My Top 250 Films
Based on two general criteria:
1. Personal impact of the film
2. Admiration for the film
201-250 are listed alphabetically.
1. Personal impact of the film
2. Admiration for the film
201-250 are listed alphabetically.
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259 titles
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinPaulette GoddardHenry BergmanThe Tramp struggles to live in modern industrial society with the help of a young homeless woman.USA | A brilliant satire and timeless comedy that holds universal truths for the working class.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTakashi ShimuraKeiko TsushimaFarmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.Japan | Seven Samurai serves as a reference of quality to generations of filmmakers, actors, and movie watchers alike. The quality in acting, storytelling, musical score, action, mise-en-scène cinematography, characterization, the cast's unique cohesion, and Akira Kurosawa's skilled attention to every technicality together produced one of the most remarkable films ever made.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsKeir DulleaGary LockwoodWilliam SylvesterAfter uncovering a mysterious artifact buried beneath the Lunar surface, a spacecraft is sent to Jupiter to find its origins: a spacecraft manned by two men and the supercomputer HAL 9000.USA | 2001: A Space Odyssey is more of an experience than it is a film. It is a thick and unshakable mood that overcomes the viewer, creating an intense journey from the first frame to the last... a true space odyssey.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMarlon BrandoAl PacinoJames CaanThe aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.USA | Superbly acted, intricately filmed, and a technical marvel on every front.
- DirectorVittorio De SicaStarsLamberto MaggioraniEnzo StaiolaLianella CarellIn post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.Italy | Never has cinema felt so real, personal, and intimate. Brilliance found through simplicity.
- DirectorRoberto BenigniStarsRoberto BenigniNicoletta BraschiGiorgio CantariniWhen an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.Italy | A film about the lengths to which one man will go in an attempt to protect his family from the hatred in the world around them.
- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinVirginia CherrillFlorence LeeWith the aid of a wealthy erratic tippler, a dewy-eyed tramp who has fallen in love with a sightless flower girl accumulates money to be able to help her medically.USA | A wonderful film that will make you laugh, cry, and then laugh until you cry.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsHenry FondaCharles BronsonClaudia CardinaleA mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.Italy | With great direction, music, and an extraordinary cast, Sergio Leone produced the ultimate western.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.USA | Psycho succeeds as a masterfully-crafted horror film at every angle. Tightly scripted, a haunting score, and a prime example of excellent directing.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJohn TravoltaUma ThurmanSamuel L. JacksonThe lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.USA | Tarantino's masterpiece gives us a little bit of everything, and then some, achieving a brilliant balance between violence/suspense and comic situations. The dialogue will glue any viewer to the screen... whether it's your first viewing or your hundredth.
- DirectorCarl Theodor DreyerStarsMaria FalconettiEugene SilvainAndré BerleyIn 1431, Jeanne d'Arc is placed on trial on charges of heresy. The ecclesiastical jurists attempt to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.France | Hauntingly filmed and emotionally resonant, The Passion of Joan of Arc relentlessly instills empathy into the viewer. There is no other film like it.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsPeter O'TooleAlec GuinnessAnthony QuinnThe story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.UK | Lawrence of Arabia's magnificence lies in its range--from an up-close and complex character study to a sweeping war epic with some of the most breathtaking cinematography ever filmed.
- DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsYalitza AparicioMarina de TaviraDiego Cortina AutreyA year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.Among the richest examples of cinema, Roma is a fully lived-in depiction of a time and place left permanent in the minds of the people who experienced it.
- DirectorFernando MeirellesKátia LundStarsAlexandre RodriguesLeandro FirminoMatheus NachtergaeleIn the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.Brazil | City of God takes us to another realm, where the gritty streets of Rio are unforgiving. It hides nothing and consequentially, presents a brutally raw and unique experience.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSigourney WeaverTom SkerrittJohn HurtThe crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.USA | A masterpiece of atmospheric horror and science fiction that stands head and shoulders above any similar works.
- DirectorJulian SchnabelStarsMathieu AmalricEmmanuelle SeignerMarie-Josée CrozeThe true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed.France | An experience that communicates a perspective that could only be imagined or dreamed in a nightmare. The poetically filmed venture from suffocating confinement to weightless freedom is all the more resonant as a true story.
- DirectorIsao TakahataStarsTsutomu TatsumiAyano ShiraishiAkemi YamaguchiA young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.Japan | Transcends the animation genre as an unforgettable, emotionally-wrecking drama.
- DirectorMichael HanekeStarsJean-Louis TrintignantEmmanuelle RivaIsabelle HuppertGeorges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.Austria | A tedious and emotional journey through the inherent inescapability of life itself.
