Everyone has a list of their favourite films, and I’m no exception. The films on this list aren’t all “The Best Ever Made”, but all of them are special to me in some way.
1. Back to the Future (1985)
What’s it about?
The classic 80s flick about a time-travelling teen having to team up with an eccentric old man to save his parent’s marriage, all to ensure he isn’t erased from reality!
Why do I love it?
It’s just such a fun film! There’s so much to love about it – the likeable characters, the bad-ass Delorian, the powerhouse theme from Huey Lewis and the News. There’s no weak link in the cast and no scene ever seems superfluous. I love it because I’ve seen it so many times and I always enjoy it. I can remember basically everything about it now and I’d still be keen for a rewatch any time someone asked, and I would thoroughly enjoy every minute of it.
What’s it about?
Deckard is the titular Blade Runner, someone tasked with tracking down and killing Replicants (essentially really sophisticated androids) in a futuristic version of Los Angeles.
Why do I love it?
It’s pure style over substance, and that’s perfectly okay. The version of Los Angeles presented in Blade Runner is so richly detailed that you could watch it a hundred times and still see something new. It’s a world that is completely alive in its own right, not existing simply to serve the story. It’s a place where a million different people are doing a million different things regardless of if the protagonist is interacting with them or not. The story is good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the absolutely masterful world-building that really makes me love this film, so much so that I usually do a yearly rewatch. Make sure you watch The Final Cut for the best viewing experience.
3. Alien (1979)
What’s is about?
There’s something sinister lurking aboard the Nostromo. Something not human… It’s up to Ellen Ripley to find out what it is and send that thing straight back out into space.
Why do I love it?
Two words: Sigourney. Weaver. She’s an absolute Badass Bitch in this film. It’s so great to have a protagonist who is not only female but tough! Unlike most “horror movie women”, Ellen Ripley never runs around scared out of her wits. She’s always in control and she’s never afraid of a challenge. Her character is both refreshing and empowering. I also love the set design in this film. My favourite film niche is late 70s to 80s sci-fi, and a big part of that is the often now-anachronistic design of the ships in these films. The monitors flashing green text, gull-wing doors, all the walls and furnishings inexplicably white… sign me up.
4. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
What’s it about?
The second film in the legendary Original Trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back sees Luke finally go toe-to-toe with Darth Vader, discover his true parentage and end proceedings one hand short.
Why do I love it?
This film was my first real introduction to Star Wars. I’d actually seen two of the other films before this one (The Phantom Menace, which eight-year-old me thought was waaaay too long and therefore fell asleep sometime around the pod-racing sequence, and A New Hope, which eight-year-old me incorrectly thought was “lame” at first because “the special effects are old”) but this was the one that got me into the franchise, and I’ve never looked back. What piqued the interest of my little child brain? The sequence where Han, Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO have to hide in the asteroid field from the Imperials. As a kid I thought the scene was just so tense and exciting, and I was glued to the screen for the rest of the film. I then went back and watched the rest of the Original Trilogy and the two prequels that were out at the time with a renewed sense of interest, and have been a massive fan ever since.
5. Little Women (2019)
What’s it about?
The triumphs and failures of the beloved literary family, the Marches, are brought to life onscreen alongside some much-needed social commentary about the role of women in the 19th century.
Why do I love it?
There is just so much care and love in this film. It is so obvious that all of the actors and crew involved care very deeply for the story they are telling. The stand-out is, of course, Saoirse Ronan as Jo March. I’ve always related to Jo’s conflict but never more so than in this film. I watched the film during a period in my life where I was struggling quite a bit with my own sense of purpose and creative fulfilment, so Jo’s story really resonated with me. That’s probably the main reason why this film is one of my favourites, because it arrived in my life under the perfect circumstances, but I think even if I hadn’t been going through that rough patch that I would have loved this film anyway.
6. The Terminator (1984)
What’s it about?
Arnie’s most memorable role sees him as a robotic one-man army with the sole purpose of tracking down and killing Sarah Connor, the unassuming procreator of the world’s future saviour.
