Defining Genre
THE MUSIC
WHEN THE SCORE TAKES OVER
The films that let the music carry a scene. Where a needle drop can do the work of a monologue.
Peak 2010s
3,398
Films Catalogued
67.8
Avg Master Score
6.6
Avg IMDb
2010s
Peak Decade
NORMAN TAUROG
Top Director
Of which 126 earned Oscar nominations or wins
The Defining Three
ESSENTIAL VIEWING
Top-ranked by master score. If you only saw three films from this decade, these are the three.
No.01
MS93.6
JONATHAN DEMME|1984
STOP MAKING SENSE
“Why stop making sense? Why a movie? Why a big suit? Where do the odd movements come from? What will the band do next?”
No.02
MS91.6
RON HOWARD|2016
THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - THE TOURING YEARS
“The band you know. The story you don't.”
No.03
MS91.3
QUESTLOVE, HAL TULCHIN|2021
SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
“A Questlove Jawn.”
Filter the List
3,398/3,398 films
Master Score
Awards
Showing 50 of 3398
01
Stop Making Sense
1984 · Jonathan Demme
93.6
02The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
2016 · Ron Howard
91.6
03Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
2021 · Questlove, Hal Tulchin
91.3
04A Hard Day's Night
1964 · Richard Lester
91.1
05Secret Superstar
2017 · Advait Chandan
90.8
06The Last Waltz
1978 · Martin Scorsese
90.6
07The Sound of Music
1965 · Robert Wise · 5 Oscars
90.6
08tick, tick... BOOM!
2021 · Lin-Manuel Miranda
90.1
09Amadeus
1984 · Milos Forman · 8 Oscars
89.9
10Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry
2021 · R.J. Cutler
89.8
11E
Everybody's Everything
2019 · Sebastian Jones, Ramez Silyan
89.8
12Cabaret
1972 · Bob Fosse · 8 Oscars
89.8
13Whiplash
2014 · Damien Chazelle · 3 Oscars
89.7
14La La Land
2016 · Damien Chazelle · 6 Oscars
89.7
15Straight Outta Compton
2015 · F. Gary Gray
89.5
16Tupac: Resurrection
2003 · Lauren Lazin
89.4
17A Night at the Opera
1935 · Sam Wood, Edmund Goulding
89.2
18A Face in the Crowd
1957 · Elia Kazan
89.2
19Andhadhun
2018 · Sriram Raghavan
89.0
20Steven Universe: The Movie
2019 · Rebecca Sugar, Joseph D. Johnston, Kat Morris
89.0
21The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
2011 · Nick Morris, Laurence Connor
88.9
22The Sparks Brothers
2021 · Edgar Wright
88.8
23BTS Permission to Dance on Stage - Seoul: Live Viewing
2022 · Ha Jung Jae
88.6
24Sound City
2013 · Dave Grohl
88.5
25The Muppet Movie
1979 · James Frawley
88.5
26Miss Americana
2020 · Lana Wilson
88.4
27Marley
2012 · Kevin Macdonald
88.4
28Strictly Ballroom
1992 · Baz Luhrmann
88.2
29BTS: Permission to Dance on Stage - LA
2022 · Park Jun-soo, Sam Wrench
88.0
30Buena Vista Social Club
1999 · Wim Wenders
88.0
31Gimme Shelter
1970 · Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin
87.8
32B
Break the Silence: The Movie
2020 · Park Jun-soo
87.7
33B
Bring the Soul: The Movie
2019 · Park Jun-soo
87.7
34The Burmese Harp
1956 · Kon Ichikawa
87.6
35T
The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert
2022 · Peter Jackson
87.6
36Mungaru Male
2006 · Yograj Bhat
87.5
37Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii
1972 · Adrian Maben
87.5
38The Devil and Daniel Johnston
2005 · Jeff Feuerzeig
87.5
39Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
2010 · Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen
87.5
40Top Hat
1935 · Mark Sandrich
87.3
41The Red Shoes
1948 · Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger · 2 Oscars
87.3
42Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi
2008 · Aditya Chopra
87.3
43Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary
2010 · Nick Morris, Laurence Connor, James Powell
87.2
44I Can Only Imagine
2018 · Andrew Erwin, Jon Erwin
87.2
45Pearl Jam Twenty
2011 · Cameron Crowe
87.1
46Mr. Muhsin
1987 · Yavuz Turgul
87.0
47The Blue Angel
1930 · Josef von Sternberg
87.0
48Shall We Dance?
1996 · Masayuki Suô
86.9
49Animal Crackers
1930 · Victor Heerman
86.8
50Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day
2012 · Dick Carruthers
86.8
Continue the Canon
NEXT GENRE
Every catalogued genre, one short walk from any other. Step sideways, or jump straight to the form you came for.
Step Back
HORROR
THE LONG APPROACH
The genre that earns its scares with patience. Where silence is the loudest cue and a doorway is the most dangerous frame.
Step Forward
MUSICAL
SING WHEN THE WORDS RUN OUT
The genre that asks the cast to stop talking and start singing. Where choreography is the screenplay and the camera dances too.