Favorite Movies
This is a list of the movies that I've revisited, or will gladly revisit in the future, that have surprised me and left a lasting impression. All of these films have at least one scene of high art that will forever send chills down my back or evince primal emotions.
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- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMisa UeharaMinoru ChiakiLured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines.This is the most fun film from Kurosawa. I like Star Wars but while those films were like bolts from the blue and now look silly, the Kurosawa film is eternal.
- DirectorKar-Wai WongStarsTony Leung Chiu-waiMaggie CheungSiu Ping-LamTwo neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.To me, this is how love looks like. It's elegant, it's gentle, and above all else, it's as fragile as the very thought of it.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsMartin SheenMarlon BrandoRobert DuvallA U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.A ride of emotions from the first to the last minute. Iconic scenes galore and some of the best acting ever filmed.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodViggo MortensenIan McKellenGandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.My third or second most favorite film. It's a little too ambitious and some effects now don't look the best. It suffers from mild pacing issues, mostly at the end but it's still the final part of the best trilogy I've ever seen.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenOrlando BloomA meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.My most favorite film. Its only problem is that it has some visually dated scenes and that in the beginning, Sauron's demise wasn't done in a better way. He should've fought Gil-Galad and Elendil. After that, while defeated or very wounded, he loses the ring to Isildur. But then again, that is a narration from Galadriel which might be inaccurate or inspired by the old painting in Rivendel if we only think in the movie universe.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsElijah WoodIan McKellenViggo MortensenWhile Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.My second or third most favorite film. I'll never know. This one has the best cinematic battle ever but the ents could've been portrayed better or at least quicker. Their scenes just slow down the pace, at times too much, especially in the extended edition.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.Best B movie of all time. Tons of iconic, spine-tingling scenes and an incredibly moody film. Best zombie film of all time as well. The one that reinvented, or better said, invented the whole genre.
- DirectorJean-Pierre MelvilleStarsAlain DelonFrançois PérierNathalie DelonAfter professional hitman Jef Costello is seen by witnesses his efforts to provide himself an alibi drive him further into a corner.My first contact with Melville and my God, what an amazing director. His atmosphere and visual intricacies are one of a kind. I don't really know which one from him is my favorite but since this is the first I've seen, let it be this one.
- DirectorStanley KubrickStarsTom CruiseNicole KidmanTodd FieldA Manhattan doctor embarks on a bizarre, night-long odyssey after his wife's admission of unfulfilled longing.I love films that are off in the sense of mood. You are watching it and everything is just slightly weird but then it gets weirder and weirder and it's like you're having a very interesting dream that you would like to revisit. Well, now you can.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.Fantastic visuals and vistas. Breath-taking action, world-building, and designs that will forever remain special and touching. My favorite soundtrack from Joe Hisaishi.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSigourney WeaverTom SkerrittJohn HurtThe crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.The only problem in this film is the janky death of the alien. Everything else, the cinematography, the soundtrack, the characters, the acting, the scares, the tone, and the aura that the ship gives off are of the tippy top degree.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsAndrew PhilpotJohn Rafter LeePamela AdlonA legendary dhampir competes with a motley family of bounty hunters to return a young woman, who has been seemingly abducted by a vampire, to her family.Another sublime visual feast and a mix of fantasy and sci-fi. Such Gothic cinematography and atmosphere will never be equaled in anime again. This is also a movie of strange, nuanced depth that mostly happens and shines in the end. Until that point, it's just a non-stop adventurous ride.
- DirectorKihachi OkamotoStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaYûzô KayamaThrough his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.Another film from Okamoto with issues, but at its best, it's the best. The action and the main character are great, but this movie reaches the next level of greatness with its ending. The cinematography here is, at times, transcendental.
- DirectorMary HarronStarsChristian BaleJustin TherouxJosh LucasA wealthy New York City investment banking executive, Patrick Bateman, hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he delves deeper into his violent, hedonistic fantasies.I can't really find anything wrong with this film. I want to say it's too simple but what's wrong with a simple film that is pulled off in such a great way.
- DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsRyan GoslingCarey MulliganBryan CranstonA mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.The first film that when I watched, I thought to myself, ''Why more films aren't this stylized and inventive?''
