Top 97 films in Biography
Schindler's List
Directed by Steven Spielberg | Rated R | 195 min | 1993
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazi Germans.
Lawrence of Arabia
Directed by David Lean | Rated PG | 216 min | 1962
The story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and lead the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.
Goodfellas
Directed by Martin Scorsese | Rated R | 146 min | 1990
Henry Hill and his friends work their way up through the mob hierarchy.
Raging Bull
Directed by Martin Scorsese | Rated R | 129 min | 1980
An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life, as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring destroys his life outside it.
All the President's Men
Directed by Alan J. Pakula | Rated PG | 138 min | 1976
"The Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon's resignation.
The Sound of Music
Directed by Robert Wise | Rated G | 174 min | 1965
A woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower.
Bonnie and Clyde
Directed by Arthur Penn | 111 min | 1967
A somewhat romanticized account of the career of the notoriously violent bank robbing couple and their gang.
12 Years a Slave
Directed by Steve McQueen | Rated R | 134 min | 2013
In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.
Gandhi
Directed by Richard Attenborough | Rated PG | 191 min | 1982
Gandhi's character is fully explained as a man of nonviolence. Through his patience, he is able to drive the British out of the subcontinent. And the stubborn nature of Jinnah and his commitment towards Pakistan is portrayed.
The Social Network
Directed by David Fincher | Rated PG-13 | 120 min | 2010
Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, but is later sued by two brothers who claimed he stole their idea, and the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.
Amadeus
Directed by Milos Forman | Rated R | 160 min | 1984
The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told by his peer and secret rival Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.
A Man for All Seasons
Directed by Fred Zinnemann | 120 min | 1966
The story of Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarriage.
The Passion of Joan of Arc
Directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer | 114 min | 1928
A chronicle of the trial of Jeanne d'Arc on charges of heresy, and the efforts of her ecclesiastical jurists to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.
Chariots of Fire
Directed by Hugh Hudson | Rated PG | 125 min | 1981
Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, compete in the 1924 Olympics.
The Mirror
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky | Rated N/A | 108 min | 1975
A dying man in his forties remembers his past. His childhood, his mother, the war, personal moments and things that tell of the recent history of all the Russian nation.
The Pianist
Directed by Roman Polanski | Rated R | 150 min | 2002
A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Directed by George Roy Hill | Rated M | 110 min | 1969
Two Western bank/train robbers flee to Bolivia when the law gets too close.
Selma
Directed by Ava DuVernay | Rated PG-13 | 128 min | 2014
A chronicle of Martin Luther King's campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965.
Spotlight
Directed by Tom McCarthy | Rated R | 128 min | 2015
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
Patton
Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner | Rated GP | 172 min | 1970
The World War II phase of the career of the controversial American general, George S. Patton.
Henry V
Directed by Laurence Olivier | 137 min | 1944
In the midst of the Hundred Years' War in 1415, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France.
Andrei Rublev
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky | 205 min | 1966
The life, times and afflictions of the fifteenth-century Russian iconographer.
The Irishman
Directed by Martin Scorsese | Rated R | 209 min | 2019
A mob hitman recalls his friend Jimmy Hoffa.
Braveheart
Directed by Mel Gibson | Rated R | 178 min | 1995
When his secret bride is executed for assaulting an English soldier who tried to rape her, William Wallace begins a revolt against King Edward I of England.
Reds
Directed by Warren Beatty | Rated PG | 195 min | 1981
A radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States.
My Left Foot
Directed by Jim Sheridan | Rated R | 103 min | 1989
Christy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.
Topsy-Turvy
Directed by Mike Leigh | Rated R | 154 min | 1999
After Gilbert and Sullivan's latest play is critically panned, the frustrated team threatens to disband until it is inspired to write the masterpiece "The Mikado".
Man on Wire
Directed by James Marsh | Rated PG-13 | 94 min | 2008
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century."
Argo
Directed by Ben Affleck | Rated R | 120 min | 2012
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1980.
Green Book
Directed by Peter Farrelly | Rated PG-13 | 130 min | 2018
A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.
