1. The Prince of Egypt
1998 • Steve Hickner, Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells • Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes
The Prince of Egypt has just about everything that I look for in a movie, not to mention that it’s been in the Smith family movie rotation for essentially my entire life, be it DVD or streaming. With superb animation (and some show-stopping visuals of insane scale), a great story with complex, fully developed lead characters, committed vocal performances from actors and singers alike, and one of the best soundtrack-score combinations in film history, I can’t imagine how I convinced myself for so long that The Prince of Egypt wasn’t my favorite movie. I’m now living my truth!
“I won’t rehash many of my praises since they are very well-documented, but I appreciate this movie more every time I watch it. I’m a sucker for musicals, and when they’re this powerful and respectful of their audiences as these are, they stick with me for a long time.”
2. La La Land
2016 • Damien Chazelle • Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone
I remember going to see La La Land in the theater back in 2016. I was convinced that “Another Day of Sun” was some well-choreographed and composed Coca-Cola ad or something, but when that title card hit, my brain chemistry was forever altered. This film is (at least partly) responsible for my love of movie musicals, Ryan Gosling, and Damien Chazelle and Justin Hurwitz. I feel only a little bad that, in the most recent shaking-up of my rankings, La La Land stayed in second place after Inside Out was ousted by The Prince of Egypt.
“[La La Land]’s got the perfect mix of engaging, dynamic storytelling and lovable, complicated characters, and Gosling and Stone were the perfect choices for Mia and Sebastian. I think I’m equally in love with the both of them in this movie, just as much as they’re in love with each other. I’ve said that my favorite movies will always exude magic above all, and that’s exactly what La La Land does for me. Every. Single. Time.”
3. The Lion King
1994 • Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff • Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones
The Lion King may be the best example of a movie that I loved as a kid, yet as I get older, I get more and more out of with each rewatch. It’s always been a stunning movie and certainly a childhood favorite for the music and humor, but my more recent viewings really unlocked the magic of this film, from Simba’s story of identity and redemption to some insanely spiritual vibes and visuals (I will semi-confidently say here that the “Remember Who You Are” sequence is my favorite in any movie, ever). I still love the music and humor, of course, but now that I feel like I’m actually getting the full picture when I watch this film, there’s so much more to appreciate.
“The pure love and passion poured into this film is enough to make a grown man cry (or, in my case, get very near it) every time. The animation was amazing, the score was amazing, the story was amazing, the voice acting was amazing, the comedy was amazing, and The Lion King steadfastly remains one of my favorite (and objectively one of the best) films of all time.”
4. Inside Out
2015 • Pete Docter • Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith
I think it was around the end of high school when I unofficially dethroned The Princess Bride as my favorite movie with Inside Out. Even though that time has now come to an end, this film still has a special place in my heart. This is another one I remember seeing in the theater, too (right after my crush of three years had moved to another state; middle school drama, I know: riveting); I was both in awe and crushed. Inside Out is Pixar at its finest; layered and accessible for all ages, very funny and musically rich, and there’s always more to find. There may be other Pixar movies that I’ve loved for longer, but none as much as Inside Out.
“As is usually the case with Pixar, the layered story of Joy, Sadness, and Riley hit exceptionally hard, and I think its impact on me grows as I get older—teaching hundreds of Rileys this year and as I’m getting closer and closer to becoming a parent. Such a deep dive into the emotional makeup of a kid, as someone who loves children, is an obvious hit for me, and the music puts it over the top.”
5. The Princess Bride
1987 • Rob Reiner • Robin Wright, Cary Elwes
As you probably inferred, The Princess Bride held the top spot as my favorite movie for a long time before Inside Out. This was before I had Letterboxd, so the list just lived inside my head, but this movie reigned supreme for at least five years before Inside Out took its place. For the longest time, The Princess Bride was the most magical film I had ever seen, and now having read the book, my appreciation for it has only deepened. I love the over-the-top love, the iconic band of characters, the self-aware humor, and Robin Wright is the second-most stunning woman I’ve ever seen—next to my wife, of course. After a few years of letting this movie slip through the ranks, I’m glad it’s returned to the top 5, and who knows? Inside Out‘s spot at #4 may not be safe.
“The romance between Buttercup and Westley is iconic—their love feels so organic and the way they speak to and about each other just makes you smile. I can’t confirm this, but Buttercup was probably one of Young Nate’s first crushes, too, but what a good one to have. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of The Princess Bride; it’s endlessly charming, every character is so easy to root for, and its subtle humor and quotability keep me referencing it even when it’s been years since viewings.”
