-Louis Trintignant) suffers from his own ailments from old age, he dedicates himself solely to keeping Anne from returning to the hospital. At then 85 years old, actress Emmanuelle Riva remains the oldest actress to be nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the Academy Awards.

#31. Before Midnight (2013)

– Where to stream: Starz, DIRECTV
– Director: Richard Linklater
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 109 minutes

The final installment of Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy sees longtime lovers Celine and Jesse (Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke returning to the roles, respectively) on an excursion to Greece, almost two decades after their chance encounter on a train to Vienna. Now married with twin girls, the pair reminisces on their time together and the choices they made. The romantic drama was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 86th Academy Awards.

#30. The Irishman (2019)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: Martin Scorsese
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 209 minutes

Based on the nonfiction book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt, Martin Scorsese’s newest epic gangster saga details the rise to power of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a real-life mob hitman from Philadelphia. Sheeran becomes involved with high-ranking mobster Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci), eventually moving through the ranks to work for powerful teamster Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). The film required a special three-camera rig to facilitate the use of de-aging SFX.

#29. Dunkirk (2017)

– Where to stream: only available for rent
– Director: Christopher Nolan
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 106 minutes

On the beaches of Dunkirk, Allied troops are trapped by the forces of Germany, and British and French cover from above and below must assist in heroically evacuating 330,000 French, British, Dutch, and Belgian soldiers. The film relies on little dialogue, with a heavy focus on cinematography, sound design, and score in creating the necessary suspense. It is available to rent on Google Play, Amazon Video, Youtube, Fandango Now, and elsewhere.

#28. Roma (2018)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: Alfonso Cuarón
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 135 minutes

The tale of a housekeeper employed by a middle-class Mexican family in the 1970s, Cleo’s (Yalitza Aparicio) life with Antonio, Sofía, and their four children takes a turn when it is revealed that Antonio has a pregnant mistress—and has run off with her. The film was shot in color and converted to black-and-white, part of director Alfonso Cuarón’s vision for a “modern film that looks into the past.” The streamer, Netflix, also distributed the film.

#27. Gravity (2013)

– Where to stream: Tubi TV, IndieFlix
– Director: Alfonso Cuarón
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.7
– Runtime: 91 minutes

A medical engineer (Sandra Bullock) on her first mission and a veteran astronaut (George Clooney) preparing for retirement are upended by what was supposed to be a routine space walk, when their shuttle is destroyed. Left helpless in deep space, the pair realizes they must travel further into space if they want any chance of returning home. The film’s groundbreaking special effects (which comprise over 80 of its 91-minute runtime) took three years to create.

#26. Moonlight (2016)

– Where to stream: Netflix, Hoopla, Kanopy
– Director: Barry Jenkins
– Flixed score: 94.5
– Metascore: 99
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Runtime: 111 minutes

Told in three defining stages of his life, Chiron’s fraught journey of self-discovery is recounted from adolescence to adulthood in the friendships and romances he forges as he comes of age and falls in love. The 89th Academy Award Best Picture winner is based on the unpublished “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” a semi-autobiographical play by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney.

#25. The Dark Knight (2008)

– Where to stream: Peacock, Sling
– Director: Christopher Nolan
– Flixed score: 95.1
– Metascore: 84
– IMDb user rating: 9.0
– Runtime: 152 minutes

The second chapter of Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy sees Batman (Christian Bale) battling it out with the Clown Prince of Crime (Heath Ledger). In his quest to descend Gotham City into chaos, the Joker forces Batman to reckon with himself and whether he’s truly a hero, or merely a vigilante. Heath Ledger’s legendary performance as the Joker earned him a posthumous Academy Award for Best Actor in 2009.

