The 1950s were a long time ago, but plenty of the movies released during the decade hold up as classics. One great way to find some of the best released between 1950 and 1959 is to look at the scores given to various 50s movies by Letterboxd users, with the film-related social media app also allowing those curious to see what the highest-rated movie from any given year is.
What follows is the top movie from each year of the 1950s, according to Letterboxd users. With only one film per year, there are naturally plenty of omissions, and by no means are these the 10 objectively greatest of the decade. However, they are all essential and well-loved films, and collectively provide a good snapshot of some of the decade’s cinematic highlights.
10’Sunset Boulevard' (1950)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.4/5
Sunset Boulevardwould be a classic from its iconic screenplay alone, but thankfully, its compelling story and snappy dialogue are complemented by striking visuals and incredible performances. It’s a film noir of sorts, following a struggling screenwriter who becomes involved in the life of a lonely actress who used to be a silent film star, with dangerous results.
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It provides a particularly dark look at fame, and the personal toll it can take on someone who was once in the spotlight, yet finds themselves discarded later in life. It was made - and is set - decades ago, but much of what it has to say remains eerily relevant, and the film’s writing, acting, and direction all hold up remarkably well.
9’Ace in the Hole' (1951)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.2/5
One year after directing and co-writingSunset Boulevard, filmmakerBilly Wildermade Letterboxd’s favorite movie of 1951, too:Ace in the Hole. This one’s not quite as popular asSunset Boulevard, but it is similarly forward-thinking and biting, with a story revolving around a journalist going to extreme lengths to cover a story about a man stuck in a cave.
It unpacks the callousness of the media and the public’s appetite for morbid stories, with similar themes appearing in too many other films to count (some of the most notable/popular might be 1976’sNetworkand 2014’sNightcrawler). Wilder approached the story well here, and even if it’s not quite as brutal or dark as later movies that criticize the media, it’s easy to appreciate this being quite full-on by the standards of the 1950s.
8’Ikiru' (1952)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.5/5
Easily standing as one ofAkira Kurosawa’s greatest films,Ikiruis a remarkably moving drama that centers on one man and his dramatic change of heart as the end of his life approaches. He’s a bureaucrat named Kanji Watanabe, and he more or less drifted through life before receiving news of a terminal illness, which sends him on a journey of self-discovery where he betters himself in his final days on Earth.
It’s a film about death, but it also manages to be life-affirming, approaching its heavy subject without being too morbid or depressing.Ikiruis crushingly sad at times, but in a way that feels nakedly sincere and earned, making it one of the most moving films of the decade.
7’Tokyo Story' (1953)
Like Kurosawa,Yasujirō Ozuwas another Japanese filmmaker who released some iconic films during the 1950s, with his work mostly focusing on family drama and very everyday social issues.Tokyo Storyis his most famous movie, and many would argue it’s also his strongest overall, and such an argument would be a fair one.
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It’s a downbeat story about two grandparents visiting the younger members of their family, only to feel isolated when it turns out that no one seems to have time to spare. It’s an honest look at growing old and the sense of alienation that can come with it, and is an empathetic and very moving film designed to make viewers better appreciate, before it’s too late, the roles their elders played in raising them.
6’Seven Samurai' (1954)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.6/5
Thehighest-rated movie of 1954on Letterboxd is hard to dispute, given it’sSeven Samurai. It’s perhaps the definitive samurai film, and the one to which all others are compared, easily ranking as Akira Kurosawa’s best film within the genre (and he made quite a few of them).
It’s a genre-defining action epic, telling the much-imitated story of a town in need, the warriors they hire to defend them, and the ensuing preparations and climactic battle that follow. It’s pure filmmaking magic and a perfectly told story, with its action sequences, memorable characters, and great pacing all ensuring thatSeven Samuraihas aged beautifully for something that’s nearly seven decades old.
5'Ordet' (1955)
Letterboxd Rating: 4.3/5
Carl Theodor Dreyerwas a Danish filmmaker who began working during the silent era, with perhaps his most famous film being 1928’sThe Passion of Joan of Arc. Another one of his most acclaimed films isOrdet, made a considerable amount of time later, and with a story that focuses on a family’s faith being tested during a particularly difficult time in life.
It’s an incredibly slow-paced movie, and achallenging film to watch, given it intentionally feels very understated throughout, and grapples with complex themes that are discussed at length by its characters. Some have praised it for the way it looks and the natural performances, and the ending - though potentially divisive - is something that has moved enough Letterboxd users for it to rank as 1955’s best movie on the site.
4’A Man Escaped' (1956)
One of the greatest films ever made by French directorRobert Bresson,A Man Escapedis as straightforward and no-nonsense with its storytelling as its title is direct. The film centers on a French Resistance fighter during the Second World War who attempts to execute a daring solo escape attempt from the prison he’s being held in.
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For 101 minutes, the plan is meticulously devised, prepared, and then executed, and that’s really all there is to it. But the film is so precise with how it unfolds, and progressively more suspenseful as it goes along, that it remains surprisingly engaging throughout, and is a testament to the fact that one can make a great movie out of just about anything, so long as they know how to approach it and pull it off.
3'12 Angry Men' (1957)
12 Angry Menmight well be one of the most enduring and continually beloved movies of its decade, with it being an effective enough drama that it’s likely to appeal even to those who don’t watch many older movies. The premise is simple and perfectly pulled off: it’s about the 12 members of a jury deliberating after the murder trial they’ve just sat through.
11 of them seem convinced the accused committed the crime, while one has his doubts, and then sets about getting the others to see the whole situation from his point of view. It’s perfectly acted and amazingly well-written, being undoubtedly thegreatest courtroom drama of all time, and a film that largely feels timeless.
2’Vertigo' (1958)
It might be difficult for film buffs to agree on what is the greatestAlfred Hitchcockmovie, because he made plenty of great ones and a handful of undisputed classics, too.Vertigowill usually be ranked right up there, though, with it being one of the filmmaker’s most mysterious, unsettling, hypnotic, and visually dazzling.
It’s about a retired detective in San Francisco asked to do a favor for a friend that involves following his wife, only for the ex-detective to become obsessed with the woman to a dangerous extent. It goes to some incredibly dark places for a movie of its age, and unfolds in a methodical way that remains feeling unpredictable, with well-placed twists throughout, culminating in an ending that’s hard to forget.
1’The Human Condition I: No Greater Love' (1959)
When it comes to ranking thebest World War II movies of all time, few can compete withThe Human Conditiontrilogy. These three epic movies were released between 1959 and 1961, telling one complete story that ends up being over nine hours long, with the trilogy beginning with 1959’sThe Human Condition I: No Greater Love.
Featuring a legendaryTatsuya Nakadaiperformance at its center, this film begins the story of a conscientious objector named Kaji, and the way his life is irrevocably changed by Japan’s involvement in the Second World War.No Greater Loveis a powerful and oftentimes brutal war movie, beginning the trilogy in a striking way, all the while laying the groundwork for things to become even more moving and intense in the trilogy’s subsequent entries.
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