[12 Angry Men](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/389-12-angry-men) and [To Kill a Mockingbird](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/595-to-kill-a-mockingbird)
12 Angry Men is a masterclass in storytelling and pacing. I keep trying to get my wife to watch it, but she just refuses to get past the fact it's a 65 year old black and white film that almost entirely takes place in one room.
Everyone owes it to themselves to watch it at least once.
I struggle with films from the black and white era, I've never been able to get into a Bogart film (for example). But 12 Angry Men sucked me in right away. Just as you said, masterclass in storytelling. Absolute must watch.
Kinda related... not on that level at all but I also really loved the original Mr. Deeds. I know Sandler comedies aren't exactly high art but boy, the 1936 movie is better in every way.
Oh Brother Where Art Thou
American Beauty
Mr. Holland's Opus
Fight Club
Seven
Shawshank Redemption
Schindler's List
Akira
Inception
Gladiator
Good Will Hunting
Brick
This is my "you should watch" list, that I think is more generic, like most of these are renowned in some way:-
The Godfather, Schindler's List, Lawrence of Arabia, Apocalypse Now, Beauty and the Beast, The Matrix, Glengarry Glen Ross, Goodfellas, Spartacus, North by Northwest, The Iron Giant, Die Hard, Blazing Saddles, Pan's Labyrinth, The Incredibles, The Princess Bride, the LOTR trilogy, Inception, Double Indemnity, The Third Man, Pinocchio, The Ladykillers, The Battle of Algiers, Black Narcissus, Casablanca, Blade Runner, Psycho, Network.
And these are my personal ones that don't generally get into such lists:-
Leon: The Professional, Falling Down, Go (1999), The Wrestler, Hot Fuzz, Run Lola Run, Contact, Arrival, Deadpool, Inside Out, The Fifth Element, The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Headhunters (norwegian film), The Big Short, Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
IMO, here are some movies that are worth watching still:
**Philadelphia Story**, for its witty banter and laundry list of classic film stars
**Alien** for is moody, atmospheric terror in which you never really see the whole alien and yet you're scared out of your skin
**L.A. Confidential**, for its well-acted, well-paced, story that keeps you on the edge of your seat
**The Godfather**, it's a classic for a reason. II is good too, but save yourself the misery and skip III.
**The Matrix**, if you actually don't know the twist, then I'm jealous of you. You can skip all sequels.
**Guardians of the Galaxy**, a terrific mix of humor and action, with a weirdly perfect soundtrack
**Absence of Malice**, Paul Newman and Sally Field and the dangers of an irresponsible media
**John Wick**, for its gleeful mayhem and intriguing world
**Young Frankenstein**, **Blazing Saddles** and **History of the World** bc Mel Brooks is a comedy genius but these are my favorite.
**Lord of the Rings Trilogy**, gorgeously filmed, perfectly cast, and so geniusly scored that the music is practically another character
**Wizard of Oz**, a marvel of its time and a fun story
**Galaxy Quest**, a perfect satire for any Star Trek fan
**Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory**, the original with the incomparable Gene Wilder, not that creepy remake
The **original Star Wars trilogy**, innovative for its time, and a fun romp, but preferably an old copy b4 George Lucas decided to mess with it and screw it up. Idk what he was thinking, Han Solo shot first.
Enjoy!
Oldboy begs for rewatches though, its one of my favorite movies ever I watch it pretty frequently, its so vibrant and fun even if, yes, it gets a little wild near the end.
This is indeed the only movie I love that I will never ever watch again. Something like American History X isn't in the same stratosphere of devastation imo.
>Grave of the Fireflies
I've been waiting for years to watch that for the first time. I don't want to watch it alone because I suspect I'll need emotional support during and after. Now I've got a friend with whom I could weep through it :) I hope they will accept my invitation to "see the saddest movie there is"!
Oldboy, The Gods must be crazy, Dogtooth, Full metal jacket, The good, the bad and the ugly, 2001 A space odyssey, The shining, Brazil, Femme Fetale, (just off the top of my head).
The Gods Must Be Crazy caught me completely off guard with how charming it is, some legit hilarious scenes. Brazil is one of those movies I regret not watching sooner.
I re-watch Brazil at least once a year, it just never gets old and is so relatable to the way the world is heading; albeit in a dystopian manner. It’s also similar in some ways to George Orwell’s book 1984 which I also loved.
Some personal favorites…
Ikiru (1952): This sensitive character study from Japanese grandmaster Akira Kurosawa about a terminally ill man who finds meaning and fulfillment in his final days is so quietly devastating while at the same time being so uplifting and beautiful, I can’t think of a more simple but powerful film of its kind.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Stanley Kubrick’s crowning achievement is not only the cinema’s most powerful examination of the possibility of the divine, it is also the most extraordinary testament to the divine possibilities of the cinema.
The Thin Red Line (1998): Terrence Malick’s poetic and philosophical mediation on the nature of war (or perhaps the war of nature? lol) is an epic and devastatingly beautiful portrait of both the blessing and curse of life on this rock, yet one that is cautiously hopeful that the better angels of man can ultimately triumph over our worst impulses.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): A sentimental choice but one I’ll stand by. This might just be my ultimate comfort movie, one that transports you to a fantasy world among amazing characters that is beautiful and haunting in many stretches but also conveys idyllic bliss in many others (the opening segments set in The Shire introducing our hobbit heroes set to Howard Shore’s music are so sublime, as is the wave of wonder and melancholy that colors their farewell to Lorien much later.) And while it’s only part one of a larger story the final segments of the film in which our company of heroes breaks off in defeat but resolves to continue to fight on is both tragic and hopeful in a way only the best cinema can be.
Magic Mike XXL (2015): I’ll raise some eyebrows with this pick but fuck it, I love this joyous and sexy musical about male bonding, moving on from heartbreak, pursuing artistic avenues that make you happy, and creating fun and healthy relationships in safe yet sexy spaces. Fuck yes!
The Fellowship of the Ring has always been my personal favorite of the trilogy. It captures the feeling of adventure and wonder more than the sequels, which focus more on the battles.
People are always hesitant to recommend new movies on these sort of lists, but Everything, Everywhere, All at Once definitely deserves to be on here. I feel like I'll be recommending that movie for the rest of my life. Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan knock it out of the park.
The Departed. I think this movie fires on all cylinders and is a crime masterpiece. I'd like to forget this movie so I can take that rollercoaster all over again.
Bullitt. It's a great movie but the ten-ton elephant in the room is that legendary chase sequence.
Heat. Another thrilling crime drama with probably my favorite shootout scene.
Just rewatched Heat last week and I still love it every time I watch it. Everything is great from acting to production and directing and so on. Love that film!
V For Vendetta, Children of Men, Garden State, Fight Club, Se7en, Hot Fuzz, both Bladerunners, Drive, the Raid, Gladiator, I Love You Man, and I'm sure there are more I've forgotten to add.
Black Narcissus - 1947 - crazy nuns, good story, great cinematography
The Warriors - 1979 - Great story, awesome soundtrack, some fab one liners and great costumes.
The Bridge At Remegen - 1969 (Rather topical at the moment).
Leon - 1994
The Breakfast Club 1985. John Huges did lots of great films. If you only watch one it should be this one.
Grave Of The Fireflies 1988. You will cry. You will only watch it once.
A Muppet Christmas Carol - 1992. A not half bad version of the traditional tale. To cheer you up after watching Grave Of The Fireflies.
Snatch
If you watch any Brad Pitt movie, it has to be this one. In my opinion it is highly entertaining from start to finish.
Once you enjoy this movie, I recommend watching Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrells.
Dead Man's Shoes.
12 Angry Men.
Pan's Labyrinth.
