Top 10 Favourite Films
I often get asked what my favourite film is, and honestly I can't answer that question. There are so many films that I love that I often find it difficult to pin down just one film that I love more than any other. But there are some films that tend to crop up more than others when I talk about favourite films. So here's 10 of my favourite films of all time, I've tried to put them in an order as best I can but realistically this is subject to change at almost any time.
#10 Sunshine (2007, Directed by Danny Boyle)
#10 Sunshine (2007, Directed by Danny Boyle)
You know what pisses me off? That so few people know about Sunshine. This was the film that really got me into sci-fi, like I'd always been interested in fantasy sci-fi with aliens and stuff, but Sunshine is the film that got me into sci-fi that was more grounded in science.
The sun is dying, slowly fading out of existence, which means that Earth is on the brink of another ice age before eventual extinction. A crew of eight brave scientists man the Icarus II, a ship fitted with a massive bomb that is designed to re-ignite the sun. As tensions between the crew rise and they uncover the wreckage of the original Icarus they begin a fight for their own survival to ensure the mission can be completed.
Alex Garland is one of my favourite writers of all time, and he'll crop up again in this list, but this was my first exposure to his work and I love it. The film also looks great and has some excellent performances from people before they were household names like Cillian Murphy (fresh off the back of Batman Begins) and Chris Evans pre-Captain America. A really severely overlooked film that I always recommend to people in the mood for a sci-fi film.
#9 Lilo & Stitch (2003, Directed by Dean Deblois)
The sun is dying, slowly fading out of existence, which means that Earth is on the brink of another ice age before eventual extinction. A crew of eight brave scientists man the Icarus II, a ship fitted with a massive bomb that is designed to re-ignite the sun. As tensions between the crew rise and they uncover the wreckage of the original Icarus they begin a fight for their own survival to ensure the mission can be completed.
Alex Garland is one of my favourite writers of all time, and he'll crop up again in this list, but this was my first exposure to his work and I love it. The film also looks great and has some excellent performances from people before they were household names like Cillian Murphy (fresh off the back of Batman Begins) and Chris Evans pre-Captain America. A really severely overlooked film that I always recommend to people in the mood for a sci-fi film.
#9 Lilo & Stitch (2003, Directed by Dean Deblois)
I don't care what anyone thinks, but Lilo & Stitch is the best Disney film ever made. The story of a troubled young girl who adopts a dangerous alien experiment designed to be the ultimate killing machine (thinking it's a dog), and her journey into coming to terms with her family problems by helping her new friend become a 'model citizen'. All the while being hunted down by an intergalactic organisation who wants their experiment back.
It's gorgeously animated and a heart wrenchingly beautiful story of friendship, family, and responsibilities. A film that is regularly overlooked by many Disney fans because it doesn't neatly fit into their expectations for a traditional Disney fairytale.
#8 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003, Directed by Peter Jackson)
It's gorgeously animated and a heart wrenchingly beautiful story of friendship, family, and responsibilities. A film that is regularly overlooked by many Disney fans because it doesn't neatly fit into their expectations for a traditional Disney fairytale.
#8 Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003, Directed by Peter Jackson)
The greatest fantasy film series of all time got one of the greatest finale's in cinematic history with Return of the King. Whilst there is definitely a lot of contention as to which Lord of the Rings film is the best as they are all so damn incredible, personally I prefer RotK slightly more than the other two and so included just this film on the list otherwise a third of the whole thing would be Lord of the Rings films.
After having journeyed all the way to Mordor, Frodo & Sam must now make the dangerous trek across the desolated lands of the dark lord Sauron and avoid his deadly armies of Orcs to Mount Doom so that he can finally destroy the One Ring of Power. Meanwhile the throne of man at Minas Tirith is in dire need of a king to sit upon it and lead them to victory against the advancing forces of Sauron.
Perfect films do not exist but Return of the King is about as close to perfect as a fantasy film has ever gotten in my eyes.
#7 The Social Network (2010, Directed by David Fincher)
After having journeyed all the way to Mordor, Frodo & Sam must now make the dangerous trek across the desolated lands of the dark lord Sauron and avoid his deadly armies of Orcs to Mount Doom so that he can finally destroy the One Ring of Power. Meanwhile the throne of man at Minas Tirith is in dire need of a king to sit upon it and lead them to victory against the advancing forces of Sauron.
Perfect films do not exist but Return of the King is about as close to perfect as a fantasy film has ever gotten in my eyes.
