There's a funny thing about Rob Reiner — a lot of people my age couldn't pick him out of a lineup, but they can quote half his filmography without blinking.
His movies were just there. They were part of the cultural wallpaper of growing up in the '80s and '90s. They played on Saturday afternoons on cable. They lived in our parents' VHS cabinets. They're the movies we accidentally memorized because they showed up during sleepovers, family nights, and those random afternoons when nothing sounded good except revisiting an old favorite.
You may not think you know Rob Reiner, but trust me, you've lived his movies. His work shaped how many of us understand friendship, romance, comedy, adventure, and even courtroom drama. And the crazy part? He didn't just make one classic; he rattled off an all-time run across multiple genres like it was no big deal.
So, in the wake of the tragic death of this iconic filmmaker, let's take a minute to appreciate the man behind the movies that helped raise us, whether we realized it or not.
Here are Rob Reiner's five best films (as a director), and why they still land all these years later.
It should be noted that Reiner had a fantastic list of movies, and picking just five was tricky.
"Stand By Me" (1986)
There's a reason "Stand By Me" shows up on every "best coming-of-age movie" list ever made. "Stand By Me" is a coming-of-age. It captures that weird, aching moment between childhood and adolescence when your friends feel like the center of the universe, and every little adventure feels massive and meaningful.
Reiner pulls these incredible, honest performances from a young cast, and the movie treats their emotional world with the seriousness adults never gave us at the time.
And for many of us, this movie is a time machine. Every time we hear "Lollipop" or "Stand by Me," we get hit with the scent of summer dirt, bike tires on gravel, and the memory of the friends we thought we'd have forever. It's nostalgic without being sappy, emotional without being manipulative. It just gets what it felt like to be 12.
"This Is Spinal Tap" (1984)
Before "The Office." Before "Best in Show." Before every mockumentary you've ever seen, there was "This Is Spinal Tap." And honestly? It still might be the best of them.
Reiner's debut film is absurd, brilliant and somehow weirdly sincere, following the world's most clueless rock band as they stumble through their career with amps that go to eleven.
What makes the movie unforgettable is how committed everyone is to the bit. Reiner directs it like a real documentary, which makes the stupidity even funnier. And if you grew up watching it, you know there's a special joy in showing it to someone who's never seen it before as you watch them slowly realize, "Wait … this isn't real, right?"
It's a movie that grows funnier every time you revisit it, which is why it's still a comedy staple decades later.
"A Few Good Men" (1992)
Courtroom dramas have no business being this entertaining, and yet "A Few Good Men" feels like the Super Bowl of people yelling at each other in uniforms. Reiner takes Aaron Sorkin's rapid-fire script and turns it into something electric. The pacing is tight, the characters are sharp, and the performances by Cruise, Nicholson, Moore, Bacon and others are somehow both huge and grounded.
But what really sets it apart is how quotable it is. You can't handle the truth. Don't I have a bigger obligation than you? These lines burned themselves into the culture. Even if someone hasn't seen the movie, they know the movie. And for a lot of us, this was our first taste of a grown-up "serious" drama that still felt wildly entertaining.
"When Harry Met Sally …" (1989)
Reiner didn't just direct a rom-com; he helped invent the modern rom-com. This movie is witty, warm, neurotic, awkward and wonderfully human. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan have ridiculous chemistry, and Nora Ephron's script sings, but Reiner's touch is what gives the film its charm. He somehow makes conversations in cafes and walks through New York feel cinematic.
What makes this movie personal is how relatable it is at every stage of life. Watch it at 16, and you laugh at the jokes. Watch it at 25, and you nod along to the dating frustrations. Watch it at 40, and suddenly the whole thing feels like a documentary. Reiner taps into the beautiful, messy truth about relationships: that friendship may be the most romantic thing of all.
"The Princess Bride" (1987)
There's no way to talk about Rob Reiner without talking about "The Princess Bride." It's a fairy tale, a comedy, an adventure, a love story, and somehow manages to be perfect at all of them. Every line feels iconic. Every character feels legendary. And every time we rewatch it, something new pops up that reminds us why this movie has stayed with us.
For many of us, this was a childhood staple that somehow became a comfort movie in adulthood. It's whimsical without being corny, clever without being smug, and heartfelt without being cheesy. Reiner walks a tonal tightrope that most filmmakers wouldn't even attempt, and he makes it look effortless. As you wish, indeed.
Why Rob Reiner still matters
There aren't many directors who can claim a run like Reiner's — from mockumentary to coming-of-age drama, to romantic comedy to fantasy adventure, to courtroom thriller — all in one decade. His films aren't just movies; they're shared memories. They're quotes we still toss around. They're moments we relive when we're flipping through channels and stumble across something familiar.
Rob Reiner's passing is a heartbreaking loss, but his films aren't going anywhere. They'll keep playing in living rooms, on streaming queues, and during lazy Sunday afternoons for generations to come. His work helped shape our childhoods, and it will quietly keep shaping countless more.
Honorable mentions
As I mentioned earlier, it is not easy to break down Reiner's career to just five films, so I'd be remiss not to mention some other classics from the Hollywood legend.
"Misery"
"Flipped"
