Stephen King has always been a mᴀssive fan of movies, and a recent list of his 10 favorite films of all time settled a debate between movie fans. King loves movies so much that he once released a non-fiction novel called Danse Macabre, which detailed his favorite horror movies. This new top 10 list, though, has only one horror movie.

When looking at the list, Stephen King listed thrillers, dramas, historical epics, crime movies, and sci-fi films. King also emphasized that his movies are not on the list, explicitly pointing out that his favorites were Misery, Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, and Stand By Me. However, his top 10 takes a stance in the gangster genre.

Stephen King Picks The Godfather Part II Over The Godfather

When choosing his top 10 movies of all time in an X post, Stephen King listed two gangster movies in his list, which he said were in no particular order. The two gangster films were Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II. He did not list the first Godfather movie in his top 10.

This is something fans and critics have debated for years. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Godfather has a 97% critics’ score and a 98% audience rating. The Godfather Part II has a 96% critics’ score and a 97% audience rating. However, ask any gangster movie fan which is better, and they will all give different answers.

Both Godfather movies were Oscar successes, with both winning Best Picture. The first film won Best Actor for Marlon Brando. James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Al Pacino all earned Best Supporting Actor nominations. Coppola won Best Director and Robert De Niro won Best Supporting Actor for the second movie.

For Stephen King, it was all about the second movie. While he didn’t list the films in any specific order, he did list The Godfather Part II as second after Sorcerer. The other films to make his list included The Getaway, Groundhog Day, Casablanca, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, Jaws, Mean Streets, Close Encounters, and Double Indemnity.

What Makes The Godfather Part II The Greatest Sequel Ever (Arguably)

There are reasons to count The Godfather as the best gangster movie of all time. Its ranking among critics and viewers is all it takes to make the argument. However, there are also reasons the second movie is better in almost every way. Yes, Marlon Brando was spectacular in the first movie, but so is De Niro in the sequel.

The first movie was all about family — the mafia, and the blood family — and how it all ties together in loyalty and is severed with betrayals. However, the first movie also feels overly long and often drags at times, held together by great acting and a tense sense of drama.

Shockingly, the second movie is even longer, but it never feels its length, with better pacing thanks to the flipping between Vito (De Niro) in the past and Michael (in the present), and how their rise parallels each other. The second movie also earned five actor nominations, although De Niro was the only one who won.

Finally, there is the impressive statistic that The Godfather Part II was the first sequel ever to win an Oscar for Best Picture, something it deserved. It took the story from the original movie and carried it to its logical conclusion. The two movies are a great one-two punch, but Vito’s rise was always more interesting than his fall.

Sources: X