#23. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Anatomy of a Murder is a 1959 American courtroom drama crime film produced and directed by Otto Preminger. It's an incredible film, and certainly worth your time. While it was nominated for seven Academy Awards, it failed to win a single award:Best Black & White Cinematography.
Biegler's closest mate, Parnell Emmett McCarthy (Arthur O'Connell), an elderly alcoholic professor, loves the law as much as Biegler does, and he ends up being the one who persuades Biegler to take up the case.Preminger's cinematic drama does more than expose wide open the guts of the criminal justice system. It peels back layers of the court system and reveals the minds of the lawyers in the courtroom and their hearts and souls
#22. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
One of the most iconic films of all time, The Wizard of Oz was released in the landmark year 1939 and starred Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale in her most famous role.The film received six Oscar nominations in 1939, including one for best picture, and won Academy Awards for original score and song.
Most movie lovers know that The Wizard of Oz didn't win for Best Picture at the 1939 Oscars, losing out to Gone with the Wind. Another classical film that truly deserved the award at the time. Although it's hard for us to decide between those two, in this one, we agree with The Academy.
#21. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Sunset Boulevard, American film noir, released in 1950, which is often cited as one of Hollywood's greatest films, especially noted for the portrayal of a fading movie star by Gloria Swanson. The film takes its name from the famous street running through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California.
Whether you are a big fan of noir or never heard of it, Billy Wilder's masterpiece Sunset Boulevard, arguably the best movie about Hollywood, is a highly entertaining mix of noir, black comedy, and character analysis. Sunset Boulevard received eleven nominations. But it only got it two of them: Screenplay and Score.
#20. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Based on Harper Lee's novel published in 1960, now remembered as one of the classics that everyone should read once in their life. This masterpiece has become a classic of modern American literature, winning the Pulitzer Prize. The plot and characters are vaguely based on Lee's observations of her family, friends, and an incident that happened in 1936, when she was ten, near her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.
The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and was a hit in the box office, earning more than six times its budget. The movie has received three Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Peck, and has been nominated for eight, including Best Picture. Gregory Peck's success as Atticus Finch is associated with the resolute mindset as the American value.
#19. Bonnie And Clyde (1967)
Perhaps the most prominent and romanticized criminals in American history, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were two young Texans whose crime in the early 1930 placed them forever on the national consciousness.The myth portrays the idea of a young couple who wore stylish clothes and decided to break the traditional bonds to become a threat to the status quo. They were seen as two young people who didn't fear the police and lived a life of desirable luxury that outstripped them. The truth had been a little bit different.
Bonnie and Clyde, as well as the Barrow gang, lived a rough, painful life, marked by narrow escapes, bungled robberies, injury, and murder. They became one of the first illegal media stars when police found some pictures of them fooling around with guns.In 1967, this ruthless, dramatic, eventually sobering film came to theaters, preaching resistance and personal freedom.
#18. The Conversation (1974)
This film is recalled as Francis Ford Coppola's forgotten piece after The Godfather box office success. The Conversation is an American mystery thriller film that was written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1974, featuring John Cazale, Allen Garfield, Cindy Williams, Frederic Forrest, Harrison Ford, Teri Garr, and Robert Duvall in supporting roles.
The story revolves around a specialist in surveillance and the moral dilemma he has to face when his recordings expose a suspected murder. In its own quiet way it's a far more contentious movie than The Godfather. We would also like to mention that The Conversation had won the Grand Prize at Cannes.
#17. Taxi Driver (1976)
This is the second film by American actor Robert de Niro, who was catapulted to fame with his work at The Godfather. Director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader brought the movie to the kind of dark places that few films would go. The Academy replied with one nomination but sadly no recognition.
Taxi Driver is the feverish story of a New York outsider, a man who can't find some entry point into human society. From a screenplay by Paul Schrader, Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), the protagonist of the new film by Martin Scorsese, can't find a future. He's a midwestern ex-Marine who takes a job driving a cab at night as he is unable to catch some sleep. The story goes around, Travis trying to find a way to fit into society.
#16. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars is one of the greatest franchise of all time. And we say that, without a hint of doubt.The film helped to define blockbuster filmmaking and took over the imaginations of an entire generation. What's more, not only did it determine the 80's kids but also all the future perspectives for generations to come.
The film, written and directed by George Lucas and produced by Gary Kurtz, is breathtaking in scale. Lucas blends outstanding humor and suspense and continues on a remarkably successful space war with thrilling action What can we say other than science-fiction would be nowhere what it is today without this movie. If you haven't watched Star Wars after all the hype, now's the time to see what all the fuss is about.!
