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Best of 1999

Best Movies of 1999, Ranked

2,076 films on the site were released in 1999, and 247 have enough critic or audience ratings to be ranked. Close-Up tops the list, ahead of 42: Forty Two Up and After Life. The biggest hit was Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace with $1B worldwide, and American Beauty won Best Picture at the 2000 Oscars.

films released in 1999
2,076
ranked by rating
247
worldwide, top 10 hits
$4.9B
award wins
84
  1. Close-Up (1999) movie poster #1 Close-Up 92 Metascore
  2. 42: Forty Two Up (1999) movie poster #2 42: Forty Two Up 86 Metascore
  3. After Life (1999) movie poster #3 After Life 91 Metascore
#1 of 1999

What Is the Best Movie of 1999?

Close-Up is the best-rated film of 1999, with a rank value of 91/100 from critics and audiences, ahead of 42: Forty Two Up (87/100). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Ranked

Top 25 Movies of 1999, Ranked

42: Forty Two Up and After Life follow Close-Up. Drama is the most common genre in the top 25 (16 films). Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

Best of the 1990s
  1. 42: Forty Two Up (1999) movie poster
    2. 42: Forty Two Up 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (22 critic reviews))

    1999 · Biography, Documentary · 2h 19m

    Dir. Michael Apted No Echo Score: ranked 87/100 on critics & audiences

  2. After Life (1999) movie poster
    3. After Life 91 Metascore (Metascore 91 out of 100 (19 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 58m

    Dir. Hirokazu Koreeda No Echo Score: ranked 85/100 on critics & audiences

  3. American Beauty (1999) movie poster
    4. American Beauty 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (34 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama · 2h 2m

    Dir. Sam Mendes No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences

  4. Toy Story 2 (1999) movie poster
    5. Toy Story 2 88 Metascore (Metascore 88 out of 100)

    1999 · Adventure, Fantasy · 1h 32m

    Dir. John Lasseter No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences

  5. The Iron Giant (1999) movie poster
    6. The Iron Giant 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100)

    1999 · Action, Adventure · 1h 26m

    Dir. Brad Bird No Echo Score: ranked 84/100 on critics & audiences

  6. Being John Malkovich (1999) movie poster
    7. Being John Malkovich 90 Metascore (Metascore 90 out of 100 (36 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama, Fantasy · 1h 52m

    Dir. Spike Jonze No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  7. The Straight Story (1999) movie poster
    8. The Straight Story 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100)

    1999 · Adventure, Biography · 1h 52m

    Dir. David Lynch No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  8. All About My Mother (1999) movie poster
    9. All About My Mother 87 Metascore (Metascore 87 out of 100 (34 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama · 1h 41m

    Dir. Pedro Almodóvar No Echo Score: ranked 83/100 on critics & audiences

  9. The Matrix (1999) movie poster
    10. The Matrix 73 Metascore (Metascore 73 out of 100)

    1999 · Action, Adventure · 2h 16m

    Dir. Lana WachowskiLilly Wachowski No Echo Score: ranked 82/100 on critics & audiences

  10. Princess Mononoke (1999) movie poster
    11. Princess Mononoke 76 Metascore (Metascore 76 out of 100)

    1999 · Adventure, Fantasy · 2h 14m

    Dir. Hayao Miyazaki No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  11. The Insider (1999) movie poster
    12. The Insider 85 Metascore (Metascore 85 out of 100)

    1999 · Biography, Drama · 2h 37m

    Dir. Michael Mann No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  12. American Movie (1999) movie poster
    12. American Movie 84 Metascore (Metascore 84 out of 100 (29 critic reviews))

    1999 · Documentary · 1h 47m

    Dir. Chris Smith No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  13. Eternity and a Day (1999) movie poster
    12. Eternity and a Day 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100 (21 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama · 2h 17m

    Dir. Theodoros Angelopoulos No Echo Score: ranked 81/100 on critics & audiences

  14. Topsy-Turvy (1999) movie poster
    15. Topsy-Turvy 90 Metascore (Metascore 90 out of 100)

    1999 · Biography, Drama · 2h 40m

    Dir. Mike Leigh No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  15. Magnolia (1999) movie poster
    16. Magnolia 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100 (34 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama · 3h 8m

    Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  16. Boys Don't Cry (1999) movie poster
    16. Boys Don't Cry 86 Metascore (Metascore 86 out of 100 (33 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama, Romance · 1h 58m

    Dir. Kimberly Peirce No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  17. Fight Club (1999) movie poster
    18. Fight Club 67 Metascore (Metascore 67 out of 100 (36 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama, Thriller · 2h 19m

    Dir. David Fincher No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  18. The Winslow Boy (1999) movie poster
    19. The Winslow Boy 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100)

    1999 · Drama, Romance · 1h 44m

    Dir. David Mamet No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  19. Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999) movie poster
    19. Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100 (25 critic reviews))

    1999 · Biography, Documentary · 1h 31m

    Dir. Errol Morris No Echo Score: ranked 80/100 on critics & audiences

  20. The Thin Red Line (1999) movie poster
    21. The Thin Red Line 78 Metascore (Metascore 78 out of 100)

    1999 · Action, Drama · 2h 50m

    Dir. Terrence Malick No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences

  21. Run Lola Run (1999) movie poster
    21. Run Lola Run 79 Metascore (Metascore 79 out of 100)

    1999 · Thriller, Crime · 1h 20m

    Dir. Tom Tykwer No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences

  22. Buena Vista Social Club (1999) movie poster
    23. Buena Vista Social Club 81 Metascore (Metascore 81 out of 100 (19 critic reviews))

    1999 · Music, Documentary · 1h 45m

    Dir. Wim Wenders No Echo Score: ranked 79/100 on critics & audiences

  23. Autumn Tale (1999) movie poster
    24. Autumn Tale 81 Metascore (Metascore 81 out of 100 (26 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama, Romance · 1h 52m

    Dir. Eric Rohmer No Echo Score: ranked 78/100 on critics & audiences

  24. On the Ropes (1999) movie poster
    25. On the Ropes 80 Metascore (Metascore 80 out of 100 (13 critic reviews))

    1999 · Drama, Sport · 1h 34m

    Dir. Brett Morgen No Echo Score: ranked 77/100 on critics & audiences

Box office

What Were the Highest-Grossing Movies of 1999?

