Isn't it just amazing how some famous movies can play our emotions like a well-tuned piano? You start by sitting comfortably on your couch, crumbs of snacks serving as your loyal subjects. But in a matter of moments, you're soaring through galaxies, investigating mysteries, or shipping the couple on the screen who happen to have the craziest chemistry ever. Ah, the magic of cinema.
But if you ask us, la crème de la crème of these emotional roller coasters happen during those powerful movie monologues. The first time we heard Ewan McGregor deliver his "Choose life" speech from Trainspotting, which soon became one of the best movie monologues ever, it was like watching a virtuoso at work, and it made us forget we were merely witnessing a performance. As sentimental as it may sound, we can't help but have an affinity for these iconic film speeches. Like that secret ingredient in your grandma's famous recipe, it's not just about the taste, but the nostalgia, the connection, the story. Certain lines from popular movies have this unique power — to elevate a film from "enjoyable" to "unforgettable."
As much as we love our blockbusters and indie gems alike, it's not every day that you stumble upon the best monologues in film history. Those are rare, like finding a pair of jeans that fit just right. So, what if you could have all these moments in one place? A go-to list of monologues from movies for when you're in the mood to be moved, inspired, or just need a nice, cathartic cry? Your wish is our command!
We've sifted through stacks of DVDs, logged hours on streaming platforms, and probably freaked out our neighbors with random bouts of laughter and sobbing, all in the pursuit of putting together a list of the greatest movie speeches. We're about to dive into perfectly crafted dialogues, moments that have become part of pop culture, and the very best that cinema has to offer. You're welcome, movie buffs!
#1 The Dark Knight (2008)

"Pretty much any of the Joker ones in A Dark Knight." — jmsturm
"Nobody panics when the expected people gets killed. Nobody panics when things go according to plan, even if the plan is horrifying. If I tell the press that tomorrow a gangbanger will get shot or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics. – because it’s all part of the plan. But when I say that one little old mayor will die, everybody lose their minds. Introduce a little anarchy, you upset the established order and everything becomes chaos. I am agent of chaos. And you know the thing about chaos Harvey?
“It is fair.”"
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19points
#2 Blade Runner (1982)

"Tears in rain from Blade Runner. The high point of Rutger Hauer's career." — alesserweevil
"I've... seen things you people wouldn't believe... Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-Beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gates. All those... Moments... Will be lost in time, Like tears... in... rain. Time... to die..."
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16points
#3 The King's Speech (2010)

"I also like the final speech from The King's Speech." — SsurebreC
"In this grave hour, perhaps the most fateful in our history, I send to every household of my peoples, both at home and overseas, this message, spoken with the same depth of feeling for each one of you as if I were able to cross your threshold and speak to you myself.
For the second time in the lives of most of us we are at -- at war.
Over and over again we have tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies.
But it has been in vain."
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16points
#4 The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King

"Eomer. Take your Èored down the left flank. Gamling, follow the King's banner down the center. Grimbold, take your company right, after you pass the wall. Forth, and fear no darkness! Arise! Arise, Riders of Theoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day... a red day... ere the sun rises! Ride now!... Ride now!... Ride! Ride to ruin and the world's ending! Death! Death! DEATH!"
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16points
#5 Gladiator (2000)

"Russell Crowe in Gladiator!" — showtimeb
"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next."
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15points
#6 The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

"...Sam's speech at the end of the two towers. It is such a beautiful ending to wrap up the climax of the film." — Blargh9
"I know.
It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered..."
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15points
#7 The Godfather (1972)

"The opening to Godfather." — Nova_Jake
"I understand. You found paradise in America, you had a good trade, made a good living. The police protected you and there were courts of law. And you didn’t need a friend like me. But now you come to me and you say, “Don Corleone give me justice.” But you don’t ask with respect. You don’t offer friendship. You don’t even think to call me “Godfather.” Instead, you come into my house on the day my daughter is to be married, and you ask me to do murder, for money."
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14points
#8 Ratatouille (2007)

"Anton Ego (Ratatouille)."
"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more."
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13points
#9 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hm? Mmmm. And well you should not.For my ally in the Force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you... me... the tree... the rock... everywhere! Yes, even between this land and that ship!"
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13points
#10 Little Women (2019)

"If I was a girl in a book this would all be so easy. Just give up the world happily. I've always been quite content with my family, I don't understand it. Perhaps I was too quick in turning him down, Laurie. If he asked me again I think I would say yes. Do you think he'll ask me again? I care more to be loved, I want to be loved. I just feel like women, they have minds and they have souls as well as just hearts. And they've got ambition and talent as well as just beauty, and I'm so sick of people saying love is all a woman is fit for. I'm so sick of it, but I'm so lonely."
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11points
#11 Girl, Interrupted (2000)

"The end of Girl, Interrupted." — hennalang
"Was I ever crazy? Maybe. Or maybe life is… Crazy isn’t being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It’s you or me amplified. If you ever told a lie and enjoyed it. If you ever wished you could be a child forever. They were not perfect, but they were my friends... and by '70s most of them were out living lives. Some I've seen... some never again. But there isn't a day my heart doesn't find them.”
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10points
#12 Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)

"As your leader, I encourage you from time to time, and always in a respectful manner, to question my logic. If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so, but allow me to convince you and I promise you right here and now, no subject will ever be taboo. Except, of course, the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is... I collect your f***ing head!"
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10points
#13 Goodfellas (1990)

"What about Ray Liottas opening speech from Goodfellas?: — calculoss1
"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster. To me, being a gangster was better than being President of the United States. Even before I first wandered into the cabstand for an afterschool job I knew I wanted to be a part of them. It was there that I knew that I belonged. To me, it meant being somebody in the neighborhood that was full of nobodies..."
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9points
#14 The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

"This 'stuff'? Oh, ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean."
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9points
#15 Jaws (1975)

"Quint's monologue about the sinking of the Indianapolis in Jaws." — VictorBlimpmuscle
"Sometimes that shark, he looks right into you. Right into your eyes. You know the thing about a shark, he's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eye. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'. Until he bites ya and those black eyes roll over white. And then...then you hear that terrible high pitch screamin' and the ocean turns red and spite of all the poundin' and the hollerin' they all come in and rip you to pieces."
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8points
#16 The Great Dictator (1940)

"Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator." — SsurebreC
"To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish…
Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you - enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men - machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty!"
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8points
#17 Pulp Fiction (1994)

"Christopher Walken, Pulp Fiction." — Derrial
"Hello, little man. Boy, I sure heard a bunch about you. See, I was a good friend of your dad's. We were in that Hanoi pit of Hell together..."
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8points
#18 Legally Blonde (2001)

"On our very first day at Harvard, a very wise Professor quoted Aristotle: 'The law is reason free from passion.' Well, no offence to Aristotle, but in my three years at Harvard I have come to find that passion is a key ingredient to the study and practice of law - and of life. It is with passion, courage of conviction, and strong sense of self that we take our next steps into the world, remembering that first impressions are not always correct. You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself."
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8points
#19 Trainspotting (1996)

"All time favorite movie." — spritecity
"Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f*cking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends..."
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7points
#20 No Country For Old Men (2007)

"I really like Tommy Lee Jone's monologue deliveries in No Country for Old Men, especially the opening, and the dream at the end. The writing and delivery of those lines is just perfect." — XInsects
"I was Sheriff of this county when I was 25 years old. Hard to believe. My grandfather was a lawman, father too. Me and him was sheriffs at the same time, him up in Plano and me out here."
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7points