#24. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

– Where to stream: Hulu, HBO Max
– Director: Peter Jackson
– Flixed score: 95.1
– Metascore: 87
– IMDb user rating: 8.7
– Runtime: 179 minutes

In the follow-up to the first film of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy from Peter Jackson, Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring continues on sans Fellowship, and they soon discover that they are being trailed by the malignant creature known as Gollum. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas travel to the besieged kingdom of Rohan. The critically acclaimed sequel was nominated for six Oscars at the 75th Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

#23. The Best of Youth (2003)

– Where to stream: Not available to stream or rent
– Director: Marco Tullio Giordana
– Flixed score: 95.1
– Metascore: 89
– IMDb user rating: 8.5
– Runtime: 366 minutes

Two brothers see their lives buffeted by the social and political upheaval in Italy during the 1960s and ’70s, the decades ensuing portrayed in this epic tale of love and family. Upon premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003, “The Best of Youth” was awarded the Prize Un Certain Regard (essentially the second place prize). Though originally available to stream on Netflix, the film was removed in 2016 and is not available elsewhere; this is possibly due to it having been acquired by the now-defunct Miramax.

#22. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)

– Where to stream: Not available to stream or rent
– Directors: Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky
– Flixed score: 95.1
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 145 minutes

János (Lars Rudolph) and György (Peter Fitz), two friends in communist-era Hungary, witness the arrival of a dark and mysterious circus in their small town. The title of the film is a reference to Andreas Werckmeister, a baroque musical theorist, and was shot entirely in black-and-white and made up of only 39 shots.

#21. Spotlight (2015)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: Tom McCarthy
– Flixed score: 95.1
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 129 minutes

In 2001, the “Spotlight” investigative team of the Boston Globe was tasked with reporting on allegations that an unfrocked priest sexually abused over 80 young boys. The inquiry led them to a massive child sexual abuse cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, which is shockingly discovered to extend far beyond Boston. The bio-drama “Spotlight” covers the harrowing ordeal with an ensemble cast that includes Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Liev Schreiber. The film took home an Oscar for Best Picture at the 88th Academy Awards.

#20. Marriage Story (2019)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: Noah Baumbach
– Flixed score: 95.1
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 137 minutes

A stage director (Adam Driver) and his actress wife (Scarlett Johansson) attempt a divorce across opposing coasts, fighting over the custody of their young son as they are pushed to grueling extremes both personally and creatively. The film is thought to be a loose interpretation of director Noah Baumbach’s own divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh.

#19. La La Land (2016)

– Where to stream: HBO Max, DIRECTV, USA
– Director: Damien Chazelle
– Flixed score: 95.1
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 128 minutes

“La La Land” tells the story of Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and their intersecting dreams of making it big through their respective passions of acting and playing jazz. But as success begins to build for both of them, their romance is put to the test. The Oscar-nominated love letter to Los Angeles had initial difficulty finding financing, with studios hesitant to back a “jazz musical.”

#18. Manchester by the Sea (2016)

– Where to stream: Prime Video
– Director: Kenneth Lonergan
– Flixed score: 95.1
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 7.8
– Runtime: 137 minutes

A tragic event sees Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) returning from Boston to the fishing village where he grew up, and where he’s been named the sole guardian of his nephew (Lucas Hedges). There, Chandler reckons with the past that forced him away from Manchester-by-the-Sea, its community, and his wife Randi (Michelle Williams). The concept for the film was developed by Matt Damon and John Krasinski, who both produced the film. Damon previously worked with director Kenneth Lonergan on the 2011 film “Margaret.”

#17. Toy Story 3 (2010)

– Where to stream: Disney+
– Director: Lee Unkrich
– Flixed score: 95.6
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 103 minutes

Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen), and co. are back in the third installment of the “Toy Story” saga, which sees owner Andy all grown up and off to college, forced to send his toys upstairs to the attic. But when the toys mistakenly end up outside with the trash, their last-minute diversion to a nursery school forces them to concoct yet another of their great escapes. The Disney Pixar film was nominated for Best Picture, one of only three animated films (including “Beauty and the Beast” and “Up”) to be nominated. It didn’t win Best Picture, but it did take home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

#16. Yi Yi (2000)

– Where to stream: The Criterion Channel
– Director: Edward Yang
– Flixed score: 95.6
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 173 minutes

“Yi Yi” follows the alternating perspectives of three members of the Jian family in Taiwan as they struggle through the quandaries of everyday life. The Taiwanese drama premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000, where Edward Yang won the Best Director award.

