You Don't Get to Call Yourself a Movie Fan If You Haven't Seen These 15 Films
You want a crash-course on movies? Drop what you’re doing and watch these movies now.
No two movie fans are alike, but if you want to consider yourself a true cinephile, here are fifteen films you absolutely must watch.
Airplane! - 1980 (7.7 IMDb Rating)
In a genre that rarely ages well, the jokes still land as you watch the landscape of American comedy form in Airplane! Saturday Night Live probably gets the nod for the biggest cultural impact on comedy, but cinematically, everything from Groundhog Day to Superbad owes a lot to this movie.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - 1982 (7.9 IMDb Rating)
Steven Spielberg has made a career of merging heartfelt sentiments with gripping storytelling, and the 1980s were the birth of live-action critically acclaimed family-friendly flicks. It was the perfect combination for E.T., resulting in a $664 million box office haul upon initial release - the highest ever up to that point.
Titanic - 1997 (7.9 IMDb Rating)
It was the first film to pass the $1 billion mark at the box office. It won an absurd 11 Oscars, tying the record for a single film. It reinvented the idea of the epic while perfecting the disaster genre. More importantly, it introduced the world to a young Leonardo DiCaprio, the most bankable and iconic star of the 21st century.
Annie Hall - 1977 (8.0 IMDb Rating)
Woody Allen and his films have been a hallmark of cinema and New York City for decades. Woody won Best Picture and Best Screenplay for his first Oscar-nominated film, which earned $38 million against a paltry $4 million budget. Annie Hall remains one of the funniest films the observational comedy genre has ever produced.
Rocky - 1976 (8.1 IMDb Rating)
Sports movies don't often do well at the Oscars, but Sylvester Stallone's debut feature won Best Picture in 1976, with a behind-the-scenes story that rivaled the drama on screen. Rocky is the quintessential underdog tale, grossing $117 million against a budget of $960,000, and is still rewatchable today.
The Wizard of Oz - 1939 (8.1 IMDb Rating)
The Golden Age of Movies is known for the advancements of sound, the advent of color, the birth of film noir, and the popularization of cinema. What it’s not known for is an abundance of rewatchable films. But even several generations after its release, the Wizard of Oz remains one of the most quoted movies of all time and perfect for a family-friendly movie night.
Blade Runner - 1982 (8.1 IMDb Rating)
The ‘80s were riddled with beloved but poorly-aged sci-fi flicks. The greatest of these was Blade Runner, a genuine masterpiece that combined elements of noir, dystopia, and science fiction in one of the most important action films in history. It wasn’t appreciated nearly as much in its time, only grossing $41 million against a $28 million budget.
Jurassic Park - 1993 (8.2 IMDb Rating)
Grossing $912 million at the box office (and more than $1 billion after re-releases), Jurassic Park's lasting legacy is its innovation in practical effects. As a testament to the film's cultural impact, universities saw record numbers of students pursuing degrees in paleontology.
Reservoir Dogs - 1991 (8.3 IMDb Rating)
Kicking off both the legendary career of Quentin Tarantino and the indie revolution of the ‘90s, Reservoir Dogs flew off movie rental shelves thanks to word-of-mouth. Fans spread the news of a unique crime drama with that iconic snappy dialogue, but that news didn’t come early enough to make an impact at the box office. It only made $2.9 million in theaters.
Memento - 2000 (8.4 IMDb Rating)
Film noir has had several reincarnations over the past several decades, but none has done better than the mind-bending Memento. Christopher Nolan burst onto the scene with his non-linear storytelling, starting a career filled with critical acclaim and commercial success. It grossed $40 million with a tiny $9 million budget, though Nolan still awaits his first Oscar win.
Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981 (8.4 IMDb Rating)
Created by cinema's most creative spirit (George Lucas) and its most profitable director (Steven Spielberg), Raiders set the precedent for every action movie that followed: a fast pace, a gruff hero, and a little comedy - with a few elements that would eventually become clichéd. It grossed $390 million and remains one of the most rewatchable action films four decades later.
Back to the Future - 1985 (8.5 IMDb rating)
The future of kid-friendly, adult action-adventure comedies owes thanks to Michael J. Fox and Back to the Future. It was the first real in-depth look at time travel in the sci-fi genre, and it changed the landscape of movies forever.
Psycho - 1960 (8.5 IMDb rating)
How can you make a list of must-see movies and dare to leave out Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense? While the horror genre has splintered into several sub-genres, there aren't many movies as frightening or thrilling as Psycho. It grossed $32 million on a budget of only $806,000, though Hitchcock was never able to win that elusive Academy Award.
Star Wars: A New Hope - 1977 (8.6 IMDb rating)
Today, Star Wars is synonymous with massive franchises, big budgets, and marketable characters - a poster child for selling out. But when it was released in 1977, it was the definition of innovation. Maybe the lightsaber duels aren't as appealing, but the burgeoning space epic and sprawling franchise make this an icon.
The Godfather - 1972 (9.2 IMDb rating)
A movie with so much pop culture influence that people who have never seen it quote it and put it at the top of their all-time lists. If you're looking for a crash course in movies, you could do worse than to start with a movie that many consider to be the greatest of all time.