The power of cinema lies in its ability to transport us to different worlds, explore emotions, and tell unforgettable stories. It’s a visual medium, of course, but at the heart of every great film isa well-crafted screenplay—a blueprint that brings characters to life and creates tension, drama, humor, or heartbreak. In particular, original screenplays represent the raw creativity of filmmakers, offering audiences stories they’ve never seen before.The best of them stand out with their unique plots, quotable dialogue, and shattering of storytelling boundaries.
From intimate character studies to sprawling epics, this list includes some of the greatest original screenplays of all time. Each of these films has left an indelible mark on cinematic history, from the introspection ofTaxi Driverto the complex social commentary ofParasite. Any list like this invariably leaves off many masterpieces, but the following scripts are undeniably great. They have become touchstones for screenwriters and filmmakers alike.
10’Titanic' (1997)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates
“I’m the king of the world!” WhileTitanicis generally praised for its pioneering visual effects and emotional music, all of these elements wouldn’t work without the strong foundation provided byJames Cameron’s strong script. The story of the doomed ship and the tragic romance between Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) isvivid and intense, weaving historical accuracy with fictional characters and class commentary. The dialogue is believable and, occasionally, iconic, like the line “Draw me like one of your French girls.”
Cameron’s script was deeply researched, based on months of reading and interviews. Speaking of his work, Cameronsaid, “All my films are love stories, but inTitanicI finally got the balance right. It’s not a disaster film. It’s a love story with a fastidious overlay of real history.” He explained that his script was intended to capture universal emotions, with the protagonists serving as archetypes as much as characters. It’s an approach that paid off.
A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.
9’Taxi Driver' (1976)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Harvey Keitel
“You talkin' to me?“Robert De Niroturns in one of his defining performances here as Travis Bickle, a mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran who becomes a taxi driver in New York City. Isolated and filled with rage at the decay and corruption around him, Travis spirals into madness as he plots violent revenge against those he believes are responsible for society’s moral decay. While the acting is terrific andMartin Scorsese’s direction is hard-hitting,Paul Schrader’s script is a masterclass in psychological tension and character study.
The screenplay is filled with dark, introspective dialoguethat reveals Travis’ growing detachment from reality. The end result is one ofcinema’s strongest explorations of loneliness.Taxi Driveralso offers an unflinchingly raw portrayal of the dark side of New York turning the Big Apple into a borderline hellscape. That said, some of the movie’s most memorable lines were actually improvised, like De Niro’s iconic “You talking to me?”
Taxi Driver
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
RENT ON APPLE TV
8’Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1969)
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin
“Who are those guys?” This classic Western tells the story of two infamous outlaws (played byPaul NewmanandRobert Redford) as they rob banks and trains across the American frontier while being pursued by relentless lawmen. It was written byThe Princess Bride’sWilliam Goldmanand it bursts at the seams with wit and banter. Indeed,the screenplay blends humor, action, and drama in a way that was revolutionary for the genre at the time.
The script is funny and full of character, producing quips like, “Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals.” The flippant dialogue also serves a thematic purpose: it underscores how little the two characters really know each other, relying on empty chitchat to fill the void. Not everyone appreciated the script’s tone on release, but it did win Goldman an Oscar, and has since been recognized as a landmark of 1960s screenwriting.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
In the late 1890s, charismatic outlaw Butch Cassidy and his sharpshooting partner, the Sundance Kid, lead the Hole in the Wall Gang. As persistent lawmen close in, the duo attempts to evade capture by fleeing to South America, grappling with the challenges of a rapidly changing frontier.
7’Her' (2013)
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara
“The heart’s not like a box that gets filled up. It expands in size the more you love.“Heris a visionary exploration of love and human connection in the age of technology. In the near future, a lonely man named Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with his operating system, Samantha (voiced byScarlett Johansson). As Theodore’s relationship with Samantha deepens, the film examines intimacy, identity, and what it means to be truly known by another being—even one that isn’t human.
Jonze’s script is both heartfelt and philosophical, posing complex questions about the nature of relationships in a world increasingly dominated by technology. In this regard,it was ahead of its time, prefiguring the rise of AI chatbots like ChatGPT by a full decade.Delicate and melancholy,Heris one of the best movies about the paradoxical omnipresence of communication technology alongside rising feelings of disconnection. It’s a modern sci-fi classic.
6’Parasite' (2019)
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik
“You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all.“Parasitefollows the impoverished Kim family, who infiltrate the wealthy Parks' household by taking on various jobs. What begins as a darkly comedic commentary on class and inequality quicklyevolves into a suspenseful thriller, as the Kim family’s deception spirals out of control.Bong Joon-hoandHan Jin-won’s screenplay deftly balances humor, tension, and tragedy, resulting inone of the most entertaining social satires of the last decade.
Parasitemanages to be both specific to contemporary South Korea but also universal in its implications. Its effectiveness lies in its intricate structure and gleeful blending of genres. For the script, Bong took a lot of inspiration from the classic 1960 Korean filmThe Housemaid, but filtered its main ideas through his ownsui generisperspective. The movie was quickly hailed as the director’s magnum opus, with the Writers Guild of Americaranking itamong the greatest screenplays of the 21st century.
