Some of the best movies ever made have flaws that aren't fatal but stand out nonetheless: questionable performances, questionable elements, less-than-perfect endings. That's fine - a movie that takes risks and doesn't quite stick the landing is often preferable to a technically competent but boring one, and a movie can be great without being perfect.
However, some movies are nothing to complain about. The flaws of these films (if they can be said to have any) are so well integrated into the whole that they are indistinguishable from works of genius. Nothing in life is perfect, but these 50 movies almost are.
Double Indemnity (1944)
Most of the time, film noir thrives in disrepute: the genre at its best is films that feel brisk and scrappy, as if there wasn't enough money or time to apply a layer of polish (think DOA or Detour ) . Double Indemnity , however, is an absolutely stellar movie made by a major studio (Paramount), with a stellar star cast and an already established director, Billy Wilder. Barbara Stanwyck brings out all of her talents (with the deft help of her unforgettable hair) in the role of Phyllis Dietrichson, Phyllis Dietrich Sisson is a shameless old-school femme fatale who involves Fred MacMurray in her insurance fraud murder scheme. Fred MacMurray's Walter Neff had a cold, slightly goofy everyman quality that he later carried into his sitcom work. But here you absolutely believe he's holding on to enough barely suppressed sexual desire to follow Phyllis straight into hell. And you don't blame him. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
The Shining(1980)
It's no secret that Stephen King hated Kubrick's adaptation of one of the author's most famous novels, and it's easy to see why: In the book, we're supposed to see Jack Torrance as an essentially good husband and father , but his sadistic tendencies were exacerbated by a substance. -Abuse issues that he has no complete control over (and an evil hotel that keeps egging him on). The book is great, but the movie is so great for the exact reason King hated it: Torrance here is a bastard from the start, and we're not encouraged to see his abusive behavior as needing redemption things. The hotel doesn't push him towards evil, it just encourages him to break free. The ever-ridiculed Shelley Duvall brilliantly plays a woman who lives with her increasingly unhinged husband in a remote hotel and whose stressful life is unbearable Confidence. Add to that Kubrick's deliberate, intentionally disorienting directorial style, and you have a masterpiece of domestic horror. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Treasures of the Sierra Madre (1948)
It's nothing more than a tribute to the unique charisma of Humphrey Bogart, who could have played one of the biggest jerks in the history of American cinema (Fred C. Dobbs) and yet we'd still be chasing gold with him. The film has a distinctly American feel in its focus: Dobbs and company head to the title mountain in hopes of claiming the promised gold, but greed and paranoia take over in an increasingly horrific way party - it was clear to us and to them that simply sharing the true abundance on offer would benefit everyone... However, a very greedy, sweaty American greed led to their demise. The horrors of HUAC and the Red Scare were still a year or two away, but both Bogart and Huston were at the forefront of defending civil liberties during that era, so the film feels prescient. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
There's a bit of art and a lot of business in our (waning?) focus on superhero movies, but among the many things, there are some real triumphs. The newest of them all: This wonderful animation celebrates teenage heroism, is loving, and is also incredibly beautiful. It doesn't look like anything before or after, and, despite a lot going on (including an interdimensional Spider-Fox), it always comes back to the story of a teenager trying to figure himself out in a huge, confusing world. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Sullivan's Travels (1941)
Preston Sturges's screwball comedy is one of the best films of the old Hollywood studio system and a defense of it. "Sullivan's Travels" tells the story of a jaded low-brow comedy director trying to go through real hardships for his "art," "Sullivan's Travels" effortlessly combines great comedic dialogue and quirky characters with a take on the privileged fused with social commentary on poverty that remains valid in the 2020s. ——Stephen Johnson
Where to Stream : Digital Rental
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
This low-budget sci-fi/action film made in Australia forever defined the look and feel of cinema's post-apocalyptic society. The film's car battle begins immediately, and director George Miller doesn't take his foot off the gas until the final credits. It's a pure adrenaline rush movie, but it's anything but silly or shallow. ——Stephen Johnson
Live broadcast location : Tubi
