Eight Movies Everyone Should Watch in Their Lifetime
The Hollywood industry is one filled with creativity, ingenuity, and a plethora of talented actors, directors, filmmakers, and artists all trying to make their name in cinema. And from this whirlpool of ideas and inspiration have emerged thousands upon thousands of movies, from the silent films of the early 20th century to the cutting-edge creations of today. Some of these films have been especially groundbreaking, whether due to the technology used to make them or because of the themes they explore. Across countries, genres, and styles, and in no particular order, here are a few of these films that everyone should watch in their lifetime.
8: Song of the Sea: Released in 2014, “Song of the Sea” is an animated fantasy film sprung from the direction and production of filmmaker and illustrator Tomm Moore. It is the second film in Moore’s just-finished “Irish Folklore Trilogy,” a set of three animated films aimed to celebrate Celtic and Irish culture through varied backdrops, from the Middle Ages to the modern day. The film centers around a 10-year old boy named Ben, who is struggling through the apparent death of his mother six years earlier. He is joined by his lighthouse-keeper father Conor and mute sister Saoirse, who Ben blames for his mother’s death. The plot twist? Saoirse is actually a selkie, a mythological part-seal, part-human creature, and she has been tasked with freeing other faeries from the goddess Macha, an Owl Witch. Her magic begins to reveal itself when she and Ben embark on a cross-country trip after their grandmother relocates the two to Dublin, and with the emergence of Saoirse’s fantastical abilities comes Moore’s true brilliance in animation, as the team crafted subtle parallels between the real and the mythical. The film itself was entirely hand-drawn, making use of flat perspective and vibrant colors, and it features a notable soundtrack by Bruno Coulais and Kila. It is “the sort of story that feels as though it always existed somewhere,” wrote Twitch critic Todd Brown — and I can’t help but agree with him.
7: Maurice: “Maurice,” released in 1987 and based off of the E.M. Forster novel of the same name, is one of the first romantic dramas to be centered around the experience of a gay man, protagonist Maurice Hall. It has been called the predecessor to the popular film “Call Me By Your Name,” but “Maurice” has an identity of its own. Taking shape as a commentary against the restrictive attitudes of Edwardian England, the film features romances between Maurice, played by James Wilby, and two other men. It features Hugh Grant in one of his earliest roles, in which he delivers a heartbreaking performance as Clive Durham, Maurice’s first love. The movie has a steady, immersive pace, allowing audiences to sink into a whirlpool of emotions: Maurice’s confusion, the joy and lack thereof that accompanies a hidden relationship, and the ever-present debate between conformity or happiness. Each scene presents a beautiful setting, from the hidden alleys of Cambridge colleges, to the wide expanse of rural England, to country estates and town homes. Wilby is powerful as Maurice, and the movie perfectly balances the chaos of his inner thoughts with the outside forces that shape them.
6: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once: It’s rare to find a movie that is as quirky as “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” — and it is even rarer to find a movie which is quirky and unapologetic about it. From floating hands to multiverses to an oddly important donut, not once does “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” try to be normal: it embraces the weird in a glorious, open manner. It tells the story of Evelyn Wang, a Chinese-American immigrant who must travel the multiverse to prevent its destruction. But more than being a movie about the mystical and magical, “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once” is about relationships: the good, the bad, and the messy. Evelyn’s struggle to connect with her daughter Joy and Joy’s girlfriend Becky is a central influence to the story, as is her deteriorating relationship with her husband Waymond. The movie was praised for its thematic exploration concerning family, and it garnered popularity due to its largely Asian-American cast. Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Tsu star as Evelyn and Joy respectively, with Yeoh winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film. It has been described as a “work of slaphappy genius” by IndieWire’s David Ehrlich, and received universal acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
5: The Maltese Falcon: This list would not be complete without one of the most iconic Film Noir movies of all time: “The Maltese Falcon.” Released in 1941 under the direction of John Huson, the film was based on a 1930 Dashiell Hammett novel of the same name and features Humphrey Bogart as the investigator Sam Spade. It’s tough and gritty, perfectly representative of the detective noir genre that dove into the underbelly of San Francisco. Bay Area residents will recognize the familiar setting; the shadowed roads and stacked apartments of the city provide the chessboard upon which the movie plays out, every character intersecting with another through the intricate, carefully-crafted plot. While Bogart is the best-known actor in the film, Peter Lorre is undeniably villainous in the role of Joel Cairo, sending shivers down the spines of characters and viewers alike. It was released to mass critical acclaim and has continued to be a celebrated film. Variety called it a “most intriguing and entertaining murder mystery” which displayed “outstanding excellence in writing, direction, acting and editing — combining in overall as a prize package of entertainment for widest audience appeal.”