The Last Emperor
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci | Rated PG-13 | 163 min | 1987
The story of the final Emperor of China.
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Directed by Michael Curtiz | 126 min | 1942
A film of the life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer, and singer George M. Cohan.
La Vie en Rose
Directed by Olivier Dahan | Rated PG-13 | 140 min | 2007
The life story of singer Édith Piaf.
The King's Speech
Directed by Tom Hooper | Rated R | 118 min | 2010
The story of King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, his impromptu ascension to the throne and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch become worthy of it.
The Life of Emile Zola
Directed by William Dieterle | 116 min | 1937
The biopic of the famous French muckraking writer and his involvement in fighting the injustice of the Dreyfuss Affair.
Close-Up
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami | 98 min | 1990
Pretending to be Mohsen Makhmalbaf making his next movie, Hossain Sabzian enters the home of a well-to-do family in Tehran, promising it a prominent part in his next movie. The actual ...
Belle
Directed by Amma Asante | Rated PG | 100 min | 2013
The mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral is raised by her aristocratic great-uncle in 18th century England.
Fruitvale Station
Directed by Ryan Coogler | Rated R | 85 min | 2013
The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.
Gods and Monsters
Directed by Bill Condon | Rated R | 105 min | 1998
The last days of Frankenstein (1931) director James Whale are explored.
O.J.: Made in America
Directed by Ezra Edelman | Rated TV-MA | 467 min | 2016
A chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
American Splendor
Directed by Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini | Rated R | 101 min | 2003
An original mix of fiction and reality illuminates the life of comic book hero everyman Harvey Pekar.
Becket
Directed by Peter Glenville | Rated PG-13 | 148 min | 1964
King Henry II of England comes to terms with his affection for his close friend and confidant Thomas à Becket, who finds his true honor by observing God's divine will rather than the king's.
Milk
Directed by Gus Van Sant | Rated R | 128 min | 2008
The story of Harvey Milk, and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay elected official.
The Aviator
Directed by Martin Scorsese | Rated PG-13 | 170 min | 2004
A biopic depicting the early years of legendary director and aviator Howard Hughes' career from the late 1920s to the mid-1940s.
The Lion in Winter
Directed by Anthony Harvey | Rated PG | 134 min | 1968
1183 AD: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. They and his wife variously plot to force him.
Monster
Directed by Patty Jenkins | Rated R | 109 min | 2003
Based on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.
The Madness of King George
Directed by Nicholas Hytner | Rated PG-13 | 104 min | 1994
A meditation on power and the metaphor of the body of state, based on the real episode of dementia experienced by George III [now suspected a victim of porphyria, a blood disorder]. As he ...
Finding Neverland
Directed by Marc Forster | Rated PG | 106 min | 2004
The story of J.M. Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Directed by George Clooney | Rated PG | 93 min | 2005
Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Macbeth
Directed by Roman Polanski | Rated R | 140 min | 1971
A ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord seizes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches.
Question 7
Directed by Stuart Rosenberg | Rated N/A | 106 min | 1961
Suspenseful story of a boy and his father, each forced to decide his future on his willingness to stand up for what he believes.
Quills
Directed by Philip Kaufman | Rated R | 124 min | 2000
In a Napoleonic era insane asylum, an inmate, the irrepressible Marquis De Sade, fights a battle of wills against a tyrannically prudish doctor.
Shine
Directed by Scott Hicks | Rated PG-13 | 105 min | 1996
Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.
The Eleanor Roosevelt Story
Directed by Richard Kaplan | Rated N/A | 90 min | 1965
An admiring, uncritical biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, released three years after her death. The film focuses solely on her, beginning with her unhappy childhood after both her parents had...
The Post
Directed by Steven Spielberg | Rated PG-13 | 116 min | 2017
A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between the press and the government.
A Beautiful Mind
Directed by Ron Howard | Rated PG-13 | 135 min | 2001
After John Nash, a brilliant but asocial mathematician, accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn for the nightmarish.
