‘The Godfather’ Tops List of Films People Pretend to Have Seen

A new survey conducted by British video rental service LOVEFiLM affirmed what we already knew, but don’t necessarily like to admit: People lie about having seen films they haven’t. The poll surveyed Brits to find out whether they’d ever lied about seeing movies they hadn’t — and if so, which movies they’d fibbed about watching. 80% of respondents confessed to having fudged the truth about their cinematic knowledge at some point, with Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather topping the list of movies people pretend to have seen. Read more results after the jump.

The top ten movies included a range of genres, from romantic drama (Casablanca, #2) to science fiction (2001: A Space Odyssey, #4) to comedy (This is Spinal Tap, #6), and spanned across several decades. What they all seem to have in common is that they’re considered classics, and they’re popular films that tons of people have actually seen — just maybe not as many as you think. A reported 30% of respondents admitted to having lied about The Godfather, which suggests that a good chunk of the people you know who claim to have seen the film may not be telling the truth.

LOVEFiLM’s poll is by no means scientific, and as it took place in the UK there’s no saying how American fibs might vary. But based on a quick survey of my friends, as well as my own experiences, I’m guessing we Americans aren’t that much more honest. I, for one, found myself in such a situation just a few days ago. Titanic came up in a conversation I was having, and rather than admit I’d never seen it, I just sort of let everyone assume I had. At the time, it struck me as a whole lot simpler than having to derail the current conversation to go through the “How have you not seen Titanic? Everyone’s seen Titanic!” script all over again.

1. The Godfather (30 per cent)
2. Casablanca (13 per cent)
3. Taxi Driver (11 per cent)
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (9 per cent)
5. Reservoir Dogs (8 per cent)
6. This Is Spinal Tap (7 per cent)
7. Apocalypse Now (6 per cent)
8. Goodfellas (5 per cent)
=8. Blade Runner (5 per cent)
10. The Great Escape (4 per cent)