10 Movies That Were Surprisingly Perfect From Start to Finish

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When it comes to movies (or just about anything, for that matter), achieving perfection is no easy feat. To be classified as perfect, a movie must execute what it sets out to do without flaw. For example, in terms of providing family entertainment with artful presentation and resonant themes, 2009’s stop-motion triumph Coraline does so flawlessly. Movies can be perfect for different reasons—not everything should be held to the same criteria.

Seeing as perfection is exceedingly difficult to achieve and near impossible to predict, whenever a perfect movie comes along, it’s quite a surprise, even if consistent track records have cemented certain directors such as Christopher Nolan or Denis Villeneuve as safe bets when it comes to providing excellent entertainment. This list offers a selection of movies that were expected to be at least good but turned out perfect from start to finish.

10

‘Hugo’ (2011)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Hugo (Asa Butterfield) and Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz) beside an automaton in 'Hugo' (2011) — Image via Paramount Pictures

Set in 1933 Paris, orphan boy Hugo (Asa Butterfield) lives in the walls of a translation. Hugo is gifted when it comes to all things mechanical—a trait he inherited from his late watchmaker father. One puzzle that Hugo has yet to solve is the mystery behind an intricately designed robot left behind by his father. With the help of his new friend Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), the two embark on an exciting journey to discover the robot’s purpose.

From the mind behind some of cinema’s greatest crime dramas and gangster movies, Martin Scorsese, comes the heartwarming family adventure movie Hugo. Undoubtedly a diversion from the director’s usual fare but nonetheless fantastic, Hugo is a joyful tale that’s chock-full of whimsy, a movie where the passion behind it is evident in every frame. Spielberg himself would shed a tear at such a sweet ode to cinema.

Release Date: November 23, 2011
Runtime: 126 minutes
Writers: John Logan
, Brian Selznick

9

‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Close-up of Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer getting questioned in Oppenheimer — Image via Universal Pictures

Oppenheimer chronicles the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the genius physicist who played a leading role in the creation of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer’s subsequent trial regarding potential ties to communism is intercut with his work on the top-secret Manhattan Project, with the end goal of winning the war and establishing the United States as a nuclear superpower. An experiment known as The Trinity Test would lead to Oppenheimer’s greatest success and worst nightmares.

The massive success (both critical and financial) of Oppenheimer shouldn’t be surprising. Director Christopher Nolan has already proven himself as a visionary filmmaker and one of Hollywood’s most consistent contributors to quality entertainment. Still, Oppenheimer‘s sheer cultural impact is hard to quantify, becoming what some could argue to be Nolan’s greatest work to date. Impeccably acted, riveting and utterly captivating, Oppenheimer is the perfect docudrama.

Release Date: July 21, 2023
Runtime: 150 Minutes

8

‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield pointing guns about to shoot in Pulp Fiction — Image via Miramax

Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent (John Travolta) are two enforcers tasked with retrieving a briefcase that was stolen from their mobster employer. In their search, they cross paths with a variety of eccentric (occasionally dangerous) personalities, including aging boxer Butch (Bruce Willis) and mob wife Mia (Uma Thurman). As their lives intersect, violence erupts, and a series of unlikely incidents unfold.

Fresh off his well-received 1992 debut Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction was shaping up to be an even more ambitious endeavor from the adventurous filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, but hardly anyone expected an instant modern classic. Pulp Fiction is a perfect concoction, one that, despite countless attempts, has yet to be replicated—a true lightning-in-a-bottle masterpiece. Tarantino’s knack for crafting compelling characters and sharp back-and-forths is on full display here, making for one of the most iconic and wildly entertaining movies to grace the silver screen.

