Hei folks out there. We’ve all been there. So you’ve decided you’re going to watch a movie. But then there’s the choosing. You’ve gotta find something that fits your mood, especially the weekend moods, or something you and your friend/significant other/couch companion can agree on. You spend hours browsing, and by the time you stumble on something you think maybe is the one, it’s too late, you’re too tired, and indecision has won out.
Never fear, though, because I have thumbed through the library and assembled a list of some of the best films currently available for streaming, so peruse through the highlights below. Maybe the perfect choice is right here.
1... The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writer: Jonathan Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine
One of the best superhero movies ever made, full-stop, The Dark Knight is a masterpiece. Christopher Nolan successfully introduced the world to the idea of a “gritty reboot” with Batman Begins, but for the follow-up he crafted an epic, surprising, and downright thrilling story of escalation. Heath Ledger’s take on The Joker is iconic, offering up an enigmatic villain who consistently throws Christian Bale’s Batman for a loop. Then you have Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent, as The Dark Knight crafts a meaty, fulfilling, and heartbreaking arc for this Bruce Wayne foil. On top of all of that, Nolan is essentially making a film about the post-9/11 world—one in which fighting “the bad guys” only leads to bigger and more severe devastation. How do you confront an enemy that just wants to watch the world burn? There’s a reason The Dark Knight has lingered in the public consciousness for a decade, and it still holds up as the best of the best in the face of the bevy of superhero movies that soon followed. – Adam Chitwood
2...Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Director/Writer: Rian Johnson
Cast: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, Benicio Del Toro, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis
Love it or hate it, you have to admit Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a bold film. It’d have been easy for Looper filmmaker Rian Johnson to simply craft a fan service-y Force Awakens sequel that follows all the expected storytelling beats, but instead he leaned hard into character POVs—specifically those of Rey and Kylo Ren, telling a story mostly through their eyes. The result is a wildly thrilling, wholly original, and surprising sequel that delivers entertainment and thematic heft in equal measure. It’s a story about self-doubt, growth, and the spark of a rebellion, and it’s lovingly crafted with show-stopping, iconic visuals like the Throne Room set piece and Holdo’s gasp-inducing moment. Whether you’re watching The Last Jedi for the first for 15th time, you’re getting a whole meal of a movie. – Adam Chitwood
3...Set It Up
Director: Claire Scanlon
Writer: Katie Silberman
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, and Taye Diggs
If you’re looking for a charming romantic comedy, but don’t want to rewatch something from a previous decade for the umpteenth time, you should definitely give Claire Scanlon’s charming Set It Up a look. The plot follows two beleaguered assistants (Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell) who decided to set up their bosses (Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs, respectively) in order to just get some precious free time away from their demanding jobs. However, with all their scheming, they start to fall for each other. You can see the romcom beats coming from a mile away, but they’re done so well and so effectively that you won’t mind. Plus, the film sizzles thanks to the outstanding performances from the dazzling Deutch and Powell, who should be the streaming generation’s Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. – Matt Goldberg
4...Ex Machina
Director/Writer: Alex Garland
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, and Sonoya Mizuno