Great visual storytelling with this one. - DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira IshihamaShima IwashitaWhen a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.There's some outdated action at the end of this film, besides that, only the biggest praises for this one. Watch Takashi Miike's version for a different message and approach to this story, a worthy remake of a legendary film.
- DirectorDavid FincherStarsMorgan FreemanBrad PittKevin SpaceyTwo detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.In short, Kevin Spacey just kills it with acting and Howard Shore with the music. On second thought, everyone kills it. Big props to the make-up people and the cinematographer as well.
- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsNigel TerryHelen MirrenNicholas ClayMerlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.Almost every actor acts the same way and is kind of the same character but that's the point. This movie is sort of brash, messy, and disconnected but boy, oh boy, is it also a marvelous one. The cinematography is hazy, filled with greens and sparkling lights. The music is grand and full of pomp. And their mix creates a spirit so unique and enchanting that you will for sure want more if there is any knightly blood in you.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-haIn a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.Great, moody, rainy thriller with amazing cinematography and directing craft, with an almost perfect mix of comedy and horror.
- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.This movie keeps on giving the more times you watch it. Visually, it can't be better than this, and Kenji Kawai gives us another masterful soundtrack. The ideas here are presented in such a powerful way that forever cement this film as one of the best sci-fi ever.
- DirectorMamoru OshiiStarsMako HyôdôJinpachi NezuKeiichi NodaA mysterious young girl wanders a desolate, otherworldly landscape, carrying a large egg.A film that's only 1 hour and 11 minutes, but at times feels eternal in the best way possible. The designs are beyond belief, and the whole thing is just poetic brilliance.
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsJet LiTony Leung Chiu-waiMaggie CheungA defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.This is yet another film that needs to be experienced and not just watched. Masterclass of visual splendor and use of color, with spiritually rich music that embodies the film.
- DirectorNaoko KusumiMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAkio ÔtsukaAtsuko TanakaTamio ÔkiIn the year 2032, Batô, a cyborg detective for the anti-terrorist unit Public Security Section 9, investigates the case of a female robot--one created solely for sexual pleasure--who slaughtered her owner.Possibly the best sci-fi ever but too great for its own sake. The most captivating and confusing film I've ever seen. Animation at its best.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsUma ThurmanDavid CarradineDaryl HannahAfter awakening from a four-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her.Take the best stylistic bits from a crazy number of films and genres and put it all in one so that it works. Tarantino did it and created one of the best action, if not also one of the best revenge films of all time.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsDaniel Day-LewisPaul DanoCiarán HindsA story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.The only problem, which I'm not even sure is a problem, that this movie has, is that it goes too crazy, almost surreal near the end. Everything else is forever re-watchable greatness of acting, cinematography, blocking, lighting, and symbolism.
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsRyo IshibashiEihi ShiinaTetsu SawakiA widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all.Some directors can only scare you with the monster or with a smart way of building tension. Some may do it with camera work, with the soundtrack, with acting, with the tone, or with inventive and creepy ideas and concepts. This film doesn't just scare you, it scars you. I highly recommend that you go into it as blindly as possible.
- DirectorPeter JacksonStarsNaomi WattsJack BlackAdrien BrodyA greedy film producer assembles a team of moviemakers and sets out for the infamous Skull Island, where they find more than just cannibalistic natives.This is my favorite King Kong. The old one is great, and it came up with all the ideas. It might be scarier but also goofier. It had a revolutionary impact on film with its effects. But this new one is also a tour de force of visual artistry, fantastic special effects, and motion capturing performance. It has the richest, wildest Skull Island ever conceived and the best, most realized King Kong, who's both ferocious, wise, and kind. The damsel Ann is also leagues beyond the original one and a much more fleshed-out character, as many others also are. This is just cinema at its best if you ask me; fun, visually arresting, inventive and emotional. This has, as well, the best score that James Newton Howard ever made, perfectly capturing the grandeur of the story, the tragedy, and the ineluctability of nature.
- DirectorIsao TakahataStarsMiki ImaiToshirô YanagibaYoko HonnaA twenty-seven-year-old office worker travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo.This is nostalgia done in the best way possible and love done in such a real, personal and original way. Gorgeous backgrounds, finely brought characters, and scenes with such unforgettable beauty.
