While many elements contribute to a fully immersive movie experience, editing is undoubtedly a crucial one. Both an art and a skill, this highly creative process helps a director's work reach its true potential, successfully showcasing the movie's storyline.

The procedure consists in turning individual scenes into a consistent and well-crafted motion picture using multiple editing techniques, making it a fundamental phase of post-production as it can very easily improve (or tear) the quality of a movie. Although there are many films with astounding editing, these were the ones thrown around the most by fellow Redditors.

10 'F for Fake' (1973)

Documenting the lives of fakers Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving, who made their lives by selling fake paintings by Picasso and Matisse and writing fake biographies, Orson Welles' final film, which happens to be a documentary, offers viewers a compelling outlook on fraudulent people who profit at the expense of others.

In addition to being thought-provoking, Welles' F For Fake is also known for its admirable edition by Marie-Sophie Dubus and Dominique Engerer. "It changes subjects so quickly that you’d be left behind in a heartbeat were it not for that edit," u/voidfishsushi wrote after naming it one of the best-edited features of all time. "And it also presaged a lot of the modern YouTube/video essay editing rhythms we have today."

9 'City of God' (2002)

A groundbreaking non-English spoken film, City of God explores the Rio de Janeiro crime scene analyzing its growth in the Cidade de Deus suburb while also focusing on the diverging paths of two different young men; one aspires to be a photographer (Alexandre Rodrigues), the other ambitions to be a kingpin (Leandro Firmino).

Fernando Meirelles' intense, brutal drama counts on lots of remarkable fast cross-cutting work by Daniel Rezende. "To be honest Cidade de Deus is the bomb in editing. It's incredible," u/Bcunst showed their enthusiasm on the platform. "The whole editing is all about retelling the story. I did a 40 page essay in one night because it got me so hyped."

8 'Birdman' (2014)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is about a faded movie star (played by Michael Keaton) who, in attempts to revive his dimming career, writes, directs, and stars in a Broadway production. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and edited by Stephen Mirrione and Douglas Crise, the engaging drama is considered one of the best edited.

On Reddit, many users agree that Birdman deserves a spot on this list, and that is thanks to its seamless editing. According to MikeyPh, the film "looked like two continuous shots and it still included flash backs. Although the user admits not having read up on the subject, they also add that they "tend to think this film didn't really require much editing, which is what made it so amazing."

7 'No Country for Old Men' (2007)

Starring Javier Bardem in one of his most memorable roles — a deadly, calculating hitman named Anton Chirguh — Ethan Coen and Joel Coen's No Country for Old Men is a disturbingly entertaining tale of violence centering around the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong.

When it comes to well-crafted, low-key editing, a user on Reddit swears by the Coen brothers' filmography. "If you’re looking for great editing that doesn't call attention to itself, watch anything by the Coens," they said. "No Country for Old Men is my go to example of a perfectly edited film start to finish." No Country for Old Men was edited by the talented Roderick Jaynes.

6 'Whiplash' (2014)

Damien Chazelle's Whiplash awed both critics and audiences for good reason — in addition to its intriguing plot following a young music student and jazz drummer (Miles Teller) pushed into his limits by a very rigorous instructor (J. K. Simmons) at an acclaimed music conservatory, Whiplash also excels cinematography and editing-wise, not to mention the remarkable performances.

"Whiplash's editing is amazing," a now-deleted account said regarding Tom Cross' brilliant work, which earned him an award for Best Editing at the Academy Awards. "I do think Whiplash stands out as all-time worthy in that regard. I was so pleasantly surprised when it won the Oscar, I thought it would end up going to Boyhood," u/IncidentOn57thStreet added.

5 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World' (2010)

Directed by Edgar Wright, who has a very characteristic directing style including quick cuts and fast-paced montages, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a fantasy action-comedy revolving around a young man's (Michael Cera) journey on defeating his new girlfriend's (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) seven exes.

In order to achieve incredible results, Wright must team up with someone who understands his view, which means he often collaborates with undeniably gifted editors like Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos. The film was one of the most mentioned on the platform. "It gets mixed responses, but Scott Pilgrim was fascinating to watch as an editor," u/gmessad admitted.

4 'The Social Network' (2010)

David Fincher's The Social Network centers around Mark Zuckerberg's (Jesse Eisenberg) journey to create the social media website now known as Facebook. The biographical drama takes off during his Harvard days and follows Zuckerberg until he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea.

It is pretty clear at this point that The Social Network is a fan-favorite. On the website, many users reveal that the film is a solid example of well-crafted, astonishing editing, and u/ohwhatarebel even mentions a scene that stands out thanks to Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter's assembling. "The Social Network is practically a masterclass in film editing. Granted, it was helped by a kickass screenplay and score," another user said in a different post.

3 'Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope' (1977)

The blueprint for sci-fi action movies, Star Wars' first installment was a revolutionary film back when it premiered — it switched the focus of Hollywood films' narrative, and that is also thanks to its remarkable editing. The first movie of the franchise introduces audiences to Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker and follows his space adventures.

A bunch of talented editors, including George Lucas, Marcia Lucas, Paul Hirsch, Richard Chew, John Jympson, and T. M. Christopher helped make Star Wars a groundbreaking film (and the memorable feature it is now). "Honestly, the original Star Wars (Episode IV - A New Hope) really changed the editing game when it was released. Especially during the space battle scenes," a deleted account wrote. Another user said that if the editing in the film had never happened, "we all probably wouldn’t be here right now."

2 'Raging Bull' (1980)

This intense Martin Scorsese stunning black and white film is based on real events and tells the true story of a boxer famously dubbed "The Raging Bull" named Jake La Motta (played by Robert De Niro), chronicling two decades of both his professional and personal life.

Serving as an inspiration to other professionals' work also part of this list (we're looking at you, Whiplash), Thelma Schoonmaker's remarkable film editing in Raging Bull undoubtedly stands out, and u/UnSheathDawn agrees: "Thelma Schoonmaker (Scorsese's editor) is probably the best ever, some films are better than others but they are ALL masterfully put together."

1 'JFK' (1991)

Examining the investigation into the assassination of John F. Kennedy, JFK is an intriguing blend of fact and speculation surrounding the death of one of the most famous public figures. It details the actions of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (played by Kevin Costner), who is suspicious of the official story presented by the FBI at the time.

"JFK is considered one of the essential films if you want to know about the importance of film editing," u/comicman177 rightly commented. Oliver Stone's film is edited by Joe Hutshing Pietro Scalia and remains a great example of the filmmaking process even today. u/GenarosBear also agrees with the statement, as they call it "a masterpiece of editing."

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