Best Blurays IconBest Blurays
Featured List
/
Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films

Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films

264 Films

Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films

264 Films

Every decade the Sight and Sound team asks critics to name the greatest films of all time. Here are the results of the 2022 poll – the largest ever, with 1,639 critics, programmers, curators, archivists and academics each submitting their top ten ballot - and now updated with the complete list. 

Check out Sight and Sound for the complete breakdown, including where films received the same number of votes.

1
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2025 BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

2025 BFI Blu-ray > Criterion Blu-ray, a lot better encoding. See caps https://slow.pics/c/DW2jtYxN Criterion seemed to did some additional adjustment to the original grading

Both France Capricci and Japan Blu-ray are worse than Criterion and BFI.

Best Audio:

Criterion Blu-ray largely sounds better, but attentuates away some low-frequency ambient noises. BFI Blu-ray has hum, dropouts, pops, noticable patching and beeping.

Best English-Friendly:

2025 BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

2025 BFI Blu-ray > Criterion Blu-ray, a lot better encoding. See caps https://slow.pics/c/DW2jtYxN Criterion seemed to did some additional adjustment to the original grading

Both France Capricci and Japan Blu-ray are worse than Criterion and BFI.

Best Audio:

Criterion Blu-ray largely sounds better, but attentuates away some low-frequency ambient noises. BFI Blu-ray has hum, dropouts, pops, noticable patching and beeping.

2
Vertigo poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2005 Universal DVD

2
Vertigo poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2005 Universal DVD

3
Citizen Kane poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB Europe 4K Blu-ray slightly better encoding than Criterion (caveat: missing Criterion extras)

3
Citizen Kane poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB Europe 4K Blu-ray slightly better encoding than Criterion (caveat: missing Criterion extras)

4
Tokyo Story poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2020 BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

2020 BFI Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2005 Raro DVD

4
Tokyo Story poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2020 BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

2020 BFI Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2005 Raro DVD

5
In the Mood for Love poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2012 Criterion Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray unrecommended because of controversial colours, no HDR, minimal resolution uptick, and DNR master

Best Video:

2012 Criterion Blu-ray is the most accurate, but some may prefer the Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2002 Criterion DVD for original Dolby Digital 5.0 theatrical. The 4K Blu-ray 5.1 adds additional foley and effects.

Best English-Friendly:

2012 Criterion Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray unrecommended because of controversial colours, no HDR, minimal resolution uptick, and DNR master

Best Video:

2012 Criterion Blu-ray is the most accurate, but some may prefer the Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2002 Criterion DVD for original Dolby Digital 5.0 theatrical. The 4K Blu-ray 5.1 adds additional foley and effects.

6
2001: A Space Odyssey poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray (early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)

Best Audio:

1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD

Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray (early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)

Best Audio:

1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD

7
Beau Travail poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion

Best Video:

Criterion

7
Beau Travail poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion

Best Video:

Criterion

8
Mulholland Drive poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is closer to the original DVDs than the 2015 Criterion release, not sure about whether the StudioCanal 4K is like the Criterion 4K/original DVD

Additional Info:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL

Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is closer to the original DVDs than the 2015 Criterion release, not sure about whether the StudioCanal 4K is like the Criterion 4K/original DVD

Additional Info:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL

9
Man with a Movie Camera poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Eureka MoC Blu-ray

Best Video:

Eureka Blu-ray has better encode than Flicker Alley Blu-ray. Kino Lorber/BFI are older restoration and are worse.

Best English-Friendly:

Eureka MoC Blu-ray

Best Video:

Eureka Blu-ray has better encode than Flicker Alley Blu-ray. Kino Lorber/BFI are older restoration and are worse.

