3 Brothers Film Top 100

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) dir. Stanley Kubrick

Kubrick’s science fiction masterpiece is a supreme achievement of visual and sonic storytelling—a film of stunning and unparalleled precision, depth, and scale. Although “the year of the title has passed, the world of film is still catching up to 2001: A Space Odyssey.”

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2011 essay, 2001: A Space Odyssey and My Evolution as a Cinephile

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) dir. Steven Spielberg

Raiders is more than just a blast of action-adventure fun. The virtuosity of Spielberg’s direction proves that cinematic action is a visual and movement-based artform, something akin to dance, to be enjoyed on a gut level as well as appreciated aesthetically.

3. Star Wars (1977) dir. George Lucas

Combining mythic narrative with space opera, Westerns, and other elements of American pop culture, and executed with the formal clarity of the best of classical Hollywood style, Lucas crafted the timeless movie adventure.

– Discussed in Anton’s 2019 retrospective review

4. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) dir. Irvin Kershner

“It’s a masterful bit of worldbuilding and character development, equal parts mood piece and classic Hollywood adventure.” 

– Excerpt from Anders’s 2019 retrospective review

5. Psycho (1960) dir. Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchcock reinvents the horror film and aligns the viewer’s perspective with that of the monster’s to make them culpable in the terror, setting the groundwork for countless filmmakers to come, from John Carpenter to Wes Craven. 

– Discussed in Aren’s 2011 essay, Playing the Viewer like an Organ: Norman Bates as the Protagonist of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho

6. Seven Samurai (1954) dir. Akira Kurosawa

This epic from the legendary Japanese director would leave its mark on world cinema, from Westerns to action films, but it is also a deeply felt story of courage and teamwork that moves as much as it thrills.

7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) dir. David Lean

“It is epic in scale, and yet as deep a character portrayal as one [is likely to] experience in the cinema. Its desert vistas are sweeping, but its real territory is very human.”

– Excerpt from Anders’s 2011 essay, Lawrence of Arabia and the Intimacy of the Epic

8. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) dir. Frank Capra

This Christmas classic is the most complete portrait of an individual on film, letting us understand the experiences, choices, and environmental conditions that shaped a good man and brought him to and through a moment of despair.

9. Citizen Kane (1941) dir. Orson Welles

Charting the life of one man through the memories and impressions of the people who knew him, Citizen Kane is an impression of Welles’s cinematic genius, one that would leave its imprint on the whole medium and influence and inspire generations of filmmakers and film lovers.

10. Return of the Jedi (1983) dir. Richard Marquand

“It creates a modern myth and puts at the centre of this myth the belief that pure, uncomplicated goodness can vanquish evil not through its destruction, but through its transformation.” 

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2019 retrospective review

11. Blade Runner (1982) dir. Ridley Scott

“Despite its broad influence on the science fiction cinema that would follow (especially in set design and special effects), Blade Runner remains very unlike other science fiction films. Its languorous pacing and lack of closure highlights the ambiguity of its world.”

– Excerpt from Anders’s 2012 essay, “More Human Than Human”: Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner

12. Goodfellas (1990) dir. Martin Scorsese

The genius of Scorsese’s gangster drama is that it captures the exhilaration and freedom of crime as well as its moral failings, setting the template for The Sopranos and most other mob stories to come in its wake.

13. The Godfather (1972) dir. Francis Ford Coppola

Coppola’s mafia epic is one of the best stories about family—about the conventions, tensions, loyalties, and betrayals between those bound by blood and formalized relationships—the crime setting only intensifying the family dynamics. Michael Corleone’s journey is perhaps the most elegant character arc in film history. 

14. Pinocchio (1940) dir. Ben Sharpesteen and Hamilton Luske

In Disney’s powerful fable, moral courage makes one real. The film expresses the extremes of childhood experience, both light and dark, from jubilant song and silly dancing to the manipulations of nefarious adults and the terror of what lurks in the deep.

15. Vertigo (1958) dir. Alfred Hitchcock

In Vertigo, Hitchcock explores the idolatry of the image and the very concept of desire, which perhaps explains why so many directors and cinephiles return again and again to Vertigo in self-reflexive repetition.

16. Jaws (1975) dir. Steven Spielberg

“It sounds like a disposable thriller, yet Jaws is one of the great summer movies. It’s immensely entertaining and still thrilling. But Jaws isn’t great because it’s scary: it’s scary and great because it’s a good story.”

