Watching films has always been my preferred method of indulgence. There’s something about the big screen that captures me; the setting becomes my temporary reality, the characters become my friends. I get more emotionally attached to movies than I do to actual events, and I cry at almost any ending when I rarely do so IRL. I’ll watch the same movie 100 times and not get tired of it, or I’ll watch five movies in one day and not get bored.
I do still have a few gaps in my movie knowledge; I’ve never seen Taxi Driver or Pulp Fiction. While I’m nowhere near movie-buff level, I have seen my fair share of films, especially for a Gen Z. For no reason other than to share what I love, here are my top 10 favorite (not best) movies of all time, in no meaningful order:
Inception | Christopher Nolan, 2010
What happens when you mess with a dream? What about a dream within a dream within a dream?
If you’ve never seen this movie, then you’re in for a trip. Prepare to be confused.
Leo DiCaprio plays a dream thief who’s plagued by his own past. After losing his wife, he knows there is only one way home to his children: inception. With the help of his teammates, including Elliot Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, he attempts the seemingly impossible task of planting an original idea in someone’s mind.
Full of complex detail and haunting cinematography, Inception leaves the viewer wondering what’s real and what isn’t. More importantly, it begs the question: is there even a difference?
Fun fact: I have, several times, tried to perform inception on other people. And honestly, it’s gone pretty well.
Ladybird | Greta Gerwig, 2017
Senior year of high school is a difficult time for all of us.
Ladybird – also known as Christine – is navigating her last year of Catholic high school, which is full of new romance, the fall musical, and college applications. She dreams of moving to New York City, but her family can’t afford the tuition, and her mom doesn’t believe in her.
This movie hits hard if you’re a young woman either in or about to go to college. And the dialogue is to die for.
Coraline | Henry Selick, 2009
Coraline is not in the mood to move. Her new house is ugly, her neighbors are strange, and she doesn’t want to wear a school uniform. Feeling ignored by her workaholic parents, Coraline seeks adventure wherever she can find it, even if it’s through a small door in her living room. Through that door, she finds a life almost parallel to her own, but with a frightening twist.
Call me creepy, but Coraline is fantastic. It takes every kid’s dream and turns it into their worst nightmare. It shows what happens when you get too much of a good thing. Most importantly, it tells you to never take your boring life and quirky parents for granted.
The Social Network | David Fincher, 2010
Everyone knows Mark Zuckerberg’s name. But do they know Facebook’s backstory?
The Social Network is essentially a courtroom drama, portraying the founding of Facebook through flashbacks: of Mark being dumped by his girlfriend Erica, of his best friend Eduardo getting into a prestigious final club, of Mark stealing the Winklevoss twins’ idea and turning it into his own. Over the film’s course, we see Mark make many enemies, even though he’s seemingly jealous of everyone around him. By the end, despite all his successes, Mark has no girlfriend, best friend, or business partner; he’s entirely alone.
Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Armie Hammer all have starring roles in this eight-time Academy Award nominee. The Social Network isn’t simply the story of Facebook; it’s the story of a string of selfish decisions.
Mean Girls | Mark Waters, 2004
This one’s kind of a wild card.
If you live under a rock and don’t know, Mean Girls is a high-school story of what happens when you’re “mainstreamed too soon.” Cady Heron, played by Lindsay Lohan, is a smart, down-to-earth girl who moves to Illinois from Africa. She enters the 11th grade and is immediately thrown into the rings. Sure, she makes friends, but she also lives a double life – half normal, half plastic – and everyone ends up getting hurt.
Full of quotes like “that’s only okay when I say it” and “it’s like I have ESPN or something,” Mean Girls will be iconic until the end of time.
Call Me By Your Name | Luca Guadagnino, 2017
Luca Guadagnino is a master of the senses, making a movie not simply out of sight and sound. You can practically smell the seawater, feel the Mediterranean sun’s heat, and taste the apricot juice.
Elio and his family spend their summers in Northern Italy, each year relenting his bedroom to a new graduate intern. One particular summer (1983), a 24-year-old American student named Oliver stays with them, helping Elio’s father with his archaeological research. What begins as a tense but cordial relationship between Oliver and Elio soon blossoms into much more, and what their romance lacks in publicity, it makes up for in passion.
The film, based on the novel by Andre Aciman, comments on sexuality, romance, and traditional notions of love. “How you live your life is your business,” says Elio’s father. “But remember, our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once.”
The Great Gatsby | Baz Luhrmann, 2013
Who is Gatsby?
He throws large parties almost every weekend, but no one seems to have met him. Nick Carraway, the new next-door neighbor, eventually learns that Gatsby’s only wish is for Daisy Buchanan to walk through his door. Nick, conveniently Daisy’s cousin, tries to get them together, getting mixed up in crime, adultery, and a lot of drama along the way.
From the party scenes, to the slow-motion car crash, to the Debutante Ball, every image in this film is stylized with skill and intention. Set post-prohibition, the whole thing feels like one big champagne shower, going from manic high to extreme low.
The Great Gatsby shows, above all, that our perfect ideas of people sometimes turn out to be wishful thinking.
The Iron Giant | Brad Bird, 1999
Favorite Quote: “Welcome to downtown cools-ville – population: us!” (Hogarth Hughes).
If you’ve ever spent time with me, you’ve probably heard me talk about avoiding my problems by moving to Maine. This idea stems from a fictional 1950s Rockwell, the setting of The Iron Giant.
The giant is a weapon, but he doesn’t want to be. He finds himself in the forest by the small town of Rockwell, where Hogarth Hughes (“Hog Hug”), his soon-to-be bff resides with his single mother (Jen Aniston). At first, the giant wreaks havoc by destroying a boat, causing a power-outage, wrecking a train, and chomping a car (why the war on transportation?). After he meets Hogarth, he learns how to talk, control his impulses, and care about others. In the end, he chooses good over evil, sacrificing himself to save the citizens of Rockwell.
Moral of the Story: “You are who you choose to be” (Dean McCoppin).
Fun fact: The Iron Giant was released the day after I was born. Another fun fact: I’ve decided to name my child Dean.
Howl’s Moving Castle | Hayao Miyazaki, 2005
Miyazaki never fails to impress. With breath-taking visuals and an enchanting score, Howl’s Moving Castle is a real love story.
In a world full of witches, wizards, and demons, war isn’t the only concern. Young hat-maker Sophie has heard the rumors: Howl steals the hearts of beautiful young girls. While walking to her sister’s bakeshop, Howl “saves” Sophie from being harassed. The Witch of the Waste, desperately jealous, breaks into Sophie’s home and casts a spell that derails Sophie’s life. With nowhere to go and no one to talk to, she runs away and finds herself at Howl’s moving castle.
My first crush: Christian Bale’s voice-over.
Back to the Future | Robert Zemeckis, 1985
Favorite Quote: “Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the Earth’s gravitational pull?” (Doc Brown).
Marty McFly has a decent life in 1985; he’s got a (relatively normal) family, a loving girlfriend, and a strange friendship with the socially-rejected Doctor Emmett Brown. One night, Doc unveils a new invention: a time machine made out of a DeLorean. The situation quickly goes awry and Marty accidentally travels back to 1955, where he unintentionally interferes with a crucial encounter. In order to get back to the future, Marty has to make his parents fall in love. There’s one small problem: Marty’s mom wants him instead.
Despite being criticized for its seemingly incestuous theme, Back to the Future is the classic of classics, constantly referenced in popular culture.
Fun fact number four: I’ve decided to name my second child Marty.
