The Best Movies With An A+ CinemaScore, Ranked According To IMDb

When it comes to movie aggregates, there are none more honest than CinemaScore, which surveys general audiences right after they see a movie. CinemaScore’s are letter grades, with F being the worst, and A+ being the very best. It’s extremely difficult to get an A+. Only 91 movies have been awarded it in 40 years.

Movies with an A+ CinemaScore tend to be four-quadrant films that hit all of the viewer’s emotions. They’re films that’ll make audiences cry, laugh, and even learn a thing or two. The best of the lot is mostly made up of dramas and animations, but there are a couple of surprises that slip through to claim the top grades for themselves.

10 Green Book (2018) – 8.2

Green Book is about a real-life classical piano prodigy who hires a racist Italian bouncer to drive him around while he tours through the deep south. Coming from completely different backgrounds, it was only natural that the pair would clash.

But that’s why the movie is so great, and once they get past their conflict, it’s one of the most endearing and heartwarming friendships of any drama. It’s impossible not to get attached to Tony and Don, and it’s even harder to not be overwhelmed with joy when they learn life lessons from each other.

9 Die Hard (1988) – 8.2

Die Hard might not exactly be a four-quadrant movie, and though it’s a Christmas film, it’s in no way suitable for kids. However, despite not being geared towards families, the 1988 film managed to earn the coveted A+ CinemaScore.

What makes the film so unique compared to other action movies of its time is that it introduced a new type of action hero. John McClane is just an average New York cop, and he’s tasked with taking down terrorists with the small skillset that he has. And that’s probably why it spoke to general audiences so much more than any other action flick at the time. Not only that, but it started a trend of action films taking place in one location, leading to many movies that are Die Hard.

8 Coco (2017) – 8.4

Of all the movie studios that have earned an A+ CinemaScore, Pixar has the most. Out of all of the studio’s movies, seven of them have been awarded an A+, including tearjerkers like Up, Monsters Inc., and Toy Story 2, but the highest-rated of them all is Coco.

What Pixar does so well is tell stories so meaningful and with lessons that even adults can learn from, and Coco is no different. It’s the perfect animated movie, as it’s full of wonderful music, compelling characters, and the animation is breathtaking, especially when Miguel is transported to the Land of the Dead.

7 Avengers: Endgame (2019) – 8.4

It comes as a surprise that, 26 movies into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are only four that have an A+ CinemaScore. Though the grade is extremely hard to come by, the movies in the franchise are some of the highest-grossing and most beloved blockbusters ever made.

However, there was never any way that Avengers: Endgame was ever going to get anything but top marks. The movie achieves the impossible by satisfyingly wrapping up dozens of different story arcs, as well as being hilarious and an emotional rollercoaster. And there’s no doubt that Endgame’s incredible action sequences helped the movie get the grade too.

6 The Lion King (1994) – 8.5

Just like Pixar, Disney has so many animated movies with the highest mark possible. The studio has 6 A+ movies, but the best of them all is The Lion King. Being one of Disney’s hand-drawn animations, the movie is one of the best looking that the studio has ever released.

The movie’s narrative, which is loosely based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is such a mature tale, especially compared to other goofy kids’ movies at the time. The 1994 film is the gold standard of Animation, as not only does it have an A+ CinemaScore, but it’s the highest-rated animated movie of all time too.

5 Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) – 8.5

Terminator 2: Judgement Day achieves something rare in the movie industry, as it’s one of the few sequels that’s better than its predecessor. The film takes the simple high concept of the original and expands on it tenfold.

It was one of the first examples of a movie humanizing an antagonist, which has become so popular in Hollywood movies today, but it was done so in such a creative way in Judgement Day. The action was so ahead of its time too. Whether it was the chase scene on the LA River or the T-1000 being made out of pliable metal, the movie left audiences’ heads spinning.

4 Forrest Gump (1994) – 8.8

It’s impossible not to love Forrest Gump, and in the current world where the highest-grossing movies of the year are all franchises and cinematic universes, the 1994 drama was the highest-grossing of that year. The movie was in the top three at the box office for three months, which is something that would never happen these days.

Audiences pull something new from the movie with every consecutive viewing, as there are so many layers to it. There’s so much symbolism, so many different political interpretations, and so many commentaries on the economy, not to mention that it’ll make audiences laugh and cry. The film is a classic on every account.

3 Schindler’s List (1993) – 8.9

Stephen Spielberg is one of the best, if not the best, directors working today, and if the hype surrounding the West Side Story remake isn’t proof enough, then his work in 1993 is. In 1993, Spielberg shot two drastically different movies back to back, with the first being the exciting and thrilling Jurassic Park, and the second being the emotionally exhausting Schindler’s List.

The latter follows a German industrialist who saves a thousand Jewish refugees from the holocaust. While it isn’t a movie with all that much re-watchability, it’s a breathtaking, beautiful masterpiece. It’ll leave viewers in tears, it’s a great history lesson, and it’s a masterclass in filmmaking.

2 The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) – 8.9

It’s quite a feat that each consecutive The Lord of the Rings movie managed to be better than the last. The Return of the King is epic in every sense of the word, as every minute of the 3.5-hour runtime is necessary, all of the battles are so detailed, and all of the sweeping establishing shots of Mordor are beautiful.

As general audiences don’t tend to have the biggest attention spans, it’s a testament to how great of a final chapter the film is that it earned an A+ CinemaScore. It’s also one of the few Oscar-winning sequels, especially considering it’s the third film in the series.

1 Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) – 9.0

Spider-Man: No Way Home is the most recent MCU movie and the latest to be awarded an A+ CinemaScore. As the movie incorporates villains from the past Spider-Man movies, along with including some other big secrets, there was never any doubt that it’d get anything else.

As No Way Home hasn’t even been out for a week at this point, it’s doubtful that it’ll keep its 9.0 score on IMDb. After all, there are still millions of fans yet to see it. However, the fact that it managed to hold a 9.0 at all is a magnificent achievement, and as it stands, it’s currently the 9th best movie of all time according to the movie database.