The Los Angeles Times today released The 101 Best Los Angeles Movies, an interactive guide that features a definitive ranking of the films that best represent one of the world’s most iconic cities. The list explores L.A.’s rich cinematic history, ranging from the noir atmosphere of “Double Indemnity” and “Chinatown” to the high-stakes action of “Die Hard” and “Speed.” The new multiplatform project also includes a companion essayby Times film critic Amy Nicholson, social videos filmed at memorable locations from “Mulholland Drive” and “Chinatown” and an online submission form inviting readers to share their personal picks for the best L.A. movies, which will be collected and published online at a later date.
“Los Angeles has long been a place of onscreen obsession for me — that was the case well before I moved here,” said Times film editor Joshua Rothkopf. “Partly that’s the allure of some of Hollywood’s darkest, most adventurous movies: the classic noirs, conspiracy thrillers and psychodramas that rank highly on our list. But L.A. is also an evolving place, a place of possibility. How the city figures in the popular imagination — and how it should figure — were questions I wanted our team to explore. All 101 of these movies say something essential, if not always positive, about our town.”
The list was curated, written and ranked by Times entertainment staff, including Nicholson, Rothkopf, Mark Olsen, Josh Rottenberg, Glenn Whipp, Greg Braxton, Matt Brennan and Mary McNamara; as well as former Times film critics Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan; and Times film contributors Jen Yamato, Katie Walsh, Carlos Aguilar, Robert Abele, Manuel Betancourt, Tim Grierson and Esther Zuckerman.
Through a ballot process, each writer ranked their favorite 20 movies. “Chinatown” earned the No. 1 spot by a significant margin and appeared on the most ballots overall. The top three titles “Chinatown,” “Mulholland Drive” and “Sunset Boulevard” were separated by 89 points from No. 4. “I guess in some way L.A. is about those three movies: an origin story, a voluptuous nightmare and a Hollywood plummet,” said Rothkopf.
The guide features multiple titles from Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Altman, with two films from director Billy Wilder making the top 10. The most recent film on the list is “One of Them Days” (2025) and the oldest is “Sherlock Jr.” (1924). “Part of what defines a Los Angeles movie is our city’s willingness to turn the camera on itself, to prioritize a riveting tale over our own reputation,” wrote Nicholson. “We’re eager to share our saga with the world.”
The digital edition of the 101 Best Los Angeles Movies is available online nowexclusively to Times subscribers. The print edition will be delivered to Times Sunday subscribers on Jan. 18, with copies available for purchase via The Times online store.
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