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2012 review

17. Spirited Away (2001) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece demonstrates an attention to detail and wonderful imaginative world-building. It is also one of the few recent works of fantasy that can actually take your breath away, which is all the more astonishing being without gratuitous action sequences or massive battles.

– Discussed in Aren’s 2016 essay, Imagination and Individuality: Youth in the Films of Studio Ghibli

18. Alien (1979) dir. Ridley Scott

“Ridley Scott’s 1979 science fiction film, Alien, is one of the great horror films of all time. It is a masterclass in setting a mood and of seemingly effortless world building.”

– Excerpt from Anders’s 2016 essay, Alien: Cosmic Horror/Intimate Horror

19. The Godfather Part II (1974) dir. Francis Ford Coppola

Two great stories laid masterfully across each other: a father’s rise to power and position as an immigrant in America, and the conflict and betrayal among his children years later as they grapple with his legacy, both material and intangible.

20. Days of Heaven (1978) dir. Terrence Malick

Cast in a seemingly ever present golden hour hue, this tale of love and betrayal narrated from the point of view of a child earns the Biblical allusion of its title.

21. Pulp Fiction (1994) dir. Quentin Tarantino

Tarantino jumbles chronology, steals from B-movies of the past, and employs killer needle drops to create the ultimate pastiche film. It’s equal parts ingenious and affable in its story of crime, friendship, and second chances.

22. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) dir. George Lucas

“Revenge of the Sith cements the Star Wars saga as something more than a beautiful adventure or a fantastical tale of strange worlds and courageous heroes. It helps the series achieve the level of tragedy.” 

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2019 retrospective review

23. The Third Man (1949) dir. Carol Reed

The high-contrast black and white of this Euro-noir is visually brilliant, as are its central performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles. It’s a portrait of the failing duty and morality of crumbling Old World empires, and the unsuspecting Americans eager to pick up the pieces.

24. The Tree of Life (2011) dir. Terrence Malick

“Malick has carefully crafted a poetic film, or a cinematic poem, of astonishing beauty and staggering depth…[that] explores the macrocosm of the universe and the microcosm of a human life, and the ideas of nature and grace.” 

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2011 review

25. The Dark Knight (2008) dir. Christopher Nolan

An expert action flick and crime thriller, a profound exploration of chaos and order and the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and the landmark translation of the superhero genre from episodic comic books to the cinematic medium. 

– Discussed in Anton’s 2012 retrospective feature on Batman Begins and The Dark Knight

26. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

My Neighbor Totoro does the seemingly impossible: it captures the anxieties, joys, and complexities of domestic life in a manner which is completely comprehensible, appropriate, and magical to even the youngest of viewers. 

– Discussed in Aren’s 2016 essay, Imagination and Individuality: Youth in the Films of Studio Ghibli

27. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) dir. Stanley Kubrick

“Most of us born after 1980 are fortunate to have spent the bulk of our lives without thinking about the very real fear of nuclear armageddon hanging over us, but Stanley Kubrick’s biting black comedy reminds us of the absurdity and madness that almost consumed the world during the Cold War.” 

– Excerpt from the Brothers’ 2017 feature, 10 Films for the Age of Trump

28. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) dir. Peter Jackson

An adaptation that is faithful to the moral spirit of the original text, while transfusing it with gentle characterizations, horror-movie flourishes, and the best elements of epic filmmaking. The result is simultaneously rousing entertainment and nourishment for the soul.

29. Do the Right Thing (1988) dir. Spike Lee

In its treatment of the simmering conflicts, and the rich characterization and moral nuance given to the residents of a city block in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Spike Lee’s opus is a classically informed piece of American filmmaking.

30. The Thing (1982) dir. John Carpenter

“The isolated snowy Antarctic setting, the rationing of information, and the tense score by Ennio Morricone…maximize the claustrophobic atmosphere and feelings of dread and paranoia.” 

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2011 review

31. The Searchers (1956) dir. John Ford

Features John Wayne at his best and most morally-conflicted, as Ethan Edwards’ fears of the defilement of his niece by Native Americans are projected onto the canvas of the old West.

32. Taxi Driver (1976) dir. Martin Scorsese

The greatest portrayal of loneliness, isolation, and the destructive spiral, for both self and others. Its atmospheric portrayal of the underbelly of New York City gets, and remains, under your skin.

