Some movies tell great stories, and others make you stare at the screen in pure awe. While there are times you’d like to see intimate movies, most of the time you want to get your money’s worth by seeing spectacular movies on the biggest screen. Take a look at the list of the highest-grossing movies in the world — most offer incredible action set pieces and unforgettable moments that give audiences moments to remember long after the movies end.
The films on this list represent some of the greatest examples of spectacle ever put on screen. They come from visionary directors who swing big with the movies’ scale and ambition. It’s not just about the size of the movie but the confidence and artistry behind it. From a meticulously designed alien planet to a massive desert battle shot on location, these movies remind you why the big screen exists in the first place.
‘Hero’ (2002)
Hero follows a mysterious warrior known only as Nameless (Jet Li), who arrives at the palace of the King of Qin, claiming he has defeated three legendary assassins, Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Long Sky (Donnie Yen), who had long threatened the ruler’s life. As Nameless recounts how he managed to defeat them, inconsistencies begin to emerge, and the story unfolds through multiple versions of the same events.
Hero is undoubtedly one of the most visually poetic martial arts films ever made. Zhang Yimou, who is famous for his incredible visuals, crafts his action scenes like a painter. Each chapter has bold colors to represent different interpretations of the story. Working with cinematographer Christopher Doyle, who usually shot Wong Kar-Wai movies, the film is a magnificent visual feast with beautiful choreography and great colors, a spectacle that feels elegant and almost mythic.
‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ (2006)
In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) discovers that he owes a blood debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), the captain of the mystical Flying Dutchman. To escape a lifetime of servitude aboard Jones’ ship, Jack searches for the mythical Dead Man’s Chest, which contains Jones’s still-beating heart. Meanwhile, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) are looking for Jack to be spared from the gallows for the crime of working with pirates.
Dead Man’s Chest is blockbuster filmmaking firing on all cylinders. After the runaway success of the first film, visionary and inventive director Gore Verbinski delivered a world unlike anything that came before. The designs of the Flying Dutchman and its crew are incredibly detailed and creative, and of course, Davy Jones himself is still one of the best CGI creations ever made, even after almost 20 years. The set pieces are massive, and they all unfold on a dizzying and elaborate scale, from the three-way sword fight on a moving giant wheel to the Kraken’s attack. The film stands as one of Hollywood’s most imaginative spectacles and one of the best summer blockbusters ever made.
‘Avatar’ (2009)
Avatar follows paraplegic marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is recruited to participate in the Avatar Program on the distant planet Pandora. Struggling to find his place, Jake is also secretly recruited by Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) to gather intelligence for the planet’s precious resources. However, Jake immerses himself in the Na’vi culture and forms a bond with Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), becoming torn between his mission and the wonderful new world he’s discovered.
It is no secret to everyone that Avatar is probably the most ambitious cinematic project ever attempted. James Cameron built Pandora from the ground up, blending cutting-edge motion capture with meticulously detailed digital environments that feel incredibly alive. The film showcases lush bioluminescent forests, floating mountains, and massive aerial battles with a sense of scale that feels immersive. The film’s spectacle isn’t just about technological innovation; it’s about Cameron’s relentless pursuit of world-building. From the traditions of the Na’vi to how they connect with nature, it all feels believable. Moreover, Cameron reached new heights with the sequels that greatly expanded Pandora.
‘The Revenant’ (2015)
Set in the brutal wilderness of the early 19th-century American frontier, The Revenant follows frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is left for dead after being mauled by a bear during a fur trapping expedition. Betrayed by fellow trapper John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) and abandoned by his group, Glass miraculously survives and begins an agonizing journey across unforgiving landscapes to seek revenge.
The Revenant is not your traditional action-revenge film thanks to the raw, elemental approach it adopts. Alejandro G. Iñarritu and his frequent cinematographer collaborator Emmanuel Lubezki shot the film almost entirely in natural light, capturing snowstorms and endless forests with haunting realism. Iñarritu’s penchant for long takes works wonders here as they make the audience feel physically present in Glass’ journey. As you can imagine, The Revenant‘s production was simply a nightmare, with extreme locations and nature-related delays that resulted in an extended shooting schedule. Nevertheless, it all paid off in this beautiful and thrilling spectacle of a film.
‘Blade Runner 2049’ (2017)
Set decades after the original film, Blade Runner 2049 follows K (Ryan Gosling), a lonely replicant blade runner tasked with hunting down older models that have illegally survived. During one of his assignments, K discovers a buried secret that could destabilize the fragile balance between humans and replicants. His investigation eventually leads to Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), the former blade runner who disappeared years earlier.
