Collider presents a ranked selection of silent-era films released more than a century ago, arguing that their historical importance is matched by qualities that can still engage modern viewers. The list emphasises early cinema’s ambition in spectacle, romance, literary adaptation and horror, while acknowledging that its pacing may feel unfamiliar today.

– ‘The Big Parade’ is highlighted as an underappreciated First World War epic combining battlefield spectacle with romance and melodrama.
– ‘Dante’s Inferno’ (1911) is praised as a surviving early feature adaptation whose unsettling atmosphere suits its vision of hell.
– ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ (1925) is noted for Lon Chaney’s performance, striking make-up and enduringly eerie tone.
– The article frames these films as worthwhile both for film-history enthusiasts and viewers interested in the periods they portray.