5 Movies to watch before you die
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In reality, the only film you cannot avoid watching is the friendversary clip Facebook puts together for you and your mam. And that’s only because she’ll tag you in it every year. However, essential movie lists are always fun and a good way to get people watching classics and smaller films to celebrate the very best of the medium.
5. The Shining (1980)
This horror behemoth needs very little introduction. Kubrick’s masterpiece is the basis for everything that’s excellent about scary movies. It focuses on tension and atmosphere and holds up even for today’s more discerning audiences. Watching The Shining also primes you to understand a shocking number of references in pop culture. From the Simpsons to Duke Nukem, everyone’s done a ‘Heeeeere’s Jonny!’ at some point.
4. Four Lions (2010)
A bit more obscure now. This British comedy starring Riz Ahmed is an example of satirical film-making done well. Featuring the writing talents of Peep Show writers Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, Four Lions sparkles with the same excruciatingly awkward and far too real dialogue. The plot features a group of radicalised young Muslims planning a suicide bombing attack. And while that’s an incredibly dark subject matter, the nature of the writing makes it completely hilarious. Additionally, the message is intelligent and thought-provoking. So yeah. Must watch. Rubber dinghy rapids bro.
3. The Raid… and its sequel (2011 & 2014)
The standard against which you will compare any action you see after. The Raid movies don’t go for elaborate plots or hugely in-depth characterisation but in this case, you won’t care. The Indonesian filmmakers perform and film the fight scenes so innovatively you’ll never settle for Vin Diesel punching again. So I guess it’ll sort of ruin a lot of films for you. Maybe don’t watch this one.
2. Mulan (1998)
You have to include a Disney film on this list at some stage. For classic animation, you have to go pretty Pixar to beat the Disney Renaissance from 1989 to 1999. While I could have said The Lion King which is, let’s be honest, a better movie with the best songs, seeing as it’s basically Hamlet you can get the gist elsewhere. Mulan is a mainstream genre film with a cool female protagonist before they were all the rage. The animation is great, the characters likeable, and ‘I’ll make a man out of you‘ is the best Disney song bar none.
1. Terminator 2 (1991)
Possibly the best action film ever made and among the best sci-fi films ever made. Emotional, pulse-pounding and, at times, funny. This is the perfect all-rounder. T2 pioneered special effects that still hold up to this day. It wrapped up a perfect two-movie arc that was subsequently ruined by three further sequels. It’s films like this and Aliens that demonstrate why James Cameron is allowed to make fourteen Avatar sequels despite no one wanting them. When he’s at his best, he just can’t be beat.