For more on the impetus of this list, see my previous articles, “We Need a Great Films List,” and “A Great Films List.”

As I developed the Great Films List, it became apparent to me that many of the films I think everyone should watch (like my oft-mentioned Ox-Bow Incident) would not end up being promoted through it. Inspired by John Senior’s list of the Thousand Good Books, I decided early on in the Great Films process to simultaneously create this Good Films List.

Like Senior claims, in order to enjoy what is great, we often must first enjoy what is good. Thus, though I and critics find these films worthy in their own right, this list ultimately aims to be a stepping stone for those not yet ready to engage with difficult and lasting films like Tokyo Story or 2001: A Space Odyssey. There are a good deal of meritorious films, therefore, that are not included here. For example, Pixar (historically) makes good movies, but most Pixar movies do little to develop the love of the old, the patience, and the appreciation for beautiful images required to really enjoy a great film. For this reason, only a small selection of Pixar films are included here.

As with the Great Films List, there is undesirable content in many of the included films. The vast majority of this content is very tame, but there will be some films some viewers will wish to avoid. Though I consider these films worthwhile, it is everyone’s prerogative and responsibility to determine whether a film is worth it for self or family before watching any of these titles. On a personal note, I try to screen any movie I’m uncertain about before allowing my children to see it, and I make it a point to be present the first time my children see a film; sitting by them and helping them see what they ought to see and consider what they ought to consider has consistently proved both essential and delightful.

It is important to say that this list is not nearly and could probably never be complete; there are more candidates in existence than one could healthily watch in a lifetime. One’s goal should not be to “see them all”, but to engage well with the ones he sees.

May this list nourish and bless those seeking to watch films worthy of their time and affections.

A Good Films List

A Trip to the Moon (1902); 6+

Suspense (1913); 10+

The Immigrant (1917); 7+

Shoulder Arms (1918); 8+

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920); 14+

The Kid (1921); 8+

Nosferatu (1922); 13+

Safety Last! (1923); 7+

Our Hospitality (1923); 6+

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925); 14+

The Circus (1928); 7+

Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928); 6+

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930); 14+

Frankenstein (1931); 10+

Vampyr (1932); 13+

The Invisible Man (1933); 11+

Bride of Frankenstein (1935); 9+

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936); 9+

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937); 7+

Bringing Up Baby (1938); 8+

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938); 8+

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939); 10+

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); 10+

The Shop Around the Corner (1940); 10+

Pinocchio (1940); 6+

The Great Dictator (1940); 10+

Fantasia (1940); 6+

Sergeant York (1941); 10+

The Maltese Falcon (1941); 12+

The Ox-Bow Incident (1942); 12+

Bambi (1942); 6+

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943); 12+

Day of Wrath (1943); 14+

Meshes of the Afternoon (1943); 10+

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944); 11+

Rome, Open City (1945); 14+

The Red Shoes (1948); 10+

White Heat (1949); 14+

Ace in the Hole (1951); 14+

The African Queen (1951); 11+

High Noon (1952); 11+

Godzilla (1954); 12+

Night and Fog (1956); 16+

12 Angry Men (1956); 12+

The Ten Commandments (1956); 9+

The Red Balloon (1957); 7+

Sweet Smell of Success (1957); 15+

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); 13+

Paths of Glory (1957); 13+

Old Yeller (1957); 7+

The Hidden Fortress (1958); 13+

The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959); 15+

Ben-Hur (1959); 13+

The Twilight Zone (1959-1964); 10+

Yojimbo (1961); 14+

The Hustler (1961); 16+

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); 12+

La Jetée (1962); 12+

Harakiri (1962); 16+

The Great Escape (1963); 12+

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965); 4+

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966); 15+

Cool Hand Luke (1967); 17+

Army of Shadows (1969); 15+

Solaris (1972); 17+

Mirror (1975); 15+

Jaws (1975); 12+

Eraserhead (1977); 16+

The Deer Hunter (1978); 17+

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980); 8+

The Elephant Man (1980); 16+

Chariots of Fire (1981); 11+

Come and See (1985); 17+

Babette’s Feast (1987); 13+

My Neighbor Totoro (1988); 5+

Grave of the Fireflies (1988); 15+

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993); 8+

The Lion King (1994); 6+

Babe (1995); 6+

Saving Private Ryan (1998); 16+

Band of Brothers (2001); 16+

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001); 12+

The Pianist (2002); 16+

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); 12+

Finding Nemo (2003); 5+

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); 12+

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006); 18+

Children of Men (2006); 16+

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006); 16+

WALL-E (2008); 5+

Up (2009); 7+

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009); 15+

The King’s Speech (2010); 16+

A Separation (2011); 16+

The Artist (2011); 13+

The Tree of Life (2011); 14+

Moneyball (2011); 14+

The Wind Rises (2013); 12+

Gravity (2013); 14+

12 Years a Slave (2013); 16+

Spotlight (2015); 17+

Dunkirk (2017); 14+

Chernobyl (2019); 16+

The Father (2020); 14+