- DirectorIngmar BergmanStarsBibi AnderssonLiv UllmannMargaretha KrookA nurse is put in charge of a mute actress and finds that their personae are melding together.Sweden | As two personalities are expressed, they intertwine through intense reflection and isolation. Disorienting and erotic, Persona is Ingmar Bergman's masterpiece.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsEllen BurstynJared LetoJennifer ConnellyThe drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..USA | Bottomless abyss; Psychological trip; Relentless disturbia--Some of the many ways to sum up Darren Aronofsky's masterpiece.
- DirectorAlain ResnaisStarsEmmanuelle RivaEiji OkadaStella DassasA French actress filming an anti-war film in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect as they share their differing perspectives on war.France | Entrancing images and repetitive dialogue jointly create a poetically romantic atmosphere on the backdrop of a tragedy-stricken city.
- DirectorDerek CianfranceStarsRyan GoslingMichelle WilliamsJohn DomanThe relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.Japan | Princess Mononoke features organic animation, an enveloping story, and a mature and refined atmosphere. Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsCharlton HestonRoddy McDowallKim HunterAn astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet where highly intelligent non-human ape species are dominant and humans are enslaved.USA | A brilliantly ironic testament to the self-destructive nature of man.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsHenry FondaLee J. CobbMartin BalsamThe jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.USA | 12 Angry Men feels like a classic as you are watching it. It demonstrates the power of swaying opinions vs. independent logic in a roller coaster of deliberations towards objective truth.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherLuke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.USA | A benchmark in fantasy film that has defined the essence of pop culture.
- DirectorGiuseppe TornatoreStarsPhilippe NoiretEnzo CannavaleAntonella AttiliA filmmaker recalls his childhood when falling in love with the pictures at the cinema of his home village and forms a deep friendship with the cinema's projectionist.Italy | Cinema Paradiso is the timeless manifestation of our love of cinema. A true ode to the audience.
- DirectorLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneCarrie-Anne MossWhen a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.USA | Philosophically dense, visually striking, and a benchmark in action film.
- DirectorRoger AllersRob MinkoffStarsMatthew BroderickJeremy IronsJames Earl JonesLion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.USA | A resonant film about emotional strength and family legacy. Beautifully animated and one of the greatest soundtracks in the Disney canon.
- DirectorAlain ResnaisStarsDelphine SeyrigGiorgio AlbertazziSacha PitoëffIn a strange and isolated chateau, a man becomes acquainted with a woman and insists that they have met before.France | A strikingly beautiful and complex film with mesmerizing cinematography and dialogue. Its genius lies in the intimate blend of reality and fiction.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsNaomi WattsLaura HarringJustin TherouxAfter a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.USA | A surreal puzzle and work of genius that provokes the viewer to piece it together like recollecting a dream upon waking up.
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJim CarreyEd HarrisLaura LinneyAn insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.USA | What if a lie was the only truth that you knew? Every last detail has a purpose in this superbly-crafted, thought-provoking drama about the illusion of perfection.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsSilvia PinalFrancisco RabalFernando ReyViridiana, a young nun about to take her final vows, pays a visit to her widowed uncle at the request of her Mother Superior.Spain | If a saint were living among us, could there be enough evil in society to corrupt her? Bunuel's masterpiece is a testament that immorality is not necessarily a choice, but an inevitability.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.South Korea | An expertly crafted revenge thriller that will drop your jaw to the ground more than once.
- DirectorJean-Pierre JeunetStarsAudrey TautouMathieu KassovitzRufusDespite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.France | Perfectly capturing the essence of a feel-good movie, Amélie reminds us that life should not go unappreciated.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartGrace KellyWendell CoreyA wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window and, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.USA | Supremely gripping and suspenseful, Rear Window echoes the desire of the audience to dictate what they see onscreen.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsHugh JackmanRachel WeiszSean Patrick ThomasAs a modern-day scientist, Tommy is struggling with mortality, desperately searching for the medical breakthrough that will save the life of his cancer-stricken wife, Izzi.USA | A fascinating and thought-provoking experience that takes us on one man's journey toward the comprehension of our existence in life and death.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsAl PacinoRobert De NiroRobert DuvallThe early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.USA | A cinematic marvel with some of the best acting to grace the screen and a captivating pair of character studies.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsRoy ScheiderRobert ShawRichard DreyfussWhen a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.USA | The suspense in Jaws is so perfectly staged that it is not a shark we are afraid of, but an idea.
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsBrad PittCate BlanchettGael García BernalTragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, which jump starts an interlocking story involving four different families.USA | Ultimately about communication, Babel gives a fascinating and intimate look at culture.
- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.Japan | Culturally the face of Japanese animation, Ghost in the Shell is a brilliant film with profound philosophy and innovative animation.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMachiko KyôMasayuki MoriThe rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.Japan | Kurosawa transforms an interesting idea into a masterful film through clever storytelling and an exploration of the psychology of perception.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLiam NeesonRalph FiennesBen KingsleyIn German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.USA | A powerful, moving, and aesthetic historical piece.
- DirectorRobert BentonStarsDustin HoffmanMeryl StreepJane AlexanderAfter his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.USA | A film so unbelievably real to life, it speaks and relates to the hardships many endure when a marriage or child may not be enough to secure a sincere emotional bond.
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinBérénice BejoJohn GoodmanWhen George, a silent movie superstar, meets Peppy Miller, a dancer, sparks fly between the two. However, after the introduction of talking pictures, their fortunes change, affecting their dynamic.France | A graceful, endearing, and potent portrait of a silent actor at the end of his era.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartKim NovakBarbara Bel GeddesA former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.USA | Vertigo has so much mystery, with which Hitchcock skillfully pulls us in, peaking our curiosity and interest up until the very end.
- DirectorMajid MajidiStarsMohammad Amir NajiAmir Farrokh HashemianBahare SeddiqiAfter a boy loses his sister's pair of shoes, he goes on a series of adventures in order to find them. When he can't, he tries a new way to "win" a new pair.Iran | A beautiful, genuine, and universal story of the purity of love at its core.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.USA | Peter Jackson captures the magic of Tolkien's introduction, bringing the wondrous mood of the Shire and Rivendell to life.
- DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira IshihamaShima IwashitaWhen a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.Japan | Strong acting, a massively absorbing story, and an intricately layered exploration of values.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenViggo MortensenWhile Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.USA | Among the cinematic achievements found in the middle chapter of Peter Jackson's Tolkien adaptation is the Battle of Helms Deep--the single greatest action sequence ever filmed.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.USA | Jackson's realization of the epic conclusion to the trilogy delivers on all fronts.
- DirectorOliver HirschbiegelStarsBruno GanzAlexandra Maria LaraUlrich MatthesTraudl Junge, the final secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.Germany | An impeccably acted portrait of Adolf Hitler that gives a personal look into his final days.
- DirectorMichael CiminoStarsRobert De NiroChristopher WalkenJohn CazaleAn in-depth examination of the ways in which the Vietnam War impacts and disrupts the lives of several friends in a small steel mill town in Pennsylvania.USA | A masterful study of the trauma and psychological destruction of war.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTakashi ShimuraNobuo KanekoShin'ichi HimoriA bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.Japan | This portrait of the victimization of an honest soul speaks volumes of how we should lead our lives.
- DirectorKar-Wai WongStarsBrigitte LinTakeshi KaneshiroTony Leung Chiu-waiTwo melancholic Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a mysterious female underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and ethereal waitress at a late-night restaurant he frequents.Hong Kong | Wong Kar Wai presents us with three interconnected stories, while using the visuals and sound to tell a story of their own.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsDaveigh ChaseSuzanne PleshetteMiyu IrinoDuring her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.Japan | The seemingly infinite imaginative world of Hayao Miyazaki as explored through the eyes of a little girl. Spirited Away is pure escapism from start to finish.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMartin SheenMarlon BrandoRobert DuvallA U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.USA | The horrors of war are captured at the constant edge of sanity in Apocalypse Now--the behemoth of war films.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsChow Yun-FatMichelle YeohZiyi ZhangA young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.Hong Kong | A thoroughly involving story enhanced by superb acting, cinematography, and action sequences.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira TeraoJinpachi NezuIn Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.Japan | An epic tale of family, betrayal, and the depths of humanity. Kurosawa's vision of King Lear packs a strong punch.
- DirectorTerrence MalickStarsAugust DiehlValerie PachnerMaria SimonThe Austrian Franz Jägerstätter, a conscientious objector, refuses to fight for the Nazis in World War II.
- DirectorMichael CurtizStarsHumphrey BogartIngrid BergmanPaul HenreidA cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.USA | The definitive Hollywood movie: a romance war-time epic made timeless through strong performances and the right chemistry.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsJack NicholsonShelley DuvallDanny LloydA family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.USA | Watching Jack Nicholson's descent is a twisted, demented, and mind-boggling experience.
- DirectorNorman FergusonT. HeeWilfred JacksonStarsDickie JonesChristian RubMel BlancA living puppet, with the help of a cricket as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy.USA | A Disney masterpiece that has taught generations the importance of honesty and following one's dreams.