#15. There Will Be Blood (2007)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
– Flixed score: 95.6
– Metascore: 93
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 158 minutes

“There Will Be Blood” is set at the turn of the 20th century in California, where ruthless oil tycoon Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) will stop at nothing to accumulate as much wealth as possible. Through this epic saga of his rise to power, Plainview meets his match in zealous young preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), whose family resides on oil-rich land Plainview is intent on purchasing no matter the cost. The film is based loosely on Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel “Oil!”, and was influenced in part by John Huston’s film “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.”

#14. Inside Out (2015)

– Where to stream: Disney+, DIRECTV
– Directors: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen
– Flixed score: 95.6
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 95 minutes

Young Riley’s blissful world is upended when her parents move the family to San Francisco and she finds herself in the throes of isolation and depression. Meanwhile, the inner machinations of Riley’s mind have their own agenda, each one attempting to guide Riley through this dramatic and stressful time in her life. The animated Disney film features the voice work of Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black.

#13. Hamilton (2020)

– Where to stream: Disney+
– Director: Thomas Kail
– Flixed score: 96.2
– Metascore: 90
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 160 minutes

The hit Broadway musical finally makes its way to homes everywhere, in this filmed version of the show’s original run. The story of Founding Father and the United States’s first Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton is told in infectious hip-hop songs and the unforgettable performances from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom Jr., Jonathan Groff, and Phillipa Soo.

#12. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

– Where to stream: Hulu
– Director: Céline Sciamma
– Flixed score: 96.2
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 122 minutes

In 18th-century France, young artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is tasked with painting the wedding portrait of the enigmatic Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), who recently left a convent and refuses to have her likeness painted. Marianne creates the portrait in secrecy while forming a bond with Héloïse that soon turns to romance. After premiering at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or and won the Queer Palm and Best Screenplay awards.

#11. Ratatouille (2007)

– Where to stream: Disney+
– Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
– Flixed score: 96.2
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Runtime: 111 minutes

Remy the rat (voiced by Patton Oswald) has big dreams of becoming a Parisian chef and, despite his large rat family frowning on his cooking as an anti-rodent trade, leaves them behind when he accidentally ends up in Paris. There, he finds himself ideally situated at the restaurant of his idol: the late Auguste Gusteau, where a series of peculiar events soon allows him to put his cooking skills to the test under the toque of the restaurant’s busboy. In order to achieve animated food that looked convincingly real, the film’s animators attended cooking classes.

#10. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)

– Where to stream: The Criterion Channel, DIRECTV
– Director: Cristian Mungiu
– Flixed score: 96.2
– Metascore: 97
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 113 minutes

Romanian college student Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) seeks an illegal abortion for an unwanted pregnancy, aided by the help of her friend, Otilia (Anamaria Marinca). The two women recruit the services of a shady man to perform the procedure and endure a series of increasingly difficult situations in order to get Gabita the help that she needs. The art film won the Palme d’Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival but was excluded from the Academy Awards, causing some controversy.

#9. 12 Years a Slave (2013)

– Where to stream: Hulu
– Director: Steve McQueen
– Flixed score: 96.7
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Runtime: 134 minutes

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2014, this harrowing biographical drama tells the story of free Black man Solomon Northup, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South pre-Civil War. The film recounts Northup’s struggle for survival, humanity, and eventual freedom. Directed by Steve McQueen, it was adapted from Northup’s memoir of the same name.

#8. A Separation (2011)

– Where to stream: Only available for rent
– Director: Asghar Farhadi
– Flixed score: 97.3
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.3
– Runtime: 123 minutes

Desperate to give her daughter a better life, an Iranian woman (Leila Hatami) sues her husband for divorce in order to move her and her daughter to another country. Husband Nader (Payman Maadi) refuses to leave his ailing father, and the judge’s rejection of wife Simin’s application forces the couple to find a caretaker for Nader’s father’s increasingly dire situation. The film is available for rent on services such as Amazon Video, Fandango Now, and Vudu.