Alex Garland made a splash with his screenplays for films like 28 Days Later and Dredd, but his directorial debut Ex Machina is really something else. Domhnall Gleeson plays a computer programmer named Caleb working for a search engine company who is invited to the isolated home of the company’s CEO, an enigmatic Steve Jobs-like figure named Nathan (Oscar Isaac). He’s been brought to this remote compound to interact with a humanoid robot that Nathan built called Ava (Alicia Vikander), and to essentially perform a Turing test. But secrets lurk in the dark halls of Nathan’s compound, and within this sci-fi story Garland explores issues relating to A.I., toxic masculinity, and gender dynamics in fascinating ways. It’s a thrilling, surprising, and wholly unique piece of cinema that’s impossible to shake long after the credits have rolled. – Adam Chitwood
5...The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Directed by: Judd Apatow
Written by: Steve Carell and Judd Apatow
Cast: Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Romany Malco, Jane Lynch, Leslie Mann, Elizabeth Banks, Kat Dennings, and Mindy Kaling
When The 40-Year-Old-Virgin was released in 2005, it was a huge hit. But in hindsight we can clearly see this was also a game-changer for the comedy genre. Judd Apatow’s heavily improvised style brought a looseness to the film from scene to scene, and the film’s tone—which was equal parts raunchy and heartwarming—felt unique. You usually had your sex comedies and your emotional romantic comedies separate, but here Apatow combined the two sensibilities and had the perfect actor for the titular lead: Steve Carell. The result is a hilarious, very NSFW, but also oddly sweet and sensitive story of a mild-mannered 40-year-old man looking to get laid who ends up finding love, complete with outstanding supporting performances by folks like Paul Rudd and Seth Rogen. This one holds up. – Adam Chitwood
6....Thor: Ragnarok
Director: Taika Waititi
Writers: Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, and Christopher Yost
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, and Taika Waititi
Thor: Ragnarok is not just one of the best Marvel Studios movies so far, it’s indicative of how the MCU is beginning to evolve a decade into its run. For the third standalone Thor film, director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows) essentially breaks the character down and builds him back up again, anew. Gone are Thor’s long locks, self-seriousness, and pomposity. Instead we get a rockin’ haircut and sense of humor, and at last Chris Hemsworth’s magnetic charisma shines through. Ragnarok is an absolute blast of a film, a movie that never takes itself seriously and is basically an eye-popping thrill ride from beginning to end. – Adam Chitwood
7...Boogie Nights
Director/Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, Philip Baker Hall, Thomas Jane, Alfred Molina, and Ricky Jay
Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is certainly one of the most ambitious filmmakers working today, but his 1997 magnum opus Boogie Nights remains not only one of his best movies, but a groundbreaking piece of work full-stop. Anderson chronicles the rise and fall of an energetic young man in the 1970s with a massive…talent. Casting Mark Wahlberg as Dirk Diggler was a stroke of genius, and the way Anderson fashions the burgeoning porn industry into a dysfunctional family drama is downright masterful. And that cast, man alive. Each and every ensemble member shines—when you have a film where Philip Seymour Hoffman isn’t the scene-stealer, you know you’ve got something special. Boogie Nights remains as entertaining, heartbreaking, and enthralling as ever almost two decades after its release. – Adam Chitwood
8...Coco
Director: Lee Unkrich
Writers: Adrian Molina and Matthew Aldrich
Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjmain Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renee Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguia, Edward James Olmos
Although Pixar isn’t the unstoppable force it once was, they can still put together a great movie from time to time and Coco is definitely the studio operating at the top of its game. While it certainly falls into the familiar Pixar tropes—a buddy movie where two characters go on a trip of some kind—Lee Unkrich’s film stands apart due to its deep and abiding love for Mexican culture and putting the importance of family at the core of the story.
