WAR HORSE (2011)

Critics Consensus: Technically superb, proudly sentimental, and unabashedly old-fashioned, War Horse is an emotional drama that tugs the heartstrings with Spielberg’s customary flair.

Synopsis: Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, War Horse be

Starring: Peter Mullan, Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Niels Arestrup

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

MUNICH (2005)

Critics Consensus: Munich can’t quite achieve its lofty goals, but this thrilling, politically even-handed look at the fallout from an intractable political conflict is still well worth watching.

Synopsis: ‘Munich’ recounts the dramatic story of the secret Israeli squad assigned to track down and assassinate 11 Palestinians.

Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008)

Critics Consensus: Though the plot elements are certainly familiar, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still delivers the thrills and Harrison Ford’s return in the title role is more than welcome.

Synopsis: After being forced to leave Marshall College under dubious circumstances, Indy joins forces with rebellious, young Mutt

Starring: Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

THE COLOR PURPLE (1985)

Critics Consensus: A sentimental tale that reveals great emotional truths in American history.Synopsis: Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, The Color Purple spans the years 1909 to 1949.

Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)

Critics Consensus: It may be too “dark” for some, but Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom remains an ingenious adventure spectacle that showcases one of Hollywood’s finest filmmaking teams in vintage form.

Synopsis: The second of the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg Indiana Jones epics is set a year or so before the events.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

DUEL (1972)

Critics Consensus: Duel makes brilliant use of its simple premise, serving up rock-solid genre thrills while heralding the arrival of a generational talent behind the lens.

Synopsis: In this TV movie, Dennis Weaver is driving down a deserted Southern California highway when he passes a large gas truck

Starring: Dennis Weaver, Tim Herbert, Charles Seel, Jacqueline Scott

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)

Critics Consensus: Lighter and more comedic than its predecessor, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade returns the series to the brisk serial adventure of Raiders, while adding a dynamite double act between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.

Synopsis: The third installment in the Spielberg/Lucas Indiana Jones saga, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade evokes many of the thrills

Starring: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

THE POST (2018)

Critics Consensus: The Post’s period setting belies its bitingly timely themes, brought compellingly to life by director Steven Spielberg and an outstanding ensemble cast.

Synopsis: Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama.

Starring: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Alison Brie, Sarah Paulson

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

LINCOLN (2012)

Critics Consensus: Daniel Day-Lewis characteristically delivers in this witty, dignified portrait that immerses the audience in its world and entertains even as it informs.

Synopsis: Steven Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in.

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS (1974)

Critics Consensus: Its plot may ape the countercultural road movies of its era, but Steven Spielberg’s feature debut displays many of the crowd-pleasing elements he’d refine in subsequent films.

Synopsis: In a desperate attempt to keep her baby from being taken away by state authorities, a young wife helps her.

Starring: Goldie Hawn, William Atherton, Michael Sacks, Ben Johnson

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

MINORITY REPORT (2002)

Critics Consensus: Thought-provoking and visceral, Steven Spielberg successfully combines high concept ideas and high octane action in this fast and febrile sci-fi thriller.

Synopsis: Based on a short story by the late Philip K. Dick

Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Max von Sydow

Directed By: Steven Spielberg


BRIDGE OF SPIES (2015)

Critics Consensus: Bridge of Spies finds new life in Hollywood’s classic Cold War espionage thriller formula, thanks to reliably outstanding work from Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.Synopsis: Tom Hanks stars as the American attorney tasked with negotiating the release of a U-2 spy plane pilot.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)

Critics Consensus: Anchored by another winning performance from Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg’s unflinchingly realistic war film virtually redefines the genre.

Synopsis: Steven Spielberg directed this powerful, realistic re-creation of WWII’s D-day invasion and the immediate aftermath.

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Matt Damon, Edward Burns

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

JURASSIC PARK (1993)

Critics Consensus: Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special effects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg’s best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws.

Synopsis: Steven Spielberg’s phenomenally successful sci-fi adventure thriller is graced by state-of-the-art special effects team.

Starring: Richard Attenborough, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

Critics Consensus: Featuring bravura set pieces, sly humor, and white-knuckle action, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most consummately entertaining adventure pictures of all time.

Synopsis: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is no ordinary archeologist. When we first see him, he is somewhere in the Peruvian jungle.

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Wolf Kahler

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2002)

Critics Consensus: With help from a strong performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as real-life wunderkind con artist Frank Abagnale, Steven Spielberg crafts a film that’s stylish, breezily entertaining, and surprisingly sweet.

Synopsis: Based on a true story, Frank W. Abagnale was employed as a doctor, a lawyer, and as a co-pilot.

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)

Critics Consensus: Schindler’s List blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg’s signature tender humanism to create the director’s dramatic masterpiece.

Synopsis: Based on a true story, Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List stars Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler, a German businessman in Poland

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

JAWS (1975)

Critics Consensus: Compelling, well-crafted storytelling and a judicious sense of terror ensure Steven Spielberg’s Jaws has remained a benchmark in the art of delivering modern blockbuster thrills.

Synopsis: Based on Peter Benchley’s best-selling novel, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 shark saga set the standard for the New Hollywood popcorn blockbuster.

Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)

Critics Consensus: Playing as both an exciting sci-fi adventure and a remarkable portrait of childhood, Steven Spielberg’s touching tale of a homesick alien remains a piece of movie magic for young and old.

Synopsis: Both a classic movie for kids and a remarkable portrait of childhood.

Starring: Tamara De Treaux, Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Dee Wallace

Directed By: Steven Spielberg