Favorite Movies
This is a list of the movies that I've revisited, or will gladly revisit in the future, that have surprised me and left a lasting impression. All of these films have at least one scene of high art that will forever send chills down my back or evince primal emotions.
List activity
2.1K views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
36 titles
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMisa UeharaMinoru ChiakiLured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines.This is the most fun film from Kurosawa. I like Star Wars but while those films were like bolts from the blue and now look silly, the Kurosawa film is eternal.
- 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.To me, this is how love looks like. It's elegant, it's gentle, and above all else, it's as fragile as the very thought of it.
- 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.A ride of emotions from the first to the last minute. Iconic scenes galore and some of the best acting 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.My third or second most favorite film. It's a little too ambitious and some effects now don't look the best. It suffers from mild pacing issues, mostly at the end but it's still the final part of the best trilogy I've ever seen.
- 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.My most favorite film. Its only problem is that it has some visually dated scenes and that in the beginning, Sauron's demise wasn't done in a better way. He should've fought Gil-Galad and Elendil. After that, while defeated or very wounded, he loses the ring to Isildur. But then again, that is a narration from Galadriel which might be inaccurate or inspired by the old painting in Rivendel if we only think in the movie universe.
- 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.My second or third most favorite film. I'll never know. This one has the best cinematic battle ever but the ents could've been portrayed better or at least quicker. Their scenes just slow down the pace, at times too much, especially in the extended edition.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.Best B movie of all time. Tons of iconic, spine-tingling scenes and an incredibly moody film. Best zombie film of all time as well. The one that reinvented, or better said, invented the whole genre.
- DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsAlain DelonFrançois PérierNathalie DelonAfter professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.My first contact with Melville and my God, what an amazing director. His atmosphere and visual intricacies are one of a kind. I don't really know which one from him is my favorite but since this is the first I've seen, let it be this one.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanTodd FieldA Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.I love films that are off in the sense of mood. You are watching it and everything is just slightly weird but then it gets weirder and weirder and it's like you're having a very interesting dream that you would like to revisit. Well, now you can.
- 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.Fantastic visuals and vistas. Breath-taking action, world-building, and designs that will forever remain special and touching. My favorite soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSigourney WeaverTom SkerrittJohn HurtThe crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.The only problem in this film is the janky death of the alien. Everything else, the cinematography, the soundtrack, the characters, the acting, the scares, the tone, and the aura that the ship gives off are of the tippy top degree.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsAndrew PhilpotJohn Rafter LeePamela AdlonA legendary dhampir competes with a motley family of bounty hunters to return a young woman, who has been seemingly abducted by a vampire, to her family.Another sublime visual feast and a mix of fantasy and sci-fi. Such Gothic cinematography and atmosphere will never be equaled in anime again. This is also a movie of strange, nuanced depth that mostly happens and shines in the end. Until that point, it's just a non-stop adventurous ride.
- DirectorKihachi OkamotoStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaYûzô KayamaThrough his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.Another film from Okamoto with issues, but at its best, it's the best. The action and the main character are great, but this movie reaches the next level of greatness with its ending. The cinematography here is, at times, transcendental.
- DirectorMary HarronStarsChristian BaleJustin TherouxJosh LucasA wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.I can't really find anything wrong with this film. I want to say it's too simple but what's wrong with a simple film that is pulled off in such a great way.
- DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA 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.The first film that when I watched, I thought to myself, ''Why more films aren't this stylized and inventive?''
Great visual storytelling with this one. - 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.There's some outdated action at the end of this film, besides that, only the biggest praises for this one. Watch Takashi Miike's version for a different message and approach to this story, a worthy remake of a legendary film.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.In short, Kevin Spacey just kills it with acting and Howard Shore with the music. On second thought, everyone kills it. Big props to the make-up people and the cinematographer as well.
- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsNigel TerryHelen MirrenNicholas ClayMerlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.Almost every actor acts the same way and is kind of the same character but that's the point. This movie is sort of brash, messy, and disconnected but boy, oh boy, is it also a marvelous one. The cinematography is hazy, filled with greens and sparkling lights. The music is grand and full of pomp. And their mix creates a spirit so unique and enchanting that you will for sure want more if there is any knightly blood in you.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-haIn a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.Great, moody, rainy thriller with amazing cinematography and directing craft, with an almost perfect mix of comedy and horror.
- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.This movie keeps on giving the more times you watch it. Visually, it can't be better than this, and Kenji Kawai gives us another masterful soundtrack. The ideas here are presented in such a powerful way that forever cement this film as one of the best sci-fi ever.
- DirectorMamoru OshiiStarsMako HyôdôJinpachi NezuKeiichi NodaA mysterious young girl wanders a desolate, otherworldly landscape, carrying a large egg.A film that's only 1 hour and 11 minutes, but at times feels eternal in the best way possible. The designs are beyond belief, and the whole thing is just poetic brilliance.
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsJet LiTony Leung Chiu-waiMaggie CheungA defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.This is yet another film that needs to be experienced and not just watched. Masterclass of visual splendor and use of color, with spiritually rich music that embodies the film.
- DirectorNaoko KusumiMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAkio ÔtsukaAtsuko TanakaTamio ÔkiIn the year 2032, Batô, a cyborg detective for the anti-terrorist unit Public Security Section 9, investigates the case of a female robot--one created solely for sexual pleasure--who slaughtered her owner.Possibly the best sci-fi ever but too great for its own sake. The most captivating and confusing film I've ever seen. Animation at its best.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsUma ThurmanDavid CarradineDaryl HannahAfter awakening from a four-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her.Take the best stylistic bits from a crazy number of films and genres and put it all in one so that it works. Tarantino did it and created one of the best action, if not also one of the best revenge films of all time.
- 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.The only problem, which I'm not even sure is a problem, that this movie has, is that it goes too crazy, almost surreal near the end. Everything else is forever re-watchable greatness of acting, cinematography, blocking, lighting, and symbolism.