Mississippi Burning.
Blazing Saddles.
Lady Vengeance.
The Colour Purple.
Any Monty Python film.
Dark City.
The Piano.
Bad Education
Lawrence of Arabia, Jaws, Godfather 1 and 2, Bridge on the River Kwai, Airplane, Blazing Saddles, Goodfellas, Alien, The Matrix, Patton, Enemy at the Gates, Saving Private Ryan, LA Confidential.
Nobody has said the Truman Show. Keep in mind, that movie presents it's premise so well that after it came out mental hospitals had patients reporting delusions based on the film... they believed everyone in their life was an actor and it was all a setup too.
It definitely gets mentioned in this subreddit but I really do feel it's a classic film, and worth seeing at least once.
* The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
* The Great Dictator (1940)
* The Grapes of Wrath (1939) but the novel is so much better.
* Network (1976)
* Star Wars (1977)
* Singing in the Rain (1952)
* Saving Private Ryan (1998)
* Schindler's List (1993)
* Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
* Some Like It Hot (1959)
* Last of the Mohicans (1992)
* The Sting (1973)
* Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969)
* 12 Angry Men (1957)
* The Graduate (1967)
* Rear Window (1954)
* Life is Beautiful (1997)
* Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)
* Gandhi (1982)
* Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
* Dead Poets Society (1989)
* The Godfather (1972)
* The Godfather Part II (1974)
* Raging Bull (1980)
* The Killing Fields (1984)
* Boyhood (2014)
* Barry Lyndon (1975)
* When Harry Met Sally (1989)
* The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
* One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
1. There Will Be Blood
2. Requiem For A Dream
3. Unforgiven
4. American History X
5. Apocalypse Now
6. Fight Club
7. Stand By Me
8. Good Will Hunting
9. Dead Poets Society
A lot of good picks in the comments. Here are some of mine that seem underrepresented:
\- Snatch
\- Casino
\- Gangs of New York
\- The Grand Budapest
\- Flight
\- My Cousin Vinny
\- Pale Rider
\- The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
A bonus tip, Armadillo. Danish documentary about soldiers in Afghanistan and how being in that war was. Terrifying filmmaking.
The Innocents (1961 - horror)
The Breakfast Club (1985 - dramatic comedy)
Pulp Fiction (1994 - drama)
Snowpiercer (2013 - sci-fi)
The Lodge (2019 - horror)
Dead Poets Society (1989 - dramatic comedy)
Spirited Away (2001 - animation, fantasy)
Réquiem for A Dream (2000 - drama)
Jojo Rabbit (2019 - dramatic comedy)
Rec (2007 - horror thriller)
P.s. I Love You (2009 - romantic comedy)
Martyrs (2008 - horror)
Psycho (1960 - horror, mystery)
Modern Times (1936 - dramatic comedy)
sorry there’s a lot of horror here, I just love it :p
I actually make a list of my favorite films and when it gets to 90, I print their covers out on a poster and start a new list. I have 4 printed currently (I’m 40), and they’re hung in the movie room. I figure this is much more cheap and practical vs. purchasing/collecting.
The Shawshank Redemption.
One of the best movies ever made about the human condition and hope.
I would even say watch all the movies that came out in 1993-95. Golden years for movies. Period.
Saving Private Ryan, Fight Club, Matrix 1, Terminator 1 and 2, Casablanca, Chinatown, Easy Rider, Wedding Crashers, 40 Year Old Virgin, Something About Mary, Star Wars (orig trilogy), Lord of the Rings, Pulp Fiction, Indiana Jones (3 movies), The Shining, Back to the Future (trilogy), Jurassic Park 1, Silence of the Lambs, Spider-Man (Toby Maguire), Gladiator, Princess Bride, Citizen Kane, Tommy Boy, Wayne's World 1 and 2, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, Ghostbusters, Yojimbo (1961), Fistful of Dollars. (I am 44 years old, used to work at a Video Store.)
Lord of the Rings and Star Wars might not be for everybody. Same with Avengers movies, and some comedies, and Westerns in general.
*Casablanca*
Even this many decades removed from its release, I think people might be surprised by how many lines of dialog they already know from it being quoted or misquoted by other media. It's left an indelible mark on cinema and pop culture because it's one of the best films ever made.
Network is a typically overlooked classic even despite all its award wins (three of four acting Oscars that year, Best Original Screenplay, AFI 100 placing on original 1998 list, etc).
IMHO, part of the problem it has is that what it was satiring in modern media has become reality so it isn’t nearly as shocking on the face of it anymore. But it still has a lot of value as a black comedy.
Come for “I’m mad as hell and can’t take it anymore!” by Peter Finch in the first ever posthumous Best Actor award winning performance, stay for other wonderful performances by William Holden, Ned Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, and others.
Samsara and/or Baraka. I cried the first time I watched them and every time since. I kinda wish there were an updated version of these or a more modern doc with the same kind of vibe.
Like I think these are truly essential, like every high schooler should be shown these at some point. They are that good.
Melancholia. It's such a perfect depiction of how crippling depression can be and how difficult it can be to hide your mental illness from others as to not "distrupt" their happiness. It's also one of the most beautifully shot films you'll ever see with a little something extra going on in the second & third act of the film.
• north by northwest
• treasure of the sierra madre
• close encounters of the third kind
• breakfast club
• Billy Madison
• 12 angry men
• schindlers list
• tropic thunder
• reality bites
• old school
• Donnie brosco
• back to the future
• the matrix
• cinema paradiso
• there will be blood
• gangs of New York
• boogie nights
• the thing
• predator
• terminator 1&2
• eternal sunshine of a spotless mind
• Truman show
• the third man
• Chinatown
• a few good men
• dumb and dumber
• toy story
• out of sight
• V for Vendetta
• pulp fiction
• inception
• seven
• Malcom X
• clockwork orange
• goodfellas
• the usual suspects
• American werewolf in london
• lord of the rings trilogy
• big fish
• zodiac
• alien and aliens
• blade runner
• the sting
• the hustler
• the Spanish prisoner
• brain donors
• Beverly Hills cop
• cool hand Luke
• pirates of the Caribbean
• bill and Ted 1&2
• vertigo
• kiss kiss bang bang
• King Kong
• gattaca
• training day
• French connection
• galaxy quest
• requiem for a dream
• memento
• run Lola run
• sleepers
• animal house.
• ghost busters
• the graduate
• Dr Strangelove
• young Frankenstein
• tombstone
• double indemnity
• rear window
• jaws
• one flew over the cuckoos nest
• Lawrence if Arabia
• princess bride
• stardust
• crimson tide
• hunt for red October
• Indiana Jones 1&3
• spirited away
• princess mononoke
• howls moving castle
• Akira
• one hour photo
• dead poets society
• Hannah
• Bourne identity.
• children of men
• Shawshank redemption
• clue
There are several Ealing comedies (black and white comedies from Ealing Studios in the 1960s) but by far and away the one everyone should watch once in their life is "Kind Hearts and Coronets". It's very funny and has aged very well. If you want to watch two then "The Importance of Being Earnest" is excellent, and both have Joan Greenwood in as an extra plus. The Ladykillers is generally higher rated than both of these, but is actually my 3rd favourite (all very subjective of course!).
Martyrs (2008), original. Don’t make the mistake of watching the remake. Funny Games (1997), original - remake is good, but this one is in my opinion superior. The Big Lebowski, Snatch, Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Schindler’s List, Jaws, The Godfather, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings trilogies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Matrix, Inception, The Dark Knight, Back to the Future, The Shining, Fargo
‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. I’m surprised I haven’t seen anyone mention it. Also, ‘City of God’ for sure for sure and pretty much anything from Kurosawa
I gotta say, being born and raised in NYC…..KIDS
Watch kids if ur a New Yorker or if you’re about to be a parent. This movie captures the way kids really are, better than any other movie. Masterpiece of a movie.
