Last Updated on 12 June 2024

The following list is the Official Definitive List of the 300 best “cult classic” movies of all time.

Cult movies are movies that have acquired a cult following, and the term is not really based on their budget but may lean toward movies that were not huge box office hits originally. The movies generally have a devoted and passionate fan base that enjoys quoting the movies and watching them repeatedly. There are various definitions and that may be reflected in the list a bit, but hopefully the 29 lists I found will average things out.

I found 29 different ranked lists online of “best cult or cult classic movies of all time” and pulled them all into Excel and merged them all to get this definitive compilation.  See my Methodology page for the research process that was used, including links to all 29 lists that were averaged. Below is a checklist you can print to track which ones you’ve seen, followed by the ranked list with links to IMDb.

1. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
2. The Big Lebowski (1998)
3. Pulp Fiction (1994)
4. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
5. Blade Runner (1982)
6. Fight Club (1999)
7. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
8. Donnie Darko (2001)
9. Clerks (1994)
10. Monty Python & the Holy Grail (1975)
11. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
12. Dazed and Confused (1993)
13. The Warriors (1979)
14. Eraserhead (1977)
15. The Room (2003)
16. Heathers (1988)
17. The Princess Bride (1987)
18. Office Space (1999)
19. Repo Man (1984)
20. Pink Flamingos (1972)
21. The Evil Dead (1981)
22. Harold and Maude (1971)
23. Freaks (1932)
24. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
25. Withnail & I (1987)
26. Scarface (1983)
27. The Blues Brothers (1980)
28. Labyrinth (1986)
29. Army of Darkness (1992)
30. The Thing (1982)
31. Showgirls (1995)
32. Brazil (1985)
33. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
34. They Live (1988)
35. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
36. Akira (1988)
37. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
38. Evil Dead II (1987)
39. Chungking Express (1994)
40. Mermaids (1990)
41. Trainspotting (1996)
42. Clue (1985)
43. Rushmore (1998)
44. Jennifer’s Body (2009)
45. Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
46. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
47. Bottle Rocket (1996)
48. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
49. Psycho (1960)
50. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
51. El Mariachi (1992)
52. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
53. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
54. Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957)
55. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
56. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
57. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
58. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
59. From Dusk till Dawn (1996)
60. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
61. Re-Animator (1985)
62. Oldboy (2003)
63. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
64. The Godfather (1972)
65. Death Becomes Her (1992)
66. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
67. Clueless (1995)
68. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)
69. Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
70. The Usual Suspects (1995)
71. The Lost Boys (1987)
72. Taxi Driver (1976)
73. Barbarella (1968)
74. American Psycho (2000)
75. El Topo (1970)
76. Slap Shot (1977)
77. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
78. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
79. Idiocracy (2006)
80. Quadrophenia (1979)
81. Weekend At Bernie’s (1989)
82. The Exorcist (1973)
83. Rocky (1976)
84. Death Race 2000 (1975)
85. Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
86. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
87. The Godfather Part II (1974)
88. The Parent Trap (1961)
89. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
90. Heavy Metal (1981)
91. Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
92. Friday (1995)
93. Amélie (2001)
94. Bloodsport (1988)
95. The Breakfast Club (1985)
96. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
97. The Toxic Avenger (1984)
98. Empire Records (1995)
99. Caddyshack (1980)
100. Hairspray (2007)
101. The Sixth Sense (1999)
102. Fargo (1996)
103. The Goonies (1985)
104. Reefer Madness (1936)
105. Dead Man (1995)
106. The Shining (1980)
107. Mad Max (1979)
108. Naked Lunch (1991)
109. Run Lola Run (1998)
110. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
111. Five Deadly Venoms (1978)
112. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
113. The Meaning of Life (1983)
114. Escape from New York (1981)
115. Raising Arizona (1987)
116. Barton Fink (1991)
117. Aliens (1986)
118. Bad Lieutenant (1992)
119. Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
120. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
121. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
122. Amores Perros (2000)
123. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
124. Practical Magic (1998)
125. Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
126. Flash Gordon (1980)
127. Hard-Boiled (1992)
128. The Best of Everything (1959)
129. Being John Malkovich (1999)
130. Head (1968)
131. The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
132. Slacker (1990)
133. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
