Movies to Watch & then you can Die

1. Heath Ledger’s Joker is one of the most memed characters in fiction. It’s an iconic performance that all subsequent Jokers have to compete with. ↩︎
2. Once you’ve watched one, you’ve watched them all but I’d recommend make watching the series a yearly Christmas tradition. ↩︎
3. This is THE James Bond movie that every parody of James Bond is riffing off of. It’s actually quite refreshing to see the concept done sincerely. ↩︎
4. I put 2 James Bond movies here because this one has the iconic character Oddjob in it. I’m not sure why they made him Korean (played by a Japanese actor) while the rest of Goldfinger’s employees are Chinese. The plot was unexpectedly very clever. ↩︎
5. This movie isn’t specifically referenced a lot in media but it’s influence is pretty clear in a lot of superhero media. ↩︎
6. The one that started it all. Also features a lot of memeable moments. ↩︎
7. I’ll admit, it’s more fight choreo than story, but it IS referenced a lot in media. It’s really technically impressive. ↩︎
8. It’s the one with Bully Maguire in it. ↩︎
9. This movie has changed the landscape of animation forever. By the early 2010s, animated movies were converging on a generic look but Spider-Verse went really experimental with their animation style and proved to studios that audiences love variety and artistic expression. ↩︎
10. Personally, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first one but it did introduce the idea of “canon events”. ↩︎
11. This is a really long movie that’s a bit hard to sit through but it is a really iconic piece of sci-fi history that’s still being constantly referenced in media. ↩︎
12. Confusingly titled sequel. It’s a bit of a genre shift from the first movie but still really fun. I’ve watched the later movies as well and the series goes down hill from here. ↩︎
13. Try to watch the original cut with the cops with shotguns instead of walkie talkies which doesn’t really make sense. But it’s only a really minor thing. ↩︎
14. I love the movie but I’m not sure how many references to the movie I’ve seen. I put it here because the ZF1 is so iconic. ↩︎
15. A fun movie with lots of iconic sci-fi props. 2 and 3 are also a fun but optional watch and International is a boring Mary Sue story ↩︎
16. Bit of a cult classic but is referenced plenty in media. ↩︎
17. 6 movies a big commitment, I know but be glad I’m not asking you to watch the entirety of the Clone Wars. The first 6 movies introduce the most important bits of lore in the entire franchise (and the rest comes from the Clone Wars TV show). The sequel trilogy is set 30 years after the first 6 movies and cements that nothing changes in the galaxy during that time; at time of writing, none of the TV shows that Disney is making is set chronologically after the sequel trilogy; they’ve written themselves into a corner where none of the new media can have any huge lasting consequences, so you don’t HAVE to watch them to get “Star Wars”. I highly recommend the Clone Wars though, it’s the last thing George Lucas had a hand in so it’s the last time the whole franchise was united under the vision of one person. ↩︎
18. This one’s a real difficult watch that isn’t for everybody (but I still think you should endure it once). It’s full of “how did they get away with showing this in theaters” moments. It’s truly a film they couldn’t make today. I don’t get why so many TV writers like to reference it but I guess it’s because it was so shocking it stayed in the public zeitgeist for a long time. ↩︎
19. The poster boy for sigma males. It’s also a fun movie with deep social commentary. ↩︎
20. I broke rules 1 and 2, whoops. It was not what I thought it was about from all the references I’ve heard before watching it. It’s a really interesting watch. ↩︎
21. We truly live in a society. Also, do NOT watch the second movie. It retroactively ruins the first movie. ↩︎
22. The posters suggested a really dark depressing movie but it’s a real feel good movie. ↩︎
23. Bit of a hot take but I don’t think everyone has to watch the whole series to understand “Harry Potter” references. Also, please note that the movie was filmed twice and retitled as the “Sorcerer’s Stone” for the US, India and Philippines audiences. ↩︎
24. If you’re going to sit through the entire trilogy just once, you better sit through the ENTIRE trilogy. Don’t just stream the theatrical release, go find the extended cut. ↩︎
25. Probably one of the most miserable production sets in history that made one of the most beautiful films in history. ↩︎
26. Honestly the movie depicts a really unhealthy relationship but a lot of people have considered this movie as being one of the most romantic. ↩︎
27. You have to watch all 3. The 1st one is the most iconic, the 2nd one has a lot of iconic moments and the third one continues on from the cliffhanger in the 2nd one. The 3rd movie is okay but no one (barely anyone) references it nor makes prop replicas from it. ↩︎
