Best of 1950

Best Movies of 1950, Ranked

637 films on the site were released in 1950, and 13 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. The Rules of the Game tops the list, ahead of All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard. All About Eve won Best Picture at the 1951 Oscars. This page covers 1950 alone; the 1950s page ranks the whole decade.

films released in 1950: 637
ranked by rating: 13
award wins: 9
languages: 26

#1 of 1950

What Is the Best Movie of 1950?

The Rules of the Game is the best-rated film of 1950, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of All About Eve (89/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

The Rules of the Game (1950) movie poster

#1 of 13

Best-rated film of 1950

The Rules of the Game

1950 Drama Comedy 1h 50m French

99 Metascore

Directed by Jean Renoir

About The Rules of the Game

Ranked

Top 13 Movies of 1950, Ranked

All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard follow The Rules of the Game. Drama is the most common genre in the top 13 (7 films). Clyde Geronimi has 2 films on the list. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Best of the 1950s

2. All About Eve 98 Metascore (Metascore 98 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))

1950 · Drama · 2h 18m

Dir. Joseph L. Mankiewicz No Echo Score: ranked 89/100 on critics & audiences
3. Sunset Boulevard 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100)

1950 · Drama, Film-Noir · 1h 50m

Dir. Billy Wilder No Echo Score: ranked 88/100 on critics & audiences
4. The Gunfighter 94 Metascore (Metascore 94 out of 100)

1950 · Western · 1h 25m

Dir. Henry King No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences
5. Treasure Island 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100)

1950 · Adventure, Family · 1h 36m

Dir. Byron Haskin No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences
6. Cinderella 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))

1950 · Fantasy, Romance · 1h 14m

Dir. Clyde Geronimi No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences
7. The Asphalt Jungle 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100)

1950 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 52m

No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences
8. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad 74 Metascore (Metascore 74 out of 100)

1950 · Fantasy, Horror · 1h 8m

Dir. Clyde Geronimi No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences
9. Father of the Bride 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100 (9 critic reviews))

1950 · Comedy, Romance · 1h 32m

Dir. Vincente Minnelli No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
10. Gun Crazy 74 Metascore (Metascore 74 out of 100 (14 critic reviews))

1950 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 27m

Dir. Joseph H. Lewis No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
11. Sands of Iwo Jima 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100)

1950 · Action, Drama · 1h 40m

Dir. Allan Dwan No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences
12. Young Man with a Horn 69 Metascore (Metascore 69 out of 100)

1950 · Biography, Drama · 1h 52m

Dir. Michael Curtiz No Echo Score: ranked 71/100 on critics & audiences
13. Stage Fright 62 Metascore (Metascore 62 out of 100)

1950 · Mystery, Thriller · 1h 50m

Dir. Alfred Hitchcock No Echo Score: ranked 62/100 on critics & audiences

Awards

Which 1950 Movies Won the Most Awards?

All About Eve leads with 8 wins from 21 nominations, then The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad with 1 win. All About Eve won Best Picture at the 1951 Oscars. In all, 7 films released in 1950 have award nominations on the site, with 9 wins between them.

1951 awards season

All About Eve 8 / 21
1950 · Drama · 8 wins from 21 nominations Won at DGA Awards, Golden Globes, Oscars
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad 1 / 1
1950 · Fantasy, Horror · 1 win from 1 nomination Won at Golden Globes
The Asphalt Jungle 0 / 8
1950 · Drama, Thriller · 0 wins from 8 nominations
Sands of Iwo Jima 0 / 4
1950 · Action, Drama · 0 wins from 4 nominations
Cinderella 0 / 3
1950 · Fantasy, Romance · 0 wins from 3 nominations
Father of the Bride 0 / 3
1950 · Comedy, Romance · 0 wins from 3 nominations

By genre

What Is the Best 1950 Movie in Each Genre?

The highest-ranked 1950 film of 10 genres, from Drama (The Rules of the Game) to Biography (Young Man with a Horn). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.

Release months

When Were 1950's Movies Released?

December was the busiest month of 1950 with 84 releases.

January Best: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
56
February
49
March Best: Cinderella
62
April Best: The Rules of the Game
38
May Best: The Asphalt Jungle
47
June Best: The Gunfighter
53
July Best: Treasure Island
40
August Best: Sunset Boulevard
41
September
57
October Best: All About Eve
54
November
56
December
84

January (Best: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad): 56
February: 49
March (Best: Cinderella): 62
April (Best: The Rules of the Game): 38
May (Best: The Asphalt Jungle): 47
June (Best: The Gunfighter): 53
July (Best: Treasure Island): 40
August (Best: Sunset Boulevard): 41
September: 57
October (Best: All About Eve): 54
November: 56
December: 84

Languages

Which Languages Were 1950's Movies In?

70% of 1950's films with a known language are in English (438). Spanish comes next with 51 films, out of 26 languages in all.

Every year

Best Movies by Year

A best-of page for each of 55 years, from 1900 to 2026 (so far). Before 1980 there is one page per decade, for its first year (1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1960, 1970); from 1980 every year has its own.

2020s

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1900–1970

FAQ

Best Movies of 1950: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about 1950's best-rated films and awards, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of 1950?

The Rules of the Game is the best-rated film of 1950 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences. All About Eve is second and Sunset Boulevard third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About The Rules of the Game

Which 1950 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?

All About Eve (1950) won Best Picture at the 1951 Academy Awards.

All About Eve

Which 1950 film won the most awards?

All About Eve has the best award record of the 1950 releases on the site: 8 wins from 21 nominations.

1951 awards season

How many movies were released in 1950?

The site lists 637 films released in 1950. 13 of them are ranked, and December had the most releases with a known day (84).

How are the best movies of 1950 ranked?

Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases). Only feature films count (60 minutes or longer, no concert recordings), and a film needs enough ratings, box office or award attention to be ranked.