18 Of The Best Movie Narrators In HistorySkip To ContentHomepageSign InSearch BuzzFeedSearch BuzzFeedlol Badge Feedwin Badge Feedtrending Badge FeedCalifornia residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data.Do Not Sell My Personal Information 2022 BuzzFeed, Inc PressRSSPrivacyConsent PreferencesUser TermsAd ChoicesHelpContactSitemapPosted on 19 Mar 2022 Just 18 Of The Most Iconic Narrators In Movie History I'd pay Sam Elliott from The Big Lebowski to narrate my life. by Benjamin DzialdowskiBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestTwitterMailLink The whole point of a movie is to tell a story right Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Netflix Well some movies take story-telling literally and have a voiceover or narrator to lead us through the plot Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF 20th Century Fox This technique can be super effective when done right so here are 17 of the best narrators in movie history 1 American Psycho Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Lions Gate Films Voiceover: Christian Bale as Patrick Batemen. What makes it great: There's probably one thing that everyone can agree on about American Psycho, and it's that they nailed the slimy, self-obsessive, but also hilarious characterisation of Patrick Bateman. We have Bale's voiceover to thank for this, with his internal monologue telling us exaaactly what he's thinking. Yes, he may have still come across as an "American Psycho" without it, but the dark humour that came with the narration would have been totally lost. Best quote: "Look at that subtle off-white colouring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh, my God. It even has a watermark." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 2 Adaptation Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Sony Pictures Releasing Voiceover: Nicholas Cage as Charlie Kaufman. What makes it great: This film is lowkey underrated. Cage is one of those actors who is either great or bad depending on who you're talking to, but his voiceover works really well here. We totally get a feeling of his constant underachievement. Best quote: Okay, this isn't directly a voiceover quote, but it has to be in – "God help you if you use voice-over in your work, my friends." "It’s flaccid, sloppy writing. Any idiot could write voiceover narration to explain the thoughts of a character.” View this video on YouTube youtube.com 3 Trainspotting PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Voiceover: Ewan McGregor as Mark Renton. What makes it great: The opening scene of the film is just so iconic, with a quote that's lifted straight from the novel. But it's not just the start – Ewan's captivating voice leads us through the murky world of addiction and despair, and we couldn't have asked for anyone better to do it. Best quote: "Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 4 The Big Lebowski Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Gramercy Pictures Voiceover: Sam Elliot as The Stranger. What makes it great: While Sam Elliot may not play a huge role in The Big Lebowski, there's never going to be a 'best narrators' list where he isn't included. Who better to relay the story of The Dude than Sam? Best quote: "Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, well, he eats you." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 5 Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Warner Bros. Pictures Voiceover: Robert Downey Jr as Harry Lockhart. What makes it great: This fourth-wall-breaking comedic narration fits perfectly with the comedy-noir style of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Harry's narration really allows the movie to not take itself too seriously, which I for one think is exactly what gives it its charm. Best quote: "Anyway, by now you may wonder how I wound up here. Or, maybe not. Maybe you wonder how silly putty picks shit up from comic books. The point is, I don't see another goddamn narrator, so pipe down." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 6 Badlands Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Warner Bros. Voiceover: Sissy Spacek as Holly. Why it's great: Terrence Malick often uses voiceovers to tie together his less-structured narratives. Holly's emotionless, teen-diary style narration makes all of these super, serious things that she and Kit are doing seem detached from reality (again, very Malick). Best quote: "It was better to live a week with someone who loved me for what I was than years of loneliness." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 7 Sunset Boulevard Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Paramount Pictures Voiceover: William Holden as Joe Gillis. Why it's great: There simply had to be a Billy Wilder film in here, and Sunset Boulevard is such a great example of the classic voiceover. Right from the beginning, we get an understanding of Joe's personality, and we feel wayyy closer to him thanks to the voiceover from William Holden. Best quote: "Funny how gentle people get with you once you're dead." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 8 Taxi Driver Columbia Pictures Voiceover: Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle. Why it's great: Just try and imagine this movie without Travis Bickle's lonely, desperate monologues. The voiceover really knots this film together and opens a door to Bickle's isolated life. Best quote: "Thank god for the rain which has helped wash away the garbage and trash off the sidewalks." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 9 Apocalypse Now Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF United Artists Voiceover: Joe Esteves (Sheen's brother), who did Martin Sheen's voiceover work as Captain Benjamin Willard. Why it's great: Other than being an epic film in itself, Apocalypse Now is a movie that is totally enhanced by the voiceover. Without it, the movie wouldn't have had the same impact, but the almost desperate narration really makes you feel what Willard is going through. The fact that Michael Herr, who wrote the voiceover script, had actually covered the Vietnam War for Esquire really helped them make Willard's narration as entrancing as it became. Best quote: "Oh man, the shit piled up so fast in Vietnam you needed wings to stay above it." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 10 Goodfellas Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Warner Bros.the Voiceover: Ray Liotta as Henry Hill – and briefly Lorraine Bracco as Karen Hill. What makes it great: Henry's smooth, slick, narration leads us through this quintessentially Scorcesian movie, and frankly, I could listen to him all day. I'm sorry but no one can say "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster" better than Ray Liotta. There are some unconventional narration techniques throughout Goodfellas, such as handing the narration to Karen and addressing the camera directly, but this just helps keep us guessing the entire time. Best quote: "He had this wonderful system for doing the garlic. He used a razor, and he used to slice it so thin that it used to liquefy in the pan with just a little oil. It was a very good system." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 11 The Shawshank Redemption Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Columbia Pictures Voiceover: Morgan Freeman as Red. What makes it great: Firstly, Morgan's voice is one of THE greatest in film history which certainly helps make Shawshank Redemption one of the best ever narrated movies. There's also something beautiful about it being Red who describes Andy's time at Shawshank through his eyes and tells us the impact he had on everyone. Best quote: "Andy Dufresne, who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 12 Days of Heaven Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Paramount Pictures Voiceover: Linda Manz as Linda. What makes it great: Yes, it's another Malick, sue me. It's probably the lack of dialogue in Days of Heaven that makes the narration feel so important. What's so fascinating about the voiceover is that Malick made a last-minute decision to ditch the audio and have Linda do the narration without any script! Props to her, it works perfectly with the meandering narrative. Best quote: “Nobody's perfect. There was never a perfect person around. You just have half-angel and half-devil in you.” View this video on YouTube youtube.com 13 Fight Club Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF 20th Century Fox Voiceover: Edward Norton as The Narrator. What makes it great: Just how essential the narrator is to this film (and book), is evident by the fact that 'The Narrator' is literally the main character. What would this film be without it? Almost silent, I guess. Best quote: "I am Jack's inflamed sense of rejection." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 14 Clueless Paramount Pictures Voiceover: Alicia Silverstone as Cher Horowitz. What makes it great: Cher's excellent narration guides us through this iconic film firmly from her point of view. Her diary-like descriptions of her thoughts and feelings also show us that she (at the beginning anyway) truly is clueless. I mean one of her first lines is "I actually have a way-normal life for a teenage girl". Best quote: "Searching for a boy in high school is as meaningless as searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie". View this video on YouTube youtube.com 15 A Clockwork Orange Columbia-Warner Pictures Voiceover: Malcolm McDowell as Alex. What makes it great: Obviously, Alex is doing is a series of vile, inhuman acts, but the voiceover allows us to sort of sympathise with him, rather than despise him. The narration lets us understand why Alex is what he is, and without it, we wouldn't know our lead character as well as we do. Best quote: "As we walked along the flatblock marina, I was calm on the outside, but thinking all the time..." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 16 The Big Short Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Paramount Pictures Voiceover: Ryan Gosling as Jared Vennet, with help from others. What makes it great: Adam Mackay's use of voiceover is the very definition of breaking the fourth wall. This constant wall-breaking does help us understand these super confusing financial terms that the film is dealing with, and also gives us some fun cameos like Margot and Selena Gomez. Best quote: Jared Vennet: "So, I was right. I took a rash of shit for two years, but I was right and everyone was wrong. And, yeah, I got a big bonus for it." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 17 The Lobster Sony Pictures Releasing Voiceover: Rachel Weisz as 'The Short-Sighted Woman'. What makes it great: Rachel's almost emotionless voiceover really sets the tone for this deadpan, satirical film. The whole movie is intended to keep you sort of on edge, and Rachel's bizarre narration certainly gives nothing away. Best quote: "Having your thumb cut is worse than having your head shaved. And having a hot boiled egg under your armpit is worse than having your leg kicked." View this video on YouTube youtube.com 18 Mean Girls Tap to play GIF Tap to play GIF Paramount Pictures Voiceover: Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron. What makes it great: We really wouldn't understand the chaotic high school experience without Cady's narration, particularly at the beginning. Mean Girls is one of THE most quotable films, and Cady's voiceover sets everything up as we join her for the wild ride that is high school. Best quote: "I knew how this would be settled in the animal world." View this video on YouTube youtube.com Are there any other narrators that you simply adore Let us know in the comments below Share This ArticleFacebook PinterestTwitterMailLink TV and MoviesGet all the best moments in pop culture & entertainment delivered to your inbox.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.