The movie boasts excellent music, a heartwarming story, memorable characters, and eye-popping design as its leads traverse the Land of the Dead on Dia de Los Muertos. Although I thought the film would be enjoyable, I didn’t expect it to eventually move me to tears. This is a movie you need to see with your family. – Matt Goldberg
9...Her
Director/Writer: Spike Jonze
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, and Chris Pratt
Filmmaker Spike Jonze’s 2013 film Her garnered a few snickers when the premise was revealed: A story of a man who falls in love with his operating system. But when folks got a look at the film, they weren’t laughing. Her is one of the best films of the decade—a deeply felt, gorgeous, heartbreaking story of love, loneliness, and what it means to be a human on the planet Earth. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a phenomenal lead performance, and Scarlett Johansson is magnificent in the voice role of Samantha. The cinematography by Hoye van Hoytema is warm and inviting, the score by Arcade Fire is immensely moving. This is a film that’s pretty much perfect from top to bottom, and by the end you my find yourself in a puddle of tears over just how darn beautiful the whole thing is. Do yourself a favor and give Her a shot. – Adam Chitwood
10...Se7en
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey
The movie that put David Fincher on the map, Se7en remains a taut, twisted thriller. The story follows detectives Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt) as they hunt a serial killer who uses the Seven Deadly Sins as inspiration for his killings. The movie has everyone involved playing at the top of their game in a movie that doesn’t shy away from bleakness or the darkness in humanity. The movie also shows that even with his second film, Fincher was already a master on the rise of cinema, and it’s remarkable to see how far he’s come when Se7en is already such an assured, confident picture. – Matt Goldberg
11...L.A. Confidential
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
Written by: Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson
Cast: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, and David Strathairn
The 1997 noir L.A. Confidential is kind of a perfect movie. In the vein of Chinatown or Double Indemnity, this is classic noir through and through but brought to the screen with vigor, style, and maximum emotional impact by director Curtis Hanson. Based on the James Ellroy novel of the same name, the film stars Guy Pearce as a do-good police sergeant (Guy Pearce) in 1950s L.A. who teams up with a burly cop (Russell Crowe) to find the truth to a deadly mob murder. Police corruption and Hollywood scandal are front and center, but the film never hits a false note. It introduced audiences at large to Pearce and Crowe, both of whom who soar as a result, and the Best Picture nominee was so impactful it inspired an entire video game in L.A. Noire! – Adam Chitwood
12...Enemy
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: Javier Gullón
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Melanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, and Isabella Rossellini
Before filmmaker Denis Villeneuve blew minds with Blade Runner 2049 or Arrival, he made a head-spinning psychological thriller called Enemy featuring two of Jake Gyllenhal’s best performances. Yes, two—Enemy revolves around a solitary college history professor who leads a mundane life, only to discover an actor who looks exactly like him. He begins investigating the dopelganger’s life, and reality itself appears to bend as the professor spirals further and further down the rabbit hole. This film is not for everyone—it’s the weirdest thing Villeneuve has made thus far, but it’s no less gorgeous and involving than the rest of his oeuvre. It also features one of the scariest shots ever put to film. Give it a spin and see if you can figure this one out. – Adam Chitwood
13...The Iron Giant
Director: Brad Bird
Writer: Tim McCanlies
Cast: Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Christopher McDonald, and Vin Diesel
A flop upon its initial release back in 1999, The Iron Giant has become a cult classic over the year and eventually found its audience. Brad Bird’s animated adaptation of Ted Hughes’ book follows young Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal), a smart but lonely kid during the Cold War who stumbles across a giant metal robot from outer space. Hogarth befriends the Iron Giant (Vin Diesel) and teaches him about life and death as well as what it means to be a hero rather than a weapon. It’s a beautiful story, and it’s no wonder that the film has found a special place in the hearts of viewers. If you still haven’t seen it, clear your evening plans, and watch it as soon as possible. – Matt Goldberg
14...The Departed
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: William Nicholson
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, and James Badge Dale
