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Best of 1993

Best Movies of 1993, Ranked

1,774 films on the site were released in 1993, and 145 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. Schindler's List tops the list, ahead of The Fugitive and The Age of Innocence. The biggest hit was Mrs. Doubtfire with $441.3M worldwide, and Schindler's List won Best Picture at the 1994 Oscars.

films released in 1993
1,774
ranked by rating
145
worldwide, top 10 hits
$2.7B
award wins
68
  1. Schindler's List (1993) movie poster #1 Schindler's List 95 Metascore
  2. The Fugitive (1993) movie poster #2 The Fugitive 87 Metascore
  3. The Age of Innocence (1993) movie poster #3 The Age of Innocence 90 Metascore
#1 of 1993

What Is the Best Movie of 1993?

Schindler's List is the best-rated film of 1993, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of The Fugitive (86/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Ranked

Top 25 Movies of 1993, Ranked

The Fugitive and The Age of Innocence follow Schindler's List. Drama is the most common genre in the top 25 (23 films). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Best of the 1990s
  1. The Fugitive (1993) movie poster
    2. The Fugitive 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100)

    1993 · Action, Drama · 2h 10m

    Dir. Andrew Davis No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences

  2. The Age of Innocence (1993) movie poster
    3. The Age of Innocence 90 Metascore (Metascore 90 out of 100)

    1993 · Drama, Romance · 2h 19m

    Dir. Martin Scorsese No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences

  3. Three Colors: Blue (1993) movie poster
    3. Three Colors: Blue 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100)

    1993 · Drama, Mystery · 1h 38m

    Dir. Krzysztof Kieslowski No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences

  4. The Piano (1993) movie poster
    5. The Piano 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100)

    1993 · Drama, Romance · 2h 1m

    Dir. Jane Campion No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences

  5. Farewell My Concubine (1993) movie poster
    5. Farewell My Concubine 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (28 critic reviews))

    1993 · Drama, Romance · 2h 51m

    Dir. Kaige Chen No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences

  6. The Remains of the Day (1993) movie poster
    7. The Remains of the Day 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100)

    1993 · Drama, Romance · 2h 14m

    Dir. James Ivory No Echo Score: ranked 85/100 on critics & audiences

  7. In the Name of the Father (1993) movie poster
    8. In the Name of the Father 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))

    1993 · Biography, Drama · 2h 13m

    Dir. Jim Sheridan No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences

  8. Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) movie poster
    9. Searching for Bobby Fischer 89 Metascore (Metascore 89 out of 100)

    1993 · Biography, Drama · 1h 49m

    Dir. Steven Zaillian No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  9. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) movie poster
    10. The Nightmare Before Christmas 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100)

    1993 · Fantasy, Animation · 1h 16m

    Dir. Henry Selick No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  10. Naked (1993) movie poster
    10. Naked 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100 (21 critic reviews))

    1993 · Drama · 2h 11m

    Dir. Mike Leigh No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  11. Like Water for Chocolate (1993) movie poster
    12. Like Water for Chocolate 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))

    1993 · Drama, Romance · 1h 45m

    No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  12. King of the Hill (1993) movie poster
    13. King of the Hill 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (12 critic reviews))

    1993 · Drama, History · 1h 43m

    Dir. Steven Soderbergh No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  13. A Bronx Tale (1993) movie poster
    14. A Bronx Tale 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100 (15 critic reviews))

    1993 · Drama, Crime · 2h 1m

    No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  14. The Long Day Closes (1993) movie poster
    14. The Long Day Closes 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100)

    1993 · Biography, Drama · 1h 25m

    Dir. Terence Davies No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  15. The Joy Luck Club (1993) movie poster
    16. The Joy Luck Club 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100)

    1993 · Drama, Romance · 2h 19m

    Dir. Wayne Wang No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences

  16. Dazed and Confused (1993) movie poster
    17. Dazed and Confused 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100 (21 critic reviews))

    1993 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 42m

    Dir. Richard Linklater No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences

  17. Short Cuts (1993) movie poster
    18. Short Cuts 81 Metascore (Metascore 81 out of 100)

    1993 · Drama, Comedy · 3h 7m

    Dir. Robert Altman No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences

  18. The Snapper (1993) movie poster
    19. The Snapper 83 Metascore (Metascore 83 out of 100)

    1993 · Drama · 1h 31m

    Dir. Stephen Frears No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences

  19. Groundhog Day (1993) movie poster
    20. Groundhog Day 72 Metascore (Metascore 72 out of 100 (14 critic reviews))

    1993 · Fantasy, Comedy · 1h 41m

    Dir. Harold Ramis No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences

  20. Ruby in Paradise (1993) movie poster
    20. Ruby in Paradise 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100)

    1993 · Drama, Romance · 1h 54m

    No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences

  21. What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) movie poster
    22. What's Love Got to Do with It 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100)

    1993 · Biography, Drama · 1h 58m

    Dir. Brian Gibson No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences

  22. Free Willy (1993) movie poster
    23. Free Willy 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100 (14 critic reviews))

    1993 · Adventure, Drama · 1h 52m

    Dir. Simon Wincer No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences

  23. Menace II Society (1993) movie poster
    24. Menace II Society 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100 (19 critic reviews))

    1993 · Drama, Crime · 1h 37m

    Dir. Allen Hughes No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences

  24. Much Ado About Nothing (1993) movie poster
    25. Much Ado About Nothing 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100 (25 critic reviews))

    1993 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 51m

    Dir. Kenneth Branagh No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences

Box office

What Were the Highest-Grossing Movies of 1993?

Mrs. Doubtfire earned $441.3M worldwide, ahead of The Fugitive ($368.9M). The top 10 took $2.7B together; 252 films released in 1993 have a box office record here. Grosses that look like data errors are left out.

Full 1993 box office
  1. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) movie poster #1 $441.3M worldwide Mrs. Doubtfire $219.2M domestic · Drama
  2. The Fugitive (1993) movie poster #2 $368.9M worldwide The Fugitive $183.9M domestic · Action
  3. Schindler's List (1993) movie poster #3 $322.2M worldwide Schindler's List $96.9M domestic · Biography
  4. The Firm (1993) movie poster #4 $270.2M worldwide The Firm $158.3M domestic · Drama
  5. Indecent Proposal (1993) movie poster #5 $266.6M worldwide Indecent Proposal $106.6M domestic · Drama
  6. Cliffhanger (1993) movie poster #6 $255M worldwide Cliffhanger $84M domestic · Action
  7. Sleepless in Seattle (1993) movie poster #7 $227.9M worldwide Sleepless in Seattle $126.8M domestic · Drama
  8. Philadelphia (1993) movie poster #8 $206.7M worldwide Philadelphia $77.4M domestic · Drama
  9. The Pelican Brief (1993) movie poster #9 $195.3M worldwide The Pelican Brief $100.8M domestic · Drama
  10. In the Line of Fire (1993) movie poster #10 $177M worldwide In the Line of Fire $102.3M domestic · Drama
Awards

Which 1993 Movies Won the Most Awards?

Schindler's List leads with 18 wins from 31 nominations, then The Piano with 8 wins. Schindler's List won Best Picture at the 1994 Oscars. In all, 51 films released in 1993 have award nominations on the site, with 68 wins between them.

1994 awards season
  1. Schindler's List (1993) movie poster
    Schindler's List 18 / 31
    1993 · Biography, Drama · 18 wins from 31 nominations
  2. The Piano (1993) movie poster
    The Piano 8 / 26
    1993 · Drama, Romance · 8 wins from 26 nominations
  3. Strictly Ballroom (1993) movie poster
    Strictly Ballroom 4 / 9
    1993 · Drama, Comedy · 4 wins from 9 nominations
  4. Philadelphia (1993) movie poster
    Philadelphia 4 / 8
    1993 · Drama · 4 wins from 8 nominations
  5. The Fugitive (1993) movie poster
    The Fugitive 3 / 14
    1993 · Action, Drama · 3 wins from 14 nominations
  6. The Age of Innocence (1993) movie poster
    The Age of Innocence 3 / 13
    1993 · Drama, Romance · 3 wins from 13 nominations
  7. Short Cuts (1993) movie poster
    Short Cuts 3 / 6
    1993 · Drama, Comedy · 3 wins from 6 nominations
  8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) movie poster
    The Nightmare Before Christmas 3 / 6
    1993 · Fantasy, Animation · 3 wins from 6 nominations
By genre

What Is the Best 1993 Movie in Each Genre?

The highest-ranked 1993 film of 12 genres, from Biography (Schindler's List) to Adventure (Free Willy). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.

Release months

When Were 1993's Movies Released?

September was the busiest month of 1993 with 186 releases; its best-rated film is The Age of Innocence. January shows 309 because films whose exact release day is unknown are stored on January 1.

  • January Best: Damage
    309
  • February Best: Groundhog Day
    116
  • March Best: Mad Dog and Glory
    91
  • April Best: Benny & Joon
    129
  • May Best: Like Water for Chocolate
    154
  • June Best: What's Love Got to Do with It
    117
  • July Best: Free Willy
    100
  • August Best: The Fugitive
    120
  • September Best: The Age of Innocence
    186
  • October Best: Farewell My Concubine
    154
  • November Best: The Piano
    151
  • December Best: Schindler's List
    147
Languages

Which Languages Were 1993's Movies In?

55% of 1993's films with a known language are in English (971). Japanese comes next with 98 films, out of 56 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 1993: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about 1993's best-rated films, biggest hits and awards, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of 1993?

Schindler's List is the best-rated film of 1993 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 92/100 from critics and audiences. The Fugitive is second and The Age of Innocence third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About Schindler's List

What was the highest-grossing movie of 1993?

Mrs. Doubtfire earned $441.3M worldwide, the most of any 1993 release on the site. The Fugitive follows with $368.9M.

1993 box office

Which 1993 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?

Schindler's List (1993) won Best Picture at the 1994 Academy Awards.

Schindler's List

Which 1993 film won the most awards?

Schindler's List has the best award record of the 1993 releases on the site: 18 wins from 31 nominations.

1994 awards season

How many movies were released in 1993?

The site lists 1,774 films released in 1993. 145 of them are ranked, and September had the most releases with a known day (186).

How are the best movies of 1993 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.