Director: Denis Villeneuve | Runtime: 2h 35m

Cast: Timothée Chalamet (Paul Atreides), Zendaya (Chani), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica)

Decades after David Lynch's misguided attempt to adapt Frank Herbert’s sci-fi opus, Denis Villeneuve reimagined Dune as an epic two-parter. The first part, simply titled Dune, was a huge improvement over Lynch’s original adaptation, both critically and commercially. Timothée Chalamet leads the cast of Dune as Paul Atreides, who moves to the desert planet of Arrakis with his family and comes to the shocking realization that he’s been conditioned to become a messianic figure destined to save, and perhaps destroy the world. Villeneuve and his Oscar-winning cinematographer Greig Fraser immerse audiences in Herbert’s psychedelic world in this nuanced, meditative sci-fi allegory.

Director: Alex Garland | Runtime: 1h 50m

Cast: Alicia Vikander (Ava), Domnhall Gleeson (Caleb), Oscar Isaac (Nathan)

The directorial debut of 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland, Ex Machina is a perfect example of character-driven sci-fi. The movie thrives on its central dynamic between a reclusive tech mogul, a low-level coder, and the duplicitous android playing the pair against each other. Oscar Isaac plays the wealthy CEO of a tech company opposite Domhnall Gleeson as the programmer who wins a competition to spend a few days at the boss’s remote mansion. There, he learns that he’s actually been selected for a Turing test of his boss’s beautiful robot. Ex Machina is a tense, thought-provoking exploration of the dangers of self-aware artificial intelligence, while also asking existential questions about what it truly means to be human.

Director: Stanley Kubrick | Runtime: 2h 19m

Cast: Keir Dullea (David Bowman), Gary Lockwood (Frank Poole)

Stanley Kubrick took audiences from the beginning of civilization to the next stage of human evolution in his mind-bending science fiction masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film opens with apes evolving into humans, as they figure out how to use violence to get what they want, and it ends with a human astronaut becoming a “Star Child” and transcending the boundaries of the physical universe. In between, Kubrick delivers a jaw-dropping epic chronicling humanity’s journey, and it has one of the most scientifically accurate depictions of space travel in cinema history. 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most influential and technically innovative films ever made, and its beautifully constructed practical effects remain a staggering achievement to this day.

Director: Brad Bird | Runtime: 1h 26m

Cast: Vin Diesel (The Iron Giant), Eli Marienthal (Hogarth Hughes), Jennifer Anniston (Annie Hughes)

A famous box office bomb on release, The Iron Giant is definitive proof that a movie's earnings are in no way indicative of its quality. The movie follows Hogarth Hughes, a nine-year-old boy who discovers a giant alien robot and attempts to prevent the US military from destroying it. A classic story of friendship and acceptance, The Iron Giant is also seen as a sobering critique of American militarism. Coupled with some truly spectacular animation and Brad Bird's consummate skill as an animated director, it's little wonder that the film is now seen by many as an essential genre classic and one of the best movies of the 90s.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Runtime: 2h 30m

Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman (Lancaster Dodd), Joaquin Phoenix (Freddie Quell)

Paul Thomas Anderson’s highly anticipated follow-up to There Will Be Blood, The Master is equally epic, equally profound, and equally well-crafted. The movie is a biting satire of the Church of Scientology led by incredible performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman, with Phoenix playing an aimless, emotionally disturbed war veteran and Hoffman as a charismatic cult leader seeking to take advantage. The Master is not only a powerful exposé of cults and how they work, but also an insight into human psychology and how anyone is capable – given the circumstances – of falling victim to manipulation.

Director: Martin McDonagh | Runtime: 1h 54m

Cast: Colin Farrell (Pádraic Súilleabháin), Brendan Gleeson (Colm Doherty)

Martin McDonagh reunited his In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for another pitch-black comedy in The Banshees of Inisherin. Set in 1923, The Banshees of Inisherin sees Gleeson’s Colm unexpectedly calling off his life-long friendship with Farrell’s Pádraic. Farrell and Gleeson’s unparalleled chemistry carries a simple story about the end of a relationship juxtaposed against the intensifying Irish Civil War. The Banshees of Inisherin was met with universal praise and nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and acting nods for both Farrell and Gleeson as well as Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan.

Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Runtime: 2h 59m

Cast: Hidetoshi Nishijima (Yūsuke Kafuku), Tôku Miura (Misaki Watari)

Based on an entry from Haruki Murakami's short story anthology Men Without Women, Drive My Car is a deliberately-paced dramatic epic exploring existential themse of grief and regret. Hidetoshi Nishijima stars as a theater director working on a multilingual production of Uncle Vanya while processing the death of his wife, played by Reika Kirishima. Misaki Watari plays the driver with whom he forms an unexpected bond, allowing him to process his complex emotions. Thanks to Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s comionate direction and sharp script, Drive My Car is an enrapturing drama from beginning to end – despite its lengthy runtime. It won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film and earned a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%.

