This ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

List of Rod Serling Movies: Ranked Best To Worst

1. Planet of the Apes (1968)
21
2
Planet of the Apes
G
21
2

A spaceship crash lands into an unknown planet. Three astronauts think that the planet has no intelligent life form. However, they soon come across a much more advanced society of apes that rule the planet. Humans, in this planet are reduced to slaves and are locked up. Astronaut Taylor has to escape to save his life but he comes across a startling discovery about the planet itself.

Starring:
Charlton Heston, James Whitmore, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans
Directed By:
Franklin J. Schaffner
3. Patterns (1956)
19
2
Patterns
19
2
Starring:
Lauren Bacall, Van Heflin, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, Beatrice Straight, Elizabeth Wilson
Directed By:
Fielder Cook
4. Seven Days in May (1964)
16
2
Seven Days in May
TV-14
16
2

After the President offers his support to a nuclear disarmament treaty, several military leaders in the US plan to overthrow him, as they fear an attack from the Soviets.

Directed By:
John Frankenheimer
5. Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
13
2
Phantom of the Paradise
PG
13
2

Swan is an unscrupulous record producer who tricks and steals the music of songwriter Winslow Leach. In addition, Swan frames Leach as well, for dealing drugs, and gets him sent to prison. Leach breaks out eventually, and attempts to sabotage Swan’s entire empire.

Starring:
William Finley, Paul Williams, Jessica Harper, Gerrit Graham
Directed By:
6. The Man (1972)
15
2
The Man
G
15
2

After a tragic incident that kills the President of the United States, an African-American senator is made the first black President, since the Vice President refuses to assume office due to his mental condition. However, things turn difficult for the new President, due to the racism prevalent in the country.     

Starring:
James Earl Jones, Martin Balsam, Burgess Meredith, Lew Ayres, William Windom
Directed By:
Joseph Sargent
7. The Yellow Canary (1963)
11
3
The Yellow Canary
11
3

The Yellow Canary is a drama thriller film which tells the story of Andy Paxton, an arrogant and obnoxious pop idol who is about to be divorced by Lissa, his wife. His life takes a turn when finds that Bobby, his infant son, has been kidnapped. He receives a message soon after, that demands a ransom of $200,000. He raises the money and goes to an isolated beach, but surprisingly nobody comes to meet him.

Starring:
John Banner, Barbara Eden, Pat Boone, Jack Klugman, Steve Forrest, Jesse White
Directed By:
Buzz Kulik
8. The Rack (1956)
13
2
The Rack
13
2

Capt. Edward Hall Jr., who had been a POW in Korea for 2 years, returns home where he faces court-martial for collaborating with the enemy. His father, a distinguished officer, renounces his son, so a disheartened Hall decides to plead guilty. But his attorney encourages him to recount his experiences. Will he succeed in convincing the court; more specifically, his father?   

Starring:
Cloris Leachman, Paul Newman, Lee Marvin, Rod Taylor, Wendell Corey, Walter Pidgeon, Edmond O'Brien
Directed By:
Arnold Laven
9. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
15
4
Twilight Zone: The Movie
PG
15
4

The anthology film is based on the landmark supernatural TV series of the same name (1959-1964), and comprises of remake of three episodes of the original series and one new story, each directed by different stalwart directors. The film’s horror and science-fiction segments, portraying eerie, unsettling situations, include-- prologue, ‘Time Out,’ ‘Kick the Can,’ ‘It’s a good Life,’ ‘Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,’ and epilogue.

Starring:
Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow, Scatman Crothers, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Doug McGrath, Charles Hallahan
10. Saddle the Wind (1958)
11
2
Saddle the Wind
11
2
Starring:
Julie London, Robert Taylor, John Cassavetes, Donald Crisp, Charles McGraw
Directed By:
Robert Parrish, John Sturges
11. The Salamander (1981)
11
2
The Salamander
R
11
2

The movie follows Carabinieri Colonel, Dante Matucci, investigating murders of different people in powerful positions in Italy. A drawing of a salamander is left behind at each murder scene. A sinister Fascist plot to overthrow the Italian government is revealed as the body count keeps increasing. 

