Best Woody Allen Movies, Ranked

Woody Allen is one of the most prolific filmmakers in the movie industry and his is also among the best. This writer, director and actor has won the Academy Award four times. Here are the best Woody Allen movies ever.

Woody Allen’s decades long career in directing, writing, and sometimes starring has allowed him to make an incredible filmography. Allen first worked as a standup comic and joke writer, but he then became a filmmaker, with his first work as a director being What’s Up, Tiger Lily 1966. For his success, he went on to produce comedies such as Bananas 1971 and Sleeper 1973. He made a name for himself and became an important filmmaker when he launched Annie Hall in 1977 as he grabbed Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and best Actress (Diane Keaton) for this film. The movie focused on a failed relationship and showed how talented Allen is in storytelling. We have put together a list of the best Woody Allen movies of all time. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Best Woody Allen Movies of All Time

Since he is a talented screenwriter, comedian, musician, and performer, it is easy to forget how wonderful Woody Allen is in directing. The quality of the movies he produces cannot be matched and they are pretty consistent. Here are the best Woody Allen movies ever.

11. Another Woman 1988

Genre: Drama/Psychological thriller
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Gena Rowlands, Mia Farrow, Gene Hackman, Ian Holm
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 59%, IMDb 7.2

It is no secret that Woody Allen admires Ingmar Bergman and this movie is one of the most accomplished tributes to the auteur from Sweden. Gena Rowlands plays the role of a college professor that is having a midlife crisis. She gets an apartment, keen on finishing a new book, but her apartment is close to a psychiatrist’s office. She then listens to the musings of a pregnant woman that is depressed. Mia Farrow plays the role of the pregnant woman. While listening to her, the professor has to reevaluate her life. In the movie, there are flashbacks, dream sequences, as well as narration to show regret. Gene Hackman plays the role of a love that Rowlands lost, while Ian Holm portrays the role of an unfaithful man she got married to. This is yet another one of the best Woody Allen movies of all time.

Read more: Best Thriller Movies of All Time

10. Alice 1990

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Mia Farrow, William Hurt, Joe Mantegna, Joe Mantegna, Alec Baldwin
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 71%, IMDb 6.6

The movie Alice shows Woody Allen’s love of mysticism and it is an entertaining reimagining of Federico Fellini’s Juliet of the Spirits. The titular character is played by Mia Farrow, who is a rich housewife at Manhattan, reevaluating her life following a visit with a Chinese herbalist, portrayed by Kete Luke. With his potions, she is able to take a closer and deeper look into her relationships, such as her patronizing husband, played by William Hurt, her lover, portrayed by Alec Baldwin, and a musician, played by Joe Mantenga who attracts her attention. Allen got another nomination at the Oscars for Best Original Screenplay as well as a Golden Globe bid for Farrow in the category of Musical/comedy. We highly recommend this as one of the best Woody Allen movies of all time.

9. Café Society 2016

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, Blake Lively, Parker Posey, Corey Stoll
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 71%, IMDb 6.6

Jesse Eisenberg shows an unexpectedly skillful touch for this genre of movie in Woody Allen’s Café Society in 2016, which is set in 1930s Hollywood. Eisenberg plays alongside her Adventureland co-star Kristen Stewart as Bobby. He is a Jewish nerd who goes to Hollywood, and with his uncle’s help, he tries to work his way up in the movie industry. He falls in love with Stewart’s character Vonnie, who is his Uncle Phil’s secretary. She has a secret affair with her boss. The two actors play delightfully great together once again. This is indeed one of the best Woody Allen films ever.

8. Match Point 2005

Genre: Romance/Drama
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox,
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 77%, IMDb 7.6

Another one of the best Woody Allen movies ever is Match Point, which came out in 2005. Scarlett Johansson received her third Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal in Woody Allen’s thriller, which is set in London. Chris Wilton, portrayed by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, coaches Tom Hewett, played by Matthew Goode, to play tennis. Wilton gets introduced to Tom’s fiancée Nola Rice, who is played by Scarlett Johansson. Moreover, her character is an actress who is struggling. Chris and Nora start an affair, notwithstanding the fact that he has been going out with Tom’s sister for a while. Kate Winslet was supposed to play the role of Nola, but she had to drop out. Then, Johansson became her replacement, and she went on to display one of her most acclaimed movies of all time.

7. Vicky Cristina Barcelona 2008

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Messina, Patricia Clarkson
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 7.1

Penelope Cruz had a collaboration with Woody Allen in the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which won the Golden Globe award. She received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the amazing role she played in this movie as Javier Bardem’s ex-wife. Javier Bardem plays the role of Juan Antonio Gonzalo, who is the center of the movie. Johansson portrays the role of a tourist whose name is Cristina. Moreover, she is traveling in Spain with Vicky, her friend. The two are then approached by Juan Antonio, a suave artist who wants to seduce them despite being attached to his ex-wife Maria Elena, portrayed by Cruz. When Vicky gets engaged, Cristina goes to live with Juan Antonio and Maria. This movie is among the best Woody Allen movies ever.

