20 iconic films everyone should watch at least once

Nora Ephron had a knack for romantic comedies, one of those genres that goes through cycles of boom and bust in Hollywood. Sleepless in Seattle  has all of the ingredients that one expects from a rom-com, with top-notch writing and extraordinary chemistry between its leads, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. It strikes just the right balance between laughter and sentiment, and there’s even something endearing about the way that it utilizes the various cliches associated with its genre.

Ava DuVernay’s Selma  is an extraordinary piece of filmmaking, focusing on the civil rights marches of the 1960s and the central role played by Martin Luther King Jr. (played here by David Oyelowo). This showcases not just the power of directing and acting but also how important films can be for inculcating a sense of historical awareness in viewers. Though it does take some notable liberties with the historical record, it nevertheless is a potent reminder of the struggles of African Americans to achieve equality.

Given the sprawling franchise juggernaut that Star Wars  has become, it’s easy to forget that it all started with a scrappy, pulpy little film that George Lucas managed to get made despite all of the odds. The first film is very much a hero’s journey, focusing as it does on Luke Skywalker as he sets out on an extraordinary journey with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but it’s also much more than that. It’s a reminder of the power of adventure films to stir feelings in the audience, and it’s useful to look at where it all began to see how the seeds of future greatness were sown at the very beginning.

Steven Spielberg is inarguably one of his generation’s greatest filmmakers, and Schindler’s List is arguably his magnum opus. Its story about the Holocaust is one that has only grown in significance and relevance in the years since its release. While it makes for very difficult viewing, it is still a vitally important piece of American cinema. It is a potent reminder of the dangers of ignoring the horrors of genocide as well as an injunction to never forget the Holocaust and the way that it sought to destroy the Jewish people.

Some films can be truly said to be classics of the silver screen, and Casablanca definitely belongs on this list. Humphrey Bogart gave one of his most memorable performances as Rick Blaine, the American expat drawn into the anti-Nazi resistance by the timely arrival of his former lover, Ilsa, played by Ingrid Bergman. This is one of those films that is both of its own time and timeless, and it’s easy to see why it has enchanted so many generations of American filmgoers.

James Cameron made a name for producing blockbusters that combine state-of-the-art filmmaking with commercial appeal. No film illustrates this quite as well as Titanic,  which uses the backdrop of the tragic ship to tell the ill-fated love story of Jack and Rose, played, of course, by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. However basic the story might be, the film is undeniably moving, and it currently is tied with two other films for the most Oscar wins in the history of Hollywood.

Ben-Hur has the distinction of being one of the three films that have earned the most Oscar wins (the other two are Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King). Based on the novel by Lew Wallace, it revolves around Charlton Heston’s Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who is sentenced to the galleys, becomes a champion chariot racer, and eventually witnesses the Crucifixion. It’s a film that deftly blends exciting action sequences–the chariot race is a masterpiece with more intimate spiritual moments that retain their power to move and to inspire.

Alfred Hitchcock more than deserved his title of “master of suspense.” Though he produced a truly extraordinary body of work, arguably one of his very best films is Rear Window, which focuses on a wheelchair-bound photographer as he spies on his neighbors, only to realize one of them may have committed a murder. It’s a fascinating film in part because it calls attention to the power of the gaze itself, forcing the viewer to ponder their own voyeurism when they gaze at the actions taking place on the screen in front of them.

Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon can rightly claim to be one of the most influential films ever made. Its unique narrative style, in which various characters provide different perspectives on a central event, is one that has been imitated but never surpassed many times. Even today, the film is a marvel to behold and a feast for the eyes, showing just how remarkable the medium of cinema can become in the hands of a director who wants to push the boundaries in terms of how storytelling can work.

Wong Kar-Wai is a director with a distinct sense of style, and he brings his remarkable directorial vision to In the Mood for Love. This film stars Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung as two people who fall in love with one another after their spouses start having an affair. Rich with color and emotion, it’s easy to see why this has come to be seen as one of the director’s greatest works and a canonical piece of Asian cinema.

