IMDb's Top 15 Movies Ranked According to Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

When audiences want to gauge critics' opinions on a film, Rotten Tomatoes is the go-to. When wanting to discover what audiences think, it's hard to go wrong with IMDb's average user score.

Although they don't always do, these two scores sometimes overlap. As is to be expected, all the movies on IMDb's highest-rated movies list, from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly to The Shawshank Redemption, have outstanding Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer scores, solidifying them as some of the greatest films ever made.

15 'Forrest Gump' (1994)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%

Winner of 6 Academy Awards, the beloved but divisive Robert Zemeckis classic Forrest Gump is the moving yet amusing story of the title character, a man with a low I.Q. but good intentions and a shockingly eventful life.

The film is sometimes too sentimental and contrived for its own good, and some find its pro-status quo message somewhat problematic; but despite this, Forrest Gump has found its place among the highest-rated movies of all time thanks to a sweet story, a charming tone, and a career-defining performance by Tom Hanks.

Watch on Prime Video

14 'Fight Club' (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 79%

Despite his versatility and the diversity of his filmography, David Fincher is definitely best known for his riveting thrillers. Fight Club, one of his earliest works, is still remembered as one of the best. Based on a slightly-less-famous book, it's about an insomniac and a soap salesman whose primal aggression turns into a strange new form of therapy.

With this cult classic, Fincher offers a captivating narrative, elaborate visuals, and one of the best performances of Edward Norton and Brad Pitt's respective careers. Though some critics were displeased by its unsettling brutality and grim subject matter, the film's fame has endured.

Watch on Paramount+

13 'Inception' (2010)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

Christopher Nolan needs no introduction, considering that he's typically regarded as one of the greatest blockbuster directors working today. According to many (including audiences on IMDb), the filmmaker's best work is the sci-fi heist thriller Inception, where a team of thieves sets off to use a complex gadget to implant an idea into someone's subconscious.

Tense, exciting, and delightfully mind-bending in all the best ways, Nolan's magnum opus is unarguably one of the most impressive and innovative blockbusters released in the 21st century.

Watch on Netflix

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

See Also

30 Highest Rated Movies of all Time: Movies With 100% on Rotten TomatoesThe Top 20 Highest-Rated Movies on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes’ Top 100 Movies of All TimeThe Greatest Classic Movies of All Time, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy is rightfully hailed as one of the greatest fantasy movie franchises ever. The Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment, where a team sets out to destroy a powerful ring to defeat an evil tyrant, earns its place inside IMDb's top 10 movies of all time with its epic scope and engaging writing.

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics praise the film's impressive visual effects, perfect cast, and incredible dramatic tension. It was the perfect start to an amazing trilogy, beautifully introducing the engrossing cinematic version of Tolkien's Middle-earth.

11 'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

This fantastic Stephen King adaptation is the worthy bearer of the title of the highest-rated movie of all time on IMDb, and though it may not hold the same acclaim when it comes to Rotten Tomatoes (or the box office, for that matter), it's pretty damn close.

The Shawshank Redemption explores themes like hope and male friendship in a beautiful way, and critics were sure to note that. On both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, it's a film that's loved for its uplifting nature and compassionately written characters, who are played brilliantly by talented actors like Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins.

10 'Pulp Fiction' (1994)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

Quentin Tarantino's multi-story crime drama about violence and redemption was and still is considered a masterpiece, a staggering display of brilliance where not a minute of runtime is unengaging.

Pulp Fiction is one of the most influential movies of modern times, its multiple-perspective narrative spawning a wave of similar films like Amores Perros. Its story juggles genres and tones and styles in ways that only a filmmaker as talented as Tarantino could possibly achieve.

Watch on Prime Video

9 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

The Return of the King is the conclusion to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and what a conclusion it is. Grand, epic, emotional, and satisfying, it's the textbook definition of a trilogy finale done right.

