Must-see Movies
by pskalyanarama | created - 16 Dec 2014 | updated - 27 Dec 2014 | PublicExcellent films not in any specific order but each movie has its greatness of its own
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1. Casablanca (1942)
PG | 102 min | Drama, Romance, War
A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains
Votes: 605,456 | Gross: $1.02M
an ultimate favorite for movie lovers since decades, this movie has a terrific backdrop and characters. basic story is of a bar owner in casablanca which is a place where people either leave to dream land of america by getting visas by hook or crook or stay back waiting for ever. The owner can help the great revolutionist through the exit visas he has got but he is cynical guy who risks his neck for none and also the revolutionist's wife is his ex-lover. will he or won't he?
2. Stagecoach (1939)
Passed | 96 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process.
Director: John Ford | Stars: John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine, John Carradine
Votes: 53,694
despite being a western, this is more of human drama than crime or killings even though the backdrop is about hero's pursue for 3 killers. a wonderful characters study which has 8 different characters sharing the stagecoach and everyone has their own reasons for reaching the destination. A must-see drama
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Votes: 2,867,115 | Gross: $534.86M
A box office hit and spectacular visual feast. But this contains a very good script. Nolan has very good and bigger plot for this super hero movie. A super hero is the one who could not enjoy simpler things but here that super hero is willing to give away anything for a simpler life but too good a person to give up or give away the mask. A stunning film
4. Tootsie (1982)
PG | 116 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Michael Dorsey, an unsuccessful actor, disguises himself as a woman in order to get a role on a trashy hospital soap.
Director: Sydney Pollack | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman
Votes: 114,538 | Gross: $177.20M
We are not new to cross dressing but this movie is about the situations of a perfectionist who has to become an actress to get a job and becomes success. this success challenges him to stay as woman but he is a man and is in love with a woman who adores him as a woman. not only that, he becomes an object of affection to many other men. how can one prove his own identity?
5. Groundhog Day (1993)
PG | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.
Director: Harold Ramis | Stars: Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky
Votes: 684,183 | Gross: $70.91M
wonderful concept and bill murray is excellent in this classic comedy. How a day changes a man if the same day repeats itself every other day? from a cynical person to loving and charming guy, the main character lives all the kinds of persons. Delightful comedy
6. Unforgiven (1992)
R | 130 min | Drama, Western
Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris
Votes: 435,743 | Gross: $101.16M
Western again but more of one man's abilities an inabilities of being a good human. The hero has to decide whether to remain as good human for the sake of his loving dead wife or mend his ways like his old self for the good of society and bounty. terrific violent thematic film by eastwood
7. A Few Good Men (1992)
R | 138 min | Drama, Thriller
Military lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee defends Marines accused of murder. They contend they were acting under orders.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon
Votes: 287,003 | Gross: $141.34M
classic courtroom drama. What if a man who doesn't have high ambitions is given a case which is a life and death for honor of two sincere people? The challenge provokes him to reach higher lever of logic and determination which challenges the cold blooded navy major also
8. Frankie and Johnny (1991)
R | 118 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Johnny has just been released from prison, and gets a job in a café beside waitress Frankie. Frankie is a bit of a loner, but Johnny is determined their romance will blossom.
Director: Garry Marshall | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hector Elizondo, Nathan Lane
Votes: 34,171 | Gross: $22.77M
This may not contain a great story but this is good watch for those who likes feel good films. the secondary characters are delight to watch in this movie and there are many of them which gives strength to the delightful movie
9. Midnight in Paris (2011)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Kurt Fuller
Votes: 449,562 | Gross: $56.82M
apart from visuals and classic woody allen stuff, this movie has good story from the beginning and I feel this is a superior work of allen compared to his other movies. Story of an engaged to be married man who has access to go to past and meet his favorite writers and idols also but he falls in love with a muse of one of the greatest painters who has similar likes as him.
10. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Drama
Between two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey
Votes: 76,728 | Gross: $40.08M
wonderful comedy and it has mark of woody allen films from start to end. feel good movie about the lives of 3 sisters as they struggle to move on in life despite struggles and problems
11. High Noon (1952)
PG | 85 min | Drama, Thriller, Western
A town Marshal, despite the disagreements of his newlywed bride and the townspeople around him, must face a gang of deadly killers alone at "high noon" when the gang leader, an outlaw he "sent up" years ago, arrives on the noon train.
Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges
Votes: 110,092 | Gross: $9.45M
True to nature of thriller films, this excellent western has a sheriff who is just married but gets a threat from a killer who was sent to jail by this sheriff some time back and swore to revenge to kill him. Sheriff's ego is too much to run away and he is not too strong to face killers
12. Ordinary People (1980)
R | 124 min | Drama
The accidental death of the older son of an affluent family deeply strains the relationships among the bitter mother, the good-natured father and the guilt-ridden younger son.
Director: Robert Redford | Stars: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton
Votes: 56,630 | Gross: $54.80M
Unlike the title, this is an extra ordinary film,may be best. Nothing bad really happens in the movie as we see but we always worry what might happen just like the mail characters in the film. The story is very simple.How does a family react when the elder son of the family dies in an accident? the simple plot is so complex that we are dragged inside the minds of the main characters and see the agony
13. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 919,295 | Gross: $28.26M
What to say about the classic that still feels fresh in everyone's mind. As the film is about the person with psychotic mind,it is more appealing now than at the time of release. de niro is excellent in this fim so is jodie foster and harvey keitel who happen to appear in 4-5 scenes only
14. Goodfellas (1990)
R | 145 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Votes: 1,255,727 | Gross: $46.84M
Despite shown from the protagonist's point of view who is a gangster and tells us at the end that being gangster is the best, the audience understand the life of gangster from his and his companion's points of views. Wonderfully directed by master martin scorsese, this is a must see movie and one of the best in gangster films
15. Raging Bull (1980)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Votes: 379,771 | Gross: $23.38M
How the rage helped a guy become a master inside the ring and the same rage made him a bull outside the ring is shown very well under scorsese's direction in black and white to not ti miss the fell of forties. As usual, the combination of scorsese and de niro is mind blowing
16. Shutter Island (2010)
R | 138 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 1,453,842 | Gross: $128.01M
this thriller scares us with the horror like making by scorsese. wonderful visuals and gripping screenplay are the main attractions in the thriller about a detective who enters an island for solving the case of missing patient in the mental asylum and has no way to go back due to weather conditions. Is it really weather or something else that forces him to stay there for linger time?
17. Sideways (2004)
R | 127 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
Votes: 204,094 | Gross: $71.50M
One of the best indie films. This is a very simple comedy which focuses on 2 simple characters who are in road trip.Most of the movie is about wine tasting but the main focus is on taste of life as compared to wine under the situations faced by main characters
18. Pulp Fiction (1994)
R | 154 min | Crime, Drama
The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis
Votes: 2,216,642 | Gross: $107.93M
one of the first of its kind movies with non linear screenplay, this is a classic film in crime genre which is equally comic under some situations. the film contains the character who are either associated with crime or involved in crime directly
19. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
Not Rated | 115 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A unassuming greeting card poet from a small town in Vermont heads to New York City upon inheriting a massive fortune and is immediately hounded by those who wish to take advantage of him.
Director: Frank Capra | Stars: Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, George Bancroft, Lionel Stander
Votes: 23,198
A classic which is still fresh. The theme is timeless. when a small village guy inherits a large fortune and enters town, how his world changes around him?Is the world still the same when you are rich?you may not change as a rich man but the world around you is not what it looks if you suddenly become rich. Simply classic
20. The Truman Show (1998)
PG | 103 min | Comedy, Drama
An insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich
Votes: 1,194,182 | Gross: $125.62M
A never before and never again film. About a man whose life has been aired as tv program since his birth to his his post marriage. every audience knows this and so are the co actors of the tv show except this man. As he gets suspicious, things takes turn. A perfect movie about one's identity which is the sole thematic value of the entire movie
21. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Harry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby
Votes: 242,412 | Gross: $92.82M
why they used 'when' to 'whenever' they meet has excellent meaning in one the best rom coms hollywood ever produced. This is the best rom-com and there are many rom-coms made with this inspiration and we can;t help but compare others with this. Don't watch this if you don't want this movie to be like a barometer
22. The American President (1995)
PG-13 | 114 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A widowed U.S. President running for reelection and an environmental lobbyist fall in love. It's all above-board, but "politics is perception," and sparks fly anyway.
