IMDb Watch-Along: Back to the Future | The Matrix

Movies I watched for the first time: None of them, go me.

30. Back to the Future (1985)

• IMDb plot summary: Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown.

• Some quick thoughts: While #30 might be a little high for this movie, it’s still an all-timer. This clever film hits a perfect tone, and its flaws are as lovable as its innovations. Regardless of year, the climactic sequence of Marty attempting to reach 88 mph during a thunderstorm is still gripping. Watching this movie is a magnificent throwback to an era when skilled artists made heartfelt and original blockbuster entertainment and is simply one of those movies that will live forever.

• Does it belong? Being on this list is…its…density.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.5/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.8/10

29. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

• IMDb plot summary: A cyborg, identical to the one who failed to kill Sarah Connor, must now protect her son John from a more advanced and powerful cyborg.

• Some quick thoughts: This is considered one of the best sequels ever, one of the best action films ever, and one of the most significant levelling-up of Hollywood special effects in history. It features fun Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton performances as re-imagined versions of their previous iconic characters. It’s also a textbook example of James Cameron’s approach to filmmaking: solid if simple emotional beats, strong female characters, and action shot as practically as possible combined with never-before-seen special effects to create an experience that refuses to age.

• Does it belong? Affirmative.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.2/10

28. Star Wars (1977)

• IMDb plot summary: Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station and attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.

• Some quick thoughts: Well, two weeks ago was the 45th anniversary of this all-time classic, so I gave it its due here. However, if I had to summarize why this movie succeeded in its time and remains important – besides asking you to turn on a TV and wait for an ad about a movie/show it’s spawned – it’s this: like T2, it remains a perfect blend of effects layered atop a simple yet compelling story, it gives just enough exposition to keep its own plot moving along and characters properly drawn, those characters are iconic as soon as they hit the screen, and it perfected the summer blockbuster model in both story and distribution concept.

• Does it belong? The Force is strong with this one.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.5/10

27. Interstellar (2014)

• IMDb plot summary: A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in space to ensure humanity's survival.

• Some quick thoughts: I still treasure the experience of seeing this movie in a theater, and I tip my cap to Nolan for not just providing some of the most extravagant spectacle he’s cooked up, but some of the most genuine heart. However, in telling a complex sci-fi space exploration story and marrying the outcome of that mission to an emotional bond between father and daughter, his ambitious reach exceeds his grasp. The film suffers from pacing issues, clunkily philosophical exposition, and a mixed bag of acting performances though McConaughey is excellent.

• Does it belong? Some say taking it off the list isn’t possible; I say it’s necessary.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7.8/10

26. The Green Mile (1999)

• IMDb plot summary: The lives of guards on Death Row are affected by one of their charges: a black man accused of child murder and rape who has a mysterious gift.

• Some quick thoughts: This film contains some strong writing, great acting, and filmmaking that captures the wonder of its subject material. “Contains” is the key word – I wouldn’t call this movie as a whole, strong, great, or wonderful. Its overlong runtime breeds sluggish pacing with unnecessary digressions and is often overwrought.

• Does it belong? It don’t, boss.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7.5/10

25. Life is Beautiful (1997)

• IMDb plot summary: When an open-minded Jewish waiter and his son become victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor, and imagination to protect his son from the dangers around their camp.

• Some quick thoughts: I have few nice things to say about this film, except for the fact that its story is good on paper, and some of the sets are quite splendid. The bifurcated narrative is meant to let us experience Guido’s life and thus buy into his and Dora’s love in the first half so that we feel the pain and tension of the second half more acutely. However, I wasn’t charmed, nor was I ultimately hurt – its attempt to create pathos failed for me, and it’s worth noting that just having Nazis or a concentration camp in your movie doesn’t guarantee a powerful film.

• Does it belong? Nope.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 6.7/10

24. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

• IMDb plot summary: Following the Normandy Landings, a group of U.S. soldiers go behind enemy lines to retrieve a paratrooper whose brothers were killed in action.

• Some quick thoughts: Why beat around the bush? I believe this is the best war film ever made and remains as powerful to me now as the first time that I saw it. I would challenge anyone who thinks that this film isn’t strong after the jaw-droppingly intense and spectacularly mounted assault on Omaha beach to re-watch the rest of this film. The members of the squad begin as archetypes but emerge as fully formed characters as the story progresses, and the ethical quandaries that it delves into never lose their potency.

• Does it belong? Absolutely.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.3/10

23. City of God (2002)

• IMDb plot summary: In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.

• Some quick thoughts: When I called this film one of the best of its decade, I praised its style and construction, but its power shouldn’t be overlooked. This semi-true crime story exposed the world to the City of God slums of Rio de Janeiro with bravura and intensity. Despite the film’s speed, it doesn’t shy away from the inherent brutality that its characters, all children, engage in as a means of survival or, in some cases, sadistic pleasure. It paints a portrait of children who don’t expect to see 20 living as they please until the consequences of their actions catch up with them; those that hold the film’s style and tone against it by claiming that it exploits real tragedy for entertainment have grounds to do so but I find it the only way this story is digestible.

