Movies Everyone Should See At Least Once In Their Life

With art being subjective and audiences unpredictable, filmmakers can only hope their work will leave

a lasting impression.

Directors may even prefer a strong negative reaction to a film over one of indifference.

Every once in a while, a special film comes along, and whether you love it or hate it,

it makes you think, stirs up heated conversation, and stays with you long after your viewing.

From spine-tinglers to mind-benders, here are some films you should definitely check

out at least once in your life.

Some small spoilers ahead.

Zodiac

It’s human nature to want to solve complicated puzzles and crack unsolved mysteries.

But sometimes there are questions that just can’t be answered — like who ended five

people’s lives in northern California during the late ’60s and early ’70s.

He called himself Zodiac, and nobody ever discovered his true identity, although that

wasn’t for lack of trying.

The case inspired quite a few sleuths, and while most walked away defeated, a few would

never give up until they looked the killer right in the eye.

That’s where David Fincher’s Zodiac comes in.

It’s a study of obsession — on what happens to a person when curiosity keeps gnawing away

at his mind.

“You got 4 crime scenes, not a single usable print?

You can’t think of this case in normal police terms.”

The movie follows a trio of heroes — a detective played by Mark Ruffalo, a reporter played

by Robert Downey Jr., and a cartoonist played by Jake Gyllenhaal — chasing down the hooded

serial killer.

Zodiac is about the never-ending search and how that quest can change from dedication

to obsession.

Granted, if you’re looking for a gorefest, you might want to pass on this film.

This is a story about chasing after shadows and accepting the fact that you might never

know all the answers.

Looper

Time travel is a common trope in science fiction.

It’s used so often that it can get pretty stale, and that’s why Looper is a treat for

any film fan.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Looper uses the genre’s time-bending conventions

to focus on how violence only begets violence and how our actions can wreak havoc across

generations.

In this universe, gangsters from 2074 send their victims back to 2044, where they’re

disposed of by hit men like Young Joe, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

It’s a lucrative job, but as part of the deal, Joe will eventually have to shoot his older

self to “close his loop.”

Only, “Old Joe” Bruce Willis isn’t going to sit around and let his younger self end his

own life.

This kicks off a film about a guy literally trying to find himself.

“You done all this already?

As me?”

“I don’t want to talk about time travel.

Because if we start talking about it, then we’re going to be here all day talking about

it, making diagrams with straws.”

The more Young Joe learns, the more he gets sucked into a twisty revenge plot.

In a medium that often glorifies brute force, Looper shows that violence — even when done

for understandable reasons — doesn’t solve problems… it just makes them worse.

Snowpiercer

If you’re looking for realism, then Snowpiercer probably isn’t the movie for you.

Instead, Bong Joon-ho’s first English-language film works more like a fairy tale, one full

of brilliant visuals, masterful action scenes, and a radical message about the nature of

society.

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the world has been turned into a giant

ice cube.

The few survivors have taken shelter on a massive train, but life aboard this locomotive

can be pretty rough for those stuck in the tail end.

“I belong to the front.

You belong to the tail.”

These unlucky passengers are treated like peons by the well-to-do folks in the front,

so eventually a group of rebels led by Curtis, played by Chris Evans, decide it’s time for

an uprising.

As they fight their way up the train — and through some of the most wonderful sets in

recent sci-fi memory — Curtis comes face-to-face with a harsh realization.

Without getting too far into spoilers, Snowpiercer isn’t just a critique of the class system.

It’s an examination of the very idea of “revolution.”

Look at history, and you’ll see that in most cases, idealistic rebels turn into the dictators

they want to overthrow.

According to Snowpiercer, that’s because the system itself is beyond saving.

You might disagree with Snowpiercer’s interpretation of politics, but at the very least it provides

some interesting food for thought.

And if for no other reason, you should check out the film for Tilda Swinton’s hilarious-yet-horrifying

performance as the world’s most maniacal politician.

Ex Machina

From Metropolis to Her, science fiction movies have always been interested in examining man’s

relationship with technology, often reflecting the worries and concerns of their time.

After all, technology’s constantly evolving, and constantly creating new benefits and new

drawbacks.

Nowhere is that more evident than in Alex Garland’s Ex Machina.

“Are you attracted to me?”

“What?”

“Are you attracted to me?

You give me Indications that you are.”

“I do?”

“Yes.”

The story centers on a young programmer named Caleb, who wins the chance to spend a few

days working with Nathan, a wealthy super genius.

When Caleb shows up at Nathan’s secluded cabin, he quickly becomes a part of a complicated

test, tasked with interviewing a beautiful robot named Ava.

Caleb soon develops a crush on the imprisoned Ava, while Nathan clearly enjoys his status

as a creator god.

As for Ava, she just wants to be free.

This brilliant film grapples with the ethical and moral questions about how humans should

treat artificial intelligence, and it also deals with relevant themes like the issue

of surveillance.

But there’s something else going on in Ex Machina, as the film is a deeply disturbing

study about the different ways men objectify and abuse women.

By the end of the movie, you might start questioning everything you’re seeing, with a few gut-punches

along the way that will leave you thinking about Ex Machina for quite some time.

