Want to know the best New York City movies? How about the worst New York City movies? Curious about New York City box office grosses or which New York City movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which New York City movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well, you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
FYI Part of Page: I think many are thinking about New York City right. This dreadful virus has taken control of the world’s best city and currently the epicenter of the Corona Virus. I can’t help think about one of UMR’s Hall of Famers, Dan. Dan has lived in New York City for a very long time. Dan has shared lots of information on being a movie fan that lives in New York City. So in an effort to get even more information out of Dan, I created this Top 50 New York City Movies page. Ok….it is actually 54 movies, but I did not want to exclude one of my favorites, Quick Change. So New Yorkers…stay safe, our thoughts and prayers are with you.
New York City Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
New York City Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies any way you want.
- Sort New York City movies by co-stars of movies.
- Sort New York City movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort New York City movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort New York City movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each New York City movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Virus movie won.
- Sort New York City movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
- Use the search and sort button to make this page very interactive.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | The Godfather (1972) AA Best Picture Win |
Marlon Brando & James Caan |
134.10 | 850.3 | 1,548.50 | 1 | 97 | 11 / 03 | 100.0 | |
| 3 | All About Eve (1950) AA Best Picture Win |
Bette Davis & Marilyn Monroe |
8.90 | 198.9 | 282.30 | 9 | 92 | 14 / 06 | 100.0 | |
| 2 | On the Waterfront (1954) AA Best Picture Win |
Marlon Brando & Rod Steiger |
12.00 | 281.2 | 281.20 | 20 | 92 | 12 / 08 | 100.0 | |
| 4 | Annie Hall (1977) AA Best Picture Win |
Woody Allen & Diane Keaton |
48.90 | 236.4 | 236.40 | 11 | 92 | 05 / 04 | 99.9 | |
| 6 | The French Connection (1971) AA Best Picture Win |
Gene Hackman & Roy Scheider |
51.70 | 337.8 | 337.80 | 4 | 84 | 08 / 05 | 99.9 | |
| 7 | Midnight Cowboy (1969) AA Best Picture Win |
Dustin Hoffman & Jon Voight |
58.60 | 444.6 | 444.60 | 2 | 85 | 07 / 03 | 99.9 | |
| 7 | West Side Story (1961) AA Best Picture Win |
Natalie Wood & Rita Moreno |
41.30 | 602.1 | 1,188.90 | 2 | 80 | 11 / 10 | 99.8 | |
| 8 | Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) AA Best Picture Win |
Dustin Hoffman & Faye Dunaway |
106.30 | 456.4 | 519.50 | 1 | 76 | 09 / 05 | 99.8 | |
| 9 | Network (1976) AA Best Picture Nom |
William Holden & Faye Dunaway |
42.20 | 213.5 | 213.50 | 13 | 91 | 10 / 04 | 99.7 | |
| 10 | Tootsie (1982) AA Best Picture Nom |
Dustin Hoffman & Jessica Lange |
167.20 | 613.1 | 756.10 | 2 | 87 | 10 / 01 | 99.6 | |
| 11 | Dog Day Afternoon (1975) AA Best Picture Nom |
Al Pacino & Directed by Sidney Lumet |
68.20 | 358.5 | 358.50 | 4 | 89 | 06 / 01 | 99.5 | |
| 12 | All That Jazz (1979) AA Best Picture Nom |
Roy Scheider & Jessica Lange |
