10 Steven Spielberg Movies Everyone Should See

The latest entry in this ongoing series focuses on Steven Spielberg, one of cinema's most famous Directors. As always, rather than a "Best of" or "Top 10" this is more of an overview highlighting some of the notable movies of a person's career. Also, at the bottom of this post I'll leave a link to all of the other '10 Movies Everyone Should See' posts.


#10 Bridge of Spies (2015)

This is the 4^th pairing of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks (the previous three films being ‘Saving Private Ryan’, ‘Catch Me If You Can’ and ‘The Terminal’) I wasn't sure about this one going in but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a pretty outstanding Cold War, espionage movie.

#9 Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Well acted, engaging story, great musical score, and massive success at the box-office.
This big hit (along with Jaws) helped catapult Spielberg to top of every studio's Director list.

#8 Lincoln (2012)

When you pair up an all-time great actor in Daniel Day-Lewis with an all-time Director you can even turn a film about Abe Lincoln into not only a financial success but also a multiple (2) Oscar winning film.

#7 Saving Private Ryan (1998)

There are a ton of WWII movies for anyone looking to watch one. The fact that this one often rises towards the top for a lot of people says a lot. It's a really solid film.

#6 E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982)

I've seen this one multiple times over the years and there's no way it should be as good as it is. Kids fly on bicycles, the alien is basically a bumbling child, none of the acting is amazing... In the hands of a lesser filmmaker this is a crappy movie, but Spielberg made it a classic.

#5 Schindler's List (1993)

This period-drama about the Holocaust won 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director, and it's easily one of Spielberg's most critically acclaimed films.

#4 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

The film that launched one of cinemas most beloved characters, Indiana Jones, still holds up pretty well. While it's not my favorite Indiana Jones movie (that distinction belongs to 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) it's impact is undeniable.

#3 Jaws (1975)

It's one of cinema's greatest summer blockbusters and one of the only legitimately good shark movies ever made. All you have to do is say the word "Jaws" and most people will immediately think of this early Spielberg classic.

#2 Minority Report (2002)

This one also appeared on my list of '10 Tom Cruise Movies Everyone Should See' (which you can check out by clicking here) and while it's not as famous as a film like  "Jaws" or  "E.T.", I think it's a great, tension-filled movie that is definitely worth checking out if you've never seen it.

#1 Jurassic Park (1993)

Early on as I started rewatching a bunch of these films for this list, this one jumped to #1. Everything I like about different Spielberg's films come together in this one. You get adventure, memorable characters, great special effects that still hold up, and an interesting story that's easy to get fully invested in.

Have a suggestion for a '10 Movies Everyone Should See' list?

Leave it in the comments below, and if you want to check out the other other entries in this series you can find them all by clicking Here.