I would have no qualms with watching one of these great flicks if you brought them up as an option for what to watch at some evening get together. In fact, I would probably make you watch them all if you and I were friends as per a rule within the “Merrick Sinclair Friendship Contract”. Just kidding. But I would stress that all of these (including the honorable mentions) should be watched by every living being on planet earth at some point. I grew up watching some of these as a kid, others are a bit more recent. Together they are my personal stash of “classics”. Films I can watch over and over and over again.
I decided that to make the list, said movies have to have been released no later than (roughly) three years ago. So sadly awesome films like 2016’s La La Land, Civil War, and The Nice Guys won’t make the list as they are still new and fresh. But anything made in 2014 and before are up for grabs.
Caution: Not all films may be suitable for younger audiences
Before we get to the list, here are some honorable mentions:
The Devil Wears Prada - PG-13; 2006
Comedy/Drama; 20th Century Fox
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway
Based on the book of the same name, this comedy-drama about the fashion industry is pretty great. Meryl Streep is amazing (as usual), receiving her now regular Oscar nom for Best Actress in ‘07 while supporting cast members Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci are funny and charming in their roles respectively. It’s a film that can be regularly pulled out for the family (I’d recommend it for adolescent aged kids and older) and friends.
Monsters Inc - PG; 2001
Fantasy-Adventure; Walt Disney Studios
John Goodman, Billy Crystal
This brings warm and fuzzy feelings to my heart. A film that is full of laughter and color, Pixar hit their stride with this film as it marked the beginning of dominance by the film production company. Following a world of monsters who scare children for a living, kids will love this and this four time Oscar nominated film will be enjoyed by all. It just misses out on the list but still has it after sixteen years.
White Christmas - PG; 1954
Rom-Com/Musical; Paramount Pictures
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye
Best Christmas movie ever made. Not Elf. Not Miracle on 34th. Not Wonderful Life. Not A Christmas Story. Nuff said.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier - PG-13; 2014
Sci-Fi-Thriller; Walt Disney Studios -
Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
A film that I frequently pull out when I’m under the weather, Winter Soldier is one of the superhero genre’s finest. It’s full of great action sequences, intriguing plot involving espionage and government, and it’s got a fine leading man in Chris Evans. It’s heart pumping, super exciting, and every time I see Cap and the Winter Soldier face off in the street I get chills down my spine.
You’ve Got Mail - PG-13; 1998
Rom-Com; Warner Bros
Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan
A rom-com that my family has watched more likely than any other film (there are a couple on this list that come close), You’ve Got Mail is a brilliantly written film with a type of comedy hard not to laugh at (especially Tom Hanks). While not all rom-com’s are for everyone young, old, male, and female, this one is absolutely great for all and can be watched over and over again. This one is an underrated classic.
Rise/Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
PG-13; 2011/14
Sci-Fi/Drama/Thriller; 20th Century Fox
Andy Serkis, James Franco, Jason Clarke
Ok I’m kinda cheating. I love the two Planet of the Apes films and one can’t go without the other. I was incredibly torn about keeping two of my favorite films off the list. I realized not everyone will love films about monkeys taking over the world as much as I do, so while I will stress you seeing these, I won’t push as hard as some others. But darn it they’re awesome movies.
12. The Incredibles - PG; 2004
Action/Adventure; Walt Disney Studios
Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson
Who doesn’t like this movie? Well, maybe my mom. But that’s about it. Pixar struck gold with this film, meshing kid friendly comedy and adult humor with great action, thought provoking themes, and the best villain in a Disney film: Syndrome, who is voiced to perfection by Jason Lee. All great films have great openings that will immediately catch your attention. The Incredibles does just that. Winning an Oscar for best animated feature, ranked on multiple lists of greatest movies ever made, and being the highest rated superhero film of all time (move out the way Dark Knight) with a ridiculous 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, this film will stand the test of time for decades to come.
11. Get Smart; PG-13 - 2008
Action/Comedy; Warner Bros
Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway
You wanna laugh a lot? Try this one for size. Get Smart is one of my all time favorite comedies. While there are a couple other hysterical and smartly written ones higher on this list (spoiler) I pull this one out for the laughs and for the laughs only. Steve Carell never seems to fail - even if the film itself isn’t great, he always does his job. Why should this one be any different? Well. It’s not. You’ll see me laughing through all 110 minutes of this spy spoof and reimagining of the original TV series. I get annoyed that it received the negative reviews it did. Ignore the critics on this one. They got it dead wrong. Trust me.
10. The Fugitive - PG-13; 1993
Crime/Thriller; Warner Bros
Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones
Heart pumping. First thing I think of when this film comes to mind. Every time. The cat and mouse game between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones is the best in cinema. Period. Films like the Bourne series, Silence of the Lambs, and Catch Me if You Can also come to mind but for me, The Fugitive is the best of bunch. The plot keeps you watching with intrigue as you follow wrongfully accused Dr. Richard Kimble (Ford) who is on the run from top US Marshal Deputy Samuel Gerard (Jones) as he tries to find the truth of why his wife was murdered and why he was the fall guy. A perfectly written script with a top notch cast to boot, the movie was nominated for a crazy seven Oscars - including Best Picture (a big deal for an action flick) and a win for Jones in the Best Supporting Actor category. If you can’t take the mystery and intensity, then this isn’t for you - but chances are you’ll agree this is a pretty awesome film nonetheless.
9. Sherlock Holmes - PG-13; 2009
Thriller/Action; Warner Bros
Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law
Sherlock is awesome. Benedict Cumberbatch is dope. But gimme RDJ over Benedict any day of the week. I don’t know anyone who like RDJ better than Benedict but honesty. I don’t care. The dude won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and was snubbed for a consecutive Oscar nom (was nominated the year prior for Tropic Thunder) in my *humble* opinion. The film’s plot is criminally underrated although all agree RDJ’s performance is what makes the film work so incredibly well. Let’s not forget director Guy Ritchie’s unique artistic and stylish approach to film and it’s overall feel as it blends perfectly with RDJ’s quirky take on the famous sleuth and Jude Law’s straight shooter John Watson. The 2011 sequel was in many ways a let down for me despite still having plenty of good things going for it (many fans and critics liked it better than the first), but the case of the first being the best is true for this two film series. With the success of both films in both $$ and overall reception, the highly anticipated and long awaited third film set to for a release around 2018-19 or so and I’m psyched. Sequels aside, Sherlock Holmes is a great stand alone film that I’ll be showing my future kids without a doubt (after they’ve read some of the original Conan-Doyle of course).
8. Hitch - PG-13; 2005
Rom-Com; Columbia Pictures - Will Smith, Kevin James
My favorite rom-com by a mile includes my favorite actor of all time, Will Smith. The story revolves around a man known as “The Date Doctor” aka Alex Hitchens (Smith) who aids and advises the underdogs, underachievers, and the inexperienced men who are trying to steal the hearts of the women of their dreams. Simple right? Well things get messy when Hitch meets a journalist whom he fancies while simultaneously working on the toughest project of his career: Albert Brennaman, played by a hilarious Kevin James. The chemistry is off the charts with these two and I get a kick every time Hitch tries to help Albert learn how to dance or kiss. Trust me - it’s the best.
**Warning** Some innuendo and some profanity
7. Oceans 11 - PG-13; 2001
Crime/Thriller; Warner Bros
George Clooney, Brad Pitt
Smart, stylish, and slick. Incredibly entertaining and more than anything: it’s cool - just like it’s star George Clooney who leads an all-star cast in this epic heist film. It has just enough laughs and comedic moments to even out the intensity of what the eleven members are trying to accomplish: steal from three casinos owned by the most vicious man in town. The take? Over $160 million in cash. You do the math.
**Warning** Slight nudity and some profanity
6. The Dark Knight - PG-13; 2008
Crime/Drama; Warner Bros
Christian Bale, Heath Ledger
It’s riveting, it’s dark, and even depressing. But yet, it’s considered by many the greatest superhero flick and one of the greatest films cinema has to offer. Director Christopher Nolan never seems to go wrong with his projects, and this one is no different. While it’s heavy content is not always something the casual movie watcher and/or family are in the mood for, this is still nonetheless a classic that has to be seen at least once. And honestly, the fact that it’s as re-watchable as it is is amazing. The Dark Knight features the hero troubled by what it means to be a symbol of the people of Gotham facing off against an electrifying Heath Ledger as The Joker - winning a posthumous Oscar for his efforts (he still would have won had he been alive. Believe me.) I will admit, I have to be in the right mood for this type of film (I pull it out once a year or so), and with all the other content heavy films out there, this one *easily* takes the cake. Intense (like edge of your seat intense) like no other film, you will be refreshingly amazed time and time again when you watch the best and most realistic take on The Batman.
**Warning** Scary and gory images; intense action
5. That Thing You Do - PG; 1996
Musical-Comedy/Drama; 20th Century Fox
Tom Everett Scott, Tom Hanks, Steve Zahn
The humor in this film is super dry. But so funny. I mean soooooo funny. The music is great and the feel of the 60’s throwback is awesome. Like a couple other films on this list, this one hits home for me as I have been watching it since the day I was born practically. It’s for me the perfect family pick and trust me, you will fall in love with these characters instantaneously (well maybe not Jimmy), whether it’s leading man Guy Patterson, comedic relief Lenny Haise, the fun-loving Faye Dolan, cool dude Mr. White, or the quirky T.B Player.
“Uuuhh guys…. Chad fell down.”
4. Inception - PG-13; 2010
Sci-Fi/Thriller; Warner Bros
Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy
Easily the most innovative film on this list is very possibly the most innovative of all time. An incredibly daunting project, beloved director Christopher Nolan topped what was an already mind-blowing résumé of perfectly created films between 2000-2008 (Memento, Insomnia, Batman begins, The Prestige, and The Dark Knight). A heist story trapped inside a sci-fi epic, Inception had me basically yelling at the tv screen in anguish first time I saw it as the intensity was the most I’d ever dealt with at the time (I was 11 years old). Many love Interstellar but that pales greatly next to this “small” yet huge scale film which focuses on the mind and specifically the subconscious abilities of the mind. It’s interesting while heart racing; Hans Zimmer’s amazing score brings the intensity and blood levels to all time highs when watching the third act of this four time Oscar winner (eight nominations total). Of all the films on this list, Inception has the best chance of going down in history as one of cinemas best classics and greatest films ever made to boot.
3. Men In Black - PG-13; 1997
Sci-Fi/Mystery; Columbia Pictures
Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith
Fun fact about me: Men In Black is the first film I remember ever watching. I was basically a toddler in the family room while dad, mom, and some of the siblings were watching. Another fun fact about the movie: It’s based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. Marvel wins. Period.
Anyways. There are way too many funny scenes in MIB (and that’s a good thing), with Jones’ older and wiser Kay perfectly contrasting to Smith’s young, hot shot Jay. This Oscar winning buddy-buddy film was a huge hit with audiences and critics alike, receiving “worldwide acclaim, with critics highly praising its witty, sophisticated humor, Jones’ and Smith's performances, and Danny Elfman's musical score.” Perfectly said.
2. The Emperor’s New Groove - G; 2000
Buddy-Buddy/Adventure; Walt Disney Studios
David Spade, John Goodman
This film is hilariously funny beyond all reason. You haven’t lived if you haven’t seen this Disney classic.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy - PG-13; 2014
Sci-Fi/Action; Walt Disney Studios
Chris Pratt, Zoe Zaldana
I’ve seen this just under 20 times since it’s release in 2014. Guardians isn’t just a personal classic for me. It’s the greatest movie ever made. End of story.
Agree? Disagree? Bit a both? Let me know what you think in the comments section below. If you enjoyed this piece then subscribe to my website for more great content like it!