My Favorite Films
by AdrianD2 | created - 09 Jun 2011 | updated - 19 Oct 2015 | PublicI haven't seen much, but I am working on watching every movie on the top 250 list.
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1. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Not Rated | 131 min | Drama
A bitter, aging couple, with the help of alcohol, use their young houseguests to fuel anguish and emotional pain towards each other over the course of a distressing night.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis
Votes: 79,930
For over 2 hours long, we get to watch George and Martha yell at each other, and hurt each other. Filmed with much audacity, and edited with sublime brilliance, Mike Nichols creates stunning drama. All the actors provide gripping, and unforgettable performances. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf creates a world of destruction and shocking drama, captured through a haunting cinematography, and textured with vivid lighting.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
R | 108 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories forever.
Director: Michel Gondry | Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson, Gerry Robert Byrne
Votes: 1,078,347 | Gross: $34.40M
Even though it was confusing on the first viewing, it didn't matter because the characters are very realistic and enticing. The movie is heart breaking at times, and sometimes you are just having fun with them, but the dramatic bits are very compelling. The acting is great, Eternal Sunshine is romantic comedy for both male and female.
3. Come and See (1985)
Not Rated | 142 min | Drama, Thriller, War
After finding an old rifle, a young boy joins the Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces and experiences the horrors of World War II.
Director: Elem Klimov | Stars: Aleksey Kravchenko, Olga Mironova, Liubomiras Laucevicius, Vladas Bagdonas
Votes: 97,322
Characters run through gloomy and drab landscapes while the camera follows behind, uninterrupted by superfluous edits, making for some of the most impressive and beautiful camerawork I've ever seen. One gets lost in the haunting world of Come and See quite easily thanks to its unforgettable images and the truly magnificent performance from Aleksei Kravchenko.
4. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
R | 113 min | Drama
A naive hustler travels from Texas to New York City to seek personal fortune, finding a new friend in the process.
Director: John Schlesinger | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, John McGiver
Votes: 120,873 | Gross: $44.79M
John Schlesinger's vision is extraordinary.
5. A Man and a Woman (1966)
Approved | 102 min | Drama, Romance
A widow and a widower find their relationship developing into love, but their past tragedies prove hard to overcome, causing them to proceed with utmost delicacy.
Director: Claude Lelouch | Stars: Anouk Aimée, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Pierre Barouh, Valérie Lagrange
Votes: 11,810
A Man and a Woman is a beautifully shot film. Its light mood, romantic music, fair composition, gorgeous handheld shots, and sporadic cutting leaves an indelible impression of falling in love.
6. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
R | 111 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Bored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.
Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman
Votes: 120,640
The movie's most greatest achievement is its ability to glorify the characters and their way of life, while the audience can't help but be swept away by the decadence, the freedom. Bonnie and Clyde engages our sympathies through the vivid performances from the leads, the gorgeous cinematography, the erratic editing, and the gritty and candid screenplay.
7. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Votes: 1,548,737 | Gross: $130.74M
With the two most compelling performances I've ever seen, the movie is entirely thrilling ! What makes this movie so astonishing is the chemistry between Hannibal Lector and Clarice Starling. The film is compelling with surprises, and also contains has a intensely scary ending, this movie is stunning !
8. Aliens (1986)
R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser
Votes: 763,354 | Gross: $85.16M
Superbly entertaining, the movie has memorable characters with a startling performance by Sigourney Weaver. Once we get past the first our of character development that does not bore, what we get is tightly edited, action filled, chillingly suspenseful, expert filmmaking. Riddled with action, the movie does not forget the characters. The movie ends with probably the most awesome fight scene ever. I suggest the special edition.
9. The Graduate (1967)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A disillusioned college graduate finds himself torn between his older lover and her daughter.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels
Votes: 288,492 | Gross: $104.95M
The Graduate remains as timeless and resonate as ever. It is easy to spot many of the film's influence in many modern comedy films. The film contains two brilliant performances, Dustin Hoffman as the nervous Ben, and Anne Bancroft makes for an effective villain as Mrs. Robinson. In combination of brilliant performances, interesting characters, a timeless love story, beautiful camerawork, and an excellent screenplay, The Graduate is a timeless film that will thrill.
10. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A 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.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick
Votes: 1,174,496 | Gross: $204.84M
My favorite movie of all time. I don't have ANY complaints about this movie. The story is simple and effective, characters are interesting, the movie is visually breathe taking, the effects hold up, filled with action. This movie provides repeated viewings
11. The Sixth Sense (1999)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Malcolm 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.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
Votes: 1,051,669 | Gross: $293.51M
This is a gripping drama that scares a few times and thrills through the whole movie. The acting is among the best I've seen, from Haley to Bruce, to Toni, we connect with the characters very much. The tone of the movie is breathe taking. We sympathize Haley's character through the movie, we are scared with him, we cry with him, we laugh with him. But my favorite character is Cole's mother. She is a frustrated single mother who has many failed attempts to connect with her son. The scene between Cole and his mother in the car at the end of the movie is the most touching I've ever seen. Great twist ending by the way, you'll never see it coming !
12. Children of Men (2006)
R | 109 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine
Votes: 529,535 | Gross: $35.55M
Children of Men has an intriguing premise. The film is brutally emotional, it is shocking several times, and the action scenes are impressive, original, and very intense. The cinematography is slick and stylish, this movie creates a entirely believable future.
13. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
R | 134 min | Drama, Romance
Ennis and Jack are two shepherds who develop a sexual and emotional relationship. Their relationship becomes complicated when both of them get married to their respective girlfriends.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Randy Quaid
Votes: 382,325 | Gross: $83.04M
Anytime a film's subject is close to home, it's hard for anyone to judge the film objectively. Brokeback Mountain is meditative in its pace, poetic in its symbolism, and affectionate in its story. Ang Lee's film transcends its ostensible audience and ends up being a powerful love story. It's effects are devastatingly real.
14. The Game (1997)
R | 129 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a wealthy San Francisco banker is given an opportunity to participate in a mysterious game, his life is turned upside down as he begins to question if it might really be a concealed conspiracy to destroy him.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn
Votes: 429,553 | Gross: $48.32M
In my opinion, The Game is a vastly underrated film. Though the characters aren't that interesting, and the story isn't award worthy, what makes this all the more compelling is the wonderful direction from David Fincher. He sucks us right into the movie from the beginning. Even if the story has some cliche thrills, lots of them are done in a stylish way. The strange events are creepy, the editing is effective, beautiful cinematography, great acting, and great ending ! The Game is thoroughly suspenseful !
15. Se7en (1995)
R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Votes: 1,799,700 | Gross: $100.13M
The clever concept translates well onto paper as the screenplay is deftly written complete with gruesome deaths, good characterization, plot twists (perhaps another expression for being unpredictable), and immense tension and suspense. As with all of David Fincher's films, the cinematography is unique and extremely arresting. The acting is appropriate, direction is excellent, the score is haunting. It's a truly thrilling thriller with one of the most memorable villains, and a mesmerizing ending.
16. Amélie (2001)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Romance
Despite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta
Votes: 794,391 | Gross: $33.23M
It probably has been said many times but Amelie is the ultimate feel good movie. The screenplay is witty and light, the movie is hilarious at times, the music is beautiful, unbeatable cinematography, goofy characters, the movie drops a tiny bit when the romance part kicks in, but does not kill the charm.
17. Titanic (1997)
PG-13 | 194 min | Drama, Romance
A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates
Votes: 1,280,886 | Gross: $659.33M
18. Panic Room (2002)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A divorced woman and her diabetic daughter take refuge in their newly-purchased house's safe room when three men break-in, searching for a missing fortune.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jodie Foster, Kristen Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam
Votes: 296,986 | Gross: $96.40M
Entirely moody, Panic Room is a smart thriller. Though we don't really connect with the characters, they do not do stupid stuff like you see in horror movies. The characters to smart things, but they fail, which makes the film more sympathizable (?). At its most intense, Panic Room is literally edge of your seat, you will be tense ! Great cinematography, good acting, good score, excellent direction, smart script, this is an above average thriller
19. Rear Window (1954)
PG | 112 min | Mystery, Thriller
A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his Greenwich Village courtyard apartment window and, despite the skepticism of his fashion-model girlfriend, becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Wendell Corey, Thelma Ritter
Votes: 522,237 | Gross: $36.76M
The genius of Rear Window is that watching a film is not far from spying on your neighbors, which produces the unprecedented effect of being easily drawn into the world of Rear Window. The main character looks through his neighbors' windows and watch their lives much like audiences watching characters' lives through the screen. Alfred Hitchcock fully utilizes this opportunity and create a fascinating world full of dismal little lives and the drama that exists in between. All the performances are fine, the set is magnificent, all else is top notch. Rear Window is not only a rare film that is arguably absolutely perfect, but it is a masterpiece in terms story telling.