Amelie (2001)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet's visually endlessly inventive romantic comedy is the last word in French joy (at least on film). It's a movie you want to hate because its whimsy is off the charts, but "Emily" can melt even the coldest of hearts because its sweetness never feels sick. ——Stephen Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
The Master (2012)
Every frame of Paul Thomas Anderson's study of the complex relationship between a 1950s cult leader and his wounded followers is mesmerizing. Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman give the best performances of their lives, and the rich cinematography and attention to period detail transform postwar America into a unique character. This isn't the kind of movie that has a by-the-numbers plot; instead, its stream-of-consciousness style digs into your brain and stays there. —Stephen Johnson
Live broadcast location : Tubi, The Criterion Channel
Good Guys, Bad Guys and Ugly (1966)
Sergio Leone's epic film debunked an entire cinematic mythology of the American West, depicting cowboys as grimy demigods or living ideals, locked in eternal struggle and unconcerned with mortal affairs. An unforgettable score, a flawless cast, visionary cinematography and editing combine to create one of the greatest films ever made. —Stephen Johnson
Where to stream: Max
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Just when he thinks he's out, Dr. Frankenstein is pulled back in. Director James Whale has followed up what should have been the greatest monster movie with one of the most impressive feats in American cinema history: something funnier, weirder, and funnier. Even stranger, gay icon Ernest Thesiger struts across the gothic set, delivering vicious retorts and seducing his old é into raising the dead yet again. This was all before Elsa Lanchester swapped her Mary Shelley costume for a bridal wire-cage wig, giving birth to an icon with only a few brief film clips and no dialogue. The whale and his pals are clearly having a great time, but the level of detail in the plot, makeup, and sets ensures that nothing feels sloppy. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
His Girl Friday (1940)
When we think of the snappy, smart style of better screwball comedies, His Girl Friday comes to mind. Or so we should. There are few better examples of the form, and director Howard Hawks deserves credit for its relentlessly fast pace - the film is based on a popular dialogue play that has been Filmed for "Front Page" .
This version made some innovations over the original, the most important of which was the co-lead character Hildy Johnson: a man in the earlier version, where "Hildy" was short for Hildegarde, played by Rosalind Lars Searle plays the now ex-wife of Cary Grant's character, but remains a dynamic reporter who is equal to every man in the newsroom (and then some). Not a moment of sagging. ——Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Vudu, Tubi, Crackle, Kanopy, Freevee, and more
Citizen Kane (1941)
Everyone knows Citizen Kane , but I suspect its reputation for cinematic greatness will offend many of the people who loved it. That's too bad, because it's not just great: it 's good . Stunning in its visual beauty and still impressive in its stylistic and technical innovations, it is also quirky, funny, and still impressive in its portrait of an American whose youthful idealism Their own growing power and wealth (and the media moguls’ interest in the truth evaporating over time). ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Casablanca (1942)
"Casablanca" is a product of Hollywood's golden age - it's undoubtedly a flashy film, and as such it's easily underestimated. From the opening chase through the streets of the title city, to the poignant and unforgettable finale, there's nothing here that isn't great, with off-the-charts chemistry between all the main characters, not just Bogart and Bogart. Germann.
What makes it even better is its ambiguity: it's set in an underworld where people may do some right things, but no one is always good. Bogart's character, Rick Bryan, one of the most beloved characters in film history, steadfastly refused to take any chances in the face of Axis aggression until it was absolutely inevitable. This anti-heroism removes the film from its own production values. ——Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Max
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)
Movies are products of their time, but comedies are particularly tricky. Laughter is often based on behavior that violates social norms, so what is funny to one generation may seem stale or meaningless decades later. That's why it's remarkable why this bizarre farce from writer-director Preston Sturges remains so hilarious at almost 78 years old.
The plot is more mature than you might expect from the '40s: small-town girl Trudy Kockenlocker goes to a bar to celebrate before the boys set off. She drinks too much and wakes up the next morning with a ring on her finger, but she can't remember who she married ("...with a z in it. Like Ratzkywatzky. Or Zitzkywitzky?"). To make matters worse, she soon realized she was pregnant and a marriage license was withheld.
