101 Great Films

I used to teach Film Studies. It was good fun, and about as easy as it sounds.

Because of this, people sometimes ask me what films that they should have watched. They think I have a Proper List in my head, and that I can tell them the Right Answer. And then they can watch the Right Films.

Or maybe they're just asking for recommendations. They're bored of the usual stuff, and think that I might know lots of cool, offbeat, esoteric stuff, that will stimulate their intellects and hearts.

When they do this I nod wisely, purse my lips, and then stare into the distance, trying to communicate the majesty of cinema.

What I'm really doing is thinking, "What films are there? I can't think of any. Except Star Wars. Better not say Star Wars."

Anyway. I've decided to create a list of my top 100 films. Which was stupid for a number of reasons. Firstly, there's too many great films. Getting it down to 100 is ridiculous, and I've definitely forgotten something crucial. And I've had to miss off some great stuff, that makes me sad.

 

Yes, I'm sorry "The Guest". I love you, but there wasn't room.

Please don't kill me with guns.

Also, what does 'top' mean? Is this a 'Sight and Sound' style list of films we should all know, if we want to be proper film buffs? Does Citizen Kane need to be in there? (It's not.) Should it be representative of all the various genres, and include significant films that moved the art form on? (It isn't, it doesn't.)

In the end I've gone for 'Things I like.' Which seems about right. Though it does mean that my top 100 probably isn't that different from Empire's top 100. And may indeed seem very mainstream.

Thing is, my taste in film is pretty simple, I think. I like to be engaged by the medium. I want images and sounds that excite some emotion. I've never been one for subtle, quiet movies. I know some people get a lot from films with ladies staring sadly out of windows, in silence, for ten minutes at a time. But I like stuff to happen, and ideally I'd like that stuff to be an exploding helicopter.

So here's my provisional list of the 100 films I like best. Except it'll probably change as soon as I put it down. And it's 101 because screw you it's my blog and 100 is too hard. 

And - AND - I've gone back into it and replaced some, because time moves on. For the sake of posterity, I'll note what the new ones are and which ones I've demoted. 

 

 

A
 

  

Aliens

 

American Beauty

 

American History X

 

American Psycho

 

An American Werewolf in London

 

Apocalypse Now

 
 

B

 

Back to the Future

 

Blade Runner

 

Blade Runner 2049

 

The Blues Brothers demoted

 

Brazil

 

C

 

Casablanca

 

Casino Royale (2006)
 

Children of Men
 

Clerks

 
 

 

D

 

The Dark Knight

 

Dawn of the Dead (1978)

 

Dead Man’s Shoes

 

Die Hard

 

Drive

 

E
 

Edward Scissorhands
 

Election

 

Enchanted demoted

 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

 

F
 

Face Off demoted
 

Falling Down

Fargo
 

A Few Good Men

 

Fight Club

 

The Firm

 

Flash Gordon

 

Four Lions demoted

 
 

 

G
 

The Girl With All the Gifts

Goodfellas
 

The Graduate

 

Gremlins demoted

 

Grosse Pointe Blank

 

Groundhog day

 

H
 

Halloween (1978)

Heat
 

Hot Fuzz

 

The Hudsucker Proxy

 

I
 

Inception
 

In The Loop

 

It Follows

 

It’s A Wonderful Life

 
 

 
 

J
 

 

John Wick

Jojo Rabbit (new)
 
 

L
 

 

L.A. Story

 
Leon
 

Little Miss Sunshine

 
The Long Good Friday
 

Lost in Translation

 

The Lost Boys

 

M
 

Magnolia
 

The Matrix

 

Mean Girls

 

Memento

 

Midnight Run

 

The Muppets

 

 

N
 

 

A Nightmare on Elm Street

 

Night of the Living Dead

 
 

 
 

O
 

 

Once

 

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

 

Out of Sight

 

P
 

Peter’s Friends
 

Pleasantville

Pride

 

The Princess Bride

 

Psycho

 

Pulp Fiction

 

Q
 

 

A Quiet Place

 
 
 

R
 

 

The Raid

 

Raiders of the Lost Ark

 

Reservoir Dogs

 

Robocop

Rocketman (new)

 

The Royal Tenenbaums

 

 

 

S
 

 

Scarface

 

Seven

 

Shaun of the Dead

 

Shawshank Redemption

The Shining (new)

 

Sideways

 

Silence of the Lambs

 

The Sixth Sense

Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse (new)

 

Stand By Me

Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country
 

Star Wars: A New Hope

 

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

 

T
 

Terminator
 

Terminator 2

 

This is England

Thor Ragnarok (new)

 

Total Recall

 

Trainspotting

 

True Romance

 

Twelve Monkeys

 

Twenty Eight Days Later

 

U
 

 

The Untouchables

 

The Usual Suspects

 

W
 

 

What We Do In The Shadows

 

When Harry Met Sally

Withnail and I
 

Whiplash