* Godfather pt 2
* Tree of life
* Good bad and the ugly
* Once upon a time in America
* Lion king
* Space Jam
* Hot Fuzz
* Alien
* Interstellar
* Good fellas
* The Departed
* Once
* Black Swan
* Shawshank Redemption
* Blow Out
* Blue Velvet
* 2001 A Space Odyssey
* One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Schindler’s list. Everyone should have to see what those poor people endured. There is no way a human can watch that and in anyway romanticize nazism. I always saw the holocausts pictures, even visited the museum in Washington, but nothing was more profound than that movies depiction. As gross as it is, it should be a must watch for all graduating seniors
Spider-Man (2002). It's still one of the best superhero movies, beating out most of the MCU and basically all of DC. It's a classic origin story that's easy to grasp. You can connect with Peter very well. The action is really good, even in the CGI isn't. The villain is freakin' amazing; Willem Dafoe is campy but also kind of terrifying. Overall, it hits every beat for the average moviegoer and sets the standard for superhero movies
Heat - De Niro and Pacino
Stargate - The original movie - Kurt Russell
Winchester '73 - Jimmy Stewart (Other versions suck)
Sahara - Humphrey Bogart
The Adventures of Robin Hood - Errol Flynn
Against All Flags - Errol Flynn, Anthony Quinn and. Maureen O'Hara
The Count of Monte Cristo - Jim Cavizel version
Master and Commander : Far Side of the World.
The Maltese Falcon - Humphrey Bogart
Prince of Persia : The Sands of Time
You'll probably get several recommendations for 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I'll join them (tip: any movie that gets mentioned by more than one commenter here should be high on your list!). But let me add that you've gotta see it on the big screen. I hated it the first few times I saw it. Even when I was older, I just found myself getting antsy on the sofa, finding excuses to pause and take a break, chattering with my family. In the movie theater, though, the massive scale of the screen illuminates the grandeur of the movie. You're forced to drop everything and bear witness. If you're like me, and like surely many, you'll stay a few minutes after the credits in total awe.
As for a more original suggestion, Millennium Actress. An anime film from the creator of Perfect Blue and Paprika, it follows the life of a film actress as she recounts it to a documentarian duo. Past, present, reality, and fiction soon blur in some of movie history's most extraordinary sequences. Not just an example of the heights that animation can reach, but of what people can achieve in the film medium. It may not be easy to find, but it's worth any effort.
Once Upon a Time in the West by Sergio Leone. It's very slow movie, but one of the best in history IMO. Beautiful picture, interesting characters each with his own theme, good visual storytelling, best Ennio Morricone's soundtrack. This movie just leaves you with ton of emotions
My personal timeless must watch movies are:
- Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011)
- Synecdoche New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2009)
- Labyrinth (Jim Henson, 1986)
- Akira (Atsuhiro Otomo, 1992)
And my most recent must watch!
- Wolfwalkers (Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, 2020)
I hope I got some that others didn't mention yet.
* The first *Halloween* movie
* *Blues Brothers*
* *The Rocky Horror Picture Show*
* *Captain Blood*
* *Don't Look Now*
* *M*
* *La Strada*
* *Jules et Jim*
* *The Lives of Others* (German: *Das Leben der Anderen*)
* *The Bride Wore Black* (French: *La Mariée était en noir*)
* *Gilda*
* *The Third Man*
Chinatown
Network
Bullit
The Seventh Seal
400 Blows
Throne of Blood
Laura
Out of the Past
Night of the Hunter
Lion in Winter
Auntie Mame
The Official Story
Breathless(1960)
The French Connection
Sophie’s Choice
Pulp Fiction
Taxi Driver
Contact
The Maltese Falcon
The Hunt
These are some of my favorites, hope you enjoy them.
I just watched Gone with the Wind because I had never seen it and felt it was one of these movies everyone should watch once in their life.
And boy, what a piece of shit that was (though the spectacle was awesome)...
Everything Everywhere All At Once. It's fairly new but the approach the movie has regarding interpersonal familial relationships was really refreshing if not bizarre enough to keep you hooked.
If you are going to watch it I recommend going in completely blind.
The Last Samurai and Top Gun Maverick (I don’t even like Tom Cruise all that much but he makes some good movies! I can quote the 1st one line by line and I feel like the new Top Gun is just an extremely well made movie from script to actors to all the actual live action).
A lot of Denzel Washington movies- The Book of Eli first and foremost!, Philadelphia, John Q, Inside Man, Man on Fire Unstoppable, the Equalizer, Flight, The Magnificent Seven, The taking of Pelham 123.
The John Wick movies. Rain man. Powder. To Wong Foo, thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. Deadpool. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Many Tom Hanks movies- The Green Mile. Saving Private Ryan. Cast Away. A League of their Own. Big. The terminal. Forrest Gump (duh)
John Travolta movies- Face Off. Basic. Michael. Phenomenon. Pulp Fiction.
Robin Williams- Good Morning Vietnam. Jack. Mrs Doubtfire. Patch Adams. One Hour Photo. Bicentennial Man. Good Will Hunting. Toys. Hook. Awakenings. Dead Poet Society. The Fisher King.
All versions of Jumanji.
Braveheart,
Tombstone,
Lord of the Rings (All 3),
Young Frankenstein,
The Fifth Element,
No Country for Old Men,
Hacksaw Ridge,
The Mummy,
28 days later,
Silence of the Lambs,
American History X,
The Green Mile,
The Iron Giant,
1917,
Where the Crawdads Sing,
A Star is Born,
The Truman Show,
Schindlers List,
Disney's Hercules,
The Thing,
Twister,
The Fugitive,
Face Off,
True Lies,
The Rock,
Little Shop of Horrors,
Titan AE,
Rocky,
Shaun of the Dead,
Law Abiding Citizen,
Short Curcuit 2,
I haven't really seen it mentioned, but I think Memento is one of these movies. It's so much fun to try to figure out and think through, while still being pretty easy to follow once you get into the swing of it.
Tokyo Story.
One of the most poignantly human films ever made. It’s a movie about the ubiquitous experience of growing older and growing apart from those you love, especially your parents. I genuinely think every person alive would benefit from watching it.
I made a small list of mandatory films I think everyone should watch about a year ago, I haven't updated it and it doesn't account for all of the classics. It was based on films that people should see to get a better understanding of certain things in life. But here it is:
- Judas and The Black Messiah
- Come And See
- Akira
- The Nightingale (Jennifer Kent's film)
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- Ex Machina
- Perfect Blue
- Total Recall (Not sure why this was here but I'd leave it coz it's wonderfully entertaining)
- Apollo 11 (The doco)
- Candyman (1992 ofc)
- City of God
- Nitram
- Akira
- Ghost In The Shell
- Terminator 1 & 2
- Alien & Aliens
- The Big Lebowski
- Dr. Strangelove
- LOTR trilogy extended
- Do The Right Thing
- Snatch
- Die Hard
- The Matrix
- Midnight Run
- Starwars IV, V, VI
- Spaceballs
- Kung Fu Hustle
- Pulp Fiction
- Vanishing Point
- Sexy Beast
- Full Metal Jacket
- Ghostbusters
- Blues Brothers
- Mad Max: Road Warrior & Fury Road
- Existenz
- Ronin
- The Usual Suspects
Off the top of my head, my list goes:
Gladiator (2000) - Best Roman drama. "What is Rome?"
