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Stanley Kubrick’s Top 20 Favorite Movies Of All Time

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Ignacio Weil

Entertainment - June 3rd 2025, 17:00 GMT+2

Cropped Stanley Kubrick — About this gallery:

For this gallery, we decided to kick things off with the 10 films that Stanley Kubrick himself named as his all-time favorites back in 1963 — straight from the man, no mind-reading required. After that, we added 10 more titles he praised or added to his cinematic hall of fame over the years.

So, do you agree with the genius behind *2001* and *The Shining*? Drop your favorites in the comments!

Cropped i vitelloni 1953 — I Vitelloni (1953)

Before Ferris Bueller took his day off or Kevin Smith found slackers worth writing about, there was *I Vitelloni*, Federico Fellini’s bittersweet ode to the drifting, daydreaming man-child. Kubrick, who was never exactly a warm-and-fuzzy storyteller, had a soft spot for this Italian gem — maybe because beneath its gorgeous neorealist surface lies the tragicomic truth that many boys simply never grow up (and some just pick up a camera instead). Featuring Franco Interlenghi and Alberto Sordi, the film manages to be deeply personal and gently absurd — a mood Kubrick would quietly carry into his own early character studies. This isn’t just Fellini telling tales about provincial life; it’s cinematic therapy with pasta. | © Ponti-De Laurentiis Cinematografica

Cropped wild strawberries 1957 — Wild Strawberries (1957)

Kubrick admired Ingmar Bergman’s *Wild Strawberries* like a man marveling at another magician’s sleight of hand. After all, here was a film that traveled into the past without any need for a spaceship — just a lonely professor, a beat-up car, and some memory-fueled dream sequences that would give Freud a hernia. Victor Sjöström’s performance as the aging doctor is a masterclass in stoic vulnerability, and young Bibi Andersson adds a pinch of charm and mystery in dual roles. With its dreamy pacing and existential dread tucked neatly into polite Scandinavian silences, it’s no wonder Kubrick kept this film close to his melancholic, perfectionist heart. | © Svensk Filmindustri

Cropped Citizen Kane 1941 — Citizen Kane (1941)

Yes, it’s the film school cliché to end all clichés — but *Citizen Kane* earned every inch of its legend, and Kubrick knew it. Orson Welles, at just 25, made the cinematic equivalent of a mic drop, co-starring as the blustery, enigmatic Charles Foster Kane while also directing, co-writing, and inventing about half of modern film grammar. Welles’s performance is iconic, but it’s Gregg Toland’s deep-focus cinematography and that snow globe of unresolved regret that likely made Kubrick swoon. If Kubrick's camera moved like a calculating chess master, Welles's was the wild, confident rookie slamming the table and saying "checkmate" anyway. | © RKO Radio Pictures

Cropped the treasure of the sierra madre 1948 — The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948)

Greed, sweat, paranoia, and a whole lot of dust — *The Treasure of the Sierra Madre* is a cinematic pressure cooker, and Kubrick absolutely loved turning up the heat. John Huston directs a gritty tale of gold and madness in the Mexican mountains, with Humphrey Bogart in one of his rawest, least romanticized roles. Walter Huston (John's dad) steals the show with a grin and a jig, while the audience slowly realizes that the real treasure was the friends we drove insane along the way. Kubrick, ever the observer of psychological unravelling, surely appreciated this descent into sweaty, sunbaked distrust. | © Warner Bros.

