A summer blockbuster isn’t just a movie, it’s a cinematic event, with culture, hype, and epic filmmaking all bringing audiences together for something special. Blockbusters are made to be seen in a movie theater, on a big screen, with an audience that is there to have their minds blown. The genre of the movie isn’t as important as what the movie represents: a time and place in movie history.
Choosing the best summer blockbusters of all time might seem like an impossible endeavor. Isn’t the “best” a matter of opinion? In compiling this list, a lot of factors have been taken into consideration. Of course, blockbusters cost a lot of money to produce and make a fortune at the box office, but financial success isn’t the only component. The quality of the movie, cultural relevance, and long-standing impact are all key factors.
Here are the 10 greatest summer blockbusters of all time.
10
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)
Mad Max: Fury Road is a cinematic feat and a technical marvel, prioritizing practical effects over CGI to create a visually stunning movie. Writer-director George Miller based the film on the Mad Max franchise he directed in the 1970s and 1980s. After the collapse of civilization, Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) escapes Immortan Joe’s (Hugh Keays-Byrne) War Boys and teams up with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), a war rig driver who is secretly smuggling Joe’s “wives” out of the fortress.
“What a lovely day!”
Fury Road was a beast to make, but it paid off. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning six of them. This includes Best Achievement in Film Editing and Best Achievement in Production Design. The movie puts compelling characters in a grueling setting and was so successful that Miller made a prequel film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, in 2024 that explores the origin story of Furiosa (played in this film by Anya Taylor-Joy). Fury Road made $379,436,354 worldwide at the box office during its original release. It was featured on just about every “best of” list in 2015 and continues to land spots on best movie roundups to this day.
9
‘Back to the Future’ (1985)
5
/5
- Release Date
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July 3, 1985
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Director
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Robert Zemeckis
- Producers
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Bob Gale, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, Neil Canton
Great Scott! Who can forget this epic time-travel adventure? Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) directed the sci-fi classic and wrote the script with Bob Gale (I Wanna Hold Your Hand). Michael J. Fox (Teen Wolf) stars as Marty McFly, a teenager whose friendship with Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd) leads to Marty traveling back in time from 1985 to 1955 using Brown’s DeLorean machine.
“Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads”
Back to the Future is a certified classic. Over the past 40 years, it has inspired two sequels, several video games, comic books, a ride at Universal Studios, and a Broadway musical. The DeLorean remains a favorite movie automobile to this day. The film is well-paced, has a phenomenal cast, and a ton of great music. It’s the kind of movie parents love to share with their kids. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay and Best Music. It won for Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing. The movie made $223,819,255 worldwide.
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8
‘Barbie’ (2023)
Barbie is a cultural hit: a feel-good summer blockbuster with lots of easter eggs that had audiences dressing up in pink and saying “hi Barbie!” to each other entering the movie theater. Directed by Greta Gerwig (Little Women) with a script by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (White Noise), Barbie is a visual treat with a ton of heart. The sets are incredible, the story fantastical yet incredibly human in all the right ways. Margot Robbie (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), who also produced the film, stars in the title role alongside a cast that includes Ryan Gosling (Blade Runner 2049), America Ferrera (Superstore), Kate McKinnon (SNL), and Issa Rae (Insecure).
“Ideas Live Forever”
Barbie came out at the same time as Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which inspired the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon. Both films benefited from the extra press and were widely successful. So what makes Barbie the blockbuster? “Barbenheimer” made Oppenheimer a fun experience, but it is a very serious, heavy film. Barbie, on the other hand, is a fun time with or without the mashup. Barbie received eight Academy Award nominations, including nods for Gerwig and Ferrera, and Best Achievement in Music Written for a Motion Picture for Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell’s “What Was I Made For?” The film has made $1,447,038,421 worldwide.
7
‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)
It’s rare that a sequel surpasses the original, but that’s exactly what happened with Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Directed by James Cameron (Avatar) with a script by Cameron and William Wisher (Judge Dredd), Terminator 2 was released seven years after The Terminator. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a “T-800” Terminator reprogrammed and sent back in time to save John Connor (Edward Furlong), future leader of the resistance after the machines rise up against humanity. Linda Hamilton (Stranger Things) reprises her role as Sarah Connor, John’s mother, and Robert Patrick (From Dusk till Dawn: The Series) joins the cast as the T-1000 Terminator sent to kill John Connor.
“I’ll be back”
While The Terminator is framed as a horror movie with Schwarzenegger as the villain, Judgment Day flips the script and turns the T-800 into a hero. Judgment Day remains an iconic installment in the cultural zeitgeist. It inspired multiple sequels, a television series, and a ride at Universal Studios. Fans continue to quote the film to this day and if you ask Amazon’s Alexa if it is associated with Skynet (the machines that take over the world), it replies “I have nothing to do with Skynet, don’t worry.” Judgment Day was nominated for six Academy Awards and won four of them, including Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup. It made $517,778,573 worldwide at the box office and has become one of the most iconic sci-fi movies ever made.
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6
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl’ (2003)
The Curse of the Black Pear is the first installment in the swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and arguably the best of the series. Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands), Orlando Bloom (Lord of the Rings), and Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice) star as an unlikely trio (pirate, blacksmith, governor’s daughter) who find themselves aboard a cursed pirate ship. It’s an adventure-fantasy epic with fast-paced action, gorgeous costumes, impressive effects, and plenty of laughs.
“Why is the Rum Gone?”
