This is part 3 of this list.
600. Sin City (2005)
Robert Rodriguez / Frank Miller / Quentin Tarantino / USA
A dark and sexy comic book film with an all star cast and a pretty twisted and bloody story. Ultraviolence at its slickest.
599. Khrustalyov, My Car! (1998)
Aleksei German / Russia
After viewing Hard to be A God I knew I had to see more Aleksei German, Khrustalyov may not be as rich in production value but the intense perpetual chaos was just a present. Aleksey German was a freak of nature.
598. Almost Famous (2000)
Cameron Crowe / USA
Another great rock-coming of age including road trips, teenage sex and singing Elton Johnâs Tiny Dancer.
597. Gattaca (1997)
Andrew Niccol / USA
An excellent little Sci-Fi that tackles the human strive to be superior. Oddly enough this future does not seem so farfetched.
596. Old and New (1929)
Grigori Aleksandrov / Sergei M. Eisenstein / Soviet Union
Eisensteinâs agricultural masterpiece. Not quite as hailed as his other work, but just as fascinating of viewing to me. Highly glorifying farm life and depicting its uglier side of the meat industry (whether intentional or not). Plus thereâs a cow/bull wedding.
595. Testament Of Orpheus (1960)
Jean Cocteau / France
Sort of a followup to Orpheus, but more of Cacteau’s retirement from film. French cinema in general has always been magical and artistically rich and thatâs how Iâd describe this film. An experimental dive into a brilliant mind.
594. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
William Cottrell / David Hand / Wilfred Jackson / Larry Morey / Perce Pearce / Ben Sharpsteen / USA
While it isn’t my favorite Disney story, ultimately Snow White is a most essential animation and an absolute cinematic triumph of epic proportions. There’s more life and magic in this than anything Disney has made recently.
593. Rope (1948)
Alfred Hitchcock / USA
Hitchcockâs clever little exercise of mise-en-scĂšne. His early work was often a bit too wordy and lacking camera movement, but Rope executed the one-take shot well accompanied by a sharp script.
592. She Was Like a Wild Chrysanthemum (1955)
Keisuke Kinoshita / Japan
For never was a story of more woe than this of Masao and his Tamiko. A reminiscing tale of impossible love. Also a contender for best film title ever. The film uses an elliptical vignette almost throughout its entire duration.
591. Loving Vincent (2017)
Dorota Kobiela / Hugh Welchman / Poland / UK / USA
A contender for most visually stunning animation ever made, entirely based on paintings from Van Gogh. The story was told post his death following a reporter trying to make sense of Vincentâs death through interviewing key figures. This just looks like it took a lot of time and work to make.
590. LâArgent (1983)
Robert Bresson / France / Switzerland
Bresson out-Bressoned himself here in his final tale of cause and effect, about a forged note ruining an innocent man. Money is humanity’s downfall!
589. Hour of the Wolf (1968)
Ingmar Bergman / Sweden
Psychologically haunting and darker than the average Bergman. Focusing on a man struggling with his morbid sexuality, stuck in a nightmarish dream. Highly experimental even for Bergman.
588. Brief Encounter (1945)
David Lean / UK
Better to have loved than not to have loved at all. Brief Encounters explores love within an impossible affair, as well as commitment and sacrifice.
587. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)
Richard Linklater / USA
One of Linklaterâs lighter, simpler films that merely exists to bring 80s nostalgic joy into the world. The most compelling and beautiful film about frat boys partying and getting laid ever made.
586. Repulsion (1965)
Roman Polanski / UK
Polanski takes on intense sexual repression leading to violence, starring Catherine Denueve as the emotionally stilted – genophobic crazed girl. Psychological terror at its finest.
585. Lifeboat (1944)
Alfred Hitchcock / USA
Claustrophobic Hitchcock in which most of the film plays out on a lifeboat after a group of survivors depart a destroyed ship during WW2. The compelling characters, sharp dialogue and realistic paranoia make it one of the most memorable bottle movies.
584. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
George Miller / Australia / USA
The dude with the flamethrower guitar knows how to party. One of the most epic action films all around.
583. The Wolf House (2018)
CristĂłbal LeĂłn / JoaquĂn Cociña / Chile / Germany
An incredibly trippy and truly original stop-motion animation. The story was a little lacking, but it showed how much heart was put into its creation. Thereâs nothing else quite like it.
582. Harakiri (1962)
Masaki Kobayashi / Japan
If you dig Samurai films then look no further, as Harakiri offers the sword fights along with the complexity of a Japanese vengeance tale accompanied by excellent cinematography. That final duel is why there’s still a niche for these films.
581. Days of Being Wild (1990)
Kar Wai Wong / Hong Kong
In the Mood for empty rainy gloomy love. Wong is a hopeless romantic and Leslie Cheung a heartthrob.
580. The River Fuefuki (1960)
Keisuke Kinoshita / Japan
Filmed in B&W but is tinted and washed out with colors, and while not all of it looked great, for ’60 this was truly innovative work and adds a unique personality to the film. Kinoshita loved experimental tragedy.
579. Duck Soup (1933)
Leo McCarey / USA
The Marx Brothers manage to be charmingly irritating, they’re a pest but a funny one. None of their other films managed to be as successful as Duck Soup, which is a comedy that captures the deadpan/wordplay humor perfectly.
578. Breathless (1960)
Jean-Luc Godard / France
Godardâs breakout film widely regarded as a French New-Wave essential for its infamous jump cuts. Definitely essential but for me it is more of a stepping stone in cinema rather than a personal favorite.
577. Jacquot de Nantes (1991)
AgnĂšs Varda / France
This is why cinema is such a beautiful thing, a film made by a filmmaker for her dying husband that also happened to be a filmmaker. It intercuts between Jacquesâ childhood, his movies and footage from him directly speaking about his life. Something that can only happen within the world of cinema.
576. Safety Last! (1923)
Fred C. Newmeyer / Sam Taylor / USA
Lloyd was a poor manâs Chaplin or Keaton at best, but that final sequence in Safety Last gave me sweaty palms. His most iconic film.
