My 30 Favorite Movies (with Explanations)

I was too indecisive to be able to rank these by how much I love them, so I've chosen to order them chronologically by release date. I also didn't want to put children's movies on this list, but if I had, Wall-E and Shrek 2 would've been on here.

This is NOT a list of movies I've rated five stars, they are movies that hold a place in my heart for various reasons.

1. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

This movie is short but sweet. It's a classic piece of Weimar Cinema, which is known for its particularly dark and surreal films. I love what these films can say about the state of art and creativity during the interwar period. Anyways, it's dark iconic characters and set design really make this for me. Silent horror is truly a unique experience that is difficult to compare to anything we have today. 

2. Nosferatu (1922)

Speaking of Weimar Cinema and the interwar period, we have Nosferatu! This is the origin of vampires in cinema, so cool! It is a really long and ambitious film, which I prefer to watch muted. They put this irritating repetitive royalty free music over it on YouTube. Like I said about the last film, it is dark and atmospheric in a way that can't be found in many other films. I also love comparing it to Hollywood's first vampire film: Dracula. We will be touching on this again later.

3. Frankenstein (1931)

There is something so charming to me about old monster films. The sets are made lovingly (or hastily) by hand, the special effects seem so tangible, and the make-up and costumes are very enjoyable to watch. What else can I say? This movie was totally disloyal to its source text, but it's such a fun time to watch.

4. Dracula (1931)

A lot that I said for the last entry is true for this one as well. I love how vampires and monsters represent the fears of society, much like how I love science-fiction for representing what a society values for its future. Not only this, but Dracula is played by Bela Lugosi, an icon for goths everywhere. He brings such personality to his role, it's great to watch his character become more and more desperate as the film carries on. Although this isn't a positive, Bela Lugosi's fall from grace has such a cruel irony to it as it relates to this film. Dracula represented Victorian fears when it was written, and then was adapted to play into the fears of an American in the 1930's. A lot can be said about Dracula's symbolic meanings, homophobia and racism among them, but the most obvious one being a fear of immigrants, often from Eastern Europe. The societal biases that made his character possible also made him struggle in Hollywood, and even led to his tragic death.

5. M (1931)

We're back in Germany! This film brings up so many interesting moral and ethical questions that still resonate today. When watching with its historical context in mind, it's even more fascinating. If you're interested in legal systems and criminal justice, this is a must-see. Not only that, it's a genuinely exciting thriller despite its age, at least in my mind.

6. Freaks (1932)

This movie was extremely controversial in it's time and still is today. A lot was cut and censored from the film when it was released, but you can see the director's vision, especially in the ending. As you may have guessed, the film is a look into the lives of carnival performers. Before you cringe, the representation is not as bad as you might assume. Remember that movie a few years ago called The Greatest Showman? Yeah, this movie several decades older portrayed carnival performers with much more nuance and thought than that movie ever did. This is one of the few films, especially from the 20th century, where physically disabled people are more than just plot devices. Obviously it isn't perfect, but it's really a fascinating watch with disabled representation in mind. If you think about it, sideshows were still very popular in the early 20th century, and seeing a film which humanized them must have been really incredible at the time. 

7. The Invisible Man (1933)

Back to monster movies! This movie feels like they took critique from Frankenstein and Dracula and tried to improve on the original monster movie formula in a big way. The pacing is much more sophisticated, and there are even some thrilling moments. The real reason I love this though is because of the special effects. Seeing the Invisible Man committing crimes and murdering people while invisible is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

8. Modern Times (1936)

Where do I even start with this one? I'm a HUGE Charlie Chaplin fan. Say what you will about his reputation in his personal life, but I've loved every one of his movies I've watched to date. His style of comedy is so hilarious-- and it's usually pretty difficult to get a laugh out of me. Not only this, but his political messaging is spectacular in his films as well. You can choose to see each gag as a simple laugh, or look into the greater messaging or implications of the gag and then see it as the socialist masterpiece that it is. One of my favorite examples is when he accidentally joins a strike. Yes, it's a really funny scene, but what does this say about his opinion on strikes? What does accidentally joining a strike translate to into real life? An added note: I love the fact that the boss at the factory is watching all of his employees through giant television screens, even in the bathroom. It's like he predicted Zoom and remote work haha. 