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsJean-Paul BelmondoJean SebergVan DoudeA small-time crook, hunted by the authorities for a car theft and the murder a police officer, attempts to persuade a hip American journalism student to run away with him to Italy.France | One of the most ambitious attempts at redefining cinema, Breathless used film as an aesthetic mode of expression and set a foundation for the French New Wave.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsBrigitte HelmAlfred AbelGustav FröhlichIn a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.Germany | Fritz Lang's bold vision of the future is both a feast to the eyes and historically groundbreaking.
- DirectorKar-Wai WongStarsTony Leung Chiu-waiMaggie CheungSiu Ping-LamTwo neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.Hong Kong | Although the final part of a trilogy, In the Mood for Love stands just as strong on its own and remains one of the most poetic and stunningly beautiful films ever produced.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsHarvey KeitelTim RothMichael MadsenWhen a simple jewelry heist goes horribly wrong, the surviving criminals begin to suspect that one of them is a police informant.USA | Reservoir Dogs rides on the strength of the script and the conviction of the actors in their lines. Tarantino's directorial debut creates a benchmark in dialogue effectiveness.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsRussell CroweJoaquin PhoenixConnie NielsenA former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.USA | A grand film following a man born to lead regardless of circumstances. And we get an engaging look at the deadly form of entertainment as if in the Coliseum stands ourselves.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsJack NicholsonLouise FletcherMichael BerrymanIn the Fall of 1963, a Korean War veteran and criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to a mental institution, where he rallies up the scared patients against the tyrannical nurse.USA | Jack Nicholson in his best performance drives a strong cast and highlights the humanity in insanity.
- DirectorElia KazanStarsVivien LeighMarlon BrandoKim HunterDisturbed Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister in New Orleans and is tormented by her brutish brother-in-law while her reality crumbles around her.USA | A distinguished classic among film lovers and playwrights alike, Marlon Brando and the rest of the cast bring Broadway passion to the silver screen.
- DirectorPedro AlmodóvarStarsRosario FloresJavier CámaraDarío GrandinettiTwo men share an odd friendship while they care for two women who are both in deep comas.Spain | With a moving story, beautiful set design, and complexly challenging characters, Talk to Her explores unfamiliar territory... and it is supremely captivating. This is Almodóvar at his very best.
- DirectorFederico FelliniStarsAnthony QuinnGiulietta MasinaRichard BasehartA care-free girl is sold to a traveling entertainer, consequently enduring physical and emotional pain along the way.Italy | Giulietta Masina breathes life into a magnetic, compassionate character caught against an unforgiving world.
- DirectorYôjirô TakitaStarsMasahiro MotokiRyôko HirosueTsutomu YamazakiSoon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo learns that his orchestra is disbanding. He moves back to his hometown with his wife, where he answers an ad for what Daigo thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary.Japan | Death is so often overshadowed by grief and despair, that it is the last place we would expect to find beauty. Departures gives us a profoundly rewarding perspective that demands reflection.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsJames StewartDonna ReedLionel BarrymoreAn angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.USA | The quintessential Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life has a timeless spirit and a heartwarming message to appreciate what we have.
- DirectorSatoshi KonStarsJunko IwaoRica MatsumotoShinpachi TsujiA pop singer gives up her career to become an actress, but she slowly goes insane when she starts being stalked by an obsessed fan and what seems to be a ghost of her past.Japan | Satoshi Kon's greatest achievement, Perfect Blue, is a masterful, mind-bending identity thriller that presents its sanity with less and less focus as the film unwinds.
- DirectorRobert EggersStarsRobert PattinsonWillem DafoeValeriia KaramanTwo lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsSilvia PinalJacqueline AndereEnrique RambalThe guests at an upper-class dinner party find themselves unable to leave.Mexico | Buñuel's extraordinary vision of inexplicable lethargy leaves us in a state of bewildering intoxication.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantIngrid BergmanClaude RainsThe daughter of a convicted German spy is asked by American agents to gather information on a ring of German scientists in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them?USA | Superb acting, climbing suspense, and effective cinematography make Notorious one of Hitchcock's greatest.
- DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsJean-Pierre LéaudAlbert RémyClaire MaurierA young boy, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.France | A compelling and timeless portrait of adolescence itself, Truffaut's The 400 Blows offers depth, innovation, and emotional resonance.
- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsMickey RourkeMarisa TomeiEvan Rachel WoodA faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle.USA | The film's ability to focus so powerfully on the broken soul beyond the ring produces an incredibly raw feel that is rare in cinema.
