GREAT CINEMAMASTER LIST
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Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #10 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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Cast:
View GoodFellas film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

Henry Hill grows from an admiring Brooklyn teenager into an associate of mobsters Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito, embracing the access and danger of organized crime.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Henry Hill grows from a Brooklyn teenager fascinated by neighborhood gangsters into an associate of Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. Access, money, family life, and sudden violence become inseparable as he moves deeper into organized crime.

Why it belongs

Martin Scorsese makes organized crime seductive and corrosive through propulsive editing, layered narration, music, violence, and sharply observed behavior.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Scorsese's tracking shots, freeze-frames, layered voice-over, rapid editing, and period music reproduce the seduction of Henry's world before the same style tightens into paranoia and conscience-bound collapse.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Academy Awards1 win1991 · official ceremony record ↗
Actor in a Supporting Role1991 · Joe Pesciofficial ceremony record ↗
BAFTA5 wins1991 · official BAFTA 1991 Film Awards results ↗
Adapted Screenplay1991 · Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorseseofficial BAFTA 1991 Film Awards results ↗

Plus 4 additional wins

Venice1 win1990 · official Venice 1990 awards ↗
Silver Lion for Best Direction1990 · Martin Scorseseofficial Venice 1990 awards ↗

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Date NightFilm Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound63IMDb Top 25018AFI 10092
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.5
Engagement9.8
Ease9.0

English · R
Narrative Feature
Mood: Tense & Absorbing