Cropped city lights 1931 — City Lights (1931)

Chaplin’s *City Lights* is proof that you don’t need dialogue to make an audience sob into their popcorn — just a bowler hat, a blind flower girl, and that final, devastating smile. Kubrick adored this film, likely because it achieved emotional transcendence without sacrificing wit, timing, or that signature Chaplin slapstick. The Tramp’s quest to help his beloved regain her sight feels as epic as any space odyssey, and far more human. Virginia Cherrill co-stars as the sweet, sightless object of the Tramp’s affections, giving the film its emotional core. Kubrick — the man behind HAL and homicidal hotel caretakers — had a tender side too, and it looked an awful lot like *City Lights*. | © United Artists

Cropped henry v 1944 — Henry V (1944)

Laurence Olivier doesn’t just star in *Henry V* — he *galvanizes* Shakespeare's words with enough patriotic gusto to make even Kubrick sit up straighter. Olivier plays the titular king with a noble jawline and a sword-swinging confidence that feels designed to inspire a nation at war — which, in 1944, was precisely the point. Kubrick ranked this version highly in his early list, even if he later admitted a preference for Kenneth Branagh’s grittier 1989 take. Still, with Jeanette Sterke and Robert Newton in supporting roles and technicolor splendor giving the Battle of Agincourt an operatic flair, it’s hard not to see what Kubrick admired: a director who, like himself, could take the classics and give them cinematic muscle. | © Two Cities Films

Cropped la notte 1961 — La Notte (1961)

Michelangelo Antonioni’s *La Notte* is so elegantly somber it could be mistaken for a perfume ad if it weren’t also quietly devastating. Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau play a couple wandering through the ruins of their marriage like ghosts with excellent tailoring. For Kubrick — ever intrigued by emotional decay behind polished facades — this film was a minimalist symphony in mood. Monica Vitti, in a late-act appearance, adds a modern cool that lingers like smoke in the air. You don’t watch *La Notte* for plot; you absorb it like light from a dying star. And that’s exactly the kind of melancholy Kubrick could respect. | © Cineriz

Cropped The Bank Dick 1940 — The Bank Dick (1940)

W.C. Fields drunkenly stumbles through *The Bank Dick* like a man with absolutely no plan — which is probably what made Kubrick grin from ear to ear. As Egbert Sousé (pronounced Soo-zay, thank you very much), Fields fumbles his way into heroism with zero effort and maximum sarcasm. Kubrick, a famously precise and perfectionist filmmaker, had a deep appreciation for comedy that looked effortless — and Fields’ dry, chaotic genius fits the bill. Toss in some low-stakes criminal hijinks and character names like “J. Frothingham Waterbury” and you’ve got a film that feels like vaudeville got invited to brunch with the Marx Brothers. | © Universal Pictures

Cropped roxie hart 1942 — Roxie Hart (1942)

Before *Chicago* jazz-handed its way to Broadway glory, *Roxie Hart* gave audiences a biting, cynical laugh at the expense of fame, murder, and the American justice system. Ginger Rogers plays the fame-hungry Roxie with a wink and a whole lot of sass, taking on a role originally written for a much darker character — but here played strictly for laughs. Kubrick, ever intrigued by the spectacle of media manipulation and moral grey zones, clearly saw the value in this gleeful satire. With Adolphe Menjou playing the showboating lawyer and a parade of wisecracks marching through every scene, *Roxie Hart* lets you laugh at things you probably shouldn’t. Kubrick would’ve found that delightful. | © 20th Century Fox

Cropped hells angels 1930 — Hell’s Angels (1930)

Howard Hughes’s *Hell’s Angels* is a roaring, propeller-churning, budget-blowing spectacle of early Hollywood ambition — and Kubrick, an aviation nerd himself, must’ve seen it as the cinematic equivalent of a biplane barrel roll. With Jean Harlow bringing the heat and Ben Lyon and James Hall flying in formation both literally and romantically, the film straddles melodrama and technological marvel. Kubrick admired the daring and obsessiveness behind Hughes’s work — and if there’s one thing Stanley knew, it was how to spend a million bucks trying to get one perfect shot of a plane in the sky. *Hell’s Angels* is chaotic, passionate, and impossibly grand — just like the men who made it. | © United Artists

Cropped eraserhead 1977 — Eraserhead (1977)