Release Date: October 14, 1994
Runtime: 154 minutes

7

‘Little Women’ (2019)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, and Eliza Scanlen as Meg, Amy, Jo, and Beth wearing hats and dresses Little Women — Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Set in 19th-century Massachusetts, the lives of the March sisters are chronicled. Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) seeks to make a name for herself as an author. Meg (Emma Watson) is newly married, and Amy (Florence Pugh) is living in Paris with her lavish aunt. Sadly, the worsening illness of Beth (Eliza Scanlen) brings the girls back together.

Little Women is a timeless story that predates movies themselves. With acclaimed director Greta Gerwig at the helm of this latest adaptation, both fans of the source material and dramas as a whole were eager to see her rendition. As it turns out, Gerwig delivered period-drama perfection. This is the kind of quality adaptation that can only come from a deep understanding of what made the original text a classic. While there are sure to be more adaptations made in the future, Gerwig’s Little Women feels like a definitive effort.

Release Date: December 25, 2019
Cast: Emma Watson
, Timothée Chalamet
, Bob Odenkirk
, Florence Pugh
, Eliza Scanlen
, Abby Quinn
, Lilly Englert
, Chris Cooper
, James Norton
, Sasha Frolova
, Meryl Streep
, Saoirse Ronan
, Laura Dern
, Louis Garrel
Runtime: 135 minutes

6

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)

Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman

Miles dropping into New York City in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. — Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

After being bitten by an interdimensional radioactive spider, teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) develops fantastic powers. Seeking mentorship, Miles finds himself as a student of Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson), a not exactly stoic iteration of Spider-Man from another universe. Miles must learn to accept the responsibility and be wary of the dangers that sprout as a result of his newfound powers, all the while juggling his responsibilities as a student and son.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the final product of years of passionate work and dedication. Animated unlike anything audiences have ever seen before, this telling of the traditional Spider-Man narrative reaped the benefits that animation allows: unrestrained imagination and endless creative possibilities. Not only is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse a technical marvel in every respect, but it’s also a ridiculously entertaining romp that won audiences over with its witty humor and surprisingly thoughtful emotional core.

Release Date: December 6, 2018
Runtime: 117 minutes
Writers: Phil Lord
, Rodney Rothman

5

‘Titanic’ (1997)

Directed by James Cameron

Jack and Rose at the bow of the Titanic and her arms wide. — Image via 20th Century Studios

A dramatization of the maritime disaster from 1912, Titanic tells the story of artist Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and aristocrat Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet). A romance blossoms between the two on the maiden voyage on what is deemed to be the unsinkable R.M.S. Titanic. When disaster strikes, Jack and Rose are thrust into a fight for survival that would find more than 1500 souls lost to the sea.

The success story of Titanic is long and fabled. While previously known for his bombastic action classics such as The Terminator and Aliens, director James Cameron wasn’t exactly the obvious choice for a period romance drama. Despite this, Cameron’s change in pace paid off in spades; Titanic is the definition of a cinematic phenomenon. It’s a flawlessly executed technical masterpiece and a heart-tugging romance that remains relevant today as a pivotal moment in pop culture history.

Release Date: November 19, 1997
Runtime: 194 minutes
Writers: James Cameron

4

‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Joker pulls a card from his jacket in The Dark Knight — Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

The Dark Knight is set shortly after the events of Batman Begins. Batman (Christian Bale) continues his efforts to clean up the streets of Gotham, inciting fear in his enemies and hope in his city’s people. However, an up-and-coming criminal mastermind known as The Joker (Heath Ledger) looks to be an insurmountable obstacle in the way of peace. With countless lives and Batman’s very ideals in jeopardy, the city of Gotham hangs in the balance, awaiting a victor.

With Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan set a new precedent for comic-book movies. Smart and gritty while maintaining a tight focus on what makes Batman such a compelling figure, it soon became clear that Batman Begins was just the beginning in what could only be described as a renaissance of an entire genre of movies. The Dark Knight did not only exceed its expectations as a follow-up; it delivered intelligent blockbuster entertainment with a level of finesse that puts it on another level entirely. It’s a flawless movie through and through and undoubtedly one of the best (if not the best) superhero movies ever made.

