Steven Spielberg is among the greatest filmmakers ever and has continued to challenge himself over the years as he worked on various genres and subjects. TechTrends made a list of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time. Let’s get to it.
A living legend, Steven Spielberg, is one of the reasons why some people love movies. His is a visionary and a true master at what he does. Despite having had his share of duds, his influence and his mastery has not been affected. We have gone through his filmography to make a list of the best must-see Steven Spielberg movies of all time. In addition, we ranked them based on their ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. His career over the years has defined what modern blockbusters are. His career first took off when the entertaining movie Jaws came out in 1975 and he has continued to impress the audience. Now, without further ado, tour our gallery of the greatest Steven Spielberg movies and see whether your favorite is on top of the list. Let’s jump into the list.
Best Steven Spielberg Movies of All Time
Having been directing movies for over half a century, three-time Oscar winner Steven Spielberg has made an astonishing filmography, holding the public imagination in his hands. The latest movie that he directed is Fabelmans 2022, which was a masterpiece. Here are the rest of his amazing filmography. Keeping reading the list of the best Steven Spielberg films of all time and pick one to watch tonight.
12. Ready Player One 2018
- Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Mark Rylance, Ben Mendelsohn, Win Morisaki
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 72%, IMDb 7.4
Ready Player One is an adaptation of the 2011 Ernest Cline novel directed by Steven Spielberg. It shows a future that is so dark you have to wear shades or in other words, VR goggles. The story revolves around a nerd played by Tye Sheridan, who gets in a competition to be a proprietor of the virtual reality game that is called OASIS. When the movie trips to The Shining, it is one of the most entertaining sections. We highly recommend this sci-fi movie as one of the best Steven Spielberg movies ever.
Read more: Best Survival Movies of All Time
11. Munich 2005
- Genre: Drama/Thriller
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Mathieu Kassovitz, Ayelet Zurer, Marie-Josée Croze
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 78%, IMDb 7.5
The movie Munich is directed by Steven Spielberg and revolves around the aftermath of 11 Israeli athletes and their coach being murdered at the 1972 Olympics. Following the incident, the Israeli government assigns Avner Kaufman, played by Eric Bana, to do a bunch of strategic retaliations. Daniel Craig portrays the role of a driver who helps him out. Other helpers are a forger, a bomb-maker and a former soldier. They all help Avner do his operation as he targets 11 individuals. With the assassinations piling up, he starts to question his actions’ morality.
Read more: Best Daniel Craig Movies of All Time
10. The Post 2017
- Genre: Drama/Thriller
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Carrie Coon, Jesse Plemons, Philip Casnoff
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 88%, IMDb 7.2
Steven Spielberg finally collaborated with Meryl Streep in the movie The Post after 40 years, but it was worth it. She portrays the role of Kay Graham, who is the first female newspaper published in the country. She has a problem with deciding whether she wants to print The Pentagon Papers in the Washington Post. Tom Hands plays the role of a Post editor named Ben Bradlee. He encourages Graham to publish it notwithstanding the fact that she might be arrested. In addition, Meryl Streep received her 21st Oscar nomination for this movie. It was her personal best record back then and it was also her 17th nomination as the lead character. This is indeed one of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time.
Read more: Best Meryl Streep Movies of All Time
9. Lincoln 2012
- Genre: War/Drama/History
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 89%, IMDb 7.3
Instead of a try to tell his whole life story, the movie Lincoln concentrates on the last four months of President Abraham Lincoln’s life, such as his attempts to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to get rid of slavery once and for all. This amazing historical movie, directed by Steven Spielberg shows how the president and his administration maneuver to end slavery, even if it means war. The director, Steven Spielberg, does a great job as he not only shows the politician side of Lincoln the President, but also him being a father and a husband. Don’t miss this as it is indeed one of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time.
Read more: Best Chris Hemsworth Movies of All Time
8. Minority Report 2002
- Genre: Sci-fi/Action
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Tom Cruise, Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, Max von Sydow
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 7.6
Another one of the most impressive and best Steven Spielberg films of all time is Minority Report. The tagline this movie had was “Everybody runs”; however, no one can run like Tom Cruise. Critics also go on to praise why the actor in motion is very pleasing to the audience. They believe that the way his arms move, the sense of panic in his eyes, and his body’s physical structure are the reasons why. Cruise plays the role of John Anderton, who is a pre-crime detective that figures out the technology behind it all before his names come up as the next criminal. Trying hard to prove his innocence, which would be in contrast with the ethics of the system he dedicated his whole life to up to that moment.
