I thought I’d make a page where I share my pure passion for the movies. I know nobody asked me to, but I’m going to share my movie recommendations here. I won’t post one long list (although I could do that) since you can find lists everywhere on the internet. This will be my little curated stream of suggestions from a varied array of styles, from every decade. I will start with some of my favorite and by the time we hit 100, whoever reads this page will be able to say they’ve watched the most essential films ever made. Now, if you are really into film you will have seen them all. Sorry. I’ve only seen some short of a thousand myself, so I can’t go into deep detail with like Greek cinema for example. At least for now.
I have included some technical information that will only make sense to film enthusiasts, but I think it’s better to have it there just in case. You will find pretty much everything on IMDb, but I’ve stripped them of the non-essential bits.
I have to mention also that I initially wanted to write a more detailed review for each film but I really don’t have time as I would have to rewatch every single one of them and spend a lot of time organizing my ideas. And I would have to use spoilers as arguments so you wouldn’t be able to read the reviews before you watch the movie. I prefer to post more suggestions at this stage. Besides, nothing guarantees my analyses would be any good and you can find great stuff online. I’m happy with simply pointing you to the greatest movies ever made and I promise they will not waste your time.
First, my personal top:
Parasite (2019)
You’ve probably seen this, but I can’t help starting with it. Probably the only perfect score I’ll ever give.
What’s best about it: cinematography, editing, great twists, the screenplay.
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Cinematographer: Kyung-pyo Hong
Writing: Bong Joon Ho, Jin-won Han
Film editing: Jinmo Yang
Oscars: 4 (6 nominations)
Best Picture (winner)
Best Director (winner)
Best Original Screenplay (winner)
Best International Feature Film (winner)
Best Achievement in Production Design (nominee)
Best Achievement in Film Editing (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 2h 12 min (132 min)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Color, Digital
Camera (lenses): Arri Alexa 65 (Arri Prime DNA – spherical
Budget: $11.4 million ($12 million today)
Language: Korean
IMDb rating: 8,6
Metascore: 96
My score: 100
The Human Condition (1960-1961)
It’s impossible to live up to such a title – but this movie does.
What’s great about it: an unparalleled study of the human exitance, philosophy, cinematography, emotion.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Cinematographer: Yoshio Miyajima
Writing: Zenzô Matsuyama, Kôichi Inagaki, Masaki Kobayashi, after a novel by Jumpei Gomikawa
Film editing: Keiichi Uraoka
Oscars: 0 (0 nomination)
Specs:
Runtime: 9h 39min (579 min)
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Black & White, 35mm Film
Camera (lenses): It looks like spherical but then it’s a wide aspect ratio so could be anamorphic, although by the looks I’d say it’s simply shot at 2-perf.
Budget: I couldn’t find anything on that but apparently it made about 500 million yen at box office ($21 million in today’s money)
Language: Japanese
IMDb rating: 8.8
Metascore: –
My score: 99
Paris, Texas (1984)
One of the most profound movies I know.
What’s great about it: story, originality, philosophy, purity, emotion.
Director: Wim Wenders
Cinematographer: Robby Muller
Writing: L.M. Kit Carson, adapting from Sam Shepard, story editor Walter Donohue
Film editing: Peter Przygodda
Oscars: 0 (0 nomination)
Specs:
Runtime: 2h 25min (145 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Color, 35mm Film
Camera (lenses): Spherical
Budget: £1.6 million (£6.5 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8.1
Metascore: 81
My score: 98
American History X (1998)
One of the most underrated movies I know.
What’s great about it: camera work, editing, Edward Norton, authenticity.
Director: Tony Kaye
Cinematographer: Tony Kaye
Writing: David McKenna
Film editing: Gerald B. Greenberg, Alan Heim
Oscars: 0 (1 nomination)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 59 min (119 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Color/Black and White, 35mm Film
Camera (lenses): Panaflex (Panavision – spherical)
Budget: $20 million ($30 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,5
Metascore: 62 (?)
My score: 98
The Great Dictator (1940)
Probably Chaplin’s best film. It’s just a monumental work of art, one of the best examples of what a great auteur can do with full control over their film.
What’s great about it: Charlie Chaplin, the screenplay, rich metaphors, courage, emotion.