575. Tomboy (2011)
CĂ©line Sciamma / France
Tomboy is important, it tells the story of a transgendered girl. Simple, effective, absolutely relatable and heartbreaking without it ever going melodramatic. The film earns its emotions and I wanted to protect this child more than anything.
574. Casablanca (1942)
Michael Curtiz / USA
A true classic Hollywood picture. War never looked so fine as Bergmanâs glittering eyes. The one scene in which they sing La Marseillaise to spite the Germans never fails to give me goosebumps.
573. Buffalo â66 (1998)
Vincent Gallo / USA
Cinematography is flawless. Vincent Gallo is unlikable, but he earns it by having Christina Ricci tap-dancing. A bit of a masturbatory film for cinephiles.
572. It Follows (2014)
David Robert Mitchell / USA
A horror film about STDs that kept me on the edge of my seat.
571. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Charles Laughton / USA
Certain parts of this film are awkward, however, it just feels like such an ambitious project with so much heart that one must admire it. It also produced some beautiful moments like a little girl singing to herself while floating away on a boat and a grandma holding a rifle to protect her ducklings from an evil preacher.
570. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Gary Trousdale / Kirk Wise / USA
This brings me back to my childhood, such a delightful little film with great songs and the most hilarious Disney-villain Gaston. Loses points for looking a little goofy compared to some other classics, but who doesnât love childhood nostalgic bliss!
569. Samsara (2011)
Ron Fricke / USA
As gorgeous as Baraka but not quite as intriguing. Regardless, an absolute must-see visual epic that travels around twenty-five countries.
568. October: Ten Days that Shook the World (1928)
Sergei M. Eisenstein / Soviet Union
Editing and cinematically are just as much of a masterpiece as in any other Eisenstein. Perhaps his least accessible film for someone unfamiliar with him, but absolutely essential for a Soviet cinema enthusiast.
567. Jackie (2016)
Pablo LarraĂn / USA / Chile / France
Portman might not have been the most obvious Jackie Kennedy, and yet she rocked this role. Phenomenal cinematography, I have now seen Camelot.
566. WALL·E (2008)
Andrew Stanton / USA
Wall-E was love at first sight and is my favorite Pixar. It says so much with nearly no dialogue, and the characters are petty and hilarious. It has the comedic power of a silent film.
565. Bronson (2008)
Nicolas Winding Refn / UK
A biopic on one of the most feared criminals from the UK, played by the brilliant Tom Hardy and with the impressive visual style of Refn. Experimental, dark, entertaining.
564. Il Grido (1957)
Michelangelo Antonioni / Italy / USA
Bleak Italian post-war realism that follows a bastard trying to be less of a bastard and failing constantly. Filmed in front of desolate landscapes all accumulating to a perfectly poetic ending.
563. Dances with Wolves (1990)
Kevin Costner / USA
Although the main characters are once again Caucasian, the film portrays Native Indians in a positive light and gives perspective on living in a savage time, and yet explores what it means to connect to nature and the internal call to be part of a tribe.
562. Moonlight (2016)
Barry Jenkins / USA
Finally a best picture winner I can get behind. Moonlight is an experience in three-parts; childhood neglect, the sexually confused/ostracized adolescence and closeted adulthood. A film many gay men growing up around machismo communities can relate to.
561. Masaan (2015)
Neeraj Ghaywan / India
Varanasi is hands down the most interesting and deeply polarizing city of India and this film does a great job of displaying the feeling of loss and death. The opening scene alone went from awkwardly cute to devastatingly brutal. It suffers a little from melodrama but also brings a truly extraordinary city on full display.
560. The Taste of Tea (2004)
Katsuhito Ishii / Japan
Full of charm and originality. The film is a classic Japanese family drama but with added weirdness and giant heads. Overcome your fears and all will be ok.
559. The Burmese Harp (1956)
Kon Ichikawa / Japan
Set during a war-stricken Burma following a soldier that runs off to become a Buddhist monk, heavily reflecting the spiritual journey of finding one’s purpose in life. A milestone for Buddhist cinema so much that Ichikawa would remake the film 30 years later. The harp was a nice touch to the musical score.
558. Interstellar (2014)
Christopher Nolan / USA / UK
There have been so many space dramas coming out this past decade, and to me none was hotter than Interstellar. It was such a trip on the big screen, from Matthew McConaughey crying to its infectious soundtrack.
557. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Lars von Trier / Denmark
Welp exactly what youâd expect from a Von Trier musical. Disgustingly painful at its core, yet Bjork ads that element of otherworldly magic.
556. The Cameraman (1928)
Edward Sedgwick / Buster Keaton / USA
A favorite of Keaton, not so much because of the story or the laughs but mainly because Keaton brings his A-game and is at his most charming. The shot of a monkey filming Keaton rescuing a woman is grand.
555. Orpheus (1950)
Jean Cocteau / France
Orpheus is a lucid nightmarish experience. Cocteau’s magical dream world is unlike any other.
554. City Girl (1930)
F.W. Murnau / USA
City Girl once again proved how Murnau could do Hollywood dramas and still create phenomenal imagery. A simple story about a city girl adjusting to the life of a farmer’s wife. Damn shame that Murnau would die a year after.
553. Planet Terror (2007)
Robert Rodriguez / USA
My favorite film by Rodriguez, it’s just so over the top ridiculous and looks so good and is wildly entertaining. A tribute to the sleazy midnight movies starring- testicle extraction, accidental child suicide, Fergie being torn apart, rapist Tarantino and a stripper played by Rose McGowan with a machine gun for a leg.
552. Women of the Night (1948)
Kenji Mizoguchi / Japan
A darker Mizoguchi about a post-war Japan where women were forced into prostitution. A fairly cruel portrayal of the time, showing the unforgiving gangs of prostitutes beating other women, all shot in a neo-realist style.
551. Shame (2011)
Steve McQueen / UK / USA
McQueen and Fassbender make an excellent pair in this male version of Nymphomaniac, including a stellar performance by Michelle Williams. Makes me long for New York and its filth above all else.