6. Wicked
2024 • Jon M. Chu • Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande
When I think about the music that shown to my siblings and I during our impressionable years, I think of country-era Taylor Swift, The Dixie Chicks, The Indigo Girls, and Wicked. I didn’t know anything about the story until we saw the show on stage in middle school, but I knew the music by heart long before that. When this movie came out in 2024, I knew I was going to be obsessed with it, but not to the level that I became. Wicked is the only movie that I’ve seen three times in theaters, which is remarkable and totally understandable. This is a film that is best on the biggest screen you can find, and with as many people as possible. Also, Glinda is my spirit animal.
“There are few musicals—few films, even—that maximize every minute of their runtime the way that Wicked does. Every song was amazing, the performances were all great (though I will be forever in love with Ariana Grande’s Glinda), and the scale, power, and emotion of countless sequences was incredible.”
7. Interstellar
2014 • Christopher Nolan • Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway
It should be pretty clear that the films that usually stick with me the longest—and the ones that earn a spot on this list—would be described first and foremost as magical. Interstellar is the first film on this list whose primary strength isn’t magic. Rather, its technical craft, overwhelming scale, and existential emotional resonance elevate it to the upper echelon of films for me. I remember seeing Interstellar when I was in seventh grade and understanding none of it, but the visuals and spectacle were never lost on me. My most recent rewatch was eye-opening, though, mostly because I understood what was happening! It’ll be hard for Interstellar to lose its spot in the top 10, chiefly because there’s nothing else quite like it here.
“The science of this world and its time travel and inter-dimensionality was surprisingly easy to follow as an adult, while also being super interesting and leading to tons of awe-inspiring and very emotional moments. From virtually all perspectives, Interstellar is a breathtaking modern masterpiece. It’s hard to find a flaw in this film, even in its 2.5+ hour runtime that flies by and doesn’t seem to feature any superfluous scenes.”
8. Little Shop of Horrors
1986 • Frank Oz • Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene
I’ve been a lifelong fan of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and Little Shop of Horrors may very well be their best outing (not to mention their first film outing). Though I have tons of love for Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors puts it all together in a way that those two don’t. Whether it’s the live action treatment that’s clearly inspired by the stage, the amazing puppetry to bring Audrey II to life, or the soundtrack of amazing songs, this movie feels like a miracle from 1986. It’s a little surprising that this movie sits in my top 10 even though I didn’t see it for the first time until 2020, but its crazy rewatchability—I’ve seen it three times already—may be to blame.
“I love pretty much everything that Alan Menken and Howard Ashman made, and they crush it in what I’m pretty sure was their first movie together. You can totally see how this project influenced so many of their other works, from “Somewhere That’s Green” inspiring “Part of Your World” to the “muses” of this world inspiring the Muses of Hercules. Every song from Menken and Ashman is pitch-perfect.”
9. The Wild Robot
2024 • Chris Sanders • Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal
Want to hear something crazy? The first trailer for The Wild Robot was so good that it inspired me to buy the book and read. I was not a reader in March of 2024, but two years later, not only am I a pretty healthy reader, but I’ve read the books that inspired three of my top 10 movies. The Wild Robot is one of the best book-to-film adaptations that I’ve seen, and I was blown away seeing this in the theater. The Wild Robot has had quite the impact on me the last few years—I’ve read all three books now, and I even taught “Even When I’m Not” to my choir for a performance just a few months after this movie came out. Legendary animated movies are few and far between nowadays, but The Wild Robot was destined to be a classic.
“This story is an emotional one and features a lot of tough topics, but Sanders and company navigated them beautifully. They were very delicate in moments dealing with death and abandonment and belonging, which are ideas kids need to know about and should definitely learn about from this movie going forward. The highs and lows were accentuated by a lovely score from Kris Bowers and a pair of great songs from Maren Morris.”
10. Project Hail Mary
2026 • Phil Lord, Christopher Miller • Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller
I take my top 25 films very seriously, and rarely do I let newcomers enter the fold without extreme vetting (or at least a rewatch). Project Hail Mary became an exception in a couple of ways: not only did it enter the top 25, but it jumped into the top 10. This was one of my most anticipated movies ever: I read the book (and loved it) and the cast and crew seemed hand-picked just for me. Seeing this in IMAX was magical, and given all of the factors, this was an easy entrant into the top 25. It took some praying and soul-searching this morning, but Project Hail Mary at #10 just felt right.
“I had been anticipating this movie for [so] long, so it had a ton to live up to, and I’m happy to say that, not only was this one of the best book-to-film adaptations I’ve ever seen, but Project Hail Mary is in the conversation for one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, period. I was seriously weighing if it was better than Interstellar on the way home. I know I’m probably in the minority there, but I just fell in love with this movie.”