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Cinematographer: Karl Struss, Roland Totheroh
Writing: Charlie Chaplin
Film editing: Willard Nico, Harold Rice
Oscars: 0 (5 nominations)
Best Picture (nominee)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (nominee)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (nominee)
Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominee)
Best Music, Original Score (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 2h 5 min (125 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.35:1
Black and White, 35mm Film
Camera (lenses): I couldn’t find this, but I imagine a Kodak 35 or Arriflex 35 (spherical)
Budget: $2 million ($38 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,4
Metascore: nope
My score: 99
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
A heart-rending story masterfully transposed to the screen.
What’s great about it: it’s really funny, Roberto Benigni, emotion, the screenplay, Roberto Benigni.
Director: Roberto Benigni
Cinematographer: Tonino Delli Colli
Writing: Vincenzo Cerami, Roberto Benigni
Film editing: Simona Paggi
Oscars: 3 (7 nominations)
Best Foreign Language Film (winner)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (winner)
Best Music, Original Score (winner)
Best Picture (nominee)
Best Director (nominee)
Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominee)
Best Film Editing (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 56 min (116 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Color, 35mm Film
Camera (lenses): Panavision (spherical)
Budget: $20 million ($33 million today)
Language: Italian
IMDb rating: 8,6
Metascore: 59 (wtf??)
My score: 99
The Godfather (Part II) (1974)
Technically, the second Godfather counts as one of my favorite five movies but obviously the whole trilogy is superb, so…
What’s great about it: cinematography, acting, story, character development, especially Al Pacino.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cinematographer: Gordon Willis
Writing: Mario Puzo, Francis Ford Coppola
Film editing: Barry Malkin, Richard Marks, Peter Zinner
Oscars: 6 (11 nominations)
Best Picture (winner)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (winner)
Best Director (winner)
Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material (winner)
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (winner)
Best Music, Original Dramatic Score (winner)
Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role (nominee)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (nominee)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (nominee)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role (nominee)
Best Costume Design (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 3h 40 min (220 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Color, 35mm Film
Budget: $13 million ($70 million today)
Language: English, Sicilian, Italian
IMDb rating: 9
Metascore: 90
My score: 99
Other masterpieces:
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
I first saw this movie the same day as Gone with the Wind. My jaw was down so long they had to get in there with a wrench and crank it back up.
What’s great about it: the visuals, Peter O’Toole, art direction, montage, music, character development.
Director: David Lean
Cinematographer: Freddie Young
Writing: T. E. Lawrence, Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson
Film editing: Anne V. Coates
Oscars: 7 (10 nominations)
Best Picture (winner)
Best Director (winner)
Best Cinematography, Color (winner)
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color (winner)
Best Sound (winner)
Best Film Editing (winner)
Best Music, Score – Substantially Original (winner)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (nominee)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (nominee)
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 3h 48 min (228 min)
Aspect ratio: 2.20:1 & 2.35:1
Color, 65mm film
Camera (lenses): Mitchell BFC 65 & FC 65 (Panavision 70)
Budget: $15 million ($134 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,3
Metascore: 100
My score: 97
Léon: The Professional (1994)
The hate this movie gets is one of the saddest examples of human stupidity. It is one of the most emotional films I’ve ever seen, with an amazing relationship between the lead characters and a fascinating villain so masterfully portrayed by Gary Oldman.
What’s great about it: the cast, action, emotion, pace, character depth.
Director: Luc Besson
Cinematographer: Thierry Arbogast
Writing: Luc Besson
Film editing: Sylvie Landra
Oscars: 0 (0 nominations)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 50 min (110 min)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 & 2.35:1
Color, 35mm film
Camera (lenses): Arriflex 35 & 35 III (Zeiss Super Speed and Angenieux HR Lenses)
Budget: $22 million ($39 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,5
Metascore: 65…
My score: 98
The Gold Rush (1925)
This would easily be the greatest silent film of all time but Charlie Chaplin does a full voice-over, so I don’t think it counts as silent. “The Little Fellow”, without speaking a word, is one of the most amazing tragic characters I’ve ever watched on the screen.
What’s great about it: story, originality, emotion, metaphor, Chaplin’s movement.