#15. Apocalypse Now (1980)
Not to take anything away from the compelling insight at divorce with Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, but Apocalypse Now was distinct from any war movie before it. The film is placed during the Vietnam War when the young American Captain Willard is given the assignment to hunt down and kill one of his own. Colonel Kurtz, who has gone insane, murdered hundreds of innocent people and constructed a strange kingdom for himself deep in the jungle.
Apocalypse Now received 8 nominations but it only won two Academy Awards: Best Cinematography & Sound. The screenplay was based on Joseph Conrad's novella, called Heart of Darkness, which is one of the most famous works of the author. If you are into war movies, definitely this is one you should really pay attention to.
#14. Raging Bull (1981)
Raging Bull is an implacable, searing biopic and epic disaster-based on the real-life story of an intense, stubborn middle-weight boxing champion trying to be a titleholder Thanks to various inner demons, his life goes through successive phases of pain, redemption, and self-disintegration.
Scorsese's film was set between Mean Streets (1973) and GoodFellas (1990), in the middle of his Italian-American film trilogy. The film is packed with elements of the Italian-American subculture of the first century. The loss of Scorsese's Raging Bull to Ordinary People of Robert Redford has been a clear reminder of how the Oscars sometimes get it wrong.
#13. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1983)
Serving as both a thrilling sci-fi adventure and a beautiful childhood portrait, Steven Spielberg's heartwarming story of a homesick alien remains a magical piece of film for young and old alike. The story is about an alien who gets stuck on Earth and is discovered by a young boy named Elliot. Spontaneously they meet each other and become friends. To save the alien, Elliot decides to bring the being to his suburban California house.
The film was nominated for nine Oscars at the 55th Academy Awards, including Best Picture. But another runner-up, Gandhi, won that award,its director, Richard Attenborough, declared, "I was certain that not only would E.T. win, but that it should win. It was inventive, powerful, and wonderful. I make more mundane movies."
#12. The Color Purple (1986)
It's an epic story covering forty years of Celie's life (Whoopi Goldberg), an African-American woman living in the South who endures incredible racism and bigotry back at the time. After being married off to Albert Johnson (Danny Glover) by Celie's abusive father, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship wherever she can.
Evidently, The Academy chose not recognizing a film featuring the Golden Globe-winning success of Whoopi Goldberg, the high-profile Hollywood debut of Oprah Winfrey, and Steven Spielberg's frank analysis of racism, sexism, and domestic violence in the early 20th century.
#11. Broadcast News (1987)
Broadcast News is a romantic American comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by James L. Brooks in 1987. The film portrays a prodigious TV news producer(Holly Hunter), who frequently has emotional breakdowns, a talented but sharp reporter (Albert Brooks), and his charismatic yet much less experienced competitor (William Hurt).
In 2018, the U.S. National Film Registry listed the film as "cultural, historical, or aesthetically important" for preservation by the Library of Congress. The film received seven nominations, however The Academy decided not to award the Broadcast News in any of the participating categories.
#10. Goodfellas (1990)
Goodfellas* is a memoir of Mafia life, told in the first person by Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), an Irish-Italian boy whose only ambition, from his earliest youth, was to be a "smart man," a Mafioso. There is also a narration from Karen, the Jewish girl (Lorraine Bracco) who married him, and who unexpectedly learned that her entire social life was inside the Mafia.
Scorsese's "GoodFellas" is like "The Godfather," a prolonged film, with the room and leisure to extend and develop its themes. It's not about any specific plot; it's about what it felt like being in the Mafia, the good times and the bad times. Last but not least, Goodfellas has been one of the most revered (and imitated) movies of the nineties.
#9. Pulp Fiction (1995)
Back at the time, Pulp Fiction may not have been everyone's cup of tea, even some critics hated it, but if you are still on the fence, keep reading and decide for yourself if this film should have a go. Indeed, Pulp Fiction was nominated for seven Academy Awards, earning a Best Original Screenplay win for Tarantino and Avary.
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film wrote and directed by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary . The movie describes some tales of illegal Los Angeles. Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman. The title refers to the famous pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels of the mid-20th century, recognized for their gore and violence and creative dialogue. If you are looking for an ultra-violent, complex cultural phenomenon from the nineties, you should take into consideration this movie.
#8. Fargo (1996)
Fargo is a 1996 black comedy thriller film written and produced by the Coen's brothers and solely directed by Joel Coen. It's a real-life crime drama set in 1987 in Minnesota. Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a Minneapolis car salesman who is so desperate for money that he hires two thugs (Steve Buscemi) to abduct his wife.