Read more: Best Action Movies of All Time
7. West Side Story 2021
- Genre: Musical/Romance
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, Rita Moreno, Maddie Ziegler
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 7.2
Ansel Elgort had one of the roles of a lifetime when he played in Steven Spielberg’s musical drama West Side Story as Tony. The film got nominated for Best Movie at the 2022 Oscars and won the Oscar for Best Supporting actress. Tony experiences love at first sight when he meets Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. The songs and choreography of the musical are amazing, and the cast is absolutely spectacular. There are two rival gangs named the Sharks and the Jets, and these two love birds are each from one side. Unsurprisingly, neither side is happy with the situation. However, grab a tissue whenever you are ready to watch this incredible movie as it is one of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time. Critics and the audiences have also praised the movie and its perfect casting.
Read more: Best Ansel Elgort Movies of All Time
6. Jurassic Park 1993
- Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Ariana Richards, Richard Attenborough
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 8.2
The sixth one of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time is Jurassic Park. This massive Steven Spielberg blockbuster revolves around paleontologists Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler and Mathematician Ian Malcolm, portrayed by Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, respectively. They tour the island theme park that has dinosaurs made from prehistoric DNA. John Hammond, the mastermind of the park, makes sure that the whole thing is safe. However, they find out that it is anything buy safe as the predators break free and start to hunt.
Read more: Best Sci-fi Movies of 2022
5. Saving Private Ryan 1998
- Genre: War/Drama
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, Vin Diesel, Bryan Cranston, Edward Burns
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 8.6
This amazing war movie, directed by Steven Spielberg, tells the tale of soldiers in combat fighting for their lives and fulfilling their duty of finding Private Ryan and honoring their country. By doing that, they also find their own strength. Matt Damon plays the role of Private Ryan quite incredibly, and Tom Hanks plays Captain Miller, who is leading the mission of finding Ryan. Saving Private Ryan is one of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time. Don’t miss it.
Read more: Best Matt Damon Movies of All Time
4. Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981
- Genre: Adventure/Action
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Alfred Molina
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 96%, IMDb 8.4
Steven Spielberg has made many amazing movies over the years that are important and emotionally involving. However, none of them are as perfect as Raiders of the Lost Ark that came out in 1981. This movie introduces Indiana Jones, who was part Sherlock Holmes (smart), part Man With No Name (tough) and part James Bond (suave). Although the leading actor, Harrison Ford will always be associated with Star Wars, he shined brightly as the action hero Jones. This is indeed one of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time. Add it to your watch list if you haven’t watched it already.
Read more: Best Adventure Movies of All Time
3. Jaws 1975
- Genre: Adventure/Thriller
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gary, Jay Mello
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 97%, IMDb 8.1
The third one on the list of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time is Jaws, which is a great classic. The director did an amazing job of showing a telepathic sense of how our mind works and how to scare it best. He also developed the characters quite well. The story revolves around shark attacks. When a woman gets killed while skinny-dipping in New England’s Amity Island by a shark, Martin Brody, the police chief, is eager to close the beaches. However, the mayor does not allow it as he thinks he will loss tourists, which can result in the town being crippled. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and grizzled ship captain Quint (Robert Shaw) want to help him kill the shark. The trio then go to fight against the beast. Don’t miss this entertaining horror film.
Read more: Best Horror Movies of All Time
2. Schindler’s List 1993
- Genre: War/Drama/History
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Embeth Davidtz, Caroline Goodall
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 98%, IMDb 9
Schindler’s List is based on the non-fiction novel named Schindler’s Ark. The movie revolves around Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, who is a German factory owner. He helps a lot of Jewish refugees when the Holocaust happens as he hires them to work in hi factory. Other stars in the movie are Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Embeth Davidtz, and Oskar’s real-life wife, Emilie Schindler. This is among the top ones on the list of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time. We highly recommend this wonderful movie.
Read more: Best History Movies of All Time
1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 1982
- Genre: Sci-fi/Adventure
- Director: Steven Spielberg
- Stars: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Robert MacNaughton, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 99%, IMDb 7.9
One of the biggest hits of Steven Spielberg is E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, which is timeless and universal. Despite having his obsession with childhood going awry, this is the time that he did it right. It shows one of those times that you are the only one who understands something but adults won’t listen to you or take you seriously. The story revolves around a boy named Elliot, played by Henry Thomas, who befriends a gentle alien that is stranded on Earth. When he brings the alien to his house in suburban California, Elliott introduces the extraterrestrial to his siblings. They then decide not to tell anyone. However, when E.T. becomes ill, the government intervenes and the situation becomes hard for both the boy and the alien. This is one of the best Steven Spielberg movies of all time.