The innuendo-laden script has only gotten weirder since then, naturally running into problems with the censors of the era, and although it's very tame by today's standards, it's still sharp and funny. (If you're a classic movie fan who thinks this list should also feature Sturges' "Lady Eve ," I can't argue too much.) --Joel Cunningham
Where to watch: Hoopla, Kanopy
Arrangement (1949)
Director Robert Wise remains underrated precisely because he seems to have no signature style, dabbling in so many genres (he's best known for gorgeous Hollywood musicals like "The Sound of Music" and "West Side Story" ). The film's premise is very different: it's a sweaty, claustrophobic, brutal noir boxing story about a boxer who's assigned to take a dive. No one told him; he was such a has-been and people thought he would fail. But he doesn't. It's the darkest of film noirs and doesn't let up any of its brisk 70 minutes. ——Ross Johnson
Where to play: Tubi
All About Eve (1950)
Widely regarded as one of the best screenplays ever written, All About Eve is a behind-the-scenes satire of Hollywood that is both contemporary and timeless. The show follows the intense battle between beloved aging actress Margot Channing (played to bitter perfection by Bette Davis) and ambitious young up-and-comer Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), The latter is willing to do whatever it takes to become a star. "All About Eve" is full of biting wit and profound cynicism, and the performances are impeccable (the actors were nominated for a total of five Academy Awards in 1951; Marilyn Monroe also had four lines of dialogue All About Eve will delight contemporary viewers who love soap operas. Ryan Murphy's erotica. ——Joel Cunningham
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Rashomon (1950)
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Japanese director Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" is one of the most revered films of all time. The ubiquity of its once-novel central narrative idea—revisiting the same series of events through the eyes of three different characters, each offering a different perspective on the truth (if it exists at all)—has earned shorthand status. (The AV Club recently described 2021’s The Last Duel as Ridley Scott’s own take on this “impactful ode to subjectivity.”)
The legendary Toshiro Mifune stars as a woodcutter who claims to have discovered the body of a murdered samurai in the forest. He was called to the court along with other witnesses, each of whom had a different explanation for how the body turned up and why it was there. Even after being imitated and parodied everywhere from The Last Jedi to The Simpsons , the original remains captivating. ——Joel Cunningham
Live broadcast location: Criterion Channel, Kanopy, Tubi, Max
Rear Window (1954)
Hitchcock's classic is a film about watching movies, as meticulously detailed as anything he made, but happy to tailor the viewer to our own voyeuristic tendencies. Spying on our friends and neighbors doesn't get any harder, and the line from the movie: "What people should do is get out of their houses and look for a change" is at least as true now as it was in 1954 . ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Parsee Panchali (1955)
Coming from a film culture dominated by musicals and adventure films, Satyajit Ray transcended not only Indian cinematic traditions, but also Hollywood and even the French New Wave, to craft a surreal yet still beautiful story that is both Universal (especially in its fraught family dynamics) and relevant to its time and place. The magic of this film (and its two equally brilliant sequels) is that during its run, the barriers between rural India in the 1950s and the modern world all but disappeared. ——Ross Johnson
Live on: Max, The Criterion Channel, Tubi, Kanopy
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Ingmar Bergman has a reputation for being aloof, and while that's not entirely fair, it doesn't help that his most famous film involves a chess match with death in a plague-ridden medieval landscape. There is extraordinary beauty here, though, and some very human moments. Bergman is far more interested in exploration than in answers or morals, but the suggestion here is that hard-won moments of love, sex and family are more precious. ——Ross Johnson
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel, Kanopy
The Lion in Winter (1968)
Forget Die Hard – The Lion in Winter is my favorite Christmas movie. This decidedly non-epic medieval historical drama is the story of two people, Henry II, played by Peter O'Toole, and Eleanor of Aquitaine, played by Katharine Hepburn, who get together at the king's residence in Touraine, France. , arguing about politics and inheritance. Henry hopes that his son John (Nigel Terry) will inherit the throne, while Eleanor prefers her son Richard (Anthony Hopkins).
