Top 10 Movies Told In Flashback

Sometimes, you just need to go back in time. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Movies Told Through Flashback. 
  
For this list, we're looking at those movies that were told through the narrative device known as the flashback. To be eligible, the story needs to be told either entirely, or almost entirely, through in retrospect, so a movie with the oddflashback scene here and there will not be included.
 

Easily one of the most popular movies to utilize the flashback technique, “Titanic” broke box office records upon release by being the first film to reach the $1 billion mark. The beautiful story begins in 1996 as an elderly Rose recollects her ill-fated voyage. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet give fantastic performances as two young lovers that come together on the ship. Their romance is one for the ages, while the sinking sequence will undoubtedly go down in history for its intensity and realism. Winner of eleven Academy Awards, there's no denying the power that “Titanic” held on the world – and it was all set in motion by the memories of one elderly lady.
  

A true sleeper hit from English director Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire” was the recipient of eight Academy Awards and tells the story of teenager Jamal Malik as he's accused of cheating on a game show. As he's being tortured due to his seemingly uneducated nature, Jamal recounts the events that led him to know the answers. This setup provides a fantastic reason for exploring the character’s life, and each flashback is better than the last, filled with heartbreak, beauty, and joy. While Jamal’s backstory can be difficult to watch, his triumphant final destination ultimately demonstrates that everything happens for a reason. Everyone together now: Jai Ho!
 

The story that broke everyone's hearts and became the seminal chick flick of our generation, “The Notebook” proved to be an immense success for both Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. The story begins in the present with an old man telling a story to an older woman about a couple who fell in love in the 1940s. It's not until later that we find out that the old man and woman are actually the aged version of the younger couple in the tale, and that the man is recounting their story to his dementia-ridden wife. It's every bit as tear-jerking as it sounds, and is guaranteed to leave even the biggest cynic choked up.
  

There's no denying the sheer intensity and ferocity of this Steven Spielberg classic. From the opening battle scene on Omaha Beach to the emotional finale, this movie never lets up on the action or the drama. The runtime is bookended by scenes of an older Private Ryan looking onto the grave of his friend and ally Captain Miller, who died to provide him a life of happiness and familial love. It's a poignant way to frame the film, and makes the events of the past that much more meaningful and dramatic.
 

Wes Anderson certainly makes some eccentric films, but he broke through into the mainstream even more than before with this movie, which is arguably his magnum opus. The story begins with a young woman at the grave of a writer, which flashes back to The Author in 1985, who tells the story of the time he stayed at the Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968. Like we said, very eccentric! The movie was instantly praised for both Anderson's unique visual style and for his thoughtful, emotional script. There's no doubt that the use of flashbacks certainly helped increase the emotional punch and the resulting acclaim.
 

No one expected “The Social Network” to be as good as it was, but through sharp writing and its clever use of flashbacks, it became one of the most timely films of the decade. The entire story is framed by depositions from the main characters as the Winklevoss twins and Eduardo Saverin sue Mark Zuckerberg for apparently stealing their idea and for diluted shares, respectively. It makes the events of the film that much more personal, and its ending provides unexpected emotion in the absorbing story about the creation of Facebook.
  

This movie uses its flashback technique to spin an increasingly complex story about the survivors of a massacre and the mysterious mob boss Keyser Söze - and it results in one of the greatest twists of all time. While survivor Verbal Kint is being interrogated, he tells the intricate story of the criminals and the dangerous Söze, only for the ending to leave everyone shocked. Of course, we won’t spoil that here. Let’s just say that the conclusion makes ingenious use of theflashback device in a marvelously written film.

Both a simple and personal tale, “Forrest Gump” follows its titular hero as he witnesses and influences important historical events of 20th century America. The story begins in 1981 with Forrest sitting on a bus bench before he begins rambling to strangers about the surreal events of his adventurous life. It results in emotions of all sorts, from humor to heartbreak, and provides a greatest hits account of recent American history, educating and inciting nostalgic stirrings at the same time. It's truly one of the greatest films ever, and it would be nothing without its inspired narrative device.
 

“Rashomon” is a classic Japanese movie about a murdered samurai that is told through the points of view of several characters, revealing differing motivations and contradictory versions of the exact same event. It was directed by acclaimed filmmaker Akira Kurosawa and introduced the world to Japanese cinema. Through its use of flashbacks and the contrasting perspectives, the movie retains its fresh and original approach despite being over sixty years old. Truly ahead of its time, “Rashomon” will continue to impact the art of cinema for generations to come.

Before we flash back to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Edward Scissorhands” (1990)
“Amadeus” (1984)
“Big Fish” (2003)
“Life of Pi” (2012) 
“Fight Club” (1999)
  

Some of today’s naïve modern audiences may not be able to see the sheer mastery of “Citizen Kane,” but this movie invented countless tropes and introduced the world to an entirely new way of filmmaking. The drama tells the story of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane through the eyes of a reporter seeking to find the meaning behind Kane’s final word: “Rosebud.” It's often regarded as the greatest movie ever made, and its use of flashbacks results in elaborate storytelling that was unprecedented in cinema at the time. By reinventing the wheel, Orson Welles and “Citizen Kane” showed everyone how great movies could be with a little ambition.

Do you agree with our list? What movie do you think employs flashbacks the best? For more time jumping top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.