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime drama The Departed is the film that finally won him the Best Director Oscar, but he was simply trying to have a good time. After serious epics like The Aviator and Gangs of New York, Scorsese admitted he opted to make a commercial film, choosing to remake the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs with an all-star cast. The result is a tremendously entertaining crime drama packed with stellar performances, and led by one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best turns ever. The film not only won the Oscar for Best Director, but also Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. – Adam Chitwood
15...The Ritual
Director: David Bruckner
Writer: Joe Barton
Cast: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton
Horror movies are always a gamble–some are great, and deliver more than expected, while others simply tread well-worn territory. The Ritual falls into the former category, as director David Bruckner takes a story about male friendships and growing older (and further apart) and packages it into a terrifying, twisty “monster in the woods” horror film. The film revolves around four friends who go on a hiking trip in Sweden to honor their friend Rob, who was killed six months earlier during a convenience store robbery. But when they take a shortcut through some woods (terrible idea), they find themselves haunted by a malevolent creature. The performances really anchor this thing as a character-rich piece, specifically from lead Rafe Spall, and the creature design itself is absolutely unique (and frightening). The final result is a horror movie that’s downright scary, surprising, and honestly quite thoughtful. It’s the whole package. – Adam Chitwood
16...Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Writer: Jason Segel
Cast: Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Bill Hader
The 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall is secretly one of the best romantic comedies ever made. Produced by Judd Apatow, the film saw Freaks and Geeks breakout Jason Segel writing a script inspired by his own experiences. The story revolves around a guy who gets dumped by his famous girlfriend (Kristen Bell) and heads to Hawaii to try and forget about his troubles. As it turns out his ex and her new rock star lover (Russell Brand) are staying at the same resort. Hilarity and male nudity ensue, but what makes Forgetting Sarah Marshall linger is the sensitivity at the heart of the film. It’s ultimately an incredibly sweet story bolstered by tremendous performances that also happens to feature a Dracula musical. – Adam Chitwood
17...Heat
Directed/Written by: Michael Mann
Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Amy Brenneman, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Wes Studi, Jon Voight, Ted Levine, and Natalie Portman
Filmmaker Michael Mann’s crime epic Heat is a must-watch classic, through and through. The film largely influenced Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, as it’s a crime thriller in which the city is as much a character as the various people involved. Robert De Niro plays a career criminal whose crew gets in hot water after a heist goes wrong. Al Pacino plays the LAPD lieutenant hunting him down. And since this is a Michael Mann movie, there are various other character-rich plot threads going on at the same time. De Niro and Pacino famously only have one scene together, but boy does Mann make it count. – Adam Chitwood
18...Moonrise Kingdom
Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Cast: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, Jason Schwarztman, Bob Balaban, and Tilda Swinton
Wes Anderson’s ode to summer lovin’ is quite possibly his most romantic film yet, as the filmmaker perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be young and head-over-heels in love. It’s a delightful picture with an undercurrent of sadness running throughout, and it features some of the most stunning production design of Anderson’s oeuvre—and that’s saying something. Moonrise Kingdom also features the anachronistic casting of Bruce Willis and Edward Norton, who turn out to be absolute perfect fits for Anderson’s brand of auteurism. – Adam Chitwood
19...Just Friends
Director: Roger Kumble
Writer: Adam Davis
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Anna Faris, and Chris Klein
Now that Ryan Reynolds is a bona fide action hero, let’s not forget the guy is also an incredibly talented comedic actor. Roger Kumble’s underrated romantic comedy Just Friends is a terrific showcase for Reynolds’ skills, as the dichotomy between his impossibly good looks and goofy comedic sensibility is put to good use as a formerly chubby, sensitive-type who is now a trim, successful music producer. Anna Faris also turns in great work here as a play on a Britney Spears-esque pop star, and she and Reynolds have fantastic chemistry. The film allows Reynolds to flex his physical comedy skills quite a bit and also accentuates his penchant for perfect timing, especially when it comes to the running gag with his character’s brother. And the “I Swear” lip sync is a fitting capper to this goofy, sweet, incredibly entertaining comedy. – Adam Chitwood