Director: Rob Reiner | Stars: Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox
Votes: 60,595 | Gross: $65.00M
How would a president live his life? this is an interesting question. whats more interesting is what if wants to lead a normal life?date a girl just like any other man?what if he gets this idea at the time of elections? another winner by rob reiner who made 'when harry met sally'.A feel good rom-com and very matured compared to silly rom-coms we see regularly
23. Crash (I) (2004)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.
Director: Paul Haggis | Stars: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Thandiwe Newton, Karina Arroyave
Votes: 448,849 | Gross: $54.58M
combination of some stories which is based on racism. how racism is affecting the people and country.can we really believe black people blindly or can we hate them just because of the color? the makers used many examples as different stories with same theme. fantastic film for multi storied movies lovers
24. Limitless (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 105 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller
A mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.
Director: Neil Burger | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro
Votes: 611,835 | Gross: $79.25M
limitless fun despite being a thriller. what if a person gets addicted to capsule which makes his mind's capacity raises to limitless and he could become an overnight success. he cant live no more without that and it has its own side affects. Wonderful thriller with good story
25. Scarface (1983)
R | 170 min | Crime, Drama
In 1980 Miami, a determined Cuban immigrant takes over a drug cartel and succumbs to greed.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Bauer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
Votes: 915,327 | Gross: $45.60M
One of the best gangster movies after god father. about one man's rise to power to falling down from it and all because of power he has got. A wonderful script work by oliver stone and deadly direction by brian de palma made this a must see film
26. Back to the Future (1985)
PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,305,139 | Gross: $210.61M
what a concept. what if you could go back to the past where your parent had just met and could right the wrongs of past and in the process, does some wrongs and do some foolish things? a simple but wonderful concept made this a classic. The same classic touch is missed in the subsequent 2 sequels
27. Chinatown (1974)
R | 130 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez
Votes: 349,475
A classic mystery by polanski. This is not like thrillers and mysteries which revolve around a murder. There is much more conspiracy in this mystery. fantastic and gripping drama and everything is revealed only at the end of the movie. No match with this movie due to the above cited reasons. Some people may not like the negative ending but that is much more natural than positive end
28. Citizen Kane (1941)
PG | 119 min | Drama, Mystery
Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'
Director: Orson Welles | Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead
Votes: 465,593 | Gross: $1.59M
how do we define a person? one way is know about him through different points of views. rather, from different perspectives of different persons that too after his death. we see the main character dying in the first scene and then we see him from different views and it is very interesting to learn about someone being defined by different people
29. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Votes: 1,546,497 | Gross: $130.74M
very rarely we see the movies having such a meaningful title. this is a thriller based on serial killer. the woman centric film which revolves around a serial kidnapper who peels away the skins of kidnapped people, this not only has the thriller element but also good sentiment which is a rare combination
30. The Omen (1976)
R | 111 min | Horror, Mystery
Mysterious deaths surround an American ambassador. Could the child that he is raising actually be the Antichrist? The Devil's own son?
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, Harvey Stephens, David Warner
Votes: 132,016 | Gross: $4.27M
I agree that there are many good horror movies but this is my favorite. Some times and very rarely, we get to see the stories which could define the genre and this is such a movie. the story defines the horror genre and that could not be other than this genre. Ultimate film with excellent screenplay and visuals and very haunting which could not be maintained for the sequels
31. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
R | 142 min | Drama
Over the course of several years, two convicts form a friendship, seeking consolation and, eventually, redemption through basic compassion.
Director: Frank Darabont | Stars: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Votes: 2,884,951 | Gross: $28.34M
This is number one in imdb list and it deserves that slot. A wonderful movie about hope in the midst of turmoil. I am not particularly a fan of prison films but this is an exception. The final act is simply fantastic. None can forget morgan freeman and especially his voice in this movie. An inspirational movie
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