Steven Spielberg movies in order

In 1964, director Steven Spielberg kick-started his film career with the low-budget movie, Firelight. The film – which is now almost all-but lost to time – was a sci-fi thriller, about flying saucers attacking citizens of a town, and is perhaps most important these days for helping to set Spielberg off on his way.

After directing some television shows, as well as a collection of shorts, Spielberg then moved on to direct the 1971 television movie, Duel. The film proved very popular with audiences, which led to Spielberg helming additional TV movies, including Something Evil and Savage.

From here he progressed to the big screen with the picture, The Sugarland Express. Jaws followed a year later, then Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and soon Spielberg became a household name.

Over the years, plenty more pictures followed, with most becoming critical and commercial hits. Notable films included E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List, amongst others.

But how familiar are you with Spielberg’s portfolio of movies? If you were asked to name them all, how well would you do?

Well, don’t worry, because this post has all the answers. Below you will find a list of all of Steven Spielberg’s movies, presented in chronological order.

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1960s and 1970s

As noted above, Spielberg began his feature-length movie career as a teenager with the low-budget 1964 film, Firelight. The film followed the story of a group of scientists who witness strange lights in the sky over the town of Freeport, Arizona.

Firelight was screened at Spielberg’s local cinema in Phoenix, Arizona, after his father hired out a screen. Spielberg charged $1 per ticket, with 500 people in attendance.

Seven years would pass before Spielberg directed his first film for a general audience. The picture was the tense TV movie, Duel, which focused on a man who finds himself stalked by a mysterious truck driver.

A couple of TV movies followed before Spielberg found greater success on the big screen, initially with The Sugarland Express and then with the milestone thriller, Jaws. Based on Peter Benchley’s novel of the same name, Jaws was a smash-hit success and instantly became a signature film for the director.

More films then followed, including 1977’s sci-fi drama spectacular, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The film told the story of a blue collar worker whose life changes when he encounters an unidentified flying object (UFO).

Spielberg’s movies during the 1960s and 1970s included:

• Firelight (1964)*
• Duel (1971)
• Something Evil (1972)
• Savage (1973)
• The Sugarland Express (1974)
• Jaws (1975)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
• 1941 (1979)

*Firelight was Spielberg’s first feature film, made when he was a teen. Only parts of this movie still exist.

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1980s

Moving into the 1980s and Steven Spielberg began the decade with two colossal hits. The first was 1981’s action-adventure romp, Raiders of the Lost Ark, while the second was the 1982 sci-fi fantasy, E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial.

Both movies were critical and commercial hits, with Raiders having the distinction of introducing the world to archaeologist, Indiana Jones. The character would reappear in two more movies during this decade, including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Other notable movies during this decade included The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun.

Spielberg’s movies throughout the ’80s included:

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
• E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)**
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
• The Color Purple (1985)
• Amazing Stories (1986)***
• Empire of the Sun (1987)
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
• Always (1989)

**Directed a segment in this movie

***Directed a segment in this compilation movie, edited together from television episodes

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1990s

Onto the 1990s and after bringing Peter Pan back to the attention of audiences via 1991’s family fantasy, Hook, Spielberg took on two titanic movies: Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List. Spielberg worked on both films at the same time and released them months apart in 1993.

Pitched at different audiences, and with very different stories, Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List proved Spielberg had an unrivalled flare for directing. The films went on to become major hits at the box-office, were critical successes, and some would argue are the best movies Spielberg ever made (if not amongst the best movies ever made in general).

Spielberg took home two Academy Awards for Schindler’s List – one for Best Director and the other for Best Picture. A few years later, he would receive another Academy Award for Best Director for helming 1998’s Saving Private Ryan.

Spielberg’s movies during the 1990s included:

• The Visionary (1990)**
• Hook (1991)
• Jurassic Park (1993)
• Schindler’s List (1993)
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
• Amistad (1997)
• Saving Private Ryan (1998)

**Directed a segment in this movie

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2000s

Into the 2000s and Spielberg dived back into sci-fi territory with A.I. Artificial Intelligence, followed by the Tom Cruise action film, Minority Report. The Tom Hanks/Leonardo DiCaprio drama, Catch Me If You Can soon followed, before Spielberg reteamed with Hanks for The Terminal, then Cruise for War of the Worlds.

Spielberg’s movies during the 2000s included:

• A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
• Minority Report (2002)
• Catch Me If You Can (2002)
• The Terminal (2004)
• War of the Worlds (2005)
• Munich (2005)
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

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2010s

Onto the 2010s and Spielberg tried his hand at animation for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. the drama, War Horse soon followed, as did Lincoln, before Spielberg took on the nostalgia-heavy, Ready Player One.

Spielberg’s movies during the 2010s included:

• The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)
• War Horse (2011)
• Lincoln (2012)
• Bridge of Spies (2015)
• The BFG (2016)
• The Post (2017)
• Ready Player One (2018)

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2020s

Sliding into the 2020s and Spielberg began the decade with a remake of the musical drama, West Side Story. He then directed the coming-of-age drama, The Fabelmans, before returning to sci-fi with Disclosure Day.

Spielberg’s movies during the 2020s included:

• West Side Story (2021)
• The Fabelmans (2022)
• Disclosure Day (2026)

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Above are all of Steven Spielberg’s feature-length movies in order, but which are your favourites? Is Catch Me If You Can your top film, or is Ready Player One your favourite Spielberg picture? Maybe it’s Hook? Or Jurassic Park?

Whichever Spielberg movie is your favourite, sound off in the comments below and let everyone know.

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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this post about the movies of Steven Spielberg. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.