Release Date: July 18, 2008
Cast: Christian Bale
, Heath Ledger
, Michael Caine
, Morgan Freeman
, Nestor Carbonell
, Ritchie Coster
, Cillian Murphy
, Chin Han
, Gary Oldman
, Eric Roberts
, William Fichtner
, Aaron Eckhart
, Maggie Gyllenhaal
, David Dastmalchian
, Anthony Michael Hall
Runtime: 152 Minutes

3

‘Blade Runner’ (1982)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Rick Deckard in 'Blade Runner', sitting in front of the Voight-Kampff machine — Image via Warner Bros.

The year is 2019. A megacorporation has developed lifelike robots known as replicants to aid humanity by undertaking dangerous tasks or exploring distant regions in the stars. When a small group of replicants violently rebel against their human handlers, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is assigned to hunt the rogue machines and neutralize them. Opposing him is Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), the leader of the group of replicants in search of his creator.

Fresh off the success of his classic in the making, Alien (1979), director Ridley Scott dedicated himself to a project that dwarfed the ambition of his last movie entirely. Thankfully, Scott’s ambitions didn’t exceed his grasp—Blade Runner is one of the most elegantly crafted and thematically dense science fiction movies ever made. Few movies wield a creative vision this effectively; Blade Runner is immensely compelling from a narrative standpoint and impossible to look away from on a technical level. Along with all this, Blade Runner solidified Scott as one to look out for.

Release Date: June 25, 1982
Runtime: 117 minutes
Writers: Hampton Fancher
, David Webb Peoples
, Philip K. Dick
, Roland Kibbee

2

‘The Lego Movie’ (2014)

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

The main characters of The Lego Movie together looking surprised — Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Set in a world of LEGO, happy-go-lucky construction worker Emmett (Chris Pratt) leads a completely normal existence. Behind the scenes, President Business (Will Ferrell) hatches an evil scheme in his pursuit of ruling the LEGO universe. It’s up to Emmett, the unlikely master builder, to assemble a force of allies and embark on a perilous journey.

Leading up to its release, it was hard to imagine The Lego Movie being anything other than an advertisement aimed at children at best and a shameless cash grab at worst. Thankfully, to just about everybody’s surprise, The Lego Movie is one of the most charming and inventive works of animation in recent memory. A vibrant and expressive family affair, directors Lord and Miller captured lightning in a bottle with The Lego Movie, a stroke of creative genius that, much like its protagonist, is truly special.

The Lego Movie

Release Date: February 7, 2014
Cast: Chris Pratt
, Alison Brie
, Channing Tatum
, Nick Offerman
, Liam Neeson
, Will Ferrell
, Cobie Smulders
, Elizabeth Banks
, Will Arnett
, Charlie Day
, Jonah Hill
Runtime: 100 Minutes
Writers: Dan Hageman
, Kevin Hageman
, Phil Lord
, Chris Miller

1

‘Arrival’ (2016)

Directed by Denis Villeneuve

Amy Adams in Arrival wearing a hazmat suit and holding a sign that has the word "human". — Image via Paramount Pictures

Massive alien spaceships have touched down in 12 different locations around the globe. The United States military enlisted the help of linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) to assist in establishing a line of communication with the extraterrestrial visitors. As the conflict between nations surrounding the situation increases global tensions, Banks and her team must race to decipher the meaning behind symbols drawn by the beings.

With a track record that has produced no subpar movies, director Denis Villeneuve has proven himself to be one of modern cinema’s brightest talents, but Arrival might’ve been his biggest surprise yet. This is an alien invasion movie told with exciting and unexpectedly moving profundity; there’s no brain harvesting or action setpieces found in Arrival. Its approach to a familiar subject is done with an elegance that’s all too uncommon in movies of its type. Arrival is a modern masterpiece and one of the greatest modern achievements in science fiction.