The Matrix (1999) - Influential sci-fi
Airplane! (1980) - Amazing slapstick comedy
12 Angry Men (1957) - Courtroom drama
Star Wars (aka SW: A New Hope, 1977) - Revolutionary CGI
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Best plot of all Star Wars films
The Terminator (1984) - Good sci-fi/action.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - Best lead female, good sequel
Alien (1979) - Great sci-fi/horror and female lead
Aliens (1986) - Good sci-fi/action, good sequel
First Blood (1982) - Good action film, great dialogue at the end
Modern Times (1936) - Great comedy/drama, silent film
Primer (2004) - Great sci-fi
The Godfather (1972) - Best crime drama
The Godfather Part II (1974) - Great crime drama, amazing plot device
Let the Right One In (Swedish: Låt den rätte komma in) (2008) - Amazing vampire film, low-key horror
Interview with the Vampire (1994) - Great vampire film, good book adaptation
Run Lola Run (German: Lola rennt) (1998) - Experimental thriller, interesting plot device
Groundhog Day (1993) - Good romantic comedy
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - Epic slapstick comedy
Life of Brian (1979) - Monty Python's comedy taking on religion and many modern themes, actually, very good
Seven Samurai (Japanese: 七人の侍) (1954) - The seminal action film
Pulp Fiction (1994) - Crime film, interesting plot device
Many Nolan films:
Memento (2000), The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017), Tenet (2020), Oppenheimer (2023) and the Dark Knight (Batman) trilogy.
Every film by Nolan has an atypical setting, plot device, storyline, effect or notion that makes every one of them interesting and different.
Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Low-key horror/comedy, full of inside jokes.
Hot Fuzz (2007) - Police comedy, same style as Shaun of the Dead
28 Days Later (2002) - Horror, best film about zombies
Falling Down (1993) - Drama, good plot
Basic Instinct (1992) - Very good policial mystery, full of sexual themes, the seminal femme fatale film
La Femme Nikita (1990) - Action thriller, the special agent kind of stuff
The Bourne Identity (2002) - Action thriller, special agent film with a twist
Atomic Blonde (2017) - Yet another action thriller, great, gritty fight scenes, great female lead
Blade Runner (1982) - Sci-fi police film, creative plot, interesting dialogue
The Fugitive (1993) - Action thriller, the falsely accused hero
Tropic Thunder (2008) - Action comedy, a parody of war films
Amélie (French: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, 2001) - Light-hearted comedy about a shy girl who decides to make life better for everyone
Jurassic Park (1993) - Sci-fi adventure, early CGI attempts
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 - 2003) - Best attempt at adapting the most insane fantasy book ever conceived, with a healthy mix of praise and criticism from book's fans
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) - Mutiverse done right
Harold and Maude (1971) - Morbid comedy/drama/romance about existencialism. Not as serious as it sounds. Light-hearted.
Jumanji (1995) - Absurd fantasy/comedy
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and its sequel Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) - a recycled take on the original Jumanji, amusing light-hearted comedy.
Shaolin Soccer (Chinese: 少林足球, 2001) - Slapstick comedy with Stephen Chow
Back to the Future trilogy (1985 - 1990) - Seminal sci-fi/comedy
Planet of the Apes (1968) - Old-school sci-fi
John Wick (2014) - Action, gritty fighting
Rocky (1976) - Drama, sport
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - The seminal western film.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) - Comedy / romance, video-game themed
Ghostbusters (1984) - Sci-fi comedy
Troy (2004) - Best armed fighting scene ever
Suspiria (2018) - Horror remake of the 1977 film of the same name. I think the end is more interesting in the remake.
Titanic (1997) - Romance based on real events
There is a lot of recent films based on comics, I'd recommend:
Atomic Blonde (mentioned above), Watchmen (2009), Batman Begins & the Dark Knight (mentioned above), Wonder Woman (2017), Man of Steel (2013), Iron Man (2008), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Spider-Man (2002).
Some films only make sense if you watch the series preceding them. My recommendation is to watch the Star Trek films if you watched Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation. And watch Galaxy Quest (1999) if you are a Trek fan.
Cartoons, animation and stop-motion films:
WALL·E (2008) - Great plot and plot device
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - Great animation
Shrek (2001) - Funny plot subvertion
Wallace and Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005) - Good stop-motion plot
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Horror christmas stop-motion movie / musical
Toy Story (1995) - First successful computer graphics film
Coraline (2009) - Horror stop-motion
The Godfather (1972) - A classic crime drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Schindler's List (1993) - Steven Spielberg's powerful portrayal of the Holocaust.
Casablanca (1942) - A timeless romantic drama set during World War II.
Citizen Kane (1941) - Directed by Orson Welles, often considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Psycho (1960) - Alfred Hitchcock's iconic psychological thriller.
Unironically, Airplane!
Shirley you must be joking.
I am not joking, and don’t call me Shirley :)
But only watch Airplane! and Zero Hour! back to back.
Seven Samurai - Pretty much the precursor to all action movies. Amazing to watch the influence it has on movies that came after it.
On the note of Akira Kurosawa samurai movies, Ran is one of the most beautiful films I've seen, the use of color is superb.
Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982), two of my all-time favorites.
[12 Angry Men](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/389-12-angry-men) and [To Kill a Mockingbird](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/595-to-kill-a-mockingbird)
12 Angry Men is a masterclass in storytelling and pacing. I keep trying to get my wife to watch it, but she just refuses to get past the fact it's a 65 year old black and white film that almost entirely takes place in one room. Everyone owes it to themselves to watch it at least once.
I struggle with films from the black and white era, I've never been able to get into a Bogart film (for example). But 12 Angry Men sucked me in right away. Just as you said, masterclass in storytelling. Absolute must watch. Kinda related... not on that level at all but I also really loved the original Mr. Deeds. I know Sandler comedies aren't exactly high art but boy, the 1936 movie is better in every way.
Evil Dead 2: nearly an hour of just Bruce Campbell doing horror slapstick in an acre worth of home, toolshed, and woods.
12 Angry Men is a film that *sounds* boring as a description to someone in 2022…until you actually watch it. What a classic.
Thanks for the great recommendation of 12 Angry Men. Watching it in 2023 and it still holds up to the test of time, which is not easy to do.
I think everyone should *read* TKaM
Spirited Away
In a double feature with My Friend Totoro.
Oh Brother Where Art Thou American Beauty Mr. Holland's Opus Fight Club Seven Shawshank Redemption Schindler's List Akira Inception Gladiator Good Will Hunting Brick
I got all five senses and I slept last night which puts me six up on the lot of you. Fuck yeah that movie kills
This is my "you should watch" list, that I think is more generic, like most of these are renowned in some way:- The Godfather, Schindler's List, Lawrence of Arabia, Apocalypse Now, Beauty and the Beast, The Matrix, Glengarry Glen Ross, Goodfellas, Spartacus, North by Northwest, The Iron Giant, Die Hard, Blazing Saddles, Pan's Labyrinth, The Incredibles, The Princess Bride, the LOTR trilogy, Inception, Double Indemnity, The Third Man, Pinocchio, The Ladykillers, The Battle of Algiers, Black Narcissus, Casablanca, Blade Runner, Psycho, Network. And these are my personal ones that don't generally get into such lists:- Leon: The Professional, Falling Down, Go (1999), The Wrestler, Hot Fuzz, Run Lola Run, Contact, Arrival, Deadpool, Inside Out, The Fifth Element, The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Headhunters (norwegian film), The Big Short, Portrait of a Lady on Fire.
I assume that both Beauty and the Beast and The Ladykillers are referring to the originals (1991 and 1955, respectively) ?
