Arnold Schwarzenegger Reveals His Top Six Favorite Movies Ever
Arnold Schwarzenegger has shared his six favorite movies of all time, giving fans a glimpse into the films that inspired him both as an actor and as a viewer.
At the top of his list is the 1982 Steven Spielberg classic E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. The movie tells the story of a young boy who befriends an alien stranded on Earth. Schwarzenegger praised the film, saying, “I think that [E.T.] was a whole new way of entertaining. Spielberg did just a spectacular job on that. It was literally for everyone to enjoy. I mean, it doesn’t matter — women, men, young, old — everybody could enjoy that movie.”
The film was a massive hit with both critics and audiences, praised for its heartwarming story, innovative visual effects, and emotional depth. E.T. became one of the highest-grossing films of the 1980s and earned four Academy Awards.
Second on his list is the 1972 classic The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film won three Oscars, including Best Picture, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made.
Schwarzenegger said, “I think, when you talk about action movies, the combined story with action. And again, you know, really well-fleshed-out characters and all that. I mean, Godfather is without any doubt one of the best of that kind.” Critics have praised the film for its masterful storytelling, complex characters, and iconic performances, particularly by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino.
In third place is the 1965 musical The Sound of Music, directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Schwarzenegger explained, “It’s Austria: the music, the look of it. I think it was really a movie that was a very interesting story, but it sold my homeland visually in such a spectacular way. And I have gone, of course, to all of the various different locations that they shot the scenes and all that in Salzburg and around in the Alps and all that stuff. It’s a really spectacular, entertaining film.”
The film received critical acclaim for its music, performances, and breathtaking cinematography, winning five Oscars including Best Picture.
Next on his list is Titanic, the 1997 James Cameron epic. Schwarzenegger praised the director, saying, “I thought that it was just really well done, visual effects, personal stories about people, the character’s development, the action, and then the end. The emotional roller coaster ride was –and the music. Everything was a straight 10.”
Titanic was both a critical and commercial success, winning 11 Academy Awards and earning over $2 billion worldwide. Critics lauded its emotional storytelling, impressive special effects, and strong performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
Schwarzenegger also picked Unforgiven, the 1992 revisionist Western directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. He described Eastwood as “an idol of mine. I always idolised him since before I came over to America. I loved his Western movies and followed his career very closely, then became friends with him and really admired him. Tremendously skilled as a producer, as a director, the music he does for his movies, the acting, the directing — I mean everything.”
Unforgiven won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, and was praised for its gritty realism, complex characters, and subversion of traditional Western tropes.
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982)
- The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)
- The Sound of Music (Robert Wise, 1965)
- Titanic (James Cameron, 1997)
- Unforgiven (Clint Eastwood, 1992)
- Westworld (Michael Crichton, 1973)
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