550. Ghost In The Shell (1995)
Mamoru Oshii / Japan / USA
Action in anime rarely interests me but Ghost is on equal levels with Blade Runner and The Matrix. It sets up the dystopian future quite nicely, and has a kickass animation and score to boot.
549. About Elly (2009)
Asghar Farhadi / Iran
A woman goes missing while traveling on a short vacation trip with mostly strangers and everyone becomes a suspect. A unique little mystery that is more about how people react under such circumstances rather than the mystery itself.
548. Zabriskie Point (1970)
Michelangelo Antonioni / USA
I visited zabriskie point solely because of this film, unfortunately no love making between the sand dunes for me.
547. Zardoz (1974)
John Boorman / Ireland / USA
A more controversial inclusion but honestly Zardoz is such a bonafide cult classic set in a fun psychedelic dystopia starring a nearly-nude Sean Connery. Silly in all the right ways and kind of beautiful in all the others. A sci-fi for us flower children~
546. Weekend (1967)
Jean-Luc Godard / France
Possibly Godard’s most ambitiously experimental film. I despise its animal cruelty, but it prepared me for the traffic jams of LA.
545. Peacock (2005)
Changwei Gu / China
A hidden pearl from Chinese cinema set in the late 70s focusing on three siblings and an existence that will not support their dreams. An extremely realistic and relatable film.
544. Son of Saul (2015)
LĂĄszlĂł Melis / Hungary
A pretty intense and painful visual experience, dealing with the grief and survival of a man forced to burn bodies in Auschwitz. Leaves a knot in my throat just thinking about it.
543. La Grand Illusion (1937)
Jean Renoir / France
Renoir’s delicate humanistic anti-war film. Infamously known for pissing off Hitler. Now sing La Marseillaise with me.
542. The Act of Killing (2012)
Joshua Oppenheimer / Norway / Denmark / USA
When the lines between fiction and reality become so blurred that the film leaves you with a genuine feeling of dread. Starring real Indonesian death-squad leaders who re-enact moments of their genocide. Nothing else needs to be said.
541. Parasite (2019)
Bong Joon-ho / South Korea
An unpredictable ride from a genre-bending master that takes you along and never stops going. Great to see the award shows finally recognizing a non-English spoken film so overwhelmingly and yet I wouldnât put it in my top 5 of the year :/
540. American Psycho (2000)
Mary Harron / USA
Patrick Bateman is the brand of psycho that runs around naked with a chainsaw and would use a nail gun for weapon, so whatâs not to love. This film is absurd and focuses on the superficial and how society has created monsters. Itâs cool.
539. Wild Strawberries (1957)
Ingmar Bergman / Sweden
Made in the same year as The Seventh Seal, it is Bergman featuring mortality and starring Swedish legend Victor Sjöström a few years before his passing. One of his most beloved films, but not among his best visually.
538. Das Boot (1981)
Wolfgang Petersen / West Germany
A claustrophobic submarine war epic seen from the perspective of the Germans, condensed into a three-hour film but also available as miniseries (which I havenât seen yet). An impressive and unpleasant experience.
537. A City of Sadness (1989)
Hsiao-Hsien Hou / Taiwan
A film that depicts Taiwan post-WWII after being restored to China. Its slow pace gives time to understand the cultural frustration and the impact that Japan left. Not easy to grasp from an outsider’s perspective, but a fascinating history lesson worth exploring.
536. Manhattan (1979)
Woody Allen / USA
Woody’s love letter to Manhattan. And after living there for a year I can assure you that it is well-earned.
535. Ashes of Time (1994)
Wong Kar-wai / Hong Kong
A love poem that can be exhausting so just let the color palette wash over you. Wongâs most beautiful film visually.
534. Elephant (2003)
Gus Van Sant / USA
Loosely based on the columbine shootings, a film depicting different perspectives of victims and the shooters before and during the incident. Great cinematography and leaves you feeling pretty hollow.
533. I Killed My Mother (2009)
Xavier Dolan / Canada
Xavier has grown tremendously as a filmmaker, but I Killed My Mother is still his most relatable and sincere film to me. Dude made his first masterpiece at the age of 20, I HATE HIM.
532. Vampyr (1932)
Carl Theodor Dreyer / Weimar Republic / France
Dreyer following up Joan of Arc with a vampire film was an interesting choice, and ended up being his most visually aesthetic masterpiece.
531. Japanese Girls at the Harbor (1933)
Hiroshi Shimizu / Japan
One thing early/silent Japanese cinema suffered from was bland cinematography, but Shimizu takes a fairly simple story and raises the bar with a lyrical visual style, capturing the heart of its characters, era and city. The most visually ambitious Japanese film of the 1930s.
530. The English Patient (1996)
Anthony Minghella / USA
All about the erotic endeavors of Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Thomas. Despite winning best picture I believe it gets a bad rap overall, it honestly does so much to the hopeless romantic buried deep down within me. I think itâs a stunner and it shatters my aching heart in pieces.
529. Alien (1979)
Ridley Scott / UK / USA
Best alien creature design ever? A sci-fi/horror that balances pace, action and payoff quite nicely.
528. The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Orson Welles / USA
The film that largely destroyed Welles career in Hollywood, but it was for the best as it charged him to fund his own projects. Magnificent Ambersons was an ambitious effort proving that Welles was here to stay.
527. The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowskis / USA / Australia
Saw this for the first time on a tiny laptop in my neighbor’s attic at the age of ten, and my life was never to be the same again. Time to wake up from this lucid illusion~
526. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Clyde Geronimi / Les Clark / Eric Larson / Wolfgang Reitherman / USA
It might seem odd for a grown man to love Sleeping Beauty, but itâs a fact that this is among the prettiest animations of all time. Maleficent’s dragon form is the MVP of Disney villains and it is honestly a pretty trippy film overall with its rich colors and dazzle.
525. Forrest Gump (1994)
Robert Zemeckis / USA
-insert box of chocolates quote- still love this film even though Tom Hanks is the devil.
524. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
William A. Wellman / Jack Conway / USA
âI just went gay all of a sudden!â – The greatest Hollywood screwball comedy ever. Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant have the best chemistry and are just clowns dressed as normal humans. Plus it has leopards.
523. Silent Light (2007)
Carlos Reygadas / Mexico / France / Netherlands / Germany
A visual beauty that is fairly clearly influenced by Raygadasâ favorite directors, Tarkovsky and Dreyer (most notably by mirroring the ending of Ordet). One that is for the cinephiles.
522. Alexander the Great (1980)
Theodoros Angelopoulos / Greece
Angelopoulos is not an easy director to digest, and this three-hour film is not about Alexander but about his lasting impact on the culture. A slow but lyrical love letter to Greece.
521. The Virgin Spring (1960)
Ingmar Bergman / Sweden
Bergman’s darkest film, which I originally got to know through the campy âLast House on the Leftâ <3. A pretty harrowing film destroying all innocence in sight. What would you do to avenge your loved one?
520. Voyage of Time: Lifeâs Journey (2016)
Terrence Malick / USA
Perhaps Malick’s most experimental film yet that focused on the creation of mankind through visual poetry combined with the ugly and the beauty of humanity.
519. Scarface (1983)
Brian De Palma / USA
Say ello to my little frend~ Al Pacino as Tony Montana is a dream villain. Gangster films are rarely my thing but Scarface has this cult-quality that is just so entertaining.
518. Earth (1930)
Aleksandr Dovzhenko / Soviet Union
The purity of Soviet cinematic bliss; making plowing and farming looking so entrancing.
517. Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)
AgnĂšs Varda / France / Italy
Vardaâs biggest technical contribution to the French New-wave. The exploration of a woman that is given bad news during a tarot reading, which spirals her into self-pity but also personal growth.
516. Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971)
Shƫji Terayama / Japan
A Japanese New Wave essential. Experimental, original and exploitative. Here to break film rules and cultural taboos.
515. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Arthur Penn / USA
The iconic 30s love/crime story that needs no further introduction. USA has always had a fascination with real-life criminals and its because these movies turn them into idols.
514. Ida (2013)
PaweĆ Pawlikowski / Poland / Denmark / France / UK
For one to have a strong conviction he or she must first have experienced both sides of the coin. Ultimately Ida is a stunner, composing some of the most beautiful images of the 21st century. I must borrow Pawlikowskiâs eyes.
513. Ugetsu (1953)
Kenji Mizoguchi / Japan
My introduction to Mizoguchi was a metaphysical love story. A haunting tale that inspired Japanese ghost fables for decades to come and played a significant part in popularizing Japanese cinema in the west.
512. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
David Lean / UK / USA
Lawrence of Arabia is a cinematic beast containing some of the most memorable shots in film history. Iâm not as in love with the whole story, but itâs one of those essential viewings.
511. A Hidden Life (2019)
Terrence Malick / USA
I’ve enjoyed Malick’s lesser beloved films considerably more than most because they provide a visual form of escapism, A Hidden Life doesn’t have that same quality to it because of its heavier subject matter. But iâm glad that it received a positive reception and perhaps iâll feel differently after a second viewing. As always his work simply dazzles me.
510. The Leopard (1963)
Luchino Visconti / Italy
I prefer Viscontiâs contemporary films over his period pieces, but The Leopard was one of his greatest. A retelling of the loss of aristocratic power in Italy through the eyes of Burt Lancaster.
509. Dreams (1990)
Akira Kurosawa / Japan
Perhaps Kurosawaâs most visual film, in which he explores the dreamworld and experiments with his abilities as director at the end of his life.
508. Chinatown (1974)
Roman Polanski / USA
A modernish noir starring Jack Nicholson, and shit really goes down once they hit Chinatown.
507. A Woman Is a Woman (1961)
Jean-Luc Godard / France
A lighter more playful Godard that is full of color and song starring the gorgeous Anna Karina. Neon lights never looked this good before.
506. Grizzly Man (2005)
Werner Herzog / USA
Herzog’s brutal documentary that pays tribute to the grizzly man Timothy Treadwell, who died doing what he loved most at the jaws of the bears he was protecting. Most of the footage was shot by Timothy himself while living with the bears.
505. Boys Donât Cry (1999)
Kimberly Peirce / USA
This boy does cry. It retells a horrific LGBT hate crime while maintaining a sense of dread all throughout the film. Hilary Swank nailed the role of Brandon Teena.
504. Shortbus (2006)
John Cameron Mitchell / USA
Shortbus is very explicit and explores the boundaries of sexuality within film. It’s hilarious and relatable and would have achieved a higher status in the cult-cinema world but people are still put off by bodily fluids.
503. Frankenstein (1931)
James Whale / USA
ITâS AAALIIIVEEEE! Frankenstein was my introduction to classic monster movies and none could ever surpass it. Itâs culty without being too campy, and became a massive influence on many directors. The undead just need some love and guidance.
502. For a Few Dollars More (1965)
Sergio Leone / Italy / West Germany / Spain
Second of Leoneâs dollar trilogy. VolontĂš made for such a great villain, plus Eastwood and Cleef teaming up is a Western wet dream. I’m whistling the musical theme as I write this.
501. The Music Room (1958)
Satyajit Ray / India
Ray took a break from his Apu Trilogy to focus on a wealthy man obsessed with music. It is like witnessing film language from an entirely different perspective.
500. Freaks (1932)
Tod Browning / USA
The acting and editing aren’t the best, but this film is essential for film historians. Mutilated by studios and banned for years, it has earned its cult classic status. ~One of us, one of us. Gooble gobble, Gooble gobble.~
499. American Graffiti (1973)
George Lucas / USA
A time of adolescent innocence and groovy cars. A nostalgic piece of a time in America that has long passed, and dammit it looked like a swell time indeed. If only Lucas made more of this.