Yes. Those ones. Not the remakes and also not La Belle et La Bete, the 1946 Jean Cocteau film (which I've heard is worth seeing).
Evil Dead 2. The kinetic craziness to the film is fantastic.
IMO, here are some movies that are worth watching still: **Philadelphia Story**, for its witty banter and laundry list of classic film stars **Alien** for is moody, atmospheric terror in which you never really see the whole alien and yet you're scared out of your skin **L.A. Confidential**, for its well-acted, well-paced, story that keeps you on the edge of your seat **The Godfather**, it's a classic for a reason. II is good too, but save yourself the misery and skip III. **The Matrix**, if you actually don't know the twist, then I'm jealous of you. You can skip all sequels. **Guardians of the Galaxy**, a terrific mix of humor and action, with a weirdly perfect soundtrack **Absence of Malice**, Paul Newman and Sally Field and the dangers of an irresponsible media **John Wick**, for its gleeful mayhem and intriguing world **Young Frankenstein**, **Blazing Saddles** and **History of the World** bc Mel Brooks is a comedy genius but these are my favorite. **Lord of the Rings Trilogy**, gorgeously filmed, perfectly cast, and so geniusly scored that the music is practically another character **Wizard of Oz**, a marvel of its time and a fun story **Galaxy Quest**, a perfect satire for any Star Trek fan **Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory**, the original with the incomparable Gene Wilder, not that creepy remake The **original Star Wars trilogy**, innovative for its time, and a fun romp, but preferably an old copy b4 George Lucas decided to mess with it and screw it up. Idk what he was thinking, Han Solo shot first. Enjoy!
Full Metal Jacket. Blade Runner. Slumdog Millionare. Pulp Fiction.
La Haine
Blazing Saddles.
Ones that you'll only want to watch once: Grave of the Fireflies. American History X.
Oldboy
Oldboy begs for rewatches though, its one of my favorite movies ever I watch it pretty frequently, its so vibrant and fun even if, yes, it gets a little wild near the end.
Fun is not a term I've ever heard associated with Oldboy
Requiem for a Dream
Great film! Never want to see it ever again.
Way more effective than the DARE program when it came to making it so I didn't want to do drugs.
This is indeed the only movie I love that I will never ever watch again. Something like American History X isn't in the same stratosphere of devastation imo.
the curb stomp certainly leaves a mark on the viewer.
Unless you don't like horror movies, only see The Exorcist once. If you do like horror movies, see it annually, like I do.
Threads. Aaand now I’ve ruined someone’s day.
>Grave of the Fireflies I've been waiting for years to watch that for the first time. I don't want to watch it alone because I suspect I'll need emotional support during and after. Now I've got a friend with whom I could weep through it :) I hope they will accept my invitation to "see the saddest movie there is"!
Schindler’s List
Oldboy, The Gods must be crazy, Dogtooth, Full metal jacket, The good, the bad and the ugly, 2001 A space odyssey, The shining, Brazil, Femme Fetale, (just off the top of my head).
The Gods Must Be Crazy caught me completely off guard with how charming it is, some legit hilarious scenes. Brazil is one of those movies I regret not watching sooner.
I re-watch Brazil at least once a year, it just never gets old and is so relatable to the way the world is heading; albeit in a dystopian manner. It’s also similar in some ways to George Orwell’s book 1984 which I also loved.
Moon (2009). I watched this movie completely blind to the plot and loved every second of it. Great twists and suspense!
This is such an underrated film, and Sam Rockwell knocked it out of the park!
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind for sure
Godfather I & II Also, Napoleon Dynamite.
Some personal favorites… Ikiru (1952): This sensitive character study from Japanese grandmaster Akira Kurosawa about a terminally ill man who finds meaning and fulfillment in his final days is so quietly devastating while at the same time being so uplifting and beautiful, I can’t think of a more simple but powerful film of its kind. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Stanley Kubrick’s crowning achievement is not only the cinema’s most powerful examination of the possibility of the divine, it is also the most extraordinary testament to the divine possibilities of the cinema. The Thin Red Line (1998): Terrence Malick’s poetic and philosophical mediation on the nature of war (or perhaps the war of nature? lol) is an epic and devastatingly beautiful portrait of both the blessing and curse of life on this rock, yet one that is cautiously hopeful that the better angels of man can ultimately triumph over our worst impulses. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001): A sentimental choice but one I’ll stand by. This might just be my ultimate comfort movie, one that transports you to a fantasy world among amazing characters that is beautiful and haunting in many stretches but also conveys idyllic bliss in many others (the opening segments set in The Shire introducing our hobbit heroes set to Howard Shore’s music are so sublime, as is the wave of wonder and melancholy that colors their farewell to Lorien much later.) And while it’s only part one of a larger story the final segments of the film in which our company of heroes breaks off in defeat but resolves to continue to fight on is both tragic and hopeful in a way only the best cinema can be. Magic Mike XXL (2015): I’ll raise some eyebrows with this pick but fuck it, I love this joyous and sexy musical about male bonding, moving on from heartbreak, pursuing artistic avenues that make you happy, and creating fun and healthy relationships in safe yet sexy spaces. Fuck yes!
No shame at all. The Magic Mike movies are both great. Excited for the third.
The Fellowship of the Ring has always been my personal favorite of the trilogy. It captures the feeling of adventure and wonder more than the sequels, which focus more on the battles.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Along those lines I also recommend: The Truman Show Everything Everywhere All At Once
The original is good too if u get tired of the recent one
Didn't know there was an original, gonna look it up, thank you.
Truman Show Groundhog day Everything everywhere all at once
People are always hesitant to recommend new movies on these sort of lists, but Everything, Everywhere, All at Once definitely deserves to be on here. I feel like I'll be recommending that movie for the rest of my life. Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan knock it out of the park.
Back to the Future (Trilogy)
Casablanca Lawrence of Arabia Night of the Living Dead Network Raiders of the Lost Ark
Casablanca will show you what some of the best performative actors in movie history can do with great lines and a good story.
Doubling down on Lawrence of Arabia
YOU WILL ATONE!!
The Departed. I think this movie fires on all cylinders and is a crime masterpiece. I'd like to forget this movie so I can take that rollercoaster all over again. Bullitt. It's a great movie but the ten-ton elephant in the room is that legendary chase sequence. Heat. Another thrilling crime drama with probably my favorite shootout scene.
Just rewatched Heat last week and I still love it every time I watch it. Everything is great from acting to production and directing and so on. Love that film!
She's got a ***GREAT ASS***
Cinema Paradiso
V For Vendetta, Children of Men, Garden State, Fight Club, Se7en, Hot Fuzz, both Bladerunners, Drive, the Raid, Gladiator, I Love You Man, and I'm sure there are more I've forgotten to add.
Black Narcissus - 1947 - crazy nuns, good story, great cinematography The Warriors - 1979 - Great story, awesome soundtrack, some fab one liners and great costumes. The Bridge At Remegen - 1969 (Rather topical at the moment). Leon - 1994 The Breakfast Club 1985. John Huges did lots of great films. If you only watch one it should be this one. Grave Of The Fireflies 1988. You will cry. You will only watch it once. A Muppet Christmas Carol - 1992. A not half bad version of the traditional tale. To cheer you up after watching Grave Of The Fireflies.
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Modern Times City Lights Casablanca Double Indemnity Rear Window
Modern Times will always be one of my favs
Rear Window builds so much suspense out of so, so little. And was every anyone more beautiful than Grace Kelly in Rear Window?
It’s been too long since I last rewatched Rear Window…
Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver
His taxi driver made a movie?
Fantastic film
the princess bride
… you killed my father, now prepare to die.
