30 Movies that Make Me Feel Something

1. Frances Ha directed by Noah Baumbach- A film about New York, friendship, and struggling as a creative with a fantastic mumble-core script. All black and white. Adam Driver is a sleazy fuckboy and I couldn’t get enough of it. I’ve seen this movie more times than I could count. Glasses that should be as famous as Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s.

2. The Sound of Music directed by Robert Wise - Undoubtedly one of if not the best movie-musicals of all time. Julie Andrews at her best. Nothing but bangers. Christopher Plummer is a strict, but loving dad who just needs to be softened a bit by the power of music. Not to mention the sweeping shots of Austria.

3. The Little Hours directed by Jeff Baena - Do you want to see Aubrey Plaza and Alison Brie quite literally fuck around as nuns? Watch this movie.

4. The Shining directed by Stanley Kubrick - Kubrick at his absolute best. This movie opened up the world of horror to me. Jack Nicholson is terrifying. Shelley Duval is perfect. The movie was also shot in its sequence (a rarity) and the escalation of it is all the more poignant because of it. Hauntingly beautiful.

5. Fantastic Mr. Fox directed by Wes Anderson - Not only is this a beautiful adaptation of a treasured Roald Dahl book, but this is a Wes Anderson film. If you love stop-motion animation, you will love this film. The music is gorgeous. I used to watch this film over and over again as a child in both French and English. It holds up in both languages. Great for fall.

6. Finding Nemo directed by Andrew Stanton - I recently rewatched this artful Pixar film and it held up like fine wine. Yes. This children’s movie aged like wine. The way light reflects through water has never been more beautifully animated. The story had me crying. The colors and music are stunning. If you haven’t seen this movie, who robbed you of your childhood?

7. La La Land directed by Damien Chazelle - Damien Chazelle’s love letter to L.A. I think the music is great, despite what some might say. As an Angeleno, this movie made me feel warm and fuzzy about my city. It captured L.A. 's parking and traffic nightmares in beautiful song and I love it for that. The way it tells a story through costuming and color is also masterful.

8. Carol directed by Todd Haynes - Pining lesbians on Christmas. What’s not to love? This movie is better than the book. It is well acted, sexy, romantic, and melancholic.

9. The Spongebob Squarepants Movie directed by Stephen Hillenburg - The music is full of bops. Quotes from this repeat in my head and have for years since I first watched this movie. Come for Spongebob, stay for monsters in an abyss knee-slapping.

10. Twilight directed by Catherine Hardwicke - Iconic for so many reasons. The books are also worth reading for fans of the movies. “You named my baby after the Loch Ness Monster??!!”

11. Ratatouille directed by Brad Bird - I had to mention this. This shaped me as a Francophile. The way this movie portrays food is like nothing else. I care so much about that lil rat. Also listening to this soundtrack in Paris hits like nothing else.

12. Tully directed by Jason Reitman - Charlize Theron as an exhausted mom has never been more watchable. My heart aches for her. I need to rewatch this desperately. Also a great twist.

13. Thoroughbreds directed by Cory Finley- Come for Anya Taylor Joy, stay for the script, the beautiful shots, the fucked up family dynamics.

14. Romeo + Juliet directed by Baz Luhrmann - Wonderful. Baby Leonardo DiCaprio is adorable in this. The costuming is wonderful. Perhaps my favorite Shakespeare adaptation out there.

15. The Northman directed by Robert Eggers - Based on the story that Hamlet is based on, this movie pulls no punches. Another brilliant Anya Taylor-Joy performance. Also Nicole Kidman is fantastic. This story feels epic because it is. The violence is well-choreographed, cathartic, and horrifying all at once. Also vikings. Who doesn’t wanna watch vikings?

16. The Big Chill directed by Lawrence Kasdan - Possibly the best movie soundtrack of all time. Jeff Goldblum plays himself as usual, but this role suits him so much. A group of friends reconnect after someone in the friend group dies. What follows is sweet, sad, and warm.

17. The Muppets directed by James Bobin - I fucking love Jason Segel and I fucking adore when Jason Segel sings. This movie made me love the Muppets despite not really growing up watching them. I laughed. I cried. I continue to come back for more.

18. The Substance directed by Coralie Fargeat - Never have I been more giddy watching a boob come out of a face pussy.

19. The Thing directed by John Carpenter - The practical effects are incredible. If you liked The Substance and you haven’t seen this, what the actual fuck are you doing?

20. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On directed by Dean Fleischer Camp- This movie has my heart. I want to watch anything Jenny Slate ever does. Also her books are incredible. The Little Weirds audiobook is a great friend on long bus rides around Manhattan. This movie tackles grief in an unexpected way, but it will hold you softly as it does so.

21. Emma. directed by Autumn de Wilde - Perhaps my favorite Jane Austen adaptation. The colors. Very springtime vibes. Another Anya Taylor-Joy pick.

22. The Princess Bride directed by Rob Reiner - A classic for a reason. Very quotable. A well-earned romance. Sword fights, sick children, and “true wuv” abound.

23. Flow directed by Gints Zilbalodis - A brilliant film not in spite but because of its lack of dialogue. I heard a critic describe its animation as painterly, and I think that captures its style well.

24. My Old Ass directed by Megan Park - A film about being queer without it being part of the plot (amazing, we need more of these). Aubrey Plaza kills it always, but I’m also so excited to see what the lead of this movie, Maisy Stella, does next. Cry over this with someone you love.

25. The Brutalist directed by Brady Corbet - Gorgeous. Makes architecture as sexy as it can possibly be. Also about so much more than architecture. Very much worth the length.

26. Nosferatu directed by Robert Eggers - The atmosphere is delicious. Love the makeup and costuming. If you like vampires and/or Dracula, it’s a must watch.

27. Jurassic Park directed by Steven Spielberg - The book and movie are iconic in their own rights. I just love Jeff Goldblum.

28. Parasite directed by Bong Joon Ho - The exploration of class is riveting. Great twist. Wonderfully acted.

29. Elle directed by Paul Verhoeven - Isabelle Huppert (my favorite French actress) kills it every time. This movie is possibly very triggering, but also so fascinating psychologically. A great thriller.

30. Kill Bill directed by Quentin Tarantino - Very much worth the hype. Uma Thurman is stunning. The music is amazing. A delectable revenge story.