#7 The Social Network (2010, Directed by David Fincher)
When I recommend this film to people the first reaction they have is "isn't that the film about Facebook?" and whilst technically speaking that isn't incorrect, you're vastly mistaken if you think The Social Network is a film about Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg is a student at Harvard. He's a skilled programmer and likes making websites where people can interact with others. One day he is approached by the Winklevoss twins who wish to hire him to create a Harvard networking site where students can interact with one another using their Harvard student information. He presents this idea to his partner, Eduardo Sanchez and together they expand the idea into a global social networking system which they name The Facebook. What transpires is a series of legal disputes over intellectual property rights, backstabbing business deals, and ultimately broken friendships leading up to the creation of the website that is known today as Facebook.
Whilst the film has been labelled inaccurate by those closely involved with the real events that transpired during the mid 2000's, it's impossible to deny that David Fincher's exceptional direction, Trent Reznor's incredible score, and Aaron Sorkin's simply sublime scriptwriting make a film that is not just entertaining, but enthralling. If you like dramas, you like great dialogue, and you love awesome film scores then The Social Network is necessary viewing.
#6 Blade Runner 2049 (2017, Directed by Denis Villeneuve)
Whilst the film has been labelled inaccurate by those closely involved with the real events that transpired during the mid 2000's, it's impossible to deny that David Fincher's exceptional direction, Trent Reznor's incredible score, and Aaron Sorkin's simply sublime scriptwriting make a film that is not just entertaining, but enthralling. If you like dramas, you like great dialogue, and you love awesome film scores then The Social Network is necessary viewing.
#6 Blade Runner 2049 (2017, Directed by Denis Villeneuve)
Denis Villeneuve is quickly becoming one of my favourite directors. He first came to my attention with 2016's Arrival which was also a contender for this list, and shortly thereafter I discovered his terrifying 2013 thriller Enemy. I have been a fan of the original Blade Runner since I first saw it in around 2010, so when the idea of a sequel was finally coming to fruition I was somewhat excited and also very apprehensive. Whilst Blade Runner is not a film I rave about, it's definitely something I enjoy and the idea of returning to that world was something I was looking forward to and hoped it would do the original film justice. But Blade Runner 2049 was so much more than what I was expecting it to be and arguably even makes me enjoy the first film more because of how much it adds to the experience.
Agent K is a blade runner, someone who hunts down rogue replicants (human looking androids) and decommissions them. When K discovers information that fundamentally changes knowledge on how replicants function he goes in search of Rick Deckard, a blade runner who disappeared over 30 years ago.
Blade Runner 2049 has some of the most beautiful shots I've ever seen in a film, as well as an incredible score, and some terrific performances, particularly from Ryan Gosling as K and Harrison Ford as Deckard. 2049 is a one in a million kind of sequel that not only tops the original, but makes the original better, much like The Empire Strikes Back, or Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
#5 The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012, Directed by Stephen Chbosky)
Agent K is a blade runner, someone who hunts down rogue replicants (human looking androids) and decommissions them. When K discovers information that fundamentally changes knowledge on how replicants function he goes in search of Rick Deckard, a blade runner who disappeared over 30 years ago.
Blade Runner 2049 has some of the most beautiful shots I've ever seen in a film, as well as an incredible score, and some terrific performances, particularly from Ryan Gosling as K and Harrison Ford as Deckard. 2049 is a one in a million kind of sequel that not only tops the original, but makes the original better, much like The Empire Strikes Back, or Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
#5 The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012, Directed by Stephen Chbosky)
Somewhat of an outlier on this list, The Perks of Being A Wallflower is different from every other film on this list because it was not critically or commercially successful, nor does it have a particularly strong following of film nerds. I suppose my love for this film stems from my love for the novel of the same name (also written by the same guy who directed the film), which sees a young man named Charlie go through his freshman year at high school. During this time he falls in with a group of seniors who take him under their wing. Charlie is not like normal people, he struggles to understand things in the same way as everybody else and is also dealing with deep seated trauma surrounding his aunt's death during his childhood, and his best friends recent suicide.
It is a beautiful story of understanding what love is, and how the people we love are often the people who hurt us the most, whether they intend to or not. Logan Lurman, Ezra Miller, and Emma Watson give fantastic performances as the main trio Charlie, Patrick, and Sam. It's also a great example of how to adapt a book to the big screen as almost nothing is lost in translation, part of the advantage of having an author that's also a director. For a coming of age story, I struggle to think of many things better than this (it's also the film that inspired the name of this site!).
