What the top 10 most watched films of all time tell us about being human
- Sound Consciousness
- Aug 31
- 8 min read
Updated: Aug 31
The world’s most watched films do more than entertain. They reflect our deepest fears, desires, and values, and highlight the universal aspects of life that connect us all.
Why we love stories: from ancient myths to modern cinema
Most of us love a good film, and what makes it a “good” film can differ on any given day or stage of life. We love to laugh, cry, get angry or frustrated, feel heartbroken, inspired, or terrified, and even grieve in the cinema. Why is that? What does it reveal about who we are?
Storytelling has always been central to human culture, long before film existed. Myths, parables, oral histories, rituals, and theatre all served the same function as cinema does today: helping people make sense of life, death, relationships, and moral dilemmas, while allowing communities to transmit values, process grief, and rehearse human experiences safely.
According to IMDb, these are the ten most watched films of all time. Beyond entertainment, they reveal patterns in human psychology: what we fear, what we long for, and what keeps us coming back to stories again and again.
1. Titanic (1997) – love, tragedy, and class divides
We are drawn to love stories that feel bigger than life itself, especially when set against the shadow of death. Titanic is not just about a ship sinking. It is about love that crosses class divides and how fleeting life can be. The tragedy makes the love story feel urgent and unforgettable. It reassures us that human connection matters more than survival, wealth, or status.
2. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – belonging, empathy, and fear of difference
At the surface it is about a lost alien, but the story is really about belonging and friendship. E.T. mirrors our own fear of being alone or misunderstood, and our deep wish to be accepted even when we feel out of place. Children in the story see E.T. with empathy, while adults respond with fear and suspicion. It is a reminder that love and kindness can bridge the biggest divides.
3. The Wizard of Oz (1939) – self-discovery, courage, homecoming, identity
Dorothy’s journey is a classic story of self-discovery. Each companion she meets represents qualities she believes she lacks: intelligence, love, courage. The twist is that she already had these qualities within her. The film reflects our own search for identity and meaning, and the realisation that sometimes we need to leave home in order to appreciate it.
4. Star Wars: Episode IV – a new hope (1977) – good vs evil, destiny, heroism, spirituality
This film became iconic because it taps into an ancient myth: the hero’s journey. The battle between good and evil, light and dark, is not just in galaxies far away. It is inside each of us. The Force symbolises our longing for something larger than ourselves, a spiritual reassurance that we are part of a bigger story.
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – friendship, sacrifice, courage, transformation
Power and corruption sit at the heart of this story. The ring represents how easily we can be consumed by desire and fear. Yet the real strength comes from loyalty, friendship, and humility. Ordinary characters like Frodo and Sam, who seem least likely to succeed, carry the greatest responsibility. This reflects our yearning to believe that courage and integrity matter more than strength or status.
"Films allow us to rehearse life’s big dilemmas in story form, safely exploring emotions and choices."
6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) – innocence, jealousy, nurture, survival
The simplicity of the fairy tale masks deeper truths. Snow White symbolises innocence, while the Queen embodies envy and obsession with youth. The dwarfs become a substitute family, showing how nurture and protection are needed in the face of danger. The story reassures us that innocence can endure and that darkness, though frightening, can be overcome.
7. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – technology, fate, survival, redemption
Here we see one of our great modern anxieties: being overtaken by the very technology we create. The machines in this story threaten to wipe out humanity, yet the Terminator evolves to show more humanity and sacrifice than many humans do. The film poses a question we still wrestle with: do we have the power to change the future, or are we trapped by fate and our own inventions?
8. The Lion King (1994) – legacy, grief, identity, renewal
Simba’s journey is about loss, identity, and stepping into responsibility. His exile shows the weight of grief and avoidance. His return shows the possibility of growth and courage. The “circle of life” is not just a theme song, but a way of understanding that life, death, and renewal are all part of the same whole. It is a story that helps us face mortality with acceptance.
9. The Godfather (1972) – power, loyalty, morality, corruption
The Godfather reveals the tension between loyalty to family and the corruption that comes with power. We are unsettled by the moral compromises the characters make, but also fascinated by the strength of their family bonds. It shows how easily love, when mixed with power, can turn into control. It speaks to our own darker impulses and our ambivalence about authority, legacy, and morality.
10. Jesus (1979) – sacrifice, redemption, transcendence, forgiveness
This 1979 film tells the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. It has been distributed and translated widely, making it one of the most watched films in history. At its heart is suffering, betrayal, and death, but also hope and renewal. The story addresses our deepest fears: death, injustice, and abandonment. Yet it also shows that love, forgiveness, and meaning can endure beyond the finality of death.
Why these stories endure and what they teach us
These stories last because they allow us to rehearse life’s big dilemmas in narrative form. We get to witness characters facing loss, making impossible choices, or confronting who they really are.
