90. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
One of David Lean’s epic masterpieces, The Bridge on the River Kwai tells the story of a British company of soldiers held captive by the Japanese. What makes this film so great is its complexity. Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) initially is set on not helping the Japanese build the bridge, but later he decides it would be something they could be proud of and it would put his men to work, better than to rot in a prison camp. You believe every minute of it because of the script and Guinness’s Academy Award-winning performance.
But the main character is an American escapee from the prison camp, Shears, played by film legend William Holden. Upon escaping, he is assigned the job of heading back to blow up the bridge.
While it’s a complicated war drama, it still has maybe the greatest climax in film history, which will do nothing but excite.
89. Toy Story 2 (1999)
While the story may not be quite as engaging as in the first film, this is still a great movie, and it’s quite funny. All the characters from the first are already well established, and this film introduces some new ones that are all interesting.
This film goes into the backstory of the Buzz and Woody toys, explaining their origins in ways that aren’t just pointless exposition but actually pertain to the plot. Actually, Woody’s backstory basically is the plot.
This is a hilarious film, and the climax is also quite thrilling. I like seeing these movies now that I’m older because a lot of the humor is geared towards older audiences and everything is enjoyable.
88. King Kong (1933)
King Kong is a classic tale of beauty and the beast and it’s one of the most influential films ever made for its special effects.
The build-up is great in this movie. Once they get to the island, you know something’s going to happen but nothing does for a while. The tension is great for the first time you see Kong and it doesn’t disappoint. The stop-motion animation was the most realistic thing viewers had ever seen back in 1933, and one can still appreciate them for the time that went in to them and their old-fashioned charm.
There are so many memorable moments in this film. While the Empire State Building scene is certainly the most famous, my personal favorite is when Kong fights the t-rex. It’s awesome.
87. The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King was always among my favorite Disney films growing up. It has a great soundtrack, it’s very colorful and fun to look at, and the voice acting is great. Oh, and it’s based loosely on Hamlet, so of course the story is wonderful.
This isn’t just a good animated movie; it’s a great and emotionally powerful film. The good-versus-evil plotline works so well in this film and it has arguably the saddest death in animated film history.
You probably all saw this when you were younger, but I strongly suggest a re-watch, especially if it’s been a long time.
86. The Graduate (1967)
The Graduate is a fascinating film, filled with humor, while still being a very serious film about love and coming of age at its heart.
I find the character of Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) to be one of the most interesting in movie history. He’s not a great guy; his morals are a little screwed up, he’s awkward, directionless, but you end up caring for him and actually cheering for him. He gets mixed up in an affair with his childhood friend’s mother and that naturally complicates things when he begins to fall for his old friend.
The cast is great in this movie, particularly Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson, and a small but important role by Murray Hamilton—one of my favorite character actors—as Mr. Robinson. Perhaps most memorable about this film, though, is the soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel, which is wonderfully emotional and compliments Hoffman’s performance beautifully.
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