Getting 100% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer means a lot to people. It’s a very coveted rating for any movie to get, and very few have been successful. Though a few classics have managed to get there, some have only gotten close. Maybe off by a percent or two. But that still makes them nearly perfect in the eyes of the audience. And that is what we are celebrating today, movies that got 100% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes. Or movies that got extremely, extremely close.
The Tomatometer, ever heard of it? That little percent meter that people now use to decide if they should or shouldn’t see a movie, all according to itsrotten score. This so called ‘rotten rating’ has gotten me in a lot of trouble. How you ask? Lets just say that when I suggest a movie to see and somebody says, “It only got FILL IN THE BLANK percent on Rotten Tomatoes,” my response is usually that said person should learn to think for themselves.
This is in no way a dig onRotten Tomatoes. That site has a done a splendid job at aggregating reviews no matter how rotten or fresh they may be. And, to quote the late, great Muhammad Ali, “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.” I don’t think I’ve seen a movie that scored highly on Rotten Tomatoes’Tomatometerthat I didn’t think was good.
At the same time, what makes movies good or bad? Aren’t we ultimately just discussing subjective opinions? Whatever we are doing, Rotten Tomatoes appears to be documenting it, and in the process creating a catalogue of titles that people can use to find out important information about almost any movie.
And what it is that information? Probably the most important thing that we as consumers have. We might not have a lot of control over how our tax monies are spent, but we sure can decide where we’re gonna spend our hard earned duckets at the box office. That Rotten Tomatoes succinctly cuts to the heart of that discussion (for most people) is where itsreal powerseems to lie.
So how do movies achievecertified freshstatus? What is the magic bullet that almost uniformly seems to align critics and the moviegoing public at large? Not to be coy, but this isn’t something you can quantify. However, if you look at well received movies, you will start seeing patterns. It is in those patterns that successful films lie and it’s what we attempt to highlight with ‘21 Movies With a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score.’
23Toy Story (100%)
It should come as no surprise that most Pixar movies rest in the upper echelon of Rotten Tomatoes movies and their rotten scores. But Toy Story is the first and best. We’ve all had a favorite toys. If we’re lucky we’ve all had best friends or been best friends with someone. There always comes a time when we feel as if our position on the friendship totem pole is threatened. If we’re lucky we come to understand that all we need to do is love ourselves and everything else will fall into place. So powerful isToy Story, it has managed to garner a coveted 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer.
22The Terminator (100%)
So original is this story that it seems like a crime if this film didn’t earn 100% from Rotten Tomatoes. Making The Terminator shine even more is the fact that its story (and storytelling) is even certified fresh today. This time traveling tale about a man coming to the present (or past), to save the life of the woman who gives birth to the world’s savior in the future never gets old. Audiences seem to appreciate when something familiar is shaken up a bit. When it is turned on its head and spun every which way, it makes something like the Tomatometer stand up and take notice of a genre busting film like this.
21North By Northwest (100%)
Alfred Hitchcock’s hand is all over this adventure crime story. That Rotten Tomatoes gives this film 100% seems to have been a forgone conclusion more than anything. Who wouldn’t be caught up in seeing Cary Grant being mistaken for being government agent by a bunch of foreign spies? The great fun of this film is seeing how Grant gets out of situation after situation to ultimately triumph. One thing the Tomatometer has taught us is that audiences and critics love seeing people they love surviving perilous situations.
20Citizen Kane (100%)
With its still impressive use of camera angles, deep focus photography, and just about every other important cinema trope, Citizen Kane is still the gold standard by which a lot of films are measured. Some call it the best movie of all time. So if it got anything lower than a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it would be considered blasphemous. This films follows the exploits of Charles Foster Kane. However, everything we see in the movie is all to put that character’s last word, “Rosebud,” into context. There is something to be said for a film that is still beloved by all who see it and Rotten Tomatoes score reflects that.
19Mud (100%)
Bet you didn’t think you’d see Mud rank so high on Rotten Tomatoes, did you?Mudmainly got the attention it got because Matthew McConaughey was in it. However, this arty, incredibly well done, coming of age film is actually more about the two boys who encounter McConaughey’s character than the character itself. Essentially, he is on the run and the boys help hide him. We’ve seen this on screen before. However, what we haven’t seen are characters that resonate the way that these ones do. This simple story is breathtaking and when it ends you’re a happier moviegoer for having seen it. A hundred percent on Rotten Tomatoes? Does the Tomatometer go even higher?
18The Last Picture Show (100%)
Peter Bogdanovich’s tale of youth ending in a town that also seems to be going away is in many respects a perfect film, and it has the Rotten Tomatoes score to prove it. It is that rare mix of right director, right project and right tone that all makes for a sensational viewing experience. Lensed in magnificent black and white, it is no surprise that Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 100% once all the critics notices were tallied.
17Finding Nemo (99%)
Here is the second Pixar movie to make our Rotten Tomatoes fresh score list. Have you ever met anybody that didn’t like this movie? Truthfully, it is surprising that Finding Nemo hasn’t garnered a 100% on the Tomatometer. That said, maybe this film not getting an perfect score is what adds to it’s perfect charm? Who doesn’t love a good adventure? Especially, when that adventure centers around a father searching for his lost son.Finding Nemowill live on forever because it’s universal themes resonate with just about everyone.
16The Wizard of Oz (99%)
Is it any surprise that this tale of Dorothy, her red shoes, her dog Toto and the interesting people she takes on her journey is rated so highly? Filled with more layers of subtext than a pastrami sandwich at Cantors, The Wizard of Oz still captivates audiences. If it didn’t how would you explain Wicked’s success? Rotten Tomatoes high score is testament that if you make a film with something for everyone (and we mean everyone), people will come.
15The Godfather (99%)
Films that stand the test of time are generally those that reshape a genre in some way. Well, not only does The Godfather turn the gangster drama on its head, it essentially re-invented cinema. With a dark look that had some studio executives wondering if they were watching the film with sunglasses on, a career resurrecting performance for Marlon Brando, and a subtext that examined the Nixon administration, it’s no surprise that Rotten Tomatoes rates this film so highly.
14Rosemary’s Baby (99%)
Rosemary’s Baby is still a shocking movie. This probably explains why it rates so highly on Rotten Tomatoes. First off, as the title states, this film centers around childbirth. So right away its getting an instant audience. The fact that the father of the child happens to be the Prince of Darkness, is what makes the proceedings highly unusual and appealing. Let us also not forget what happens once the maternal instinct kicks in!