#7. WALL·E (2008)

– Where to stream: Disney+
– Director: Andrew Stanton
– Flixed score: 97.8
– Metascore: 95
– IMDb user rating: 8.4
– Runtime: 98 minutes

Trash-collecting robot WALL·E lives in isolation on an abandoned, dystopian Earth that’s covered in garbage he must tidy up, one piece at a time. But when a sleek, newfangled robot named EVE descends onto his lonely planet, WALL·E becomes infatuated and follows her when she leaves for outer space. Noteworthy elements of “WALL·E” include minimal dialogue early in the film and the fact this was the first Pixar animated film to also feature live-action characters.

#6. Boyhood (2014)

– Where to stream: The Criterion Channel, DIRECTV
– Director: Richard Linklater
– Flixed score: 97.8
– Metascore: 100
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Runtime: 165 minutes

Richard Linklater’s groundbreaking movie, filmed over the course of 12 years, tells the coming-of-age story of Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and tracks the ups and downs of his life from child to college-bound adult. While the characters and ending were mapped out from the beginning, the “Boyhood” script was primarily written year by year.

#5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

– Where to stream: Hulu, HBO Max
– Director: Peter Jackson
– Flixed score: 98.4
– Metascore: 92
– IMDb user rating: 8.8
– Runtime: 178 minutes

The first film of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy sees hero Frodo Baggins come into unfortunate possession of the One Ring of power, and he begins his fraught journey to deliver it to the fires of Mordor where it can be destroyed. Helping him are eight companions meant to protect him on his journey—but hearts are easily corrupted, and the One Ring has a will of its own. Costume designer Ngila Dickson and her seamstresses created more than 19,000 costumes for the film, which was nominated for 13 Academy Awards and won four.

#4. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

– Where to stream: Netflix
– Director: Guillermo del Toro
– Flixed score: 98.4
– Metascore: 98
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Runtime: 118 minutes

Set during Francoist Spain, young and imaginative Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother move to a remote forest with her mother’s new husband, Captain Vidal, a sadistic Falangist intent on flushing out the rebels there. But the forest is more than meets the eye, and Ofelia discovers a dark and beautiful world just in her backyard.

#3. Parasite (2019)

– Where to stream: Hulu
– Director: Bong Joon Ho
– Flixed score: 99.5
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 132 minutes

The destitute and clever Kim family find monetary success exploiting the wealthy Park clan, all of them posing as various, unconnected in-home service workers for the family. But an unexpected incident impedes their ingenious plan. The film broke ground when it became the first non-English language film to win Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards.

#2. Spirited Away (2001)

– Where to stream: HBO Max
– Director: Hayao Miyazaki
– Flixed score: 99.5
– Metascore: 96
– IMDb user rating: 8.6
– Runtime: 125 minutes

Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feast focuses on 10-year-old Chihiro, whose parents are turned into giant pigs after happening upon an abandoned amusement park. There, she encounters a series of strange and mysterious spirits who help her on her quest to save her parents. The film held the record for the highest-grossing film in Japanese box office history until 2020’s “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train” surpassed it.

#1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

– Where to stream: Hulu, HBO Max
– Director: Peter Jackson
– Flixed score: 100
– Metascore: 94
– IMDb user rating: 8.9
– Runtime: 201 minutes

The “Lord of the Rings” saga sees its epic conclusion in “The Return of the King” as Frodo and Sam’s journey to the fires of Mount Doom concludes. Outside Mordor, meanwhile, the stakes in the battle between good and evil could not be higher. The city of Minas Tirith prepares for battle against Sauron’s dark forces, and Frodo and Sam encounter unimaginable terrors in Mordor. The film took home an Oscar for Best Picture: the first and only film of the fantasy genre to win the coveted prize.

Famous TV locations in every state

Television shows have been set in all 50 U.S. states, but most viewers know that many of the series weren’t actually filmed in these locations. While it’s true that the vast majority of shows made in the United States go into production in Los Angeles and Georgia, that’s obviously not always the case. Even if you don’t hail from those places, there’s a good chance that you can visit a major TV filming location in your own home state.

Because many television shows are predominantly filmed on professional soundstages, these places serve as the exteriors of various characters’ homes, workplaces, and the like. For instance, the Albuquerque, New Mexico, house that stands in as Walter White’s house throughout “Breaking Bad,” or the fact that California’s Pasadena City Hall poses as the Pawnee City Hall in “Parks and Recreation.”