Richard III
Directed by Laurence Olivier | 161 min | 1955
Shakespeare's powerful tale of the wicked deformed king and his conquests, both on the battlefield and in the boudoir.
The Elephant Man
Directed by David Lynch | Rated PG | 124 min | 1980
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity.
The Queen
Directed by Stephen Frears | Rated PG-13 | 103 min | 2006
After the death of Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II struggles with her reaction to a sequence of events nobody could have predicted.
Elizabeth
Directed by Shekhar Kapur | Rated R | 124 min | 1998
A film of the early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.
Caravaggio
Directed by Derek Jarman | Rated N/A | 93 min | 1986
A retelling of the life of the celebrated 17th-century painter through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld.
Capote
Directed by Bennett Miller | Rated R | 114 min | 2005
In 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.
Waltz with Bashir
Directed by Ari Folman | Rated R | 90 min | 2008
An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.
The Intouchables
Directed by Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano | Rated R | 112 min | 2011
After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caregiver.
Ivan the Terrible, Part I
Directed by Sergei M. Eisenstein | 95 min | 1945
During the early part of his reign, Ivan the Terrible faces betrayal from the aristocracy and even his closest friends as he seeks to unite the Russian people.
Out of Africa
Directed by Sydney Pollack | Rated PG | 161 min | 1985
In 20th-century colonial Kenya, a Danish baroness/plantation owner has a passionate love affair with a free-spirited big-game hunter.
Spartacus
Directed by Stanley Kubrick | Rated PG-13 | 197 min | 1960
The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic.
Napoleon
Directed by Abel Gance | Rated N/A | 240 min | 1927
A film about the French Field Marshal's youth and early military career.
In the Realm of the Senses
Directed by Nagisa Ôshima | Rated X | 109 min | 1976
A passionate telling of the story of Sada Abe, a woman whose affair with her master led to a sexual obsession which then came to a violent end.
I'm Not There.
Directed by Todd Haynes | Rated R | 135 min | 2007
Ruminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.
28 Up
Directed by Michael Apted | Rated N/A | 136 min | 1984
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last ...
Bugsy
Directed by Barry Levinson | Rated R | 136 min | 1991
The story of how Bugsy Siegel started Las Vegas.
The Favourite
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos | Rated R | 119 min | 2018
In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.
The Times of Harvey Milk
Directed by Rob Epstein | 90 min | 1984
A documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay councilor.
Grizzly Man
Directed by Werner Herzog | Rated R | 103 min | 2005
A devastating and heartrending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzlies in Alaska.
Lust for Life
Directed by Vincente Minnelli, George Cukor | 122 min | 1956
The life of brilliant but tortured artist Vincent van Gogh.
The Great Ziegfeld
Directed by Robert Z. Leonard | 176 min | 1936
This biography follows the ups and downs of Florenz Ziegfeld, famed producer of extravagant stage revues.
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
Directed by Errol Morris | Rated PG-13 | 107 min | 2003
The story of America as seen through the eyes of the former Secretary of Defense under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara.
Seven Up!
Directed by Paul Almond | Rated N/A | 39 min | 1964
A group of seven-year-old British children from widely ranging backgrounds are interviewed about a range of subjects. Director Michael Apted plans to reinterview them at seven-year ...
Capturing the Friedmans
Directed by Andrew Jarecki | 107 min | 2003
Documentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
Crumb
Directed by Terry Zwigoff | Rated R | 119 min | 1994
An intimate portrait of the controversial cartoonist and his traumatized family.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Directed by Seth Gordon | Rated PG-13 | 79 min | 2007
Die-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
Lincoln
Directed by Steven Spielberg | Rated PG-13 | 150 min | 2012
As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.
The Insider
Directed by Michael Mann | Rated R | 157 min | 1999
A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a "60 Minutes" expose on Big Tobacco.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Directed by Bryan Singer | Rated PG-13 | 134 min | 2018
The story of the legendary rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).