28. This is the peak of the franchise and it only goes downhill from here. The first movie is a good watch but not as interesting and the later movies treat continuity as a joke. It’s especially infuriating because when time travel is central to the plot, the story is impossible to follow if the writers keep breaking previously established rules. Also, the later movies all keep referencing moments only from the 2nd one anyway, so if you’ve watched the 2nd one, you’ll understand every Terminator reference in pop culture. ↩︎
29. You can watch Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, but the series breaks continuity after that and sharply drops in quality. I don’t think anyone does a yearly rewatch of any of the other movies. ↩︎
30. It’s got a really unique sense of humor. Not an exciting watch but it’s a nice slice of life. ↩︎
31. This is the movie that introduced the concept of going “up to 11” and the reason why some amps actually go up to 11. I’m not sure if there’s any other cultural impacts this movie made but it’s a good watch. ↩︎
32. A pretty tight comedy that spawned a lot of memes. The sequel is pretty fun as well. ↩︎
33. I haven’t figured out why the kids call themselves the Breakfast Club. I’m also not sure why this movie was so influential, I mean it’s alright but I’m not sure if it did anything special. ↩︎
34. This is the movie that inspired a generation of English teachers ↩︎
35. Honestly, the movie isn’t as good as the soundtrack. “Footloose” and “Holding Out for a Hero” (and others) are both original songs made for the movie that have gone on to feature in lots of other media. ↩︎
36. Not sure if it’s a coming of age story but I didn’t know where to put it. This movie didn’t invent but it did popularise the concept of battle royales in videogames as well as inspire a whole genre of teen dystopia movies of varying quality. This movie is a self-contained story and you don’t really have to watch the later films to understand the concept of “Hunger Games”. ↩︎
37. A concept that spawned a genre (of living the same day over and over). ↩︎
38. This movie was so influential, people started using the word “inception” to mean “recursion”. ↩︎
39. While this is a sequel film (I went into it thinking it was a remake) I think it really explores the idea of “what does it mean to be human” better than the original. It’s got more beautiful cinematography, uses even greater practical effects, expands the lore of the first film and has a much more emotional story. I don’t think you’re missing out if you skip the original, but feel free to watch it too; the plot is a bit confusing. ↩︎
40. If you only get one movie introduction to the iconic character Judge Dredd, make it this one. It’s a very well written self-contained adventure and it’s a real shame it bombed due to incompetent marketing because there were sequels already in the works. While the remake Lawgiver is more lore accurate, I really like the cheesy voice feedback of the ’95 one. ↩︎
41. The first movie is all you really need to know about the concept of the “matrix”, “blue pill”, “red pill”, etc. The idea of the “matrix” has kind of devolved into really vague conservative conspiracy theories but the movies really good. While a lot of people reckon the sequel movies are bad and the 4th one is even worse (it’s a self aware cash grab), I really enjoyed watching them (except the last one). ↩︎
42. The original is the only one you really need to watch to understand the concept. The sequel was okay and I haven’t seen the remake yet. ↩︎
43. I think everyone can agree the first movie isn’t as good as the second one, and the second one has had more of a cultural impact as well, with unique and compelling portrayal of “Death, Straight Up”. It also expertly balances 3 different villains that are really fun to watch. ↩︎
44. The series has its ups and downs but these 2 are the undoubtedly the best. The second one is essential because it’s the one Puss in Boots is introduced as well as being one of the most fun movies in the franchise. ↩︎
45. While the whole series is pretty solid, with limited time, I’d only recommend the first 2 because they’re the ones the main cast is introduced. ↩︎
46. Includes horror, thriller and adjacent themes ↩︎
47. I’ve only watched the first one but I can’t imagine the sequels being must watches as well ↩︎
48. Wasn’t quite sure which category to put it in. The series is a bit all over the place in terms of quality but the first one is a good film and all you need to know about the concept of “Jurassic Park”. I wish someone would revisit shaving cream container that was dropped somewhere on the island because it felt like an intentional setup. ↩︎
49. THE most iconic twist endings in cinema. ↩︎
50. Inspiration for Among Us. Some of the best practical creature effects in history with a great concept and story. Incredible movie. ↩︎