Believe it or not, TV fans travel far and wide to visit the locations of some of their favorite series. It’s an increasingly popular phenomenon known as “set jetting,” and Expedia reports that the industry is expected to reach $8 billion within the U.S. alone in 2026. Sure, in many cases, viewers are looking to go to overseas locales, but there are also less expensive options right here in the states, like the Westgate Las Vegas featured on “Pluribus” or the New Jersey building that stands in for the Lumon building on “Severance.”

Many of these filming spots may be even closer than you think. With so many series out there, though, it can be difficult to figure out which TV locations may lie within your own backyard. Through conducting independent, manual research using numerous news articles, state websites, and IMDb data, Stacker compiled a comprehensive list of significant TV filming locations in all 50 U.S. states. Locations that were set in a state, but filmed elsewhere, were not included—all of the locations are places that viewers can actually visit. Miniseries were also included.

Read on to get an idea of what TV shows were made in your state, from Alabama’s Blaque Cigar Lounge to Wyoming’s Lost Creek Ranch.

Alabama: Blaque Cigar Lounge

In the OWN reality series “Love and Marriage: Huntsville,” three affluent African American couples work to transform the growing town of Huntsville, Alabama. Stars Marsau and LaTisha Scott opened a cigar lounge there called Blaque Cigar Lounge, which you can visit.

Alaska: Dutch Harbor

Although a lot of the action in the Discovery show “Deadliest Catch” takes place on the open seas, the show is based in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The harbor is located on Amaknak island, and is the largest fishing port in the United States.

Arizona: Tanque Verde Guest Ranch

Nickelodeon’s hit Western comedy “Hey Dude” follows the misadventures of a group of teenage friends, who work at an Arizona dude ranch called the Bar None Ranch. While the exact place doesn’t exist in real life, filming took place at the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch in Tucson, Arizona.

Arkansas: Herman’s Rib House

In “True Detective” season three, the action moved to Arkansas as state police detective Wayne Hays, played by Mahershala Ali, investigates the disappearance of two local children in 1980. Much of the show was filmed around Fayetteville, Arkansas, including an old-fashioned restaurant called Herman’s Rib House, where fans can grab a bite to eat at the same table where Ali sat.

California: Pasadena City Hall

Much of “Parks and Recreation” took place within the fictional town of Pawnee, in an Indiana city hall building, but the exterior is actually located in Pasadena, California. Fans can pose on the steps of Pasadena City Hall, which stands in for the iconic Pawnee location.

Colorado: Mork and Mindy’s house

Robin Williams starred in this “Happy Days” spinoff as Mork, an alien who studied human behavior in Boulder, Colorado, with the help of his friend Mindy, played by Pam Dawber. The pair’s house from the show can be found at 1618 Pine St., a few blocks away from Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall.

Connecticut: The Turkey Hill farmstead

For years, Martha Stewart’s iconic first home was featured on her popular lifestyle show, “The Martha Stewart Show.” Although it switched ownership in 2007, the famous farmstead can still be found at 48 Turkey Hill Road South in Westport, Connecticut.

Delaware: Dewey Beach

DIY Network’s “Big Beach Builds” follows host Marnie Oursler as she restores dilapidated beach houses, which often sit in Delaware beach towns such as Dewey Beach, where the team worked on an abandoned home in season one, episode six. Delaware has historically struggled to attract TV shows and movie production companies to film in the state, but the nonprofit Film Delaware is working to change that.

Florida: Bayside Marketplace

Undercover Miami police detectives James “Sonny” Crockett, played by Don Johnson, and Ricardo “Rico” Tubbs, played by Phillip Michael Thomas, often frequented this open marketplace throughout the popular action-comedy series. Bayside is still open in Downtown Miami today, featuring an array of local vendors.

Georgia: Mystic Grill

When main characters of “The Vampire Diaries” weren’t dealing with messy vampire love triangles or saving their town from other supernatural forces, the Mystic Grill was a popular hangout spot over the seasons. If you’re ever in Covington, Georgia, and have a hankering for southern cuisine, you can visit the restaurant of the same name.