Ridley Scott‘s Blade Runner is an outstanding film for capturing a neo-noir and cyberpunk landscape so beautifully. Denis Villeneuve improved on it and made a sequel that could stand on its own merits. Teaming up with legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins, the imagery in this film is simply unforgettable, and the action sequences are shot beautifully, unlike any other film in the genre. Each shot is composed like a painting, reinforcing the film’s sense of loneliness but also showcasing its dystopian beauty. Despite bombing at the box office, Blade Runner 2049 stands as one of the most visually stunning science fiction epics ever made and one of the most respected.
‘The Tree of Life’ (2011)
The Tree of Life traces Jack O’Brien’s (Sean Penn) childhood memories of growing up in a Texas suburb during the 1950s under the strict guidance of his father (Brad Pitt) and the gentle love of his mother (Jessica Chastain). As Jack contemplates his life and its meaning, his memories blur with the formation of the universe and the origins of life itself.
Making a return after a brief six-year gap from his previous film, Terrence Malick attempts the impossible by marrying a coming-of-age story with a wildly imaginative contemplation on life. As the other film on this list shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life‘s use of fluid camera movement and natural light makes it an almost spiritual experience. Audiences might not expect to see dinosaurs in a film like this one, but the famous sequence depicting the birth of the universe, with swirling galaxies and primordial oceans, makes it a breathtaking piece of cinema.
‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy (2001–2003)
Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novels, The Lord of the Rings trilogy follows the journey of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a humble hobbit taking on the responsibility of destroying the One Ring. Accompanied by a Fellowship that includes Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), plus his hobbit friends, Frodo travels across the vast landscapes of Middle-earth while battles break out everywhere in this war between good and evil.
This ambitious trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson, redefined what epic filmmaking could look like. Jackson and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie captured New Zealand’s sweeping landscapes to bring Middle-earth to life. Massive battle sequences, innovative motion capture for Gollum, and elaborate sets combined to create a world that feels both fantastical and tangible. The combination of groundbreaking CGI and handcrafted miniatures and costumes made the film so much better than many modern blockbusters today. The films also balance intimate character moments with staggering set pieces, making the spectacle feel emotional rather than purely visual.
‘Apocalypse Now’ (1979)
Apocalypse Now follows Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen), a U.S. Army officer assigned a secret mission to locate Colonel Walter E. Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a rogue officer who has established himself as a godlike figure among a remote tribe. As Willard travels deeper into the jungles of Vietnam and Cambodia, the more the war begins to feel like a descent into madness.
Francis Ford Coppola made his magnum opus with this war film. Through the infamously arduous shooting process, Coppola turns the chaos of war into operatic, unforgettable imagery. The iconic helicopter attack set to Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” is simply unforgettable and has been imitated numerous times ever since. Throughout the film, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro bathes the jungle in glowing oranges, deep shadows, and smoky haze, creating visuals that feel both beautiful and nightmarish. It’s probably an achievement that cannot be replicated in today’s filmmaking system.
‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey begins with prehistoric apes discovering the power of tools, and then it fast-forwards to a future where humanity has expanded into space. When a mysterious monolith is discovered buried on the Moon, scientists realize it is emitting a signal toward Jupiter. The spaceship Discovery One, manned by astronauts Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood), with the help of the ship’s AI HAL 9000, embarks on a voyage to discover what’s behind the signal.
This Stanley Kubrick film is undoubtedly one of the most groundbreaking visual achievements ever put on screen. Kubrick worked with cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth to create images of space travel that still feel astonishingly realistic even decades later. Using elaborate practical effects, rotating sets, and meticulously choreographed camera movements, the film became the gold standard for movies set in space. The film’s biggest moments are astonishing blends of gorgeous visuals and a superb classical score, resulting in an incredible achievement that also pushes the limits of imagination.
‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962)
Lawrence of Arabia chronicles the journey of British officer T. E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) during World War I, when he is sent to the Arabian Peninsula as a liaison between British forces and the Arab tribes rebelling against the Ottoman Empire. Initially underestimated by his superiors, Lawrence gradually becomes a charismatic and controversial leader among the Arab fighters, helping unite rival tribes and leading daring desert raids, including the legendary attack on the port city of Aqaba.
Despite being released over 60 years ago, Lawrence of Arabia remains one of the most breathtaking achievements in epic filmmaking. David Lean captured the desert with such grandeur, using sweeping widescreen compositions that emphasize the landscape’s immense scale. Tiny figures on camelback cross endless seas of sand while the blazing sun and shifting dunes dominate the frame, making the environment feel both majestic and unforgiving. The film’s most famous sequence, where Lawrence leads the Aqaba raid, is exhilarating and must be seen on the biggest screen available. Even with its massive 3.5-hour runtime, Lawrence of Arabia never wastes a single second and is spectacular from beginning to end.