3D has been an aspect of the movie theater experience since the 1950s, and technology has become a vital aspect to many filmgoers in the 21st century. Classic 3D movies used to feature a broken screen that allowed images to fly out. Modern 3D movies favor a more subtle approach that provides a greater sense of depth and invites viewers to another aspect of film immersion.

For some, 3D is just a fad, but for others, it is as important to the viewing experience as sound or if someone chooses to pay extra for the IMAX experience. 3D certainly got a bad rap following a string of quickly done conversions with rushed post-production, like Clash of the Titans and The Last Airbender, which made the films look darker and almost unwatchable. Yet now, even films not filmed in 3D are given enough prep time to plan their 3D conversions to where it can look impressive, so much so that the 1975 classic Jaws was re-released in 3D for the first time, and many viewers were impressed by it.

3D was thrust back into the spotlight with Avatar: The Way of Water, and it was only fair since James Cameron showed us in 2009 the potential for this technology in the 21st century. Now, with the announcement that subscribers with an Apple Vision Pro can watch movies in 3D on Disney+, the technology is more in the public eye than ever before. With that in mind, we offer our list of the best modern 3D movies showcasing this technology in the best possible form.

Update January 19, 2024: This article has been updated with even more great modern uses of 3D and where each title is streaming.

12 The Final Destination (2009)

The Final Destination is the fourth entry in the franchise and the first one to be presented in 3D. This film is a conversion from a 2D print, but one that manages to maximize the use of this technology by enhancing all the killings to extreme and gruesome levels. 3D and horror movies have a long history, from 1953's The House of Wax to 1982's Friday the 13th Part III, so this felt like a nice homage to that history but with a modern twist.

The combination of practical effects and 3D mapping makes it an outstanding horror offering that delivers all the goodness you expect from this property. It also makes us wonder how the famous log car crash from Final Destination 2 would have looked using this technology. Rent on AppleTV.

11 Dredd (2012)

Dredd is a truly underrated gem of 2012. The visionary movie was filmed using Paradise FX 3D cameras to maximize the display of savage action onscreen through the beautiful, auteur-led lens. Director Pete Travis uses color enhancement and slow motion to create a singular vision in combination with an avant-garde techno soundtrack composed by Paul Leonard.

Alex Garland delivers a lean script with a mean scenario, avoiding superfluous tropes seen in most action movies. Karl Urban delivers a one-of-a-kind performance with presence and voice alone since, as the titular character, he never takes his helmet off. The payoff of this remarkable film is truly one for the ages and a great contender to showcase the potential of 3D technology in cinema. Stream on Netflix

10 Toy Story 3 (2010)

Toy Story 3 was released 11 years after Toy Story 2. Pixar's animation had improved so drastically in that time that while watching Toy Story 3, the viewer immediately noticed an upgrade in the image quality from the other Toy Story movies. The addition of 3D also added a new level of realism for the audience, putting the viewer not only in the characters' vantage point but also using the technology to just highlight how realistic the animated characters looked. The toys felt truly real. Unlike other 3D films where the gimmick is to reach out to the audience, Toy Story 3 made the audience want to reach in and play with the toys. Stream on Disney+.

9 Doctor Strange (2016)

While many of the MCU films have been released in 3D, Doctor Strange has arguably used the technology best. While the first half of the movie uses 3D to give the film a sense of depth, it kicks into overdrive during the film's second act climax when the heroes are transported into the mirror dimension, and the moving city, collapsing skyscrapers and flying spells are taking full advantage of the 3D wizardry.

The kaleidoscopic visuals are a sight to behold in 3D. By the time the movie enters its climax with a sequence in the psychedelic dark dimension, it shows how effective 3D can transport audiences to new worlds and give them a unique cinematic experience. While plenty of Marvel movies have since been released in 3D, none have quite been able to use the technology to the same effect that Doctor Strange did. Stream on Disney+

8 The Walk (2015)

Robert Zemeckis had spent much of the early 2000s experimenting with 3D technology in his motion captures of animated films like The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol. However, in live-action, the technical wizard filmmaker showed off his talent for 3D in the 2015 film The Walk. The Walk tells the true story of 24-year-old French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.

Related: Explained: The Story Behind Disney's Biggest Box Office Bomb

The use of 3D for the climactic walk between the Twin Towers (itself a technological marvel, almost entirely digitally recreated more than a dozen years after they fell in 9/11) is a breathtaking display of 3D technology, putting the audience right into the center of the suspense. It is almost impossible not to hold a breath as the camera stares down at the massive height of this incredible stunt. The Walk is a movie that truly benefits from 3D technology and might not have worked without it. Stream on FuboTV.

7 Coraline (2009)

Coraline is one of the most unique entries on the list. Directed by Henry Sellick and based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, the film was crafted using classic stop-motion animation and shot in 3D digital cameras. 3D technology helps create a unique and immersive experience, one that adds a tactile reality to the movie.