33. Casablanca (1942) dir. Michael Curtiz

The movie that perhaps best embodies our collective sense (or Hollywood’s cultivated impression) of “the movies”—their romance, adventure, and exoticism; their heroes, villains, and supporting characters; their conventions and patterns and the stitching between them.   

34. Ben-Hur (1959) dir. William Wyler

“It’s the complex exploration of an individual bent on revenge redeemed by the selfless act of Christ that makes the film fascinating.” 

– Excerpt from the Brothers’ 2012 feature, The Best Easter Movies

35. From Russia with Love (1963) dir. Terence Young

“Stands alone as the most streamlined and suspense-oriented Bond film,” culminating “in a two-minute, tour-de-force fight scene between Bond and Grant.” 

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2015 retrospective review

36. Rushmore (1998) dir. Wes Anderson

A funny, moving comedy, with a perfect musical soundtrack, delightful tableau visuals, fully constructed characters, and a tight plot in a minutely realized onscreen world. Captures the maniacal aspirations and the enormous/petty grievances of adolescence.

37. Apocalypse Now (1979) dir. Francis Ford Coppola

As an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Coppola’s striking images of Kurtz's idolatry challenge our efforts to see any humane purpose amongst the struggles of war and empire.

38. Tokyo Story (1953) dir. Yasujiro Ozu

Gentle and heartbreaking, Tokyo Story delves deeply into the specifics of post-war Japanese society and is incredibly evocative in its cultural specificity and universality at the same time.

39. Rear Window (1954) dir. Alfred Hitchcock

The conception and execution of Jeff’s constrained investigations are masterful, but so is Hitchcock’s depiction of the troubled, evolving relationship between Jimmy Stewart’s prickly photographer and one of the most enticing, perceptive, and elegant female characters ever put on screen: Grace Kelly’s Lisa.

40. Blue Velvet (1986) dir. David Lynch

Blue Velvet recontextualizes the relationship of the viewer to the violent stories they consume, which dovetails with its brilliant examination of the seedy underbelly of supposedly wholesome small-town America.

41. The Matrix (1999) dir. Lana and Lilly Wachowski (credited as the Wachowski Brothers)

“That it continues to speak to viewers and open up new philosophical worlds for them even as it expands their conception of what action cinema can do proves what a classic it is.”

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2019 retrospective review

42. North By Northwest (1959) dir. Alfred Hitchcock

The stripped-down efficacy of the famous dust cropper scene is emblematic of the film’s place in Hitchcock’s canon: the film is a distillation of so many of Hitchcock’s preoccupations, patterns, and techniques, told in such a smooth way that it has become a modern archetype for wrong man whodunnits and spy thrillers.

43. Road House (1989) dir. Rowdy Herrington

It’s not a guilty pleasure. It’s just a great movie. Road House, the best action film of the 1980s, is a bizarre, complex examination of the tropes of the American Western, action filmmaking, and modern masculinity. Patrick Swayze’s Dalton is justifiably a legend.

44. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) dir. Steven Spielberg

“One of the few films that Spielberg wrote himself,” Close Encounters is “an exciting science fiction thriller as well as a remarkable parable about transcendence.” 

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2011 essay, Transcendent Science Fiction: Pondering Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind

45. West Side Story (1961) dir. Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins

With music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, this timeless story updated for 20th-century New York features stunning choreography and cinematography that make it not only hugely entertaining but a beautiful film about life in America.

46. Princess Mononoke (1997) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

Miyazaki’s legend set in ancient Japan is the best cinematic fable about the relations between nature and man. The film is also a perfect gateway into Japanese cinema, with its blend of fantasy, anime violence, and Miyazaki’s idiosyncrasies in a Samurai setting.

47. Fantasia (1940) dir. Samuel Armstrong et al

Fantasia has to be one of the strangest and most experimental films ever made, such that it nearly bankrupted a pioneering producer of the cinema, Walt Disney. It contains some of the most memorable and evocative imagery in Disney’s pantheon, from Mickey’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” to “Night on Bald Mountain” and “Ave Maria.”

48. The Shining (1980) dir. Stanley Kubrick

An arch, hyper-stylized adaptation of Stephen King’s novel that discards its moral complexity in order to double-down on a portrait of madness and isolation. A totalizing horror experience where every sound cue, camera movement, and cut amplifies the terror.