52.60 | 226.0 | 226.00 | 14 | 80 | 09 / 04 | 99.4 | |
| 13 | Marty (1955) AA Best Picture Win |
Ernest Borgnine | 5.70 | 118.5 | 118.50 | 58 | 85 | 08 / 04 | 99.3 | |
| 13 | Rear Window (1954) | James Stewart & Directed by Alfred Hitchcock |
23.20 | 543.6 | 543.60 | 2 | 94 | 04 / 00 | 99.3 | |
| 15 | Ghostbusters (1984) | Bill Murray & Sigourney Weaver |
239.20 | 767.6 | 937.60 | 1 | 85 | 02 / 00 | 98.4 | |
| 16 | 42nd Street (1933) AA Best Picture Nom |
Warner Baxter & Dick Powell |
4.10 | 192.6 | 305.50 | 11 | 81 | 02 / 00 | 98.4 | |
| 18 | Serpico (1973) | Al Pacino | 29.80 | 181.5 | 181.50 | 13 | 89 | 02 / 00 | 98.3 | |
| 16 | Big (1988) | Tom Hanks & Directed by Penny Marshall |
115.00 | 301.5 | 397.80 | 4 | 84 | 02 / 00 | 98.2 | |
| 21 | Taxi Driver (1976) AA Best Picture Nom |
Robert DeNiro & Directed by Martin Scorsese |
27.30 | 138.2 | 138.20 | 25 | 94 | 04 / 00 | 98.1 | |
| 20 | On the Town (1949) | Gene Kelly & Frank Sinatra |
8.20 | 204.3 | 308.40 | 19 | 82 | 01 / 01 | 98.1 | |
| 21 | When Harry Met Sally... (1989) | Billy Crystal & Meg Ryan |
92.80 | 252.0 | 252.00 | 12 | 83 | 01 / 00 | 98.1 | |
| 23 | Manhattan (1979) | Woody Allen & Diane Keaton |
39.90 | 171.6 | 171.60 | 22 | 91 | 02 / 00 | 98.1 | |
| 22 | Saturday Night Fever (1977) | John Travolta | 90.20 | 436.1 | 1,126.90 | 5 | 82 | 01 / 00 | 97.9 | |
| 24 | Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) | Audrey Hepburn & George Peppard |
12.00 | 174.8 | 174.80 | 17 | 84 | 05 / 02 | 97.9 | |
| 24 | Goodfellas (1990) AA Best Picture Nom |
Robert DeNiro & Joe Pesci |
46.80 | 119.4 | 119.40 | 26 | 95 | 06 / 01 | 97.7 | |
| 25 | Three Days of the Condor (1975) | Robert Redford & Faye Dunaway |
60.60 | 318.9 | 318.90 | 5 | 80 | 01 / 00 | 97.6 | |
| 27 | Carnal Knowledge (1971) | Jack Nicholson & Ann-Margret |
37.40 | 244.5 | 244.50 | 9 | 78 | 01 / 00 | 97.3 | |
| 28 | The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) AA Best Picture Nom |
Leonardo DiCaprio & Matthew McConaughey |
116.90 | 155.0 | 519.80 | 28 | 83 | 05 / 00 | 96.9 | |
| 31 | The Naked City (1948) Uncredited Role |
Barry Fitzgerald | 6.30 | 170.2 | 170.20 | 40 | 81 | 03 / 02 | 96.6 | |
| 32 | Black Swan (2010) | Natalie Portman & Mila Kunis |
106.60 | 145.6 | 449.50 | 25 | 87 | 05 / 01 | 96.2 | |
| 29 | Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) AA Best Picture Nom |
Michael Caine & Max von Sydow |
35.40 | 102.8 | 102.80 | 30 | 90 | 07 / 03 | 96.1 | |
| 33 | Klute (1971) | Jane Fonda & Donald Sutherland |
24.20 | 158.4 | 158.40 | 14 | 84 | 02 / 01 | 96.0 | |
| 34 | Sweet Smell of Success (1957) | Burt Lancaster & Tony Curtis |
6.40 | 123.7 | 123.70 | 36 | 92 | 00 / 00 | 94.6 | |
| 36 | Dressed to Kill (1980) | Michael Caine & Angie Dickinson |
34.80 | 144.4 | 144.40 | 23 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 92.1 | |
| 37 | The Warriors (1979) | Directed by Walter Hill | 32.40 | 139.2 | 139.20 | 26 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 91.9 | |
| 36 | Shaft (1971) | Richard Roundtree | 23.50 | 153.4 | 153.40 | 15 | 68 | 02 / 01 | 91.0 | |
| 36 | Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) | Macaulay Culkin & Donald Trump |
173.60 | 450.9 | 932.50 | 2 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 90.8 | |
| 38 | Death Wish (1974) | Charles Bronson & Vincent Gardenia |