20...Lincoln
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Tony Kushner
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, David Strathairn, James Spader, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook
There are those that will tell you Lincoln is “minor Spielberg,” but those people are wrong. This 2012 drama had long been a passion project of Steven Spielberg’s, and as realized is a thoughtful, insightful, and surprisingly funny chronicle of one of the greatest American presidents. The film doesn’t take the “cradle to grave” route but instead focuses on Lincoln’s efforts to pass the 13th Amendment. In doing so, Spielberg creates one of the best films about political process ever made, while also digging deep into the contradictions in Lincoln himself. As portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis, it’s a complex, fascinating portrayal of a man trying to do best by himself and his country, but who doesn’t always have the right answers. The film is far deeper than a simple “that was nice” story, and is West Wing-esque in its compelling chronicle of the political process. In short, it’s masterful, and it’s absolutely top tier Spielberg. – Adam Chitwood
21...A Futile and Stupid Gesture
Directed by: David Wain
Written by: John Aboud and Michael Colton
Cast: Will Forte, Domhnall Gleeson, Martin Mull, Emmy Rossum, Joel McHale, Thomas Lennon, Matt Walsh, Neil Casey, Matt Lucas, Natasha Lyonne, Ed Helms, Max Greenfield, Paul Scheer, and Jon Daly
If you’re a comedy nerd, A Futile and Stupid Gesture is a must-watch. The Netflix original film chronicles the origins of National Lampoon magazine through the eyes of co-founder Doug Kenney (Will Forte), a hilarious free spirit who would go on to co-write Animal House and Caddyshack before meeting an untimely end. Forte is the driving force of the film as it tracks the irreverent beginnings of National Lampoon, and the actor delivers a dynamic turn that is equal parts funny and sad. But Domhnall Gleeson nearly steals the show as his more dry partner Henry Beard, with cameos galore of folks playing famous actors from the time like Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner. Wet Hot American Summer and Role Models filmmaker David Wain directs with a knowing eye, but takes the drama inherent in Kenney’s tragedy seriously. – Adam Chitwood
22....The Bourne Ultimatum
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Written by: Tony Gilroy, Scott Z. Burns, and George Nolfi
The Bourne trilogy is one of the best action franchises ever made, and it came to a thrilling conclusion with the third—and best—Bourne movie The Bourne Ultimatum. Filmmaker Paul Greengrass returned to direct after making his Bourne debut on The Bourne Supremacy, and this time around Bourne uncovers secrets about how he came to be involved with Operation Treadstone in the first place. It’s a pulse-pounding thriller with jaw-dropping action, and Matt Damon is superb in the lead role. The combination of Damon’s restrained performance and Greengrass’ frenetic camerawork is a match made in heaven, and while Jason Bourne was an extremely disappointing follow-up, Ultimatum wraps this story up in an extremely satisfying manner.
23...Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Directed by: Gore Verbinski
Written by: Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio
Cast: Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy, Naomie Harris, Jack Davenport, Stellan Skarsgard, and Tom Hollander
While nothing can match the pure euphoria of Gore Verbinski’s first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, his two sequels—which he shot back-to-back—get a bad wrap. At World’s End is a bit bloated, but Dead Man’s Chest is a huge, weird blast. Verbinski doubles down on his ambition and takes this franchise to strange places, but it mostly works. The visual effects are incredible, especially as they relate to Bill Nighy’s Davy Jones, and visually this movie is just stunning to look at. If you remember disliking it, give it another shot without the impossible expectations set by the first movie. – Adam Chitwood
24...The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Director/Writer: Noah Baumbach
Cast: Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Elizabeth Marvel, and Emma Thompson
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) isn’t Noah Baumbach’s first story about a dysfunctional family, but it’s his best one yet. The story follows the Meyerowitz family, specifically sons Danny (Adam Sandler) and Matthew (Ben Stiller) and their strained relationship with their egotistical father Harold (Dustin Hoffman), a retired art professor whose work as a sculptor never brought him the acclaim or recognition he felt he deserved.
