The Nun’s Story
Between Audrey Hepburn’s strong leading character study and the thematically appropriate cinematography, The Nun’s Story captures something about an era of film that deserves a place among the greats.
Intolerance
Credit is owed where it’s due, and for D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance, credit is owed greatly to its filmmaking techniques that gave audiences a historical epic interwoven with a tale of the Christ, a French historic melodrama, and a modern parable of legalism and capitalism, earning it a place among the greats.
Bloody Sunday
Told with such a gripping style, Bloody Sunday showcases its greatness and Greengrass’s skill as a filmmaker by refusing to let you look away from the atrocities that it seeks to depict, cementing a place beside the Greatest Films of All Time as it does so.
Young Mr. Lincoln
Between Henry Fonda’s excellent portrayal of the iconic president’s early years in law and the fascinating case study presented in the film’s legal drama, Young Mr. Lincoln cements an easily rewatchable spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Hotel Rwanda
Hotel Rwanda does the important work of showing audiences that the Rwandan Genocide was carried out by actual people as the result of European colonization of the nation, all of it with engrossing performances from its lead man and chief supporting lady, warranting recognition as one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Selma
In a film driven by its director and lead actor, Selma gives its audience a moving look at the struggle for voting rights in the 1960s, as spearheaded by MLK, portrayed excellently by David Oyelowo, in a film that captures the exact essence of what director Ava DuVernay hoped to, earning it recognition as one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Great Freedom
Great Freedom’s thematic exploration of humanity and the impact of both incarceration and companionship on our humanity is one of the most profound bits of filmmaking in recent years, stepping beyond its premise to tell a broad truth about people and the systems that we inhabit, achieving greatness in the process.
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures elevates itself above its peers of overly sweet portrayals of the victories of the Civil Rights era with three powerful and memorable performances from Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, whose portrayal of these noteworthy women from history earns this film a place of greatness.
One Night in Miami…
Regina King’s directorial debut holds up thanks to some creative work from her and excellent performances from her four leads, who come together to tell the story and portray the themes of One Night in Miami… in quality fashion, warranting a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Inherit the Wind
Incredibly modern and important themes couched in a brilliantly written and excellently acted two hours and eight minutes (give or take credits) earn Inherit the Wind a place of prominence among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Los Angeles Plays Itself
Andersen’s opus on the use, portrayal, and erasure of Los Angeles by the Hollywood film industry offers a unique perspective on that particular aspect of film history and film culture, inserting itself through a use of great films into a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Argentina, 1985
Both of the film’s leading actors help tell the story that Argentina, 1985’s script so excellently seeks to portray, reminding us of the historical violence of fascism and the activism that is necessary to keep it from returning to the mainstream in Western political culture, making the Argentinian film truly one of the Greatest Films of All Time.
Fences
August Wilson created a truly moving piece of literature with his play Fences, and Denzel Washington’s direction and the performances of the film’s featured actors do a quality job of capturing that work on the screen, achieving a deserved place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
The Woman King
A cast that gives dedicated lead and supporting performances and some excellent technical work in bringing its setting to life make The Woman King a film worthy of a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time.