Hawaii: Police Beach

“Lost,” simultaneously hailed as one of the best TV shows ever made and reviled for its ending, takes place on the remote beach where the plane that the ensemble cast of survivors were on crashed. It’s actually called Police Beach, and lies on Oahu, Hawaii’s North Shore.

Idaho: Pocatello High School

An episode of the A&E show “Ghostbusters” filmed at this supposedly haunted Idaho high school. The building has a history of spooky occurrences, with the show capturing security footage of a shadowy figure moving into one of the school bathrooms.

Illinois: Old Joliet Prison

In the Fox drama “Prison Break,” the brother of an innocent man put on death row devises a plan to break him out from the inside. The series was primarily filmed at the Old Joliet Prison, which stopped operating in 2002 and now offers guided tours.

Indiana: St. Elmo Steakhouse

Most of the Indiana-based “Parks and Recreation” wasn’t actually filmed in the state, but it was home to some memorable moments. During Ben’s bachelor party in the season five episode “Two Parties,” the Pawnee guys ate their fill at Indianapolis’ St. Elmo Steakhouse. They also visited Lucas Oil Stadium there.

Iowa: Kinnick Stadium

For nine seasons, the ABC sitcom “Coach” followed Hayden Fox, played by Craig T. Nelson, the fictional head coach at Minnesota State University. The establishing shots of the college’s football stadium are actually the University of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, and creator Barry Kemp is an alum of the school.

Kansas: Jones Bar-B-Q

This standout location from “Queer Eye” season three is owned by sisters Deborah and Mary Jones, two of the only Kansas City pitmasters in a city famous for barbecue. With some help from the Fab Five in season three, episode three, Jones Bar-B-Q got a sleek update and began selling barbecue sauce online.

Kentucky

In “Hatfields and McCoys: Bad Blood,” Confederate sympathizers Jim Vance, played by Tim Abell, and Ellias Hatfield, played by Dylan Vox, seek revenge upon discovering that one of their neighbors is fighting for the Union Army. Much of the drama was filmed in Kentucky, particularly at the recreated 1800s mining town Copper Canyon Ranch.

Louisiana: Buckner Mansion

“American Horror Story” fans will recognize Buckner Mansion as Miss Robicheaux’s Witch Academy, which was featured on “American Horror Story: Coven” and “American Horror Story: Apocalypse.” The antebellum mansion sits in New Orleans’ Garden District, and is believed to be haunted.

Maine: Kennebec Cabin Company

In the HGTV series “Maine Cabin Masters,” pro builder Chase Morrill and his team work on renovating abandoned cabins located in the state’s woods. If you ever find yourself needing some cabin TLC, you can find the Cabin Masters’ official headquarters at the Kennebec Cabin Company in Manchester, Maine.

Maryland: The Underwood home

Baltimore often stood in as Washington D.C. when Netflix’s “House of Cards” was filmed. Frank and Claire Underwood’s house is no exception, and the exterior of their home can be found at 1609 Park Ave. in the Maryland city.

Massachusetts: Cheers Beacon Hill

For 11 seasons, Sam Malone, played by Ted Danson; Diane Chambers, played by Shelley Long; and a whole host of quirky characters made the Boston bar Cheers their home-away-from-home. The real bar that inspired the series was originally called the Bull & Finch, but was eventually renamed Cheers Beacon Hill. It’s still open today, serving burgers and beer to fans.

Michigan: Pol Veterinary Services

The long-running National Geographic show “The Incredible Dr. Pol” follows the life and work of veterinarian Jan Pol, who owns his own business in Michigan. The series has had 17 seasons, and the clinic is open for business in the small town of Weidman.

Minnesota: The Mary Tyler Moore house

While much of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was filmed on a soundstage, the house that stood in as the exterior of Mary’s top floor apartment in the first five seasons still exists in Minnesota. It can be found at 2104 Kenwood Parkway in Minneapolis.