Disney has created many remarkable animated features over its long history, but arguably, its most artistically significant film is Sleeping Beauty. Featuring stylized animation evoking stained glass windows and tapestries from the Middle Ages, it tells the story of Princess Aurora, who is cursed by the malevolent sorceress Maleficent and must be rescued by Prince Phillip and the three fairies who are her guardians. Though it lost money upon its initial release, it has since come to be seen as a true cinematic classic in its own right, and it demonstrates the extent to which animation has the power to keep timeless fairy tales alive for new generations. 

The 1940s was a turbulent decade for the US, particularly in the early years when the nation was caught up in World War II. Double Indemnity, the film noir directed by Billy Wilder, focuses on an insurance salesman and a femme fatale who scheme to murder the latter’s husband and abscond with the insurance money. Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck both give terrific performances, and the film is a tightly woven tale of desire and the darkness that lurks deep in the human spirit.

Directed by Nicholas Ray and starring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause could only have emerged from the 1950s. Dean’s Jim Stark is the very epitome of disaffected midcentury youth, and no one could have played him with the same wounded soulfulness as James Dean. As Jim tries to find his way in an unsettled postwar world, one can see the seams showing in the age of conformity. It’s one of those films that is very much of its own moment, and it is made all the more poignant by the audience’s awareness of Dean’s early death.

Brokeback Mountain remains one of the canonical LGBTQ+ films, thanks to Ang Lee’s direction and the wrenching, heartbreaking performances from Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, who play Ennis and Jack, respectively. During one lonely season herding sheep, the two men fall in love, and their romance will shape the rest of their lives for better and worse. It’s a haunting and beautiful film full of breathtaking scenery, searing chemistry between its leads, and a tragic love story that has earned its place in the pantheon of great romances.

Greta Gerwig outdid herself with Barbie,  which stars Margot Robbie as the title character. Her idyllic life is disrupted once she starts to be afflicted with existential angst and sets out on a journey to find out why. This film was a true cultural event, and it managed to be sharply feminist while also appealing to a huge swathe of the audience. Robbie gives one of the best performances of her career, as do her co-stars, particularly Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera. 

Though some might remember Moonlight for the Oscars incident — where a mix-up announced the wrong winner of Best Picture — the film is a remarkable piece of filmmaking by Barry Jenkins. Focusing on the character of Chiron through three phases of his life, as he struggles with an abusive mother and his sexuality. It’s a moving and haunting film, anchored by both Jenkins’ assured performance as well as the three different men who play Chiron during the phases of his life, each of whom brings something new to the character.

Directed by Billy Wilder, Sunset Boulevard is rightly regarded as one of the best noirs ever made. Gloria Swanson stars as Norma Desmond, a fading Hollywood star who sinks her claws into William Holden’s Joe Gillis, a struggling screenwriter. It’s a fascinating film for a number of reasons, not least because it highlights the extent to which Hollywood is far too willing to throw aside its female stars once they have aged out of their supposed usefulness. It’s an unflattering look at the history of Hollywood, but it also features one of the smartest scripts ever written. 

Ridley Scott is one of his generation’s most talented directors, and one of his most extraordinary works is Gladiator.  Starring Russell Crowe, it focuses on Maximus, a Roman general who becomes a gladiator and eventually rises to overthrow Joaquin Phoenix’s corrupt Emperor Commodus. It’s a bit of a throwback to an earlier period of sword and sandal epics of the 1950s, but it’s also thoroughly modern, with stunning action set pieces and state-of-the-art CGI. It is, in other words, a true cinematic spectacular with a brain.

There are many things to love about All About Eve, the deliciously arch film starring Bette Davis as fading Broadway diva Margo Channing and Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington, the ingénue seeking to take her place. It features a dazzling and barbed script that includes some fiercely witty and catty exchanges, which helps to explain why it has become such a favorite in the LGBTQ+ community in particular. It’s also a fascinating look at the ways that show business turns women against one another.

Peter Jackson’s trilogy is a masterpiece as an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnificent fantasy novel and as a cinematic art. Focusing on Frodo Baggins and his efforts to destroy the One Ring before it can fall into the hands of the Dark Lord Sauron, it excels at moments of spectacular action and also in quieter character moments. It also features some remarkable performances from its extremely talented cast, with Ian McKellen and Sean Astin being particular standouts (they portrayed Gandalf and Samwise, respectively).