IMDB users are a pretty savvy bunch of cinematic fans who appreciate film for what it can do best — transport us through compelling stories told by rich filmmakers and talented casts. So, when the internet movie site announced it had compiled a list of the best movies of the last 25 years, broken down by year, as voted on by its readership, we were intrigued and figured their ideas of the “best picture” of each year might be different than the ones that won that golden statue known as Oscar.
Too true!
The list starts with 1990 and the best film of that year was voted to be Goodfellas. Seeing as that is The Movie Mensch’s favorite movie of all time, we could not have agreed more. We still think it is one of the great Oscar crimes of the last century that Dances with Wolves beat that Martin Scorsese flick for Best Picture. Glad to see IMDB users agree with us.
It also appears that IMDB readers, again like us here at The Movie Mensch, are huge fans of Quentin Tarantino. They named his 1992 debut film Reservoir Dogs the best movie of that year, along with 2009’s Inglourious Basterds and 2012’s Django Unchained – both great choices. Think they’re looking forward to The Hateful Eight?
What else is fascinating is how the Academy awarded The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Best Picture in 2003 as almost a collective Best Picture for the whole series, but IMDB users anointed each individual Lord of the Rings film the best of its respective year.
Before we over-analyze and give away too much of the list… here is the list of best movies by year by the esteemed voters of IMDB.
IMDB Users Top Rated Movies By Year
2014: Interstellar
2013: The Wolf of Wall Street
2012: Django Unchained
2011: Intouchables
2010: Inception
2009: Inglourious Basterds
2008: The Dark Knight
2007: Into the Wild
2006: The Departed
2005: Batman Begins
2004: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2000: Memento
1999: Fight Club
1998: Saving Private Ryan
1997: Life Is Beautiful
1996: Fargo
1995: Se7en
1994: The Shawshank Redemption
1993: Schindler’s List
1992: Reservoir Dogs
1991: The Silence of the Lambs
1990: Goodfellas