498. 28 Days Later (2002)
Danny Boyle / UK
A post-apocalyptic zombie film that feels real. The gritty cinematic style and heart-pumping score makes it pretty damn frightening.
497. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Yorgos Lanthimos / Ireland / UK / USA
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is as much of a thriller as The Lobster a comedy and Dogtooth a delightful family drama. Yorgos Lanthimos is the more talented batshit version of Tommy Wissau.
496. Story of a Prostitute (1965)
Seijun Suzuki / Japan
If Mizoguchi and early Kubrick directed a war film together. Full of that Suzuki energy, intensely over the top. Experimental war/geisha films are tricky to pull off but this one does it.
495. Masculin FĂ©minin (1966)
Jean-Luc Godard / France
One of the Frenchiest Godards exploring gender and sexuality relying heavily on the improvisation of its great cast. Godard was having fun with it and it shows on screen.
494. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Tim Burton / USA
The inspiration behind Edward Penishands. Burton’s most magical and outstanding effort.
493. The Rules of the Game (1939)
Jean Renoir / France
The superficial high-class French society of the late 30s is in full display here. The whole hunting sequence in particular turned me off, but Renoir takes you along for a ride in his most complex and essential film.
492. The Third Man (1949)
Carol Reed / UK / USA
Welles and Reed made an excellent team by enhancing the film-noir genre with its unique soundtrack, dutch angles and neo-realism in post-war UK.
491. By The Law (1926)
Lev Kuleshov / Soviet Union
Kuleshov was a pioneer of Soviet cinema and created this dark tale of revenge with a highly expressionist visual language. But the true MVP is Aleksandra Khokhlova’s facial expressions.
490. East of Eden (1955)
Elia Kazan / USA
Witness Dean himself in technicolor and with full-on explosive mommy and daddy issues. Kazan’s dutch-angles and cinematic choices were grand as well.
489. GoodFellas (1990)
Martin Scorsese / USA
If The Godfather and Scarface had a lovechild it would be Goodfellas.
488. NausicaÀ of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Hayao Miyazaki / Japan
Miyazaki’s first apocalyptic dreamlike sci-fi with great heroes and equally great villains. Feels like Princess Mononoke’s elder sister.
487. Letter Never Sent (1960)
Mikhail Kalatozov / Soviet Union
Visually just as stupendous as any of Kalatozovâs other works, thematically not quite as engaging. But the weakest of his best is still a captivating tale of survival in an unforgiving Siberia with some of the most beautiful cinematography youâll ever see.
486. Ben-Hur (1959)
William Wyler / USA
A four-hour Christian epic. Not what I would normally go for, but one cannot deny the power of this film. Never a dull moment.
485. 127 Hours (2010)
Danny Boyle / UK / USA
Franco in a pretty intense true survival story about a man who got his hand stuck under a large boulder. One of my favorite “bottle movies” that takes place almost entirely between rocks that includes a stomach-turning event.
484. The Way He Looks (2014)
Daniel Ribeiro / Brazil
A sweet romance between two Brazilian boys where one of them is blind. Originally a short film but due to festival success turned into a feature. Great soundtrack included.
483. Hero (2002)
Zhang Yimou / China
Of all these Chinese martial arts films âHeroâ is my favorite. It uses a similar style of Rashomon in retelling the same story from multiple angles and uses a different color palette for each. It’s gorgeous.
482. Mother India (1957)
Mehboob Khan / India
A bizarre comedy, tragedy and musical all in one or also known as the âBollywoodâ. Massive production for 50s India with songs that are still grand all these years later. Plus itâs directed by someone whose name is Meh boob.
481. Nashville (1975)
Robert Altman / USA
A free-flowing country musical starring singing hillbillies and political shenanigans. Altmanâs most human and essential film.
480. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Robert Aldrich / USA
Insane, ugly and a near-perfect cult classic starring crazy psycho Bette Davis in perhaps her best role. Plus the real-life feud with Joan Crawford gives it extra zest.
479. M (1931)
Fritz Lang / Weimar Republic
Peter Lorreâs performance is one for the history books, as the first complex child murderer in cinema. Fritz Lang did not waste any time on his first talkie.
478. Amarcord (1973)
Federico Fellini / Italy / France
Based on episodic pieces from Felliniâs childhood, which if youâre at all familiar with his bodywork is bound to be delightfully absurd.
477. Raging Bull (1980)
Martin Scorsese / USA
De Niro is great as the bull. His performance alongside Scorseseâs directing made this a memorable and humanist film. Annoyingly overanalyzed in film schools however.
476. Run Lola Run (1998)
Tom Tykwer / Germany
My kind of Groundhog Day starring a ginger that runs a lot, with trance beats that get your heart pumping faster. The best film to watch while on the treadmill.
475. Fight Club (1999)
David Fincher / USA / Germany
We. Do. Not. Talk. About. Fight. Club.
474. La Roue (1923)
Abel Gance / France
While undeniably melodramatic and overlong at times, it is impossible to overlook its cinematic achievements and relevancy within the history of film. Its elegant and innovative style is merely a preview of what Abel Gance would later accomplish with Napoleon.
473. The Only Son (1936)
YasujirĂŽ Ozu / Japan
The most underrated Ozu is also his first talkie, right before the war and during the industrialization of Japan. The film is about a single motherâs devotion to her son, who does not quite live up to her expectations and there is absolutely nothing worse than a motherâs disappointment. Ozu was a master at evoking such emotional frustration.
472. The Pearl (1947)
Emilio FernĂĄndez / Mexico / USA
La Perla is a Mexican pearl. It explores the ignorant peasants and hierarchy of late 40s Mexico, and also reminds us that greed is never good. Incredible visuals, would love to see this in full restoration.
471. Yojimbo (1961)
Akira Kurosawa / Japan
ToshirĆ Mifune plays a cocky wandering Samurai in the midst of a gang war. It inspired the spaghetti western âA Fistful of Dollarsâ which is also pretty neat, but YĂŽjinbĂŽ is a fine example of Kurosawa nailing the Samurai genre and crafted a worthy sequel with âSanjuroâ.