9. The Great Dictator (1940)

Charlie Chaplin again! This is his first "talkie," aka non-silent film. This movie was released in 1940, before the United States joined the fight in WWII. The average American did not have much information about what was happening in Europe at this time, as The Third Reich had obviously completely shut down media outlets during their fascist takeover. Despite not knowing the extent of the horrors being committed, this movie was a call-to-action of sorts by Charlie Chaplin himself. His speech at the end is truly powerful in this message, that alone is worth watching if you don't intend to watch the whole movie. There's a lot more I could say about this one, but I don't want to spoil it.

10. Rear Window (1954)

This was the first Alfred Hitchcock movie that I ever watched! It still baffles me to this day how someone could make a genuinely interesting movie that just takes place in one cramped apartment. That alone makes it worthy of my favorites list. 

11. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

I just realized my list doesn't have any movies from the '60's, perhaps I'll have more if I ever update this list. Anyways, I've seen this movie multiple times and it's always enthralling to me. It pairs really well with many history lectures about colonialism and "The Age of Exploration" to paint an unhinged picture of what many of these "explorers" were really like. It makes the subject seem much more tangible and easier to imagine. Yeah, this one is great for history majors!

12. Taxi Driver (1976)

OK HEAR ME OUT! This is one of the first-- how do I put this-- intellectual, artsy, philosophical... I don't know-- films I ever watched. I believe I watched it when I was 15 or 16 for the first time. As a mentally disturbed teenage girl, this movie really resonated with me for whatever reason. I know this is a really huge red flag. Besides that, it's also just a genuinely exciting thriller and character study.

13. The Dark Crystal (1982)

This one is just so fun. I have kind of a fascination with puppets. If I could choose any outlandish career to pursue, puppet-maker would certainly be towards the top of my list. I think the creepy characters and voice acting are really charming. I find the film to be really aesthetically pleasing and unique. It's also so silly, yet you can also see the high fantasy vision Jim Henson had for it.

14. Stop Making Sense (1984)

What can I even say about this one? I had a prolonged hyperfixation on the Talking Heads, about a year and a half long in fact. I've watched this movie maybe six times? Yeah, it's not only an amazing performance, but the art direction is really cool. It does capture your attention like a traditional movie with a tangible plot would. There doesn't even need to be a plot-- the performance has it's own rising action and climax. Another movie which the front man of the Talking Heads was part of will be a bit further down on this list.

15. Dune (1984)

This is why I had to put a disclaimer at the top of this post that this isn't a post about all of the movies I've rated five stars. This movie is AWFUL, but it's so charming at the same time. The fact it has actors from two of my favorite shows, Star Trek The Next Generation and Twin Peaks, is infinitely entertaining. Also Sting from The Police is in this? And he's in his underwear?!

16. Down By Law (1986)

I love the dynamic between the three leads of the film. That's basically it-- also the black and white cinematography is quite nice. Tom Waits and John Lurie are both in this, which is an iconic pairing to say the least. We will also be touching on this subject again later...

17. Blue Velvet (1986)

This is the weirdest movie on this list by far. David Lynch was really my first gateway into the experimental and surreal, and although the first movie of his I saw was Mullholland Drive, this is my personal favorite of his (if we aren't considering Dune, that is.) It's disgusting and visceral in many ways, but it all comes together in a weird way? You really have to watch this one to understand what people say about it.

18. True Stories (1986)

Yay! David Byrne from the Talking Heads! I honestly think this movie does not get the hype it deserves. The cinematography and set design are so impressive, and the weirdly one-dimensional characters are definitely intentional. Many people come to the interpretation that this is an extremely cynical take on American life, but I see it differently. To me, it's a love letter to the spectacles and odd customs of our society, as well as finding whimsy in it all. It is also about the perspective of an outsider, which I like to read as the typical neurodivergent experience of viewing all of society's customs, whether or not it was intentional in the film. David Byrne is self-diagnosed as having Aspberger's, and watching the movie through a lens considering neurodivergency is very compelling.

19. Labyrinth (1986)

Apparently 1986 would've been an amazing year for me. What do I even need to say about this one? David Bowie literally plays a character called the Goblin King and steals a baby.

20. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

This is probably one of the worst movies ever made. I honestly find it hilarious though, it feels like watching a really long YouTube parody. I've also been told that this is Jerma985's favorite movie, so take his word for it.

21. Thelma & Louise (1991)

A small part of me dies every time a man fails to understand the ending. I won't spoil it, but it is definitely one of the most epic endings in film history. This is a surprisingly nuanced piece about White women in the patriarchy, despite being directed by a man. This only really becomes apparent with the male detective character who seems to be the director inserting the message: "Not all men!" But yeah, I think everyone needs to see this, especially with a female and/or AFAB friend if you're not a woman!

22. Fishing with John (1991)

Ok, this isn't even a movie, but because Letterboxd says it is, it's going on the list! It is just what the title says, going fishing with a man named John. Not only is this great background watching for when you're doing other tasks, but each episode is iconic in their own way depending on which guest is featured. If you're a fan of Tom Waits or Willem Dafoe, you should watch at least their feature episodes.

23. Batman Returns (1992)

Can you believe Danny DeVito almost won the Razzie's Worst Supporting Actor award in 1992? What a disgrace, he CARRIED this shit. Michael Keaton's Batman sucks in my opinion, but to me this adds to the camp. Tim Burton also directed this, so it has the unhinged energy of Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice. It's just such a unique and charming iteration of Batman that is basically unmatched in my opinion.

24. The Truman Show (1998)

When people ask what my favorite movie is, I usually answer with this one, even though I would like to give a list of at least four when someone asks me that. This was one of the earliest movies I ever have a recollection of watching, I mean early elementary school. My grandma was an ethics professor and showed this as part of her lectures. My brother and I being her new students during babysitting, were then subjected to her curriculum. I can clearly remember looking around for cameras in my house and outside after watching this. If not for Jim Carrey's incredible acting and comedic skill, I can totally see this movie being somewhat unremarkable. I saw a reviewer once say that a skilled comedian can be amazing at acting because of their experience with comedic timing. I cannot agree more. This is part of what I praise about Adam Sandler's performance in Uncut Gems, but we will get to this later.

25. But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

Does this need any explanation? I am a lesbian and this movie is so cute and funny. Ru Paul is in it too, which is iconic. It's a very basic plot, but I couldn't care less, I love this movie to death.

26. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

This movie has the most stunning animation I have ever seen. It also holds a special place in my heart as a movie from my childhood. Again, the plot is a bit weak, but that doesn't really matter to me in this case because everything else is beautifully thought out and on-point.

27. Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (2011)

Yeah, It's as silly as it sounds. This is an independent film which clearly had a budget of like $20, but it's so cute and charming. As someone who loves science-fiction and oftentimes refers to myself as being an alien from outer space, it feels like this movie was designed for my demographic, which I can't say about literally any other piece of media I have ever seen.

28. Carol (2015)

This was a major part of realizing I was a lesbian. I made my girlfriend watch it with me once we had been together for a while. Need I say more?

29. At Eternity's Gate (2018)

Similarly to True Stories, I personally feel like this does not get the hype it deserves. Yes, it is clearly low budget, but this is the role that Willem Dafoe was MADE to play. This was also controversial because some details of Van Gogh’s life are still under debate by historians, but I think they did a good job with what they had to work with. I can kind of relate to what it's going for as well. There's a specific feeling of emotional frenzy that you can get when you're making a piece of art, and this is the only movie I've seen that I feel gives justice to this phenomenon.

30. Uncut Gems (2019)

I think part of the reason I love this movie is because I had such low expectations going in. I thought to myself: "All of his other movies are shit, how could this be different." Let me just say, I was BLOWN AWAY. I've gone back to re-watch it a few times as well. I am not scared by horror at all, besides just not particularly enjoying gore, but this is the one movie that genuinely horrifies me. It is such a roller coaster of stress, and you keep thinking: "How could anything more go wrong?" I would say don't watch this if you have a panic disorder, because it actually emulated the feeling of a panic attack so well in my opinion. Very few movies put me on the edge of my seat like this one did.

Thank you for reading all (or some) of this! I will probably update this list in a year or so once I've seen more movies. I mostly wrote this for my own enjoyment, but please let me know what you think in the comments or send me a message.