
Many films are broadly categorized as 'good' or 'bad,' but it's rare for critics to unanimously agree that a movie is perfect. While measuring perfection with complete accuracy is tough, Rotten Tomatoes’s 'Tomatometer' comes pretty close. If a film receives a perfect score from all critics, it's safe to say it's more than just 'generally good.'
If you’re imagining a list filled only with films like Citizen Kane, a few Charlie Chaplin comedies, and other all-time classics, you might be in for a delightful surprise. The so-called '100% Club' features movies that cater to nearly every type of viewer. Arnold Schwarzenegger helped elevate James Cameron’s The Terminator (1984) to become the blueprint for atmospheric action films, while Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy transformed modern romance in 1995’s Before Sunrise. Hawke didn’t just make the list as an actor; his directorial debut, the documentary Seymour: An Introduction about pianist Seymour Bernstein, also holds a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.
And if you haven’t watched Paddington 2 (2018) yet, here’s one question for you: What are you waiting for? Not a single critic gave this heartwarming film, starring Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins, and Hugh Laurie (who has claimed it 'may be the best film [he’s] ever been in'), anything less than 100 percent. The original Paddington (2014) holds a 98 percent score, so you might want to catch that one as well.
To be included in the club, a movie must have at least 40 reviews, which means some incredible lesser-known films may not have reached that threshold. Here are 50 that have, and you can explore Rotten Tomatoes’s complete list here.
- 3 1/2 Minutes, 10 Bullets (2015)
- The 400 Blows (1959)
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
- Afghan Star (2009)
- Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
- Aruitemo Aruitemo (2008)
- Battleship Potemkin (1925)
- Before Sunrise (1995)
- Citizen Kane (1941)
- Dawson City: Frozen Time (2017)
- Deliver Us From Evil (2006)
- Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone (2011)
- Fireworks Wednesday (2016)
- The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
- Honeyland (2019)
- Ilo Ilo (2014)
- Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
- The Last Picture Show (1971)
- The Last Train Home (2010)
- Laura (1944)
- Leave No Trace (2018)
- Man on Wire (2008)
- Mickey and the Bear (2019)
- Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999)
- Nostalgia for the Light (2011)
- Only Yesterday (1991)
- Paddington 2 (2018)
- Poetry (2011)
- Rio Bravo (1959)
- Seymour: An Introduction (2015)
- The Square (2013)
- The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2014)
- Tampopo (1985)
- Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)
- The Terminator (1984)
- Toy Story 2 (1999)
- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- We Were Here (2011)