Greed and class discrimination threatens the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
5’The Apartment' (1960)
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston
“Shut up and deal.” This fusion of romantic comedy and social commentary featuresJack Lemmonas C.C. Baxter, an office worker who lends his apartment to his superiors for their extramarital affairs in hopes of advancing his career. Things become complicated when Baxter falls for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), an elevator operator who is having an affair with Baxter’s boss. The script by directorBilly WilderandI. A. L. Diamondis chock-full of both barbed wit and emotional depth, makingThe Apartmentone of the most enjoyable rom-coms of its day.
What makesThe Apartmentsuch a standout screenplay is its ability to balance humor and heartbreak.The dialogue is quick and clever, but the characters are also deeply human, struggling with loneliness, unrequited love, and the compromises they make for success. There’s also a serrated critique of corporate culture hidden among the jokes. Not for nothing, the film swept that year’s Oscars, winning for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Picture.
4’Network' (1976)
Starring: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall
“I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!“Networkfocuses on the exploitation of news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch), who suffers a mental breakdown on live TV and becomes a populist sensation. ScreenwriterPaddy Chayefskyand directorSidney Lumetuse this premise as a lens through which to critique television and media culture.Chayefsky’s script is razor-sharp, boasting unforgettable monologues that reveal the dark heart of corporate greed.
The screenplay’s prophetic commentary on the rise of sensationalist media makesNetworkjust as relevant today as it was in 1976. Chayefsky’s dialogue crackles with intensity, and the film’s exploration of power, manipulation, and the commodification of truth has only grown more resonant in the digital age. In fact, nowadays, the movie plays less like a satire than a reflection of news media reality. Consequently,Aaron Sorkinhassaidthat “no predictor of the future—not evenOrwell—has ever been as right as Chayefsky was when he wroteNetwork.”
Network is a 1976 satirical film directed by Sidney Lumet. The story follows the transformation of a struggling television network’s news anchor, played by Peter Finch, into a media sensation who rants about the system on live TV. With a cast that includes William Holden and Faye Dunaway, the film explores the influence of television and corporate interests on news dissemination and public perception.
3’Fargo' (1996)
Starring: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
“And for what? A little bit of money.” One of theCoen Brothers' masterpieces, the darkly comicFargorevolves around a botched kidnapping in snowy Minnesota. At the center of it all is Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy), a car salesman who hires two criminals to kidnap his wife in order to extort money from his wealthy father-in-law. Things quickly spiral out of control, leading to murder and mayhem.Frances McDormanddelivers a brilliant performance as Marge Gunderson, the pregnant police chief who unravels the crime with her sharp wit and folksy demeanor.
What setsFargoapart as a screenplay is the Coen Brothers’ unique ability to blend absurdity with moments of profound humanity.The dialogue is filled with regional quirks and grim humor, creating a world that feels both real and slightly surreal. It’s structurally playful too; one of the many pleasures ofFargois watching its two plotlines intertwine. It’s a masterclass in cheekiness and misdirection.
Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard’s inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen’s bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
2’Chinatown' (1974)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez
“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.“Chinatownfollows private investigator J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson), who is hired to investigate an affair but soon uncovers a much larger conspiracy involving water rights in Los Angeles. As Gittes digs deeper into the case, he becomes entangled in a web of deceit that leads to a shocking conclusion. The finished product is a powerful mix of mystery and character development, with every line of dialogue carefully crafted to build tension and atmosphere.
A towering work of neo-noir,Chinatownspellbinds with both its intricate plot and its exploration of moral ambiguity. The various plotlines converge in a climactic shootout, but it doesn’t end off with the easy heroic victory one might expect.Robert Towne’s script delves into some truly dark places, revealing the devastating consequences of power and corruption as shadowy oligarchs attempt to control a precious resource. The film’s iconic final line, “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown,” encapsulates its bleak, hard-boiled worldview.
Originally released in 1974, Chinatown is an American neo-noir mystery movie starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Its story was inspired by the California water wars, a series of conflicts between the city of Los Angeles and the people of Owen’s Valley around the beginning of the twentieth century. The movie received 11 Academy Award nominations in total, with Robert Towne winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
1’Pulp Fiction' (1994)
Starring: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis
“I’m gonna get medieval on your ass.” Perhaps the most influential movie of the 1990s,Quentin Tarantino’sPulp Fictionis a genre-defying, nonlinear masterwork that weaves together multiple interlocking stories of crime, redemption, and chaos in Los Angeles. The stories of hitmen Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), a boxer on the run (Bruce Willis), and a crime boss’s wife (Uma Thurman), intersect in unexpected and violent ways. Here,Tarantino’s dialogue is at its sharpest, wittiest, and most endlessly quotable, makingPulp Fictionan instant classic. Practically every scene has become iconic.
Pulp Fictionis emblematic of what great screenwriting can be. The screenplay’s structure, with its non-chronological order and overlapping storylines, was revolutionary at the time, as was its postmodern approach, its myriad pop culture references, and its extensive allusions to other films. Few films are this creative; even fewer radiate such a pure love for the medium. QT’s career is long and storied, but this weird, irreverent movie remains his finest writing achievement.
Pulp Fiction
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
NEXT:The 10 Best Voyage and Return Movies, Ranked