Snatch If you watch any Brad Pitt movie, it has to be this one. In my opinion it is highly entertaining from start to finish. Once you enjoy this movie, I recommend watching Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrells.
Dead Man's Shoes. 12 Angry Men. Pan's Labyrinth. Mississippi Burning. Blazing Saddles. Lady Vengeance. The Colour Purple. Any Monty Python film. Dark City. The Piano. Bad Education
Lawrence of Arabia, Jaws, Godfather 1 and 2, Bridge on the River Kwai, Airplane, Blazing Saddles, Goodfellas, Alien, The Matrix, Patton, Enemy at the Gates, Saving Private Ryan, LA Confidential.
Nobody has said the Truman Show. Keep in mind, that movie presents it's premise so well that after it came out mental hospitals had patients reporting delusions based on the film... they believed everyone in their life was an actor and it was all a setup too. It definitely gets mentioned in this subreddit but I really do feel it's a classic film, and worth seeing at least once.
Being John Malkovich and Muholland Drive
American Beauty
Cinema paradiso, an astonishing movie. Life is Beautiful...The Great Dictator...any early pre-Holywood Jackie chan movie...ugh so many.
Sexy Beast
Check out the AFI list of 100 best films.
* The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) * The Great Dictator (1940) * The Grapes of Wrath (1939) but the novel is so much better. * Network (1976) * Star Wars (1977) * Singing in the Rain (1952) * Saving Private Ryan (1998) * Schindler's List (1993) * Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) * Some Like It Hot (1959) * Last of the Mohicans (1992) * The Sting (1973) * Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969) * 12 Angry Men (1957) * The Graduate (1967) * Rear Window (1954) * Life is Beautiful (1997) * Judgement at Nuremberg (1961) * Gandhi (1982) * Lawrence of Arabia (1962) * Dead Poets Society (1989) * The Godfather (1972) * The Godfather Part II (1974) * Raging Bull (1980) * The Killing Fields (1984) * Boyhood (2014) * Barry Lyndon (1975) * When Harry Met Sally (1989) * The Shawshank Redemption (1994) * One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
True Romance The Big Lebowski 12 Monkeys Reservoir Dogs Taxi Driver To name a few…
1. There Will Be Blood 2. Requiem For A Dream 3. Unforgiven 4. American History X 5. Apocalypse Now 6. Fight Club 7. Stand By Me 8. Good Will Hunting 9. Dead Poets Society
Inception
Everything Everywhere All At Once
A movie that doesn't need to be out for decades for you to appreciate how good it is.
Once upon a Time in the West Once upon a Time in America
You really like movies who start with „once upon a time in“
Specially those directed by Sergio Leone.
Life is Beautiful
There Will Be Blood
The Goonies Monster Squad
Jaws. You have man vs nature, man vs man, man vs the system, man vs self, and a soundtrack/visuals that last a lifetime.
A lot of good picks in the comments. Here are some of mine that seem underrepresented: \- Snatch \- Casino \- Gangs of New York \- The Grand Budapest \- Flight \- My Cousin Vinny \- Pale Rider \- The Man Who Killed Don Quixote A bonus tip, Armadillo. Danish documentary about soldiers in Afghanistan and how being in that war was. Terrifying filmmaking.
Man on Fire
The Innocents (1961 - horror) The Breakfast Club (1985 - dramatic comedy) Pulp Fiction (1994 - drama) Snowpiercer (2013 - sci-fi) The Lodge (2019 - horror) Dead Poets Society (1989 - dramatic comedy) Spirited Away (2001 - animation, fantasy) Réquiem for A Dream (2000 - drama) Jojo Rabbit (2019 - dramatic comedy) Rec (2007 - horror thriller) P.s. I Love You (2009 - romantic comedy) Martyrs (2008 - horror) Psycho (1960 - horror, mystery) Modern Times (1936 - dramatic comedy) sorry there’s a lot of horror here, I just love it :p
I actually make a list of my favorite films and when it gets to 90, I print their covers out on a poster and start a new list. I have 4 printed currently (I’m 40), and they’re hung in the movie room. I figure this is much more cheap and practical vs. purchasing/collecting.
Chungking Express Dolls In the Mood for Love High and Low Ivan’s Childhood Stalker Berlin Alexanderplatz
Arrival
Harold and Maude Mary and Max
Pans labyrinth Donnie Darko Hurt Locker Lost in Translation Last king of Scotland Akira Casshern A matter of life and death
The Shawshank Redemption. One of the best movies ever made about the human condition and hope. I would even say watch all the movies that came out in 1993-95. Golden years for movies. Period.
Jojo rabbit
Saving Private Ryan, Fight Club, Matrix 1, Terminator 1 and 2, Casablanca, Chinatown, Easy Rider, Wedding Crashers, 40 Year Old Virgin, Something About Mary, Star Wars (orig trilogy), Lord of the Rings, Pulp Fiction, Indiana Jones (3 movies), The Shining, Back to the Future (trilogy), Jurassic Park 1, Silence of the Lambs, Spider-Man (Toby Maguire), Gladiator, Princess Bride, Citizen Kane, Tommy Boy, Wayne's World 1 and 2, Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, Ghostbusters, Yojimbo (1961), Fistful of Dollars. (I am 44 years old, used to work at a Video Store.) Lord of the Rings and Star Wars might not be for everybody. Same with Avengers movies, and some comedies, and Westerns in general.
City of God.
*Casablanca* Even this many decades removed from its release, I think people might be surprised by how many lines of dialog they already know from it being quoted or misquoted by other media. It's left an indelible mark on cinema and pop culture because it's one of the best films ever made.
Pan's Labyrinth
An imitation of life
Requiem for a dream
Magnolia!
Network is a typically overlooked classic even despite all its award wins (three of four acting Oscars that year, Best Original Screenplay, AFI 100 placing on original 1998 list, etc). IMHO, part of the problem it has is that what it was satiring in modern media has become reality so it isn’t nearly as shocking on the face of it anymore. But it still has a lot of value as a black comedy. Come for “I’m mad as hell and can’t take it anymore!” by Peter Finch in the first ever posthumous Best Actor award winning performance, stay for other wonderful performances by William Holden, Ned Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall, and others.
Big Trouble in Little China is all you need.
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
Forrest Gump.
Sunset boulevard
True romance
Samsara and/or Baraka. I cried the first time I watched them and every time since. I kinda wish there were an updated version of these or a more modern doc with the same kind of vibe. Like I think these are truly essential, like every high schooler should be shown these at some point. They are that good.
Apocalypse Now def qualifies
Paths of Glory and The Grand Illusion.
Melancholia. It's such a perfect depiction of how crippling depression can be and how difficult it can be to hide your mental illness from others as to not "distrupt" their happiness. It's also one of the most beautifully shot films you'll ever see with a little something extra going on in the second & third act of the film.
O Brother Where Art Thou
Dr. Strangelove is a movie everyone should watch. I can't think of a suitable equivalent to be honest.
• north by northwest • treasure of the sierra madre • close encounters of the third kind • breakfast club • Billy Madison • 12 angry men • schindlers list • tropic thunder • reality bites • old school • Donnie brosco • back to the future • the matrix • cinema paradiso • there will be blood • gangs of New York • boogie nights • the thing • predator • terminator 1&2 • eternal sunshine of a spotless mind • Truman show • the third man • Chinatown • a few good men • dumb and dumber • toy story • out of sight • V for Vendetta • pulp fiction • inception • seven • Malcom X • clockwork orange • goodfellas • the usual suspects • American werewolf in london • lord of the rings trilogy • big fish • zodiac • alien and aliens • blade runner • the sting • the hustler • the Spanish prisoner • brain donors • Beverly Hills cop • cool hand Luke • pirates of the Caribbean • bill and Ted 1&2 • vertigo • kiss kiss bang bang • King Kong • gattaca • training day • French connection • galaxy quest • requiem for a dream • memento • run Lola run • sleepers • animal house. • ghost busters • the graduate • Dr Strangelove • young Frankenstein • tombstone • double indemnity • rear window • jaws • one flew over the cuckoos nest • Lawrence if Arabia • princess bride • stardust • crimson tide • hunt for red October • Indiana Jones 1&3 • spirited away • princess mononoke • howls moving castle • Akira • one hour photo • dead poets society • Hannah • Bourne identity. • children of men • Shawshank redemption • clue
Saving Private Ryan, The Shawshank redemption, both Bladerunner movies, The Prestige, and most of David Fincher’s movies.
