These are the highest-rated films of the year, all the way back to 1955. Which one came out the year you were born?
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
The ending to the two-part finale of the Infinity Stones saga within the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings together nearly every superhero from the franchise that you can think of in one final face-off against the villain Thanos.
The Last Jedi (2017)
A direct followup to “The Force Awakens,” Rey searches for Luke Skywalker to ask for his help with the Resistance against Kylo Ren and the First Order.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The Avengers have an argument over their role in politics: should they remain independent or accept an overseer to keep them accountable? Ultimately, two sides of the group collide, led by Captain America and Iron Man respectively.
The Force Awakens (2015)
Three decades after the first Empire was defeated, The Resistance forms to fight a new threat: the First Order, and teams up with a ragtag team of unlikely friends to fight the good fight.
Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Optimus Prime befriends “inventor” Mark Wahlberg, who helps him and other Autobots fight off alien robots.
Frozen (2013)
Newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally curses her home with a permanent winter, so she and her sister Anna team up with a traveler, a reindeer, and a snowman in order to change things back to how they were.
The Avengers (2012)
The first iteration of a multi-movie crossover from the Marvel Universe, “The Avenger” fight off Loki and his alien army.
The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
The end to the Harry Potter series saw the death of major characters, along with Voldemort, and the start of the next era of the golden trio as they grow up and have children of their own.
Toy Story 3 (2010)
Woody and the gang are donated to a daycare center when Andy goes off to college, and it’s one of Pixar’s most moving movies as the toys attempt to move on with their lives.
Avatar (2009)
The second-highest grossing film of all time, “Avatar” is a science-fiction epic where a paraplegic marine inhabits the body of an alien creature in order to ingratiate himself into the population. Though once on the planet Pandora, he becomes suspicious of his military orders.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Christopher Nolan gave Batman a gritty twist with Heath Ledger’s interpretation of The Joker. More of a morality drama and less of a tale of escapism, Christian Bale’s Batman faces off against psychological traps set by The Joker in order to save Gotham and the woman he loves.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)
Though the plot of the third installment of the “Pirates” franchise is honestly pretty unclear, the surface-level adventure involves the characters sailing off the edge of the map to see what lies beyond.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
There’s clearly a reason these films were so popular. Captain Jack Sparrow and his troupe try to capture the heart of Davy Jones for its magical properties, but all of them have their own agendas.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Harry’s name somehow ends up in the Goblet of Fire to enter him into the deadly Triwizard Tournament, which ultimately grants him a one-way ticket to Voldemort’s door.
Shrek 2
Now that Shrek and Fiona are married, they return to her home to visit her parents, who are shocked to find out that they are both ogres.
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)
In the capstone Lord of the Rings film, Galdalf and Aragorn lead a battle against Sauron’s army while Frodo and Sam attempt to destroy the One Ring.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Frodo and Sam get closer to Mordor and face off against the dark wizard Saruman.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
With The Sorcerer’s Stone, the Harry Potter franchise kicked off and quickly rose to become the most popular movie series in history. It follows young Harry finding out he’s a wizard and starting his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Mission: Impossible II (2000)
Tom Cruise returns as secret agent Ethan Hunt who pulls together a misfit – but professional – team to find and destroy a genetically modified disease that could wife out all of humanity.
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars came back with a prequel trilogy directed by mastermind George Lucas. The Phantom Menace follows two Jedi Knights who meet a young boy who holds great promise with The Force. It’s an origin story of Darth Vader, essentially.
Armageddon (1998)
After discovering that an enormous asteroid is close to pummeling Earth, NASA recruits a bunch of drillers to make a big hole in it to save the planet.
Independence Day (1996)
Aliens are invading Earth, and the only hope is fighter pilot captain Will Smith.
Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995)
Now an alcoholic, divorced, and jobless, John McClane somehow finds himself back in the game, trying to foil a German terrorist who attempts to rob the Federal Reserve Building in Manhattan.
The Lion King (1994)
Disney’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” set in the Pride Lands of Africa. Young lion Simba must overtake his evil uncle Scar following the death of his alpha male father, Mufasa.
Jurassic Park (1993)
A misfit group of kids and scientists tour a secret theme park with live dinosaurs, but of course everything goes awry and it becomes an adventure of life or death.
Aladdin (1992)
A street urchin uses the help of a witty genie to get a princess to fall in love with him and stop a planed coup in the kingdom.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Schwarzenegger is sent back in time to protect Sarah Connor and her son from a newer, badder, Terminator.