20. Alien (1979)
R | 117 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 951,273 | Gross: $78.90M
Strong performances all around. Simple and effective storyline. Masterful camerawork, masterful editing. The cinematography and visual designs are transcendent, and looks stunningly modern. Alien makes for an extremely taut thriller.
21. Gun Crazy (1950)
Passed | 87 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Two disturbed young people release their fascination with guns through a crime spree.
Director: Joseph H. Lewis | Stars: John Dall, Peggy Cummins, Berry Kroeger, Morris Carnovsky
Votes: 14,851
Gun Crazy tells a rather simple story with great acting, brisk editing, and some rather unique and innovative cinematography/framing for its time.
22. The Boys in the Band (1970)
R | 118 min | Drama
Tempers fray and true selves are revealed when a heterosexual accidentally intrudes on a homosexual party.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Kenneth Nelson, Peter White, Leonard Frey, Frederick Combs
Votes: 5,894 | Gross: $7.63M
The strength of this movie is its mordant and biting script, which maintains most of its power even today. The late 60s/early 70s filmmaking enhances its potency, made all the more noteworthy by its degree of honesty considering its release date.
23. Carrie (1976)
R | 98 min | Horror, Mystery
Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, John Travolta
Votes: 206,742 | Gross: $33.80M
Carrie's vivid and innovative use of composition, camera movement, long takes, editing, slow motion, and not to mention split screen, makes the film all the more powerful and frightening. That is not to mention the terrific acting and screenplay.
24. A Very Natural Thing (1974)
R | 80 min | Drama, Romance
A poignant romantic drama examines the life of gay 26 year old, ex-monk, school teacher living in Manhattan. When he meets a man at a gay bar, they connect and are soon living together. Unfortunately their views on monogamy don't match.
Director: Christopher Larkin | Stars: Robert McLane, Curt Gareth, Bo White, Anthony McKay
Votes: 986 | Gross: $0.07M
Its story and acting are weak, but when put in historical perspective, A Very Natural Thing is an audacious and groundbreaking film. Its then unusual honesty and respect for its subject matter is equaled by the cinematography and editing. A Very Natural Thing is an invaluable time capsule, a treasure, a gem!
25. The Apartment (1960)
Approved | 125 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A 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.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston
Votes: 196,910 | Gross: $18.60M
Beautiful cinematography, and beautiful chemistry. The film was taboo breaking at the time which make the film feels daring and still fresh. It is also funny and surprisingly dark. The apartment also has really good acting, and great dialogue. The Apartment is a very, very, very, classy movie.
26. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
PG | 117 min | Animation, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Warrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura, Hisako Kyôda, Gorô Naya
Votes: 182,607 | Gross: $0.50M
Absolutely stunning animation. The drawing in this film is very impressive for its time, absolutely beautiful. The voices are very well done. But most of all, it creates an astonishing world that is wholly believable. Creativity and imagination thrives here, the creatures, the glider, the civilization, the environment, everything is awe inspiring. This film is a visual wonder filled with exciting action, and a superb heroin.
27. The Thing (1982)
R | 109 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David, Richard Masur
Votes: 466,850 | Gross: $13.78M
One of the few movies to frighten me. The Thing is wonderfully atmospheric. The combination of a interesting hero, haunting score, stylish cinematography, awesome effects, and gripping editing makes this movie scary and memorable.
28. Das Boot (1981)
R | 149 min | Drama, War
A German U-boat stalks the frigid waters of the North Atlantic as its young crew experience the sheer terror and claustrophobic life of a submariner in World War II.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch
Votes: 264,405 | Gross: $11.49M
Starting out rather sluggish, Das Boot slowly turns more and more gripping. This submarine movie exudes superb craftsmanship in its appearance, from its cinematography, editing, sets, to its acting, directing, and screenplay. The ending remains one of the most shocking and ruthless ever.
29. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Not Rated | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.
Director: Charles Laughton | Stars: Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason
Votes: 97,391 | Gross: $0.65M
Perhaps the fact that the film looks rather modern is evidence that The Night of the Hunter was far, far ahead of its time. The aerial shots, the gothic lighting, the surreal composition, the silhouette shots, the underwater shots, etcetera, were highly unconventional at the time, but holds up marvelously today. The film is poetic and is one of the greatest fairy tales on film.
30. Sunrise (1927)
Passed | 94 min | Drama, Romance
A sophisticated city woman seduces a farmer and convinces him to murder his wife and join her in the city, but he ends up rekindling his romance with his wife when he changes his mind at the last moment.
Director: F.W. Murnau | Stars: George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston, Bodil Rosing
Votes: 53,856 | Gross: $0.54M
Sunrise transcends time and language with its simple and universal story and with visual beauty. Watch it decades from now, its power will still hold.
31. Airplane! (1980)
PG | 88 min | Comedy
After the crew becomes sick with food poisoning, a neurotic ex-fighter pilot must safely land a commercial airplane full of passengers.
Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker | Stars: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Votes: 261,212 | Gross: $83.40M
Very very very funny. This movie thankfully has many many different kinds of humor and lots of it is tasteful humor. Probably the movie that I laughed the most with. Best comedy I've ever seen.
32. All About Eve (1950)
Passed | 138 min | Drama
A seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Stars: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders, Celeste Holm
Votes: 138,800 | Gross: $0.01M
What makes this movie so entertaining is the superbly witty script. The characters are thoroughly enjoyable, Eve's gradual transition into an effective villain is breathe taking and hits us as hard as it did Margo. Great drama.
33. Jeepers Creepers (2001)
R | 90 min | Horror, Mystery
A brother and sister driving home through isolated countryside for spring break encounter a flesh-eating creature which is in the midst of its ritualistic eating spree.
Director: Victor Salva | Stars: Gina Philips, Justin Long, Jonathan Breck, Patricia Belcher
Votes: 142,604 | Gross: $37.90M
We actually do care for the characters, this movie has a dark tone, an interesting premise, genuine creepiness, and a very cool creature. I like it very much.
34. Silverlake Life: The View from Here (1993)
99 min | Documentary
A documentary about two gay men as they live through their last months of life with AIDS.
Directors: Peter Friedman, Tom Joslin | Stars: Liane Bonin, Tom Joslin, Mark Massi
Votes: 523
There's nothing cinematically noteworthy in this documetary except its shocking honesty. Silverlake Life captures the lives of two dying men with unbearable poignancy. It's the little moments and things that make Silverlake Life so emotionally resonant. This documentary is emotionally agonizing, depressing, true, and profound.
35. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
R | 102 min | Drama
The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep..
Director: Darren Aronofsky | Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans
Votes: 899,043 | Gross: $3.64M
36. 12 Angry Men (1957)
Approved | 96 min | Crime, Drama
The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler
Votes: 865,478 | Gross: $4.36M
12 Angry Men provides intense drama, working on the tensions between characters, this movie provides what every movie should - a strong script. With the use of a single setting, and at 2 hours length, this movie surprisingly does not bore.
37. Back to the Future (1985)
PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty 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.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,307,351 | Gross: $210.61M
The words to sum up this movie are: entertaining, funny, smart, adventurous, charming, awesome, and fun. Back to the Future has very funny and interesting characters, witty dialogue, great special effects, and when it needs to be, intense. One of the greatest entertainment piece ever. This movie is filled with retro flare and 80's zeitgeist.
38. Charly (1968)
M | 103 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
An intellectually disabled man undergoes an experiment that gives him the intelligence of a genius.
Director: Ralph Nelson | Stars: Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney
Votes: 7,286 | Gross: $15.83M
39. Copycat (1995)
R | 123 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
An agoraphobic psychologist and a female detective must work together to take down a serial killer who copies serial killers from the past.
Director: Jon Amiel | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney, William McNamara
Votes: 65,962 | Gross: $32.05M
Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter provides excellent acting and wonderful characters that we actually care what happens to them. A stylish film that is creepy at times and very entertaining
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