50 Classic Movies Everyone Should Watch in Their Lifetime

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It’s the silent film that launched a thousand vampire stories—all of which owe a debt to this classic.

More essential 1920s films: Metropolis (1927), Un chien andalou (1929), The Fall of the House of Usher (1928), Man with a Movie Camera (1929)

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This striking and silent Charlie Chaplin film immortalizes a love story that’s impossible to forget.

Also with Charlie Chaplin: Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator (1940), The Gold Rush (1925)

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This is Bela Lugosi’s timeless interpretation of the archetypal vampire.

Also with Bela Lugosi: The Wolf Man (1941), Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Black Cat (1934)

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This German thriller directed by Fritz Lang sees a serial killer targeted by police and criminals alike.

Also directed by Fritz Lang: Metropolis (1927), Fury (1936), You Only Live Once (1937)

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Margaret Mitchell’s novel of the Civil War-era South was adapted into this memorable film starring Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

Also with Vivien Leigh: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Anna Karenina (1948), The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961)

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Dorothy, Toto, and their friends embark on a journey to L. Frank Baum’s Emerald City in this vibrant fantasy.

Also with Judy Garland: Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), Babes in Arms (1939), A Star Is Born (1954), Summer Stock (1950), Easter Parade (1948)

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Orson Welles’ masterpiece is a portrait of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, who also directed and co-wrote the film.

Also directed by Orson Welles: Chimes at Midnight (1965), Othello (1951), Touch of Evil (1958), The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)

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World War II-era Casablanca is the setting for this unforgettable tale starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

Also with Humphrey Bogart: The Maltese Falcon (1941), The African Queen (1951), The Big Sleep (1946), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Also with Ingrid Bergman: Spellbound (1945), Autumn Sonata (1978), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945), Anastasia (1956)

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Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart star in this John Huston-directed classic about a missionary and a steamboat captain in World War I-era central Africa.

Also with Katharine Hepburn: The Philadelphia Story (1940), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), Bringing Up Baby (1938), The Lion in Winter (1968), On Golden Pond (1981)

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Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds sing and dance their way through this 1950s musical smash about the advent of talking pictures.

Also with Gene Kelly: An American in Paris (1951), Brigadoon (1954), Anchors Aweigh (1945)

Also with Debbie Reynolds: The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), The Tender Trap (1955)

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Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck star as a princess and a reporter, respectively, in this Rome-set love story.

Also with Audrey Hepburn: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957), My Fair Lady (1964)

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This Alfred Hitchcock classic is a suspenseful tale of surveillance starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly.

Also directed by Alfred Hitchcock: Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), The Birds (1963), The 39 Steps (1935)

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Akira Kurosawa’s epic adventure begins when seven samurai are enlisted to help protect a Japanese village from thieves.

Also directed by Akira Kurosawa: Rashomon (1950), Throne of Blood (1957), Yojimbo (1961)

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This Ingmar Bergman film follows a knight who, after ten years spent fighting in the Crusades, meets Death on a beach and challenges him to a game of chess.

Also directed by Ingmar Bergman: Fanny and Alexander (1982), Wild Strawberries (1957), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Cries and Whispers (1972)

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You’ll know this Hitchcock film by the iconic Mount Rushmore-set climax. It stars Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint as two people caught up in a suspenseful case of mistaken identity.

Also with Cary Grant: To Catch a Thief (1955), Bringing Up Baby (1938), His Girl Friday (1940), An Affair to Remember (1957)

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Two jazz musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) hit the road in disguise in this Billy Wilder-directed comedy.  

Also directed by Billy Wilder: Sunset Boulevard (1950), Double Indemnity (1960), The Apartment (1944)

Also with Marilyn Monroe: The Seven Year Itch (1955), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), The Misfits (1961)

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Drop into the work of Jean-Luc Godard and start with Breathless (A bout de soufflé), a film starring Jean-Paul Belmondo as a criminal hiding out with the help of his American girlfriend, played by Jean Seberg.

More essential French New Wave films: The 400 Blows (1959), Jules et Jim (1962), Band of Outsiders (1964), Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), My Life to Live (1962)

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The classic film adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel about racial injustice in rural, Depression-era Maycomb, Alabama, stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch.

Also with Gregory Peck: Roman Holiday (1953), Spellbound (1945), The Big Country (1958)

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This 1961 movie musical about a love story amid rival gangs in New York City is a classic that you can re-watch again and again. (And there’s a remake on the horizon!)