Whiplash

If we know one thing for sure about Damien Chazelle, it’s that the man loves himself

some jazz music.

For proof, look no further than Whiplash, the director’s breakout film.

The movie stars Miles Teller as an ambitious young drummer named Andrew, a guy desperately

hoping to join a prestigious band at the music conservatory he attends.

But if he wants to make the cut, first he has to impress Terence, a snarling, swearing,

instrument-throwing conductor played by J.K. Simmons.

This is not a man who’s easily impressed.

Driven by his need for perfection, Andrew dedicates every waking hour to becoming the

world’s best jazz drummer, practicing so hard that his fingers bleed.

Meanwhile, he burns every bridge and ruins every relationship in his life, all to achieve

his goal of greatness.

Andrew only grows more and more obsessed with impressing Terence and becoming the next Buddy

Rich.

Sure, he’s becoming a horrible person, but he’s going to get his face on the Mt. Rushmore

of jazz music.

That’s why Whiplash is such a fascinating film.

It’s all about the price of success — similar to Chazelle’s La La Land — and it suggests

that while you might become the greatest drummer who’s ever lived, you’ll probably have more

fans than friends.

The Invitation

There are a lot of great movies out there about grief like Ordinary People and Manchester

by the Sea.

But the scariest might be Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation.

This is the ultimate dinner party-gone-wrong movie, one that’ll have you sitting on the

edge of your seat the entire time, screaming at the characters to get out of the house.

Unfortunately, they won’t listen — because they’re far too polite.

The Invitation follows a guy named Will, played by Logan Marshall-Green, who’s experienced

a terrible tragedy that ruined his marriage.

Now, he’s received an invitation from his ex-wife Eden, played by Tammy Blanchard, for

a get-together at her Hollywood Hills home.

All the old gang’s going to be there, and Will reluctantly agrees to attend.

But when he arrives, he feels something is terribly wrong — probably because Eden won’t

stop talking about the weird cult she’s just joined.

Or perhaps everything feels off because Will is still trying to cope with that tragedy

from his past, an event that occurred in this very house.

As his emotions come boiling to the top, Will must grapple with old wounds that never healed,

while trying to convince the other guests — all too nice to question their hosts’

odd behavior — that something weird is happening.

“You think we’re crazy?”

“I never said that.”

“That’s OK. I’m not offended.

A lot of people think we’re crazy.”

It’s a nail-biter of a film that deals with pain, loss, and the power of social norms.

And by the way, it ends with one of the creepiest final shots in thriller history.

The Babadook

Being a parent — especially a single mom — is incredibly hard, something Amelia knows

only too well.

She was left a widow when her husband was in a car wreck, and now she’s alone with her

7-year-old son, Samuel.

Amelia and Samuel’s relationship is complicated; he’s basically a devil child.

He screams, cries, and metaphorically suffocates his mom.

She loves the boy, but she kinda hates him, too.

Just when Amelia reaches the edge of her sanity, a grisly pop-up book shows up at her house.

This isn’t your normal bedtime story, though.

Instead, it’s a “children’s tale” about Mr. Babadook, a murderous demon with some very

bad plans for Amelia and her boy.

Soon, our hero sees the spirit lurking in the shadows, and as the monster gets closer

and closer, Amelia’s relationship with Samuel takes an even darker turn.

“The Babadook did it, mum.”

Written and directed by Jennifer Kent, this Australian film works perfectly as a first-rate

fright flick.

In fact, William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist said it was the scariest movie he’d

ever seen.

But really, The Babadook feels more like a compassionate version of The Shining.

The movie works on multiple levels, examining both the depths of depression and the pain

and suffering of being a parent.

It’s a story about battling your demons and keeping them at bay, even if you know full

well that you’ll never truly defeat them.

Get Out

Warning: the less you know about Get Out, the better.

If you want to keep completely spoiler-free, just know that writer-director Jordan Peele

has crafted one of the greatest horror movies of the 2010s, one that surpassed all box office

expectations and impressed nearly every critic on Earth.

You should also know that Get Out is a movie about racism, but not the kind that involves

rednecks, nooses, or burning crosses.

Daniel Kaluuya plays Chris Washington, a black photographer dating a white woman, played

by Allison Williams.

She wants Chris to meet her parents, but Chris isn’t sure that’s a good idea.

He knows a thing or two about being a black guy in a white world.

Nevertheless, Chris gives in, and Mom and Dad certainly seem friendly.

Many cringey compliments later, we begin to wonder if these people aren’t quite as PC

as they seem, and maybe that’s true about more Americans than we think.

“Do you find that being African American has more advantage or disadvantage in the modern

world?”

We won’t give away any more of the plot, but rest assured, things get really scary really

fast.

The movie plays out like those horrific conspiracy classics from the ’60s and ’70s, like Rosemary’s

Baby or The Stepford Wives.

With its ever-growing sense of dread, Peele’s debut film is a brilliant satire of race relations

in the U.S., while also featuring one of cinema’s creepiest party scenes and an intense climax

— to say the least.