10 Best Movies of Stanley Kubrick of All Time, Ranked

The best movies of Stanley Kubrick of all time are 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Dr. Strangelove (1964), The Shining (1980), Paths of Glory (1957), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975), Full Metal Jacket (1987), The Killing (1956), Spartacus (1960) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). He directed 13 features in a career that ran from 1951 to 1999.

Born in New York City on 26 July 1928, Kubrick worked across science fiction, horror, war, period drama and crime, and set a standard in almost every one. He died on 7 March 1999 at Childwickbury in Hertfordshire, England, aged 70, before his final film reached cinemas. Here is our refreshed ranking, with the facts checked and notes on how to watch in India.

Stanley Kubrick movies ranked: quick list

10 best movies of Stanley Kubrick of all time

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

A mysterious object is found on the Moon, and a mission sets out to trace where it came from, with the supercomputer HAL 9000 on board. Kubrick wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke, who also wrote the novel.

Also read13 Best Horror Movies to Watch, From Classics to 2025 Hits

It changed how science fiction looked on screen, and it brought Kubrick his only personal Academy Award, for directing the special effects. More than half a century later, its images are still copied.

2. Dr. Strangelove (1964)

It started as a straight adaptation of Peter George’s Cold War novel Red Alert before Kubrick turned it into a black comedy about nuclear war.

Peter Sellers plays three roles, with George C. Scott in the main cast. Our original version misspelt Sellers’ name; it is now corrected.

3. The Shining (1980)

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) takes a job at the Overlook Hotel, where his family is cut off for the winter, and slowly comes apart. Shelley Duvall co-stars. Kubrick adapted Stephen King’s novel and made extensive use of the Steadicam.

It remains one of the most discussed horror films ever made. Find more scares in our Hollywood section.

4. Paths of Glory (1957)

Based on Humphrey Cobb’s 1935 novel, this anti-war film is set in the First World War. Kirk Douglas plays Colonel Dax.

It is a short, angry film about bureaucracy and injustice. Our original article argued its battlefield tracking shot is an ancestor of later war films such as Saving Private Ryan.

5. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Set in a dystopian future England and based on Anthony Burgess’s novel, the film follows Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell), a violent young gang leader.

It received an X rating in both the UK and the US. The violence is still hard to watch, but the questions it raises about free will have kept it relevant.

6. Barry Lyndon (1975)

Adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel, it follows an Irish social climber and duellist played by Ryan O’Neal. For the interior scenes, Kubrick used high-speed Zeiss lenses originally developed for NASA, which let him shoot by candlelight.

It was not a commercial hit, and its three-hour runtime puts off casual viewers. It still won four Oscars, and the 2002 Sight and Sound poll placed it among the greatest films ever made.

7. Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Based on Gustav Hasford’s novel The Short-Timers, the film is split in two. The first half, set at a Marine training camp with R. Lee Ermey as the drill sergeant, contains most of its famous scenes. The second half follows the recruits in Vietnam.

Ermey was badly hurt in a jeep accident during production, and Kubrick paused filming for five months while he recovered.

8. The Killing (1956)

Johnny Clay, played by Sterling Hayden, brings together a crew for one last big job: a racetrack robbery that goes wrong. Coleen Gray co-stars.

At about 85 minutes, it is tight, clever and an early sign of Kubrick’s control over structure. It is the best entry point for viewers new to his work.

9. Spartacus (1960)

Kirk Douglas plays the slave turned gladiator who leads a revolt against Rome, with Laurence Olivier as Marcus Licinius Crassus. Kubrick was brought in after Douglas fired the original director, Anthony Mann.

It is a large-scale studio epic and very different from his later, more personal films, but it is grand and well made.

10. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Based on Arthur Schnitzler’s 1926 novella Traumnovelle, or Dream Story, it stars Tom Cruise as Dr William Harford, with Nicole Kidman. Harford becomes drawn into a secretive underground society. Sydney Pollack plays Victor Ziegler.

Kubrick died shortly before its release, so it was his final film. It runs 159 minutes.

What Kubrick left unfinished

Kubrick had long developed a project he called Pinocchio. Steven Spielberg completed it as A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), which is dedicated to Kubrick. For more director rankings, browse our movies section.

How to watch Kubrick films in India

As of October 2026, JustWatch lists no subscription streaming home in India for The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey or Full Metal Jacket. All three are available to rent on Amazon and the Apple TV store. A Clockwork Orange had no streaming or rental listing in India at the time of writing.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Wikipedia: Stanley Kubrick, Wikipedia: Stanley Kubrick filmography, JustWatch India: The Shining.