Jerry is going to collect the ransom from his wife's rich father (Harve Presnell) to pay a small portion to the robbers and hold the remainder to cover his debts. But nothing is what it seems the plan fails when a sheriff's deputy is shot by the thugs. Because of the tremendous success, in 2014, FX decided to make a readaptation of the movie to stream as a TV series.
#7. L.A. Confidential (1997)
Based on James Ellroy's best-selling novel and directed by Curtis Hanson, this award-winning crime drama investigates the dark side of the Los Angeles police department and the darkest corners of Southern California in the early' 50s. At that time, Hollywood was only known for its extravagance, refinement, and splendor.
The movie is a gripping drama, with a lot more tension than Titanic. L.A Confidential is a stunning, seductive, cynical and twisted film with a spectacular cast. It's one of the best movies of all time.It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning two: Best Supporting Actress (Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay; Titanic won in every other category L.A. Confidential was nominated.
#6. Saving Private Ryan (1999)
Saving Private Ryan is an American epic war movie directed by Steven Spielberg in 1998 and written by Robert Rodat. Set in World War II during the Invasion of Normandy.Unlike most movies, Saving Private Ryan doesn't glamorize battle. This film is a no sugar-coating war movie, unrestrained, ugly, and dirty combat, meant to make the viewer appreciate the enormous human cost and tragic sacrifice of the Allied, a price mostly paid by young men.
The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, where it received five awards including the second win for Best Director by Spielberg, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Special Effects Editing, but in a shocking surprise it lost the Academy Award for Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love. Still, you likely remember most Saving Private Ryan because of the grand change it has made on war movies, redefining the genre, and what's more important making an action-filled an anti-war film or, at least, one that doesn't romanticize or lies about the battle in any way.
#5. Zero Dark Thirty (2013)
Zero Dark Thirty brings together the Oscar-winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) for the story of the world's most dangerous manhunt in history. A multinational team of intelligence and military agents, operating secretly around the globe, sought a common goal: locating and killing Osama bin Laden.
It was nominated in five categories at the 85th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Chastain, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing, and won the award for Best Sound Editing, shared with Skyfall.Bigelow was one of only four big directors to be snubbed while the film did receive five Oscar nominations.
#4. The Pianist (2003)
Szpilman, a composer and pianist, orchestrated the last live music heard on radio airwaves in Poland before Nazi artillery struck. There, Szpilman fought to remain alive in Poland, even though he threw away those he loved. He spent the rest of the war hiding in Warsaw's ruins and scavenging for food and shelter.
This biographical war drama film produced and directed by Roman Polanski, with a script by Ronald Harwood, and starring Adrien Brody. At the 75th Academy Awards, the film won for Best Director (Polanski), Best Adapted Screenplay (Harwood), and Best Actor (Brody), and was nominated for four others, including the Best Picture. The Pianist by Roman Polanski is the best creation of the director
#3. Brokeback Mountain (2006)
Two young men, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist meet on Brokeback Mountain when they get a job as sheepherders. They become closer over the weeks when discovering more about each other. One night they find a more intimate connection after having some heavy drinking.
Although the movie has collected Academy awards for best director, adapted screenplay and score, and received worldwide acclaim, censors have banned Brokeback Mountain from Chinese cinemas because of its "sensitive subject". Brokeback Mountain, while slow in parts, is a heart-wrenching, profound western romance.
#2. There Will Be Blood (2008)
The odd masterpiece by Paul Thomas Anderson, freely adapted by him from the 1927 novel Oil! by Upton Sinclair, it's a tragic allegory of the dependence of man on this commodity. Daniel Day-Lewis, the leading actor, probably offers the most exotic performance of his early 20th-century career as an oil prospector.
At the 80th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for eight Oscars . The nominations included the Best Picture and Best Director for Anderson. The film won two Oscars: Best Actor for Day-Lewis and the Best Cinematography for Robert Elswit. There will be blood is considered one of the most engaging films of all time. A must-watch for everyone.
The Social Network (2011)
The Social Network investigates the moment that Facebook, the new century's most groundbreaking social phenomenon, was created from the warring experiences of the super-smart young men who claimed to be there at the beginning. David Fincher catches the age's spiteful attitudes and hyperactive spirit with the narrative about developing Facebook.
Given the parties' fun, the excitement of the legal disputes and the charm of the dialogue, Fincher, and Sorkin never let us forget that their story is complementary to ours. At the 83rd Academy Awards, it received eight nominations, including for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Eisenberg, and won three: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing.