Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
In these hallowed halls (which are of course metaphorical rather than literal) the very best of cinema comes to be celebrated, 24 frames at a time.
Whether they be classics of Hollywood’s Golden Era, genre-defining masterpieces, works of tremendous artistic integrity, cultural touchstones, piercing satires, raucous comedies, or simply the most timely films of their era, these moving pictures are the ones to be admired, to be rewatched, to be celebrated.
At The Film Magazine we made it our mission to celebrate what makes cinema the art form that has shaped our world, and in doing so embraced a scoring system we felt best encapsulated the form itself. Movies were traditionally projected at 24 frames per second, the passing of light through 24 still frames presenting the illusion of movement. So, here at The Film Magazine we rate each film out of 24, scoring each and every one of the hundreds of films we’ve reviewed by the average number of frames that are worth watching.
Over fifty contributors have used our scoring system to rank classics and recent releases alike. Of the hundreds of films reviewed, some of them have been deemed outstanding. Here, in the The Film Magazine Hall of Fame, is every film to have been rated 21 (or more) out of 24; the traditional 5-star rating.
In order of most recently published.
Nosferatu (2024) Review - Robert Eggers' take on the masterful German Expressionist film 'Nosferatu' is an auteur work to meet and exceed expectations of cinephiles. Review by Jacob Davis.
‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ at 80 – Review - Judy Garland is mesmerising in Vincente Minnelli's holiday classic, 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (1944), a tale that can ease our minds even 80 years on. Review by Margaret Roarty.
‘Mr Smith Goes to Washington’ at 85 – Review - We behold the outrage of director Frank Capra, and absorb the performance of an all-time great career from James Stewart, in 'Mr Smith Goes to Washington. Review by Bella Madge.
West Side Story (1961) Review - Feature musical 'West Side Story', from directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, still encourages us to feel immensely, more than 60 years after its release. Review by Bella Madge.
‘Dr Strangelove’ at 60 – Review - Stanley Kubrick's cold war comedy 'Dr Strangelove' (1964) is one of the director's most lasting projects and features a trio of masterful performances from Peter Sellers. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
‘The Third Man’ at 75 – Review - Carol Reed's noir thriller 'The Third Man' (1949), starring Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles, remains one of the greatest films ever made, 75 years after its release. Review by Kieran Judge.
‘The Iron Giant’ at 25 – Review - 25 years on from the release of Brad Bird's Warner Animation film 'The Iron Giant', it still has the power to inspire awe. It has stood the test of time. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
‘North by Northwest’ at 65 – Review - 65 years on from its release, Alfred Hitchcock thriller 'North by Northwest' remains a glorious mishmash of parody and paranoia, a sublimely written, thrilling film. Review by Kieran Judge.
‘Anatomy of a Murder’ at 65 – Review - James Stewart and George C. Scott are a wonder to behold in Otto Preminger's strange, uneasy, and altogether brilliant courtroom drama 'Anatomy of a Murder' (1959). Review by Kieran Judge.
‘The Lion King’ at 30 – Review - Three decades on, Disney Animation's 'The Lion King' remains a classic. The jewel in the Disney Renaissance crown is an untouchable icon of pop culture. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.