65 Must-See Films
I cruise genres for anything that catches my attention. This is a list of some of my favorite movies - drama, a little horror and others (big production or independent). I chose them because of their unique ways of allowing the plots to unfold, sometimes appearing to tell a story from the inside out. They don't cloud deeper meanings with too many effects, dialogue or whatever would smear the clarity of a beautiful moment. All of them have awesome direction, acting and cinematography. Their affect on me and the way the films accomplished that affect makes me see them as flawless.
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- DirectorDavid Gordon GreenStarsJamie BellJosh LucasDermot MulroneyPig farmer and widower John Munn is raising his two sons in an isolated farmhouse, until his troubled brother arrives and changes their lives forever.Difficult journey. You'll be glad you went.
- DirectorAshlee PageStarsNicole GulasekharamBriony KentAimee and Steph are up for an adventure; its a hot summer's night and they are fueled by cheap alcohol and teen hormones. The promise of cool water lures the two girls to an isolated fire-water tank. Once there, the intimate mood of the tank takes a dramatic turn, forcing Aimee to make a decision that she will question for the rest of her life.Give yourself time to take in all this film gives you. Even though the film is only 15 minutes, you'll never forget it.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsElias McConnellAlex FrostEric DeulenSeveral ordinary high school students go through their daily routine as two others prepare for something more malevolent.Everything becomes clear when the elephant's in the room.
- DirectorStephen DaldryStarsMeryl StreepNicole KidmanJulianne MooreThe story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.My favorite film.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsRussell CroweEd HarrisJennifer ConnellyA mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.If you don't learn understanding, no one can teach you.
- DirectorDavid SladeStarsPatrick WilsonElliot PageSandra OhHayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks it's his lucky night. He's in for a surprise.Wow!
- DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsSean PennBenicio Del ToroNaomi WattsA freak accident brings together a critically ill mathematician, a grieving mother, and a born-again ex-con.These three lives weighed heavily inside me.
- DirectorLisa CholodenkoStarsRadha MitchellAlly SheedyPatricia ClarksonA young female intern at a small magazine company and a drug-addicted lesbian photographer slowly fall in love while exploiting each other to advance their respective careers."It's been a long time since I was deconstructed."
- DirectorJoseph RubenStarsMacaulay CulkinElijah WoodWendy CrewsonA young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and becomes friends with his cousin, a boy of the same age who shows increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior.It may seem impossible for a child to express emotions so powerfully that you become speechless. It's possible.
- DirectorLiev SchreiberStarsElijah WoodEugene HutzBoris LyoskinA young Jewish American man, with the help of an eccentric local, endeavors to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II in a Ukrainian village that was ultimately razed by the Nazis.I have no words, but my 'collection' of images from this film will last forever.
- DirectorGregg ArakiStarsBrady CorbetJoseph Gordon-LevittElisabeth ShueTwo pre-adolescent boys both experienced a strange event and later it affects their lives in different ways. One becomes a reckless, sexually adventurous prostitute, while the other retreats into a reclusive fantasy of alien abduction.One of my favorite films. It's raw and real. I relate. The cast is magical.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsSigourney WeaverWilliam HurtJoaquin PhoenixA series of events tests the beliefs of a small isolated countryside village.Cohesive. Cast chemistry, direction, cinematography all excellent.
- DirectorTom TykwerStarsFranka PotenteBenno FürmannJoachim KrólTwo enamoured strangers look for a warm place in a cold world.The emotions in this film are massively rich. I feel the characters' breath on my cheek. It's sort of like an emotionally 3D movie.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsSteve McQueenDustin HoffmanVictor JoryA French convict in the 1930s befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence in the South American penal colony on Devil's Island, which inspires the man to plot his escape.Amazing imagery. Emotions become a tangible wall getting higher every day. Beautiful film.
- DirectorJulia LeighStarsEmily BrowningRachael BlakeEwen LeslieA haunting portrait of Lucy, a young university student drawn into a mysterious hidden world of unspoken desires.Original, disturbing plot carried out with a quiet ambience that even makes a viewer feel awkward.
- DirectorStephen FrearsStarsChiwetel EjioforAudrey TautouSophie OkonedoIrregular migrants Okwe and Senay work at a posh London hotel and live in constant fear of deportation. One night Okwe stumbles across evidence of a bizarre murder, setting off a series of events that could lead to disaster or freedom.Will make you ashamed, even though you've done nothing wrong.
- DirectorGreg HarrisonStarsCourteney CoxJames Le GrosMichael EalySophie Jacobs is going through the most difficult time of her life. Now, she just has to find out if it's real.I was very impressed. Amazing film.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsJames CaanKathy BatesRichard FarnsworthAfter a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.Couldn't have been done better. Kathy Bates' character needs some sunshine.
- 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.Perfect film. Who doesn't know Nurse Ratched?
- DirectorRobert MulliganStarsGregory PeckJohn MegnaFrank OvertonAtticus Finch, a widowed lawyer in Depression-era Alabama, defends a Black man against an undeserved rape charge, and tries to educate his young children against prejudice.The film doesn't try to mirror the book. It highlights a portion of the book. Excellent telling of the tale.
- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsJon VoightBurt ReynoldsNed BeattyIntent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's dammed and turned into a lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a canoeing trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.Classic. Even though I know what's going to happen, it's all new to me. That's what a quality film does to your soul.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsThomas JaneMarcia Gay HardenLaurie HoldenA freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.Twists and turns in the most natural, but surprising, manner.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.Never a dull moment. Character development, action and horror all in one.
- DirectorKim Sung-suStarsJang HyukSoo AeMin-ah ParkChaos ensues when a lethal, airborne virus infects the population of a South Korean city less than 20 kilometers from Seoul.Best 'outbreak' film I've seen.
- DirectorShin'ya TsukamotoStarsTomorô TaguchiKei FujiwaraNobu KanaokaA businessman accidentally kills The Metal Fetishist, who gets his revenge by slowly turning the man into a grotesque hybrid of flesh and rusty metal.Is it that obvious?