Les Misérables
The emotional and thematic resonance of the music and story of Les Misérables are amplified by some strong performances from its supporting cast to make it into a truly iconic film deserving of recognition among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Selma
In a film driven by its director and lead actor, Selma gives its audience a moving look at the struggle for voting rights in the 1960s, as spearheaded by MLK, portrayed excellently by David Oyelowo, in a film that captures the exact essence of what director Ava DuVernay hoped to, earning it recognition as one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Beaches of Agnès
The Beaches of Agnès provides a wholistic look back at the filmmaker’s life and work, offering the audience a look inside the head of one of the most prolific and unique filmmakers in history, earning itself a spot among the greats in the process.
Better Days
A strong leading duo and innovative additions of romance and crime to the typical trappings of an anti-bullying high school drama make Better Days a refreshingly original film from Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Tsang that is worthy of its place among the greats.
You Can Count on Me
In a film driven by its characters, You Can Count on Me is overflowing with human performances that lend themselves to a feeling of realness rarely seen in dramedies like this one, something that Lonergan excels at, and which makes this one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Guardians of the Galaxy
An iconic soundtrack brings together thrilling sci-fi action sequences, a fun team-up, and quality jokes in Guardians of the Galaxy, making James Gunn’s first MCU film not just one of the best in the franchise, but also one of the best superhero films ever and one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Amores Perros
Amores Perros presents the audience with a brutal breakdown of social, economic, and relational gaps that highlights the central need of all people to be loved by and connected to other humans, resulting in a film worthy of a place among the greats.
Paris Is Burning
Paris Is Burning wins the day thanks to the authenticity of its marginalized central players who remind the audience why they are worth telling a story about over and over with the anecdotes and dreams that they share with us, making this a wildly successful documentary and one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
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.
