Steven Spielberg is probably the world’s best-known director. His career spans over 50 years, and he’s still going strong. His films have gathered an incredible 133 nominations from the Academy Awards, winning 34 times. He’s reportedly worth over a billion dollars and will be part of pop culture history forever.
We love Spielberg and wanted to do his fantastic career justice, so we took ratings from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Letterboxd to garner an average score… and here are the results. Enjoy.
34 – 1941 (1979)
5.29 /10
Hysteria grips California in the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. An assorted group of defenders attempt to make the coast defensible against an imagined Japanese invasion, in this big budget, big cast comedy. Members of a Japanese submarine crew scout out the madness, along with a Captain in Germany’s Kreigsmarine (Navy).
33 – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, , Karen Allen, Ray Winstone
5.50 /10
Set during the Cold War, the Soviets—led by sword-wielding Irina Spalko—are in search of a crystal skull which has supernatural powers related to a mystical Lost City of Gold. Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young man whose friend—and Indy’s colleague—Professor Oxley has been captured for his knowledge of the skull’s whereabouts.
32 – War of the Worlds (2005)
Stars: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto,
5.68 /10
Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.
31 – The BFG (2016)
Stars: Ruby Barnhill, Mark Rylance. Rebecca Hall, Jemaine Clement
5.83 /10
The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, or any of the other giants—rather than the BFG—she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that the giants are flush-bunking off to England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!
30 – The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
5.91 /10
Four years after Jurassic Park’s genetically bred dinosaurs ran amok, multimillionaire John Hammond shocks chaos theorist Ian Malcolm by revealing that he has been breeding more beasties at a secret location. Malcolm, his paleontologist ladylove and a wildlife videographer join an expedition to document the lethal lizards’ natural behavior in this action-packed thriller.
29 – Always (1989)
6.03 /10
Pete Sandich is a reckless fire-fighting pilot who is killed in what was to have been his final mission. Ascending to Heaven, Pete is introduced to business-like angel who instructs the spectral Pete to pass on his aviation knowledge to his young successor. While doing so, Pete also smoothes the course of romance for his earthly girlfriend who, after several months of grieving, finally falls in love with another man.
28 – Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
6.05 /10
1959. Friday nights. We time-travelled. Witnessed surprising twists. Entertained aliens. Experienced fear. And first journeyed to the “Twilight Zone” of Rod Serling’s memorable TV series. And guided by four imaginative moviemakers, we travelled there again in 1983. Directors John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller fashion stories based on or inspired by classic episodes. Landis weaves the tale of a bigot who gets a walloping dose of his own hatred. Spielberg takes over with a fable of senior citizens offered a magical rejuvenation. Dante serves up a terror trip with a child who uses his cartoon-inspired powers to enslave his family. Then fright goes aloft with Miller’s finale about a neurotic passenger who sees a monster on the jetliner’s wing. Or does he?
27 – The Sugarland Express (1974)
Stars: Goldie Hawn, Ben Johnson, Michael Sacks, William Atherton
6.72 /10
Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean and Clovis Poplin lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it takes to get him back. Lou-Jean gets Clovis out of jail, and the two steal their son from his foster home, in addition to taking a highway patrolman hostage. As a massive dragnet starts to pursue them across Texas, the couple become unlikely folk heroes and even start to bond with the captive policeman.
26 – A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
Stars: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O’Connor, Sam Robards
6.89 /10
David, a robotic boy—the first of his kind programmed to love—is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually becomes their child, a series of unexpected circumstances make this life impossible for David. Without final acceptance by humans or machines, David embarks on a journey to discover where he truly belongs, uncovering a world in which the line between robot and machine is both vast and profoundly thin.
25 – Hook (1991)
7.01 /10
The boy who wasn’t supposed grow up—Peter Pan—does just that, becoming a soulless corporate lawyer whose workaholism could cost him his wife and kids. During his trip to see Granny Wendy in London, the vengeful Capt. Hook kidnaps Peter’s kids and forces Peter to return to Neverland.
24 – War Horse (2011)
7.01 /10
Follows a young man named Albert and his horse, Joey, and how their bond is broken when Joey is sold to the cavalry and sent to the trenches of World War One. Despite being too young to enlist, Albert heads to France to save his friend.
Stars: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk
7.10 /10
A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country’s first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government. Inspired by true events.