The movie also works as a window to classic filmmaking techniques brought to new levels with intricate puppet designs and detailed sets. It's still considered a standout in the world of animation and also a pioneer in 3D as Coraline is the only film on this list that predates Avatar, as Coraline came out nine months before James Cameron's film would lead to a new boom in 3D film. Stream on Max.

6 How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Alice in Wonderland was the first film to truly cash in on the new 3D craze set by Avatar, it was How To Train Your Dragon, which was released just a couple of weeks later, that truly was the first great example to show that Avatar was not a fluke, but that this could be a vital cinematic tool. While Jeffrey Katzenberg had pushed DreamWorks Animation towards 3D with the release of Monsters vs. Aliens, that 3D was much more of an homage to the 1950s style.

How To Train Your Dragon used technology to immerse the viewer in the wonder of flight, with the scene of Hiccup and Toothless flying through the sky a sight to behold on screen and an instantly iconic moment in film history, made all the more special with 3D. In 1978, Superman: The Movie promised audiences they would believe a man could fly, but 2010's How To Train Your Dragon offers audiences the chance to experience flight like never before. This means expectations are high for the upcoming live-action remake, which hopefully will be able to capture the same sense of magic in 3D. Stream on Netflix and Prime Video.

5 Life of Pi (2012)

Life of Pi was considered an unfilmable novel. Yet in 2012, acclaimed director Ang Lee brought the book to life with 3D to pull off the impossible. The story of a man trapped at sea with a trigger might not sound like a must-see 3D cinematic event, but director Ang Lee and a group of incredible VFX artists made this a sight to behold. What is shown is an eye-popping visual marvel that makes the regular world look magically new. It adds the needed depth for the vast ocean and allows the tiger to feel more real despite being a CGI creation, as it puts the viewer so close to it that even though they register it as a special effect, it still feels believable. Life of Pi is a breathtaking movie, one where the 3D aspect is part of its wonder. Rent on Prime Video and AppleTV+.

4 Gravity (2009)

Gravity is a movie that uses 3D as a vital aspect of telling its story. While it is still a story that works without technology, to gain the full experience of Gravity is to see it in 3D, as it is a roller coaster experience. Director Alfonso Cuarón mixes the 3D effect with his own trademark of long shots to get the viewer into the world and headspace of an astronaut. The final result is a captivating, breathtaking, and energizing experience. Gravity in 3D is the closest many viewers will come to being in space, with all the wonder and terror it entails. Stream on Netflix.

3 Hugo (2011)

Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest living filmmakers of all time so it is perfectly reasonable that the director would understand how to work within 3D and use it as a tool in the best possible way. In Hugo, Scorsese uses 3D technology to create a real depth of the frame, making the train station and the interworking clock system feel vast. It helps provide a true sense of space for the viewer to understand the world this movie inhabits and to feel like this is a real space.

Related: Here's What Makes Hugo One of the Best Martin Scorsese Films of All Time

But the filmmaker also ties the technical marvel of 3D in with the film's inherent theme of movie magic. 3D is just another in a long history of cinematic tools to bring wonderment to the audience. In a movie that is a love letter to a film celebrating cinema's past, it feels fitting to show how the medium has evolved and highlight the marvels of its future. Stream on Hoopla.

2 Avatar: The Way of Water (2023)

By the time Avatar: The Way of Water had come out, 3D movies had fallen out of favor with general audiences. While plenty of movies were still released in that format, they did not drive ticket sales the way they did after Avatar. There were certainly fewer 3D films than before. Yet when Avatar: The Way of Water hit theaters in December 2022, audiences were reminded again exactly why they loved 3D in the first place. The 3D technology that had previously brought audiences to the jungles of Pandora emersed audiences into the seas of the planet to breathtaking effects. Everything in Avatar: The Way of Water, from the visuals to the action to the 3D, was a major step up from the previous film. Stream on Disney+.

1 Avatar (2009)

Could it be any other film than Avatar? This film immediately jumps to mind when most filmgoers think of modern 3D movies. Director James Cameron pushed the boundaries of what viewers expect from 3D; instead of having the movie jump out at the audience, he used technology to bring the audience into the world of the movie. With 3D glasses, the viewers were like Jack Sully linking up to his Avatar body, being transported into a whole new point of view. 3D allowed audiences to truly enter Pandora and experience all of its wonders.

It was so successful that audiences returned to see Avatar multiple times in the format, and Cameron's film became the highest-grossing movie ever. It inspired other studios to embrace 3D, and still to this day remains the gold standard. For an entire generation, they have only experienced Avatar in 2D, but one could argue if that is the only way one has viewed Avatar, then they haven't truly seen the movie.