*Eraserhead* is the kind of film that feels like a dream you’re not sure you should be having — and that’s exactly why Kubrick adored it. David Lynch’s nightmarish debut follows Jack Nance’s silent, stunned Henry through a black-and-white industrial purgatory of screeching radiators, mutant babies, and horrifying dinners. Kubrick admired it so much, he screened it for the cast and crew of *The Shining* to help them lock into its surreal dread. You can’t exactly say “stars” when talking about *Eraserhead* — everyone in it looks like they crawled out of an old electrical socket — but that aesthetic was catnip to Kubrick’s eye. It’s not a movie. It’s a mood disorder. And he loved it. | © Libra Films International

Cropped modern romance 1981 — Modern Romance (1981)

There’s neurotic, and then there’s *Modern Romance* — Albert Brooks’s devastatingly hilarious take on romantic obsession. Brooks plays Robert, a film editor whose idea of love involves constant breakups, regretting breakups, and frantically calling his ex at 2 a.m. for “closure.” Sound familiar? It should — because Kubrick called Brooks personally to gush over it, telling him this was the film he’d *always wanted to make about jealousy*. Kathryn Harrold co-stars as the endlessly patient ex-girlfriend, while James L. Brooks (no relation!) pops in for comic seasoning. The brilliance of *Modern Romance* lies in its ability to be both cringe-inducing and heartbreaking — Kubrick knew good emotional horror when he saw it. | © Columbia Pictures

Cropped the jerk 1979 — The Jerk (1979)

Yes, Stanley Kubrick — the man behind the monolith and HAL 9000 — absolutely *loved* *The Jerk*. Steve Martin’s ridiculous, rags-to-riches-to-rags journey as Navin R. Johnson may seem like the opposite of cerebral cinema, but Kubrick was enchanted by its pure absurdity. It’s the story of a man who was born a poor Black child (Martin’s delivery sells it), invents a wildly impractical product, gets rich, and loses it all in under 90 minutes. Bernadette Peters brings sparkle and sincerity as Navin’s love interest, and Carl Reiner’s direction keeps the laughs rolling. The fact that Kubrick even considered Martin for a dramatic role later on tells you everything: *The Jerk* cracked him up in a way only true genius can. | © Universal Pictures

Cropped one flew over the cuckoos nest 1975 — One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

When a movie wins all five major Oscars, you don’t need Kubrick to tell you it’s good — but he did anyway. *One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest* struck a nerve with Kubrick’s daughter Katharina, who confirmed it was one of his favorites. And how could it not be? Jack Nicholson — one eyebrow permanently arched — leads a crew of institutionalized misfits in a rebellion against the icy Nurse Ratched, played with terrifying restraint by Louise Fletcher. The ensemble is a who’s-who of future stars, including Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd. Kubrick admired control, but he also respected chaos — and few films capture it more poignantly than this Milos Forman classic. | © United Artists

Cropped dog day afternoon 1975 — Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Kubrick was a fan of psychological pressure cookers, and *Dog Day Afternoon* delivers that in the form of a botched bank robbery turned media circus. Al Pacino, giving one of his most kinetic performances, yells “Attica!” into the sweltering Brooklyn air, while John Cazale — the king of quiet anxiety — stands silently by with a tragic gaze. Directed by Sidney Lumet, the film is both thrilling and deeply human, exploring themes of identity, desperation, and public spectacle. Kubrick’s admiration for it came from its unflinching realism and the subtle ways it poked at authority — themes he explored with far more symmetry and artificial lighting, but the same sharp eye. | © Warner Bros.

Cropped the godfather 1972 — The Godfather (1972)

Kubrick didn’t hand out compliments like candy, but he reportedly called *The Godfather* “possibly the greatest movie ever made.” And really, who could blame him? Francis Ford Coppola’s mafia epic is operatic, poetic, and cold-blooded all at once. Marlon Brando mumbles his way into immortality as Don Vito Corleone, while Al Pacino’s transformation from baby-faced war hero to dead-eyed boss is basically a masterclass in the slow burn. The supporting cast? Just a casual list of icons: James Caan, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, and Talia Shire. Kubrick’s respect wasn’t just for the storytelling — it was for the absolute control, the elegance of the violence, and the psychological weight beneath every shadowy frame. | © Paramount Pictures

