Best Films on IMDb's Top 250
A list of my favorite films on IMDb's top 250 (as of 12/27/15).
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- DirectorTony KayeStarsEdward NortonEdward FurlongBeverly D'AngeloLiving a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.My all-time favorite film is Gattaca, but this Oscar nominated Edward Norton film on racism comes at a very closely behind it. In this film, Norton is an ex-neo-nazi gang member trying to protect his family and preventing his younger brother from joining the same group he was once a part of. It's very interesting when you read the backstory on how Tony Kaye basically gave up on this film forcing Edward Norton himself to finish it up. This film has strong performances and a very powerful message.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittElliot PageA thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.How can you possibly hate Christopher Nolan's sci-fi action about a professional thief stealing secrets from people's dreams? Except this film's main focus is planting an idea into the mind of an incompetent CEO. My friends may criticize its lack of character development, but this is a concept driven film, and boy does this concept ROCK!
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsDustin HoffmanAnne BancroftKatharine RossA disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.My all-time favorite comedy will be placed 3rd on this list, a film by Mike Nichols about a confused college graduate with no idea of what he wants to do with life and decides to... well... have an affair with an older woman. I swear it's more complicated than that. After all, the romance wouldn't work unless we start an awkward love triangle with the older woman's daughter. I never laughed and cried so much in my life.
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsBruce WillisHaley Joel OsmentToni ColletteMalcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.Perhaps the only film I have ever watched where I hated the film so much until I reached the end where we had cinema's most unexpected plot twist. Without giving anything away, it stars Bruce Willis, a child psychologist with a troubled past, attempting to help a young boy who can communicate with spirits. This is no doubt M. Night Shyamalan's best film and fantastic performances by both Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette.
- 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.Do I really need to explain myself?
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsGuy PearceCarrie-Anne MossJoe PantolianoA man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.Christopher Nolan's second feature is the story of a strange man (Guy Pearce) with short-term memory loss hunting the murderer who killed his wife. Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, this film won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and was nominated for two Oscars for best screenplay and best film editing. This also happens to be my all-time favorite screenplay and film editing.
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsNatalya BondarchukDonatas BanionisJüri JärvetA psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.You probably think I'm mad giving this film a higher ranking than 2001: A Space Odyssey. You're probably right. Solaris is a film about a psychologist sent to a distant space station to discover what is cause the entire crew to go insane, only to find himself in their same problem. Yes, 2001 was brilliant, but Solaris had me first with its haunting yet artistic setting and brilliant direction by Soviet film-maker Andrei Tarkovsky.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsAdrien BrodyThomas KretschmannFrank FinlayDuring WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.No film has captured my emotions and sympathy as well as Oscar winner Roman Polanski's masterpiece The Pianist. Oscar winner Adrien Brody stars as Wladyslaw Szpilman in the extraordinary true story of a Jewish musician who somehow avoided being sent to a concentration camp and was forced to hide in the city Warsaw during World War II. Thomas Kretschmann's first appearance is by far the best part in this film.
- DirectorAndrew StantonStarsBen BurttElissa KnightJeff GarlinIn the distant future, a small waste-collecting robot inadvertently embarks on a space journey that will ultimately decide the fate of mankind.All-time favorite animation, all-time favorite Pixar film, and perhaps my all-time favorite post apocalyptic film, this is the story of a simple ordinary robot with a dream of true love gets more than he bargained for by embarking on a space journey to save all of humanity from their... laziness? Yeah. Many people complained about that last part, but only because they knew it was true in today's society even though it was over exaggerated. Ben Burtt's sound effects and mixing are what make this film stick out even further than space itself.
- DirectorMichel GondryStarsJim CarreyKate WinsletTom WilkinsonWhen their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.In this all-time favorite romance film of mine, we watch a rare performance from Jim Carey who undergoes a procedure to erase his memories of his former lover only to discover during the process he no longer wants to forget anymore. Carey gets typecasted so often into comedies directors seem to forget he can play the dramatic characters as well. What makes this film stick out more than any other romantic chick flick is because there is more at stake than just their personal interests.
- DirectorBilly WilderStarsJack LemmonShirley MacLaineFred MacMurrayA Manhattan insurance clerk tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.Billy Wilder is a genius with the Apartment being one of my favorite works of his. A passive insurance man allows his executives use his apartment for trysts, but soon lets his own love interest get in the way. Jack Lemmon must have been the Jim Carrey of the early 50's with a performance so brilliant he'll make you laugh and cheer over and over again.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsMayumi TanakaKeiko YokozawaKotoe HatsuiA young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.Hayao Miyazaki has created dozens of beautifully animated films, but it was Castle in the Sky that captured my attention throughout the movie. An orphan boy and a girl who fell from the sky search for the legendary castle hidden in the clouds. Adventurous and fun, this film never backs down and is accompanied by a mesmerizing score by Joe Hisaishi.
- 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.There is good reason why we see this film air on television a hundred times before Christmas. Because it's the best damn Christmas film of all times. James Stewart stars as an small-time business man struggling to make ends meet while helping the citizen succeed in a town dominated by a rich and selfish banker. If you grew up with a television and you haven't watched it, I'm shocked!
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsJim CarreyEd HarrisLaura LinneyAn insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.Jim Carey stars as Truman Burbank, an insurance salesman, who is the star of a nationwide television show watched by billions of people worldwide, except for one problem: Truman doesn't know it. The screenplay is one of Andrew Niccol's best with great performances by Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, and Laura Linney.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTom HanksMichael Clarke DuncanDavid MorseA tale set on death row, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the lead guard, Paul Edgecombe, recognizes John's gift, he tries to help stave off the condemned man's execution.Before Frank Darabont developed The Walking Dead, he had The Green Mile. Staring Tom Hanks, we dive into the story of a guard who discovers a falsely accused black man on death row with a mysterious power. A fantastic cast with a break-out performance by Michael Clarke Duncan.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsTim RobbinsMorgan FreemanBob GuntonOver the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.IMDb's number one film comes at 16 for me. Another film by Frank Darabont, it stars prisoner Morgan Freeman, a man convicted for murder, who meets a banker claiming he was innocent in the murder of his former wife. Along the way, we discover the two men's friendship, trials, tribulations, and eventually their redemption.
- 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.This 1988 Italian film is almost impossible to hate because it's a story about all of us. A young movie-goer befriends an older projectionist at a small village theater where his passion for film expands as well as his relationship with the man. A truly impacting film and a must-watch before you die.
- DirectorRichard KellyStarsJake GyllenhaalJena MaloneMary McDonnellAfter 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.It's hard to like a film such as Donnie Darko the first time around, but it's almost impossible to get it out of your head the more you ponder its complex story line. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a troubled teenage student escaping death by a bizarre accident while being haunted with visions of a large walking bunny. The climax is unforgettable and emotional especially the perfectly placed song "Mad World" by Gary Jules.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsRobert De NiroJodie FosterCybill ShepherdA mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.Martin Scorsese has six films on this list and Taxi Driver is by far my all-time favorite of his. Robert De Niro plays a mentally unstable war veteran now a taxi driver in New York who falls in love with a political campaign woman while attempting to save a young prostitute from her owners. This Jodie Foster' break-out performance which still stuns me to this day.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonMarty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.One of the most fun films to watch on this list is Robert Zemeckis's time travel comedy of the century. Michael J. Fox stars a the young high-school student Marty McFly who accidentally is sent back in time with a DeLorean and must reunite his parents before he disappears from existence. Why Christopher Lloyd wasn't nominated for an Oscar for this performance is beyond unbelievable and perhaps one of the biggest snubs in cinema history.
- 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.Many critics including IMDb users point to The Return of the King as the best TLOTR films in the franchise. I, however, have to point to the film that started it all, The Fellowship of the Ring. A humble hobbit named Frodo is sent on a quest to destroy a powerful ring and its creator on a journey he does not wish to embark on. Author J. R. R. Tolkien writes incredible characters you really care about while creating a world that is both magical and adventurous.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerLinda HamiltonEdward FurlongA cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her ten year old son John from an even more advanced and powerful cyborg.Bet you can't say "Arnold Schwarzenegger" without the terminator accent. Very rarely do we see squeals perform better than its originals in both the box office and the critics. An evil cyborg from the future is reprogrammed and sent back to the past to protect a future general who will save mankind from destruction. The action's great, but it was the quotes like "hasta la vista, baby" which stand out even further.
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsMark HamillHarrison FordCarrie FisherAfter the Rebel Alliance are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.The sequel to A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back brings back everything we loved from the original. Space battles, lightsaber duals, wise old man quotes and much more. This story continues the perfect trilogy and never disappoints us (that is until those prequels came out).
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.Oscar winning foreign film, A Separation will bring chills down your spine from start to finish. What began as a divorce between a couple suddenly turned into a socially disturbing tale of deception and violence. Throughout this film, we are never sure what is the truth as each of these characters are hold their own masks. Be prepared to be mesmerized.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.2014 Sundance Film Festival winner, Whiplash shouts out with gold sometimes scaring us half to death. A talented young drummer enrolls in a top-notch jazz school only to face a instructor who's methods of teaching are out of this world. The instructor is played by J. K. Simmons and let's just say director Damien Chazelle gave him no limits to how verbally brutal this man can be.