Movies You Forgot About

From Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè
Rated R

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Leone and starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach. Set during the American Civil War, the story follows three gunslingers who compete to find buried Confederate gold in a cemetery. The Good, Blondie (Eastwood), is a professional gunslinger who is hired to bring the Bad, Angel Eyes (Van Cleef), and the Ugly, Tuco (Wallach), together in order to search for the gold. Along the way, the three must outwit and outgun a variety of adversaries, including Union soldiers, bandits, and rival bounty hunters. In the end, the three come together to discover the gold, but only one will walk away with the spoils.

From Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Rated R

Goodfellas is a classic mob drama directed by Martin Scorsese that follows the life of Henry Hill, a street-wise kid who grows up admiring the "goodfellas" of his neighborhood. With his two pals Tommy and Jimmy, he works his way up the ranks of the local mob hierarchy and becomes a made man. Eventually, however, his lifestyle catches up to him, and he must face the consequences of his actions. The film is a brutal and unflinching look at the mob life, and is considered to be one of the greatest mafia films of all time.

From David Fincher, starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Rated R

Se7en is a 1995 crime thriller directed by David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Set in a nameless, perpetually raining city, the film follows detectives David Mills (Pitt) and William Somerset (Freeman) as they investigate a mysterious serial killer who bases his murders on the seven deadly sins. The killer, John Doe (Kevin Spacey), forces the detectives to confront the dark side of human nature as they race against time to uncover his sinister plan. In the end, the detectives are confronted with a shocking and disturbing conclusion.

From Luc Besson, starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Danny Aiello
Rated R

Leon: The Professional is an action-thriller film directed by Luc Besson starring Jean Reno as a professional hitman and a young Natalie Portman as a 12-year-old girl, Mathilda, whose parents are killed by a corrupt DEA agent. Leon takes Mathilda under his wing, teaching her the ways of the killer while she seeks vengeance on the corrupt agent and his team. The two form a strong bond as Mathilda eventually falls in love with Leon, and he is forced to make a difficult decision in order to protect her. With the help of some unconventional allies, Mathilda and Leon take on the corrupt DEA agent and his team in a final gun battle that will have you on the edge of your seat.

From Ridley Scott, starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright
Rated R

Alien is a 1979 science-fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, the sole survivor of a space crew who encountered the eponymous Alien, a deadly and aggressive extraterrestrial set loose on the crew's ship. The crew of the ship, Nostromo, is on its way back to Earth carrying a valuable cargo when its computer detects a signal from an unknown source. The crew investigates and finds that the signal is coming from a derelict alien ship. When a crew member is attacked by a strange and hostile creature, the rest of the crew must fight to survive and prevent the creature from reaching Earth. The crew struggles to stay alive against the alien as well as an android that has been programmed to keep the alien alive at all costs. In the end, Ripley is able to defeat the alien and save the Earth, but not without heavy losses.

From Bryan Singer, starring Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin
Rated R

The Usual Suspects is a 1995 neo-noir crime thriller directed by Bryan Singer. The story follows a group of criminals who are rounded up by police in connection with a fire on a ship. After being interrogated, they are released, but one of them, Verbal Kint, is approached by an undercover agent who wants information. Verbal tells a convoluted story of how the group was hired by a mysterious figure known as Keyser Söze to steal a mysterious briefcase. As they get closer to Söze, they realize they have been double-crossed and must now trust each other if they are to survive. The film is a suspenseful cat-and-mouse game that culminates in a surprise twist ending. The Usual Suspects received critical acclaim and went on to win two Oscars.

From Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine
Rated PG-13

The Prestige is a 2006 psychological thriller directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine. The plot follows two rival magicians, Robert Angier (Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Bale) as they become obsessed in a bitter battle to create the ultimate illusion. The film follows their journey of discovery as they attempt to outwit and outdo each other in a deadly game. Along the way, they discover that their obsession may be more dangerous than they had ever imagined. With the help of an inventor (Caine), Angier and Borden explore the mysterious power of Tesla's "transported man" device and use it to create the ultimate magic trick. In the end, the two rivals must confront their own inner darkness to decide who will emerge victorious.

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Rated R

The Shining is a horror classic directed by Stanley Kubrick, released in 1980. It follows Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), a writer and former teacher who takes a job as the winter caretaker of the isolated and eerie Overlook Hotel in the Rocky Mountains. With him are his wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny (Danny Lloyd), who possesses "the shining", a psychic ability to see the hotel's horrific past. As Jack slowly descends into madness brought on by the supernatural forces of the hotel, Danny finds himself in a terrifying situation where he must fight for his and his mother's survival. The Shining is an iconic and chilling exploration of the horror of isolation and family tragedy.

From James Cameron, starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser
Rated R

Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action horror film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley. After the events of the 1979 film Alien, Ripley is rescued and revived after drifting in space in cryosleep for 57 years. She is asked to return to the planet LV-426, now designated Acheron, in order to investigate the disappearance of the Nostromo's crew, and discover the fate of the xenomorph species. When Ripley and a team of Colonial Marines arrive at Acheron, they find that the planet has been overrun by the xenomorphs, who have built an impenetrable hive. The marines launch a desperate attempt to destroy the aliens before they can reach Earth, with Ripley leading the charge. The team must fight off both the aliens and a ruthless Weyland-Yutani corporation that wants to use the aliens for their own ends. Aliens is a thrilling, action-packed sci-fi adventure that features some of the most intense sequences in the franchise.

From Michael Mann, starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight
Rated R

Heat is a crime drama film directed by Michael Mann and released in 1995. It stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the lead roles. The story follows Neil McCauley (De Niro), an experienced thief, and his crew as they plan and execute several daring heists. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Pacino) is a dedicated detective who is relentless in his pursuit of McCauley and his gang. The film explores their respective moral codes and the law-breaking life of crime and the rigorously enforced law of the police. The two men eventually come to a crossroads and must make decisions that will shape the rest of their lives. As their paths converge, identities and loyalties are tested as the two men must face their own mortality and the moral choices that define their lives.

From Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciarán Hinds, Martin Stringer
Rated R

"There Will Be Blood" is a 2007 drama directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. It tells the story of a ruthless oilman, Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis), whose ambition drives him to greed and violence. His single-minded pursuit of wealth and power brings him into conflict with a local preacher, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), and a series of other adversaries. As Plainview's wealth and influence grows, he must battle with his own inner demons, struggling to reconcile his past with his present. The film depicts the struggle between religion and oil, between faith and money, and between good and evil. It is a brutally powerful story of ambition, greed, and revenge set against the backdrop of the early 20th century American West.

From Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson
Rated R

No Country for Old Men is a 2007 crime thriller directed by the Coen Brothers. It follows Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a Vietnam veteran living in West Texas, who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and takes a bag of money. He then finds himself being pursued by cold-blooded killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) and sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones). As the chase intensifies, Moss finds himself in a race against time to survive the relentless pursuit of Chigurh. The film is a bleak and gritty look at fate, morality, and justice in a post-modern world. It won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director (the Coen Brothers), Best Adapted Screenplay (the Coen Brothers), and Best Supporting Actor (Bardem).

From David Lean, starring William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa
Rated PG

The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British-American epic war film directed by David Lean. It stars Alec Guinness, William Holden, and Jack Hawkins. Set in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Burma, it tells the story of British Colonel Nicholson (Guinness), who is ordered to construct a bridge over the River Kwai in order to support the Japanese war effort. Despite his initial reluctance, Nicholson instead comes to take pride in the bridge and its construction, leading to a battle of wills between him and British Major Warden (Holden). As the bridge nears completion, the Allies launch a mission to destroy it and prevent the Japanese from using it. It won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

From Ron Howard, starring Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer
Rated PG-13

A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 American biographical drama film directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman. Based on the life of John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics, the film stars Russell Crowe, along with Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Judd Hirsch, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, and Christopher Plummer, in supporting roles. The film follows the journey of John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics, as he struggles with schizophrenia. Despite his genius, Nash endured a tumultuous battle with his mental disorder and, in the end, triumphed over it. His courage and determination to overcome his mental illness eventually led him to be awarded the Nobel Prize. Throughout the film, we see how Nash’s mental illness affected his relationships with his family and friends, as well as his career. The film ultimately serves as a testament to the power of the human spirit and the triumph of the human will.

From John Sturges, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson
Rated Approved

The Great Escape is a classic World War II escape drama directed by John Sturges. The film follows a group of Allied prisoners-of-war as they plan and execute a daring escape from a Nazi prisoner of war camp. Led by a determined and courageous British officer, Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, the group of prisoners put together an elaborate plan to break out of the camp and make their way to freedom. Along the way, they face the challenges of war, the harsh realities of life in a prison camp, and the ever-present threat of capture by Nazi forces. In the end, only a few of them manage to escape, but their story goes down in history as one of the greatest escape stories ever told.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary
Rated PG

Jaws is a 1975 thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the best-selling novel by Peter Benchley. The film follows Police Chief Brody as he attempts to protect the citizens of Amity Island from a great white shark. After several people are killed, Brody teams up with a marine biologist and a professional shark hunter to hunt down and kill the creature. Despite the danger, they succeed in killing the shark, but not before it wreaks terror and death on the island. The film is remembered as one of the first and most successful summer blockbusters, and its iconic score by John Williams has been adapted into numerous other films.

From Rob Reiner, starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell
Rated R

Stand by Me is a coming-of-age adventure drama based on the novel by Stephen King. The movie follows four friends, Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern, as they set out on a journey to find the body of a missing boy. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles and come to understand the power of friendship. Despite their differences, the boys find courage and strength in each other as they confront the dangers of the outside world. Through this journey, they develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world.

