There are some movies out there that are more engaging and thought-provoking than others. There are also many films that are novel in concept, while some commemorate influential films from the past. Not all are noteworthy or transformative, however, every movie contributes to the story of cinema in their own way. The films below have stood out in ways that are both good and bad. Most have caused me to ask questions, research deeper into subjects, helped craft my understanding of film, and even, at times, shaped my consciousness.
Some of my thoughts will contain spoilers, but this will be noted at the top of the posts. My goal is to avoid spoilers, but some movies will be difficult to unravel without mentioning spoilers.
Over time I expect my thoughts to become more informed and concise. My hope is that others might stumble upon this and turn these into a discussion, if something resonates. So feel free to comment.
# | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
#
39 Steps, The (1935)
A
Adventurer, The (1917)
Andy Irons: Kissed By God (2018)
Arrival (2016)
Army of Shadows (L’Armee des ombres) (1969)
Ask Father (1919) – Short
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The (2007)
B
Babel (2006)
Back Stage (1919) – Short Film
Battleship Potemkin (Бронено́сец Потёмкин) (1925)
Battling Butler (1926)
Ben-Hur (1907) – Short Film
Big Parade, The (1925)
Birth of a Nation, The (1915)
Birthday Party, The (1968)
Black Swan (2010)
Blackbird, The (1926)
Blackmail (1929)
Broken Blossoms (1919)
Brother (2000)
Bumping Into Broadway (1919) – Short
C
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The (1920)
Call Me By Your Name (2017)
Cameraman, The (1928)
Cat People (1942)
Cheat, The (1915)
Chien Andalou, Un (An Andalusian Dog) (1929) – Short Film
Chienne, La (1931)
Chuji Tabi Nikki (A Diary of Chuji’s Travels) (1927)
Chute de la Masion Usher, La (The Fall of the House of Usher) (1928)
Circus, The (1928)
Cloverfield (2008)
Coda (2013) – Short Film
College (1927)
Cops (1922) – Short Film
Coquille et Le Clergyman, La (The Seashell and the Clergyman) (1928)
D
Dark Days (2000)
Darkest Hour (2017)
Deadpool (2016)
Devil-Doll, The (1936)
Detroit (2017)
Docks of New York (1928)
Dollar Down (1925)
Down by Law (1986)
Dracula (1931)
Drawing, A (2018) – Short Film
Dunkirk (2017)
E
Eleven O’Clock, The (2016) – Short Film
F
Fantômas (1913) – Series
Flesh and the Devil (1927)
Florida Project, The (2017)
Foolish Wives (1922)
For Heaven’s Sake (1926)
Founder, The (2016)
Frankenstein (1910) – Short Film
Freaks (1932)
Freshman, The (1925)
From Hand to Mouth (1919) – Short
Frozen North, The (1922) – Short Film
Funny Story (2018)
G
Get Out (2017)
General, The (1926)
Ghost Story, A (2017)
Girl on the Train, The (2016)
Girl Shy (1924)
Go West (1925)
God’s Own Country (2017)
Gold Rush, The (1925)
Grandma’s Boy (1922)
Greed (1925)
H
Hateful Eight, The (2015)
Haunted Spooks (1920) – Short
He Who Get’s Slapped (1924)
Hell or High Water (2016)
His Girl Friday (1940)
Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)
I
I ♡ Huckabees (2004)
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
Idle Class (1921)
Immigrant, The (1917)
J
Jim Bludso (1917)
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Jour se Leve, Le (Daybreak) (1939)
Judy (2019)
Jungle Book, The (2016)
Junior (2017) – Short Film
K
Kid, The (1921)
Kid Brother (1927)
Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
L
L’Atlantide (1921)
L’Inferno (1911)
L’Inhumaine (1924)
La La Land (2016)
Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves) (1948)
Lady Bird (2017)
Last Airbender, The (2010)
Lighthouse, The (2019)
Little Nemo, or Winsor McCay: The Famous Cartoonist of the N.Y. Herald and His Moving Comics (1911) – Short Film
Little Prince, The (2016)
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
London After Midnight (1927)
Love & Mercy (2014)
M
M (1931)
Magnificent Ambersons, The (1942)
Man Who Laughs, The (1928)
Man With a Movie Camera (Человек с кино-аппаратом) (1929)
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Mark of the Vampire (1935)
Metropolis (1927)
Ménilmontant (1926) – Short Film
Miracle Man, The (1919)
Miracles for Sale (1939)
The Mystic (1925)
Moonlight (2016)
Mother! (2017)
Mr. Nobody (2009)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
N
Nanook of the North (1922)
Napoléon (1927)
Navigator, The (1924)
Never Weaken (1921) – Short Film
Nice Guys, The (2016)
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922)
November (2017)
O
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood (2019)
One Week (1920) – Short Film
Our Hospitality (1923)
Outside the Law (1920)
Outside the Law (1930)
Over the Fence (1917) – Short Film
P
Pagg (2018) – Short Film
Passion de Jeanne d’Arc, La (The Passion of Joan of Arc) (1928)
Pay Day (1922)
Penalty, The (1920)
Phantom Carriage, The (Körkarlen) (1920)
Phantom of the Opera, The (1925)
Playhouse, The (1921) – Short Film
Procedure, The (2016) – Short Film
Q
Quiz Show (1994)
R
Rebel Without A Cause (1955)
Road to Mandalay, The (1926)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Roma (2018)
Roman J Israel, Esq (2017)
Roue, La (1923)
S
Sailor-made Man, A (1921)
Safety Last! (1923)
Saphead, The (1920) – Short Film
Secretary (2002)
Seven Chances (1925)
Shape of Water, The (2017)
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
Shoulder Arms (1918)
Skyldige, Den (The Guilty) (2018)
Sledgehammer (The Abyss of Peleliu) (2018) – Short Film
Speedy (1928)
Spite Marriage (1929)
Stagecoach (1939)
Stand by Me (1986)
State of Mind, A (2005)
Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928)
Student von Prag, Der (The Student of Prague) (1913)
Suicide Squad (2016)
Suspense (1913) – Short Film
T
Tare, La (The Defect) (1911) – Short Film
Thief of Bagdad, The (1924)
Thin Man, The (1934)
Things to Come (1936)
Three Ages (1923)
Toll of the Sea, The (1922)
Toni Erdmann (2016)
U
Unholy Three, The (1925)
Unholy Three, The (1930)
Unknown, The (1927)
V
Vice (2018)
W
WALL·E (2008)
Welcome Danger (1929)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Why Worry (1923)
Wicked Darling, The (1919)
Witch, The (2015)
Within Our Gates (1920)
Woman of Paris, A (1923)
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (2018)
Wrestler, The (2008)
X
Y
Z
Zootopia (2016)