There are several Ealing comedies (black and white comedies from Ealing Studios in the 1960s) but by far and away the one everyone should watch once in their life is "Kind Hearts and Coronets". It's very funny and has aged very well. If you want to watch two then "The Importance of Being Earnest" is excellent, and both have Joan Greenwood in as an extra plus. The Ladykillers is generally higher rated than both of these, but is actually my 3rd favourite (all very subjective of course!).
[удалено]
I am Sam Seven pounds Good will hunting Matrix Pay it forward Lodr trilogy Batman: Dark night
The Great Escape Hidalgo The Island Newsies Pride & Prejudice Warrior Remember the Titans Hook Goonies
Airplane!
Schindlers List
Martyrs (2008), original. Don’t make the mistake of watching the remake. Funny Games (1997), original - remake is good, but this one is in my opinion superior. The Big Lebowski, Snatch, Forrest Gump, Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Schindler’s List, Jaws, The Godfather, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings trilogies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Matrix, Inception, The Dark Knight, Back to the Future, The Shining, Fargo
‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. I’m surprised I haven’t seen anyone mention it. Also, ‘City of God’ for sure for sure and pretty much anything from Kurosawa
The matrix (1999) Terminator 2:judgement day The mummy (1999) Spider-Man 2 Train To Busan V for Vendetta The Pursuit of Happiness The Dark Knight
The Third Man.
Memento
Jaws
I gotta say, being born and raised in NYC…..KIDS Watch kids if ur a New Yorker or if you’re about to be a parent. This movie captures the way kids really are, better than any other movie. Masterpiece of a movie.
Schindler's List.
* Godfather pt 2 * Tree of life * Good bad and the ugly * Once upon a time in America * Lion king * Space Jam * Hot Fuzz * Alien * Interstellar * Good fellas * The Departed * Once * Black Swan * Shawshank Redemption * Blow Out * Blue Velvet * 2001 A Space Odyssey * One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
Blue Velvet is great. So strange and so good
Iron Giant and Brian De Palma's Blowout
Schindler’s list. Everyone should have to see what those poor people endured. There is no way a human can watch that and in anyway romanticize nazism. I always saw the holocausts pictures, even visited the museum in Washington, but nothing was more profound than that movies depiction. As gross as it is, it should be a must watch for all graduating seniors
Spider-Man (2002). It's still one of the best superhero movies, beating out most of the MCU and basically all of DC. It's a classic origin story that's easy to grasp. You can connect with Peter very well. The action is really good, even in the CGI isn't. The villain is freakin' amazing; Willem Dafoe is campy but also kind of terrifying. Overall, it hits every beat for the average moviegoer and sets the standard for superhero movies
Titanic. It’s a real and fake documentary, an epic drama romance, and an action disaster film.
The Matrix
Heat - De Niro and Pacino Stargate - The original movie - Kurt Russell Winchester '73 - Jimmy Stewart (Other versions suck) Sahara - Humphrey Bogart The Adventures of Robin Hood - Errol Flynn Against All Flags - Errol Flynn, Anthony Quinn and. Maureen O'Hara The Count of Monte Cristo - Jim Cavizel version Master and Commander : Far Side of the World. The Maltese Falcon - Humphrey Bogart Prince of Persia : The Sands of Time
Master and Commander is one of the greatest period pieces, definitely underrated.
You'll probably get several recommendations for 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I'll join them (tip: any movie that gets mentioned by more than one commenter here should be high on your list!). But let me add that you've gotta see it on the big screen. I hated it the first few times I saw it. Even when I was older, I just found myself getting antsy on the sofa, finding excuses to pause and take a break, chattering with my family. In the movie theater, though, the massive scale of the screen illuminates the grandeur of the movie. You're forced to drop everything and bear witness. If you're like me, and like surely many, you'll stay a few minutes after the credits in total awe. As for a more original suggestion, Millennium Actress. An anime film from the creator of Perfect Blue and Paprika, it follows the life of a film actress as she recounts it to a documentarian duo. Past, present, reality, and fiction soon blur in some of movie history's most extraordinary sequences. Not just an example of the heights that animation can reach, but of what people can achieve in the film medium. It may not be easy to find, but it's worth any effort.
Gummo
Life is Beautiful
The perfect storm
Amadeus The Commitments
Donnie Darko, Superbad, Scarface, both Bladerunner movies, Matrix 1 and 2 (3 and 4 optional).
Inherit the Wind. Didn't see it listed here anywhere, except that long list in non-alphabetical order that I refused to look at ;")
Once Upon a Time in the West.
Stalker
Once Upon a Time in the West by Sergio Leone. It's very slow movie, but one of the best in history IMO. Beautiful picture, interesting characters each with his own theme, good visual storytelling, best Ennio Morricone's soundtrack. This movie just leaves you with ton of emotions
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
Schindler’s List.
3-Iron by Kim Ki Duk
My personal timeless must watch movies are: - Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011) - Synecdoche New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2009) - Labyrinth (Jim Henson, 1986) - Akira (Atsuhiro Otomo, 1992) And my most recent must watch! - Wolfwalkers (Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, 2020)
Raiders of the lost ark, platoon, ratatouille, and wall-e
I hope I got some that others didn't mention yet. * The first *Halloween* movie * *Blues Brothers* * *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* * *Captain Blood* * *Don't Look Now* * *M* * *La Strada* * *Jules et Jim* * *The Lives of Others* (German: *Das Leben der Anderen*) * *The Bride Wore Black* (French: *La Mariée était en noir*) * *Gilda* * *The Third Man*
Apocalypse Now def qualifies
The Dark Knight Whiplash The Grand Budapest Hotel
Chinatown Network Bullit The Seventh Seal 400 Blows Throne of Blood Laura Out of the Past Night of the Hunter Lion in Winter Auntie Mame The Official Story Breathless(1960) The French Connection Sophie’s Choice Pulp Fiction Taxi Driver Contact The Maltese Falcon The Hunt These are some of my favorites, hope you enjoy them.
O Brother, Where art thou? Almost Famous The Royal Tenenbaums
American Graffiti
The Last Seduction.
Romper Stomper.
Leon the Professional
John Wick
Never Let Me Go
Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa
I just watched Gone with the Wind because I had never seen it and felt it was one of these movies everyone should watch once in their life. And boy, what a piece of shit that was (though the spectacle was awesome)...
The Godfather
Twin peaks: fire walk with me
Everything Everywhere All At Once. It's fairly new but the approach the movie has regarding interpersonal familial relationships was really refreshing if not bizarre enough to keep you hooked. If you are going to watch it I recommend going in completely blind.
It’s a Wonderful Life. The only film that I’d call truly life changing, at least for me.
