Peter O’Toole In Lawrence Of Arabia, which Niraj Pancholi ranks among the best ever made (Image: Getty)
Brits love nothing better than cosying up on the sofa on a relaxed Sunday evening and putting on a great movie. From Hollywood blockbusters to charming Brit-flicks, everyone has their own taste.
But what do the experts say about the very best movies of all time? Those famed for their “artistic accomplishments and lasting impact on the global cultural zeitgeist”, according to award-winning writer and director, Niraj Pancholi.
Los Angeles-based Niraj, best known for his sci-fi short film Cosmic Light, has compiled his list of the greatest films of all time.
Niraj said: “Below is my list of the greatest movies of all time, curated after careful consideration of their artistic accomplishments and lasting impact on the global cultural zeitgeist.”
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The Seven Samurai (Image: Getty)
10. Metropolis (1927)
This German movie is “more relevant now than ever before”, says Niraj. “It is one of the first films to depict a futuristic world where industrialisation is used to enslave the poor, and AI and robotics are used to control the minds of the rich.”
9. Seven Samurai (1954)
This Japanese classic sees “Samurai battles, powerful music, and artistic image compositions come together to deliver a timeless tale of a village community that must overcome its fear if it wants to survive a formidable foe,” Niraj said.
He added: “The characters are relatable because their hopes and fears are relatable.”
An alien is stranded on Earth in E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Image: Handout)
8. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
This charming Hollywood blockbuster was a massive box office and cultural success, becoming the highest grossing film of all time, a record it held for eleven years.
Niraj said: “This movie pulls at the heartstrings of its audience because it is about finding a friend in your loneliest moments, and the gut-wrenching feeling when someone tries to take that friend away from you. The music and the story lift the audience and take them on an unforgettable emotional ride.”
7. Guide (1965)
Niraj said what makes this Indian movie “flawless” is the “flawed nature of its characters.”
He added: “You relate to their human frailty and marvel at the beautifully shot scenes and songs as the story builds to a heightened spiritual crescendo.”
Titanic was a devastatingly moving film (Image: CBS via Getty Images)
6. Inception (2010)
With a star Hollywood cast led by Leonardo Dicaprio, Inception was the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2010.
Niraj said: “There has never been a sci-fi movie that used dreams to create a complex, ‘Matryoshka doll’-like puzzle that audiences enjoyed unraveling long after watching. It’s a highly innovative film, yet it tells a deeply emotional story about a man haunted by his past.”
5. Titanic (1997)
Another major Hollywood blockbuster, Niraj said it “lifted Titanic from the history books and sank it deep into the hearts of viewers forever.”
He said: “By making the audience care about the fictional characters Jake and Rose, the movie made them care about the real people who lost their lives in the tragedy of the Titanic.”
Marlon Brando starred in The Godfather (Image: Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock)
4. Godfather (1972)
An all-time classic and the first installment in the The Godfather trilogy, this film won three Oscars at the 45th Academy Awards – Best Picture, Best Actor (Marlon Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was the highest-grossing film of 1972, and the highest-grossing film ever made, for a time.
Niraj said: “It’s about the mafia. It’s about power. It’s about family — a family that sticks together and protects one another, even in a world filled with corruption and betrayal. This movie became a benchmark for what the crime genre could become artistically, and it has been a huge influence on the films that followed.”
3. Sholay (1975)
Niraj said: “This is the only Indian movie whose every single character, no matter how small the role, is remembered by the entire Indian diaspora. It excels in action, screenplay, songs, and cinematography. The emotions captured here can be found elsewhere, but the emotions not captured here can’t be found anywhere else.”
Star Wars: A New Hope, starred Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford (Image: Lucas Films)
Niraj Pancholi is a director and writer (Image: Niraj Pancholi)
2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
This British classic was nominated for ten Oscars at the 35th Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. Niraj said it is “the grandest of all grandeur films.”
He added: “The images in this film, once seen, cannot be forgotten. Yet the movie portrays a very nuanced and complex character looking to find who he is. It not only stuns the audience, but also sets a high bar for all future filmmakers to aspire to.”
1. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
The first film in the Star Wars franchise is “not just a movie, for many, it’s their childhood,” said Niraj. He said: “Space battles, fantastical aliens, and laser sword fights — along with a story about believing in yourself and trusting your friends. A perfect combination of ancient character archetypes and a futuristic alien world.”
Niraj Pancholi’s sci-fi short film Cosmic Light won the Gold Remi at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival in 2019. Niraj was also a semi-Finalist at the Columbia International Film and Animation Festival, and Finalist at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival. In 2025, he was a judge at the WorldFest-Houston Film Festival and the Cambridge Film Festival.