Orlando Bloom in a scene from "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers"

Best PG-13 movies of all-time

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June 29, 2022
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Best PG-13 movies of all-time

Have you ever wondered why some relatively crude or violent movies from the 1970s and early '80s are rated PG when they would definitely be rated PG-13 today? The answer is actually pretty simple: PG-13 didn't exist yet.

Movie ratings have changed drastically since the Motion Picture Association of America first implemented them in 1968. After playing around with some vague interpretations, the organization settled on four in 1972 that are still in use today: G (General audience), PG (Parental Guidance suggested), R (Restricted to those over 17, unless accompanied by a parental guardian), and X (no one under 17 admitted).

The MPAA restructured its rating system in 1984 after parents complained of violence and gore in movies like "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Gremlins." It was actually Steven Spielberg himself who suggested the PG-13 label as a stepping stone between PG and R ratings, and the first film to adorn the rating was 1985's "Red Dawn."

Since then, thousands of movies have been given the PG-13 rating, and many that originally came out before its existence have been retroactively fit with the label upon their home video releases. What's more, the rating has become something of a sweet spot for film studios in terms of releasing films with the greatest chance of box office success.

looked at all movies on  with a PG-13 rating and over 10,000 votes and ranked the top 30 according to IMDb user rating, with ties broken by votes. By nature of the MPAA being an American company, only films distributed in the U.S. that received an MPAA rating were considered.

#30. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

- Director: David Yates
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 130 minutes

鈥淗arry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2鈥 is the eighth and final installment of the beloved series. It also happens to be the  at the box office. The film also earned Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Makeup.

#29. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

- Director: Steven Spielberg
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 141 minutes

It鈥檚 mind-boggling that 鈥淐atch Me If You Can鈥 is based on a true story. It鈥檚 equally unbelievable that Leonardo DiCaprio didn鈥檛 get nominated for any awards for his depiction of teenage con artist Frank Abagnale.

#28. The Father (2020)

- Director: Florian Zeller
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 88
- Runtime: 97 minutes

鈥淭he Father鈥 was praised for its honest portrayal of dementia and was nominated for six Academy Awards. Its star, Anthony Hopkins, took home one of those Oscars, which was his second win in the Best Actor category (his first coming nearly 30 years prior for 鈥淪ilence of the Lambs鈥).

#27. Warrior (2011)

- Director: Gavin O'Connor
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 71
- Runtime: 140 minutes

鈥淲arrior鈥 is a rare example of a movie that wasn鈥檛 commercially successful but was critically acclaimed. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton star in this sports drama about mixed martial arts, and Nick Nolte got an Oscar nod for his supporting role as the pair鈥檚 father.

#26. Green Book (2018)

- Director: Peter Farrelly
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 130 minutes

Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali star in this biographical dramedy about the treatment of African Americans in the Jim Crow South in the 1960s. Though it was , the movie took home a few Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Ali鈥檚 portrayal of pianist Don Shirley.

#25. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

- Director: Steven Spielberg
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 127 minutes

The third installment of the iconic franchise features Sean Connery acting alongside Harrison Ford as father and son鈥攄espite an age difference of just 12 years at the time of filming. The film was a financial success and was actually meant to close the book on Indy. That book was reopened with 2008鈥檚 鈥淚ndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull鈥 and will be opened yet again in 2023 with the as-yet-untitled fifth Indy adventure.

#24. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

- Director: Ron Howard
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 135 minutes

Ron Howard鈥檚 鈥淎 Beautiful Mind鈥 took the Academy by storm when it came out in 2001. It was nominated for eight Oscars and won four, including Best Picture and Best Director. Though Russell Crowe didn鈥檛 take home the award for Best Actor that night, he鈥檚 still praised for his portrayal of real-life mathematician and Nobel Laureate John Nash.