22 – Ready Player One (2018)
Stars: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe,
7.17 /10
In 2045 the planet is on the brink of chaos and collapse, but people find salvation in the OASIS: an expansive virtual reality universe created by eccentric James Halliday. When Halliday dies, he promises his immense fortune to the first person to discover a digital Easter egg that’s hidden somewhere in the OASIS. When young Wade Watts joins the contest, he finds himself becoming an unlikely hero in a reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical world of mystery, discovery and danger.
21 – The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Stars: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg
7.22 /10
From Academy Award® winning filmmakers, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, comes the epic adventures of Tintin. Racing to uncover the secrets of a sunken ship that may hold a vast fortune, but also an ancient curse, Tintin and his loyal dog Snowy embark on an action-packed journey around the world that critics are calling.
20 – The Terminal (2004)
7.28 /10
Viktor Navorski is a man without a country; his plane took off just as a coup d’etat exploded in his homeland, leaving it in shambles, and now he’s stranded at Kennedy Airport, where he’s holding a passport that nobody recognizes. While quarantined in the transit lounge until authorities can figure out what to do with him, Viktor simply goes on living – and courts romance with a beautiful flight attendant.
19 – Amistad (1997)
7.29 /10
In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams also becomes an ally.
18 – Lincoln (2012)
7.47 /10
The revealing story of the 16th US President’s tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.
17 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
7.59 /10
After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott. Bringing the extraterrestrial into his suburban California house, Elliott introduces E.T., as the alien is dubbed, to his brother and his little sister, Gertie, and the children decide to keep its existence a secret. Soon, however, E.T. falls ill, resulting in government intervention and a dire situation for both Elliott and the alien.
16 – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri
7.60 /10
After arriving in India, Indiana Jones is asked by a desperate village to find a mystical stone. He agrees – and stumbles upon a secret cult plotting a terrible plan in the catacombs of an ancient palace.
15 – Minority Report (2002)
Stars: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow.
7.69 /10
John Anderton is a top ‘Precrime’ cop in the late-21st century, when technology can predict crimes before they’re committed. But Anderton becomes the quarry when another investigator targets him for a murder charge.
14 – Munich (2005)
Stars: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz
7.73 /10
During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.
13 – Bridge of Spies (2015)
Stars: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Alan Alda
7.78 /10
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers’ only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan, recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man’s freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel, the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.
12 – Duel (1971)
7.83 /10
Traveling businessman David Mann angers the driver of a rusty tanker while crossing the California desert. A simple trip turns deadly, as Mann struggles to stay on the road while the tanker plays cat and mouse with his life.
Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon,
7.90 /10
Roy Neary, an Indiana electric lineman, finds his quiet and ordinary daily life turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO, spurring him to an obsessed cross-country quest for answers as a momentous event approaches.
7.99 /10
Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks — two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.
9 – Empire of the Sun (1987)
8.05 /10
Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirits, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.
8 – The Color Purple (1985)
8.25 /10
An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie’s abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing ‘Mister’ Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa.
7 – Catch Me If You Can (2002)
8.33 /10
A true story about Frank Abagnale Jr. who, before his 19th birthday, successfully conned millions of dollars worth of checks as a Pan Am pilot, doctor, and legal prosecutor. An FBI agent makes it his mission to put him behind bars. But Frank not only eludes capture, he revels in the pursuit.
8.36 /10
5 – Jurassic Park (1993)
Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck
8.51 /10
4 – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
8.55 /10
When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. suddenly goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, eminent archaeologist Indiana must team up with Marcus Brody, Sallah and Elsa Schneider to follow in his father’s footsteps and stop the Nazis from recovering the power of eternal life.
3 – Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies
8.78 /10
When Dr. Indiana Jones – the tweed-suited professor who just happens to be a celebrated archaeologist – is hired by the government to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant, he finds himself up against the entire Nazi regime.
2 – Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Stars: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Matt Damon, Adam Goldberg
8.81 /10
As U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held territory and bringing the boy home.
1 – Schindler’s List (1993)
Stars: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
9.18 /10
Businessman Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) arrives in Krakow in 1939, ready to make his fortune from World War II, which has just started. After joining the Nazi party primarily for political expediency, he staffs his factory with Jewish workers for similarly pragmatic reasons. When the SS begins exterminating Jews in the Krakow ghetto, Schindler arranges to have his workers protected to keep his factory in operation, but soon realizes that in so doing, he is also saving innocent lives.