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Cinematographer: Roland Totheroh
Writing: Charlie Chaplin
Film editing: Charlie Chaplin
Oscars: 0 (2 nominations)
Best Sound, Recording (nominee)
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 35 min (95 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.33 :1
Black&White, 35mm film
Camera (lenses): Bell & Howell model 2709 – this is what he used in that period, so I’m assuming this (spherical)
Budget: $ 923,000 ($ 14 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,2
Metascore: –
My score: 98
Paths of Glory (1957)
A brave, moving, anti-commercial film. Wonderful, heartbreaking simplicity. This film was persecuted, it was banned in several countries for decades, and made almost no money. Yet Kirk Douglas and Stanley Kubrick heroically got it done. True art! It is my favorite Kubrick film.
What’s great about it: story, art direction, characters, story.
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cinematographer: Georg Krause
Writing: Stanley Kubrick, Calder Willingham, Jim Thompson
Film editing: Eva Kroll
Oscars: 0 (0 nominations)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 28 min (88 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.66 : 1
Black&While, 35mm film
Camera (lenses): Arriflex 35 IIA, Mitchell Camera (spherical)
Budget: $923,000 ($23 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,4
Metascore: 90
My score: 96
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Actually! People don’t talk about this nearly enough but this is the middle film of a trilogy that begins with Days of Being Wild (1990) and ends with 2046 (2004). You need to see the whole thing, although be aware that it’s no Lord of the Rings. It’s not a one-goal, one-story movie, it’s alternative cinema to some degree. It’s not Hollywood cinema. It’s different.
My least favorite, to be honest, was the first but the other two are utter masterpieces. In the Mood for Love is the best one. It’s actually one of the best movies in the history of cinema. 2046 is also amazing but it does start off less glamorously. Please watch them all.
What’s great about it: camera work, characters, montage, cinematography, music.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Cinematographer: Christopher Doyle, Pun-Leung Kwan, Ping Bin Lee
Writing: Kar-Wai Wong
Film editing: William Chang
Oscars: 0 (0 nominations)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 38 min (98 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Color, 35mm film
Camera (lenses): Arriflex 35 BL4, Arriflex 535 (Zeiss Lenses)
Budget: couldn’t find
Language: Cantonese, Shanghainese
IMDb rating: 8,1
Metascore: 85
My score: 98
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Again, this is part of a trilogy and you should see A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollars More (1965). This one, though, is unmatched. I can’t say anything about it without spoiling it. It’s one the greatest movies ever made, I mean it, I swear it, I promise you’ll love it.
What’s great about it: tension, montage, music, action
Director: Sergio Leone
Cinematographer: Tonino Delli Colli
Writing: Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone
Film editing: Eugenio Alabiso, Nino Baragli
Oscars: 0 (0 nominations)
Specs:
Runtime: 2h 58 min (178 min)
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Color, 35mm film
Camera (lenses): Arriflex 35 IIC (probably anamorphic but I don’t know)
Budget: $ 1.2 million ($10 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,8
Metascore: 90
My score: 98
Taxi Driver (1976)
I’m confronted with having to say this is Scorsese’s best film. I don’t know. Scorsese is my personal favorite director of all time. Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed, After Hours, The Colour of Money, The King of Comedy, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore… I guess if I really had to pick one and only one, I’d reluctantly choose Taxi Driver. There’s something about the realism, the color, the raw, brutal emotion of this movie that has stayed with me more than any other movie I’ve ever seen.
What’s great about it: cinematography, music, camera work, De Niro’s performance, there’s very little that isn’t great about this movie.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cinematographer: Michael Chapman
Writing: Paul Schrader
Film editing: Thelma Schoonmaker
Oscars: 0 (4 nominations)
Best Picture (nominee)
Best Actor in a Leading Role (nominee)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (nominee)
Best Music, Original Score (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 54 min (114 min)
Aspect ratio:1.85:1
Color, 35mm film (occasionally 16mm)
Camera (lenses): Arriflex 35 BL (Zeiss Super Speed Lenses)
Budget: $1.3 million ($6.1 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,3
Metascore: 94
My score: 95
Seppuku [Hara-Kiri] (1962)
This is just a classic Kobayashi. An amazing, heart-breaking story with unapologetic political and social resonance. Much like Paths of Glory. Just like I love them. When I finished watching this I exclaimed: “This is the most philosophical movie I’ve ever seen!”