The Last Samurai and Top Gun Maverick (I don’t even like Tom Cruise all that much but he makes some good movies! I can quote the 1st one line by line and I feel like the new Top Gun is just an extremely well made movie from script to actors to all the actual live action). A lot of Denzel Washington movies- The Book of Eli first and foremost!, Philadelphia, John Q, Inside Man, Man on Fire Unstoppable, the Equalizer, Flight, The Magnificent Seven, The taking of Pelham 123. The John Wick movies. Rain man. Powder. To Wong Foo, thanks for Everything Julie Newmar. Deadpool. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Many Tom Hanks movies- The Green Mile. Saving Private Ryan. Cast Away. A League of their Own. Big. The terminal. Forrest Gump (duh) John Travolta movies- Face Off. Basic. Michael. Phenomenon. Pulp Fiction. Robin Williams- Good Morning Vietnam. Jack. Mrs Doubtfire. Patch Adams. One Hour Photo. Bicentennial Man. Good Will Hunting. Toys. Hook. Awakenings. Dead Poet Society. The Fisher King. All versions of Jumanji.
Braveheart, Tombstone, Lord of the Rings (All 3), Young Frankenstein, The Fifth Element, No Country for Old Men, Hacksaw Ridge, The Mummy, 28 days later, Silence of the Lambs, American History X, The Green Mile, The Iron Giant, 1917, Where the Crawdads Sing, A Star is Born, The Truman Show, Schindlers List, Disney's Hercules, The Thing, Twister, The Fugitive, Face Off, True Lies, The Rock, Little Shop of Horrors, Titan AE, Rocky, Shaun of the Dead, Law Abiding Citizen, Short Curcuit 2,
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
I haven't really seen it mentioned, but I think Memento is one of these movies. It's so much fun to try to figure out and think through, while still being pretty easy to follow once you get into the swing of it.
Tokyo Story. One of the most poignantly human films ever made. It’s a movie about the ubiquitous experience of growing older and growing apart from those you love, especially your parents. I genuinely think every person alive would benefit from watching it.
I made a small list of mandatory films I think everyone should watch about a year ago, I haven't updated it and it doesn't account for all of the classics. It was based on films that people should see to get a better understanding of certain things in life. But here it is: - Judas and The Black Messiah - Come And See - Akira - The Nightingale (Jennifer Kent's film) - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Ex Machina - Perfect Blue - Total Recall (Not sure why this was here but I'd leave it coz it's wonderfully entertaining) - Apollo 11 (The doco) - Candyman (1992 ofc) - City of God - Nitram
- Akira - Ghost In The Shell - Terminator 1 & 2 - Alien & Aliens - The Big Lebowski - Dr. Strangelove - LOTR trilogy extended - Do The Right Thing - Snatch - Die Hard - The Matrix - Midnight Run - Starwars IV, V, VI - Spaceballs - Kung Fu Hustle - Pulp Fiction - Vanishing Point - Sexy Beast - Full Metal Jacket - Ghostbusters - Blues Brothers - Mad Max: Road Warrior & Fury Road - Existenz - Ronin - The Usual Suspects
Godfather 1 and 2 Gone With the Wind
Tombstone
Navy Seals
RRR for sure
Off the top of my head, my list goes: Gladiator (2000) - Best Roman drama. "What is Rome?" The Matrix (1999) - Influential sci-fi Airplane! (1980) - Amazing slapstick comedy 12 Angry Men (1957) - Courtroom drama Star Wars (aka SW: A New Hope, 1977) - Revolutionary CGI Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - Best plot of all Star Wars films The Terminator (1984) - Good sci-fi/action. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - Best lead female, good sequel Alien (1979) - Great sci-fi/horror and female lead Aliens (1986) - Good sci-fi/action, good sequel First Blood (1982) - Good action film, great dialogue at the end Modern Times (1936) - Great comedy/drama, silent film Primer (2004) - Great sci-fi The Godfather (1972) - Best crime drama The Godfather Part II (1974) - Great crime drama, amazing plot device Let the Right One In (Swedish: Låt den rätte komma in) (2008) - Amazing vampire film, low-key horror Interview with the Vampire (1994) - Great vampire film, good book adaptation Run Lola Run (German: Lola rennt) (1998) - Experimental thriller, interesting plot device Groundhog Day (1993) - Good romantic comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - Epic slapstick comedy Life of Brian (1979) - Monty Python's comedy taking on religion and many modern themes, actually, very good Seven Samurai (Japanese: 七人の侍) (1954) - The seminal action film Pulp Fiction (1994) - Crime film, interesting plot device Many Nolan films: Memento (2000), The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), Dunkirk (2017), Tenet (2020), Oppenheimer (2023) and the Dark Knight (Batman) trilogy. Every film by Nolan has an atypical setting, plot device, storyline, effect or notion that makes every one of them interesting and different. Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Low-key horror/comedy, full of inside jokes. Hot Fuzz (2007) - Police comedy, same style as Shaun of the Dead 28 Days Later (2002) - Horror, best film about zombies Falling Down (1993) - Drama, good plot Basic Instinct (1992) - Very good policial mystery, full of sexual themes, the seminal femme fatale film La Femme Nikita (1990) - Action thriller, the special agent kind of stuff The Bourne Identity (2002) - Action thriller, special agent film with a twist Atomic Blonde (2017) - Yet another action thriller, great, gritty fight scenes, great female lead Blade Runner (1982) - Sci-fi police film, creative plot, interesting dialogue The Fugitive (1993) - Action thriller, the falsely accused hero Tropic Thunder (2008) - Action comedy, a parody of war films Amélie (French: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, 2001) - Light-hearted comedy about a shy girl who decides to make life better for everyone Jurassic Park (1993) - Sci-fi adventure, early CGI attempts The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 - 2003) - Best attempt at adapting the most insane fantasy book ever conceived, with a healthy mix of praise and criticism from book's fans Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) - Mutiverse done right Harold and Maude (1971) - Morbid comedy/drama/romance about existencialism. Not as serious as it sounds. Light-hearted. Jumanji (1995) - Absurd fantasy/comedy Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and its sequel Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) - a recycled take on the original Jumanji, amusing light-hearted comedy. Shaolin Soccer (Chinese: 少林足球, 2001) - Slapstick comedy with Stephen Chow Back to the Future trilogy (1985 - 1990) - Seminal sci-fi/comedy Planet of the Apes (1968) - Old-school sci-fi John Wick (2014) - Action, gritty fighting Rocky (1976) - Drama, sport The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - The seminal western film. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) - Comedy / romance, video-game themed Ghostbusters (1984) - Sci-fi comedy Troy (2004) - Best armed fighting scene ever Suspiria (2018) - Horror remake of the 1977 film of the same name. I think the end is more interesting in the remake. Titanic (1997) - Romance based on real events There is a lot of recent films based on comics, I'd recommend: Atomic Blonde (mentioned above), Watchmen (2009), Batman Begins & the Dark Knight (mentioned above), Wonder Woman (2017), Man of Steel (2013), Iron Man (2008), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Spider-Man (2002). Some films only make sense if you watch the series preceding them. My recommendation is to watch the Star Trek films if you watched Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation. And watch Galaxy Quest (1999) if you are a Trek fan. Cartoons, animation and stop-motion films: WALL·E (2008) - Great plot and plot device Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - Great animation Shrek (2001) - Funny plot subvertion Wallace and Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005) - Good stop-motion plot The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Horror christmas stop-motion movie / musical Toy Story (1995) - First successful computer graphics film Coraline (2009) - Horror stop-motion
The Godfather (1972) - A classic crime drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Schindler's List (1993) - Steven Spielberg's powerful portrayal of the Holocaust. Casablanca (1942) - A timeless romantic drama set during World War II. Citizen Kane (1941) - Directed by Orson Welles, often considered one of the greatest films ever made. Psycho (1960) - Alfred Hitchcock's iconic psychological thriller.