#23. Jurassic Park (1993)

- Director: Steven Spielberg
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 127 minutes

This adaptation of Michael Crichton鈥檚 bestseller is the first movie in the legendary franchise and is widely considered the best. It was so successful that it spawned not only its own trilogy but also the 鈥淛urassic World鈥 trilogy, which concluded with 2022鈥檚 鈥淛urassic World: Dominion.鈥

#22. The Sixth Sense (1999)

- Director: M. Night Shyamalan
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 64
- Runtime: 107 minutes

M. Night Shyamalan is now known (and sometimes made fun of) for his plot twist, but when 鈥淭he Sixth Sense鈥 came out in 1999 the director was still relatively unknown, and so was his storytelling technique. As a result, the ending blew the minds of anyone who watched it and it is still talked about today.

#21. Batman Begins (2005)

- Director: Christopher Nolan
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 70
- Runtime: 140 minutes

鈥淏atman Begins鈥 set the stage for Christopher Nolan鈥檚 Dark Knight trilogy. As its name suggests, the trilogy is notable for being darker than other adaptations of the comic book superhero, and Christian Bale has been praised for his portrayal of Batman.

#20. A Separation (2011)

- Director: Asghar Farhadi
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 95
- Runtime: 123 minutes

This film explores the aftermath that follows the separation of an Iranian couple. The drama won Best Foreign Language Film at the 2012 Academy Awards, becoming  to take home the award.

#19. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

- Director: Jon Watts
- IMDb user rating: 8.3
- Metascore: 71
- Runtime: 148 minutes

This third installment of Jon Watts鈥 Tom Holland-led trilogy 鈥渟aved鈥 the COVID-19-bedraggled film industry. The film , becoming Sony鈥檚 highest-grossing movie of all time.

#18. Maanaadu (2021)

- Director: Venkat Prabhu
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: data not available
- Runtime: 147 minutes

鈥淢aanaadu鈥 is an Indian Tamil-language science fiction political-action thriller about a man trapped in a time loop鈥攖hink a dead-serious 鈥淕roundhog Day.鈥 The film was so successful that a sequel is in the works.

#17. Hamilton (2020)

- Director: Thomas Kail
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 90
- Runtime: 160 minutes

When the musical 鈥淗amilton鈥 took Broadway by storm in 2015, it only made sense to release a film version. It took five years to come out, but in 2020 fans were finally able to experience the beloved production from the comfort of their own homes.

#16. Princess Mononoke (1997)

- Director: Hayao Miyazaki
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 134 minutes

Heralded as one of the best anime movies of all time (and the ), this animated historical fantasy was the highest-grossing film in Japan when it was released in 1997. All these years later, it鈥檚 still discussed for its .

#15. 3 Idiots (2009)

- Director: Rajkumar Hirani
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 67
- Runtime: 170 minutes

Rajkumar Hirani鈥檚 coming-of-age film is a satirical look at the Indian education system. It鈥檚 also considered by many to be one of the .

#14. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 149 minutes

All of Marvel鈥檚 long-term planning crescendoed in this fourth Avengers epic, which brought together every character in the Marvel Extended Universe, from Iron Man to Ant-Man to Captain Marvel. Amazingly, it did not suffer from the narrative dissonance one might expect from being merely the first of a two-part epic, but rather it set up the final act almost perfectly when, in 2019, audiences went in droves to see鈥 (wait for it鈥)

#13. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 181 minutes

This is the film that decided the fate of many characters in the Marvel universe. The last movie in the franchise is not only the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time, but it鈥檚 also the  (just behind James Cameron鈥檚 鈥淎vatar鈥).

#12. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

- Director: Christopher Nolan
- IMDb user rating: 8.4
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 164 minutes

鈥淭he Dark Knight Rises鈥 is the third and final installment in Christopher Nolan鈥檚 Dark Knight trilogy. It famously introduced fans to Tom Hardy鈥檚 Bane, a take on the character quite different from one seen in Joel Schumacher鈥檚 鈥淏atman and Robin,鈥 and was the .

#11. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

- Director: Sergio Leone
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Metascore: 80
- Runtime: 165 minutes

鈥淥nce Upon a Time in the West鈥 was actually a financial flop when it was released in the United States, but the Henry Fonda-led spaghetti Western is now considered one of the best of its kind and was added to the in 2009. Fun fact: Sergio Leone wanted Clint Eastwood to play the film鈥檚 protagonist, but he turned down the role.

