“What are the best Art House movies of all-time?” We looked at 162 of the top Art-House films, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 26 films, all appearing on 2 or more “Best Art House” movie lists, are ranked below by how many times they appear. The remaining 125+ movies, as well as the sources we used, are in alphabetical order on the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!

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Top 26 Arthouse Movies

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26 .) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) directed by Stanley Kubrick

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Magnolia Forever

Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world’s most advanced super computer.

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25 .) 8½ directed by Federico Fellini

Lists It Appears On:

• Magnolia Forever
• Quora

With 8½ Frederico Fellini leaves a self-portrait where dreams and reality are a mix. With help from a most excellent cast and unique scenery this self reflecting film is one of his master works.

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24 .) Antichrist (2009) directed by Lars von Trier

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• TV OVer Mind

A grieving couple retreats to their cabin ‘Eden’ in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.

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23 .) Badlands (1973) directed by Terrence Malick

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Quora

Dramatization of the Starkweather-Fugate killing spree of the 1950s, in which a teenage girl and her twenty-something boyfriend slaughtered her entire family and several others in the Dakota badlands.

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22 .) Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu

Lists It Appears On:

• Quora
• Stark Insider

A fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.

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21 .) Black Swan (2010) directed by Darren Aronofsky

Lists It Appears On:

• Quora
• Stark Insider

A journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect.

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20 .) Elephant (2003) directed by Gus Van Sant

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Reddit

Several ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent. The film chronicles the events surrounding a school shooting.

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19 .) Fanny and Alexander directed by Ingmar Bergman

Lists It Appears On:

• Magnolia Forever
• The Guardian

As children in the loving Ekdahl family, Fanny and Alexander enjoy a happy life with their parents, who run a theater company. After their father dies unexpectedly, however, the siblings end up in a joyless home when their mother, Emilie, marries a stern bishop. The bleak situation gradually grows worse as the bishop becomes more controlling, but dedicated relatives make a valiant attempt to aid Emilie, Fanny and Alexander.

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18 .) Fantastic Planet directed by René Laloux

Lists It Appears On:

• Quora
• Reddit

The story of the “Oms”, human-like creatures kept as domesticated pets by an alien race of blue giants called “Draags.” The story takes place on the Draags’ planet Ygam, where we follow our narrator, an Om called Terr, from infancy to adulthood. He manages to escape enslavement from a Draag learning device used to educate the savage Oms — and begins to organise an Om revolt.

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17 .) Gerry (2002) directed by Gus Van Sant

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Magnolia Forever

Two friends named Gerry become lost in the desert after taking a wrong turn. Their attempts to find their way home only lead them into further trouble.

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16 .) Melancholia (2011) directed by Lars von Trier

Lists It Appears On:

• Film School Rejects
• IMDB

Two sisters find their already strained relationship challenged as a mysterious new planet threatens to collide with Earth.

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15 .) Moon (2009) directed by Duncan Jones

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Quora

With only three weeks left in his three year contract, Sam Bell is getting anxious to finally return to Earth. He is the only occupant of a Moon-based manufacturing facility along with his computer and assistant, GERTY. When he has an accident however, he wakens to find that he is not alone.

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14 .) Mother! (2017) directed by Darren Aronofsky

Lists It Appears On:

• Another Mag
• TV OVer Mind

A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.

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13 .) Nightcrawler (2014) directed by Dan Gilroy

Lists It Appears On:

• Quora
• Stark Insider

When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

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12 .) Primer (2004) directed by Shane Carruth

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Quora

Friends and fledgling entrepreneurs invent a device in their garage which reduces the apparent mass of any object placed inside it, but they discover that it has some highly unexpected capabilities – ones that could enable them to do and to have seemingly anything they want. Taking advantage of this unique opportunity is the first challenge they face. Dealing with the consequences is the next.

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11 .) Requiem for a Dream (2000) directed by Darren Aronofsky

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Quora

The hopes and dreams of four ambitious people are shattered when their drug addictions begin spiraling out of control. A look into addiction and how it overcomes the mind and body.

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10 .) Somewhere (2010) directed by Sofia Coppola

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Magnolia Forever

After withdrawing to the Chateau Marmont, a passionless Hollywood actor reexamines his life when his eleven-year-old daughter surprises him with a visit.

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9 .) The Babadook (2014) directed by Jennifer Kent

Lists It Appears On:

• Stark Insider
• TV OVer Mind

A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son’s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.

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8 .) The Box (2009) directed by Richard Kelly

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Quora

Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. However pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don’t know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

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7 .) The White Ribbon directed by Michael Haneke

Lists It Appears On:

• Magnolia Forever
• The Guardian

Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years just before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. The abused and suppressed children of the villagers seem to be at the heart of this mystery.

