Top 20 Greatest Steven Spielberg Movies
#20: “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” (2001)
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This science fiction film began with Stanley Kubrick, who wished to adapt Brian Aldiss’s short story “Supertoys Last All Summer Long.” However, he didn’t think that child actors could convincingly portray the character of David, because of the challenge of being so young. Following Kubrick’s death in 1999, “A.I.” was given to Spielberg and child superstar Haley Joel Osment was cast in the role of David. Osment proved Kubrick wrong with his great performance, and the film proved a remarkable visual and auditory experience. Its climate change story is also even more relevant today than it was in 2001, which has helped “A.I.” age wonderfully.
#19: “War of the Worlds” (2005)
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In 2005, it was Spielberg’s turn to adapt H.G. Wells’s iconic novel. It was by far the most ambitious adaptation yet, complete with the star power of Tom Cruise and a $130 million budget. The results were… generally great. Some people remember this film for its clunky ending, but about 100 of its 116 minutes make for spectacular entertainment. Cruise is his typically excellent self as flawed father Ray Ferrier, and Dakota Fanning proved her talents as a child actor. The movie’s special effects and sound design are also wondrous, offering up one of the scariest alien invasions in modern movie history.
#18: “Duel” (1971)
And we go from an extravagant $130 million sci-fi extravaganza to a road film costing half a million. At the time, Spielberg was a little-known TV director. His assistant let him know that Richard Matheson’s short story was being made into a TV movie and told him to apply. He got the job, and the rest is movie history. “Duel” is now considered one of the finest and most influential TV movies ever made, and Spielberg proved himself an immensely talented director. It’s a thrilling and frightening movie, and it heralded great things for the up-and-coming filmmaker.
#17: “Amistad” (1997)
This period drama was something a little different for Spielberg, dramatizing the events of what occurred on the Spanish slave ship La Amistad. In July of 1839, slaves from Sierra Leone took control of La Amistad and killed both the cook and the captain. The slaves were eventually tried in the US, but the case was decided by the Supreme Court in their favor, and they were set free. “Amistad” is ultimately a heartening and uplifting true story about a desperate search for freedom, and it’s produced with the typical Spielberg flair. It earned strong reviews and received Oscar nominations for its acting, cinematography, costume design, and score.
#16: “Bridge of Spies” (2015)
There’s just no going wrong with Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Once again Spielberg adapts a true story, with this one taking place during the Cold War. “Bridge of Spies” is about James B. Donovan, an American lawyer who was tasked with freeing an Air Force pilot from Soviet imprisonment. Hanks plays Donovan with gusto, but he is surprisingly upstaged by Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel, a Soviet spy who is exchanged for the pilot. Rylance won the Academy Award for his performance, but nearly everything about this movie works. It’s an old school espionage thriller made with intelligence, heart, and high production values. In short, it’s a spy movie with Spielbergian flair.
#15: “Ready Player One” (2018)
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Based on Ernest Cline’s novel, “Ready Player One” is a loving nod to geek culture. So Spielberg was the perfect director for it! Taking place inside a virtual reality world, “Ready Player One” is a visual and auditory treat that takes full advantage of late 2010s technology. It’s another stellar and blustering blockbuster under Spielberg’s belt, proving once again why he is a masterful filmmaker without equal. But the movie isn’t all visual effects and pop culture references, as it also strikes that sweetly nostalgic note that Spielberg has been hitting for decades. It’s one of his most outsized efforts of the 2010s, and a sci-fi adventure well worth experiencing.
#14: “The Post” (2017)
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Spielberg once again returned to the well of history for “The Post.” Starring the undeniable dream team of Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, “The Post” chronicles The Washington Post’s attempts at publishing the set of classified documents known as the Pentagon Papers. These papers shattered trust in the Johnson Administration and proved extensive American involvement in Vietnam that wasn’t reported to the public. The all-star cast is reliably magnificent, and the period detail is exceptional. The movie also earned acclaim for its renewed topicality. “The Post” is Spielberg at his most political and mature.