- DirectorAndrzej ZulawskiStarsIsabelle AdjaniSam NeillMargit CarstensenA woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something much more sinister.An incredibly disturbing and surreal film that I caught late at night while having trouble falling asleep in my bedroom. So I went to my living room and saw this gem on the TV. As I mentioned, a very uncanny film that showcases in a great way the unsettling feeling or dread of losing someone and going through a divorce. This movie is full of art.
- DirectorTerry GilliamTerry JonesStarsGraham ChapmanJohn CleeseEric IdleKing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table embark on a surreal, low-budget search for the Holy Grail, encountering many, very silly obstacles.My favorite comedy. What can I say that hasn't already been said. I love this movie for every detail and not just as a comedy but as an adventure, as well. It is not just a great satire, but a whole lot more. Every bit is excruciatingly humourous.
- DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsJürgen ProchnowHerbert GrönemeyerKlaus WennemannA German U-boat stalks the frigid waters of the North Atlantic as its young crew experience the sheer terror and claustrophobic life of a submariner in World War II.I've watched the extended cut that's around 4 hours, and in the end, it had me absolutely floored. The acting is incredible, the effects have a lot of charm and still hold up quite well, and the characters are good and diverse enough so that you can root and care for them. However, the most intriguing scenes here are the long, tense ones of the sheer terror that the crew experiences while on a U-boat.
- DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsKôichi YamaderaEmi ShinoharaTakeshi AonoA vagabond swordsman is aided by a kunoichi and a spy in battling a demonic clan of killers - led by a ghost from his past - who are bent on overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate.''A perfect film doesn't exist'', they say. Well, sometimes, a group of creative people just accidentally makes the best action film ever that still looks crisp, moves fluidly, and has enough style and character care put into it to be forever entertaining. That film is this bad boy. After 28 years, this movie is still so detailed, so well-paced, constructed and designed that it's just unbelievable. My go-to action flick.
- DirectorSion SonoStarsKazue FukiishiTsugumiYuriko YoshitakaA teenager called Noriko Shimabara runs away from her family in Tokoyama, to meet Kumiko, the leader of an Internet BBS, Haikyo.com. She becomes involved with Kumiko's "family circle", which grows darker after the mass suicide of 54 high school girls.By the end of this unorthodox film, you'll feel broken and emotionally tired in all the best ways. This is a sequel to the Suicide Club from the same director, which was a fun and crazy gorefest, with some terrifying scenes. This one doesn't go the same route at all but is even better for it. It adds to the first but is also a stand-alone film that has completely different characters, ideas, and pacing. It's a much longer film that uses its time to create a foreboding and anxiety-inducing tone. It also handles very important questions, of self-understanding and family relationships as well as problems like disappearances of children which is still a very common case, not only in Japan but the whole wide world.
- DirectorSergio LeoneStarsClint EastwoodLee Van CleefGian Maria VolontèTwo bounty hunters with the same intentions team up to track down a gang of outlaws led by a psychotic Mexican bandit, who is plotting an audacious bank robbery.This, in my opinion, is the best spaghetti western of all time. Its style is perfected, the humor is used incredibly well, the pace is just right, and every scene keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are simple but effective, and the action is absolutely thrilling. It also features my favorite Ennio Morricone score that is never misused or repeated too many times.
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsAlisa FreyndlikhAleksandr KaydanovskiyAnatoliy SolonitsynA guide leads two men through an area known as the Zone to find a room that grants wishes.My favorite film from Tarkovsky. Stalker is the best meditative film of all time. It has beautiful, poetic writing, cinematography that's unequaled in its reflectiveness, and subtle acting that speaks millions of words.
- DirectorJulia DucournauStarsVincent LindonAgathe RousselleGarance MarillierFollowing a series of unexplained crimes, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for ten years.Titane is the most underrated film of 2021. It made me cry, had me feeling catharsis and confusion and anger and love and acceptance. Quiet similar to Miike films, bizarre, gruesome, Cronenbergian, but still works mighty good. Two films in, and I already love this director.