Apocalypse Now

1979 · directed by Francis Ford Coppola · 147 min

27,944 feet · Prominence

19th of 24,106 films scored

Not coveredThe 19th highest film on the mountain, and The Rewatchables has never done it.

How this film scores

Draw74

Lifetime worldwide gross $150m, re-releases included; about $682m in 2026 money.

Rank384 of 11,051In 19793 of 64

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise96

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics93 baseAwards90 signal → +3 lift

Oscars2 won Cinematography, Sound6 nominated Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Production Design, Film Editing

Golden Globes2 won Supporting acting, Screenplay1 nominated Best Picture

BAFTAs2 won Direction, Actor3 nominated Best Picture, Lead acting, Craft and other

How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy90

Judged directly: Apocalypse Now reviewed.

Verdict90 of 100IMDb8.4 from 769kWikipedia9k views a monthAge47 years

On the listsNational Film RegistryAFI 100Sight & Soundevidence, not an input to the score

Scored beside it · 20 of 4,039 films judged

90E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

90The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

90Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

90Jurassic Park (1993)

90The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

90GoodFellas (1990)

90Apocalypse Now (1979)

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 74 praise 96 legacy 90averages 87, placing it at27,944 ft

How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

Whose apex this is

▲ Robert Duvall ▲ Martin Sheen

In these careers — elevation for this film

Martin Sheen20,755 ft Robert Duvall20,742 ft Marlon Brando20,479 ft Laurence Fishburne18,731 ft Frederic Forrest18,534 ft Albert Hall18,156 ft Dennis Hopper17,677 ft Jack Thibeau17,676 ft Scott Glenn17,666 ft Harrison Ford17,665 ft