Top 10 Steven Spielberg Films

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Spielberg at work on Indiana Jones with star Harrison Ford

List compiled by Eddie on 21/03/2014

Picking your ten favourite films of prolific directors is always a tough task, picking your top 10 Steven Spielberg (a man who personally has received 231 various awards and nominations for his work) films however is a whole different ball game. In a career that spans over 50 years the great bearded genius has crafted 50 films of various lengths, many of which that could be classified as classics of their genre in their own rights.

When coming up with a top ten for Spielberg it was hard to put nostalgia aside, for many of us would have childhood memories of his films. For me it was Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park, for others it could be Jaws, E.T, Hook or Tintin and it’s in the mentioning of these films that you consider the way in which many of Spielberg’s films have transcended into whole other entities, and become not only popular but a part of people’s lives and memories.

Not showing any signs of slowing down, Spielberg has a raft of projects in the pipeline that should continue to entertain and at times educate and will hopefully continue to showcase just why he should be considered one of if not the most influential directors to ever work in the industry. Without further ado here is my top 10 Spielberg films, a list that will hopefully inspire debate yet allow people to take stock and consider the great works we have so far seen from the bearded king of Hollywood.

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Munich – one of Spielberg’s forgotten gems

10. Munich (2005)

One of the more forgotten about films of Spielberg’s career, Munich is also a showcase for the skill Spielberg has at creating tension and eliciting great turns universally from his cast. Featuring Eric Bana’s best turn outside of Chopper, Munich is also an at times sobering account of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack and a thriller of the highest order.

Music by John Williams? – Yes 

9. Minority Report (2002)

Working with Tom Cruise for the first time, Minority Report is an adaptation of a Phillip K. Dick novel that actually works. Filled with fantastic special effects and stand out action moments, Minority Report is Spielberg on fun mode but the film has enough heavy ideas to become something more than pure popcorn entertainment to pass time.

Music by John Williams? – Yes

8. Duel (1971)

The TV movie that launched his career is also the perfect example of what Spielberg could do with an idea and not much of a budget. For a film about a man terrorised by a rogue truck driver, Duel remains to this day a believable and tense product of movie making and a film well worth tracking down if you have yet to watch.

Music by John Williams? – No

7. A.I: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Arguably another overlooked Spielberg movie just like Munich, A.I is also one of the most risky and rewarding films of his long career. Made when Haley Joel Osment was still cute, A.I features a fantastic central turn by the young actor and is a visually striking movie that rewards on repeat viewings. A.I is a worthy entrant into the Sci-Fi classic vaults.

Music by John Williams? – Yes

6. E.T: The Extra Terrestrial (1982)

Needing a heart of coal not to enjoy it, E.T is a family film for the ages that not only created some of the most iconic imagery the silver screen has ever had but created a story that till this day continues to touch, inspire and entertain both the young and the old. Spielberg crafted a story that was ripe for a life in the bargain bins into an undeniably classic piece of movie history.

Music by John Williams? – Yes

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E.T – creating some of the most recognisable images in cinema history

5. Schlindler’s List (1993)

Going to dark and horrifying places that many perhaps thought Spielberg was not capable of, Schlinder’s List is an epic, unwavering look at the true life story of Oskar Schindler and his participation in the great war of the 1940’s that is currently ranked at number 7 on the IMDB Top 250. Filmed in a stark and haunting black and white the movie remains one of the finest war themed pictures ever made and a film deserving of all of it’s 7 Oscar wins.

Music by John Williams? – Yes

4. Jurassic Park (1993)

Creating a world we all at times have thought of, Spielberg tapped into humans deep seeded fascination with the long extinct dinosaurs and crafted a spectacularly entertaining and edge of your seat ride in the form of Jurassic Park. With a production that still stands up to today’s high standards Jurassic Park remains one of Spielberg’s most fun filled and thrilling rides.

Music by John Williams? – Yes

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

The Fedora, the whip, the rolling stone, the snake pit and the melting face, mention Raiders of the Lost Ark and chances are someone will have a favourite element of it. George Lucas’s and Spielberg’s love letter to 50’s movie serials and adventure that lies within us all, Indiana Jones is the perfect adventure movie that inspired a wave of imitators and to this day remains one of the most beloved movies of all time.

Music by John Williams? – Yes

2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

A frighteningly realistic and tense war movie ,Saving Private Ryan opens like a bat out of hell and never lets up creating one of the most visceral and effective war tales ever made for screen. The cast went through a gruelling pre-production training regime and their commitment to their roles shows in the final form, with the men of Tom Hanks’ 2nd Ranger Battalion one of the best loved in movie history.

Music by John Williams? – Yes

1. Jaws (1975)

The movie that emptied beaches the world over upon release, Jaws is pure cinema at its finest. At any time Jaws could be thrilling, scary, funny or heartfelt and a movie that makes you believe sharks can eat through pretty much an entire boat. The movie that launched the Summer Blockbuster is also the movie that to this day acts as one of the finest pieces of directing yet seen. Just try to go swimming after watching this one, I dare you.