While some of the films on this list have inspired theme park rides, Pirates of the Caribbean is actually based on the Disneyland ride established in 1967. The film has inspired several sequels, books, videogames, and one of the most popular Halloween costumes of all time: Captain Jack Sparrow. The Curse of the Black Pear was nominated for five Oscars, including Best Makeup, Visual Effects, and an acting nomination for Johnny Depp. The Curse of the Black Pear earned $654,264,546 worldwide.
5
‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
- Release Date
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July 16, 2008
- Runtime
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152 minutes
- Producers
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Benjamin Melniker, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas, Kevin De La Noy, Michael Uslan
The Dark Knight is the second installment in Christopher Nolan’s (Oppenheimer) The Dark Knight trilogy and is one of the most prestigious superhero movies ever made. Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari) stars as Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) alongside Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain) as the Joker and Aaron Eckhart (Sully) as Harvey Dent. The script was written by director Christopher Nolan with his brother, Jonathan Nolan (Westworld).
“Why so serious?”
The Dark Knight is Nolan at his best. The practical effects, including the flipping of an actual truck, are exceptional. The themes are complex, the cinematography is inspiring, and the performances remain next level. Ledger’s Joker is a masterclass in acting and one of the star’s last performances prior to his death in 2008. The Dark Knight was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning for Best Achievement in Sound Editing and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Ledger. He is the only actor to ever win in this category posthumously. The film made $1,012,558,979 worldwide.
4
‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’ (1977)
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope is the first installment in George Lucas’s Star Wars trilogy, introducing audiences to some of the most iconic characters in science fiction to this day. Mark Hamill (The Fall of the House of Usher) stars as Luke Skywalker, a young man who teams up with charismatic space smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to rescue Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher). This film has charm, it has epic battles, and it gave audiences the legendary voice of James Earl Jones (also Mufasa in The Lion King) as Darth Vader.
“These aren’t the Droids You’re Looking For”
In terms of cultural relevance and long-standing impact, A New Hope probably takes the cake. The filmmaking could be stronger, which is why it doesn’t rank higher on this list, but the impact is undeniable. It has inspired prequels, sequels, animated shows, television spin-offs, games, toys, and theme park attractions. The release of every subsequent Star Wars movie has been a huge cultural event. At the time of its release, A New Hope was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. It made $775,398,507 all by itself, not including any of the prequels or sequels.
Steven Spielberg is a titan of the blockbuster, imbuing some of the biggest movies ever made with incredible heart. None of these movies have more heart than E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. One of the first blockbusters to really be targeted for families and younger audiences, E.T. was written by Melissa Mathison (The Black Stallion) and directed by Steven Spielberg (Raiders of the Lost Ark). Henry Thomas (The Fall of the House of Usher) stars as 10-yearold Elliott Taylor, who finds and befriends the alien E.T., hiding E.T. in his room. Robert MacNaughton (I Am the Cheese) and Drew Barrymore (Scream) also star as Elliot’s siblings, older brother Michael and younger sister Gertie.
“E.T. Phone Home”
ET. is the quintessential kids-hiding-the-impossible-from-their-parents movie. E.T. is a cultural touchstone. There would be no Stranger Things without this movie. E.T. played at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival and became the highest-grossing film of its time, beating out Star Wars. E.T. doesn’t have a sequel, but it has inspired toys, video games, books, and a theme park ride called E.T. Adventure that is still active at Universal Studios Florida to this day. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won four of them, including Best Effects and Best Music. It is considered by many to be one of the best films ever made. At the box office, it made $797,307,407 worldwide.
2
‘Jaws’ (1975)
Nothing says summer like Jaws. It’s one of the few summer blockbusters to actually use summer as part of its storyline. Set in a beach town during the busiest time of the season (Fourth of July weekend), Jaws follows Amity Island police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) as he tries to keep his community safe from the shark that has been killing swimmers just off the coast.
“You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat”
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley, Steven Spielberg turned Jaws into a summer classic despite a cast that didn’t get along and an animatronic shark that was constantly malfunctioning. Jaws is considered one of the best movies ever made and tops plenty of horror movie lists as the scariest. It has inspired multiple film sequels, games, a ride at Universal Studios, and two theatrical musicals. The film made $477,916,625 worldwide.
1
‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)
- Release Date
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June 11, 1993
- Runtime
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127 minutes
- Writers
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Michael Crichton, David Koepp
- Producers
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Gerald R. Molen
Jurassic Park is, first and foremost, a fantastic movie. There’s a great story, a classic score, and compelling characters. Steven Spielberg’s use of practical effects in this film holds up better than a lot of the digital effects used in subsequent sequels. The film has a lot of heart, just like E.T., and the thrilling peril that makes Jaws so exciting. The cast is perfect, with Sam Neill (Peaky Blinders), Laura Dern (Big Little Lies), Jeff Goldblum (Thor: Ragnarok) leading the way as scientists and a mathematician brought to the park by CEO and InGen founder John Hammond (Richard Attenborough).
“Hold Onto Your Butts”
Based on Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, Jurassic Park made a huge impression on kids and adults alike in the 1990s. The movie has multiple fantastic female characters (unique for the time) and enough movie magic to make audiences feel like the dinosaurs are right there in front of them. Over the years, Jurassic Park has inspired multiple film sequels, an animated television series, tons of toys, a theatrical satire, and two theme park attractions at Universal Studios — the second of which is still open today. The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards and won all three of them for Best Sound, Sound Effects Editing, and Visual Effects. It was a huge box office success, making $1,104,379,926 worldwide.