– Discussed in Aren’s 2016 essay, The Nostalgia of Horror

49. Metropolis (1927) dir. Fritz Lang

“The original cinematic dystopia portrays a technocratic elite who enjoy freedom, health, and all the pleasures money can buy in their metropolis, while far below the city’s surface the workers toil hour after hour.” This is sci-fi social criticism for the ages. 

– Excerpt from the Brothers’ 2017 feature, 10 Films for the Age of Trump

50. Raging Bull (1980) dir. Martin Scorsese

With its striking black and white cinematography and brutal, daring performance by Robert De Niro at the centre, Raging Bull captures the self-destructive urges of a man who is his own worst enemy.

51. Minority Report (2002) dir. Steven Spielberg

A philosophical quandary and moral test conveyed through a compelling and credible vision of the near-future. The brilliance of Minority Report is that the central question it poses to Tom Cruise’s protagonist—do you have control over your fate?—is the same question each of us confronts every day of our lives.

52. Fight Club (1999) dir. David Fincher

“Among a group of brilliantly subversive films that are potentially dangerous if misread…. It openly condemns mainstream society, [but] its warnings against the radical alternatives are subtler.” Few works as initially provocative have retained their razor edge.  

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2013 essay, Re-Entering Fight Club

53. JFK (1991) dir. Oliver Stone

A kaleidoscope of paranoia and information overload, this conspiracy theory epic forged a new cinematic language with its combination of documentary and drama, propelled by its unparalleled editing, Kevin Costner’s everyman performance, and one of John Williams’ most underrated scores.

54. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) dir. Jonathan Demme

This great serial killer thriller, detective procedural, and work of American Gothic also contains four amazing performances by Jodie Foster, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine, and, of course, Anthony Hopkins. 

55. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer

Dreyer’s silent classic—reliant almost exclusively on close-ups, especially of the central great performance by Maria Falconetti—has become a textbook for how to portray individual suffering, persecution, and martyrdom on film.

56. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) dir. F.W. Murnau

“Sunrise freed the camera from the dictates of reality to the boundless reaches of imagination.”

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2016 essay, When the Camera Learned to Fly: F.W. Murnau and the Visual Achievement of Silent Filmmaking

57. A Serious Man (2009) dir. Joel and Ethan Coen

This take on the Biblical story of Job navigates the limits of 1960s Jewish faith and is both riotously funny and tempted toward the nihilistic; it invites further contemplation of existential questions even as it might just have us throw up our hands at the approaching whirlwind.

58. Memories of Murder (2003) dir. Bong Joon-ho

The tensions between rural and city life—particular to South Korea, but also universally recognizable—percolate beneath this unsettling and haunting serial killer drama. The greatest work of true crime dramatic storytelling in film.

59. The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) dir. Orson Welles

As daring, wild, entertaining, and ambitious as any Hollywood film. The way it develops its set-up through a layered literary voice, elaborately staged shots, overlapping dialogue, and editing, all to introduce one of the most excellent assholes in cinema history and his comeuppance, is masterful.

60. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) dir. Ang Lee

“[A] rich film [and] emotionally resonant…. One will be hard pressed to find a film as heartbreakingly lovely and visually stunning as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in any era or place.”

– Excerpt from Anders’s 2020 review

61. The Seventh Seal (1957) dir. Ingmar Bergman

“The Seventh Seal is the film that asks the questions that go beyond the here and now to the why and what’s to become, bridging the gap between the transitory and the eternal.” 

–Excerpt from the Brothers’ 2020 feature, 9 Films for a Pandemic

62. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) dir. Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

An infectious pop marvel that takes the structure of the jukebox musical and uses it to comment on the appeal of Old Hollywood, the uneasy transition from silent film to sound, and the timeless charm of song and dance.

– Discussed in Aren’s 2016 essay, Puttin' on the Ritz: The Appealing Classicism of the Hollywood Musical

63. American Psycho (2000) dir. Mary Harron

“American Psycho speaks so accurately to our present age of social media and narcissism. It demonstrates that when you get to hear the thoughts of a person who buys wholeheartedly into the lie of American consumerism, they sound a lot like the thoughts of a psychopath.” 

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2020 review

64. Ran (1985) dir. Akira Kurosawa

This impactful, epic retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear (with elements of Macbeth) is the later-life colour masterpiece of one of cinema’s greats.

65. Scrooge (1951) dir. Brian Desmond Hurst

The film’s great success is to make one feel the repentance and transformation of Scrooge each time you watch the movie, even if it’s every Christmas.

66. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) dir. Sergio Leone

One of the touchstones of cinematic coolness, in terms of both character and form, from Eastwood’s final performance as the “Man With No Name” to Morricone’s iconic score. It cemented the Spaghetti Western as a genre in its own right.

67. Casino Royale (2006) dir. Martin Campbell

“Casino Royale is the supreme comment on everything that came before in the 007 series, as well as the hand pointing in the new direction.” 

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2015 retrospective review

68. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) dir. Peter Jackson

Jackson pulled off the elephantine task of delivering on the audience expectations, action-adventure demands, thematic and narrative culmination, and, best of all, emotional payoff of nine-plus hours of movie storytelling. The film also makes little, loyal, persevering Samwise Gamgee one of the great movie heroes. 

69. Schindler’s List (1993) dir. Steven Spielberg

The blockbuster wunderkind’s most successful foray into serious, prestige filmmaking; Hollywood has been shifting its directors between those two formats ever since. Spielberg confronts the depths of human evil through compelling personal storytelling. Fews films have the ability to make their audience members want to become better human beings; this is one of them.

70. King Kong (1933) dir. Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack

The magic of Kong and his fellow stop-motion monsters created by Ray Harryhausen conjures the fantasy, but the emotions this simple monster movie forges between Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and the king of the apes are very real.

71. The Lion King (1994) dir. Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff

This classic from the Disney Renaissance channels the moral anguish of Shakespeare’s Hamlet to create a profound lesson on responsibility for children, all the while entertaining with its stunning animation and brilliant songs from Tim Rice and Elton John.

72. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

An ecological fable and a terrifying, exhilarating portrait of our world thousands of years in the future. Miyazaki’s imaginative storytelling abilities are fully-formed in this, only his second, feature film.

73. Kingdom of Heaven (2005) dir. Ridley Scott

A profound examination of the ways that religious and moral perspectives clash on a civilizational level, as well as a rousing medieval epic. 

– Discussed in Aren’s 2012 essay, Medieval as Modern: The Historical Accuracy of Kingdom of Heaven

74. This Is Spinal Tap (1984) dir. Rob Reiner

Gloriously, abidingly hilarious. The first and still the best of the fake documentaries or “mockumentaries.”

75. Paths of Glory (1957) dir. Stanley Kubrick

It’s fitting that the most searing cinematic indictment of institutional failure is about the First World War, in which, as the film explores, those in charge led the male youth of Europe to pointless death again and again. Kirk Douglas’s famous righteous indignation has never been more forceful.

76. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) dir. John Frankenheimer

It’s not just a gripping political assassination thriller. Multiple viewings reveal Frankenheimer’s intricate layering of different forms of mind manipulation, from Communist brainwashing, to Cold War strategizing, to political campaigning, to familial and erotic relations, with other possible interpretations still to be uncovered.

77. Memento (2000) dir. Christopher Nolan

“Memento remains so much more than simply the first film to capture the essence of Christopher Nolan as a filmmaker. It’s also a stunning work about memory and trauma, which explores our fundamental need to create narratives about our lives.” 

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2020 review

78. Goldfinger (1964) dir. Guy Hamilton

“Goldfinger is impeccably crafted. It pulls off a delicate balance between self-deprecation and danger. Every Bond film since has attempted to recapture its perfect blend of humour and action.” 

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2015 retrospective review

79. Mulholland Drive (2001) dir. David Lynch

Enigmatic and hypnotic, Mulholland Drive combines the oneiric sense of cinema as dream or nightmare with a wonderful evocation of the conventions of LA noir to explore the unsettling dissolution of identity in pursuit of Hollywood stardom.

80. The Social Network (2010) dir. David Fincher

“The Social Network sums up our 21st century world, in all its marvellous, idiotic glory.” 

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2020 feature, Aren’s Top 50 Films of the Decade (2010–2019)

81. Rashomon (1950) dir. Akira Kurosawa

So formally striking it ended up giving its name to a whole new form of cinematic storytelling. The puzzle of human perception and the distrust that emerges in the wake of horrors, both on-screen and off, result in a film of uncommon emotional and philosophical strength.

82. Beauty and the Beast (1991) dir. Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

Disney has never been this mature in its depiction of the strange dynamics behind romantic relations. Belle, with her firm and patient kindness yet powerful longing for something more, is the most compelling Disney princess.

83. Interstellar (2014) dir. Christopher Nolan

An awe-inspiring tale of journeys through space, time, gravity, and love that evokes the most wondrous imagery and feelings associated with real-life astronomy and space exploration. Powerfully hopeful sci-fi.  

