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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Which Phantom of the Opera film is best according to critics? In this five-film English-language comparison, the 1925 silent film starring Lon Chaney ranks first on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 90% Tomatometer score from 49 reviews. The 2004 screen version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical ranks last at 32%, though it has the largest review sample. These are Rotten Tomatoes rankings—not a definitive measure of every critic’s view or every screen adaptation.
How the five films rank
The table orders the films by Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer percentage, which represents the share of counted critic reviews marked positive. It is not an average rating and does not measure how strongly reviewers liked or disliked a film. Scores and review counts below were listed on Rotten Tomatoes film pages accessed October 8, 2026; they may change as the site updates its reviews.
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![The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+g4+kHp5L._SL160_.jpg)
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The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall [Blu-ray] | $8.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![The Phantom of the Opera - [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51NGVYUC-rL._SL160_.jpg)
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The Phantom of the Opera - [Blu-ray] | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![The Phantom of the Opera [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61tTZdQ+5jL._SL160_.jpg)
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The Phantom of the Opera [Blu-ray] | $15.77 | Buy on Amazon |
| Rank | Film | Tomatometer | Critic reviews | Screen approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Phantom of the Opera (1925) | 90% | 49 | Silent horror |
| 2 | Phantom of the Opera (1943) | 77% | 22 | Color-era melodrama |
| 3 | The Phantom of the Opera (1962) | 51% | 2 | Hammer horror |
| 4 | The Phantom of the Opera (1989) | 36% | 11 | Slasher-inflected horror |
| 5 | The Phantom of the Opera (2004) | 32% | 167 | Screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical |
What critics say about each version
1. The Phantom of the Opera (1925): 90% from 49 reviews
Rupert Julian directed this silent film, which stars Lon Chaney. Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus says: “Decades later, it still retains its ability to scare — and Lon Chaney’s performance remains one of the benchmarks of the horror genre.” Its lead is supported by a larger review count than most films in this set, though the 2004 film has substantially more reviews.
2. Phantom of the Opera (1943): 77% from 22 reviews
Arthur Lubin’s color version stars Claude Rains as Enrique Claudin. Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus describes it as a landmark color version of the tragedy and praises Rains’s performance, while noting that it sits beneath the 1925 film in the comparison.
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3. The Phantom of the Opera (1962): 51% from 2 reviews
Directed by Terence Fisher and starring Herbert Lom, this Hammer Films adaptation has the smallest critic sample here. With only two counted reviews, its 51% score is much less stable as a ranking signal than the scores based on larger samples. The visible excerpts are mixed: Matt Brunson called it “One of Hammer’s more disappointing attempts to revive and reinterpret the classic Universal monsters,” while Christopher Null rated it 3/5.
4. The Phantom of the Opera (1989): 36% from 11 reviews
Dwight H. Little directed this horror version, starring Robert Englund and Jill Schoelen. The approach leans toward slasher-inflected horror: one Rotten Tomatoes critic excerpt calls it “a wickedly ghastly and blood-soaked tale of obsession,” while another faults its period production as constrained by an ’80s slasher budget.
Rank #2
- The Phantom of the Opera
5. The Phantom of the Opera (2004): 32% from 167 reviews
Joel Schumacher directed this screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s popular stage musical, starring Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, and Patrick Wilson. It has the lowest percentage in this ranking but the largest review count. Rotten Tomatoes’ consensus says critics found the adaptation histrionic, boring, and short on romance and danger, while some praised its spectacle.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this ranking can—and cannot—tell you
The Tomatometer makes these five scores comparable on one measure: the proportion of counted reviews that are positive. It does not rank the films by average star rating, filmmaking influence, faithfulness to Gaston Leroux’s story, or fit for a particular viewer. A fan of silent horror may choose differently from someone looking for a musical, and the review count matters when weighing a percentage—especially for the 1962 film’s two-review sample.
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Rank #3
The scope is a selected set of English-language feature films from 1925, 1943, 1962, 1989, and 2004, not a complete census of all screen works inspired by the story. International productions, television versions, and looser adaptations are outside this comparison. Rotten Tomatoes’ scores and review counts are current aggregator data, not figures tied to the films’ original release years.
Quick Recap
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