From Jim Sheridan, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Alison Crosbie, Philip King
Rated R

In the Name of the Father tells the true story of Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis), an Irishman wrongfully accused and imprisoned for a 1974 IRA bombing in Guildford, England. With the help of an attorney (Emma Thompson), Gerry discovers that the police have fabricated evidence against him and four other suspects. After enduring years of torture and wrongful imprisonment, Gerry and his father (Pete Postlethwaite) are eventually exonerated and gain their freedom. The film is an emotional and harrowing story of a man's struggle to prove his innocence, set against a backdrop of the political and social turmoil in Northern Ireland.

From Oliver Stone, starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Keith David
Rated R

Platoon (1986) is an Academy Award winning war drama directed by Oliver Stone. It follows the story of Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen), a young, naive U.S. Army volunteer who is sent off to fight in the Vietnam War. During his time in the conflict, Chris must grapple with the horrors of war, both physically and psychologically. He finds himself caught between two sergeants: the caring and idealistic Barnes (Tom Berenger) and the brutal and unsympathetic Elias (Willem Dafoe). As the war progresses, Chris is forced to make difficult moral choices and examine his own growing disillusionment with the war. Platoon offers an unflinching look at the human cost of war and its devastating effects on those who fight.

From Clint Eastwood, starring Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Emmy Rossum
Rated R

Mystic River is a crime drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, based on the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane. The film follows three childhood friends, Dave Boyle, Sean Devine, and Jimmy Markum, whose lives are changed by a tragedy that happened when they were teens. Years later, the three men are brought back together by a murder investigation when Dave's daughter is found dead. As Dave and Sean investigate the crime, Jimmy's own sense of justice leads him to take matters into his own hands. With intense performances and a suspenseful plot, Mystic River follows their journey of redemption, revenge and the haunting secrets of their past.

From Taylor Hackford, starring Damian Chapa, Jesse Borrego, Benjamin Bratt, Enrique Castillo
Rated R

Blood In, Blood Out is an epic crime drama film directed by Taylor Hackford and released in 1993. The story follows three Mexican-American cousins—Miklo, Paco, and Cruz—who are deeply entrenched in the Los Angeles barrio. After Miklo is incarcerated, the cousins' lives take drastically different paths, with Paco joining a local gang and Cruz becoming a successful lawyer. Meanwhile, Miklo struggles inside prison to survive and earn respect from the other inmates. As their divergent paths collide, the cousins must confront their shared pasts, the harsh realities of gang life, and the complex racial tensions of their neighborhood. With an impressive cast that includes Benjamin Bratt, Jesse Borrego, and Enrique Castillo, Blood In, Blood Out is a powerful and unflinching exploration of family, loyalty, and identity.

From Lee Tamahori, starring Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell, Julian Arahanga
Rated R

Once Were Warriors is a 1994 New Zealand drama film directed by Lee Tamahori and based on the novel of the same name by Alan Duff. The film follows the story of a Māori family living in urban Auckland and their struggles with poverty and family violence. The family is headed by Jake Heke, an unemployed and violent man with an addiction to alcohol, and his wife Beth, who attempts to keep the family together. The film follows the couple's two children, Grace and Nig, as they grow up and deal with the challenges the family faces. The story is an unflinching look at the realities of poverty and domestic abuse in a Māori family, as well as the hope and resilience of the people in the community.

From Ridley Scott, starring Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin
Rated R

American Gangster is a 2007 crime drama directed by Ridley Scott and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. The film is based on the true story of Frank Lucas, a drug kingpin in the 1960s and 70s who made a name for himself as the most feared and successful black gangster in Harlem. The movie follows Lucas' rise to power, as he slowly builds his empire by smuggling heroin from Southeast Asia and selling it on the streets. Denzel Washington's performance as Lucas earned him several awards, including an Academy Award nomination. The film also follows the story of detective Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe) who, while trying to take down Lucas, discovers a connection between the two men. American Gangster is a thrilling drama that explores the themes of morality and crime, and is widely considered to be one of the best crime films of the 2000s.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Christian Bale, John Malkovich, Miranda Richardson, Nigel Havers
Rated PG

Empire of the Sun is a 1987 drama directed by Steven Spielberg. Set in Japan-occupied Shanghai during World War II, the film follows a young English boy named Jim Graham (Christian Bale) as he struggles to survive the tumultuous events of the war. After being separated from his parents in the chaos of Shanghai's invasion, Jim is placed in a Japanese internment camp, where he faces the harsh realities of war and its effect on those around him. With the help of an American expatriate, Basie (John Malkovich), Jim manages to escape the camp and begin a journey across a war-ravaged China in search of his parents. Along the way, he learns to accept reality, find courage within himself, and discover a newfound sense of hope despite the horrors of war.

From John Boorman, starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox
Rated R

Deliverance (1972) is a psychological thriller film directed by John Boorman. The film follows four Atlanta men on a river-rafting trip in backwoods Georgia. When they encounter a group of hostile locals, they must fight for survival while facing both internal and external dangers in the wilderness. Along their journey, the four men must grapple with their own personal issues and confront the brutal realities of nature. The film stars Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox and showcases the beauty of the Georgia wilderness. Through the film, Boorman examines the fragility of life and humankind's relationship with nature.