- DirectorJan TroellStarsMaria HeiskanenMikael PersbrandtJesper ChristensenIn a time of social change and unrest, war and poverty, a young working class woman, Maria, wins a camera in a lottery. The decision to keep it alters her whole life.Sweden | In the midst of struggle, a change of lens can evoke endless beauty.
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsEllen BurstynMax von SydowLinda BlairWhen a young girl is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother seeks the help of two Catholic priests to save her life.USA | The downright most terrifying film ever made. Religious or not, this film makes you believe.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsTommy Lee JonesJavier BardemJosh BrolinViolence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.USA | No Country for Old Men achieves a very specific mood that is difficult to describe. And with Javier Bardem's chilling performance in the mix, there is no other experience like it.
- DirectorFederico FelliniStarsGiulietta MasinaFrançois PérierFranca MarziA waifish prostitute wanders the streets of Rome looking for true love but finds only heartbreak.Italy | A remarkably human portrait of a victim of loneliness whose heart and pride persist without being acknowledged. An unforgettable final act.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsTimothy TreadwellAmie HuguenardWerner HerzogA devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.USA | The study of a man so passionate about something, the viewer may begin to question his state of mind. An intriguing documentary with a powerful statement on nature.
- DirectorPete DocterDavid SilvermanLee UnkrichStarsBilly CrystalJohn GoodmanMary GibbsIn order to power the city, monsters have to scare children so that they scream. However, the children are toxic to the monsters, and after a child gets through, two monsters realize things may not be what they think.USA | Among the many things great about Monsters, Inc. is the undeniable charm at the core of a vibrant family comedy.
- DirectorKrzysztof KieslowskiStarsIrène JacobWladyslaw KowalskiHalina GryglaszewskaTwo parallel stories about two identical women; one living in Poland, the other in France. They don't know each other, but their lives are nevertheless profoundly connected.France | A brilliant portrayal of duality told through a unique and beautiful vision.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsChieko BaishôTakuya KimuraTatsuya GashûinWhen an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.Japan | Animation quality that rivals the Disney canon in story, character and imagination; yet distinct through its maturity for bold and haunting designs. It also endears us to the elderly, which has since only been paralleled by Up.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsBrad PittEdward NortonMeat LoafAn insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.USA | A twisted, layered, and provocative psychological-thriller that delivers as both a philosophical drama and surreal popcorn entertainment.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsIvana BaqueroAriadna GilSergi LópezIn the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.Mexico | Guillermo Del Toro's beautifully haunting fairy tale for adults captivates us like children to a lullaby.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsDaniel Day-LewisPaul DanoCiarán HindsA story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.USA
- DirectorAri AsterStarsFlorence PughJack ReynorVilhelm BlomgrenA couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.
- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsLeonardo DiCaprioDjimon HounsouJennifer ConnellyA fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond.USA | Blood Diamond has interesting subject matter, but it is the deeply moving performances that makes this film stand out as simply one of the best.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMatt DamonTom SizemoreFollowing the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action.USA | A compelling vision of WWII, which includes classic scenes that will stay with the viewer long after the movie is over.
- DirectorJirí MenzelStarsVáclav NeckárJosef SomrVlastimil BrodskýAn apprentice train dispatcher at a village station seeks his first sexual encounter and becomes despondent when he is unable to perform.Czechoslovakia | A brilliant comedy composed with purpose, symbolism, and compelling cinematography.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsJoBeth WilliamsHeather O'RourkeCraig T. NelsonA family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.USA | The most nightmare-inducing film of my childhood, Poltergeist gives a whole new meaning to the PG rating.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsFred MacMurrayBarbara StanwyckEdward G. RobinsonA Los Angeles insurance representative lets an alluring housewife seduce him into a scheme of insurance fraud and murder that arouses the suspicion of his colleague, an insurance investigator.USA | Sharp acting, witty dialogue, and an absorbing story come together to produce one of the best of the film noir canon.
- DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsSimone SignoretVéra ClouzotPaul MeurisseThe wife and mistress of a loathed school principal plan to murder him with what they believe is the perfect alibi.France | Suspense is through the roof in this atmospheric horror great.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsJean RenoGary OldmanNatalie Portman12-year-old Mathilda is reluctantly taken in by Léon, a professional assassin, after her family is murdered. An unusual relationship forms as she becomes his protégée and learns the assassin's trade.France | Leon masterfully transcends the action film genre with depth, quality, and mood.
- DirectorBrad BirdJan PinkavaStarsBrad GarrettLou RomanoPatton OswaltA rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant.USA | Ratatouille mixes all the right ingredients to produce the most intimate Pixar film.