10
Singin' in the Rain poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 MGM LaserDisc

Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 MGM LaserDisc

11
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Eureka MoC Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

SFFP new 4K restoration

Best Video:

MoC audio is better, OOP but available in ebay https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3

Best English-Friendly:

Eureka MoC Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

SFFP new 4K restoration

Best Video:

MoC audio is better, OOP but available in ebay https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3

12
The Godfather poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Paramount 2008 Blu-ray Coppola Restoration

Best Video:

Paramount 2008 Blu-ray Coppola Restoration

Best Audio:

2008 Blu-ray lossy mono. (Britain release only has 5.1)

Additional Info:

The Paramount 4K "restoration" is a desecration. It has completely revisionist color timing, harsh HDR, treatment of stock footage, bad encoding, selective DNR and grain management so bad that the entire screen frequently freezes up with only characters moving around in grain soup. It is so bad that the film's restorer Robert Harris publicly washed his hands of it saying essentially the 2007 restoration (with Willis and Coppola supervising) is how the film was intended and made. This is Paramount's modern version done their way. The new 1080p SDR Blu-rays in print are the crap 4K desecration master with the same problems still there just harder to spot and with crap encodes.
The mono option is an unnecessarily processed version of the lossy mono from the 2008 Blu-ray. The 2008 Blu-ray of the 2007 Coppola Restoration while an imperfect outdated disc is LIGHT YEARS better than this 4K desecration. The only truly major issue is that it is very slightly redder than the 2007 finished master as seen on DCPs. The lossy mono on the 2008 Blu-ray is the best version of the original mix known to exist as it is better than the late 80's mastering for VHS and LaserDisc.
DFIC review of the hideous crap 4K Blu-rays: https://youtu.be/0uw6-Kcy_UA?si=ob1nDg0wTCvemjH0

Best English-Friendly:

Paramount 2008 Blu-ray Coppola Restoration

Best Video:

Paramount 2008 Blu-ray Coppola Restoration

Best Audio:

2008 Blu-ray lossy mono. (Britain release only has 5.1)

Additional Info:

The Paramount 4K "restoration" is a desecration. It has completely revisionist color timing, harsh HDR, treatment of stock footage, bad encoding, selective DNR and grain management so bad that the entire screen frequently freezes up with only characters moving around in grain soup. It is so bad that the film's restorer Robert Harris publicly washed his hands of it saying essentially the 2007 restoration (with Willis and Coppola supervising) is how the film was intended and made. This is Paramount's modern version done their way. The new 1080p SDR Blu-rays in print are the crap 4K desecration master with the same problems still there just harder to spot and with crap encodes.
The mono option is an unnecessarily processed version of the lossy mono from the 2008 Blu-ray. The 2008 Blu-ray of the 2007 Coppola Restoration while an imperfect outdated disc is LIGHT YEARS better than this 4K desecration. The only truly major issue is that it is very slightly redder than the 2007 finished master as seen on DCPs. The lossy mono on the 2008 Blu-ray is the best version of the original mix known to exist as it is better than the late 80's mastering for VHS and LaserDisc.
DFIC review of the hideous crap 4K Blu-rays: https://youtu.be/0uw6-Kcy_UA?si=ob1nDg0wTCvemjH0

13
The Rules of the Game poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray

The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.

Best Audio:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray has the least tampered with audio of the DVD era, but it's possible the 1993 Criterion LaserDisc or the 1998 Japan LaserDisc are preferable.

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray

The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.

Best Audio:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray has the least tampered with audio of the DVD era, but it's possible the 1993 Criterion LaserDisc or the 1998 Japan LaserDisc are preferable.

14
Cléo from 5 to 7 poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Varda box

Best Audio:

2000 Criterion DVD

14
Cléo from 5 to 7 poster
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Varda box

Best Audio:

2000 Criterion DVD

15
The Searchers poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS.

4K Blu-ray is muffled, even compared to already poor WB Blu-ray, from nicolas: "The most noise reduction of any release, leaving hardly anything above 8 kHz. Bass content has also been removed globally."

15
The Searchers poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS.

4K Blu-ray is muffled, even compared to already poor WB Blu-ray, from nicolas: "The most noise reduction of any release, leaving hardly anything above 8 kHz. Bass content has also been removed globally."