#13: “Empire of the Sun” (1987)
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At first, this coming-of-age war drama was not considered a big success. It was released in the mid ‘80s - AKA the height of Spielberg’s career - and grossed a disappointing $20 million in its original box office run. But time has been kind to “Empire of the Sun.” Christian Bale turned into one of the biggest movie stars of his time, and his performance as the imprisoned Jim Graham is one of the greatest child performances of the ‘80s (and that’s saying something!). The epic war story has also been reviewed well, and some argue that Jim’s loss of innocence was an attempt by Spielberg to mature as a storyteller. The world simply wasn’t ready for “Empire of the Sun,” but we are now.
#12: “The Color Purple” (1985)
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This is perhaps the most un-Spielberg-like film of the director’s long and legendary career. With “The Color Purple,” Spielbeg was trying something new, something far more grounded. He was of course known for his legendary blockbusters, and “The Color Purple” was very different. For it, Spielberg and his team of filmmakers travelled to North Carolina and fashioned a powerful period piece about the lives of African American women in early 20th century Georgia. Spielberg’s down-to-Earth film was praised for its affecting story, which was adapted from the Pulitzer-winning novel by Alice Walker. It certainly didn’t belong to the existing Spielberg brand, but was a huge critical success, with eleven Oscar nominations.
#11: “Lincoln” (2012)
Only Spielberg can turn a two-and-a-half-hour movie about Abraham Lincoln into a popular blockbuster grossing nearly $300 million. Loosely based on the Lincoln biography “Team of Rivals,” “Lincoln” stars Daniel Day-Lewis as the famous President and concerns his valiant efforts to pass the Thirteenth Amendment. It’s an ambitious film, both in terms of style and subject matter. But Spielberg makes it look easy. Day-Lewis is typically perfect as Lincoln, and the movie’s stellar production design transported viewers to mid 19th century America. “Lincoln” earned twelve Oscar nominations and won for both production design and lead actor. It’s a gorgeous movie with heavy subject matter, and also happens to be wickedly entertaining.
#10: “Catch Me If You Can” (2002)
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Another fantastic period piece, “Catch Me If You Can” concerns the early life and crimes of con artist Frank Abagnale. Those looking for historical accuracy will not find it here, because apparently most everything in Abagnale’s autobiography is... shall we say, exaggerated. In the end, the ultimate confidence man kinda conned us all - even Steven Spielberg. But the movie is a relentless and fast-paced adventure that proves enormously enjoyable and entertaining, both through its style and substance. Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio make for a tremendous pairing, and the film’s ‘60s design is nothing short of gorgeous.
#9: “Munich” (2005)
This action thriller is one of Spielberg’s lowest-grossing movies, but that doesn’t detract from its quality. Spanning an epic 163 minutes, “Munich” tells the historical story of Operation Wrath of God. This was a covert mission undertaken by the Israeli national intelligence agency to assassinate those responsible for the “Munich massacre” at the 1972 Olympics. The movie contains a lot of great and tightly-directed action, but it also asks many difficult questions of its viewers while presenting its morally complex story. Eric Bana is great in the lead role of Avner Kaufman, and the film is masterfully put together by Spielberg and his team, resulting in five Oscar nominations. “Munich” may not be one of Spielberg’s most popular movies, but it is one of his best.
#8: “Minority Report” (2002)
One of the finest sci-fi movies of the 2000s, “Minority Report” is Spielberg at his smartest and most ambitious. The story takes place in the near future of 2054 in which a special police department stops crimes before they are even committed. They do this with the help of three psychics, but things turn sour when they predict that the police chief will commit a killing. The futuristic setting presented in “Minority Report” is both visually expressive and surprisingly prescient, as it shares many commonalities with our current stage of modernity. The movie also comments on many complex themes while telling its exciting and mysterious story about the age-old debate between fate and free will. In short, it’s a masterpiece of science fiction.
#7: “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977)
Steven Spielberg loves making alien movies, and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” is easily one of his best. The film flips the alien invasion trope on its head, offering friendly aliens and a welcoming human body. Rather than going down the easy invasion route, the movie focuses more on themes of communication and interaction. The story is also grounded in the fascinating character arc of Richard Dreyfuss’s Roy Neary, a family man who becomes unhealthily obsessed with the aliens. But that’s not to say the movie isn’t also blockbuster entertainment. It is, and it has all the trappings of a fun, family-friendly Spielberg movie. No one does adventure quite like him.