Starring:
Sybil Danning, Franco Nero, Claudia Cardinale, Eli Wallach, Christopher Lee, Anthony Quinn, Martin Balsam
Directed By:
Peter Zinner
12. Incident in an Alley (1962)
9
2
Incident in an Alley
9
2
Starring:
Chris Warfield, Erin O'Donnell, Harp McGuire, Virginia Christine, Willis Bouchey
Directed By:
Edward L. Cahn
13. Assault on a Queen (1966)
11
2
Assault on a Queen
11
2

When treasure hunters Rosa Lucchesi and Vic Rossiter, with diver, Mark Brittain, and ex-U-boat officer, Eric Lauffnauer, find a sunken WWII German submarine, they plan to use it to rob the British cruise-liner HMS Queen Mary on the high seas. As Mark and Vic vie for Rosa’s affection, the group tries to pull the dangerous heist. Do they succeed in their plan? 

Starring:
Frank Sinatra, Virna Lisi, Anthony Franciosa, Richard Conte, Alf Kjellin
Directed By:
Jack Donohue
14. Encounter with the Unknown (1973)
10
1
Encounter with the Unknown
PG
10
1

In the first story of this anthology horror, three college students play a prank which gets out of hand, resulting in the death of one of their classmates. In the next story, a shrieking voice emanates from a hole covered with mist. The third story is about an encounter between a senator and a girl who died many years ago.

Role:
Narrator
Starring:
Robert Ginnaven, Gary Brockette, John Leslie, Tom Haywood
Directed By:
Harry Thomason
15. End of the Road (1997)
8
1
End of the Road
8
1
Starring:
Nora Rickert, Matthew Sutton
Directed By:
Scott Henkel

TV Movie(s)