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6 .) Tideland (2005) directed by Terry Gilliam

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Quora

Because of the actions of her irresponsible parents, a young girl is left alone on a decrepit country estate and survives inside her fantastic imagination.

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5 .) Tokyo Story directed by Yasujirō Ozu

Lists It Appears On:

• Quora
• The Guardian

The elderly Shukishi and his wife, Tomi, take the long journey from their small seaside village to visit their adult children in Tokyo. Their elder son, Koichi, a doctor, and their daughter, Shige, a hairdresser, don’t have much time to spend with their aged parents, and so it falls to Noriko, the widow of their younger son who was killed in the war, to keep her in-laws company.

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4 .) Enter the Void (2009) directed by Gaspar Noé

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Quora
• Stark Insider

This psychedelic tour of life after death is seen entirely from the point of view of Oscar (Nathaniel Brown), a young American drug dealer and addict living in Tokyo with his prostitute sister, Linda (Paz de la Huerta). When Oscar is killed by police during a bust gone bad, his spirit journeys from the past — where he sees his parents before their deaths — to the present — where he witnesses his own autopsy — and then to the future, where he looks out for his sister from beyond the grave.

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3 .) Eraserhead (1977) directed by David Lynch

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Magnolia Forever
• Reddit

Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.

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2 .) Mulholland Drive (2001) directed by David Lynch

Lists It Appears On:

• IMDB
• Magnolia Forever
• The Guardian

Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman’s identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.

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1 .) Under the Skin (2013) directed by Jonathan Glazer

Lists It Appears On:

• Huffington Post
• IMDB
• Reddit
• Stark Insider
• TV OVer Mind

A seductive alien prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey: unsuspecting men who fall under her spell.

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The 125+ Additional Best Art-House Movies

