26. The Pianist
Year: 2002
IMDB rating: 8.5
Awards: 3 Oscar Awards
The Story: Based on the real life of Polish pianist W. Szpillmann, the movie follows this brilliants musician’s true story. Because of his Jewish origin, the artist is forced to live a fugitive’s life during the Nazi occupation of Poland, in order to escape the threat of being deported. Managing to escape the Warsaw camp, he lives a few years hiding within the city’s ruins, while salvation comes from a German officer who helps him survive.
Why is it on the list: Because the movie lacks artificial adornments and shows the cruel reality of those times in a gritty manner, making it hard to watch sometimes, but no less emotional. Because it doesn’t judge anything and anybody, but the character’s drama becomes more and more real as minutes go by. Because it is frightening in its simplicity, while the message is so deep, it moves everybody. Because you can see and feel a world falling down in pieces through the eyes of one man only and because his testimony is so powerful, it sometimes lives you breathless.
Quintessential quote: “”If you prick us, do we not bleed? It you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”. (Henryk Szpilman)
27. E. T. the Extra – Terrestrial
Year: 1982
IMDB rating: 7.9
Awards: 4 Oscar Awards
The Story: Young boy Elliot is quite a lonely kid, despite having a brother and a sister. His entire life changes when he finds a small, harmless alien who was left behind by his company, who fled Earth in a hurry, trying to escape the threatening forces who discovered their presence. E. T, just like Elliot, needs a friend and somebody to trust, and the boy has to face all the dangers necessary in order to help his new friend find his way home.
Why is it on the list: Because it is one of the few movies where aliens don’t menace the Earth with colonization and extinction. Because it is still one of the best friendship stories ever made and because even now, in spite the new peaks movie filming technology and CGI reached in the last years, E.T still looks funny and lovable. Because everybody, at least once in a lifetime said in some occasion “E.T phone home” and because no matter how many movies exploited the friendship theme between a child and a pet, E.T is still the best example that attachment and love pass all barriers.
Quintessential quote: “You could be happy here, I could take care of you. I wouldn’t let anybody hurt you. We could grow up together, E.T.” (Elliot)
28. Alien
Year: 1979
IMDB rating: 8.5
Awards: 1 Oscar Award
The Story: An industrial spacecraft receives a distress call from a planet nearby and decides to investigate the matters, without knowing that the S.O.S is in fact a warning message. Back on board, the crew witnesses the birth of a bioform that turns into their worst enemy.
Why is it on the list: Because without a doubt, this was THE Alien movie of all times, a trademark of Science – Fiction movies, a step further cinematography made in terms of special effects, filming techniques, screenplay, choice of light, shadows and music. Now, it may be old and obsolete, but as cinematography history is concerned, Scott’s movie was a masterpiece many new directors study even today. Because it scared and still can give people the chills, as intensity, and suspense progressively builds and because it made Sigourney Weaver the best, most badass heroine of those times, easily competing with a lot of male hero counterparts. Because nobody can forget the feeling of being clanged to their chairs, watching this phenomenal story unwind. Because from that point on, every alien movie had horrific creatures in it and exploited the colonization and destruction theme in more than one way.
Quintessential quote: “Ripley, for God’s sake, this is the first time that we’ve encountered a species like this. It has to go back. All sorts of tests have to be made.” (Ash)
29. The Silence of the Lambs
Year: 1991
IMDB rating: 8.7
Awards: 5 Oscar Awards
The Story: Young FBI cadet Clarice Starling stumbles upon a strange case that leads her to run the investigation of a kidnap. The victim is a senator’s daughter, while the perpetrator is a serial killer not strange from past similar acts of violence but who managed to not ever be caught. During her investigation, Clarice meets doctor Hannibal Lecter, a former psychiatrist locked up for good for himself being a serial killer and a cannibal, but who has deep extended information about the identity of Bufallo Bill and the means Clarice has to save the Senator’s daughter.
Why is it on the list: Because back in the day, few people knew the movie makes part of an entire series which follows the story of doctor Lecter, from his youth years to the present day, as he lived a double life of respected psychiatrist and sadistic cannibal killer. However, this movie was the trademark of the nineties, bringing back everything that was good in crime thrillers and giving a generous spotlight to Jodie Foster. Because even to this day, even if Hannibal disappointed in many ways, still represents a trademark for thriller / suspense / cop movies because it was built on the sinister atmosphere and the relationship between Clarice and Lecter and not so much on blood and gore. Because nobody can forget Hopkins’s blue, psychopath look behind bars and because even to this day, the movie is a reference in cinematography. And, last but not least, because as cop movies go, the solution is usually find investigating clues and traces the killer left behind, as in this movie, the key to salvation resides inside a brilliant disturbed doctor’s mind and soft spot for playing psychological games.
Quintessential quote: “Believe me, you don’t want Hannibal Lecter inside your head.” (Jack Crawford)
30. In God’s Hands
Year: 1998
IMDB rating: 4.9
Awards: –
The Story: Three surfers travel the world in the search of the big next wave, following their obsessions and hearts, while an underlying romance surfaces their story.
Why is it on the list: Because this movie was so underrated, people almost don’t know it even exists, despite the fact that it comes straightly out of Zalman King’s directorial hand and view. Because it didn’t use actors, but real surfers. Because the locations are spectacular and the story is not so simple as it may seem. This movie praises the freedom of the human spirit, the choices people make in order to make their dreams come true, the sacrifice they are facing and the compromise they are considering making in order to follow their destiny. Because this is an ultimate story about finding what are you looking for, no matter if you have to travel half the world and because this is more than chasing waves, it is about chasing the proverbial unicorn, the finding of true love, true friendship and true self.
Quintessential quote: “How far are you willing to go? What sacrifice are you willing to make? How good do you want to be?” (Shane)