What’s great about it: story, movement, dialogue, cinematography.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Cinematographer: Yoshio Miyajima
Writing: Yasuhiko Takiguchi (novel), Shinobu Hashimoto (screenplay)
Film editing: Hisashi Sagara
Oscars: 0 (0 nominations)
Specs:
Runtime: 2h 13 min (132 min)
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Black & White, 35mm film
Camera (lenses): – (anamorphic)
Budget: –
Language: Japanese
IMDb rating: 8,6
Metascore: 85
My score: 97
Philanthropy [Filantropica] (2002)
Something special. This is a Romanian film. An incredibly accurate satire of the Romanian society in the post-communist transition period. I’ve never cringed that much at a movie in my life. In a good way.
What’s great about it: screenplay, acting, editing.
Director: Nae Caranfil
Cinematographer: Vivi Dragan
Writing: Nae Caranfil
Film editing: Thierry Derocles, Tiberiu Teodorescu
Oscars: 0 (0 nominations)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 50 min (110 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Color, 35mm film
Language: Romanian
IMDb rating: 8,5
Metascore: –
My score: 95
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
This is one of those movies I was skeptical about at first. I didn’t really want to watch it. I had heard it was disturbing, hard to follow, weird-looking. Well. Trainspotting (1996). That’s disturbing (very good movie, too). This isn’t. Neither is it hard to follow. And “weird”? The camera work and editing are some of the most amazing I have ever seen, especially in the realm of alternative, rule-breaking filmmaking styles. Overall, one of my favorite movies.
What’s great about it: camera work, editing, screenplay, acting.
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Cinematographer: Matthew Libatique
Writing: Darren Aronofsky (book by Hubert Selby Jr.)
Film editing: Jay Rabinowitz
Oscars: 0 (1 nomination)
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Ellen Burstyn (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 42 min (102 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 (they exposed 1.37 and cropped to 1:85)
Color, 35mm film
Camera (lenses): Panavision Panaflex Gold II, (Panavision Ultra Speed MKII Lenses), Bell & Howell Eyemo (I wonder why. This is a very old model), Panavised Arri-3, Panavision Panastar, Sony Betacam Cameras (these record on tape, so probably used for what happens on TV)
Budget: $4,5 million ($7,1 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,3
Metascore: 68
My score: 97
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Ah, well. Just a… quiet masterpiece. Uhm… I wanna say something about it but it contains spoilers. It just seems that each scene in this movie couldn’t have been more powerful than it is as we see it on the screen.
What’s great about it: writing, acting, cinematography, production design, editing.
Director: Martin McDonagh
Cinematographer: Ben Davis
Writing: Martin McDonagh
Film editing: John Gregory
Oscars: 2 (7 nominations)
Best Actress in a Leading Role: Frances McDormand (winner)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Sam Rockwell (winner)
Best Picture (nominee)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Woody Harrelson (nominee)
Best Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) (nominee)
Best Original Screenplay (nominee)
Best Achievement in Film Editing (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 1h 55 min (115 min)
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Color, digital
Camera (lenses): Arri Alexa XT Plus (Panavision C-Series – anamorphic)
Budget: $15 million ($16,2 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,1
Metascore: 88
My score: 96
Vertigo (1958)
For me, Hitchcock’s best. A lot of people like Rear Window (1954) but for me, this one is his jewel. And this is huge because even with my absolute overall favorite director, Martin Scorsese, I’ve been faced with disappointment at the hands of Silence (2016) and Cape Fear (1991). But with Hitchcock, everything I’ve ever watched is gold. Including really old stuff like The Lodger (1927), which I think is the best silent film of all time.
What’s great about it: cinematography, composition, suspense, editing, acting, story, set-up & reward.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cinematographer: Robert Burks
Writing: Alec Coppel & Samuel Taylor
Film editing: George Tomasini
Oscars: 0 (2 nominations)
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White or Color (nominee)
Best Sound (nominee)
Specs:
Runtime: 2h 8 min (128 min)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Color, 35mm film
Camera (lenses): Mitchell VistaVision (spherical)
Budget: $2,5 million ($23,3 million today)
Language: English
IMDb rating: 8,3
Metascore: 100
My score: 97