My Top Ten Stanley Kubrick Films

A personal journey ranking my experiences with one of cinema's greatest directors

Barry Lyndon (1975). Credit: Warner Brothers

Warning: Contains spoilers

I’m often asked to list my favourite Stanley Kubrick films by fellow cineastes. Although I’m able to answer quickly and decisively, it occurs to me that I’ve never written anything ranking them. With a significant anniversary of Barry Lyndon (1975) coming up this year, it seems an opportune time to nail my Kubrick preferences to the proverbial mast.

Writing about Kubrick is often a daunting task. What more can possibly be said about one of the most singular visionaries in film history? What could I add of value to the volumes already written, in terms of behind-the-scenes information, critical analysis, interpretations, or commentary on the influence and legacy of this cinematic master?

The answer is my own experience of his work, especially in the discovery of it. What follows is my Kubrick top ten, strictly in order of personal preference, not necessarily what one might consider his greatest or most important achievements. In approaching each film, I’ve attempted to evaluate by relating what each means to me. Film criticism is all well and good, but in the end, our engagement with cinema is highly individual, and I fully accept that your mileage with Kubrick may vary. Some find him cold and overly intellectual, but I’ve found the opposite to be true. Indeed, some of the most profoundly emotional cinematic experiences of my life have been with Kubrick’s film, as you will see.