1. Im Schatten des Krieges (1963)
13
2
Im Schatten des Krieges
13
2
Starring:
Dietmar Schönherr, Heiner Reddemann, Hubert Suschka, Wera Frydtberg, Kaspar Brüninghaus
Directed By:
Edward Rothe
2. Der neue Mann (1965)
13
2
Der neue Mann
13
2
Starring:
Hanns Lothar, Brigitte Rau, Ernst Fritz Fürbringer, Irmela Goetzen, Eva Bubat
Directed By:
Rolf Hädrich
3. A Storm in Summer (1970)
12
2
A Storm in Summer
12
2
Starring:
Peter Ustinov, N'Gai Dixon, Peter Bonerz, Anne Collings, John Evans
Directed By:
Buzz Kulik
4. Blood Money (1957)
12
2
Blood Money
12
2
Starring:
Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Jacqueline Hill, George Margo, Warren Mitchell
Directed By:
Ralph Nelson
5. The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond (1975)
12
2
The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond
12
2
Starring:
Harry Dean Stanton, Claudine Longet, Jim Boles, Elaine Bolton, Christopher Cary, Robert Clary
Directed By:
Delbert Mann
6. Certain Honorable Men (1968)
11
2
Certain Honorable Men
11
2
Starring:
Peter Fonda, Van Heflin, Hiram Sherman, Alexandra Isles, Pat Hingle
Directed By:
Alex Segal
7. A Carol for Another Christmas (1964)
12
2
A Carol for Another Christmas
12
2
Starring:
Ben Gazzara, Britt Ekland, Eva Marie Saint, Peter Sellers, Sterling Hayden, Barbara Ann Teer, Steve Lawrence
Directed By:
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
8. The Doomsday Flight (1966)
10
2
The Doomsday Flight
10
2
Starring:
Jack Lord, Ed Asner, Edward Asner, Howard Caine, Richard Carlson, Katherine Crawford, Edward Faulkner
Directed By:
William A. Graham
9. Time Travelers (1976)
9
2
Time Travelers
9
2
Starring:
Sam Groom, Tom Hallick, Francine York, Booth Colman, Richard Basehart
Directed By:
Alexander Singer
10. The Movie Maker (1964)
9
2
The Movie Maker
9
2
Starring:
Rod Steiger, Dabney Coleman, Robert Culp, James Dunn, Hanna Hertelendy, Sally Kellerman
Directed By:
Ron Winston
11. The Challenge (1955)
9
3
The Challenge
9
3
Starring:
Michael Allen, Arthur Cassell, Andrew Duggan, Griff Evans, Russell Hardie
Directed By:
Sidney Lumet
12. Der entscheidende Augenblick (1961)
13
2
Der entscheidende Augenblick
13
2
Starring:
Günther Tabor, Anke Tegtmeyer, Hans Putz, Christa Fügner, Uwe Nerstheimer
Directed By:
Imo Moszkowicz
13. Rekvijem za teskasa (1974)
12
2
Rekvijem za teskasa
12
2
Starring:
Velimir 'Bata' Zivojinovic, Bora Todorovic, Jovan Janicijevic-Burdus, Neda Spasojevic, Slavko Simic
Directed By:
Sava Mrmak
14. For All Time (2000)
12
2
For All Time
12
2
Starring:
Mark Harmon, Mary McDonnell, Catherine Hicks, Philip Casnoff, Brittany Tiplady
Directed By:
Steven Schachter
15. A Storm in Summer (2000)
10
2
A Storm in Summer
10
2
Starring:
Andrew McCarthy, Nastassja Kinski, Peter Falk, Ruby Dee, Aaron Meeks
Directed By:
Robert Wise
16. Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994)
11
2
Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics
11
2
Starring:
Jack Palance, Gary Cole, Amy Irving, James Earl Jones, Patrick Bergin, Julia Campbell
Directed By:
Robert Markowitz
17. In the Presence of Mine Enemies (1997)
9
2
In the Presence of Mine Enemies
PG-13
9
2
Starring:
Armin Mueller-Stahl, Charles Dance, Elina Löwensohn, Chad Lowe, Don McKellar
Directed By:
Joan Micklin Silver
18. The Enemy Within (1994)
9
1
The Enemy Within
9
1
Starring:
Forest Whitaker, George Dzundza, Sam Waterston, Jason Robards, Dana Delany, Josef Sommer
Directed By:
Jonathan Darby
19. A Town Has Turned to Dust (1998)
8
1
A Town Has Turned to Dust
8
1
Starring:
Stephen Lang, Ron Perlman, Gabriel Olds, Judy Collins, Barbara Jane Reams
Directed By:
Rob Nilsson