Music by John Williams? – Yes

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Coming up from the depths – Jaws takes number one as it’s victim

How does this list compare to your favourite Spielberg films? Let us know in the comments below.

123 responses to “Top 10 Steven Spielberg Films”

  1. Yeah, you knew you were playing with fire here! Although I am surprised that I do not have much to disagree with your list, I would put Schindler one spot higher and J-Park a few lower. It is hard for me to be objective about J-Park, I seem to be one of the few people who read the book first and the film follows it so closely it leaves nothing for someone who has experienced one to find in the other, the casting was perfect too, every character is exactly as pictured from the book.

    • Great to hear Jase, I must admit to not knowing many who have read the original book of Jurassic Park but it’s interesting to hear it adheres pretty much to the text. I would love to see Spielberg tackle another fun film like Park again.
      Eddie

      • Jurassic Park is one of my favorite science fiction novels of all time. The film is very faithful as justjase79 says, but the book is much denser and the message much more convincing. The biggest change is that Hammond in the novel is an incredibly evil figure, despite having much the same outward personality as the character in the movie. I feel like Speilberg defanged a great villain. But that’s my only complaint. Jurassic Park is a masterpiece, and it’s barely aged at all in twenty years. Speilberg will not return, BTW. He says he’s done with action movies, and I believe him.

      • Interesting isn’t perhaps we only will be getting the Lincoln like dramas and intense Sci-Fi’s from him now on. I must admit I think his action movies are incredible in many ways so would be good to see him back with the right project one time.
        Eddie

      • Aspects that were in the book showed up in all 3 JP movies, but mostly the 1st and 3rd. In the book they took the river back to the shoreline so both the ‘bird cage’ and the ‘river rafting’ were part of the original novel. So, of the 40% they took for the 1st film, I feel they matched it close to what was in the book, including the theme of chaos and life can not be contained. 🙂

      • Well, in the movie you can almost be forgiven for thinking that if they hadn’t bred raptors, and if they hadn’t hired Nedry the computer programmer, maybe the park could have worked. In the novel so many things go wrong, on so many different levels, that the message is really hammered into you. And in the process of being hammered, you get a highly entertaining crash course in a number of different scientific fields. Speilberg had an incredibly difficult task: take this dense, talky novel and make it work on screen. And I have to say he made it work marvelously. The novel is hard science fiction while the movie is more of an adventure story, but the film captures the plot and the spirit of the book IMO.

  2. Great list Eddie! I’ve only seen Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park, parts of E.T and not too long ago Jaws. So it seems I have a lot of catching up to do but I’ve been meaning to watch Schindler’s List and Indiana Jones; So i’m glad to see they rank high up on list!

    • Hi Jon
      A lot of catching up to do mate, a really vast array of films in his career and most of them all worthy of a watch. You’ll have to get onto Indiana Jones for a great blast of fun.
      Eddie

  3. Awesome list, good to see Munich not get over looked it’s such a fantastic film. What’s incredible is that Spielberg’s top 11-20 could easily go toe to toe with less accomplished directors.

    • Spot on Sidekick, only a handful of his films you could say are not quality 4 star films the rest are all pretty much as good as you’d get from countless other filmmakers. He really is a master of the medium.
      Eddie

  4. Great list! I could not create a top ten Spielberg, too many ties. I was given the book Jurassic Park for Christmas but I held off reading it because I knew the movie would come out. On a Tuesday off-day afternoon I had the center of the theater to myself. When T-Rex came out on the road, I was in my glory! Thank you gentlemen.

  5. I haven’t seen Munich yet. However, I’d have definitely included Empire of the Sun somewhere on the list & would have bumped AI: Artificial Intelligence to make way! I’m not sure Raiders deserves such a high position, fun though it is.

    • I’m not sure what it is David but I personally did not relate to Sun to much despite a great turn by the young man in Bale. Raiders is just pure cinematic fun although the following instalments don’t do much for me.
      Eddie

  6. I liked Minority Report enough to buy the DVD. I’ve had several chats where people have said they didn’t bother with it simply because Tom Cruise starred. Their loss.

    • Thanks Cindy! Jaws is just such a flawless tale, truly great filmmaking also. Happy to hear there is some love around for Minority Report I have always enjoyed that one immensely.
      Eddie

  9. A decided lack of the sobering and awe-inspiring(saw it multiple times in the theater as a boy)”Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, but with “Jaws” at #1 and “Raiders” at #3—I’m cool with this list.Nice job, Eddie. ML

    • Mark, great to hear from you mate.

