Critics and Filmmakers Pick Their Favorite Steven Spielberg Movies
A Guardian feature compiles personal reflections on Steven Spielberg's films from directors, critics, and superfans. Contributors include Edgar Wright (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Scott Tobias (West Side Story), Gwilym Mumford (Minority Report), Joseph McBride (Close Encounters of the Third Kind), Stuart Heritage (The Terminal), Anne Billson (1941), Sasha Mistlin (Catch Me If You Can), Andrew Pulver (Schindler's List), Ryan Gilbey (ET the Extra-Terrestrial), Ann Lee (AI: Artificial Intelligence), Simran Hans (Jurassic Park), and Catherine Bray (Jaws). Peter Bradshaw opens with an overview of Spielberg's career, noting his synthesis of New Wave and classical Hollywood, his use of John Williams's scores, and his ability to create 'event movies' from pulp material. The selections span from his 1971 TV debut Duel to 2022's The Fabelmans, highlighting his range across genres: blockbusters, historical epics, musicals, and autobiographical dramas. Each writer explains why their chosen film resonates, often citing personal memories, technical mastery, or emotional impact. The piece underscores Spielberg's influence on cinema and his unique ability to blend spectacle with humanity.
Key facts
- Steven Spielberg is often called the inventor of the 'event movie'.
- He synthesized American New Wave and Hollywood's golden age studio system.
- Spielberg cast François Truffaut in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
- Jaws and Jurassic Park used state-of-the-art production values and John Williams's scores.
- Schindler's List (1993) was the first large-scale Hollywood Holocaust film.
- The Fabelmans (2022) is an autobiographical film about Spielberg's youth.
- Edgar Wright chose Raiders of the Lost Ark as his favorite.
- Minority Report is described as Spielberg's darkest, most anti-authoritarian work.
- Catch Me If You Can features Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks.
- AI: Artificial Intelligence was originally developed by Stanley Kubrick.
- Jurassic Park's opening scene mirrors audience anticipation.
- Jaws was filmed on real locations with a script by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb.
Entities
Artists
- Steven Spielberg
- Peter Bradshaw
- Edgar Wright
- Scott Tobias
- Gwilym Mumford
- Joseph McBride
- Stuart Heritage
- Anne Billson
- Sasha Mistlin
- Andrew Pulver
- Ryan Gilbey
- Ann Lee
- Simran Hans
- Catherine Bray
- George Lucas
- François Truffaut
- John Williams
- Harrison Ford
- Tom Cruise
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Tom Hanks
- Liam Neeson
- Ralph Fiennes
- Haley Joel Osment
- Jude Law
- Richard Attenborough
- Roy Scheider
- Dennis Weaver
- Christopher Walken
- Stanley Tucci
- John Belushi
- Dan Aykroyd
- Toshiro Mifune
- Christopher Lee
- Nancy Allen
- Warren Oates
- Robert Stack
- Treat Williams
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Drew Barrymore
- Christian Bale
- Rachel Zegler
- Peter Benchley
- Carl Gottlieb
- Verna Fields
- Allen Daviau
- Melissa Mathison
- Thomas Keneally
- Tony Kushner
- Arthur Laurents
- Leonard Bernstein
- Stephen Sondheim
- Philip K. Dick
- Michael Haneke
- Roger Corman
- Ed Wood Jr.
- Edward Hopper
- Andrew Wyeth
- Jean Renoir
- Stanley Kubrick
- László Nemes
Institutions
- The Guardian
- Universal Television
- Columbia Pictures
- 20th Century Fox
- Dreamworks
- Warner Bros.
- Lucasfilm
- Paramount Pictures
- Universal Pictures
Locations
- California
- United States
- Dorset
- Somerset
- London
- Upper West Side
- San Fernando Valley
- Los Angeles
- Auschwitz
- Russia
- Poland