89. The Truman Show
The Truman Show may credit its story as an original screenplay, but it is uncannily similar to several sci-fi TV shows from as far back as the 60s.
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88. Bullitt
With Steve McQueen in the title role, a legendary car-chase and a score by Lalo Schifrin, Peter Yates’ Bullitt still oozes as much cool now as it did in 1968.
87. The Master, Paul Thomas Anderson
Great filmmakers have recurring themes and styles, but Anderson is unique because he continually explores new themes and styles.
86. Michael Clayton
Akin to a 70s’ conspiracy thriller, Michael Clayton is also a character study with strong turns from George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson.
85. The Untouchables
The studios didn’t like the script and no one wanted to play the heroic Treasury Agent, Eliot Ness. So how did The Untouchables turn out to be such a success?
84. Days of Heaven
Regarded as a poet of cinema, Terrence Malick’s films have rarely connected with audiences. Has he been ahead of his time or is he now running out of it?
83. The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow did not just make history when she became the first woman to win an Oscar for directing. She also made a landmark war film.
82. Roman Holiday
How do you cast a movie star in a story about a Princess who does not want to be a Princess? You cast an unknown. Ladies and Gentlemen, Audrey Hepburn.
81. Atonement
Ian McEwan’s novel was always going to be a tough nut to crack, but Joe Wright and Christopher Hampton delivered a modern classic of a tragic tale.
80. The Wizard of Oz
This 1939 children’s classic, starring Judy Garland is one of Hollywood’s most enduring pictures. But is there more to it than a pair of ruby slippers?
79. Remakes or Mis-takes?
When is a remake not a remake? When is a re-imagining not a reboot? And most pertinent, when are any of them ever any good?
78. American Graffiti
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas built his own cinema empire. But American Graffiti, made in his hometown, is his masterpiece.
77. Barry Lyndon
Stanley Kubrick’s most awarded film is the one that Martin Scorsese says was his best. Ridley Scott worships it. So why is it so seldom seen?
76. Mamma Mia!
With a story based around ABBA songs, and a stage musical that had rung up over $1b in sales, Mamma Mia! was always going to be a hit.
75. The Military-Entertainment Complex
How much does the Pentagon help Hollywood? Is Hollywood just the Pentagon’s mouthpiece?
74. Hollywood’s History Lesson
When it comes to history, we are told that Hollywood always make mistakes. But could it be that it’s the historians who get it wrong?
73. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
The very definition of ‘landmark film’, without it would there be no Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story or even Avatar.
72. Dead Poets Society
The students of Welton College carried their English teacher around the yard, shoulder high. Is this a fair reflection of school, or is it another Hollywood fantasy?
71. The Summer Blockbuster
With young audiences off from school, Hollywood knows there is more money to be made in the summer than at any other time.
70. Casablanca
“Here’s looking at you, kid.” Casablanca has more quotable lines than any other movie, but it’s the visual design that gives the film its thematic resonance.
69. Money, Money, Money
All industries need profits to survive. So why do so many Hollywood films castigate wealth and capitalism?
68. Black & White
When it comes to cinema, many people consider black & white as old. Yet the same people also consider it beautiful. Surely black & white is more than that?
67. The Exorcist
Based on a 1971 best-selling novel that was inspired by a real-life case of demonic possession said to have occurred in 1949, is this really the scariest film ever made?
66. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Ken Kesey’s story of social oppression was inspired by the CIA program, MKUltra. Did the film retain the novel’s rage?
