So I made my own list.
I should note, the top three are virtually a tie for me (as are many of these films). That said, I do feel like Close Encounters is his best film. I also am ranking relatively recent films on gut instinct. It's hard to tell how I'll feel about Lincoln in five years, but right now I feel like it's a strong addition to the filmography.
It also struck me that I really only consider 3 of his films "poor," the three above those (Always, The Terminal and Sugarland Express) fall into the "diverting but leave no major impression" category. Above those six are all films I like, and in many cases outright love. Be it the deeply flawed, but interesting, experiment of A.I. Artificial Intelligence, or the pure energy of War of the Worlds. All are worth watching, but 22 and above have at least touches of genius.
| 1 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) |
| 2 | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) |
| 3 | Jaws (1975) |
| 4 | E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) |
| 5 | Schindler’s List (1993) |
| 6 | Munich (2005) |
| 7 | Saving Private Ryan (1998) |
| 8 | Jurassic Park (1993) |
| 9 | Empire of the Sun (1987) |
| 10 | Minority Report (2002) |
| 11 | Catch Me If You Can (2002) |
| 12 | Lincoln (2012) |
| 13 | Duel (1971) |
| 14 | Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) |
| 15 | The Color Purple (1985) |
| 16 | 1941 (1979) |
| 17 | War Horse (2011) |
| 18 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) |
| 19 | The Adventures of Tintin (2011) |
| 20 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) |
| 21 | War of the Worlds (2005) |
| 22 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) |
| 23 | Always (1989) |
| 24 | The Terminal (2004) |
| 25 | The Sugarland Express (1974) |
| 26 | Hook (1991) |
| 27 | Amistad (1997) |
| 28 | The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) |
Much better list, though I would rank Catch Me if You Can ahead of Minority Report, but thank you for putting Munich where it deserves to be.
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