Which film topped the poll?
By Sam Warner 24th November 2025
Marlon Brando in 'The Godfather'. CREDIT: Sky/Paramount Pictures
The 100 greatest films of all time according to Empire readers has been unveiled, with a huge fantasy classic topping the poll.
The publication collated 3,000 responses from readers of films that have “comforted, challenged, entertained and inspired” them most and “above all else, made and continue to make you feel something”, counting the top votes with the most points, before they turned to their own team to “pool their expertise”.
AdvertisementTaking the number one spot is 2001’s The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, the first entry in Peter Jackson‘s trilogy, followed by 1980’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back at number two and 1972’s The Godfather at number three.
The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan‘s second Batman film takes the number four spot, followed by The Shawshank Redemption and Jaws, while Pulp Fiction, Avengers: Infinity War, Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Goodfellas complete the top 10.
Films of the last decade such as Mad Max: Fury Road, Parasite, Avengers: Endgame, Blade Runner 2049, Moonlight, Get Out, La La Land, Lady Bird, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, A Quiet Place, Arrival, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Logan, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire and Paddington 2 also made the list.
Meanwhile, Lord Of The Rings sequels The Return Of The King and The Two Towers take the 27th and 34th spots, respectively.
RecommendedThe Fellowship Of The Ring was described as “a miracle of storytelling, a feat of filmmaking and still the gold standard for cinematic experiences” by Empire, the publication arguing that it is “the most perfect” of the trilogy.
Check out the top 10 below, with the full list here.
- The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- The Godfather (1972)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- Jaws (1975)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Avengers Infinity War (2018)
- Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
- Goodfellas (1990)
Last year, Rotten Tomatoes released its own list of greatest films of all time, using their Tomatometer ratings and Audience Scores to compile, with L.A. Confidential topping the poll, followed by The Godfather and Casablanca.
In other news, film fans are gearing up for a return to Middle-earth in new film The Hunt For Gollum, which will see Andy Serkis return to the titular role and direct, and is due out in 2027. Original trilogy stars Sir Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen have also weighed in on potentially returning for the project.