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace earned $1B worldwide, ahead of The Sixth Sense ($672.8M). The top 10 took $4.9B together; 341 films released in 1999 have a box office record here. Grosses that look like data errors are left out.

Full 1999 box office
  1. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) movie poster #1 $1B worldwide Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace $487.6M domestic · Action
  2. The Sixth Sense (1999) movie poster #2 $672.8M worldwide The Sixth Sense $293.5M domestic · Drama
  3. Toy Story 2 (1999) movie poster #3 $497.4M worldwide Toy Story 2 $245.9M domestic · Adventure
  4. The Matrix (1999) movie poster #4 $467.8M worldwide The Matrix $172.1M domestic · Action
  5. Tarzan (1999) movie poster #5 $448.2M worldwide Tarzan $171.1M domestic · Adventure
  6. The Mummy (1999) movie poster #6 $417.6M worldwide The Mummy $157.1M domestic · Action
  7. Notting Hill (1999) movie poster #7 $364M worldwide Notting Hill $116.1M domestic · Comedy
  8. The World Is Not Enough (1999) movie poster #8 $361.8M worldwide The World Is Not Enough $126.9M domestic · Action
  9. American Beauty (1999) movie poster #9 $356.3M worldwide American Beauty $130.1M domestic · Drama
  10. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) movie poster #10 $313.7M worldwide Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me $206M domestic · Action
Awards

Which 1999 Movies Won the Most Awards?

American Beauty leads with 22 wins from 37 nominations, then The Matrix with 6 wins. American Beauty won Best Picture at the 2000 Oscars. In all, 75 films released in 1999 have award nominations on the site, with 84 wins between them.

2000 awards season
  1. American Beauty (1999) movie poster
    American Beauty 22 / 37
    1999 · Drama · 22 wins from 37 nominations
  2. The Matrix (1999) movie poster
    The Matrix 6 / 11
    1999 · Action, Adventure · 6 wins from 11 nominations
  3. Boys Don't Cry (1999) movie poster
    Boys Don't Cry 5 / 12
    1999 · Drama, Romance · 5 wins from 12 nominations
  4. Sleepy Hollow (1999) movie poster
    Sleepy Hollow 4 / 10
    1999 · Mystery, Thriller · 4 wins from 10 nominations
  5. All About My Mother (1999) movie poster
    All About My Mother 4 / 7
    1999 · Drama · 4 wins from 7 nominations
  6. Being John Malkovich (1999) movie poster
    Being John Malkovich 3 / 15
    1999 · Drama, Fantasy · 3 wins from 15 nominations
  7. The Cider House Rules (1999) movie poster
    The Cider House Rules 3 / 12
    1999 · Drama, Romance · 3 wins from 12 nominations
  8. The Green Mile (1999) movie poster
    The Green Mile 3 / 12
    1999 · Drama, Mystery · 3 wins from 12 nominations
By genre

What Is the Best 1999 Movie in Each Genre?

The highest-ranked 1999 film of 12 genres, from Biography (Close-Up) to Crime (Fight Club). Each film appears once, under its first genre that is still free.

Release months

When Were 1999's Movies Released?

October was the busiest month of 1999 with 219 releases; its best-rated film is Being John Malkovich. January shows 376 because films whose exact release day is unknown are stored on January 1.

  • January Best: The Thin Red Line
    376
  • February Best: October Sky
    123
  • March Best: The Matrix
    129
  • April Best: The Winslow Boy
    120
  • May Best: After Life
    128
  • June Best: Run Lola Run
    139
  • July Best: Eyes Wide Shut
    122
  • August Best: The Iron Giant
    144
  • September Best: American Beauty
    203
  • October Best: Being John Malkovich
    219
  • November Best: 42: Forty Two Up
    179
  • December Best: Close-Up
    194
Languages

Which Languages Were 1999's Movies In?

57% of 1999's films with a known language are in English (1,176). French comes next with 114 films, out of 55 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 1999: Questions & Answers

Quick answers about 1999's best-rated films, biggest hits and awards, from the lists above.

What is the best movie of 1999?

Close-Up is the best-rated film of 1999 on What's After the Movie, with a rank value of 91/100 from critics and audiences. 42: Forty Two Up is second and After Life third. Ranked by a blend of Metascore and IMDb/Letterboxd user ratings (Echo Scores start with 2017 releases).

About Close-Up

What was the highest-grossing movie of 1999?

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace earned $1B worldwide, the most of any 1999 release on the site. The Sixth Sense follows with $672.8M.

1999 box office

Which 1999 movie won the Oscar for Best Picture?

American Beauty (1999) won Best Picture at the 2000 Academy Awards.

American Beauty

Which 1999 film won the most awards?

American Beauty has the best award record of the 1999 releases on the site: 22 wins from 37 nominations.

2000 awards season

How many movies were released in 1999?

The site lists 2,076 films released in 1999. 247 of them are ranked, and October had the most releases with a known day (219).

How are the best movies of 1999 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.