In my time working in hospitals, I’ve often listened to people share their stories, moments of grief, hope, loss, and transformation. Much like the films we watch, these stories give people a safe space to process complex emotions and confront life’s turning points. Being heard and witnessed allows them to make sense of experiences that might otherwise remain unspoken, echoing the same psychological functions that powerful cinema provides.
Films endure not just because they entertain, but because they allow us to emote what we cannot always express in real life. They provide:
A safe rehearsal for emotion – experiencing grief, fear, or joy without real-world consequences
Vicarious insight – seeing characters face dilemmas helps us reflect on our own choices
Catharsis and release – giving permission to feel emotions that might be blocked in daily life
Narrative framing – providing structure to chaotic or overwhelming experiences in our own lives.
In many ways, that reflects my work in Living Legacy sessions. When people sit with me and share their story, they are rehearsing their own turning points out loud. Being witnessed helps bring clarity and meaning to experiences that might otherwise remain unspoken.
What films reveal about our own life transitions
The themes that show up in these films also echo what I call Mini Deaths, the everyday endings and transitions that shape us. The loss of a job, the end of a relationship, or even a long-held belief falling away. These are not the death of our bodies, but they can feel like the death of a former self. Watching these stories on screen gives us a way to process those shifts at a safe distance. It is easier to reflect on Frodo carrying his burden, or Rose choosing a new life after tragedy, than to stare too directly at our own fears. But in doing so, we are in fact preparing ourselves for our own mini deaths and rebirths.
Another overlooked gift of cinema is the way it strengthens our imagination. To imagine is to practise. As we watch characters face loss, betrayal, or triumph, we rehearse those moments inside ourselves. Imagination has a healing function: it allows us to experiment safely with endings and new beginnings before they arrive in real life. Films show us what resilience might look like, what it feels like to keep going when everything seems broken. In this way, imagination becomes not escapism but preparation, a rehearsal space where our inner life catches up to the challenges of the outer world.
In this way films can affect us more deeply than we often realise. In certain states, when we are tired, relaxed, or in an alpha/theta brainwave state, the mind can sometimes blur the line between what is imagined on screen and what is real. This makes the emotions, dilemmas, and transformations in films feel incredibly vivid, as if they are part of our own lives. It is another reason why cinema is such a powerful tool for rehearsing life’s transitions: we experience and process difficult emotions at a safe distance, while our psyche engages as if the events were real.
But the impact of film isn’t only in the mind. Our bodies participate too. When we watch a tense chase, our heart rate quickens; when we see loss, our throat tightens and tears fall. The nervous system reacts as if we are living the moment. This embodied response is part of why film is such a potent tool for self-understanding. Just as sound vibrations bypass the analytical mind and land directly in the body, film bypasses logic and enlists breath, pulse and muscle. It’s not only an intellectual journey, it’s somatic rehearsal for being alive.
When films work against us
Like any powerful tool, film can deepen our humanity or distort it. The real invitation is to stay awake to what stories are shaping us, and whether they are leading us closer to truth, connection, and growth.
Sometimes, though, films can leave traces we don’t immediately notice:
Nervous system overload: Our body doesn’t always know the difference between on-screen chaos and real-life stress. What happens to us after the credits roll?
Unrealistic blueprints: Films often paint love, success, or resilience in impossible colours. Do we end up measuring ourselves against stories no one could actually live?
Rehearsing the wrong codes: Just as stories can deepen empathy, they can also glamourise cruelty or shallow values. Which codes do we quietly absorb without questioning?
Passive escapism: Watching can be a release, but also a way to avoid what needs our attention. When does escape cross into avoidance?
Life, growth, and transformation through film as a mirror to human life and transformation
Cinema can hold a mirror to our inner lives, showing us who we are, what we fear, and what transforms us. We return to these stories because they remind us that our choices, struggles, and growth matter. At its best, storytelling shows us that transitions, endings, and new beginnings all shape who we become. By watching, reflecting, and sharing our own stories, we practise living more fully and consciously, in the context of life’s inevitable changes.
What these films really tell us about being human
Do these films really reveal anything about being human, or do we just like to be entertained by and watch other people suffer and triumph?
Tell me, what film has hit you hardest, and why? What films do you watch on repeat and what part of you is it dancing with?
References:
Dinosaw. (2015, November 14). Most Watched Movies of All Time. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls053826112/
This article is authored by Nicole Sultana, who holds a Post Graduate Degree in Spiritual Care, a Post Graduate Certificate in Business (Marketing), and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sports & Exercise. In addition, she is a Certified Therapeutic Sound Practitioner and a Death Doula. Nicole is the founder of Sound Consciousness, a company that offers wellbeing strategies and therapeutic sound practices to help individuals achieve peak performance in their professional lives, sporting endeavours, relationships, and personal aspirations.
If you found this article meaningful, leave a comment and share it with someone else who may benefit. Sharing our experiences helps us all learn, grow, and heal together. We welcome lively discussions, as they contribute to our multifaceted humanity. Let's remember to approach discussions with respect and kindness at heart.
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