Mississippi: Rust College

In the short-lived Cinemax series “Quarry,” retired Marine Mac “Quarry” Conway, played by Logan Marshall-Green, is drawn into a criminal underworld while struggling to readjust to civilian life after serving in the Vietnam War. The show is filmed in numerous locations around Mississippi, such as Rust College in Holly Springs.

Missouri: The Kansas City Queer Eye loft

In between transforming the lives of each episode’s “heroes” in seasons three and four, “Queer Eye’s” Fab Five hung out at their own Kansas City loft, located in the Midwestern city’s historic Firestone Building. It has some personal touches, since the show’s resident design expert, Bobby Berk, designed the space himself.

Montana: Chief Joseph Ranch

Featuring Hollywood A-listers like Kevin Costner and Wes Bentley, the Paramount series “Yellowstone” follows the conflicts that unfold between rival neighbors on a Montana cattle ranch. Much of the show is filmed at a real ranch—more specifically, Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby, Montana.

Nebraska: The Scottish Rite Masonic Center

For 12 years, the character of Dr. San Guinary, played by John Jones, hosted a late-night horror film series called “Creature Feature,” which aired across Omaha from 1971 to 1982. The show was rebooted with new skits in 2012, and is now filmed at the city’s Scottish Rite Masonic Center.

Nevada: The Strip

Las Vegas’ strip has been used in establishing shots for a number of shows, such as the Vegas-set episodes of “Friends.” At the end of season five, the gang travel to the city to visit Joey after he books a big role there, which results in Ross and Rachel having a drunken Las Vegas wedding.

New Hampshire: Frankenstein Trestle

NBC’s “Running Wild With Bear Grylls,” a survival skills reality show, in 2018 filmed an episode in New Hampshire’s gorgeous White Mountains. The episode prominently features the Frankenstein Trestle, spanning cliffs by the same name.

New Jersey: Holsten’s Brookdale Confectionary

Yep, the famous final scene of “The Sopranos” takes place in a real ice cream parlor, which has been open in Bloomfield, New Jersey since 1939. After the show’s star James Gandolfini died in 2013, the shop placed a “Reserved” sign on the table in which he filmed his last scene as Tony Soprano as a sign of respect.

New Mexico: The White house

AMC’s award-winning drama “Breaking Bad” centers on Walter White, a New Mexico chemistry teacher who begins making meth to support his family. The exterior of the White family’s home can be found at 3828 Piermont Drive, but be warned—the house’s actual resident has built a fence around the yard to keep fans at bay.

New York: The Friends apartment building

The globally popular comedy “Friends” has lots of iconic locations, and one of them is undoubtedly Monica and Rachel’s unrealistically big New York City apartment. The exterior of their building is located at the intersection of Grove and Bedford streets in Manhattan. It houses a Central Park-inspired café called Little Owl, which fans can visit.

North Carolina: The One Tree Hill Cracker Jack table

What “One Tree Hill” fan could forget the iconic moment when Nathan gave Haley a Cracker Jack bracelet during their first tutoring session? Viewers can actually find the bench where the two studied on the Wilmington Riverwalk in North Carolina, and fans of the show have decorated the exact table with famous quotes from it.

North Dakota: Bakken

A modern-day “gold rush” is drawing people to this region of North Dakota, where a recent oil boom has created thousands of new jobs. However, this also means that living costs and the number of people living in Bakken has drastically surged and created unique conflicts, which are captured in the Smithsonian Channel reality show “Boomtowners.”

Ohio: The Flimm Building

On the CBS comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati,” a young director tries to save a radio station by recruiting young disc jockeys and playing more hard rock, to the chagrin of several long-time employees. The exterior of the station is Cincinnati’s Flimm Building, which is now a Homewood Suites/Hampton Inn.

Oklahoma: The Oklahoma National Memorial

Although the Oklahoma City-set TNT series “Saving Grace,” which followed a rough-and-tumble detective, was primarily filmed in Los Angeles, exterior shots of the Oklahoma National Memorial were filmed for its pilot episode. Creator and Oklahoma City native Nancy Miller has said that she previously dreamed of setting a show in her hometown.