TV Shows and Videos

BBC Sunday-Night Play (1960)
BBC Sunday-Night Play
Starring:
David McCallum, Jeremy Brett, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Todd, Richard Burton, Derek Jacobi, Ronnie Barker
Directed By:
Naomi Capon, Rudolph Cartier, Darcy Conyers, Vivian A. Daniels, Wallace Douglas
The Twilight Zone (1959)
The Twilight Zone
TV-PG
Role:
Narrator / ...
Starring:
Telly Savalas, Charles Bronson, Buddy Ebsen, Buster Keaton, George Takei, James Franciscus, Sydney Pollack
Directed By:
John Brahm, Douglas Heyes, Buzz Kulik, Lamont Johnson, Richard L. Bare
Awards:
Golden Globe Award for Best TV Producer/Director, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama
Television Playwright (1958)
Television Playwright
Starring:
Lois Maxwell, Michael Caine, Brian Peck, Peter Copley, Jack Allen, Helen Shingler, Rosemary Miller
Directed By:
Adrian Brown, Patrick Dromgoole, Emyr Humphreys, Brandon Acton-Bond, Alvin Rakoff
Playhouse 90 (1956)
Playhouse 90
Starring:
Leslie Nielsen, Andy Griffith, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Anne Bancroft, Robert Duvall, Burt Reynolds, William Shatner
Directed By:
John Frankenheimer, Franklin J. Schaffner, Ralph Nelson, Vincent J. Donehue, Arthur Hiller
Awards:
Primetime Emmy Award for Best Teleplay Writing - One Hour or More
The Ford Television Theatre (1952)
The Ford Television Theatre
Starring:
Barbara Stanwyck, Bette Davis, Natalie Wood, Paulette Goddard, George Reeves, Rory Calhoun, Jane Wyatt
Directed By:
James Neilson, Ted Post, Anton Leader, Fred F. Sears, Arnold Laven
Kraft Television Theatre (1947)
Kraft Television Theatre
Starring:
Jack Lemmon, Lorne Greene, Christopher Plummer, Ossie Davis, Maggie Smith, Shelley Winters, John Forsythe
Directed By:
William A. Graham, Stanley Quinn, Paul Bogart, Harry Herrmann, Richard Dunlap
Awards:
Primetime Emmy Award for Best Original Teleplay Writing
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Starring:
Carl Reiner, Michael Landon, Adam West, Jane Wyman, Jane Russell, Joan Fontaine, Keenan Wynn
Directed By:
Jerry Thorpe, Claudio Guzmán, Allen H. Miner, Allen Reisner, Douglas Heyes
Star Tonight (1955)
Star Tonight
Starring:
Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Nancy Coleman, Kathleen Comegys, Doreen Lang, Dennis Patrick, Charles Aidman
Directed By:
Harry Herrmann
Suspense (1949)
Suspense
Starring:
Abe Vigoda, Bela Lugosi, Grace Kelly, Doris Roberts, Eddie Albert, Peter Lorre, Jackie Cooper
Directed By:
Robert Stevens, Robert Mulligan, John Peyser
The United States Steel Hour (1953)
The United States Steel Hour
Starring:
James Dean, Vincent Price, Betty White, Gene Hackman, Carol Burnett, Alexis Smith, Elinor Donahue
Directed By:
Alex Segal, Paul Bogart, Tom Donovan, Daniel Petrie, Bruce Minnix
Matinee Theatre (1955)
Matinee Theatre
Starring:
Jack Nicholson, Roger Moore, John Drew Barrymore, Werner Klemperer, Dina Merrill, Eva Gabor, John Carradine
Directed By:
Lamont Johnson, Walter Grauman, Boris Sagal, Allan A. Buckhantz, Sherman Marks
Armchair Theatre (1956)
Armchair Theatre
Starring:
Judi Dench, Richard Harris, Diane Cilento, Joss Ackland, Ian McShane, Tim Curry, Glenda Jackson
Directed By:
Philip Saville, Charles Jarrott, Guy Verney, Ted Kotcheff, Dennis Vance
Appointment with Destiny (1971)
Appointment with Destiny
Starring:
James Mason, John Huston, Hal Holbrook, Lorne Greene
Directed By:
Robert Guenette, Nicholas Webster
Armstrong Circle Theatre (1950)
Armstrong Circle Theatre
Starring:
Charles Grodin, Inger Stevens, Martin Sheen, Audra Lindley, Steven McQueen, Charles Durning, Cliff Robertson
Directed By:
William Corrigan, Paul Bogart, Ted Post, Garry Simpson, James Sheldon
Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre (1955)
Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre
Starring:
Carolyn Jones, Frances Bavier, Claude Akins, Fernando Lamas, Victor McLaglen, Vincent Price, Lee Marvin
Directed By:
Sidney Lanfield, Allen H. Miner, Don Weis, Jacques Tourneur, William Asher
Studio One (1948)
Studio One
Starring:
Elizabeth Montgomery, Jerry Stiller, Warren Beatty, Amanda Blake, George Peppard, Lee Remick, Elsa Lanchester
Directed By:
Paul Nickell, Franklin J. Schaffner, Tom Donovan, Allen Reisner, Robert Mulligan
Insight (1960)
Insight
Starring:
Paul Sorvino, Emilio Estevez, James Cromwell, James Doohan, Della Reese, Nichelle Nichols, Ron Howard
Directed By:
Richard C. Bennett, Paul Stanley, Hal Cooper, Ralph Senensky, Michael Ray Rhodes
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950)
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
Starring:
Donald Pleasence, Albert Finney, Nicholas Parsons, Harold Pinter, Luise Rainer, Laurence Harvey, Peter O'Toole
Directed By:
Rudolph Cartier, Harold Clayton, Julian Amyes, Stephen Harrison, Wallace Douglas
Danger (1950)
Danger
Starring:
Broderick Crawford, Lee Grant, Carroll Baker, Art Carney, Steve Allen, Walter Matthau, Jack Palance
Directed By:
Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer, Yul Brynner, John Peyser, Ted Post
Night Gallery (1969)
Night Gallery
TV-PG
Role:
Himself - Host
Starring:
Joan Crawford, Leonard Nimoy, Agnes Moorehead, Edward G. Robinson, Orson Welles, Mel Blanc, Geraldine Page
Directed By:
Jeannot Szwarc, Jeff Corey, Gene R. Kearney, Jerrold Freedman, John Badham
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1963)
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
Starring:
George Harris Kennedy, Jr, Robert Wagner, Edd Byrnes, Mel Ferrer, George C. Scott, Nanette Fabray, David Carradine
Directed By:
Stuart Rosenberg, Sydney Pollack, Ron Winston, David Butler, Lawrence Dobkin
Awards:
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama - Adaptation
Pursuit (1958)
Pursuit
Starring:
Dennis Hopper, Patricia Neal, Sal Mineo, Jackie Cooper, Keenan Wynn, Fernando Lamas, Robert Alda
Directed By:
David Greene, Buzz Kulik
Lux Video Theatre (1950)
Lux Video Theatre
Starring:
Rock Hudson, Jayne Mansfield, Bing Crosby, Alfred Hitchcock, Dorothy McGuire, Janet Gaynor, Carl Switzer
Directed By:
Richard Goode, Fielder Cook, Buzz Kulik, Earl Eby, Norman Morgan
The Loner (1965)
The Loner
Starring:
Anne Baxter, Lloyd Bridges, Katharine Ross, Bruce Dern, Jeff Bridges, James Whitmore, Jack Lord
Directed By:
Joseph Pevney, Alex March, Allen H. Miner, Norman Foster, Leon Benson
The Philip Morris Playhouse (1953)
The Philip Morris Playhouse
Starring:
Rod Steiger, Vincent Price, Jane Wyatt, Lorne Greene, Eddie Albert, Cloris Leachman, Everett Sloane
Directed By:
Charles Martin
The Kaiser Aluminum Hour (1956)
The Kaiser Aluminum Hour
Starring:
Cloris Leachman, Natalie Wood, Nanette Fabray, Eli Wallach, William Shatner, Sydney Pollack, Dennis Hopper
Directed By:
Franklin J. Schaffner, Fielder Cook, George Roy Hill, Paul Bogart, Ira Cirker
Kraft Television Theatre (1953)
Kraft Television Theatre
Starring:
Sidney Poitier, Gena Rowlands, Joel Grey, Eva Marie Saint, Walter Matthau, Audra Lindley, Lee Grant
Directed By:
Maury Holland, Fred Carney, Fielder Cook, George Roy Hill
The Motorola Television Hour (1953)
The Motorola Television Hour
Starring:
Christopher Walken, Helen Hayes, Elaine Stritch, Hume Cronyn, Lee Marvin, Roger Moore, Walter Matthau
Directed By:
Ralph Nelson, Don Richardson
The Twilight Zone (1985)
The Twilight Zone