#6: “Jaws” (1975)
This horror film is not only one of Spielberg’s best, it’s also one of the most legendary movies in history. “Jaws” was heavily marketed at the time, and to great effect. It became the highest-grossing movie in history, and remained as such for two years until it was dethroned. It introduced the very concept of the summer blockbuster, and every modern summer release - from “The Avengers” on down - owes its time slot, and arguably its very existence, to “Jaws.” But this isn’t one of those movies whose history has overtaken its quality. “Jaws” is still remarkably effective, from its breathtaking filmmaking to its grisly violence. It’s the granddaddy of many modern horror movies, and it still trumps most of them.
#5: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)
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When people think of Steven Spielberg, they probably think of “E.T.” It’s the quintessential “Spielbergian” movie, and it contains all of his beloved and oft-copied tropes. Its tone and atmosphere has been relentlessly borrowed throughout the years, yet it remains the perfect family movie. The story is both beautiful and touching, and its sense of childhood adventure is irresistibly nostalgic. It is also an impeccably made film, from Spielberg’s flawless direction to its Oscar-winning music, sound design, and visual effects. “E.T.” makes people believe in the magic of movies and the wonders of good filmmaking. Such is the genius of Spielberg.
#4: “Saving Private Ryan” (1998)
This one just proves that Spielberg can do it all, from heartwarming family adventure to a harrowing and horrifically violent World War II epic. Once again, Spielberg crafts a quintessential film, and “Saving Private Ryan” is often regarded as one of the greatest war movies ever made. Spielberg crafted a masterpiece, a movie both touching and terrifying. Of particular note is the movie’s transcendent filmmaking, with handheld cameras offering an uncomfortable firsthand glimpse into the horrors of war. It’s one of the most brutal depictions of battle in movie history, but the violence never overwhelms the story or its characters. It’s the perfect blend of deft storytelling and flawless filmmaking. It’s a masterpiece.
#3: “Jurassic Park” (1993)
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If you were lucky enough to see “Jurassic Park” in 1993, it was comparable to watching “King Kong” in 1933, or “Star Wars” in 1977. While watching it, everyone knew that they were witnessing something special, and that it was a watershed moment in the history of cinema. “Jurassic Park” delivers exactly what it promised: spectacular dinosaur action, and a wonderful amount of it!. The animatronic work still looks amazing to this day, and the movie’s use of CGI was completely groundbreaking. “Jurassic Park” was completely without equal, and it was rightfully regarded as an instant classic. It’s the ultimate dinosaur film of the modern era, and maybe even of all time.
#2: The “Indiana Jones” Franchise (1981-)
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Although he will no longer be behind the lens for any further sequels, Spielberg has helmed what could be the most consistent franchise in movie history. Even its relatively lesser entries - say, “Temple of Doom” and “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” - still make for spectacular entertainment and are great adventure films in their own rights. In fact, the series has earned seven Academy Awards throughout its run, including a Special Achievement Award for Sound Effects Editing. The series is a modern interpretation of the classic serial adventures of the ‘30s and ‘40s, offering up blockbuster entertainment with high production values, a thrilling sense of adventure, and one of the most charismatic leads in movie history. There’s simply no going wrong with any of these films.
#1: “Schindler’s List” (1993)
Easily one of the most difficult-to-watch movies ever produced, “Schindler’s List” delves into a fittingly nightmarish story from the Holocaust. With powerful performaces from Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler and Ralph Fiennes as Nazi war criminal Amon Göth, this astonishly impactful film, based on Schindler’s real-life efforts, became a hugely important cultural phenomenon for discussing the horrors of World War II, the nature of evil, and the human responsibility to save lives under the most extreme conditions. With astonishing skill and sensitivity, Spielberg showcases his masterful filmmaking and presents one of cinema’s most haunting and realistic depictions of the Holocaust. “Schindler’s List” is the opposite of easy viewing, but it is essential viewing.