USA TODAY Ranks Spielberg’s 35 Films, Slots 'Disclosure Day' at No. 11

Q: USA TODAY ranked every Spielberg film. Which of his iconic masterpieces were controversially snubbed from the top ten list?

The most debated omissions from USA TODAY’s top 10 were the films ranked just outside it, especially **“Disclosure Day” at No. 11** and **“Lincoln” at No. 13**, along with other acclaimed titles such as **“The Post,” “Empire of the Sun,” “Bridge of Spies,” “Minority Report,”** and **“Catch Me If You Can.”** USA TODAY’s top 10 included “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Schindler’s List,” “Jaws,” “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” “The Color Purple,” “Jurassic Park,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T.,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “West Side Story.” That meant several films many critics and fans regard as major Spielberg achievements were left out. Among the most likely to be called “snubs,” **“Lincoln”** stands out because of its awards pedigree and Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar-winning performance. **“Minority Report”** is another notable omission, given its reputation as one of Spielberg’s strongest modern sci-fi films. **“Catch Me If You Can”** and **“Bridge of Spies”** are also frequently cited as underrated late-career highlights, while **“Empire of the Sun”** has long been admired as one of his most emotionally ambitious epics. If the question is which omissions were most controversial, the strongest answers are **“Lincoln,” “Minority Report,” “Catch Me If You Can,” and “Empire of the Sun,”** with **“Disclosure Day”** also drawing attention because it narrowly missed the top 10 at No. 11.

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 12

35 feature films made Steven Spielberg the subject of a new USA TODAY ranking timed to the June 12 theatrical release of his latest movie, "Disclosure Day."
"Disclosure Day" debuted at No. 11, with the outlet calling the alien thriller one of Spielberg’s most gripping climaxes and framing it as his return to extraterrestrial sci-fi.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark" took the top spot, followed by "Schindler’s List" at No. 2 and "Jaws" at No. 3, underscoring the breadth of Spielberg’s action, historical and blockbuster legacy.
Spielberg, 79, has won 2 best-director Oscars, and the ranking revisits a filmography spanning early work like 1971’s "Duel" through 2022’s "The Fabelmans."