134. Walking and Talking (1996)
135. 12 Monkeys (1995)
136. Tremors (1990)
137. Love Actually (2003)
138. Pleasantville (1998)
139. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
140. Ghost World (2001)
141. The Mack (1973)
142. Wild Style (1982)
143. Buffalo ’66 (1998)
144. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
145. The Wiz (1978)
146. Faces of Death (1978)
147. Forrest Gump (1994)
148. Starship Troopers (1997)
149. The Banger Sisters (2002)
150. The Last Days of Disco (1998)
151. Some Like It Hot (1959)
152. Tombstone (1993)
153. Young Frankenstein (1974)
154. Baby Boom (1987)
155. RocknRolla (2008)
156. American Pop (1981)
157. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
158. Jurassic Park (1993)
159. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
160. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
161. Sid and Nancy (1986)
162. Ghostbusters (1984)
163. Jaws (1975)
164. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
165. Un chien andalou (1929)
166. The Harder They Come (1972)
167. Airplane! (1980)
168. The Matrix (1999)
169. Blast From the Past (1999)
170. Troll 2 (1990)
171. Grey Gardens (1975)
172. The Terminator (1984)
173. The Holy Mountain (1973)
174. The Boondock Saints (1999)
175. Hackers (1995)
176. No Country for Old Men (2007)
177. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
178. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
179. Love Streams (1984)
180. A Bucket of Blood (1959)
181. The Wicker Man (1973)
182. Children of the Corn (1984)
183. UHF (1989)
184. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
185. Delicatessen (1991)
186. Django Unchained (2012)
187. Hocus Pocus (1993)
188. Princess Mononoke (1997)
189. Tommy (1975)
190. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
191. Roshomon (1950)
192. Se7en (1995)
193. The Prestige (2006)
194. The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)
195. American Graffiti (1973)
196. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
197. Departures (2008)
198. Fritz the Cat (1972)
199. The Green Mile (1999)
200. Borat (2006)
201. Zoolander (2001)
202. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
203. Back to the Future (1985)
204. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
205. The Elephant Man (1980)
206. Gladiator (2000)
207. Vampire’s Kiss (1988)
208. Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)
209. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
210. Dead Alive (Braindead) (1992)
211. Easy Rider (1969)
212. Grease 2 (1982)
213. Love Story (1970)
214. Primal Fear (1996)
215. Auntie Mame (1958)
216. Clockers (1995)
217. The Lion King (1994)
218. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
219. Better Off Dead… (1985)
220. Meatballs (1979)
221. TRON: Legacy (2010)
222. Baraka (1992)
223. Wayne’s World (1992)
224. Blue Velvet (1986)
225. Center Stage (2000)
226. The Pianist (2002)
227. A Boy and His Dog (1975)
228. The Blob (1958)
229. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
230. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
231. Argo (2012)
232. Casablanca (1942)
233. Poltergeist (1982)
234. Road House (1989)
235. Swingers (1996)
236. Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978)
237. Memento (2000)
238. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
239. Alien (1979)
240. Streets of Fire (1984)
241. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
242. Mamma Mia! (2008)
243. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
244. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
245. Total Recall (1990)
246. Videodrome (1983)
247. Bound by Honor (1993)
248. MacGruber (2010)
249. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
250. The Amityville Horror (1979)
251. Gremlins (1984)
252. Tank Girl (1995)
253. The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)
254. Get Carter (1971)
255. The Raid: Redemption (2011)
256. Life of Brian (1979)
257. Citizen Kane (1941)
258. Super Troopers (2001)
259. Spaceballs (1987)
260. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
261. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
262. Belly (1998)
263. Legally Blonde (2001)
264. Kronos (1957)
265. Paid in Full (2002)
266. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
267. Stars Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
268. Event Horizon (1997)
269. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
270. Tenebrae (1982)
271. Vertigo (1958)
272. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
273. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
274. The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
275. Absolute Beginners (1986)
276. The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978)
277. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
278. Mean Girls (2004)
279. Weird Science (1985)
280. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
281. Chinatown (1974)
282. eXistenZ (1999)
283. Flesh (1968)
284. Up in Smoke (1978)
285. Z for Zachariah (2015)
286. Inherent Vice (2014)
287. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
288. La haine (1995)
289. Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987)
290. Wild Wild West (1999)
291. Kids (1995)
292. Primer (2004)
293. Coyote Ugly (2000)
294. The ‘Burbs (1989)
295. Highlander (1986)
296. The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years (1988)
297. The Bourne Identity (2002)
298. Planet of the Apes (1968)
299. The Girl Next Door (2004)
300. Halloween (1978)