All time favorite films!
by schmeitsie_ | created - 23 Aug 2013 | updated - 22 Jun 2018 | PublicA list of some films that I really liked. I tried to avoid obvious titles hoping you will find some films on this list that you have NOT seen yet :)
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1. The Breakfast Club (1985)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama
Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a great deal more in common than they thought.
Director: John Hughes | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy
Votes: 436,036 | Gross: $45.88M
This movie, for me, is pure nostalgia. I can watch it over and over again. A true classic with many memorable quotes. This film made me realise that I wanted to become a teacher :)
2. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
R | 102 min | Drama
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
Votes: 897,607 | Gross: $3.64M
Certainly no feel-good movie, but very good in my opinion. Great performance by Ellen Burstyn and the composition "Lux Aeterna" by Clint Mansell is stunning.
3. Memento (2000)
R | 113 min | Mystery, Thriller
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior
Votes: 1,321,549 | Gross: $25.54M
I remember reading a negative review which said something like " if the plot was told chronologically, it would just be a mediocre thriller". I laughed hard when reading this, because the fact that the plot is going from the end to the beginning is exactly what makes this a very clever and original movie.
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
Director: Stephen Chbosky | Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd
Votes: 547,448 | Gross: $17.74M
I love coming of age films, and this one in particular. Often when you have read the book, the film disappoints. But, not in this case!
5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
R | 108 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne
Votes: 1,076,790 | Gross: $34.40M
I am not a big fan of Jim Carrey, but I have to add this one to my list. A very original film that shows us exactly what is meant by the saying "you dont know what you got till it's gone".
6. Donnie Darko (2001)
R | 113 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
After narrowly escaping a bizarre accident, a troubled teenager is plagued by visions of a man in a large rabbit suit who manipulates him to commit a series of crimes.
Director: Richard Kelly | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne
Votes: 849,257 | Gross: $1.48M
A cult classic. After hearing "Killing moon" at the start of the movie and watching only a few minutes of the movie, you realize that you are in for something special.
7. Drive (I) (2011)
R | 100 min | Action, Drama
A mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks
Votes: 703,633 | Gross: $35.06M
Many people consider Drive to be a slow and boring movie, but I don't. Even though few words are spoken, a lot is being "said" on an emotional level. I loved this and the soundtrack is fabulous.
8. Her (2013)
R | 126 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara
Votes: 668,671 | Gross: $25.57M
A film about a man falling in love with his Operating System? Sounds weird? Maybe, but it is good. Real good.
9. The Celebration (1998)
R | 105 min | Drama
At Helge's 60th birthday party, some unpleasant family truths are revealed.
Director: Thomas Vinterberg | Stars: Ulrich Thomsen, Henning Moritzen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Paprika Steen
Votes: 93,760 | Gross: $1.65M
I love the scene when the son asks: "Father, would you like me to do the speech in the yellow or the green envelope?" and when the father makes his choice...shocking things ensue.
10. Short Term 12 (2013)
R | 96 min | Drama
A 20-something supervising staff member of a residential treatment facility navigates the troubled waters of that world alongside her co-worker and longtime boyfriend.
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton | Stars: Brie Larson, Frantz Turner, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever
Votes: 91,760 | Gross: $1.01M
Touching and funny at the same time. Loved it from the start till the end.
11. Let the Right One In (2008)
R | 114 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Oskar, an overlooked and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl.
Director: Tomas Alfredson | Stars: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Henrik Dahl
Votes: 226,632 | Gross: $2.12M
A Swedish gem. A strange mix between a horror and a lovestory about a lonely boy who becomes friends with a neighbour girl who does not seem to have friends either. But she is not a normal girl. She is a vampire. Does this sound weird? Yes it does. But is this movie bad? No, it certainly isn't!
12. Run Lola Run (1998)
R | 80 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
After a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks.
Director: Tom Tykwer | Stars: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri
Votes: 206,826 | Gross: $7.27M
A fast-paced German film with an original idea. An idea that was later on shamelessly copied by Hollywood in the film Sliding Doors. What if...
13. Amores Perros (2000)
R | 154 min | Drama, Thriller
An amateur dog fighter, a supermodel, and a derelict assassin, all separately struggling to find love, find their lives transformed by a devastating car wreck in Mexico City.
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu | Stars: Emilio Echevarría, Gael García Bernal, Goya Toledo, Álvaro Guerrero
Votes: 252,695 | Gross: $5.38M
Before creating The Revenant, this director caught my attention with this film. Not a feel good film, not a film for doglovers either. But mindblowing nonetheless.
