Best Movies of 1953

The highest-rated films from 1953 according to MovieMagicScore. Rankings based purely on what viewers actually think.

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Tokyo Story

1953 · 1,240 ratings

The elderly Shukishi and his wife, Tomi, take the long journey from their small seaside village to visit their adult children in Tokyo. Their elder son, Koichi, a doctor, and their daughter, Shige, a hairdresser, don't have much time to spend with their aged parents, and so it falls to Noriko, the widow of their younger son who was killed in the war, to keep her in-laws company.

8.1

Roman Holiday

1953 · 2,170 ratings

Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

7.9

The Wages of Fear

1953 · 1,018 ratings

In a run-down South American town, four men are paid to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin into the jungle through to the oil field. Friendships are tested and rivalries develop as they embark upon the perilous journey.

8.0

Ugetsu

1953 · 621 ratings

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.

8.0

Stalag 17

1953 · 634 ratings

It's a dreary Christmas 1944 for the American POWs in Stalag 17 and the men in Barracks 4, all sergeants, have to deal with a grave problem—there seems to be a security leak.

7.7

I Vitelloni

1953 · 710 ratings

Five young men dream of success as they drift lazily through life in a small Italian village. Fausto, the group's leader, is a womanizer; Riccardo craves fame; Alberto is a hopeless dreamer; Moraldo fantasizes about life in the city; and Leopoldo is an aspiring playwright. As Fausto chases a string of women, to the horror of his pregnant wife, the other four blunder their way from one uneventful experience to the next.

7.6

The Big Heat

1953 · 526 ratings

After the suspicious suicide of a fellow cop, tough homicide detective Dave Bannion takes the law into his own hands when he sets out to smash a vicious crime syndicate.

7.7

Duck Amuck

1953 · 235 ratings

The short-tempered Daffy Duck must improvise madly as the backgrounds, his costumes, the soundtrack, even his physical form, shifts and changes at the whim of the animator.

8.1

Peter Pan

1953 · 5,731 ratings

Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.

7.2

#10

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

1953 · 1,021 ratings

Lorelei Lee is a beautiful showgirl engaged to be married to the wealthy Gus Esmond, much to the disapproval of Gus' rich father, Esmond Sr., who thinks that Lorelei is just after his money. When Lorelei goes on a cruise accompanied only by her best friend, Dorothy Shaw, Esmond Sr. hires Ernie Malone, a private detective, to follow her and report any questionable behavior that would disqualify her from the marriage.

7.3

#11

Shane

1953 · 654 ratings

A weary gunfighter attempts to settle down with a homestead family, but a smouldering settler and rancher conflict forces him to act.

7.4

#12

From Here to Eternity

1953 · 676 ratings

In 1941 Hawaii, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second in command are falling in love.

7.3

#13

Dos tipos de cuidado

1953 · 106 ratings

Jorge Bueno and Pedro Malo are best friends who consider giving up their womanizing ways when they each fall in love. As fate would have it, Pedro Malo unexpectedly marries Jorge Bueno's girlfriend, and the conflict between the former buddies begins.

8.3

#14

Summer with Monika

1953 · 373 ratings

One summer day, two teens begin a reckless affair and abandon their families to be with one another.

7.3

#15

The Earrings of Madame de...

1953 · 250 ratings

In late 19th century France, the Countess Louise, wife of a wealthy general, sells the earrings her husband gave her on their wedding day to pay off her secret debts, then claims to have lost them. Her husband quickly learns of the deceit, which is the beginning of many tragic misunderstandings, all involving the earrings, the general, the countess, and her new lover, the Italian Baron Donati.

7.5

#16

Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century

1953 · 167 ratings

Space hero Daffy battles Marvin the Martian for control of Planet X.

7.7

#17

Pickup on South Street

1953 · 305 ratings

In New York City, an insolent pickpocket, Skip McCoy, inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he targets ex-prostitute Candy and steals her wallet. Unaware that she has been making deliveries of highly classified information to the communists, Candy, who has been trailed by FBI agents for months in hopes of nabbing the spy ringleader, is sent by her ex-boyfriend, Joey, to find Skip and retrieve the valuable microfilm he now holds.

7.3

#18

Él

1953 · 147 ratings

Gloria encounters Francisco, a man whose social veneer betrays a truer self burrowed underneath.

7.6

#19

I Confess

1953 · 460 ratings

When a priest hears a murderer’s confession, he becomes bound by his vow of silence—even as circumstantial evidence turns suspicion toward him. Torn between faith and self-preservation, he faces public scandal and trial for a crime he cannot reveal the truth about.

7.1

#20

The Return of Don Camillo

1953 · 301 ratings

Energetic priest Don Camillo returns to the town of Brescello for more political and personal duels with Communist mayor Peppone.

7.2

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About 1953 Movies

These are the best-rated movies released in 1953 according to MovieMagicScore. Our ranking system aggregates genuine viewer ratings to give you an honest picture of what audiences actually think about these films.

From blockbusters to indie gems, discover what made 1953 memorable in cinema based on the collective opinion of movie lovers worldwide.

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