At the time of writing, Return of the King remains the largest sweep in the history of the Oscars, winning all 11 awards for which it was nominated. Truth be told, it deserved each and every one of them, as IMDb reviewers and Rotten Tomatoes critics would surely agree. Its visuals are the most jaw-dropping of the whole franchise, and its story is easily the most moving.

Watch on HBO Max

8 'The Dark Knight' (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Like Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy is considered one of the best of all time. The movie, where Batman holds a mental duel with his most intimidating foe yet, is a riveting crime thriller that revolutionized the superhero genre.

Even those who aren't fans of Nolan usually admit that The Dark Knight is great, and one if his best. Full of suspenseful set pieces and sporting one of the best supporting performances in American cinema history by the late Heath Ledger, it proves itself worthy of its fame.

Watch on HBO Max

7 'Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back' (1980)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

Originally titled only The Empire Strikes Back, the fifth installment in the Skywalker Saga is universally agreed to be one of the best movies in the franchise of Star Wars, if not the very best. In it, Luke sets off to learn the ways of the Jedi while the evil Empire increases its efforts to thwart the Rebellion.

Empire Strikes Back was a real breath of fresh air at the time of its release, a sequel that had the guts to go for a much larger and darker tone than its predecessor and somehow made it work. This boldness can still be felt when watching the movie today, which is why it has aged so well even with non-fans of the franchise.

Watch on Disney+

6 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

Although The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the second installment in Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, is the lowest-rated of all three films on IMDb, it makes up for that by being the highest-rated on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Two Towers has perhaps the best balance of engrossing action and emotional storytelling in the trilogy. On top of that, it works beautifully as a bridge between the beginning and ending of the story while working equally well as a story that can definitely stand on its own two feet.

Watch on HBO Max

5 'The Godfather, Part II' (1974)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

The Godfather, Part II isn't only one of the greatest crime dramas ever made, but also one of the best movie sequels of all time. It follows Michael Corleone, now the leader of his rapidly expanding crime family, while simultaneously showing the rise of a young Vito Corleone.

There is nothing to not admire about this masterful sequel. It accompanies the first film's themes and story beautifully, and there is a poignant poetic beauty in watching Michael's soul fall to its lowest depths while Vito ascends into power with his leadership and unwavering sense of loyalty.

Watch on DirecTV

4 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1967)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Sergio Leone made multiple paragons of the Western genre, but perhaps none as popular and widely beloved as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, about three unlikely allies coming together to look for a hidden treasure.

Simply put, the film is absolutely breathtaking, with a long runtime filled with memorable set pieces that make it all worthwhile, as well as an edge-of-your-seat story and great performances. Although it's at the bottom of IMDb's top 10, it earned more favor from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch on DirecTV

3 'The Godfather' (1972)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

The question of which is the best movie ever made is, of course, a highly debated one. But if there is one film that always comes up in this conversation, it has to be Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, which is unsurprisingly one of IMDb's top movies.

Its sequel is arguably just as good, but it's hard to beat the original. It's worthy of all the praise that it gets and more, since it's as much of an emotionally powerful family drama as it is a devastating crime tragedy, where every element works in perfect coordination to tell a captivating story.

Watch on DirecTV

2 'Schindler's List' (1993)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winning historical drama Schindler's List is one of the most gut-wrenching war films ever made, retelling the real story of how a German businessman used his position to save over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis during the Holocaust.

In many ways, this is the movie that Spielberg was born to make. It flawlessly balances his touching humanistic style with the inherent horror of WWII, creating a deeply personal piece of heartbreaking power that's just as relevant today as it was decades ago.

Watch on Peacock

1 '12 Angry Men' (1957)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

12 Angry Men, a drama about a juror trying to change his eleven peers' minds on a murder trial, is one of the highest-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes, and deservedly so.

Sidney Lumet's masterpiece takes place mostly in just one room, making it an airtight nail-biter where all the tension and suspense come from the brilliantly written characters and their interactions. It's one of those films which are pretty much devoid of any flaws, as proved by its phenomenal fame on both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch on Tubi

NEXT:The Highest-Rated Movies on IMDb, Ranked by Votes