470. The Man Who Sleeps (1974)
Bernard Queysanne / France
A cinemaâs guide to introverts. This film is a narration about an aimless man, throughout the film all he does is pass time without a purpose. This was me at points in my life and Iâm sure that many cinephiles can relate.
469. Boogie Nights (1997)
Paul Thomas Anderson / USA
An action film starring a porn star/musician/criminal best known for his big dick. Groovy times.
468. Amélie (2001)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet / France / Germany
Amélie is the manifestation of French cinema. Charming, playful, colorful and with awkward sex.
467. The Faithful Heart (1923)
Jean Epstein / France
Before the French New Wave we had Jean Epstein and he did cinema proud with his poetic cinematic achievements. The close-up shot of Gina Manes with a tear falling down her cheek is one of my favorite images.
466. Murmur of the Heart (1971)
Louis Malle / France / Italy / West Germany
Most of us experienced a crush on our parents while growing up but this boy’s sexual awakening takes it a little further. The emotional development in this film feels natural and that is why it works so well.
465. The Blood of a Poet (1932)
Jean Cocteau / France
One of the first French expressionist films I ever watched and became immediately hooked to French cinema. Cocteau who was always open about his sexuality is playfully sensual with homoerotic overtones.
464. La La Land (2016)
Damien Chazelle / USA
Funny how this charming, enjoyable Hollywood musical can be so divisive amongst people. Made to be the most predictable best picture winner in history, only to result in a most chaotic loss against Moonlight. My simpleton opinion is that the songs and chemistry between leads were great.
463. Charulata (1964)
Satyajit Ray / India
A 19th-century Indian love triangle, a passionate film exploring the life of a bored housewife that falls for her husbandâs brother-in-law. It is Ray’s directing that makes this film such a standout, he’s a genius at conveying these complex emotions.
462. Monos (2019)
Alejandro Landes / Colombia / Argentina
A Colombian Lord if the Flies about a group of young guerrilleros on a power trip. Itâs been great to see Colombianâs cinema evolve this past decade. Despite a typical subject, it keeps a fresh perspective that will appeal to the cinephile crowd.
461. Tokyo Drifter (1966)
Seijun Suzuki / Japan
A Noirish crime-drama part of the experimental Japanese New Wave craze, lush with style, colors and random singing and whistling. Almost too slick for its own good.
460. Solaris (1972)
Andrey Tarkovskiy / Soviet Union
A more accessible Tarkovsky for some, but to me his most difficult and uncomfortably claustrophobic even. Thatâs the main strength here as Solaris mixes a dreamlike philosophical anxiety with the sci-fi genre. It requires multiple viewings.
459. The Gold Rush (1925)
Charles Chaplin / USA
Chaplin was an excellent storyteller and comedian. All his greatest strengths are utilized in The Gold Rush starring the ballet of bread rolls.
458. Blue Velvet (1986)
David Lynch / USA
A sneak peek at what Lynch would later do with Twin Peaks. It is a noir-ish beauty that is both frightening and entertaining. The cast is great but I do prefer a more insane Lynch.
457. The Godfather (1972)
Francis Ford Coppola / USA
A bonafide legend no doubt, and a great film without question. But it does surprise me to see it basically on every number one from every single film site. Is it truly so remarkable that the universal consensus is for it to be always number one by default? I dig it but not that much.
456. The Neon Demon (2016)
Nicolas Winding Refn / France / Denmark / USA
A bizarre trip into the modeling world that takes a very strange Lynch-esque turn. Itâs not flawless but the visual beauty, soundtrack and editing of the Neon Demon is right up my alley. Beauty does hurt after all.
455. Wings (1927)
William A. Wellman / USA
The Oscars started off strong with this ambitious best picture winner. A fine example of strong cinematography, with the exceptional aerial shots, tracking shots and chemistry between Richard Arlen and Charles Rogers. A simple American War tale greatly enhanced by the star power of the cast and crew.
454. Evil Dead II (1987)
Sam Raimi / USA
Technically not a sequel but a supreme version of the original that provides plenty of laughs and scares. Every b-horror flick needs to take notes from Evil Dead II.
453. The Given Word (1962)
Anselmo Duarte / Brazil
If Buñuel was Brazilian this film would be his. It follows a man who promised saint Barbara to carry a cross for 7 miles into a church in gratitude for saving his donkey. Things don’t go as planned when the priest accuses him of worshipping Satan and then the whole town gets involved. A satire related to how easy authority figures can exploit anything out of an innocent situation.
452. Kuroneko (1968)
Kaneto ShindĂŽ / Japan
A spiritual successor to Ugetsu and one I prefer. Starring vengeful ghost/cat ladies. Hits you out of nowhere with the feels, and it looks sooo good. ShindĂŽ redefined the horror genre with this and Onibaba.
451. Panâs Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo del Toro / Spain / Mexico
A dark fairy tale for grown ups with amazing creature design. The peak of Del Toro’s career.
450. The 47 Ronin (1941)
Kenji Mizoguchi / Japan
The 47 Ronin was a near 4-hour Samurai film with virtually not a single sword fight and most relevant plot points happening off-screen, and Mizoguchi earned every single moment. A film all about self-sacrifice, honor and humility.
449. Pink Floyd â The Wall (1982)
Alan Parker / Gerald Scarfe / UK
All in all we’re just another brick in the wall~ People have been tripping on this since 1982.
448. Macbeth (1948)
Orson Welles / USA
Witness a Shakespearean âIvan The Terribleâ with its lavish sets and dreamy atmosphere. A million times superior to best picture winner Hamlet of that same year. It was Welles doing what he knew best.
447. Tropical Malady (2004)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul / Thailand
Weerasethakul is king of original concepts and throwing his audience off. This film is part love story between two men and part soldier-stalked by shaman/animal spirits. Thereâs very little dialogue making it a meditative search for the aching heart.
446. Monster (2003)
Patty Jenkins / USA / Germany
Charlize Theron invented âactingâ what a legend. A biographical film on serial killer Aileen Wuornos that begs to sympathize with her story. Interesting how Patty Jenkins has gone from this to Wonder Woman.
445. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Elia Kazan / USA
HEY STEEEELLAAAAAA!!!! Insane sexually charged people yelling at each other for two hours was never this sweet, all because of Brando and Vivien Leigh being truly just that good.
444. Close-Up (1990)
Abbas Kiarostami / Iran
A docu-fiction of a real trial following a man who impersonated Iranian director Makhmalbaf. The man is asked to reshoot the occurrence, which is obviously a humiliating experience for him but he loves cinema and happily goes along with it. Luckily the ending is so beautiful that the journey is more than met. Cinema at its most raw and bittersweet.
443. Shock Corridor (1963)
Samuel Fuller / USA
A trippy exploitative b genre nut house film focusing on the men 60s America had thrown to the wayside, including a self-hating black man. A wild trip into the subconscious.
442. Watchmen (2009)
Zack Snyder / USA
Even if this film does not compare to its source material – the combination with an epic soundtrack and Snyderâs cinematography makes it THE superhero film for me. Saw it many times when it came out and the Ultimate Cut just wows me. Funny that the main criticism when it came out was the blue penis.
441. A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
Edward Yang / Taiwan
Yangâs incredibly bleak look into the aimless future of Taiwanese youth. With the 4-hour length, his narrative style and pace is quite bold. Heavily influenced by Hou Hsiao Hsien (most notably âDust in The Windâ) it marks one of the most acclaimed Taiwanese films in cinema.
440. Toni Erdmann (2016)
Maren Ade / Germany / Austria
Few films have me cackling like Toni Erdmann did. Great father/daughter story with uncomfortable humor at its finest. Sandra HĂŒller singing horribly from the top of her lungs is an aesthetic.
439. Crazed Fruit (1956)
KĂŽ Nakahira / Japan
The sexual awakening of two brothers who fall for the same dame. Significantly more fashionable and youthful compared to other Japanese films of its time. A sensual beauty with a killer of a finale.
438. Children of Men (2006)
Alfonso CuarĂłn / UK / USA
An apocalyptic world where children have died off and has turned into a warzone with only adults. My kind of Sci-Fi with some of the finest camera movements from the past decade. Original and exhausting.
437. A Time to Live, a Time to Die (1985)
Hsiao-Hsien Hou / Jia-hua Lao / Li-Yin Yang / Hsiao-ming Hsu / Taiwan
Heavily influenced by Ozuâs simple style and pace. Houâs most meditative film on family, the passage of time, and death based on his own experiences growing up in Taiwan. His most personal and moving film.
436. West Side Story (1961)
Jerome Robbins / USA
Not everything aged well but this is Hollywood weâre talking about, its heart was in the right place to represent a minority community in the early 60s. With great songs and colorful visuals. Itâs so pretty and witty and gaaaay.
435. Velvet Goldmine (1998)
Todd Haynes / UK / USA
A hyper queer rock musical with McGregor, Meyers and Bale all in their prime doing shit queer rockstars do. And the music is a fucking trip.
434. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
Luis Buñuel / France / Italy / Spain
Inception meets the Hunger Games. An ironic nightmare between a group of people whose sole goal is to eat but keep getting constantly interrupted. Just gets more and more ridiculous over time.
433. La Promesse (1996)
Jean-Pierre Dardenne / Luc Dardenne / Belgium / France
The Dardenneâs first masterpiece. La Promesse deals with a young man promising to protect a windowed illegal immigrant from his own father while keeping a pivotal secret from her throughout the film. The characters are so real you almost forget that youâre watching a film.
432. Red Beard (1965)
Akira Kurosawa / Japan
A beautiful, humane, Kurosawa most notably for being his last collaboration with Mifune, last film in B&W and represented a huge shift in his career. An intriguing look on 19th century Japanese medicine and insanity.
431. Blonde Venus (1932)
Josef von Sternberg / USA
Sternberg and Dietrich were a power couple from Germany that made six films together, with Blonde Venus being my personal favorite by far. Merlene plays the night club singer/dancer that runs away from her wealthy man with their son. Part-fun night club Hollywood glamor/musical, and part strong unstoppable independent woman doing whatever the hell she wants.
430. The Doors (1991)
Oliver Stone / USA
There’s plenty that doesn’t work about the Doors, but I love it so much nonetheless. Based on my favorite band at the time of my first viewing, so I just sat back and enjoyed the music and the visual trip into the wretched soul of Jim Morrison.
429. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Shinya Tsukamoto / Japan
A Nine Inch Nails/Lynch-esque cyberpunk Japanese horror, that is more style than actual horror but is an insane ride nonetheless. They just don’t make drill penises like they used to.
428. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
Walter Salles / Argentina / USA / Chile / Peru / Brazil / UK / Germany / France
One of the ultimate road trip films, as we travel along with Che on a life altering journey to discover the heart of South America and understand why he became a guerrilla leader. One that aims close to my heart.
427. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Godfrey Reggio / USA
I’ve been to underground raves with this playing in the background. A time capsule showing how fragile life is.
426. The Valley of the Bees (1968)
Frantisek VlĂĄcil / Czechoslovakia
A worthy follow up to Marketa LazarovĂĄ. Equally atmospheric and impressive in scale. The story follows an escaped monk during the relentless middle ages. Prepare yourself for a Ramsay Snow type of ending.
425. Yeelen (1987)
Souleymane Cissé / Mali / Burkina Faso / France / West Germany
âMy penis betrayed me” – One of the stand out West African films, a straightforward plot about a man on a path to find his father who cursed him for no reason. Thereâs magic, ritual animal sacrifices, and it captures the African spirit. Always nice to discover something that is unlike anything else that you’ve seen before.
424. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Clyde Geronimi / Wilfred Jackson / Hamilton Luske / USA
Disney animators did lots of psychedelics in the creation of this Alice animation. Itâs wholesome and yet a total trip!