#4 Ex_Machina (2014, Directed by Alex Garland)
It is a beautiful story of understanding what love is, and how the people we love are often the people who hurt us the most, whether they intend to or not. Logan Lurman, Ezra Miller, and Emma Watson give fantastic performances as the main trio Charlie, Patrick, and Sam. It's also a great example of how to adapt a book to the big screen as almost nothing is lost in translation, part of the advantage of having an author that's also a director. For a coming of age story, I struggle to think of many things better than this (it's also the film that inspired the name of this site!).
#4 Ex_Machina (2014, Directed by Alex Garland)
As I mentioned in my Sunshine summary further up the page, Alex Garland is a writer I admire very much and I feel his works are some of the best sci-fi fiction ever put to page. But Ex_Machina was his directorial debut, usually working only as a writer in the past. Caleb is an employee at a one of the leading technology company's in the world, he wins a raffle to visit the creator of the company, Nathan, at his home in Iceland. When he arrives Nathan informs him that he would like Caleb to help him test out a revolutionary new A.I. that he has built, to work out whether the responses the A.I. gives are genuine, or just a programmed response. The Turing Test. But after spending a short time with the A.I., Ava, Caleb begins to grow concerned of Nathan's aggressive habits and feels compelled to help Ava escape.
The story is brilliant, it is a bit easy to see the twist that the film is building to coming relatively early on, but the real enjoyment lies in seeing how it's all going to play out. Much like Blade Runner 2049 this film is absolutely stunning to look at, which is interesting because it takes place almost entirely inside a building. Garland uses the architecture of this place to create gorgeous frames, and also to alter your perspective on things that are happening. If you're a fan of hard sci-fi, this is something you don't want to miss.
#3 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018, Directed by Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, and Bob Persichetti)
The story is brilliant, it is a bit easy to see the twist that the film is building to coming relatively early on, but the real enjoyment lies in seeing how it's all going to play out. Much like Blade Runner 2049 this film is absolutely stunning to look at, which is interesting because it takes place almost entirely inside a building. Garland uses the architecture of this place to create gorgeous frames, and also to alter your perspective on things that are happening. If you're a fan of hard sci-fi, this is something you don't want to miss.
#3 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018, Directed by Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, and Bob Persichetti)
Spider-Man was always my favourite superhero growing up and I have generally enjoyed all the Spider-Man films...even the ones that weren't so good. But Into the Spider-Verse completely slipped under my radar until just before it released, so I decided I might as well check it out, thinking that maybe it wasn't going to be any good because I hadn't heard anything about it. Well I was certainly wrong.
Miles Morales is a young man going through the motions of being a teenage boy. He has school problems, girl problems, and home problems. In fact it would be hard to imagine how he could have any more problems. That is until he is bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes Spider-Man...only thing is Peter Parker is already Spider-Man and has been doing a pretty sweet job of it. But when Kingpin creates an inter dimensional rift that kills Peter Parker, Miles is sought out by a Peter Parker from an alternate dimension to help him return things back to normal. Miles soon realises that Peter isn't the only Spider-person to have slipped through the dimensional rift and there's a whole host of them running around New York trying to find their way back home.
Into the Spider-Verse has a great story, it's absolutely hilarious, and it looks and sounds incredible. The multiple styles of animation that are layered on top of each other makes the film look like a comic book in motion, pair this with an absolute banger of a soundtrack and you have a film that you simply cannot stop thinking about once it's over. It's a great family film and the best superhero film I've ever seen.
#2 Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010, Directed by Edgar Wright)
Miles Morales is a young man going through the motions of being a teenage boy. He has school problems, girl problems, and home problems. In fact it would be hard to imagine how he could have any more problems. That is until he is bitten by a radioactive spider and becomes Spider-Man...only thing is Peter Parker is already Spider-Man and has been doing a pretty sweet job of it. But when Kingpin creates an inter dimensional rift that kills Peter Parker, Miles is sought out by a Peter Parker from an alternate dimension to help him return things back to normal. Miles soon realises that Peter isn't the only Spider-person to have slipped through the dimensional rift and there's a whole host of them running around New York trying to find their way back home.
Into the Spider-Verse has a great story, it's absolutely hilarious, and it looks and sounds incredible. The multiple styles of animation that are layered on top of each other makes the film look like a comic book in motion, pair this with an absolute banger of a soundtrack and you have a film that you simply cannot stop thinking about once it's over. It's a great family film and the best superhero film I've ever seen.
#2 Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010, Directed by Edgar Wright)
Speaking of great soundtracks, Scott Pilgrim vs the World has an absolute killer one. Luckily that's not where the good stuff ends as it's a generally amazing film. Scott is a 23 year old bass player who's dating a 17 year old, Knives Chau. He says he's content, but all his friends see how he clearly isn't moving on from his ex and is just using Knives to pick himself back up. But that all changes when Scott meets Ramona Flowers. The two hit it off and start dating, but the only problem is that in order for them to date Scott must fight, and defeat (key factor there) her seven evil exes!
