Elevator to the Gallows
In Elevator to the Gallows, Louis Malle combines crime thriller with the comedy of errors to give us an entirely new take on what crime films can be, elevated even more by some excellent filmmaking and a beautiful jazz score from Miles Davis, all of which work together to earn it a spot among the greats.
Children of Men
With Children of Men, we are given a truly immersive sci-fi action experience, expertly crafted by Alfonso Cuarón to draw the audience in and then give them a heaping helping of thematic elements alongside the typical fare we’ve come to expect from such dystopic films, earning it a guaranteed place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Gangs of Wasseypur
Gangs of Wasseypur is an incredibly long (and resultingly difficult to follow in places) but deeply satisfying crime epic that has all the best pieces of western gangster flicks played out in the streets of an outlying Indian province with all of the additional complexities that that entails, earning it recognition as one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Son of Saul
While Son of Saul is not quite as ubiquitously digestible as Spielberg’s Schindler’s List or Benigni’s Life Is Beautiful, it still offers yet another unique and impactful take on the Holocaust that goes beyond showcasing its horrors or garnering sympathy for its victims to celebrate the will of those who lived through it, earning this film also a spot among the greats.
Brother’s Keeper
Brother’s Keeper is a strong, if at times familiar, documentary that showcases the triumph of community and family over corruption and prejudice through the story of a single family’s struggle, which earns it a spot among the greats.
A Place in the Sun
Ultimately, A Place in the Sun is an inconsistent film, carried by strong leading performances bolstered by some interesting social commentaries that end up falling short of their potential due to the norms and mores of the era.
My Life as a Zucchini
My Life as a Zucchini brilliantly portrays its coming-of-age story with stellar writing and strikingly unique animation, earning a spot among the greats along the way.
Billy Elliot
The characters and story of Billy Elliot, portrayed excellently by its leading cast, turn this coming-of-age tale into something even more universal and topical and earn this film a place among the greats.
Foreign Correspondent
Strong espionage story, action, and characters elevate the screenplay and story of Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent to a place of cinematic greatness.
Pride & Prejudice
I could talk in circles about the brilliance of Pride & Prejudice for days, but suffice it to say that it’s one of the most complete romance movies ever made, excelling in every aspect, fully deserving of a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Sweet Hereafter
Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter tells audiences a cohesive and compelling story of grief and the ways that humans seek to deal with it, showcased in every aspect of the film, which work together to make something worth a spot among the greats.
Frankenstein
Frankenstein offers a near-perfect look at the genre of sci-fi/horror, giving the audience plenty to ruminate on while also providing sheer entertainment in the form of iconic characters, visuals, and locales, earning the film a place of greatness.
I Vitelloni
For me, the stories told in I Vitelloni present a universally relatable look at young adulthood and the changes that the world forces on us, offering the best and worst ways to handle those changes, which certainly earns it a spot among the all-time greats.
Harlan County U.S.A.
Harlan County U.S.A. presents a hopeful and realistic look at the plight of laborers and unions in the United States, showcasing the potential efficacy of media in cooperation with the common person and earning a place of greatness in the process.
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
The strong leading performances from Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant are bolstered by a well-written script and solid direction from Marielle Heller to make Can You Ever Forgive Me? into a refreshingly unique and excellent take on the biopic, earning it a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Hidden Fortress
Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress is a well-put-together film that holds up all the better thanks to its familiar story with innovative beats and filmmaking tricks and a charismatic lead in Toshirô Mifune, which earns it a spot of greatness.
Inside Llewyn Davis
If the Coen Brothers, folk music, good acting, and/or great writing are your thing, Inside Llewyn Davis has them all in spades, and that amalgamation earns it a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.