423. Listen to Me Marlon (2015)
Stevan Riley / USA
Easily the most unique and profound biographical documentary, using Brandoâs recorded memoirs and a 3-D animated face he got digitized before passing. Very surreal, as if Marlon himself had returned from the dead and was speaking to you directly.
422. The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter / USA
Ah a near-perfect horror film. This is how suspense is done. I’ll take the practical effects over cgi any time.
421. Ulyssesâ Gaze (1995)
Theodoros Angelopoulos / Greece
Angelopoulosâ attempt at extending to a larger international audience starring Harvey Keitel and Erland Josephson about a director looking for the missing reels of a film. Like typical Angelopoulos however, this is a nostalgic journey full of symbolism and where the journey matters more than the destination.
420. Lola (1981)
Rainer Werner Fassbinder / West Germany
Fassbindersâ lightest, most colorful and thoroughly enjoyable film about the life of a cynical prostitute painted in neon colors.
419. Quest for Fire (1981)
Jean-Jacques Annaud / Canada / France
A seriously overlooked epic exploring what life on earth mightâve been like some 80,000 years ago. Thereâs cannibal tribes, massacres, sabre-toothed tigers and freakinâ mammoths. The fact that thereâs no speaking in the film made it more bewitching, and who knew that cavemen making fire would be a profound experience?
418. I Am Curious (Yellow) (1967)
Vilgot Sjöman / Sweden
I Am Curious is a unique little film that exists in two versions, Yellow and Blue, two films highly recognized for their influence in the sexual liberation of cinema. While Blue is a bit more political, Yellow is the clear winner as it features much more nudity, as well as Lena Nyman having a conversation with archive footage of Martin Luther King, and the entire film crew doing yoga.
417. Whoâs Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Mike Nichols / USA
Four phenomenal actors exploding on screen. In which relatively unknown star Sandy Dennis outshines Elizabeth Taylor. A dream for drama lovers.
416. The Last Laugh (1924)
F.W. Murnau / Weimar Republic
Emil Janningsâ performance, alongside the incredible cinematography and positive message, make this a 20s expressionist standout. Who’s laughing now?
415. Birds of Passage (2018)
Ciro Guerra / Cristina Gallego / Colombia / Denmark / Mexico / Germany
As with Ciro’s previous two films, this story is set mainly in the nature of Colombia and a time long passed. A story based on the early drug-trafficking days, where the focus is mainly on a culture, language and customs that are unknown to most. I’m very proud of Guerra and Gallego, and what they’re bringing to Colombian cinema.
414. Pickpocket (1997)
Jia Zhangke / China
Similarly to Bressonâs Pickpocket, a film that explores the spirit of its characters through simplicity and intimacy. Starring a lonesome thief and a hooker that loves karaoke during the rapid industrialization of china. Pickpocket is pure Chinese cinema blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
413. Othello (1951)
Orson Welles / Morocco / Italy
My favorite of the Wellesâ Shakespeare adaptations. A combination of his incredible visual style, alongside emotional anguish and delightful tragedy.
412. The Ascent (1977)
Larisa Shepitko / Soviet Union
Larisa Shepitko was the wife of Elem Klimov, director of Come and See. And with The Ascent you can tell that they were a match made in hell. The Ascent was a pure maddening, soul-crushing, war film that leaves the audience in complete despair.
411. The Devil, Probably (1977)
Robert Bresson / France
Bressonâs simplistic and emotionally blank style combined with adolescent rage and rebellion made for an interesting combination. Visually the most beautiful of the colored films he directed.
410. Sweet Movie (1974)
DuĆĄan Makavejev / France / Canada / West Germany
We need more Sweet Movies in the world, its basically a bizarre sugary sexploitation and itâs finger-licking good. The bottomless singing Mariachi is me.
409. People of the Mountains (1942)
IstvĂĄn SzĆts / Hungary
A Hungarian tragedy shot in a highly Neorealistic style (the film is believed to have influenced it) about a struggling peasant family being thrown into a roller-coaster of awful, horrible, most terrible bad luck. Thereâs an infamous train scene that is bound to leave a mark on your psyche. Recently found this in restored quality and it is a beauty.
408. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Steve McQueen / USA / UK
Sooo⊠slavery sucked. Painful to watch would be an understatement. McQueen finds strength and perseverance in such brutal times.
407. Funny Games (1997)
Michael Haneke / Austria
Sadistic white boys torture a family for fun. Haneke has a real thing for human suffering, and Funny Games is a nice exercise of pushing the limits of uncomfortableness. Plus some nice use of breaking the fourth wall in this.
406. The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982)
Paolo Taviani / Vittorio Taviani / Italy
If Fellini and Rosselini were siblings and made a film about the end of WWII youâd basically get this. Surreal, funny, sometimes silly but also brutal. War films are not supposed to be enchanting but this has the right amount of cheese and playfulness to make it so.
405. Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)
Lars von Trier / Denmark / Belgium / France / Germany
An erotic, artistic, bold, beautiful film on sexual addiction. It gets really philosophical, melodic and mathematical at one point with a symphony of dicks. Von Trier is one of a kind.
404. The Magician (1958)
Ingmar Bergman / Sweden
One of Bergman’s most cynical yet comical films, with a large set of characters that each bring something to the story. Like magic, it plays with the expectations of the audience. A more accessible Bergman for normal audiences without losing that Bergman flare.
403. The Kid (1921)
Charles Chaplin / USA
Chaplinâs first feature starring the Tramp raising an abandoned child as his own. It was a great success as he knew exactly how to make his audience laugh and cry.
402. The Phantom Carriage (1921)
Victor Sjöström / Sweden
Phantom is a classic gothic triumph, and its influence can be seen in the works of Bergman, Dreyer, Kubrick among many others. A tale of being given a second chance by death itself. Starring, directed and written by Sjöström himself.
401. Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
Abdellatif Kechiche / France / Belgium / Spain
Blue is an example of one that excels both in the story and cinematic language, capturing the tender beauty and humanity of its two protagonists without shying away from their sexuality. A pioneer for Lesbian cinema.