That question is hard to answer. For example, can you compare a modern sci-fi to an old classic? Despite the challenges, I’ve tried making a list. The list is mainly based on what impact the movie made on me. Below, I summarise films that made me think, feel, and wonder on a deeper level than most films do. Some of these films I watched many years ago. If I were to re-watch all these films today, it is safe to assume several (most?) would not have made it to this list.
I have left out documentaries. This is a list of fictional movies only, ordered by the year I first watched the film.
Post 2019, I have almost not spent any time watching fictional movies. Instead, I have been occupied with going through all the lies we have been fed. If I ever get deeply engrossed in a feature film again, I might update this list.
| Title | First watched |
Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Star Wars (1977) | 1984 | Being a kid, I was blown away, to a galaxy far, far away. Never since has a movie made a stronger impression. |
| All Summer in a Day (1982) | 1984 (?) | A strong childhood memory. A great short film based upon the Ray Bradbury novel with the same name. |
| The Matrix (1999) | 1999 | My film experience that has been closest to Star Wars. A very intriguing story, with insanely great VFX for the time. |
| Donnie Darko (2001) | 2003 | One of my absolute favourite watches. An almost magical movie experience. |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) | 2004 | A joy for the mind and heart. |
| Chûgoku no chôjin (1998) | 2005 | A random find that I ended up loving. |
| Gattaca (1997) | 2005 | A “hidden” sci-fi gem. |
| Ima, ai ni yukimasu (2004) | 2005 | Another random find I ended up loving. |
| Survive Style 5+ (2004) | 2005 | Weird and colourful, from Japan. |
| Ruang rak noi nid mahasan (2003) | 2005 | Another movie that got to me back in 2005. |
| Kdo chce zabít Jessii? (1966) | 2005 | A brilliant movie from Czechoslovakia. The Czechs truly knew the art of movie making. |
| Bin-jip (2004) | 2007 | I liked it at the time. |
| L’eclisse (1962) | 2007 | A film to experience, a film to feel. |
| Inception (2010) | 2010 | One of the few films that I thought was better the second time than the first. Rewatched in 2020. |
| The Intouchables (2011) | 2013 | Rewatched in 2019. Equally good as the first time. |
| Il deserto rosso (1964) | 2013 | LOVED this one very much. It touched me. |
| Whiplash (2014) | 2016 | Amazing acting. |
| 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) | 2018 | A monolith of a masterpiece! |
| Solaris (1972) | 2019 | Loved it! |
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