14. Brick (2005)
R | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A teenage loner pushes his way into the underworld of a high school crime ring to investigate the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas, Emilie de Ravin, Meagan Good
Votes: 110,021 | Gross: $2.06M
An early film of Joseph Gordon Levitt and somewhat unknown. It's a mix of a highschool film, a play and a film noir. Does that sound strange? Yes it does, but seeing is believing. This one rocks!
15. Being John Malkovich (1999)
R | 113 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A puppeteer discovers a portal that leads literally into the head of movie star John Malkovich.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, John Malkovich
Votes: 353,146 | Gross: $22.86M
Weird is an understatement for this film. But do yourself a favour and enjoy the ride. You won't regret it.
16. Rushmore (1998)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A teenager at Rushmore Academy falls for a much older teacher and befriends a middle-aged industrialist. Later, he finds out that his love interest and his friend are having an affair, which prompts him to begin a vendetta.
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, Seymour Cassel
Votes: 197,814 | Gross: $17.11M
I really like Wes Anderson's movies. Bottle Rocket, the Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited...they are all worth watching. Personally I liked Rushmore the best, and that's why I added this title to my list.
17. In Bruges (2008)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
After a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.
Director: Martin McDonagh | Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds, Elizabeth Berrington
Votes: 461,077 | Gross: $7.76M
Impossible to put a label on this. Its not a comedy or a thriller or a drama. But the mix delivers a great film.
18. Moon (2009)
R | 97 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Astronaut Sam Bell has a quintessentially personal encounter toward the end of his three-year stint on the Moon, where he, working alongside his computer, GERTY, sends back to Earth parcels of a resource that has helped diminish our planet's power problems.
Director: Duncan Jones | Stars: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Rosie Shaw
Votes: 376,445 | Gross: $5.01M
I am not a huge sci fi fan. But I liked this one. Worth seeing if you have not done so already.
19. Happiness (1998)
NC-17 | 134 min | Comedy, Drama
The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts which society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.
Director: Todd Solondz | Stars: Jane Adams, Jon Lovitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Dylan Baker
Votes: 74,362 | Gross: $2.81M
Not all happiness what you see in this film, but a great film nonetheless.
20. Thursday (1998)
R | 87 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A former L.A. drug dealer has moved to Houston to make a new life for himself as a married architect. Everything falls apart when he is suddenly visited by one of his former cohorts who comes carrying heroin.
Director: Skip Woods | Stars: Thomas Jane, Aaron Eckhart, Paulina Porizkova, James Le Gros
Votes: 20,027 | Gross: $0.00M
A killer of a day ...is the slogan for this film. It might not have the best storyline, but I think Thursday is funny and cool. I will never forget this line: "They got the W(r)ong house....They got the Wong House". A must see!
21. Clerks (1994)
R | 92 min | Comedy
A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof.
Director: Kevin Smith | Stars: Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer
Votes: 232,217 | Gross: $3.15M
Just an ordinary day in the life of two convenience clerks? Could that be a great film? See for yourself. This is a cult classic containing many, many memorable quotes.
22. Dogtooth (2009)
Not Rated | 97 min | Drama, Thriller
A controlling, manipulative father locks his three adult offsprings in a state of perpetual childhood by keeping them prisoner within the sprawling family compound.
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos | Stars: Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Angeliki Papoulia, Christos Passalis
Votes: 110,196 | Gross: $0.11M
A film about 3 teenagers, forced to live isolated at home until their "dogtooth" falls out...
23. Stalker (1979)
Not Rated | 162 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
A guide leads two men through an area known as the Zone to find a room that grants wishes.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Alisa Freyndlikh, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Nikolay Grinko
Votes: 144,559 | Gross: $0.23M
What if you could find a room that grants wishes?
24. Mulholland Drive (2001)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After 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.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 383,382 | Gross: $7.22M
25. The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)
Not Rated | 111 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Elise and Didier fall in love at first sight, in spite of their differences. He talks, she listens. He's a romantic atheist, she's a religious realist. When their daughter becomes seriously ill, their love is put on trial.
Director: Felix van Groeningen | Stars: Veerle Baetens, Johan Heldenbergh, Nell Cattrysse, Geert Van Rampelberg
Votes: 43,305 | Gross: $0.18M
Strong,emotional drama with a nice soundtrack and great actors.
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