The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

[9] Here we have a horror film so well executed, it swept the Academy Awards. Anthony Hopkins (The Lion in Winter) and Jodie Foster (The Accused) each deliver career-defining performances as cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter and neophyte FBI agent…
Platoon (1986)

Platoon (1986)

[8] Oliver Stone's Platoon was one of the first major motion pictures to deal with the Vietnam war. Charlie Sheen stars as an infantry volunteer who finds himself in a moral quandry, torn between two sergeants of differing philosophies. Tom…
Going My Way (1944)

Going My Way (1944)

[8] Jaded or cynical viewers may want to skip this movie, but anyone looking for a feel-good comedy/drama from a simpler time may enjoy director Leo McCarey's Going My Way. Crooner Bing Crosby stars as Father Chuck O'Malley, a young…
Life of Pi (2012)

Life of Pi (2012)

[7] Director Ang Lee (The Ice Storm) brings Yann Martel's novel to vibrant, cinematic life. Suraj Sharma plays the teenaged Pi, whose family is traveling by sea from India to Canada with all the animals from their family zoo. When…
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

[8] Gary Cooper (Friendly Persuasion, Ball of Fire) stars as Longfellow Deeds, a small-town idealist who inherits twenty million dollars and moves to New York City, where he becomes increasingly frustrated with the myriad people who try to take advantage…
Oppenheimer (2023)

Oppenheimer (2023)

[6] Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later) stars as the physicist credited with inventing the atomic bomb in this sprawling, rapid-paced, three-hour Best Picture Academy Award winner from director Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Inception). The first hour of Oppenheimer focuses on the…
You Can’t Take It With You (1938)

You Can’t Take It With You (1938)

[7] James Stewart plays the son of a Wall Street tycoon whose father (Edward Arnold) is trying to force an eccentric family out of their home so he can pursue a major real estate development deal. Things get more complicated…
Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

[8] Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) plays Evelyn Wang, a laundromat owner taking care of her elderly father (James Hong), quarreling with her daughter (Stephanie Hsu), and teetering on divorce with her husband (Ke Huy Quan). To top things…
The Power of the Dog (2021)

The Power of the Dog (2021)

[8] Just as she did with The Piano nearly thirty years ago, director Jane Campion exposes the tragic consequences of rigid gender conformity in The Power of the Dog. Benedict Cumberbatch stars as a deeply closeted gay cattle rancher in…
The Awful Truth (1937)

The Awful Truth (1937)

[8] Irene Dunne and Cary Grant star as a couple who file for divorce, then proceed to thwart each other's attempts to socialize with new partners. Both are too proud to admit they still have feelings for the other until…