However, due to the interference of French King Philip (Timothy Dalton), more conspiracies are brewing, but in fact it was a wonderful two-hour debate between the kings (Oscar-winning screenplay by (Based on his play by James Goldman) The Queen is more captivating than any war that has ever taken place on its battlefields. ——Joel Cunningham
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Alien (1979)
The sci-fi/horror hybrid Alien is a B-movie made by top talent and is a masterpiece of both genres. The cast is an all-time great ensemble of actors who will soon become legends, and they all manage to convincingly portray blue-collar workers forced to survive with absolutely no help from their employers. Just as importantly, H.R. Giger's creature designs gave the film's iconic monsters an originality and pure alienness not seen in decades. ——Ross Johnson
Where to play: Hulu
Back to the Future (1985)
The BTTF script is a masterclass in screenwriting, every joke and plot point pays off, balancing the arcs of different versions of dozens of characters across multiple timelines without a single miss. That alone might have given it a perfect reputation, but without the manic energy of Christopher Lloyd and the bagginess of Michael J. Fox at his coolest '80s The relaxed style that this film may not be so beloved of, each brings character and style to the film. The intrigue is balanced out (and belied) by the film's fussy and tricky script. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Do the right thing (1989)
Spike Lee's third film may be his magnum opus. Set on an extremely hot summer day in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, "Do the Right Thing" explores the racial tensions fueled by gentrification, unfair policing, and widespread bias in a community situation. The film's plot primarily involves a conflict between black residents and the Italian-American owner of the neighborhood's pizza parlor, Sal's, but what's more compelling about the film is how much this conflict sheds light on the daily life of this particular neighborhood. New Yorkers from all walks of life, and how injustice forces people to take sides and take action when they really want to keep the peace. But more importantly, it's vibrant, funny, full of life, and tragic all at the same time. This is a movie that has a lot to say about America. It's 30 years old and more relevant than ever. ——Joel Cunningham
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Is this the best romantic comedy ever? This is certainly a movie without bad scenes. Perhaps the sexual politics seem a little dated - the entire movie's premise is that men and women can never truly be friends (because "the sex part always gets in the way"), which means the inseparable Harry (Billy Criss) The relationship between Thomas) and Sally (Meg Ryan) was either destined to fall apart or thrive—but 33 years later, I had a similar argument with my wife. This film was made in the middle of director Rob Reiner's Marvel Tour (which includes another film on this list, The Princess Bride ) and features Nora Ephron's Madness, which has never been better. To quote the script, this may be the most rewatchable movie ever made. ——Joel Cunningham
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Home Alone (1990)
I'm going to feel some crap about this one, but after countless seasonal viewings, I think this cartoon-violent Christmas classic serves its mission perfectly -- which is probably why we're still watching Kevin Cauley Culkin) slapped his face 32 years later. That's not to say anything in it is realistic, but that doesn't matter. You could poke a million holes in this set-up (How could parents really have forgotten their kids at home? Why would criminals be so stupid as to plan such a high-profile string of burglaries?) without letting Temporary antics revealed. An orphan trying to protect his home from bad guys, or the pain of the boy's mother (Catherine O'Hara, the film's real secret weapon) failing to reply to him multiple times, then contacting him in time for Christmas . ——Joel Cunningham
Where to stream: Disney+
Groundhog Day (1993)
Like "Rashomon ," plot devices in "Groundhog Day" have become a staple of the narrative. It's a pity that everything went well the first time. Grumpy weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is so angry when he gets stuck in the snow in the picturesque hamlet of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania that he's forced to do it again and again Repeat this titular vacation until he learns how to become a better person. People, we are all forced to face the terrible fact that we only get one chance to live our lives right, so we better make it count. It's a high-concept romantic comedy in a way, and while it's satisfying to see Phil get the girl, it's more interesting to think about the show's philosophical core. ——Joel Cunningham
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Poltergeist (1963)