#10. The Prestige (2006)

- Director: Christopher Nolan
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 130 minutes

Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play rival stage magicians at the end of the 19th century who attempt to one-up each other with perilous results. The movie鈥檚 all-star cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, Piper Perabo, Andy Serkis, Rebecca Hall, and none other than David Bowie as Nikola Tesla.

#9. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

- Director: Joseph Kosinski
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Metascore: 78
- Runtime: 130 minutes

Many scoffed when it was announced that a 鈥淭op Gun鈥 sequel was being made 36 years after the original, but 鈥淭op Gun: Maverick鈥 delivers just what fans were wanting. In addition to Tom Cruise reprising his role as Captain Pete 鈥淢averick鈥 Mitchell, the film also stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, and, of course, Val Kilmer. Welcome back to the Danger Zone.

#8. Life Is Beautiful (1997)

- Director: Roberto Benigni
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Metascore: 59
- Runtime: 116 minutes

Roberto Benigni鈥檚 heart-wrenching tale about a Jewish Italian father鈥檚 relentless determination to shield his son from the horrors of life in a Nazi internment camp made him the first non-English male performer to win a Best Actor Oscar. 鈥淟ife Is Beautiful鈥 also took home the award for Best Foreign Language Film.

#7. Interstellar (2014)

- Director: Christopher Nolan
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 169 minutes

The science behind 鈥淚nterstellar鈥 may be incomprehensible to the common person, but Christopher Nolan made sure he got it right. The production hired Caltech theoretical physicist and 2017 Nobel Laureate in Physics Kip Thorne as an executive producer. He also acted as scientific consultant, and even wrote a tie-in book, 鈥淭he Science of Interstellar.鈥

#6. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

- Director: Peter Jackson
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 179 minutes

The second installment in Peter Jackson鈥檚 adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien鈥檚 fantasy masterpiece, 鈥淭he Two Towers鈥 continued the adventures of Frodo and Sam as they pushed further toward Mount Doom and introduced the character of Gollum, a creature voiced and motioned by Andy Serkis. It was the .

#5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

- Director: Peter Jackson
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Metascore: 92
- Runtime: 178 minutes

鈥淭he Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring鈥 was the first film to bring author J.R.R. Tolkien鈥檚 Middle-earth to life. It was added to the National Film Registry in 2021 and is notably the only movie in the trilogy to be selected for preservation (so far).

#4. Forrest Gump (1994)

- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Metascore: 82
- Runtime: 142 minutes

Forrest Gump is one of Tom Hanks鈥 most iconic characters, and for good reason. The film was a huge success upon its release in 1994, taking home six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Hanks鈥 memorable performance.

#3. Inception (2010)

- Director: Christopher Nolan
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 148 minutes

Christopher Nolan is apparently the master of PG-13 movies. This 2010 sci-fi action film stars Leonardo DiCaprio alongside an all-star cast including Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine. (It鈥檚 interesting to note that most of these names also show up in the credits for Nolan鈥檚 Dark Knight trilogy.)

#2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

- Director: Peter Jackson
- IMDb user rating: 9.0
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 201 minutes

The final chapter in Peter Jackson鈥檚 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥 trilogy is also the most critically acclaimed. It won all 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including Best Picture, tying it with 1959鈥檚 鈥淏en-Hur鈥 and 1997鈥檚 鈥淭itanic鈥 as .

#1. The Dark Knight (2008)

- Director: Christopher Nolan
- IMDb user rating: 9.0
- Metascore: 84
- Runtime: 152 minutes

It鈥檚 only fitting that a Christopher Nolan movie would be in the top spot on this list. 鈥淭he Dark Knight鈥 is the second installment of his Dark Knight trilogy and has become famous for Heath Ledger鈥檚 chilling鈥攁nd Oscar-winning鈥攄epiction as Joker. Sadly, the film came out just months after the actor鈥檚 death. It was added to the National Film Registry in 2020.

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