Oregon: In Other Words

Many of the iconic sketches from “Portlandia” take place at the fictional Women and Women First bookstore, but those scenes were actually filmed at the Portland feminist community center and bookstore In Other Words. The store closed in 2018, but fans can still visit its exterior.

Pennsylvania: Cooper’s Seafood House

Throughout the smash-hit NBC comedy “The Office,” characters mention Cooper’s Seafood House in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Later on, Michael, played by Steve Carell, and Holly, played by Amy Ryan, even go on a dinner date there. The restaurant actually exists in the town, and has been open for decades.

Rhode Island: Block Island

In one episode of Showtime’s “The Affair,” protagonists Alison, played by Ruth Wilson, and Noah, played by Dominic West, went on a secret getaway to Block Island, Rhode Island’s popular tourist destination. Many of the scenes are filmed at actual spots around the island, such as the Southeast Lighthouse and Mohegan Bluffs.

South Carolina: North Charleston Coliseum

The recent HBO comedy “The Righteous Gemstones” focuses on a rich televangelist family that swindles and recruits members around town. Charleston’s North Charleston Coliseum stands in for the family’s megachurch, Gemstone Salvation Center.

South Dakota: The Black Hills

South Dakota’s rugged Black Hills have been especially popular settings for entries into the Western genre. One great example of this was the classic cowboy series “Gunsmoke,” which filmed the 1970 episode “Snow Train: Part 2” in the area. During this episode, a dispute over bad whiskey sales broke out on a train.

Tennessee: Bluebird Cafe

Many scenes of the country music drama “Nashville” were filmed at iconic locations around the Tennessee city, including well-known Nashville music spot The Bluebird Cafe, where aspiring musicians often perform. This is where Gunnar, played by Sam Palladio, first encourages Scarlett, played by Clare Bowen, to pursue her music dreams, and is the site of many “Nashville” performances.

Texas: Pflugerville High School stadium

Much of the action of “Friday Night Lights” takes place on a Texas high school football field. Pflugerville High School’s own football stadium, which is north of Austin, stood in for the show’s Dillon Panthers’ own field in the pilot episode.

Utah: East High School

After rising to fame as the main filming location of the iconic 2006 Disney Channel movie “High School Musical,” Salt Lake City’s East High School came into the spotlight again upon the release of the Disney+ spinoff show, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” which was also filmed there. The series, which debuted in 2019, follows a group of East High students who prepare to perform the musical version of the movies that made their school famous.

Vermont: The Waybury Inn

In the long-running sitcom “Newhart,” a New York writer and his wife decide to leave New York City and open a picturesque Vermont inn. The actual exterior of the inn is Waybury Inn in East Middlebury, Vermont, which is still open to this day.

Virginia: Veritas School

The Showtime drama “Homeland” filmed in a number of cities during its nine-year run, and in season seven, the city of Richmond, Virginia, stood in for Washington D.C. For instance, in the season seven premiere, the local Veritas School poses as the Washington Navy Yard.

Washington: Salish Lodge & Spa

Snoqualmie, Washington, is the home of many iconic locations from David Lynch’s acclaimed TV show “Twin Peaks.” One of its most well-known locations is the fictional Great Northern Hotel, where FBI agent Dale Cooper, played by Kyle MacLachlan, stayed while investigating the murder of Laura Palmer. In reality, the building is a fully functioning establishment called Salish Lodge & Spa.

West Virginia: Charleston

West Virginia has played host to a number of reality shows in the last decade, including “Buckwild” and “Coal.” The state’s capital city, Charleston, is home to a handful of TV filming location credits in its own right.

Wisconsin: ABC 27 News WKOW-TV

The Hulu dramedy “Battleground” centered on staffers working on a U.S. Senate race, and was almost entirely filmed in Madison, Wisconsin. The show reached out to Madison’s ABC affiliate station, WKOW-TV, for help in ensuring accuracy, and multiple scenes were actually filmed within the studios and building.

Wyoming: Lost Creek Ranch

In the season three premiere of the hit ABC sitcom “Modern Family,” the Dunphy clan takes an eventful vacation to a dude ranch. The actual location of that ranch is Wyoming’s Lost Creek Ranch, which offers horseback riding, spa services, and more.