A great movie can change your life for the better, since it makes you see things from a brand-new perspective. It’s extremely rare for a movie to have this kind of power, but those that do can stick with audiences for their whole lives, even shaping the ways that people choose to interact with the world around them.
Everyone has their own personal favorite movies, so there’s no guarantee that any one film in particular will resonate with someone. However, there are certain films that are so poignant and inherently powerful that they’re far more likely to connect with someone on a deeper level.
Richard Curtis is known as the writer behind some of thebest British rom-comsever made, but he also has a few directorial credits to his name.About Timerepresents the peak of his powers, as he creates a hilarious and uniquely British romance with a sci-fi twist, but it’s also stunningly powerful.
About Timeuses its time-travel premise to explore the very simple question of how we should live our lives.
About Timeuses its time-travel premise to explore the very simple question of how we should live our lives. It starts out as a quirky love story, but it takes on broader concerns as it develops.It ends up as one of the most life-affirming and uplifting films anyone could ask for.
Charlie Kaufman is one of very few screenwriters in Hollywood who has his own following, and films likeEternal Sunhsine of the Spotless Mindperfectly demonstrate why. It’s quite unlike anything else, butKaufman’s experimental style yields incredible results.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindplays with the ideas of memory and love, concocting a sci-fi medical procedure to analyze the very real way that people shy away from the thorny nature of life. There’s a resonant emotional truth at the center of the story, and this shines through the many quirks and kinks of the narrative.
Like several other Studio Ghibli movies,Spirited Awayis blessed with endless creativity.There are curiosities hiding in every corner of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece, many of which defy all explanation.Spirited Away’s gorgeous worldbuilding works so well because it refuses to take a direct route.
Spirited Awayis one of thebest animated movies ever, and not just because of the beauty of its art style. It’s also a richly rewarding story about finding oneself and fighting for what’s right.Spirited Awayalways has new creatures to discover on a rewatch, but there are also hidden layers to the story to reward fans who watch it multiple times.
Despite its relatively slender runtime,Aftersunhas the power to linger in the mind. It’s the kind of complex, mature drama that urges its audience to interrogate every frame. Ultimately, the story of a father, seen through the eyes of his daughter, stands up to the most intense scrutiny.
Theending ofAftersuncan feel like an anticlimax, but it’s the perfect finale to a film that always values realism over a more cinematic story. For a long time,Aftersunfeels as though it’s building up to some great tragedy, but it finds an even more affecting ending with its downbeat, ambiguous fade-out.
Groundhog Dayuses its surreal time-loop premise to explore some philosophical questions that everyone thinks about at one time or another. It’s easy for the audience to place themselves in the shoes of jaded weather reporter Phil Connors, asking themselves what they would do in a world without any consequences, and without any hope of forming meaningful connections.
The script ofGroudhog Dayis known for its unorthodox structure, which mirrors the famous “five stages of grief” model. With Phil trapped in his own private purgatory, he mourns his own death by running through the full gamut of his emotions, only to emerge on the other side with a renewed perspective on life. Simply watchingGroundhog Daycan offer audiences the same revelation.
AlthoughEverything Everywhere All at Oncespans the multiverse, it manages to retain an emotional core that keeps audiences engaged. This is because the truemeaning ofEverything Everywhere All at Onceis tied to its overstimulating absurdity.
Everything Everywhere All at Oncegives audiences a fresh sense of perspective by dipping into various surreal dimensions. The effect of this is to boil down the human experience to its most essential components, focusing on what people are drawn to in every possible reality.It’s a rare achievement that such a freewheeling comedy can be so impactful.
Documentaries always have the potential to connect with audiences on a deeper level, but the craft has to match up to the innate power of the medium. This is certainly the case inFire of Love,the moving story of two volcanologists who fell in love and traveled the world together.
Fire of Loveoverflows with potent visual metaphors, as the cascading rivers of lava become symbols for both a passionate love and an intense desire to live life to the fullest that borders on reckless. The documentary contrasts its grand themes with more mundane, everyday vignettes, but these are no less emotional in their own way.
Sofia Coppola’s naturalistic dialogue and her willingness to give her actors room makesLost in Translationthe kind of film that stands up to multiple viewings. Initially, audiences might appreciate its melancholic romance, butthe two main characters are so acutely drawn that their stories conceal multitudes.
Lost in Translationis many things simultaneously. It’s a story of finding purpose, unlikely connections and giving oneself over to a new experience, no matter the cost. While juggling all these intelligent themes, it’s also charming and funny in a way that makes the characters seem far more human.
There’s a reason thatThe Graduateis still seen as the quintessential film for recent graduates, even after so many decades. Its timeless truths about the nature of life after education still apply, and some great performances across the board mean that it’s still engaging and funny too.
The Graduate’s ambiguous endingsums up much of what makes it so special. It’s a kind of Rohrschach test that different people will take different lessons from. It’s possible to watchThe Graduateat two different stages of life and find the ending both optimistic and completely devastating.
It’s often the case that the most universal truths in art come from the most specific cases.Films which try to appeal to the broadest audiences possible rarely do so, but Alfonso Cuarón’s deeply personal reflection on his own childhood makesRomaintensely emotional.
Alfonso Cuarón’s deeply personal reflection on his own childhood makesRomaintensely emotional.
It’s not necessary to understand Mexican history or the country’s class system to come away fromRomaas a changed person. The dramatic vignettes that stitch together to make a life are all relatable and loaded with meaning in their own way. Cuarón’s greatest trick is that they coalesce to create something shimmering and alive.