26.70 | 153.7 | 153.70 | 23 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 90.0 | |
| 37 | Do the Right Thing (1989) | Danny Aiello & Directed by Spike Lee |
27.50 | 74.8 | 101.30 | 41 | 91 | 02 / 00 | 90.0 | |
| 38 | The Fisher King (1991) | Robin Williams & Jeff Bridges |
41.90 | 107.3 | 107.30 | 30 | 76 | 05 / 01 | 89.9 | |
| 42 | Eyes Wide Shut (1999) | Tom Cruise & Nicole Kidman |
55.70 | 118.6 | 345.30 | 42 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 89.0 | |
| 43 | Wall Street (1987) | Michael Douglas & Charlie Sheen |
43.80 | 120.9 | 120.90 | 26 | 71 | 01 / 01 | 88.2 | |
| 44 | Escape From New York (1981) | Kurt Russell & Directed by John Carpenter |
25.20 | 97.9 | 97.90 | 35 | 79 | 00 / 00 | 87.9 | |
| 46 | World Trade Center (2006) | Nicolas Cage & Directed by Oliver Stone |
70.30 | 115.1 | 267.00 | 37 | 68 | 00 / 00 | 85.7 | |
| 45 | After Hours (1985) | Griffen Dunne & Directed by Martin Scorsese |
14.70 | 44.5 | 44.50 | 58 | 88 | 00 / 00 | 84.7 | |
| 46 | Fame (1980) | Eddie Barth & Irene Cara |
17.80 | 73.7 | 73.70 | 42 | 68 | 06 / 02 | 82.8 | |
| 48 | The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) | Jim Henson & Frank Oz |
25.50 | 81.9 | 81.90 | 40 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 81.9 | |
| 49 | Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) | Rosanna Arquette & Madonna |
27.40 | 83.2 | 83.20 | 31 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 81.6 | |
| 50 | Uncut Gems (2019) | Adam Sandler | 50.00 | 58.9 | 58.90 | 55 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 80.4 | |
| 50 | Once Upon a Time in America (1984) | Robert De Niro & James Woods |
5.30 | 17.1 | 43.40 | 106 | 86 | 00 / 00 | 78.6 | |
| 52 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) | Walter Matthau & Robert Shaw |
3.30 | 19.2 | 19.20 | 78 | 85 | 00 / 00 | 78.3 | |
| 52 | Mean Streets (1973) | Robert De Niro & Directed by Martin Scorsese |
1.20 | 7.3 | 7.30 | 146 | 86 | 00 / 00 | 76.6 | |
| 54 | Quick Change (1990) | Bill Murray & Geena Davis |
15.30 | 38.9 | 38.90 | 82 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 76.4 |
Ok….this is far from the only movies that center around New York. There are 100s and 100s more. These movies are the ones rated above 70.00 on our UltimateMovieRanking score. Your favorite New York City Movie missing? Drop a comment, and I will see if it lands above 70.00 and thus should be included in the page.
(Visited 1 times)
ooh a good idea for a movie subject, New York’s been one of the most famous and most iconic settings for movies. If you do a second one – San Francisco – a popular choice for filmmakers. Las Vegas and Los Angeles too.
I’ve seen 43 of the 54 films on the chart, not bad. Lots of favorites here including – The Godfather, On the Waterfront, The French Connection, West Side Story, Ghostbusters, Spider-Man, Escape from New York, Rear Window, Goodfellas, 42nd Street, Taxi Driver, Dog Day Afternoon, On the Town, Wall Street, The Wolf of Wall Street, Death Wish and Once Upon a Time in America.
Just popped into my head and missing from the list is any of the three big ‘King Kong’ movies which famously ended with Kong rampaging thru New York. Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla featured New York prominently too.
Good stuff Bruce. Vote Up.
Hey Steve. Glad you like this idea for a page. New York City isn’t all the headlines these days, sadly for all the wrong reasons. I agree San Francisco would be another great city to do a page on. You’re 43 movie seen is slightly behind my total of 51. I seriously thought about including all of the King Kongs on this page, but since the classic one only spend a few minutes in the city I decided not to include it. But I can see people wanted it included. I have seen all of your favorites that you listed. And indeed all are very good movies. I might be re-watching Once Upon A Time In America in the near future. Thanks for the comment.
I tried to send a message of films I have seen, but as I was sending it, the connection was lost.
There are no cases in Chilliwack, but there are elsewhere in the Fraser Valley. Most of B.C.’s cases are in Vancouver in a carer home. B.C. has the second highest cases in Canada behind Ontario.
I have seen 31 movies on this list.
The HIGHEST rated movie I have seen is On the Waterfront.
The highest rated movie I have NOT seen is The Godfather.
The LOWEST rated movie I have seen is Mean Streets.
Favourite New York City Movies;
West Side Story
All about Eve
Network
Tootsie
Rear Window
42nd Street
Marty
When Harry Met Sally
Three Days of the Condor
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
On The Town
The Naked City
Sweet Smell of Success
Shaft
Fame
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Hey Flora. Glad there are no cases of corona in your area. My area has several cities in them, most are not reporting many cases. My city has five cases so far. My mom said he only has one. As for these movies, I knew you had not seen the Godfather. 31 movie scene is still pretty good but behind Steve and me. I’ve seen all of your favorites with the exception of The Naked City. One day I will check that one out. Thanks as always for stopping by and sharing your movie knowledge.
You can ride the busses for free now in the city but must enter in the middle of the bus. Passengers have to sit at least 3 seats away from the driver.
A 36 year old principle passed away from it in Brooklyn.
They don’t want people congregating but there were people playing soccer in a few parks around here where I live, with say 30 people participating or watching on Sunday.
My niece’s boss has it, everyone there is working from home.
My wife is consulting students at home here at this moment through Zoom.
I haven’t been at the nursing home I volunteer at in 1 1/2 weeks since all visitors are banned. They, the residents, are not even allowed to see their family there and vice versa.
I’m re-watching old flicks circa 2000 since no cinemas are open and there’s nothing really interesting that I haven’t seen on cable at the moment. Have re-watched 2010’s Clash of the Titans, The Book of Eli (which isn’t that good), The Fantastic Mr, Fox and The A Team. They’re basically background to other things I’m doing. Right now we have Astroboy on, exciting isn’t it.
I think a lot of theaters and restaurants and other small businesses will never return if this is extended.
Oh for trivia, my father’s mother died in the 1918 Influenza pandemic.
Hey Dan….not good trivia….let’s avoid any 2020 information like this….keep safe.
Dan, it sounds like a horrible situation to be in. Do you have the option to leave? Fingers crossed for you and your family.
To Taylor, we’re fine, thank you, not planning on leaving at the moment.
Hey Dan….thanks for the behind the scenes of New York City. I have also gotten used to using Zoom. The teaching profession is being forced into using modern technology. Some of the teachers I know are having difficult time adjusting to the drastic change. Interesting about the buses still running. I have also been watching some old movies recently. Flash Gordon, The Eagle Has Landed to name a few and a few NetFlix movies I have been meaning to watch, and I finally did….Triple Frontier (not very good), Between Two Ferns: The Movie (not good but made me laugh numerous times) and 3032 (low budget sci-fi that was actually NetFlix’s 10th most popular page on Sunday. Thanks for the update. Hope you like this page…..a tribute to New York City. Keep healthy and safe.
I thought Triple Frontier was pretty good. According to the 1010 WINS site (an all news AM radio station in New York City) there are nearly 15,000 cases in NYC and 131 have died. Supposedly 25,000 cases in New York State.
Hey Dan. My letterboxd review on Triple Frontier.
Good cast. Too bad the movie is not worthy of their efforts. I found this one to be very dull. Ben Affleck looks bored in this one. His character arc did not make sense to me. For smart super soldiers…this group makes one bad decision after another. I know “greed” makes people do dumb things…..but not this dumb. Final thought: Likeable cast is given little to work with.
Hey Dan. Those are some horrible numbers. This website is one I have been observing.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/