      I must say I think I arrived a little to late to Close Encounters, from memory I first watched it about 4 – 5 years ago and whilst enjoyable it didn’t strike much of a chord with me. Glad you dig the list as whole 🙂
      Eddie

  10. Great list, but personally, I’d shuffle them around a bit. While ‘Jaws’ was great, there’s no way I’d put it up there at #1. ‘Jurassic Park’ will always be one of my favourite Spielberg film as it re-defined Blockbuster in an era cinema was slowly slumping and given today’s technology and effects, it has yet to be surpassed in terms of quality Blockbuster. Just my 2 cents!

    • Great thoughts Mr. Movie. Agree completely with what you said about Park. I hope the new one they are working on can get a feel for the same sense of fun as the first.
      Eddie

    • I understand the shock Duke, thoughts personally as in another comment in this post I would say I arrived a little late to the party in regards to it. I believe it is a quality 4 star movie and can see why many regard it as a classic but to me it didn’t connect on that “personnel” level. Must admit love the little musical riff used throughout the film though, a quality collaboration with Williams.
      Eddie

  13. Wow, now I can actually say I’ve seen films by Spielberg. I don’t pay as much attention to producers like I should. So when I ready this I thought “have I ever seen any films by Spielberg?” Then I read the list and I’ve seen quite a few! Awesome list by the way!

  14. So glad to see A.I. and Munich on your list. When the history books are written, those films will be recognized as the masterpieces they are. I would have bumped Duel to make way for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. And my gut tells me Empire of the Sun belongs on your list, but I have no idea which film I would bump to make room. Which probably makes it number eleven.

    • I had a feeling leaving out Encounters would create a few issues Peter ha. I wish I dug it and Empire of the Sun more in particular I felt Empire had a strange structure that just did not sit well with me I never felt fully engaged with that story.
      Eddie

  15. Great list indeed! I do wish more people would appreciate Munich. I remember being so moved during and after watching that film. I would say that film, Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List were so amazing for my money though very heavy. Also, I love soundtrack music, and it is amazing how much William’s music enhances all the visuals that much more. What an amazing blend of film and score over the years from this duo.

    • So glad to hear you feel that way to! I think Spielberg’s films are sometimes undervalued at how emotional they are and those ones you mentioned all are very thought provoking. His collaborations with Williams have always been amazing it’s so great they found each other and stuck together as working partners all these years.
      Eddie

  17. What? No Crystal Skull on this list? That’s easily one of the best Shia LeBouf movies ever. Wait…a minute. Oh, I thought this was Top 10 Shia LeBouf movies. 🙂

  18. Spielberg is my favorite director. I knew he and John Williams worked together often, but I didn’t realize it was on all of these. Munich deserves all the love it’s getting here. I’m glad you appreciated A.I. too. Great list for a great director!

    • It’s quite amazing as I wrote the list I finally realised just how many films they have made together. A.I has always stuck with me for when I first saw it as a young big right to now as I get oh so much older.
      Eddie

    • If I’m not mistaken, the only two Speilberg films that Williams did not score are Duel and The Color Purple. Soon there will be another, if Spielberg decides to remake West Side Story as is rumored.
      There’s Hitchcock/Hermann and Burton/Elfman, but when it comes to director/composer partnerships, nothing touches Speilberg/Willaims. With the exception of Star Wars, all of Williams’ best work can be found in Speilberg’s movies. It’s like he saves up his creative energy.

  23. I am reading Jurassic Park at the moment, but it does not ruin the film for me, it’s just surprising to see how different they both are.

    As I read your list I was wondering where Jaws was, then I saw it at number one. A top ten list of Spielberg films without both Jurassic Park and Jaws, is just wrong.

      • I have not really seen those, except for that famous scene from Close Encounters with the keyboard. I liked how that idea was used in Monsters vs Aliens.

  27. Spielberg is by far my favorite director. Everything he touches is golden; I love that you have some of his more forgotten films on here. For me, Schindler’s List is his best work. That being said, Jurassic Park and Jaws are filled with genius moments.
    -Kaitlyn 🙂

  28. Spielberg certainly has done a lot of great films, but I would say either Schindler’s List is the most cinematic. Raiders of the Lost Arc and Jaws are just solid movies and memorable. I’m not sure if TV time counts for anything, but Raiders wins out due to sheer replayability, action, and adventure. It’s almost exactly like those old serials used to be, where we have lots of quick action or drama, which makes those kinds of things appealing.

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  30. Excellent list Eddie! Personally, I’d have Saving Private Ryan at number one, but each of the top five boast their own individual merits and are essentially interchangeable depending on the day of the week. Great read.

    Adam.

  31. Solid list. I would have included Catch Me If You Can. I can watch that movie from any point and Spielberg gets some great performances out of his actors.

  32. Thank you for putting Minority Report on this list. None of my friends have seen it and I feel it doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Surprised Catch Me If You Can wasn’t one here. Overall, good list. I guess I have a heart of coal because I hated ET.

    • Another lover for Minority I like it, it hurt a little to leave Catch off the list it is a fun movie. Haha a heart of coal is better than no heart at all I can’t help but love E.T just a really sweet little tale.
      Eddie

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