– Discussed in the Brothers’ 2014 roundtable

84. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) dir. David Lean

The Bridge on the River Kwai “exhibits the sometimes slow yet relentless linear momentum of a train on a railway line…[as it] stands as an exemplar of big, accessible film entertainment featuring clear, involving, and insightful storytelling.

– Excerpt from Anton’s 2016 review

85. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) dir. Werner Herzog

As Conquistadors travel upstream into the Amazon jungle seeking the gold of El Dorado, Herzog lays bare the greed, ruthlessness, folly, and madness of European imperialism, modern man, and (because it’s Herzog) all human endeavours against the streams of nature. 

86. Double Indemnity (1944) dir. Billy Wilder

The Platonic ideal of the film noir, with its brutal men, duplicitous women, shadowy cinematography, and intoxicatingly dangerous atmosphere.

87. The Virgin Spring (1960) dir. Ingmar Bergman

A devastating look at rape and revenge that presents an edenic vision of innocence only to witness its destruction and send the characters (and by extension, the viewer) into a frenzy of violent rage that proves that retribution, no matter how justified, is often another pathway to damnation.

88. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) dir. Peter Jackson

Despite being full of stunning and memorable imagery, this middle episode often gets the least praise. The Battle of Helm’s Deep is among the greatest extended action sequences in cinema.

89. Skyfall (2012) dir. Sam Mendes

“[I]t’s a unifying statement on the lasting appeal of James Bond the character, and, by extension, the franchise.” 

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2015 retrospective review

90. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) dir. Steven Spielberg

“E.T.'s short time on Earth leaves Elliot and his friends forever changed, and offers space to meditate on love, sacrifice, and friendship.”

– Excerpt from from the Brothers’ 2012 feature, The Best Easter Movies

91. Chungking Express (1994) dir. Wong Kar-wai

A romantic and expressionistic pop confection. Its bifurcated structure captures the sense of being caught between two stories, just as the Hong Kong of the early 90s looked forward and backward with excitement and apprehension.

92. There Will Be Blood (2007) dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

When it came out it was noted primarily as a prestige Oscar frontrunner with a much-heralded performance by Daniel Day-Lewis, but There Will Be Blood has come to stand as one of the most influential portraits of greed and the drive to power in American cinema.

93. Wild Strawberries (1957) dir. Ingmar Bergman

A journey through the sorrows and regrets of a life lived, shaped by dreams and remembrances as Isaak Borg seeks reconciliation with himself and who he has been.

94. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) dir. John Huston

Contains Humphrey Bogart’s greatest performance as a greedy man descending into full-blown mania and self-destruction through his lust for gold. It not only offers individual moral insight but also confronts the larger context of international exploitations.

95. Le Samouraï (1967) dir. Jean-Pierre Melville

Possibly the coolest film ever made. It distills the essence of noir and crime thrillers through its minimalist cinematography, muted confrontations, and beautifully-icy lead performance by Alain Delon.

96. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) dir. David Hand et al

Silly and sublime. From the expressionism of the princess’s flight through the forest, to the goofy humour of the dwarfs, to the unsettling terror of one of the great movie villains in the Queen, to the final sunset vision of the heavenly city, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs remains a potent and influential potion of cinematic dreamery.

97. The New World (2005) dir. Terrence Malick

A masterpiece of imaginative impressionism on film: what would it have been like to be the Indigenous peoples of North America, and to see the European tall ships approach, or to be one of the first European explorers arriving at what they perceived to be a New World?

98. Jurassic Park (1993) dir. Steven Spielberg

“Jurassic Park is perhaps the perfect summer blockbuster. In many ways, it perfected the ‘movie as theme park ride’ concept, transforming the experience of watching a big-budget film into something similar to riding a rollercoaster.” 

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2019 feature, Ranking the Films of the Jurassic Park Series

99. Dead Ringers (1988) dir. David Cronenberg

“The marriage of Irons’ emotional, absolutely authentic portrayal of two brothers and their psychological downfall with Cronenberg’s talent for realizing defamiliarization and thematic complexity makes Dead Ringers a beautiful contradiction: a clinical yet devastating tragedy.”

– Excerpt from Aren’s 2018 retrospective review

100. The General (1926) dir. Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton

Seeing Buster Keaton leap around and operate a steam engine is a wonder to behold.