GREAT CINEMAMASTER LIST
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great film.

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 #270 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:
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Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

A poor household that survives through small thefts takes in a neglected child.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Osamu and his son Shota survive partly through shoplifting within a crowded Tokyo household led by grandmother Hatsue. After finding neglected young Yuri outside in the cold, the family takes her in despite the legal and financial danger.

Why it belongs

Hirokazu Kore-eda makes chosen family tangible through shared meals, cramped rooms, petty theft, and performances that reveal care before explaining biography.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Kore-eda's ensemble lets tenderness coexist with secrecy, exploitation, and legal precarity. The narrow house, convenience stores, beach, bath, noodles, clothes, and private signals accumulate into a lived family system.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Cannes1 win2018 · official festival record ↗
Palme d'or2018 · KOREEDA Hirokazuofficial festival record ↗

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 & Sound—IMDb Top 250—AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.0
Engagement8.8
Ease8.5

Japanese · R
Narrative Feature
Mood: Warm & Bittersweet