4: Inception: “Inception” is a movie that can’t be summed up in any number of words, but I’ll do my best. From the first scene, it twists and turns through a complex yet well-executed story, as Leonardo DiCaprio stuns as professional thief Cobb, a specialist in dream-inception. As Cobb travels through layers of his targets’ dreams and subconscious, he is faced with a job that could change his life — or destroy it. The movie features a star-studded cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, and Elliot Page join DiCaprio on his mission. Although several sequences in the movies seem impossible without the use of CGI, director Christopher Nolan was insistent that it be used as little as possible, going so far as to build a rotating rig to make a character appear as if he was walking on the ceiling. The score, by Hanz Zimmer, is simultaneously electronic and nostalgic, reflecting the hyper-modernity of the film’s setting with Cobb’s internal struggles. The movie is sometimes considered Nolan’s best, standing out amongst powerhouses like “The Dark Knight,” “Dunkirk,” and “Memento.” David Roark of “Relevant” supports this, calling it Nolan's "greatest accomplishment” and overall a “masterpiece.”
3: Roma: Academy Award-winning film “Roma” is the brainchild of acclaimed writer and director Alfonso Cuarón. It made history as the first foreign-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Director. The film is told nearly entirely in Spanish, and follows the life of a Mixteco woman named Cleo who is the live-in housekeeper for an upper-class Mexican family. While the film’s plot does not rely heavily on massive climaxes and plot twists, it is a grounded, layered movie about life that is not scared to be vulnerable. Cuarón took influence from his own childhood in a Roma city, bringing elements of truth and nostalgia to the movie. This aspect of realism was praised by critics, with The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw describing the film as “thrilling, engrossing, [and] moving — and just entirely amazing, an adjectival pileup of wonder. [Cuaron] has reached back into his own childhood to create an intensely personal story.” It is the intimacy of the movie that brings it power, as audiences are thrown into the lives of flawed, emotional characters. It conveys the depth and confusion of an ordinary life with a delicate touch distinct to Cuarón.
2: Psycho: 1960 psychological-horror film “Psycho” is arguably one of the most famous movies ever to be released. Based on the 1959 novel of the same name, the film is a bridge between the murder mysteries trademark to the noir genre and the modernity in film that was introduced in the 60s after the repeal of film censorship codes. The plot centers around motel owner Norman Bates and femme-fatale embezzler Marion Crane, as well as the aftermath of an encounter between the two that results in Crane’s untimely disappearance. The film is perhaps known for its shower scene, in which Crane is attacked by a shadowy figure unknown to the audience. It is a perfect example of a thrilling movie, which leaves viewers on the edge of their seat, trying to guess at what might possibly happen scene after scene. The tension is elevated greatly by the score, composed by Bernard Herrmann. Although the film was released originally to conflicted reviews due to its portrayals of overt sexuality, today, “Psycho” has proved to be immortal in its influence. It has been described as the first real modern horror movie by critics, with critic Bosley Crowther of The New York Times describing it as a “bold psychological mystery picture” which “represented expert and sophisticated command of emotional development with cinematic techniques.”
1. Spirited Away: This list could not be complete without the work of Hayao Miyazaki, and there is no better film to write about than “Spirited Away.” Generally considered Miyazaki’s magnum opus, the film was completely hand-drawn, making it the only film of its type to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a young girl who enters the world of the Kami — spirits originating in Japanese Shinto folklore. After her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba, Chihiro is forced to work for Yubaba as she searches for a way to free herself with the help of the mysterious boy Haku. It’s not, however, its production quality, artistic prowess, notable soundtrack, or immersive plot which makes the film one of the greatest of all time. At its core, “Spirited Away” is a film about love in all its forms. Every person who watches it can find part of themselves in it and in the wonder that is so apparent in every frame. I can sum it up best with the Rotten Tomatoes consensus: “‘Spirited Away’ is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them.”
