Only Yesterday
Takahata’s examination of the ways that our childhoods (good, bad, and average) are inseparable from our adult lives elevates the sometimes-simplistic narrative of Only Yesterday and makes it into something great, worthy of mention among the greats.
Amy
Amy’s celebration of Winehouse’s music, life, and career does justice to the incredibly talented young star who was taken too soon while also serving as a critique of the increasingly vocal public and our response to anything other than “perfection” from our celebrities, making it a documentary worthy of a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Mirror
Mirror’s glorious cinematography and disjointed sense of regret brings out a more impactful final message that others rarely think as badly about us as we do about ourselves, doing the work of a true artistic film in pleasing both the senses and the soul, earning a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Innocents
The Innocents is a hallmark of gothic psychological horror, capturing the essence of its iconic source material by never letting its protagonist nor its audience escape the growing sense of unease built by its filmmakers’ careful crafting, marking it as one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Night of the Living Dead
The combination of genre-defining tropes, scenes, and characters with a difficult truth about humanity in Night of the Living Dead makes it a film that stands the test of time and continues to sit as one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Life Is BeautIFUL
Life Is Beautiful stands the test of time thanks to its strong central performance from actor/writer/director Roberto Benigni that speaks to the film’s message of fighting back against tragedy and oppression through celebrations of life and love, ultimately making the film one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Logan
Whether you agree with the intensity of my above statement, there’s no denying that Logan is one of the best superhero films of the 21st century, offering audiences more depth of character and story combined with more intense action and quality acting than they often expect, making this one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Petite Maman
With Petite Maman, Céline Sciamma tells a simple story full of profound truths about family and grief and loss that begs its audience to care for the humans around them with a sense of openness and understanding, earning itself a spot among the greats in the process.
The Spirit of the Beehive
Erice’s tactful breakdown of fascist ideals and culture in The Spirit of the Beehive takes this film from being just a charming, if tragic, coming-of-age tale and makes it into something great, an critique of a modern political regime against the backdrop of a charming, if tragic, coming-of-age tale.
The Wild Child
The three leads of The Wild Child bring a deep level of emotion and humanity to the pages of research and history that bring the story to life in a way that will resonate with audiences as Truffaut so often accomplishes.
Five Easy Pieces
Driven by its cast of talented actors toward an end of veritable hopelessness for the human condition, Five Easy Pieces forces you to ponder our current state while earning itself a spot among the greats.
The Big Sick
In exploring the genre’s capability to tell true stories, The Big Sick elevates romantic comedy to a truly moving place in showcasing its writers’ relationship and its rocky beginnings in fully satisfying fashion, earning it recognition as one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Away from Her
In partnership with a grounded leading performance from Julie Christie, Sarah Polley’s Away from Her gives audiences an honest and moving look at life and love in the midst of Alzheimer's, humanizing its victims and celebrating that humanity throughout, earning a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Great Freedom
Great Freedom’s thematic exploration of humanity and the impact of both incarceration and companionship on our humanity is one of the most profound bits of filmmaking in recent years, stepping beyond its premise to tell a broad truth about people and the systems that we inhabit, achieving greatness in the process.