6. Blue Jasmine 2013

Genre: Drama
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins, Bobby Cannavale, Louis C.K., Peter Sarsgaard
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 7.3

The sixth one on the list of the best Woody Allen movies of all time is Blue Jasmine. When Cate Blanchett appeared in Woody Allen movie, it was obvious that it was something special. She played the role of Jasmine Harris, a woman who is living with her husband Hal, played by Alec Baldwin, when she gets busted by the Feds. The government takes all their money and despite being tapped out, she goes to San Francisco in first class to live with her sister Ginger, who was not so well-off. However, Ginger’s close friends and people around her start to question what Jasmine’s motivations are. Blanchett showcased a remarkable performance and received an Academy Award for it, as well as a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

5. Hannah and Her Sisters 1986

Genre: Drama/Comedy
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Mia Farrow, Woody Allen, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 91%, IMDb 7.8

This warm, life-affirming movie deserved to be on the list of the best Woody Allen movies of all time as it is a masterpiece when it comes to human interaction and nuanced emotion. There were many amazing actors among the cast members that made the movie a success with their Oscar-winning performances, including Dianne Wiest and Michael Caine. The screenplay also won an Oscar as it balanced tone, thematic weight and time on key characters. All the scenes are riveting and it is one of the best Woody Allen movies of all time.

Read more: Best Drama Movies of All Time

4. Midnight in Paris 2011

Genre: Romantic/Fantasy
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Rachel McAdams, Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Léa Seydoux, Tom Hiddleston
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 93%, IMDb 7.7

In the movie Midnight in Paris is where Rachel McAdams reunites with her Wedding Crashers costar Owen Wilson. Gil Pender is a man who is keen on going to Paris as a writer. He and her fiancé, named Inez, played by McAdams, go to Paris on vacation with her family. Inez is quite sociable, while her husband is more concentrated on going around the city. One night, he leaves Inez to go around the city and it is then that he gets transported back to the 20s. He then gets obsessed with the characters he comes across along the way. This lively rom/com shows how McAdams is able to turn a one-dimensional character into a whole personality. Despite her role being limited, this is one of her top performances.

3. Manhattan 1979

Genre: Romantic/Comedy
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Woody Allen, Mariel Hemingway, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 7.8

Woody Allen showcased his love for New York City in this black-and-white rom-com, which was shot by Gordon Willis. Allen plays the role of Isaac, who is a 42-year-old sportswriter that is divorced and goes out with a teenager, portrayed by Mariel Hemingway. He finds himself enamored with Diane Keaton’s character, who is his best friend’s mistress. The city of the titular is a character itself as each part of the city serves as a backdrop for the drama. For this movie, Allen competed with Marshall Brickman at the Oscars for Best Original Screenplay. This is another one of the best Woody Allen movies ever. Don’t miss it.

2. Annie Hall 1997 97% 8

Genre: Romantic/Comedy
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Shelley Duvall, Paul Simon
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 97%, IMDb 8

When Woody Allen released the movie Annie Hall, he went into a more mature filmmaking as he first established himself as a joke-maker. The movie revolves around a New York comedian, played by Allen, as well as an eccentric lounge singer, portrayed by Dian Keaton, broke the romantic comedies’ mold, as it brought a darker edge to the genre. Moreover, Keaton’s Oscar-winning performance made this movie a success. Allen won prizes for directing and writing this movie. In addition, the film became one of the few comedies to win Best Picture. We highly recommend this as one of the best Woody Allen movies of all time.

Read more: Best Comedy Movies of All Time

1. Sleeper 1973 100%, 7.1

Genre: Comedy/Sci-fi
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mary Gregory, Don Keefer, John Beck
Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 100%, IMDb 7.1

One of the best early comedies and one of the best Woody Allen movies in general is Sleeper. It is about the futuristic farce regarding a health food store owner, portrayed by Allen himself, who goes to the hospital to do a routine operation but he dies during that. His family then decide to have him cryogenically frozen. He wakes up around 200 years later when a group of radicals revive him. they are against the oppressive regime that has the power. When the police come to arrest them, Miles escapes, wearing a disguise of a robot. He then comes across Diane Keaton’s Luna Schlosser and the two fall for one another. Once the authorities capture him, Luna does anything she can to save him. This is indeed one of the greatest Woody Allen movies ever and it has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Don’t miss it, if you are a true Woody Allen fan.