TV-PG
Starring:
Lorna Luft, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Moriarty, Season Hubley, Frances McDormand, Tom Skerritt
Directed By:
Paul Lynch, Peter Medak, Ryszard Bugajski, Wes Craven, John D. Hancock
The New People (1969)
The New People
Starring:
Richard Dreyfuss, Tiffany Bolling, Zooey Hall, David Moses, Peter Ratray, Jill Jaress
Directed By:
Charles S. Dubin, Corey Allen, George McCowan, Nicholas Webster, Harry Harvey Jr.
Climax! (1954)
Climax!
Starring:
Ethel Barrymore, Tina Louise, Raymond Burr, Red Skelton, Katy Jurado, Angela Lansbury, Teresa Wright
Directed By:
Buzz Kulik, Allen Reisner, John Frankenheimer, Paul Nickell, Jack Smight
Appointment with Adventure (1955)
Appointment with Adventure
Starring:
Tina Louise, Elizabeth Montgomery, Gena Rowlands, Christopher Plummer, Jack Lord, Eva Gabor, Jack Klugman
Directed By:
Paul Stanley, Robert Stevens
Ichabod and Me (1961)
Ichabod and Me
Starring:
George Chandler, Robert Sterling, Christine White
Directed By:
Norman Abbott
Ironside (1967)
Ironside
Starring:
O. J. Simpson, Bruce Lee, Jodie Foster, Harrison Ford, Diane Ladd, Marion Ross, William Devane
Directed By:
Don Weis, Don McDougall, Russ Mayberry, Charles S. Dubin, Anton Leader
Campbell Playhouse (1952)
Campbell Playhouse
Starring:
Lillian Gish, Barbara Bel Geddes, Carl Reiner, James Dean, Walter Matthau, Art Carney, Jack Lemmon
Directed By:
Garry Simpson, Alex Segal, Don Appell, Marc Daniels
The Catholic Hour (1953)
The Catholic Hour
Starring:
Sorrell Booke, Martin Sheen, Carolyn Coates, Eleanor Phelps, Eugene Roche, Frederick Rolf
Directed By:
Martin Hoade
The Twilight Zone (2002)
The Twilight Zone
TV-14
Starring:
Elizabeth Berkley, Katherine Heigl, Lou Diamond Phillips, Jason Alexander, Patrick Warburton, Jeremy Sisto, Jason Bateman
Directed By:
John T. Kretchmer, Brad Turner, Allan Kroeker, Jerry Levine, Bob Balaban
Medallion Theatre (1953)
Medallion Theatre
Starring:
Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Leslie Nielsen, Jackie Cooper, Eddie Albert, Charlton Heston, Helen Hayes
Directed By:
Don Medford, Ralph Nelson
The Doctor (1952)
The Doctor
Starring:
Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Warner Anderson
Directed By:
Robert Aldrich, Don Siegel
Center Stage (1954)
Center Stage
Starring:
Lee Marvin, Walter Matthau, Luther Adler, Robert Barrat, Vivian Blaine, Alonzo Bozan, Joseph Buloff
The Hitch-Hiker (2015)
The Hitch-Hiker
Starring:
Nicholas Collins, Mark Henein, Spin Shannon, Zoë Triantis
Directed By:
Jaiden Frost
The Twilight Zone (2019)
The Twilight Zone
TV-MA
Starring:
Kumail Nanjiani, Taissa Farmiga, Steven Yeun, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jordan Peele
Directed By:
Owen Harris, Ana Lily Amirpour, Mathias Herndl
Shadow of the Cloak (1951)
Shadow of the Cloak
Starring:
Ernest Borgnine, Walter Matthau, Helmut Dantine
General Electric Theater (1953)
General Electric Theater
Starring:
Paul Muni, Charles Laughton, Ethel Merman, Merle Oberon, Harry Belafonte, Bob Crane, Gavin MacLeod
Directed By:
Herschel Daugherty, Don Medford, James Neilson, Jules Bricken, Mitchell Leisen

Rod Serling Awards

Golden Globe Awards
The Twilight Zone Best TV Producer/Director 1963
Primetime Emmy Awards
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama - Adaptation 1964
The Twilight Zone Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama 1961
The Twilight Zone Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama 1960
Playhouse 90 Best Teleplay Writing - One Hour or More 1958
Playhouse 90 Best Teleplay Writing - One Hour or More 1957
Kraft Television Theatre Best Original Teleplay Writing 1956