The Italian film industry has produced a range of great movies throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. The country's cinematic output began to gain worldwide attention with the Italian Neorealism Movement in the 1940s, and then found further international recognition with Federico Fellini's 1950s/1960s output, the rise of the Spaghetti Western in the 1960s, and the explosion in popularity of Giallo movies in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s.
There are so many critically acclaimed Italian movies that it's surprising how some classics miss out on being in the top 10, when ranking them by the scores from IMDb users. No Fellini movie makes the cut, and Giallo movies are entirely absent from the list, too. As such, the top 10 according to IMDb can't be considered a definitive list of the absolute best Italian movies, but the following are indeed all great movies, and all serve as good starting points for those wanting to explore Italian cinema.
10 'Umberto D.' (1952)
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
A compelling but undeniably soul-crushing movie, Umberto D. is easily one of the most hard-hitting of all Italian Neorealism movies. It's an incredibly straightforward movie, simply about an old man and his loyal dog struggling to make ends meet on the man's limited government pension, but the emotions it can provoke are deep and remarkably powerful.
It's a little hard to put into words what makes it so engaging, but that's the case for many films that are simple on paper while being fantastic in execution. Umberto D. is the kind of movie that shows you can make a movie out of just about anything, and it provides an empathetic and moving look at an unfortunately true-to-life reality for some.
9 'Il Sorpasso' (1962)
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IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
One of the best movies featuring the late Jean-Louis Trintignant, Il Sorpasso is a comedy/drama about two very different people going on a road trip together. Things start fairly lighthearted and breezy, though more drama starts to seep its way into the story as things go along, building to a rather surprising conclusion.
It excels above the average road movie thanks to the seamless way it blends comedy and drama, the charisma of its lead actors, and the fact that it's able to show viewers so much beautiful Italian scenery. It's a compelling older movie that in many ways has aged quite well, and is well worth watching for fans of Italian cinema and newcomers to the country's movies alike.
8 'Rocco and His Brothers' (1960)
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Running for nearly three hours, Rocco and His Brothers is a crime epic about family that makes for an exhausting and rewarding watch. It's an emotionally tense film, following a group of siblings who are all involved in a life of crime to various degrees, and the disagreements that come about when two of the brothers fall for the same woman.
It's notable for being one of the first starring roles for the great Alain Delon, and it's a movie where his charisma and acting ability really get to shine. The length may put some potential viewers off, but it does a good deal with its runtime, and in the end, will give patient viewers the feeling of having watched an entire season of television edited down into one (long) movie; that's how much story's on offer here.
7 'For a Few Dollars More' (1965)
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Sergio Leone's first Western was 1964's A Fistful of Dollars, and it was the movie that made both him and the film's star, Clint Eastwood, big names. They re-teamed for a sequel just one year later, called For a Few Dollars More, with Eastwood's Man With No Name character now teaming up with another bounty hunter (Lee Van Cleef) to track down an outlaw.
It's an improvement on the 1964 movie in almost every regard, with a larger scope, more emotional story, and an even more epic score by Ennio Morricone. In 1965, the best was yet to come as far as Leone Westerns were concerned, but For a Few Dollars More was another exciting step in the right direction for his brief but remarkable filmmaking career.
6 'Bicycle Thieves' (1948)
IMDb Rating: 8.3/10
The highest-rated Italian Neorealism movie according to IMDb users is Bicycle Thieves, and it's not hard to see why. It's another sad, grounded movie within the movement, this time focusing on a working-class father who goes to great lengths to recover his stolen bike, as he needs it to work and provide for his family.
Much of the movie involves the man and his son simply looking for a bicycle thief, with a simple story featuring just a handful of characters ultimately having emotional stakes that make the film a compelling one. Its directness might not make it sound all that engaging on paper, but the execution is excellent and has ensured Bicycle Thieves stands as one of the best Italian films of all time.
5 'The Best of Youth' (2003)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
The Best of Youth has a story that spans almost 40 years and covers all that time within its mammoth 6-hour length. It's a family drama that mostly centers on two brothers and the wildly different directions their lives take, with a good deal of time spent on their romantic endeavors, too.
It's understandable if the length would put some people off, but if The Best of Youth is treated as a four-part miniseries instead of one movie, it becomes more digestible. It's remarkably well-made and acted throughout, making it a journey worth taking for viewers who have the time to spare.
4 'Cinema Paradiso' (1988)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
A bittersweet romance, a coming-of-age story, and a passionate love letter to the movies all rolled into one, Cinema Paradiso is a near-perfect movie. In all honestly, the still excellent rating of 8.5/10 on IMDb might well be a little low, as it's hard to find much to fault in a movie like this.
It centers on a young boy who grows up in post-WW2 Italy without a father, instead forming a bond with the local cinema's grouchy projectionist. In doing so, the young boy also falls in love with movies as an art form and decides to dedicate his life to becoming a great director one day. It's a heartfelt and emotional viewing experience, and boasts one of Ennio Morricone's very best scores.
3 'Once Upon a Time in the West' (1968)
IMDb Rating: 8.5/10
Opening with one of the boldest scenes in Western history and ending with an iconic duel, Once Upon a Time in the West is an absolutely perfect Western. Everything in between the opening and closing scenes proves to be fantastic too, with a sweeping story about one woman inheriting a valuable piece of land from her murdered husband, and various characters - some shady, some ultimately decent - wanting that land for differing reasons.
Sergio Leone had mastered the Western genre by this point in his career, ensuring Once Upon a Time in the West is an undeniable classic. It was also a co-production between Italy and the U.S., with some actors speaking English in their scenes and some speaking Italian, with various dubs existing for the one film.
2 'Life is Beautiful' (1997)
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Life is Beautiful is another Italian film that aims to take its viewers on something of an emotional rollercoaster. It begins as a romantic comedy set shortly before WW2, though the second half takes place during the war, and while there are some comedic moments, things generally get far more serious.
It tackles difficult subject matter in a way that may not work for everyone, but with an 8.6/10 rating on IMDb, it seems to work for most. It ultimately becomes about the lengths a father will go to protect his family no matter what, brazenly telling this story within the context of one of the darkest events in human history.
1 'The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly' (1966)
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
While the three lead actors might be American, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly stands as an Italian production with Italian director Sergio Leone at the helm. It's an epic Western running about three hours long, and centering on three men who are all after a fortune buried somewhere in the desert.
It's the highest-rated Italian movie by a decent margin, sitting at an 8.8/10 on IMDb. Like Leone's next film, Once Upon a Time in the West, it's a difficult film to fault, containing three iconic lead performances, amazing visuals, perfect music, great pacing, and one of the very best endings in cinema history.