Ghost (1990)
Ghost is a romantic fantasy thriller about a young dead man who tries to save his girlfriend through an incompetent psychic.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Indiana Jones has a dad. He’s also a swashbuckling archaeologist, and goes missing on the hunt for the Holy Grail. Indy has to track him down and save him, stopping a Nazi plot in the process.
Rain Man (1988)
Tom Cruise learns he has an autistic brother, Dustin Hoffman, and the two form an unlikely yet deep bond while getting to know each other for the first time following their father’s death.
Fatal Attraction (1987)
A woman has a one-night-stand with a married man, and when he tries to move on, she stalks him and his family.
Top Gun (1986)
A young United States Navy student competes with his fellow students over being the best fighter pilot and learns a few life lessons along the way.
Back to the Future (1985)
Doc and Marty McFly travel back in time from 1985 to 1955 and accidentally alter the course of the future, so they must work to make sure Marty’s parents get together.
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
The final film in the original Star Wars trilogy follows the rebels taking their last stand against the empire while Luke tries to persuade Darth Vader into becoming a good guy.
E.T. – the Extra Terrestrial (1982)
An alien gets left behind as his spaceship leaves Earth and stumbles into the life of a trouble child.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Indiana Jones is hired by the United States government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis do.
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Empire surpassed the first Star Wars movie in fame, with its unforgettable twist at the end and meditative scenes of Luke training with Yoda.
Moonraker 91979)
Certainly one of the most ambitious Bond films, Moonraker follows James Bond investigating the theft of a space shuttle, leading him to a space million where he stops a global genocide.
Grease (1978)
A musical about a summer fling in which the couple realizes they go to the same high school. Queue: drama and dancing.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
Luke Skywalker gets tangled up with a Jedi Knight, a pilot, a Wookie, and two droids in order to save the galaxy from Darth Vader and rescue Princess Leia.
Rocky (1976)
Underdog boxer Rocky Balboa gets the rare chance to fight heavyweight champ Apollo Creed, and he needs the win to prove himself in the ring and against the world.
Jaws (1975)
Hitchcockian thriller about a great white shark terrorizing a small beach town. A band of locals team up and sail out to open water in order to kill the beast once and for all.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
The type of comedy that would never get made today shows Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder at the height of their talents, with a scathing satire on racial attitudes in America.
The Exorcist (1973)
A mother attempts to get her teenage daughter back from demonic possession by recruiting two priests to perform an exorcism.
The Godfather (1972)
The epic saga of the Corleone crime family, where an aging patriarch arranges to hand off the family empire to his reluctant son who wants to live a normal life.
Billy Jack (1971)
A war veteran saves horses from being killed and goes at war with the police to save a center for runaways.
Love Story (1970)
This love-at-first-sight couple learn that she has a terminal illness and work through the tragedy together.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
This film is a western about two outlaws on the run after they commit a string of robberies.
Funny Girl (1968)
A comedienne and entertainer rises through fame and falls in love with a man too proud to accept her help when he needs it.
The Jungle Book (1967)
Baloo the Bear and Bagheera the Panther try and convince human Mowgli that the jungle isn’t safe for him while protecting him from the vengeful tiger Shere Khan.
The Bible: In The Beginning… (1966)
Covering only the first 22 chapters of the Old Testament, the film follows Adam and Eve to the binding of Isaac.
The Sound of Music (1965)
A governess for a large Austrian family struggles with whether to become a nun or to follow her heart and fall in love with the family’s widowed father, all while fleeing from Nazis.
Mary Poppins (1964)
A magical singing nanny swoops in to take care of two disheartened children.
Cleopatra (1963)
One of the most famous love triangles of all time, Cleopatra tries to seduce both Mac Antony and Julius Caesar in an ill-fated attempt to save the Egyptian empire.
The Longest Day (1962)
A panoramic view of D-Day, looking at the events from multiple American and German viewpoints.
101 Dalmatians (1961)
Evil Cruella de Vil abducts a littler of Dalmatian puppies to use their fur for coats.
Swiss Family Robinson (1960)
A comedy about a family chased by pirates and shipwrecked on a deserted island.
Ben-Hur (1959)
Told adjacent to. the story of Jesus, a Jewish prince named Judah is sent to slavery by a Roman friend, regains his freedom, and plots his revenge.
South Pacific (1958)
Based on the acclaimed play of the same name, “South Pacific” is about a nurse who falls in love with an older French plantation owner with mix-raced children she has trouble accepting.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
British soldiers captured by the Japanese during WWII are forced to build a bridge in Burma while other soldiers look for them.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Moses learns he’s not really Egyptian and frees the Hebrew people from slavery.
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
A stray mutt and a purebred cocker spaniel fall in love under unlikely circumstances.