Robert Wise never met a genre he couldn't master (think of his musicals in The Sound of Music and West Side Story , the film noir Setup , or the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still ). The 1963 film, adapted from Shirley Jackson's novel "The Haunting of Hill House," is one of the most definitive horror films of its era and remains a chilling, haunting horror film to this day. Unsettling, strangely touching, and haunting film about a haunted house combined with its story. Julie Harris is a perfect companion as Nell, a very lonely woman who doesn't know where to start connecting with other people. She almost develops a romantic connection with Claire Bloom's Theo, but ultimately the film works best as a love story (and often a truly horrific love story) between a woman and a weird old house. Mike Flanagan's Netflix miniseries is also an excellent, very different adaptation of Jackson's novel. The 1999 remake is best avoided. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Night of the Hunter (1955)
Actor Charles Laughton only directed one movie in his life, and then he quit because the reviews were savage and audiences just didn't understand. Those who did get it weren't particularly impressed by his take on religious hypocrisy. Still, it's a wonderful old movie: full of haunting imagery, dark satire, and a chilling performance from Robert Mitchum as traveling preacher and serial killer Harry Powell , he traveled from town to town murdering a series of wives. Harry Powell is filled with religious zeal and he has no doubt that he is the hero of the story, and the people of the town are so impressed by his zeal that they are happy to follow him to hell. ——Ross Johnson
Where to play: Tubi
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
This is a war movie that takes place entirely in the shadow of war, and it's remarkable that so soon after World War II ended that director William Wyler and company were so aware of the costs of conflict. The series tells the story of three U.S. service members readjusting to civilian life after traveling overseas: Al left home as a successful bank employee, but risked his postwar promotion due to alcoholism and a weak attitude when making loans to others. risk. Fellow vets; Fred suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has trouble finding work, while Homer has lost his hands and struggles to be the object of mercy. Screen legends Frederic March and Dana Andrews play the first two, while real-life veteran and amputee Harold Russell plays Homer - the kind of stunt casting that shouldn't be done effect, but it brings a stronger sense of sad reality to the movie. Considering the era and timing, it's almost shockingly prescient of the struggles veterans would face not just after World War II, but in every subsequent war. The performances are all top-notch and convincing at every turn. ——Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Prime Video, Peacock, Freevee
The Princess Bride (1987)
One of the most popular movies in cinemas. It's often said that there's a movie for everyone, but that might almost be true when we're talking about director Rob Reiner's adaptation of The Princess Bride, based on William Goldman's book. This countlessly quoted screenplay (from Goldman himself) perfectly blends genres and tones into a joyful cacophony that might just be a hodgepodge. There's action, fantasy, comedy, and some very enjoyable kissing sequences. Not a single moment here is memorable. ——Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Max
Others (2001)
Alejandro Amenábar's gothic ghost story earns its place here, in part because of its staying power: Even though the film involves twists and turns that upend everything you thought you knew, it's still, on successive viewings, At the time, it was still chilling, even frightening. Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a mother raising her children in a large house on the Channel Islands in the shadow of World War II, when things start to change Very strange. Like the best ghost stories, this one is always about Grace and her increasingly fragile state of mind. She's not a great person, but it's such a tribute to Kidd's performance and Amenabar's direction that we never lose interest or completely lose sympathy. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Harlan County, United States (1976)
Filmed on location, the film documents the "Brookside Strike" suffered by the owners of the Brookside Mine and Fabrication Plant in Harlan County, Kentucky. Director Barbara Kopple's original intention was to make a film about the efforts to oust WA Boyle, the then-extremely corrupt leader of the United Mine Workers of America and, in the eyes of many, He seemed to have found his way into the pockets of the mine owners (he was later convicted of conspiring to murder the entire family of his Reform party rivals). However, this explosive story is just a side note to the brutal, bloody and violent opposition that striking miners and their families faced.