Also with Natalie Wood: Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Splendor in the Grass (1961), Gypsy (1962)

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This storied and visually stunning World War II-era biopic of T.E. Lawrence stars Peter O’Toole.

Also with Peter O’Toole: The Lion in Winter (1968), Becket (1964), The Ruling Class (1972)

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While many Federico Fellini films are must-sees, this one (about an Italian filmmaker and the women in his life) continues to have a major influence on the world of cinema.

Also directed by Federico Fellini: La Dolce Vita (1960), Fellini Satyricon (1969), La Strada (1954)

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Sidney Poitier earned a history-making Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in this film about a traveling laborer and former G.I. who happens upon an Arizona farm populated by Catholic nuns.

Also with Sidney Poitier: In the Heat of the Night (1967), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), To Sir, With Love (1967), A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

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Stanley Kubrick’s science-fiction epic is an adaptation of a short story by Arthur C. Clark.

Also directed by Stanley Kubrick: Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), The Shining (1980), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Full Metal Jacket (1987)

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The first installment in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Trilogy is based on Mario Puzo’s popular books and features a score by Nino Rota. 

Also directed by Francis Ford Coppola: Apocalypse Now (1979), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), The Godfather Part II (1974), Rumble Fish (1983), The Outsiders (1983)

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The film that launched a thousand shark phobias, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is an undeniable classic.

Also directed by Steven Spielberg: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Jurassic Park (1993), Lincoln (2012), Saving Private Ryan (1998)

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Robert Altman’s Tennessee-set musical satire stars Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall.

Also directed by Robert Altman: MASH (1970), Gosford Park (2001), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), The Long Goodbye (1973)

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The film that started it all. George Lucas’ sci-fi epic introduced audiences to Luke, Leia, and Han and unfurled a saga that’s still going strong.

Also directed by George Lucas: American Graffiti (1973), Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

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Every shot a painting, Terence Malick’s stunning Days of Heaven stars Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, and Sam Shepard in a drama set in the Texas Panhandle.

Also with Sam Shepard: Paris, Texas (1984), The Right Stuff (1983) Black Hawk Down (2001), August: Osage County (2013)

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This dramatic examination of the Vietnam War was directed by Michael Cimino and stars Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and John Savage, with memorable appearances by Meryl Streep and John Cazale.

Also with Robert De Niro: Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980) The Godfather Part II (1974), The Untouchables (1987), Mean Streets (1973)

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Dive into the world of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in this enthralling and visually stunning epic starring F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce.

Also with F. Murray Abraham: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), The Name of the Rose (1986), Scarface (1983), All the President’s Men (1976)

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Sydney Pollack brings to vivid life Danish writer Karen Blixen’s life in Kenya in this memorable film starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, accompanied by a luminous score by John Berry.

Also directed by Sydney Pollack: Tootsie (1982), The Way We Were (1973), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), Sabrina (1995)

Also with Meryl Streep: Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), The Bridges of Madison County (1995), Sophie’s Choice (1982), The Iron Lady (2011), August: Osage County (2013)

Also with Robert Redford: All the President’s Men (1976), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), All Is Lost (2013)

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Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover star in this moving adaptation of Alice Walker’s beloved, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Also with Whoopi Goldberg: Sister Act (1992), Ghost (1990), Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)

Also with Danny Glover: Lethal Weapon (1987), Places in the Heart (1984), Beloved (1998)

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The team at Merchant Ivory realized this wonderful adaptation of E.M. Forster’s beloved novel, framing it with a stellar screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and filling it with the lush visuals that are their signature.

Also directed by James Ivory and with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala: Howards End (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993), Heat and Dust (1983)

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Spike Lee produced, wrote, directed, and stars in this Brooklyn-set film about simmering racial tensions on a hot summer day in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Also directed by Spike Lee: 25th Hour (2002), Malcolm X (1992), She’s Gotta Have It (1986), Chi-Raq (2015), Oldboy (2013)

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Rob Reiner directed this now-classic and incredibly quotable romantic comedy (starring Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal) from a sharp Nora Ephron-penned screenplay.

Also directed by Rob Reiner: Stand by Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), Misery (1990), A Few Good Men (1992)

Also written by Nora Ephron: Sleepless in Seattle (1993), You’ve Got Mail (1998), Julie & Julia (2009), Heartburn (1986)

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This raw mobster epic stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci and is directed by Martin Scorsese, who also co-wrote the screenplay.