Born on the Fourth of July
Directed by Oliver Stone | Rated R | 145 min | 1989
The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
Coal Miner's Daughter
Directed by Michael Apted | Rated PG | 124 min | 1980
Biographical story of Loretta Lynn, a legendary country singer that came from poverty to worldwide fame. She rose from humble beginnings in Kentucky to superstardom and changing the sound and style of country music forever.
Evita
Directed by Alan Parker | Rated PG | 135 min | 1996
The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.
Song Without End
Directed by Charles Vidor, George Cukor | 141 min | 1960
The romantic story of Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt (Dirk Bogarde), whose scandalous love affair forced him to abandon his adoring audiences.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Directed by Andrew Dominik | Rated R | 160 min | 2007
Robert Ford, who's idolized Jesse James since childhood, tries hard to join the reforming gang of the Missouri outlaw, but gradually becomes resentful of the bandit leader.
The King and I
Directed by Walter Lang | 133 min | 1956
A widow accepts a job as a live-in governess to the King of Siam's children.
Walk the Line
Directed by James Mangold | Rated PG-13 | 136 min | 2005
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
With a Song in My Heart
Directed by Walter Lang | Rated N/A | 117 min | 1952
Jane Froman (Susan Hayward), an aspiring songstress, lands a job in radio with help from pianist Don Ross (David Wayne), whom she later marries. Jane's popularity soars, and she leaves on a...
The Big Short
Directed by Adam McKay | Rated R | 130 min | 2015
Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight.
Mr. Turner
Directed by Mike Leigh | Rated R | 150 min | 2014
An exploration of the last quarter century of the great, if eccentric, British painter J.M.W. Turner's life.
Latest News
2021 Award Winners :) May 3, 2022
Per usual, we've added the award winners from last year (2021), and updated our rankings!
2020 Award Winners! May 9, 2021
As always, we've added the award winners from last year (2020), and updated our rankings!
All the 2019 Award Winners and Updated Rankings February 22, 2020
We've added all the award winners from 2019, and updated our rankings!
Film lists
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1. Top 100 Movies of All Time by Rotten Tomatoes
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2. 100 All-Time Greatest Movies by Entertainment Weekly
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3. The 50 Greatest Films of All Time by Sight & Sound
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4. The 50 Greatest Movies by Black Directors by Slate
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5. The 80 Best-Directed Films by Directors Guild of America (DGA)
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6. Directors’ 10 Greatest Films of All Time by Sight and Sound
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7. Hollywood's 100 Favorite Films by The Hollywood Reporter
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8. The 100 best movies of all time by Time Out
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9. The 100 greatest American films by BBC
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10. Best Picture by New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC)
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11. Best Film by National Board of Review of Motion Pictures
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12. The 50 Greatest Films by The One-Line Review
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13. BAFTA Award for Best Film by British Academy of Film and Television Arts
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14. Top 100 British films by British Film Institute
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15. Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics
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16. AFI's 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time by American Film Institute
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17. Top Rated Movies by IMDb
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18. 102 Greatest Films by filmsite
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19. John Kobal Presents the Top 100 Movies by John Kobal
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20. Ten Greatest Films of All Time by Roger Ebert
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21. The 25 Best Films of the 21st Century So Far by The New York Times
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22. 12 Greatest Films of All Time by Quentin Tarantino
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23. Academy Award for Best Picture by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
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24. Essential List of Films for Filmmakers by Spike Lee
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25. 12 Greatest Films of All Time by Martin Scorsese
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26. Best Picture by Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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27. Best European Film of the Year by European Film Awards
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28. Best Film by Independent Spirit Awards
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29. Best Picture by Los Angeles Film Critics Association
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30. Best Picture by Chicago Film Critics Association
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31. Best Picture by Boston Society of Film Critics
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32. The 25 "Greatest" Documentaries of All Time by POV
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33. Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy by Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globe)
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34. Best Film by Austin Film Critics Association
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35. Best Picture by The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle
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36. Best Film by Village Voice Film Poll
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37. Best Motion Picture - Drama by Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globe)
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38. The 25 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the Last 25 Years by ScreenCrush
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39. Best Picture by Florida Film Critics Circle
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40. Best Theatrical Motion Picture by Producers Guild of America