Cropped White Men Cant Jump 1992 — White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

Now this one surprised *everyone* — except maybe Kubrick himself. According to his family, *White Men Can’t Jump* was one of his favorite films, and once you stop laughing, it makes perfect sense. Ron Shelton’s hustler comedy is as much about ego and class as it is about basketball. Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson bounce trash talk like poetry, while Rosie Perez steals scenes and Jeopardy answers with ease. Beneath its neon tank tops and playground swagger, the film digs into identity, pride, and trust — themes Kubrick dissected with far more seriousness, but clearly recognized when others did it with laughs. Proof that the man behind *2001* also had a soft spot for slam dunks and snapbacks. | © 20th Century Fox

Cropped the texas chain saw massacre 1974 — The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Yes, Stanley Kubrick — the man who meticulously storyboarded the blood elevator scene in *The Shining* — genuinely admired *The Texas Chain Saw Massacre*. It’s grimy, low-budget, and drenched in sweat, but Kubrick recognized its power. Directed by Tobe Hooper, the film gave us Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen) and one of horror’s most chilling final chases, where Marilyn Burns’s scream practically tears through the screen. Kubrick loved atmosphere, and *Chain Saw* has it in spades: raw, claustrophobic, and devoid of mercy. It's a descent into madness with a power tool soundtrack, and Kubrick likely appreciated the way it rattled your nerves without needing a drop of polish. | © Bryanston Distributing Company

Cropped roger me 1989 — Roger & Me (1989)

Michael Moore’s debut documentary might seem like an odd favorite for a master of narrative control, but *Roger & Me* had exactly the kind of rebellious guts that Kubrick respected. Moore's DIY approach to exposing corporate cruelty — specifically General Motors’ gutting of Flint, Michigan — resonated as both comedy and tragedy. Moore may not have had a dolly track or a Kubrickian lens kit, but he had fire, and he put himself in the story like a bowling shirt–wearing Trojan horse. Kubrick’s longtime associate Jan Harlan confirmed his admiration for the film’s bite, its honesty, and its refusal to play nice with the powerful. It’s muckraking with a grin — and Kubrick loved the mess. | © Warner Bros.

Cropped girlfriends 1978 — Girlfriends (1978)

Kubrick didn’t hand out recommendations often, but when he praised *Girlfriends*, he meant it. Claudia Weill’s quiet indie about female friendship and creative independence captured his attention with its subtlety and truth. Melanie Mayron stars as Susan, a photographer navigating the strange limbo between dependence and self-definition when her best friend (Anita Skinner) gets married. Kubrick reportedly told Weill that her film was “a wonderful example of what you can do without compromise,” and that’s high praise from the man who famously controlled every molecule on set. Smart, intimate, and deeply human, *Girlfriends* might be small — but it left a big impression on one of cinema’s biggest minds. | © Warner Bros.

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What were Stanley Kubrick’s favorite movies? From surreal nightmares to silent-era masterpieces, the legendary director behind 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining had a surprisingly eclectic watchlist. In this article, we dive into Kubrick’s top 20 favorite films — starting with the ten he officially listed in 1963, followed by ten more he praised throughout his life. Whether you’re a film student, a cinephile, or just curious about what made Kubrick tick, this list offers a rare window into the cinematic influences of one of history’s most visionary directors. Spoiler: it’s not all art house and existential dread.

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What were Stanley Kubrick’s favorite movies? From surreal nightmares to silent-era masterpieces, the legendary director behind 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining had a surprisingly eclectic watchlist. In this article, we dive into Kubrick’s top 20 favorite films — starting with the ten he officially listed in 1963, followed by ten more he praised throughout his life. Whether you’re a film student, a cinephile, or just curious about what made Kubrick tick, this list offers a rare window into the cinematic influences of one of history’s most visionary directors. Spoiler: it’s not all art house and existential dread.