The film is at turns deeply funny and incredibly heartbreaking as we see how Harold has emotionally damaged his sons in different ways. With Danny, he’s always harping on how great Matthew is while never acknowledging how much Danny does as a son and as a father, and with Matthew, he’s always distracted or demanding credit for making more of a commitment than he did with Danny. It’s insightful, smart, and features outstanding performances from the entire cast, especially Sandler and Stiller, who turn in some of their best work while never leaving behind their comic gifts. Credit is also due to Hoffman who, at 80 years old, is still delivering magnificent performances that make you laugh and seethe in equal measure. – Matt Goldberg
25...Y Tu Mamá También
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Writers: Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón
Cast: Maribel Verdú, Gael García Bernal, and Diego Luna
Before he made Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban or Children of Men or Gravity, filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón directed the erotic masterpiece Y Tu Mamá También. The Spanish-language coming-of-age drama follows two teenage best friends who go on a road trip with a woman in her late twenties, only to discover much more about each other and themselves. It seems like a trite premise, but the film is lovingly crafted and gorgeously shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. Cuarón captures teenage ennui brilliantly, and while this is a “coming-of-age” story, the focus isn’t entirely on the young boys—Maribel Verdú’s chararacter is fully realized as Cuarón explores the anxieties and fears of adulthood, all set against the backdrop of a sunny, sex-filled roadtrip. This is undoubtedly one of the best films of the 21st century so far. – Adam Chitwood
26...Kubo and the Two Strings
Director: Travis Knight
Writers: Marc Haimes and Chris Butler
Cast: Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey
The folks at LAIKA Studios have been crafting gorgeous and wholly unique stop-motion animated films for years, but Kubo and the Two Strings might be their most visually stunning yet. The film is a fable of sorts revolving around a young boy named Kubo who must set out on a quest with Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) to defeat his mother’s corrupted sisters and his power-hungry grandfather. The film at heart is a story about loss and legacy, and the LAIKA team does a tremendous job of keeping the story emotionally grounded as the visuals astound. This is an animated film that doesn’t talk down to its audience, and doesn’t rest on easy fart jokes or sight gags to keep kids’ attention. It’s all about story, and it’s wildly compelling. – Adam Chitwood
27...Jurassic Park
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Michael Crichton and David Koepp
Cast: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, B.D. Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, and Wayne Knight
If you haven’t seen Jurassic Park, A. What’s your deal? and B. You are in for a treat. Simply put, this is one of Steven Spielberg’s masterpieces, from one of the greatest directors of all time. It’s a story of man’s hubris gone wrong—a tale as old as time, but with dinosaurs. Spielberg’s handle on tone and tension here is masterful, as the film opens by previewing the terror to come before settling the audience into the comfort and wonder of Jurassic Park. Then all hell breaks loose, Laura Dern is a badass, and Jeff Goldblum is unforgettably strange. It’s one of those great films that’s not only perfect, it’s highly rewatchable. So whether it’s your first time or your 50th, you’re guaranteed to enjoy Jurassic Park. – Adam Chitwood
28...Jackie Brown
Director/Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Pam Grier, Robert Forster, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, and Chris Tucker
Jackie Brown is the closest Quentin Tarantino has ever come to making a straight “Oscar movie,” and even then it’s very specifically a Tarantino film. Adapting Elmore Leonard’s novel Rum Punch was a surprising choice for Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction follow-up, but Jackie Brown is one of the most character-rich films QT has ever made. Pam Grier stars as a flight attendant who gets wrapped up in a money smuggling scheme, tangling with gangsters, the ATF, and the FBI alike. But at heart, Jackie Brown is a love story between Grier and Robert Forster, and the film shows a refreshingly softer side to Tarantino. There’s violence to be sure, but Jackie Brown remains one of Tarantino’s best—and slightly underrated—films. – Adam Chitwood
29...Mudbound
Directed by: Dee Rees
Written by: Virgil Williams and Dee Rees
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Mary J. Blige, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Jason Clarke, and Jonathan Banks
One of the best films of 2017, Dee Rees’ southern epic is a sprawling, rapturous piece that looks at the lives of two families, one black and one white, in the 1940s. Although a lesser film would have only looked at one of these families or only one perspective, Mudbound brilliantly examines the hardscrabble life of a white family who owns the land, the black family who must work the land, and the conflicts and kinships that arise from its various members. Aside from the masterful craftsmanship and outstanding performances, Mudbound is a brilliant meditation on race and power that transcends its time and place. While the rural Mississippi setting gives the film its flavor, the inequality and power dynamic feels painfully relevant without ever coming off as preachy or obvious. It’s an absolutely masterpiece, and while it may not be a Netflix film that’s perfect for relaxing, it’s one you’ll be grateful you experienced. – Matt Goldberg
And many more.........endlessly