← Apex Mountain

Chariots of Fire

1981 · directed by Hugh Hudson · 123 min
26,073 feet · Prominence
232nd of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredThe 232nd highest film on the mountain, and The Rewatchables has never done it.

How this film scores

Draw61

Lifetime worldwide gross $59m, re-releases included; about $214m in 2026 money.

Rank1,621 of 11,051In 198110 of 90

How Draw works

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

Praise90

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics81 baseAwards91 signal → +9 lift

Oscars4 won Picture, Original Screenplay, Costume Design, Original Score3 nominated Director, Supporting Actor, Film Editing
BAFTAs2 won Best Picture, Actor4 nominated Directing, Supporting acting, Screenplay, 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.

Legacy72

Judged directly: Vangelis theme and beach run endlessly parodied.

Verdict72 of 100IMDb7.1 from 70kWikipedia0k views a monthAge45 years

Scored beside it · 245 of 4,039 films judged

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 61 praise 90 legacy 72averages 74, placing it at26,073 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

▲ Ben Cross▲ Cheryl Campbell▲ Ian Charleson

In these careers — elevation for this film

Ian Holm19,284 ftBen Cross19,119 ftIan Charleson18,739 ftAlice Krige18,049 ftCheryl Campbell17,965 ftKenneth Branagh17,666 ftJohn Gielgud17,651 ftStephen Fry17,650 ftBrad Davis17,647 ftDennis Christopher17,644 ftPatrick Magee17,644 ftRichard Griffiths17,642 ft