Edgar Wright is a master of visual comedy and Scott Pilgrim is perhaps his magnum opus (which is a bold statement considering he also made Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Baby Driver). The film feels like it has come to life from the pages of the graphic novel with the framing matching almost panel to panel in many cases. Pair this with some great special effects and a casting that couldn't have hit the nail on the head more precisely and you have one hell of a film. It's insanely quotable, huge amounts of fun, and I can guarantee you'll download some of the songs on your Spotify after you've watched it. My biggest issue though is that it tries to cram in 6 whole books into a single 120 minute film, so a lot gets skipped by pretty fast and the whole films feels like you're strapped to a rocket with how quickly it moves through things.
#1 Fight Club (1999, Directed by David Fincher)
Edgar Wright is a master of visual comedy and Scott Pilgrim is perhaps his magnum opus (which is a bold statement considering he also made Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Baby Driver). The film feels like it has come to life from the pages of the graphic novel with the framing matching almost panel to panel in many cases. Pair this with some great special effects and a casting that couldn't have hit the nail on the head more precisely and you have one hell of a film. It's insanely quotable, huge amounts of fun, and I can guarantee you'll download some of the songs on your Spotify after you've watched it. My biggest issue though is that it tries to cram in 6 whole books into a single 120 minute film, so a lot gets skipped by pretty fast and the whole films feels like you're strapped to a rocket with how quickly it moves through things.
#1 Fight Club (1999, Directed by David Fincher)
I'm going to be honest, I could have filled this list with David Fincher films if I wanted to, he's my favourite director for a reason. But I limited it to two entries for one reason...I simply couldn't not have Fight Club on this list.
Our nameless narrator played by Edward Norton has trouble sleeping and so he visits help groups for survivors of various illnesses like cancer & brain parasites as it makes him so emotionally exhausted he drifts off like a baby. It is there he meets Marla Singer, a woman who is so dead inside she simply goes for entertainment. Our narrator travels a lot for his job and one time he is on a plane with a soap salesman by the name of Tyler Durden, Tyler speaks of how humanity is too attached to material possessions and men are no longer allowed to be men because society makes us conform to its expectations. The narrator and Tyler become friends and start a fight club, were men can meet in secret and fight each other for the opportunity to feel alive again. But as fight club grows so does Tyler's vision and what started as an underground fighting ring begins to grow into a full blown terrorist outfit that seek to destroy the credit card companies and reset the debt record back to zero.
Fight Club performed terribly at the box office but now it is one of the most adored films of the 20th century and widely regarded as Fincher's finest work. It ties all of his strengths together into a neat little package that whilst a little rough around the edges at times, is so clearly made with an unparalleled amount of love and care that it is elevated beyond the rest of his filmography. It can most definitely be a difficult watch if you don't like violence, but considering violence is the main theme of the film you're going to need a strong stomach for it to make it through.
It's also an incredible adaptation of the book and completely unlike any other film I've ever seen. Whilst its nihilistic tone can certainly be a little grating for some, but if you like a good psychological thriller then you'll love Fight Club.
Our nameless narrator played by Edward Norton has trouble sleeping and so he visits help groups for survivors of various illnesses like cancer & brain parasites as it makes him so emotionally exhausted he drifts off like a baby. It is there he meets Marla Singer, a woman who is so dead inside she simply goes for entertainment. Our narrator travels a lot for his job and one time he is on a plane with a soap salesman by the name of Tyler Durden, Tyler speaks of how humanity is too attached to material possessions and men are no longer allowed to be men because society makes us conform to its expectations. The narrator and Tyler become friends and start a fight club, were men can meet in secret and fight each other for the opportunity to feel alive again. But as fight club grows so does Tyler's vision and what started as an underground fighting ring begins to grow into a full blown terrorist outfit that seek to destroy the credit card companies and reset the debt record back to zero.
Fight Club performed terribly at the box office but now it is one of the most adored films of the 20th century and widely regarded as Fincher's finest work. It ties all of his strengths together into a neat little package that whilst a little rough around the edges at times, is so clearly made with an unparalleled amount of love and care that it is elevated beyond the rest of his filmography. It can most definitely be a difficult watch if you don't like violence, but considering violence is the main theme of the film you're going to need a strong stomach for it to make it through.
It's also an incredible adaptation of the book and completely unlike any other film I've ever seen. Whilst its nihilistic tone can certainly be a little grating for some, but if you like a good psychological thriller then you'll love Fight Club.