Why do I love it?
How much it scared me the first time I watched it. My first viewing of the film came when I was a teenager, probably around thirteen or fourteen. I remember watching the unabating relentlessness with which the Terminator chased down Sarah Connor and being genuinely terrified. There seemed to be nothing she or Kyle Reese could do to stop it – even when it’s exterior was completely destroyed, it still dragged it’s horrifying metal skeleton around after them. I was also amazed by the practical effects of the film. I didn’t always think they looked real anymore, but I recognised and appreciated the absolute skill that would have been needed to pull those kinds of effects off.
7. Shrek (2001)
What’s it about?
A modern fairy-tale about an ogre overcoming his confidence issues to find love. There’s also endless pop culture references and Eddie Murphy.
Why do I love it?
Similar to Back to the Future, this is a film that I’ve seen a million times and never get sick of. It’s just so genuinely funny, and each time I watch it there’s a new joke that becomes my favourite. It’s also a film that I appreciate in a new way now that I’m an adult, because I understand more of the references than I did when I was younger. Finally, it’s something that I’ve enjoyed with my friends – I remember going to an open-air cinema screening of the film and it’s one of my most pleasant memories. I know it probably doesn’t rate super highly as a classic film or anything, but what makes me love Shrek so much is the memories and the jokes that I have with my friends.
8. Romeo+Juliet (1996)
What’s it about?
The world’s most widely-known doomed love story gets a location update: Verona Beach in the 1990s.
Why do I love it?
As a high school English teacher I’ve seen this film a bazillion times now. I watch it at least once a year when I teach Shakespeare to my class. And, even though I have seen this film a bazillion times, I always enjoy watching it. The balcony exchange is still tender. The missed note from Friar Lawrence is still infuriating. The death of the two young lovers is still tragic. This is mainly thanks to the strong performances from the two leads, but also because the modern setting helps this story resonate with a modern audience. None of us have been to a 16th century masque, but many of us have been a lovelorn teenager holing up on the beach alone. The film also has such a sense of style. The decadent costumes and locations, the hyperactive camera movement, the music… all of it comes together to make a film that, even if it wasn’t based on one of the greatest works of English literature, would still be a good film in its own right.
9. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
What’s it about?
Norma Desmond is a forgotten and ageing silent film star who refuses to believe that her star has gone out, and she will go to great lengths to prove it.
Why do I love it?
I remember watching this film for the first time on one of those channels that shows old movies on Sunday afternoons. I knew the name Sunset Boulevard and knew that it was an important film, so I watched it and was immediately enthralled in the tragedy of Norma Desmond. Norma is such a fascinating character because of her desperation. She is characterized so well that the audience cannot help but root for her, even though she is more of an antagonist that a positive character. The film’s commentary is still relevant, as even though actors are no longer having to make the switch from silent films to talkies, they are still stuck in a system that values above all youth (especially women), and once they get too old, they are easily forgotten about. Another reason why I love this film is because it was my introduction to Classic Hollywood – something that I’m keen to build my understanding and appreciation of as time goes by.
10. Eraserhead (1977)
What’s it about?
Henry Spencer unexpectedly finds himself becoming a father to a … baby, I suppose. Yeah, let’s call whatever that thing is a baby…
Why do I love it?
Aaahh, my first Lynch work. You never forget your first. Well, as a matter of fact, you can never forget anything of David Lynch’s that you see. I love this film because it was the start of my journey into appreciating films as works of art and not just a way to spend two hours on a Friday night. I watched this film when I was in my second year of university and starting to be introduced to a wider array of what I suppose can be classified as “Good Directors”. This film was bizarre, and it made me uncomfortable, and I probably didn’t understand everything at first, but I’ll always appreciate it because not only was it a good film in its own right, but it started me on a journey of film appreciation that has lead me to where I am today.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
The Aviator (2004)
Memento (2001)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Shutter Island (2010)
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Akira (1988)
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
