The 100 Greatest Summer Blockbuster Movies of All Time

This text initially ran in 2020 as a part of Blockbuster Month, which celebrated the best hits of Hollywood. Now we have republished it and up to date it for 2025’s Motion Week. See which motion pictures additionally function in our record of the 50 Greatest Motion Film Franchises of all time.

“Cool.” “Riveting.” “Gripping.” “Excessive-Octane Thrill Journey!” All cliches of movie criticism and but all emotions we’ve skilled whereas watching a crackerjack summer time blockbuster. Oops, there we go once more. All issues thought-about, any moviegoer can communicate to the divine feeling of sitting in a cool, packed theater within the warmth of the summer time and being united by narrative. Not simply united, however hypnotized, mentally satisfied that the destiny of the world is earlier than your eyes, and there may be nothing extra essential in that very second.

It’s escapism. It’s popcorn. It’s Chinatown. But additionally, it’s the facility of spectacle. Through the years, Hollywood has actually run that idea by way of the ringer, having turned what was once a summer time blockbuster season into, properly, a complete calendar 12 months. Now, all these aforementioned buzzwords can fly round in November, or March, and even as early as January. Not surprisingly, it’s since led to diminishing returns, and the concept or notion of a spectacle is one that happens simply once in a while. But it surely nonetheless occurs.

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And when it does, that very same magic comes reeling again, and we’re reminded “why we go to the flicks,” because the previous adage says. After all, within the great 12 months of 2020 and the age of Covid-19, that previous adage is a fever dream, a fantasy even, leaving us starved for that communal expertise we so typically took as a right. In a way, the irony is on Hollywood: At a time when streaming networks are rolling out tens of 1000’s of hours — each traditional and authentic — the individuals need to go away the lounge. Who knew.

That craving, although, has led to a renewed appreciation for the magic of the summer time blockbuster. Unexpectedly drive-ins are a factor once more, the classics are making waves on the field workplace, and individuals are remembering how nice we used to have it on the silver display. Certain, a few of it’s merely a simple distraction in an period of little or no offline distractions, however the nostalgic bubble has supplied some much-needed respite. Whether or not it’s Isla Nublar or a galaxy far, far-off, being whisked away has by no means felt so… crucial.

In gentle of these wants, sondramedia has compiled what they imagine to be the 100 best summer time blockbusters of all time. The record forward was collated by over a dozen movie critics, who not solely submitted titles however then additionally voted on them. As with something, there are guidelines, and we actually adopted one: The blockbusters have been strictly restricted to releases from late April to Labor Day weekend. Which means you gained’t see favorites like Logan, or The Lord of the Rings movies, and even the brand new Star Wars sequels.

As a substitute, you’ll see a spread of movies that supply a extra nuanced definition of what the summer time blockbuster was, is, and nonetheless may be within the years and years forward. As a result of despite the fact that mental property is the skeleton key of Hollywood, that wasn’t at all times the case, and actually, that proverbial key gained’t at all times work. In the long run, it’s the unique tales — be it scary or witty, humorous or perplexing, good or slapstick — that stay simply as important (if no more so) than the reboots, reunions, and re-imaginings.

So, seize some popcorn, toss in some M&Ms, and luxuriate in this action-packed rollercoaster.

— Michael Roffman