Also directed by Martin Scorsese: Taxi Driver (1976), The Departed (2006), Silence (2016), Raging Bull (1980), Gangs of New York (2002)

To buy: $25.90, amazon.com

Whit Stillman wrote and directed this, his debut, a sharply observed comic film about high society exploits in New York City.

Also directed by Whit Stillman: Love and Friendship (2016), The Last Days of Disco (1998), Barcelona (1994)

To buy: $12.99, amazon.com

Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando comes to life in this beautiful period rendering directed by Sally Potter and starring Tilda Swinton, Billy Zane, and Quentin Crisp.

Also directed by Sally Potter: The Man Who Cried (2000), Ginger and Rosa (2012), The Party (2017)

To buy: $13.99, amazon.com

Based on a novel by Thomas Keneally, Schindler’s List tells the story of German factory owner Oskar Schindler, played by Liam Neeson, and his attempts to save the lives of Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.

Also with a score by John Williams: Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Hook (1991), Jurassic Park (1993), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

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Emma Thompson penned the screenplay for this charming Jane Austen adaptation directed by Ang Lee; Thompson also stars alongside Kate Winslet.

Also with a screenplay by Emma Thompson: Effie Gray (2014), Wit (2001), Nanny McPhee (2006)

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Wes Anderson’s undeniable aesthetic is on full showcase in this funny, heartfelt family saga starring Anjelica Huston, Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, and Bill Murray.

Also directed by Wes Anderson: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), Rushmore (1998), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

To buy: $22.19, amazon.com

A marvel of structure and timing, this entire film is one long, lovely, suspenseful shot moving through the rooms of a palace and simultaneously sweeping through periods of Russian history.

Also directed by Alexander Sokurov: Faust (2011), Father and Son (2003)

To buy: $19.96, amazon.com

This spellbinding animated fantasy from celebrated Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli is a beloved tale about a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro and her adventures in a mysterious world.

Also directed by Hayao Miyazaki: My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)

To buy: $9.99, amazon.com

Sofia Coppola’s spare and moving meditation on meaning stars Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray as two people passing through the same Tokyo hotel and sharing an unexpected connection.

Also directed by Sofia Coppola: The Virgin Suicides (1999), Marie Antoinette (2006), The Beguiled (2017)

To buy: $9.99, amazon.com

Ang Lee’s adaptation of Annie Proulx’s delicate novella stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger in critically acclaimed performances.

Also directed by Ang Lee: Life of Pi (2012), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Lust, Caution (2007)

To buy: $27.97, amazon.com

Terrence Malick wrote and directed this poetic glimpse into the story of John Smith (Colin Farrell) and Pocahontas (Q’orianka Kilcher), with luminous cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki.

Also directed by Terrence Malick: Badlands (1973), The Tree of Life (2011), The Thin Red Line (1998)

Also with cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki: The Revenant (2016), Birdman (2014), Gravity (2013), The Tree of Life (2011), Children of Men (2006)

To buy: $14.97, amazon.com

This stunning biopic of French singer Edith Piaf nabbed a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar for Marion Cotillard, whose transformation throughout the film is astonishing.

Also with Marion Cotillard: Rust and Bone (2012), Two Days, One Night (2014), Inception (2010)

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Joel and Ethan Coen’s thrilling Texas-set epic probes the nature of good and evil and showcases star turns by Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin.

Also by the Coen brothers: Fargo (1996), Blood Simple (1984), Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

To buy: $9.99, amazon.com

Paul Thomas Anderson directs Daniel Day-Lewis in this, their first collaboration, a dramatic chronicle of the life of oilman Daniel Plainview.

Also directed by Paul Thomas Anderson: The Master (2012), Phantom Thread (2017), Boogie Nights (1997), Magnolia (1999), Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

Also with Daniel Day-Lewis: Gangs of New York (2002), Lincoln (2012), Phantom Thread (2017), My Left Foot (1989), The Last of the Mohicans (1992)

To buy: $12.99, amazon.com

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener star in this Charlie Kaufman-penned and -directed film about a theatre director, his new play, and the struggle to bring art to life.

Also directed by Charlie Kaufman: Adaptation (2002), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Being John Malkovich (1999), Anomalisa (2015)

Also with Philip Seymour Hoffman: The Master (2012), Capote (2005), Doubt (2008), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)