• Does it belong? Without a doubt, but lower

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9/10

22. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

• IMDb plot summary: A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.

• Some quick thoughts: As a noted “guy who isn’t into horror”, I can confidently list this movie as among one of my favorites, worthy of all its acclaim, and one of those movies with the power to make its viewer fall in love with movies; it did the trick with me. This is a part of a long lineage of films that stretch as far back as Fritz Lang’s M in its blend of crime procedural, noir elements, and horror touches. However, thanks to Demme’s direction, SotL is also a stirring character drama that hasn’t lost its potency despite the growing number of its thematic descendants.

• Does it belong? I rank it high on the list or else I get the hose again.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.6/10

21. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

• IMDb plot summary: An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.

• Some quick thoughts: The film I most eagerly re-watch every Christmas is one of the most widely known and loved films that’s ever been made; I gave it a full rundown, and frankly I’m not sure what else I can say! I can appreciate the criticism that has been lobbed at it over the years for portraying a small American town as too idyllic, or for being a little too earnest in its approach to its subject matter, but the final product rises above and touching the hearts of audiences over 75 years later.

• Does it belong? Every time this movie gets a good ranking, an angel gets its wings.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.4/10

20. Seven Samurai (1954)

• IMDb plot summary: A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.

• Some quick thoughts: This film is one of the ultimate examples of the source text for today’s stories remaining superior to everything that has borrowed from it. Kurosawa didn’t just invent a story about 7 men with different personalities being brought together for a mission that unfolds extravagantly in the film’s second act, he perfected the way to tell that story with as much attention paid to each character’s arc – including several of the villagers – as the action. The film’s epic 3.5-hour runtime allows for each of these elements to take center stage; every imitator, and there are hundreds, would do well to borrow this movie’s pace as well as its plot mechanics.

• Does it belong? This is one of the 10 most important and best movies I’ve ever seen.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 10/10

19. Se7en (1995)

• IMDb plot summary: Two detectives – a rookie and a veteran – hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.

• Some quick thoughts: Following the mixed reception of Alien 3, David Fincher had something to prove to Hollywood with his second feature; he delivered. This is a tightly-wound, hard-boiled story of detectives in pursuit of a uniquely disturbing serial killer. Also incorporating many procedural and noir elements, it’s noteworthy for being twisty, psychologically challenging as it unwinds into a personal mind game between predator and prey, and relentlessly bleak. It holds up on rewatch, which can’t be said for every thriller, but to me it’s more a signal of a coming brilliant career than an all-time great achievement.

• Does it belong? It belongs, but for #19? I’d consider The Social Network.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.6/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.5/10

18. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

• IMDb plot summary: A criminal pleads insanity and is admitted to an institution, where he rebels against the oppressive nurse and rallies the scared patients.

• Some quick thoughts: 45+ years on, and this film remains a beloved and worthy Best Picture winner, which is saying something considering its competition in 1975, a very special year. Though I personally prefer Jaws, Barry Lyndon and Dog Day Afternoon over this movie, every performance, especially Nicholson’s, is timelessly compelling. Its deft balance of tone allows it to explore heavy topics while remaining conventionally entertaining, which is rarely done this well.

• Does it belong? Chief, just jump up and put the ranking on the list!

• IMDb User Rating: 8.7/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9/10

17. GoodFellas (1990)

• IMDb plot summary: The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mob, covering his relationship with his wife Karen Hill and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito in the Italian American crime syndicate.

• Some quick thoughts: I know that I’m in the tank for Martin Scorsese, but this is the movie that made me realize it. This is the best movie he’s made, and one of the very best American crime movies ever made. It stands at eye level with The Godfather and The Godfather Part II while chasing something completely different in its story, style, message, and tone. It thoroughly covers three decades without ever slowing down, it’s immensely quotable, thrilling, and almost anthropological in its study of lower-level associates of a Mafia family they can never fully join, but still turn their souls over to regardless. GoodFellas is an immaculate 2.5-hour whirlwind that chews its characters and audiences up then spits them out on the other side.

• Does it belong? Send it to the top 10, but don’t say it’s a funny guy.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.7/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 10/10

16. The Matrix (1999)

• IMDb plot summary: When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.

• Some quick thoughts: There are many ways to read this film, whether it be an allegory for sexual/gender identities featuring deadnames, a visualization of Plato’s “Allegory of the cave”, a cry against corporate, capitalist America, or plenty of others that the text supports. What’s helped this movie last this long is its ability to not only represent “all of the above” when it comes to its deepest meaning, but to be a kick-ass, romantic, original, and exciting popcorn movie first and foremost. On that level alone, I would heartily recommend it.

• Does it belong? If you take the red pill, I’ll show you how deep this list goes.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.7/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.4/10