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Best of 1997

Best Movies of 1997, Ranked

1,913 films on the site were released in 1997, and 161 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. The Sweet Hereafter tops the list, ahead of L.A. Confidential and Boogie Nights. The biggest hit was Titanic with $2.3B worldwide, and Titanic won Best Picture at the 1998 Oscars.

films released in 1997
1,913
ranked by rating
161
worldwide, top 10 hits
$5.6B
award wins
95
  1. The Sweet Hereafter (1997) movie poster #1 The Sweet Hereafter 91 Metascore
  2. L.A. Confidential (1997) movie poster #2 L.A. Confidential 91 Metascore
  3. Boogie Nights (1997) movie poster #3 Boogie Nights 86 Metascore
#1 of 1997

What Is the Best Movie of 1997?

The Sweet Hereafter is the best-rated film of 1997, with a rank value of 87/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of L.A. Confidential (86/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Ranked

Top 25 Movies of 1997, Ranked

L.A. Confidential and Boogie Nights follow The Sweet Hereafter. Drama is the most common genre in the top 25 (19 films). Paul Thomas Anderson 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 1990s
  1. L.A. Confidential (1997) movie poster
    2. L.A. Confidential 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100 (28 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama, Mystery · 2h 18m

    Dir. Curtis Hanson No Echo Score: ranked 86/100 on critics & audiences

  2. Boogie Nights (1997) movie poster
    3. Boogie Nights 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (28 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama · 2h 35m

    Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  3. Maborosi (1997) movie poster
    4. Maborosi 92 Metascore (Metascore 92 out of 100 (8 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama · 1h 50m

    Dir. Hirokazu Koreeda No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  4. 4 Little Girls (1997) movie poster
    5. 4 Little Girls 88 Metascore (Metascore 88 out of 100 (16 critic reviews))

    1997 · History, Documentary · 1h 42m

    Dir. Spike Lee No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  5. Underground (1997) movie poster
    6. Underground 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100)

    1997 · Drama, Fantasy · 2h 50m

    Dir. Emir Kusturica No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  6. Good Will Hunting (1997) movie poster
    7. Good Will Hunting 71 Metascore (Metascore 71 out of 100 (28 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama · 2h 6m

    Dir. Gus Van Sant No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences

  7. Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist (1997) movie poster
    8. Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100)

    1997 · Documentary · 1h 30m

    Dir. Kirby Dick No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences

  8. Titanic (1997) movie poster
    9. Titanic 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100)

    1997 · Drama, Romance · 3h 14m

    Dir. James Cameron No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences

  9. Face/Off (1997) movie poster
    10. Face/Off 82 Metascore (Metascore 82 out of 100 (26 critic reviews))

    1997 · Action, Sci-Fi · 2h 18m

    Dir. John Woo No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences

  10. Donnie Brasco (1997) movie poster
    10. Donnie Brasco 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100 (21 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 7m

    Dir. Mike Newell No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences

  11. Hard Eight (1997) movie poster
    12. Hard Eight 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100 (14 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama, Thriller · 1h 41m

    Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences

  12. The Apostle (1997) movie poster
    13. The Apostle 83 Metascore (Metascore 83 out of 100)

    1997 · Drama · 2h 14m

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

  13. Children of the Revolution (1997) movie poster
    13. Children of the Revolution 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100 (18 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 41m

    Dir. Peter Duncan No Echo Score: ranked 76/100 on critics & audiences

  14. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) movie poster
    15. Grosse Pointe Blank 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100 (27 critic reviews))

    1997 · Thriller, Comedy · 1h 47m

    Dir. George Armitage No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences

  15. Mother (1997) movie poster
    16. Mother 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100 (17 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 44m

    No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences

  16. Happy Together (1997) movie poster
    16. Happy Together 70 Metascore (Metascore 70 out of 100 (17 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 36m

    Dir. Kar Wai Wong No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences

  17. Hercules (1997) movie poster
    18. Hercules 74 Metascore (Metascore 74 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))

    1997 · Adventure, Fantasy · 1h 33m

    Dir. John Musker No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences

  18. The Boxer (1997) movie poster
    19. The Boxer 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100)

    1997 · Drama, Sport · 1h 53m

    Dir. Jim Sheridan No Echo Score: ranked 75/100 on critics & audiences

  19. The Full Monty (1997) movie poster
    20. The Full Monty 75 Metascore (Metascore 75 out of 100)

    1997 · Comedy, Music · 1h 31m

    Dir. Peter Cattaneo No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences

  20. Men in Black (1997) movie poster
    20. Men in Black 72 Metascore (Metascore 72 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))

    1997 · Action, Sci-Fi · 1h 38m

    Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences

  21. Ulee's Gold (1997) movie poster
    20. Ulee's Gold 77 Metascore (Metascore 77 out of 100)

    1997 · Drama · 1h 53m

    No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences

  22. The Ice Storm (1997) movie poster
    20. The Ice Storm 72 Metascore (Metascore 72 out of 100)

    1997 · Drama · 1h 52m

    Dir. Ang Lee No Echo Score: ranked 74/100 on critics & audiences

  23. Irma Vep (1997) movie poster
    24. Irma Vep 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100 (23 critic reviews))

    1997 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 39m

    Dir. Olivier Assayas No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences

  24. Wag the Dog (1997) movie poster
    25. Wag the Dog 74 Metascore (Metascore 74 out of 100)

    1997 · Drama, Comedy · 1h 37m

    Dir. Barry Levinson No Echo Score: ranked 73/100 on critics & audiences

Box office

What Were the Highest-Grossing Movies of 1997?

Titanic earned $2.3B worldwide, ahead of The Lost World: Jurassic Park ($618.6M). The top 10 took $5.6B together; 281 films released in 1997 have a box office record here. Grosses that look like data errors are left out.

Full 1997 box office
  1. Titanic (1997) movie poster #1 $2.3B worldwide Titanic $674.4M domestic · Drama
  2. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) movie poster #2 $618.6M worldwide The Lost World: Jurassic Park $229.1M domestic · Action
  3. Men in Black (1997) movie poster #3 $589.4M worldwide Men in Black $250.7M domestic · Action
  4. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) movie poster #4 $333M worldwide Tomorrow Never Dies $125.3M domestic · Action
  5. Air Force One (1997) movie poster #5 $315.2M worldwide Air Force One $173M domestic · Action
  6. As Good as It Gets (1997) movie poster #6 $314.2M worldwide As Good as It Gets $148.5M domestic · Drama
  7. Liar Liar (1997) movie poster #7 $302.7M worldwide Liar Liar $181.4M domestic · Fantasy
  8. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) movie poster #8 $299.3M worldwide My Best Friend's Wedding $127.1M domestic · Comedy
  9. The Fifth Element (1997) movie poster #9 $263.9M worldwide The Fifth Element $63.8M domestic · Action
  10. The Full Monty (1997) movie poster #10 $257.9M worldwide The Full Monty $46M domestic · Comedy
Awards

Which 1997 Movies Won the Most Awards?

Titanic leads with 18 wins from 40 nominations, then L.A. Confidential with 10 wins. Titanic won Best Picture at the 1998 Oscars. In all, 63 films released in 1997 have award nominations on the site, with 95 wins between them.

1998 awards season
  1. Titanic (1997) movie poster
    Titanic 18 / 40
    1997 · Drama, Romance · 18 wins from 40 nominations
  2. L.A. Confidential (1997) movie poster
    L.A. Confidential 10 / 35
    1997 · Drama, Mystery · 10 wins from 35 nominations
  3. As Good as It Gets (1997) movie poster
    As Good as It Gets 8 / 18
    1997 · Drama, Comedy · 8 wins from 18 nominations
  4. Good Will Hunting (1997) movie poster
    Good Will Hunting 6 / 20
    1997 · Drama · 6 wins from 20 nominations
  5. The Full Monty (1997) movie poster
    The Full Monty 5 / 18
    1997 · Comedy, Music · 5 wins from 18 nominations
  6. Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown (1997) movie poster
    Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown 4 / 15
    1997 · Biography, Drama · 4 wins from 15 nominations
  7. The Wings of the Dove (1997) movie poster
    The Wings of the Dove 4 / 15
    1997 · Drama, Romance · 4 wins from 15 nominations
  8. Hercules (1997) movie poster
    Hercules 4 / 6
    1997 · Adventure, Fantasy · 4 wins from 6 nominations
By genre

What Is the Best 1997 Movie in Each Genre?

The highest-ranked 1997 film of 12 genres, from Drama (The Sweet Hereafter) to Sport (The Boxer). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.

Release months

When Were 1997's Movies Released?

October was the busiest month of 1997 with 194 releases; its best-rated film is Boogie Nights. January shows 402 because films whose exact release day is unknown are stored on January 1.

  • January Best: Mother
    402
  • February Best: Donnie Brasco
    126
  • March Best: Maborosi
    123
  • April Best: Children of the Revolution
    141
  • May Best: Breakdown
    119
  • June Best: Underground
    125
  • July Best: 4 Little Girls
    93
  • August Best: The Full Monty
    124
  • September Best: L.A. Confidential
    163
  • October Best: Boogie Nights
    194
  • November Best: The Sweet Hereafter
    152
  • December Best: Good Will Hunting
    151
Languages

Which Languages Were 1997's Movies In?

57% of 1997's films with a known language are in English (1,090). French comes next with 109 films, out of 54 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 1997: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about 1997's best-rated films, biggest hits and awards, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of 1997?

The Sweet Hereafter is the best-rated film of 1997 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 87/100 from critics and audiences. L.A. Confidential is second and Boogie Nights third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About The Sweet Hereafter

What was the highest-grossing movie of 1997?

Titanic earned $2.3B worldwide, the most of any 1997 release on the site. The Lost World: Jurassic Park follows with $618.6M.

1997 box office

Which 1997 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?

Titanic (1997) won Best Picture at the 1998 Academy Awards.

Titanic

Which 1997 film won the most awards?

Titanic has the best award record of the 1997 releases on the site: 18 wins from 40 nominations.

1998 awards season

How many movies were released in 1997?

The site lists 1,913 films released in 1997. 161 of them are ranked, and October had the most releases with a known day (194).

How are the best movies of 1997 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.