The 30 best movies of 1991

Ranked by weighted audience rating: among 92 movies with at least 300 votes on TMDb, the formula balances the score with the vote count, so a barely-rated title cannot leap past a classic. O Silêncio dos Inocentes leads, rated 8.3 (1991). The average release year on the list is 1991. The list is recalculated weekly; each title links to its full page, including where to watch in Brazil.

Page updated on 09/20/2026.

1

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

directed by Jonathan Demme · 118 min · 8.3 18,454 votes
2

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

directed by James Cameron · 136 min · 8.2 14,795 votes
3

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

directed by Gary Trousdale · 110 min · 7.7 10,870 votes
4

Thelma & Louise (1991)

directed by Ridley Scott · 130 min · 7.6 3,987 votes
5

JFK (1991)

directed by Oliver Stone · 188 min · 7.6 2,485 votes
6

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

directed by John Singleton · 112 min · 7.6 2,339 votes
7

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

directed by Jon Avnet · 130 min · 7.7 1,519 votes
8

Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

directed by Yimou Zhang · 125 min · 7.9 816 votes
9

Paris Is Burning (1991)

directed by Jennie Livingston · 77 min · 8.0 566 votes
10

Barton Fink (1991)

directed by Joel Coen · 117 min · 7.5 1,939 votes
11

A Brighter Summer Day (1991)

directed by Edward Yang · 237 min · 8.2 404 votes
12

Mediterraneo (1991)

directed by Gabriele Salvatores · 96 min · 7.6 1,087 votes
13

My Girl (1991)

directed by Howard Zieff · 102 min · 7.4 2,361 votes
14

Cape Fear (1991)

directed by Martin Scorsese · 128 min · 7.3 4,004 votes
15

Night on Earth (1991)

directed by Jim Jarmusch · 128 min · 7.5 1,087 votes
16

Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)

directed by Fax Bahr · 96 min · 7.9 435 votes
17

The Double Life of Véronique (1991)

directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski · 98 min · 7.5 914 votes
18

Only Yesterday (1991)

directed by Isao Takahata · 119 min · 7.4 1,289 votes
19

Point Break (1991)

directed by Kathryn Bigelow · 122 min · 7.2 4,120 votes
20

Delicatessen (1991)

directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet · 99 min · 7.3 1,685 votes
21

The Fisher King (1991)

directed by Terry Gilliam · 137 min · 7.3 1,512 votes
22

Johnny Stecchino (1991)

directed by Roberto Benigni · 121 min · 7.3 1,081 votes
23

The Addams Family (1991)

directed by Barry Sonnenfeld · 100 min · 7.1 5,171 votes
24

Operation Condor (1991)

directed by Jackie Chan · 107 min · 7.3 668 votes
25

The Doors (1991)

directed by Oliver Stone · 140 min · 7.1 1,650 votes
26

The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)

directed by Leos Carax · 126 min · 7.4 393 votes
27

The Man in the Moon (1991)

directed by Robert Mulligan · 99 min · 7.4 388 votes
28

The Commitments (1991)

directed by Alan Parker · 118 min · 7.2 627 votes
29

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

directed by Nicholas Meyer · 110 min · 7.0 1,466 votes
30

Europa (1991)

directed by Lars von Trier · 108 min · 7.3 372 votes