I love watching films and Tv shows, and whenever I get the chance to do so, I take it. Netflix is a blessing to me, because it means that I can watch movies and so many TV shows until my heart’s content (shout out to my brother for paying for it). Although, it does lead to me binge watching multiple seasons of TV shows in a week *cough* Breaking Bad *cough*.
Me picking a favourite film is like asking a parent to choose a favourite child, so I thought I would make it a bit broader and try to narrow it down to a top ten. They aren’t in order, because that is taking it a step too far.
Here goes…
- Into the Wild
Now this film was one of those films for me where once it has finished, you just sit there, staring into space in awe. I loved everything about this film, from the directing (great job Sean Penn) to the story behind the film. If you haven’t heard of Christopher McCandless then you should definitely look him up, because his story is both inspirational and heartbreaking, and I think that Into the Wild managed to capture that perfectly. There is a book too, also called Into the Wild, written by Jon Krakauer in which the film is based off, and I would recommend you give that a read as well.
- Jurassic Park
What can I say? Classic. This is one of the best films of all time, in my opinion. The animatronics used in this film are amazing, and I still think that some sort of magic was used to make those dinosaurs look as realistic as they did, and still do! It’s not often that films can create realistic looking animatronics at the time (Jaws) never mind still have them looking real over 20 years later. The film has the perfect amount of suspense in order to have the audience gripped, waiting for the appearance of the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex, and doesn’t milk the brilliant dinosaur animatronics created by Stan Winston studios. There is just a perfect balance between suspense and reveal, and if somebody hasn’t seen Jurassic Park then I will happily sit and watch it with them. Not to mention it has the best film score ever! - School of Rock
When I told my friend that School of Rock was in my top ten films, she said “School of Rock?..” with a confused look on her face. I know it isn’t considered a masterpiece of a film, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great. I can watch this film any time, it never fails to make me laugh and it is just a feel good film that promotes positive thinking on many different topics. Jack Black is wonderful in this film and his knack for comedic acting really shines through. If you’re feeling down, watch School of Rock! - Donnie Darko
I find it hard to describe the plot of Donnie Darko. It has elements of multiple film genres, sci-fi, horror, comedy, romance, you name it, Donnie Darko probably manages to capture an element of it. It is a film that really makes you think once it has finished, and if you’re like me, it makes you re watch it just to try and work out what has just happened. The emotional range it makes audiences feel just goes to show what a success the film is, and it is a definite cult classic.
- Inglorious Basterds
This is, in my opinion, Tarantino’s best film to date. The opening scene blew me away and from that moment on, I was hooked. The action sequences are awesome, and Tarantino has incorporated clever humour as well as gritty realism into a film that could be seen as controversial due to the sensitive topic. -
The Lion King
Best. Disney. Film. EVER. You know what, I’m going to go a step further and say that it is arguably the best animated film ever made. Disney have never and will never top The Lion King. The film captures all aspects of a beautiful film, from the music, the animation, the storyline, I could go on. I don’t think I will ever get bored of watching it and I have no shame in saying that I stayed in by myself on a Saturday night and watched all three films back to back. It never fails to make me cry, and not just the Mufasa scene – it still hurts to talk about that. You can learn a few valuable life lessons from this film, and it will remain a firm favourite of mine for I think the rest of my life.
- The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight is one of my favourite superhero films. Although I’m not a massive fan of DC (I’m more of a Marvel fan) I have to say that they really nailed it with this film. I’m not going to pretend that I have read all of the comics, and so I don’t know if the film stays true to the original story or not, but in terms of its success as a film, I think that Christopher Nolan seriously hit the nail on the head with the balance between action sequences and clever dialogue scenes between characters. And let’s not forget the sensational performance that Heath Ledger gave playing The Joker, his talent really shines through in this role and I think that anyone playing the character in the future has some pretty big shoes to fill.
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Harry Potter
Yes, I am going to be one of those people that don’t specify a film when it comes to Harry Potter. I just love the series in general, the books too. For me, the first film (The Philosopher’s Stone) is the most magical, and the scene in which the characters first arrive at Hogwarts gives me goosebumps; it brings back all of the feelings that I felt when I first watched it as a child and was blown away by the magic and the wonder that the film brought. If I’m going to specify, then Prisoner of Azkaban is probably my favourite, but that’s only if I HAVE to choose. I also love The Deathly Hallows Part 1&2, and Chamber of Secrets, and The Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and the Half Blood Prince. Okay so that’s them all, but they are amazing and I’ll love them forever. -
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Another gem from my childhood. The ending of this film used to blow me away as a child, and still produces those feelings when I re-watch it now. I used to rewind the VHS (remember those?) over and over again to watch the scene where he leaps to safety over the canyon; the action paired with the beautiful soundtrack gives me goosebumps and may make me tear up a little bit. The film has messages of trust, loyalty, respect and freedom and is just an all rounder, enjoyable for both children and adults – well I would watch it as an adult anyway!
- Okay, so I’m struggling to narrow it down to just ten…
I can’t commit to choosing just ten films, so I’m going to list some more films that I love and recommend because I’m scared that I will miss something out:
Forrest Gump, Shutter Island, Silence of the Lambs, The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, The Breakfast Club, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Back to the Future, Legend, Guardians of the Galaxy, Zombieland, Begin Again, Peter Pan, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Pretty in Pink, Good Will Hunting, and many many more.
I think I’ll leave it there for now, before I list all of the films I have ever seen. I will likely think of a film right after I click ‘publish’ on this post and think ‘Noooo how could I forget to include that?!’ But anyways, these are some of my favourite films, and I highly recommend for people who haven’t seen them to watch them, and those who have seen them to re-watch them!
“We love films and storytelling as people. It’s just a human compulsion to listen and tell stories.” – Mychael Danna
Introducing Georgia 