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#	Movies	Directors	Lists
27	4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days		Magnolia Forever
28	A Clockwork Orange		The Guardian
29	A Fantastic Woman		Another Mag
30	A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night		Stark Insider
31	A Scanner Darkly (2006)	Richard Linklater	IMDB
32	A Serious Man		Magnolia Forever
33	A Woman Under the Influence		Magnolia Forever
34	Adaptation	Spike Jonze	IMDB
35	Aguirre, Wrath of God		The Guardian
36	Andrei Rublev		The Guardian
37	Another Earth (2011)	Mike Cahill	IMDB
38	Au Hasard Balthazar		Magnolia Forever
39	Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009)	Werner Herzog	IMDB
40	Barry Lyndon		Quora
41	Batman	Tim Burton	Mandatory
42	Being John Malkovich (1999)	Spike Jonze	IMDB
43	Birth (2004)	Jonathan Glazer	IMDB
44	Blade Runner (1982)	Ridley Scott	IMDB
45	Breaking the Waves		Magnolia Forever
46	Brick (2005)	Rian Johnson	IMDB
47	Call Me By Your Name		Another Mag
48	Certified Copy		Magnolia Forever
49	Citizen Kane		The Guardian
50	Code Unknown		Magnolia Forever
51	Days of Heaven		The Guardian
52	Decoder (1984)		Film School Rejects
53	Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?		Another Mag
54	Django	Sergio Corbucci	Mandatory
55	Dogville (2003)	Lars von Trier	IMDB
56	Donnie Darko (2001)	Richard Kelly	IMDB
57	Drive (2011)		Stark Insider
58	El Mariachi	Robert Rodriguez	Mandatory
59	El Topo		Magnolia Forever
60	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)	Michel Gondry	IMDB
61	Ex Machina (2015)		Stark Insider
62	Eyes Wide Shut		Magnolia Forever
63	Eyes Without A Face”		Huffington Post
64	Father of My Children (2009)	Mia Hansen-Løve	IMDB
65	Five Easy Pieces (1970)	Bob Rafelson	IMDB
66	Funny Games” (1997)		Huffington Post
67	Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai	Jim Jarmusch	Mandatory
68	Gloria	John Cassavetes	Mandatory
69	Good Time		Another Mag
70	Gosford Park		Reddit
71	Haywire	Steven Soderbergh	Mandatory
72	Her (2013)		Quora
73	I Am Curious (Yellow)		Quora
74	I Melt with You (2011)	Mark Pellington	IMDB
75	Inland Empire		Magnolia Forever
76	Irreversible (2002)	Gaspar Noé	IMDB
77	Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles		Magnolia Forever
78	Koyaanisqatsi		Magnolia Forever
79	Kwaidan”		Huffington Post
80	L’Atalante		The Guardian
81	L’Avventura		Magnolia Forever
82	La Jetée (1962)		Film School Rejects
83	Last Days (2005)	Gus Van Sant	IMDB
84	Last Tango in Paris		Magnolia Forever
85	Last Year at Marienbad		Magnolia Forever
86	Léon: The Professional	Luc Besson	Mandatory
87	Let The Right One In”		Huffington Post
88	Let the Sunshine In		Another Mag
89	Lost in Translation (2003)	Sofia Coppola	IMDB
90	Magnolia		Magnolia Forever
91	Me and You and Everyone We Know		Magnolia Forever
92	Meshes of the Afternoon		Magnolia Forever
93	Morning Patrol (1987)		Film School Rejects
94	Mouchette		Magnolia Forever
95	Murmur of the Heart		Magnolia Forever
96	My Own Private Idaho (1991)	Gus Van Sant	IMDB
97	Nosferatu the Vampyre”		Huffington Post
98	Nostalghia		Magnolia Forever
99	On Body and Soul		Another Mag
100	On the Silver Globe (1988)		Film School Rejects
101	One Hour Photo (2002)	Mark Romanek	IMDB
102	Only Lovers Left Alive”		Huffington Post
103	Pather Panchali		The Guardian
104	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)	Tom Tykwer	IMDB
105	Persona		Magnolia Forever
106	Repo Man (1984)		Film School Rejects
107	Repulsion”		Huffington Post
108	Restless (I) (2011)	Gus Van Sant	IMDB
109	Revolver (2005)	Guy Ritchie	IMDB
110	Run Lola Run	Tom Tykwer	Mandatory
111	Russian Ark		Magnolia Forever
112	Samson & Delilah (2009)	Warwick Thornton	IMDB
113	Scary Mother		Another Mag
114	Seven Samurai	Akira Kurosawa	Mandatory
115	Shame (1968 film)		Quora
116	Sleeping Beauty (2011)	Julia Leigh	IMDB
117	Special (2006)	Hal Haberman	IMDB
118	Stalker (1979)		Film School Rejects
119	Stranger than Paradise		Magnolia Forever
120	Suspiria”		Huffington Post
121	Swimming to Cambodia		Reddit
122	Taste of Cherry		Magnolia Forever
123	Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)		Film School Rejects
124	The 400 Blows		Magnolia Forever
125	The Apu Trilogy		Quora
126	The Brown Bunny		Magnolia Forever
127	The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”		Huffington Post
128	The Conformist		The Guardian
129	The Decalogue		Magnolia Forever
130	The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie		Magnolia Forever
131	The Fountain (2006)	Darren Aronofsky	IMDB
132	The Gospel According to St Matthew		The Guardian
133	The Idiots		Magnolia Forever
134	The Innocents”		Huffington Post
135	The Killer	John Woo	Mandatory
136	The Killing of a Chinese Bookie		Quora
137	The Machinist (2004)	Brad Anderson	IMDB
138	The Neon Demon (2016)		TV OVer Mind
139	The New World (2005)	Terrence Malick	IMDB
140	The Passion of Joan of Arc		Magnolia Forever
141	The Piano Teacher		Magnolia Forever
142	The Seventh Seal		Magnolia Forever
143	The Square		Another Mag
144	The Thin Red Line (1998)	Terrence Malick	IMDB
145	The Tree of Life (2011)	Terrence Malick	IMDB
146	The Turin Horse		Magnolia Forever
147	There Will Be Blood (2007)		Stark Insider
148	Three Colours		Magnolia Forever
149	To the Wonder (2012)	Terrence Malick	IMDB
150	Un Chien Andalou		Magnolia Forever
151	Upstream Color (2013)	Shane Carruth	IMDB
152	Videodrome (1983)		Film School Rejects
153	Vivre sa Vie		Magnolia Forever
154	Wake in Fright (1971)	Ted Kotcheff	IMDB
155	Waking Life		Magnolia Forever
156	Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story		Reddit
157	Wavelength		Magnolia Forever
158	Week End		Magnolia Forever
159	Werckmeister Harmonies		Magnolia Forever
160	Where the Wild Things Are (2009)	Spike Jonze	IMDB
161	World on a Wire (1973)		Film School Rejects
162	You Have No Idea How Much I Love You		Another Mag

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11 Best Art House Film Sources/Lists

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Source	Article
Another Mag	Ten of the Best Arthouse Films of 2017 | AnOther
Film School Rejects	10 Essential Arthouse Sci-Fi Films – Film School Rejects
Huffington Post	11 Art-House Horror Movies To Watch This Halloween Instead Of The
IMDB	The Essential Must See Top 50 Arthouse Films – IMDb
Magnolia Forever	The 50 Essential Arthouse Movies | Southern Vision
Mandatory	Best Art House Action Movies – Mandatory
Quora	What are some essential arthouse films? – Quora
Reddit	Arthouse films for a beginner : movies – Reddit
Stark Insider	Top 10 arthouse films of the last 10 years | Stark Insider
The Guardian	The 25 best arthouse films of all time | Film | The Guardian
TV OVer Mind	Hereditary’–Like: The 5 Best Recent Arthouse Horror Movies