16
Meshes of the Afternoon poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber Maya Deren Collection

Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber Maya Deren Collection

17
Close-Up poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion best HD transfer

Best Audio:

2007 Soda Pictures DVD

17
Close-Up poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion best HD transfer

Best Audio:

2007 Soda Pictures DVD

18
Persona poster
Letterboxd
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2022 BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

2022 BFI Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2003 Tartan UK DVD

18
Persona poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2022 BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

2022 BFI Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2003 Tartan UK DVD

19
Apocalypse Now poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Theatrical: Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray
Redux: Lionsgate vs Eagle Pictures?
Final: Lionsgate or Eagle Pictures

Best Video:

Theatrical Cut: Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray > US Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray
Redux Cut: Lionsgate vs Eagle Pictures?
Final Cut: Lionsgate or Eagle Pictures, both are not great (visible chroma noise)

Best Audio:

Theatrical: Germany 4K Blu-ray/US Blu-ray DD 5.1 (1979 mix)

Additional Info:

In the Lionsgate US/UK 6-disc set, there are 4 discs of the main feature. For whatever reason, the 4K discs lack the *original track. The Germany 4K Blu-ray release is different on this matter.

  1. UBD: Final Cut: Atmos, DD2.0

  2. UBD: Redux/Theatrical: Atmos

  3. BD: Final Cut: Atmos, DD2.0

  4. BD: Redux/Theatrical: Dtru5.1 (Redux mix?), DD5.1 (?), DD5.1 (Theatrical only), DD2.0 (downmix??)

    1. As a result the Theatrical Cut has 4 tracks, The Redux has 3. Differences are unclear.

  5. BD: Hearts of Darkness

  6. BD: Special Features

Best English-Friendly:

Theatrical: Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray
Redux: Lionsgate vs Eagle Pictures?
Final: Lionsgate or Eagle Pictures

Best Video:

Theatrical Cut: Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray > US Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray
Redux Cut: Lionsgate vs Eagle Pictures?
Final Cut: Lionsgate or Eagle Pictures, both are not great (visible chroma noise)

Best Audio:

Theatrical: Germany 4K Blu-ray/US Blu-ray DD 5.1 (1979 mix)

Additional Info:

In the Lionsgate US/UK 6-disc set, there are 4 discs of the main feature. For whatever reason, the 4K discs lack the *original track. The Germany 4K Blu-ray release is different on this matter.

  1. UBD: Final Cut: Atmos, DD2.0

  2. UBD: Redux/Theatrical: Atmos

  3. BD: Final Cut: Atmos, DD2.0

  4. BD: Redux/Theatrical: Dtru5.1 (Redux mix?), DD5.1 (?), DD5.1 (Theatrical only), DD2.0 (downmix??)

    1. As a result the Theatrical Cut has 4 tracks, The Redux has 3. Differences are unclear.

  5. BD: Hearts of Darkness

  6. BD: Special Features

20
Seven Samurai poster
Letterboxd
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray or BFI 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

No clear winner, Criterion SDR 4K Blu-ray has better defined grain and is cleaned-up more thoroughly. But looks grayer and flatter in daytime scenes. BFI 4K Blu-ray's HDR/DV is better in contrast but the grading can be debatable.

Best Audio:

BFI Streaming

Additional Info:

The subtitles of Criterion  and BFI are translated differently. See BR forum.

20
Seven Samurai poster
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray or BFI 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

No clear winner, Criterion SDR 4K Blu-ray has better defined grain and is cleaned-up more thoroughly. But looks grayer and flatter in daytime scenes. BFI 4K Blu-ray's HDR/DV is better in contrast but the grading can be debatable.

Best Audio:

BFI Streaming

Additional Info:

The subtitles of Criterion  and BFI are translated differently. See BR forum.

Showing 20 of 264 films

Made with ❤️ 📀 by vanshady