Kopple and her team make the most sensible choice by focusing on local strikers and their families, and the film excels because of it. It provides a timely portrait of corporate overreach while also serving as a time capsule of an era in which unions were a stronger, more effective force. ——Ross Johnson
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
Sounder (1972)
Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield play perfectly in this 1933 drama about a Louisiana sharecropper couple and their family. When Tyson's husband Nathan is sent to prison for very stupid reasons, Rebecca is forced to cope as best she can. Racism is very much present and is a key driver of the plot, but cleverly this is not a movie about racism. This is a well-acted drama about a family affected by American-style racism, but they are more than just the sum of white cruelty. There's heartbreak, but there's also a lot of joy. That's partly due to Ron Elder III's script, but also to Tyson and Winfield. All three films were nominated for Oscars, and the film itself was nominated for Best Picture, but no one actually won. ——Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, Freevee
Halloween (1978)
What makes a perfect slasher? In some ways, it's easy to pick something like Friday the 13th - it's brilliant in its own way because it's a brisk, efficient machine that delivers all the damn goodness you could possibly want time. Halloween is a different story entirely, though, and a lot of it has to do with the talent behind the scenes. Although John Carpenter was still in his early stages, his talent was on full display in his almost Hitchcockian ability to build tension and suspense. It also has to do with talented, unknown producer Debra Hill, who also co-wrote the script and created the screenplay for Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Friends The daily interactions between them breathe life into life. The film cleverly places a cipher on Michael Myers, though he was also inspired by the racial violence Carpenter witnessed when he moved from New York to Kentucky as a teenager. The ability to see Michael as either universally evil or something more sinister in particular is a big part of the character's staying power (for better or worse). ——Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Shudder, Crackle, AMC+
Black Narcissus (1947)
Films co-directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, including The Red Shoes and A Matter of Life and Death , are among the most stunning films ever made? Maybe once. However, Black Narcissus, shot by the great Jack Cardiff, may be the most beautiful of them all - a fact that both emphasizes and contrasts the plot, which follows a group of nuns invited to set up shop in a dilapidated palace in the Himalayas The story of a school. What initially seems like an inspirational drama quickly turns into something vaguely similar to horror, as the stunning but grim environment and psychological isolation begin to take their own toll. ——Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel, Tubi, Freevee, Shout Factory TV
Eve's Bayou (1997)
Eve's Bayou is director Cassie Lemmons' incredible feature debut, which transports and conjures a world of Southern Gothic mystery and magic without ever losing sight of its protagonist's emotional reality. Jurnee Smollett plays the title character, who begins the film promising to tell a story: She killed her father when she was ten years old. The film continues to deal with dark and thorny issues, but with a Rashomon -esque understanding of the mutability of memory and how time and perspective can radically change our perception of events. ——Ross Johnson
Play on: Freevee, Mubi, Starz
Truman's World (1998)
The Truman Show would have been remarkable if it could have predicted the rise of reality TV and our obsession with being the protagonist in social media narratives. But this strange sci-fi fable about a man who inadvertently becomes the star of the world's most popular show is also a touching exploration of the human desire to question our origins and find a meaningful way to live, despite the risks. . Director Peter Weir perfectly blends the down-to-earth and the surreal in Andrew Niccol's high-concept script, and Jim Carrey fully deserves his turn No Oscar nominations were received. ——Joel Cunningham
Where to stream: Paramount+
All About My Mother (1999)
Pedro Almodóvar's films are inherently hilarious, colorful, and wild, to the point where calling any of them "perfect" sounds like faint praise. Perfection can be boring, but Almodovar is anything but. All About My Mother reinvents melodrama (and expands how we think about motherhood), following a grieving mother who discovers the queer, sex-positive, and eccentric world of a whole new family on a journey to Barcelona. Funny story. ——Ross Johnson
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
The Sixth Sense (1999)
A great twist ending can really make a movie, but the real sign of quality is if it's more than just a twist. You could remove the last scene from this box-office hit about a boy who sees ghosts (Haley Joel Osment) and the psychologist (Bruce Willis) who tries to help him, But you'll still be left with the best part. A well-crafted, emotionally devastating horror movie. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan became famous for the film but never quite emerged from its shadow. That's understandable, because how do you improve a nearly perfect movie? ——Joel Cunningham
Live broadcast location: FXNow, Fubo
The Matrix (1999)
Come on, I don't need to tell you why The Matrix is perfect, do I? Discourse aside, divisive sequels aside, this is a work that endures: a perfect blend of martial arts action, anime style, flashy sci-fi, and thematic depth that only gets better as time goes on. good. Wow. —Joel Cunningham
Where to stream: Max, Netflix
Spirited Away (2001)
Miyazaki's love for animation as an art and his passion for his own stories are evident in every frame of Spirited Away. The detail in every second, every frame of the film is so stunning that you feel like you could get stuck in it and live there for a long time without getting bored. I'm not sure Spirited Away is more perfect than several of Miyazaki's other films, but its story of a lonely child lost in a dark fantasy world is one of his most touching. ——Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Max
Memento (2001)
Christopher Nolan's breakthrough film, this crime thriller isn't as high-concept as his later writings and tenets , but equally high-concept: unfolding in reverse, it tells the sad story of a man with no short-term memory who... He is hunting and hunting, his wife's killer, and anyone who is controlling his narrative at any time. It plays like magic. Even if you see its performance forward and forward, you cannot fully understand how the director achieves. -Chn Canningan
Where to play: Peacock, Freevee, Roku Channel, Pluto TV
Eternal Sunshine of Beautiful Mind (2004)
This incredible comedy is a rare example of "fragrant comedy": a movie, telling that the relationship between the two is so clear and destined, we can't help but want them to end. Music video director Michel Gondry (played by Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet), a pair of dysfunction couples (played by Jim Carrey), brought a clumsy story , Manual, low -technique charm, this story uses weird new technologies to eliminate each other's memory (doctor pointed out: "Technically, the process is brain damage." The doomed love is better than love at all. One .
