To celebrate the release of Joel Coen’s highly acclaimed film-noir vision of The Tragedy of Macbeth starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand—a likely Oscar contender—we’ve rounded up the most essential Shakespeare movies of all time. For this list of the best, must-watch movies based on and inspired by Shakespeare, we’re taking into account these pictures’ overall quality, how well they’ve aged, entertainment and replay value—and impact on pop culture. Here are 14 of the best Shakespeare movies of all time. Unless otherwise specified, all titles are available to rent and purchase across major streaming platforms.
Best Shakespeare movies
1. Henry V (1944)
Master of the British stage, handsome and magnetic Laurence Olivier is often cited as the greatest theater and screen actor of the 20th century. His Technicolor directorial debut, the first highly successful Shakespeare motion picture, features groundbreaking battle sequences and sumptuous art direction. Henry V was partially funded by the British government, intended to raise morale near the end of World War II. Henry V received four Oscar nods including Best Picture, and Olivier received a special achievement Academy Honorary Award. Other essential Olivier Shakespeare films include 1948’s Hamlet and 1955’s Richard III.
2. Romeo & Juliet (1968)
The quintessential, rigorously faithful take on Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy has been a staple of classrooms for decades and counting. To this day, director Franco Zeffirelli‘s drama stands out for being surprisingly violent and racy, with raw performances. Timeless.
3. Othello (1952)
Orson Welles takes some liberties with the Bard—and flexes his incomparable filmmaking genius—in this vivid black-and-white fever dream that took home top honors (what would later become the Palme D’Or) at the 1952 Cannes Festival. Arguably the greatest (or at least the most cinematic) of all Shakespeare films, nothing about Welles’ take on Othello is politically correct (neither is the play, let’s be real), but it’s one hell of a vision. The film was restored in 1992, and finally released on Blu-Ray via The Criterion Collection in 2017.
4. Hamlet (1996)
Hamlet is regarded as perhaps Shakespeare’s magnum opus. Though it’s hard to deny that anyone ever played the narcissistic title character with more fire and intensity than Olivier in 1948, Kenneth Branagh’s 70mm, four-hours-plus film stands tall as the greater film overall. Kate Winslet plays Ophelia; this was a year before Titanic became the biggest movie of all time.
5. Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Branagh stars alongside a knockout thespian cast including Emma Thompson, Robert Sean Leonard, Kate Beckinsale, Michael Keaton and Denzel Washington in a financially successful romantic comedy acclaimed for its accessibility and entertainment value. Keanu Reeves’ casting was somewhat controversial; his shirtless scene was widely praised.
6. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger charm in a superior teen rom-com inspired by The Taming of the Shrew. Later adapted for the small screen; 20 episodes of the show ran from 2009-2010 on ABC Family.
7. My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Reeves played opposite River Phoenix in Gus Van Sant‘s poetic, sexy and sad update of Shakespeare‘s Henry IV. Phoenix’s performance as a narcoleptic male hustler with devastating abandonment issues earned universal praise, including the Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup for Best Actor. His death in 1993 was a shattering loss for film.
8. Macbeth (2015)
The most captivating Macbeth since Olivier in 1955 is undoubtedly Michael Fassbender opposite a characteristically killer Marion Cotillard in Justin Kurzel’s visually arresting epic that’s genuinely epic. Despite being a box-office bomb, Macbeth received considerable critical praise, especially for the leads and production values.
9. Chimes At Midnight (1965)
Welles’ long-lost masterpiece (now available in a sparkling Criterion restoration) is a dramedy war film starring the film icon as Shakespeare’s Falstaff, a chubby clown with surprising depth—and a master of wordplay. This is Welles’ favorite film in his entire oeuvre.
10. William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996)
A year before Titanic catapulted him to the top of the A-list, Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the highly kinetic middle chapter of Baz Luhrmann’s “Red Curtain Trilogy” alongside Claire Danes. Madcap, Oscar-nominated Romeo + Juliet is one of the quintessential modernized takes on Shakespeare.
11. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
One of the great upsets in Oscars history saw John Madden‘s period tragicomedy win Best Picture over Steven Spielberg‘s war landmark Saving Private Ryan. Gwyneth Paltrow won Best Actress for a sexy, luminous and intelligent turn as a merchant’s daughter who poses as a man to perform in theatre, ultimately bewitching none other than Shakespeare himself.
12. Throne of Blood (1957)
An essential (some would even say the essential) take on “the Scottish play” isn’t Scottish at all; Akira Kurosawa’s epic, bloody vision of Macbeth is actually set in feudal Japan. The iconic Japanese filmmaker delayed production on Throne of Blood after hearing of Welles’ 1948 Macbeth. Throne of Blood was reimagined as an opera in 2010. Also a must-see: Kurosawa’s 1985 epic Ran derives its plot from King Lear; it’s considered arguably the filmmaker’s crowning achievement.
13. The Lion King (1994)
To say The Lion King is explicitly “based on” Hamlet could be a stretch. Inspired by? Absolutely. One of the most enduringly popular animated films of all time wears its influences on its sleeve: a villainous uncle overthrows his royal brother. Simba is notably more merciful than Hamlet.
14. The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
Washington and McDormand, already two of the most celebrated actors of our time, deliver career-highlight performances in Joel Coen‘s ethereal take on the Bard. Composer Carter Burwell deserves his first Oscar nod for an entrancing score in this remarkable vision of Shakespeare gone film noir. The best part of the moody thriller is Kathryn Hunter as all three witches, which must be seen to be believed. The Tragedy of Macbeth is now in theaters, coming to Apple TV+ Jan. 14. Next, check out the 100 best movies of all time, ranked.
