by A while back, reddit user u/NoHoldingMeBack asked moviegoers on AskReddit, “Which movie do you think is ‘perfect’?” There were many presentations of what people consider absolutely sublime and impossible to improve films; here are 24 of them.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
1.
“The Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). In addition to the innovative practical and computer effects, it’s a masterpiece of storytelling that legitimately makes you question the distinction between reality and escapist fantasy. The visual language of the film is beautiful and the symbolism is relentless, never changing the focus of the characters and their stories. It is truly a masterpiece, and despite critical preference for the shape of waterI think it’s Guillermo del Toro’s most characteristic and iconic film.”
two.
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Seriously, it’s perfect. There’s not a single frame, a single line of dialogue, or a single note of the score that I would change.”
3.
“Mrs. Doubtfire (1993). Am I biased because this was my comfort movie as a child of divorce? Yes. But is this movie pretty much perfect in its acting, pacing, plot, humor, and wholesome moments? (‘ALL THE TIME?!’) Also yes.”
Four.
“When Harry met Sally… (1989). A perfect story that doesn’t get bogged down in background exposition. A perfect setting (New York in the fall is a dream). Two perfect people for each other because they are imperfect characters. Quotable dialogue. It doesn’t try to be something it isn’t. It is a work of art.”
5.
“I think in search of the lost ark (1981) is a perfect action-adventure movie.”
6.
“Jurassic Park (1993). The practical effects and CGI exceed anything made today. The characters are flawed and feel like real people, and we see them grow and change throughout the film. In my opinion, it’s a masterpiece not only in cinema but also in storytelling.”
7.
“Any Studio Ghibli movie, honestly. When I see one, there’s never a moment when I’m bored. Plus, the music and characters are amazing and the art is fantastic.”
8.
“The net (1976). It turned out to be a timeless satire on corporate media and sensationalism, with every word spoken brilliantly coloring each character’s personality, flaws, and intentions. The performances are tight and five cast members were nominated for Oscars that year, with Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch and Beatrice Straight emerging as winners in their categories. Straight remains the record holder for the shortest Oscar-winning performance in academy history, at five minutes and 40 seconds of screen time.”
9.
“Soul (2020) from Pixar. Realistic dialogue and wild, philosophical plot, along with relatable characters and a great score. That Epiphany the scene is just… 10/10. It even made my 70-year-old father cry.”
10
“True to its title, everything everywhere at once (2022) does it all: science fiction, action, drama, comedy… and it does it exceptionally well. It only took a rewatch to cement it as one of my all-time favorite movies.”
eleven
“My definition of a perfect movie is that nothing goes to waste. Every scene matters and there’s not an ounce of fat in it. Absolutely, The Incredibles (2004) fits that. What a shitty movie.”
12
“The Godfather Part II (1974). First of all, let me say that I have a personal preference for The Godfather Part I. I just like the story and themes better, and I really love the scenes with old Vito. Nevertheless, Part II it is the superior film artistically. I love how Vito’s rise from an orphan in Sicily to a benevolent crime boss and family man in America is juxtaposed with Michael’s own arrogance in believing he can maintain his power and make moves to go legit, which leads to his family to be torn apart and his empire to be almost destroyed. The acting is top-notch, the story is great, and the cinematography is absolutely perfect, especially in the Sicilian countryside scenes.”
13
“I’m going to take my chances here and say Up (2009) Pixar. I can’t think of anything that beats the opening sequence. It makes me feel good just thinking about it.”
14
“I don’t like it and I would never see it again, but uncut gems (2019). Every second of the movie oozes with the intention of doing two things: telling you the story of an absolute monster who destroys his own life until there is nothing left, and making you feel stressed, anxious and nervous all the time. Even in the moments of his life that are nice, you get this overwhelming feeling that he’s about to screw up, and if you try to hope, it quickly fades. Again, I didn’t like it and won’t watch it again, but very few movies feel like they’ve perfectly captured the intent of the story in every little detail in every frame.”
fifteen.
“Return to the future (1985). Perfect combination of comedy, action and science fiction. It set the standard for time travel stories. Great performances. Tight script. Interesting and original characters.”
sixteen.
“The How to Train Your Dragon Serie. The music was beautiful and the plot was good. Maybe simple, but good. The characters were nice. There are few to no nonsense scenes. The series was just amazing.”
17
“jaws (1975). You could sit there with a notepad and write down every shot or word that doesn’t advance the story or character development and be left with an empty notepad when the credits roll. I love it and I think the problems that came with doing it led me to overcome the ingenuity that CGI has taken from modern movies because it’s always so easy to fix things in post.”
18
“Amadeo (1984). It is a complete art, from acting to musical score and cinematography. It truly ranks among the greatest films ever made.”
19
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). The humor is on point, and they got creative with the journey that takes place. Plus, there are so many quotable lines from the movie: mocking the French, a killer bunny, a black knight who won’t give up, and a silly place, for example.”
twenty
“die hard (1988). It is note for note the perfectly crafted action movie. I’m not saying it’s Oscar worthy. I’m saying that for who he is and what he’s trying to be, he’s perfect.”
twenty-one
“hot fluff (2007). Granted, it’s not my favorite movie, but it’s perfect in its own way. There is not a single scene or word of dialogue that is wasted in that movie. Each line is either a foreshadowing, a callback, or a reference to another action movie.”
22
“stay by me (1986). Classic 80’s adventure movie with a great story and characters that feel like real people. If you want to see something other than an action, sci-fi, or fantasy movie, and want to see a movie that feels more grounded in reality, then I highly recommend stay by me.”
23
“Actually I think The Empire Strikes Back (1980) comes pretty close, but has the luxury of being the middle piece in a trilogy. You can tell a tight, exciting story with good character development, and you don’t need a nice, full resolution at the end, which can feel easy or contrived. There’s no need to pad the story with flashbacks or extra exposition to fill you in on the backstory, and they can leave the ending dark and unresolved, but still satisfying. This is why Star Wars starts off slow and then gets really good, and why the first part of the return of jedi It’s exciting, but the last part isn’t that good.”
24
And finally: “The princess Bride (1987). I can’t think of anything that would make it better, nothing at all.”
What movies (or TV shows) do you think are so amazing they can’t be bettered? Tell us about them in the comments!