Live broadcast location: Starz
Lao Wuxi (2007)
The only error of this Cohen brother/Komak McCarthy's quasi -Western criminal thriller is that it is so serious that it is in nihilism, which means that this is not the kind of movie you want to watch over and over again. Nevertheless, after a drug trading error occurred, the violent nightmare that occurred later was undoubted, because a small criminal (Josh Blin) was almost purely a nearly pure killer (Javier Bardem) Javier Bardem) immediately pursued performance and hairstyle iconic). Backup, in an orderly and uncompromising, is the dark exploration of the boundary between destiny and self -determination, opposing the vivid emptiness of the west of the United States. -Chn Canningan
Where to flow: Plutotv
Go out (2018)
If you are not witnessed the enthusiastic distribution around (the box office is successful, huge attention, and the instant cause identity), then you will feel regretful because you want to know how Jordan Peele is trying to get the future of the cream. The movie after the film is horrible. But you are, so you know what I'm talking about.
In some ways, this severe sci -fi fairy tale performance is like a episode of Twilight , like a young black man (Daniel Kaluuya), who visited his rich girlfriend's family The northern manor in New York discovered a culture far exceeding the expected culture. And social class. Peele's Wry script blends the surreal surreal laughter and laughs with real horror. Even if it has made a perfect metaphor for the black experience of the "post -racism" in the United States. In this case, those powerful people Pretending to be unequal and unequal to the early days, the relics that have not clarified the times, and even if they continue to benefit from it in a terrible and transformer way. -Chn Canningan
Where to play: Prime Video, Fxnow, TUBI, Prime Video
Weekend (2011)
Tom Cullen and Chris New (Tom Cullen) and Chris New, more or less, and Andrew Haigh, on the Queer Cinema, expressed a new new ones. Reality. Only two people will encounter a fast hook, and find that there are a lot of learning from each other throughout the weekend. The encounter feels very specific and completely ordinary. This is a hate crime. -Ross Johnson (Ross Johnson)
Where to transmission: Standard Channel, Mubi
Happy together (1997)
The dark victory of Wong Kar-WAI is that Happy Together is accompanied by a couple of Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-WAI, because their love relationship collapses in a trip to Argentina. The very hot couples are constantly attracted to each other's track-they make you young, homosexual and sweaty love, so that you can't help but want them to do this. The photography here is amazing. The feeling of each framework looks like a mini art.
Live broadcast location: Max, The Criterion Channel
Knives Out (2019)
We used to see the mystery of all -star murder (including Kenneth Branagh in "Oriental Express"), but never used this in "Eastern Express" ), but never used this. style. Rian Johnson's films maintain all the fun of the mysteries (then some) that are locked in the early days, and have entered the dark heart of a series of suspects. At the same time, they are still willing to sacrifice their rich white The donkey laughed at the cost. And there is few satisfactory solutions. -Ross Johnson (Ross Johnson)
Where to Stream: Digital Rental
Parasite (2019)
The ambition of Bong Joon-Ho here is nothing more than a scaffolding of the carpet from all of us, studying the integration of our social structure, and then cutting the whole process. The masterpiece of opposition is a thing similar to dark comedy, and then it becomes different from horror movies. In a moment, it seems that Bong's films are about to get rid of the predicament, but every time it is carefully browsed and turning, it will only make the film more exciting. -Ross Johnson (Ross Johnson)
Where to stream: Max