Director: John Singleton | Runtime: 1h 52m

Cast: Cuba Gooding Jr. (Tre Styles III), Angela Bassett (Reva Devereaux), Laurence Fishburne (Furious Styles Jr.), Ice Cube (Doughboy Baker), Morris Chestnut (Ricky Baker), Nia Long (Brandi)

Director John Singleton developed Boyz n the Hood for his film school application, and he drew inspiration for the script from his own life and the people he met growing up. The result was a tour de force of dramatic cinema. Tre Styles III (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is sent to live with his father Furious (Laurence Fishburne) in dangerous South Central, Los Angeles, and amidst a backdrop of drug and gang culture, Tre comes of age while learning about love, faith, and friendship. Boyz n the Hood was the breakout film for almost every lead actor, and it garnered Singleton two Oscar nominations, for writing and directing. This was a huge milestone, as Singleton set the record for youngest Black director to be nominated for an Academy Award. One of the most important movies in Black American cinema, Boyz n the Hood was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2002.

Director: David Lynch | Runtime: 2h

Cast: Kyle Maclachlan (Jeffrey Beaumont), Isabella Rossellini (Dorothy Vallens)

David Lynch's enigmatic and typically surreal Blue Velvet sees Kyle MacLachlan's Jeffrey Beaumont return to his hometown, find a severed ear in a field, and get drawn into the seedy criminal underworld. As a result of this Dantean descent, he becomes determined to save a captive sex worker (Isabella Rossellini in a career-best performance). Blue Velvet is David Lynch's masterpiece, blending the mundane with the macabre, and is even credited with saving the director’s career after the box office disappointment of Dune. The sadistic pimp Frank Booth, played by a wonderfully maniacal Dennis Hopper, is a truly unforgettable villain, making Blue Velvet an all-round Lynchian triumph.

Director: David Fincher | Runtime: 2h 25m

Cast: Ben Affleck (Nick Dunne), Rosamund Pike (Amy Elliott Dunne), Carrie Koon (Margo Dunne), Neil Patrick Harris (Desi Collings), Tyler Perry (Tanner Bolt)

Based on the bestselling Gillian Flynn novel of the same name and with a script written by Flynn herself, Gone Girl is the ultimate unreliable narrator story. Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) is unhappy in his marriage to Amy (Rosamund Pike), and when she goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary, he becomes the prime suspect in her disappearance. The movie is full of twists and turns, and Gone Girl has an ending so polarizing that it's still being debated about years after its release. Amy Dunne is considered the definitive "unlikable female character", so it's only fitting that Pike received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Runtime: 2h 9m

Cast: Robert De Niro (Jake LaMotta), Joe Pesci (Joey)

Martin Scorsese scored one of the biggest critical hits of his career with his black-and-white biopic of boxer Jake LaMotta. Much as Rocky is so much more than a boxing movie, Raging Bull is a heartbreaking character study of a man who drove away everyone who ever loved him when he started taking his anger outside the ring. Robert De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his raw, unflinching portrayal of LaMotta. Raging Bull remains a bleak, sobering portrait of a boxer to contrast with Rocky’s romanticized fantasy, yet is no less watchable for its realism and authenticity.

Director: Bong Joon-ho | Runtime: 2h 12m

Cast: Cho Yeo-jeong (Park Yeon-kyo), Choi Woo-shik (Ki-woo), Song Kang-ho (Kim Ki-taek)

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, the finest film of a career full of fine films, revolves around a working-class family who all con their way into jobs working in a wealthy upper-class household. However, when their employers go away and the con artists attempt to complete their infiltration, they discover a dark, insidious secret that turns everything on its axis. Parasite is a thrilling, darkly comedic tale of class warfare, tackling universal themes with relatable characters. As its 99% Rotten Tomatoes score would suggest, Parasite was met with near-universal acclaim, and it became the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Director: Quentin Tarantino | Runtime: 2h 34m

Cast: John Travolta (Vincent Vega), Samuel L. Jackson (Jules Winnfield), Uma Thurman (Mia Wallace), Bruce Willis (Butch Coolidge), Ving Rhames (Marcellus Wallace)

Quentin Tarantino's follow-up film after Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction is still considered the director's most definitive work. The film follows four interconnected stories of two hitmen, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and two would-be diner robbers. It's full of what would come to be Tarantino's most famous trademarks, from its non-linear story structure to its graphic violence to its rapid-fire dialogue about mundane topics like hamburgers. Forever changing independent cinema as it was known, Pulp Fiction made Tarantino an A-list celebrity and breathed new life into John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, and Uma Thurman's careers. All three actors were nominated for Oscars, and though they didn't win, Tarantino took home the golden statuette for the screenplay.

Director: Gus van Sant | Runtime: 2h 7m

Cast: Matt Damon (Will Hunting), Robin Williams (Sean Maguire), Ben Affleck (Chuckie Sullivan), Stellan Skarsgård (Gerald Lambeau), Minnie Driver (Skylar)

Though Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were both established actors before Good Will Hunting, this is the movie that shot them to the top of the A-list. The actors not only star in the film but co-wrote the script, which sees Damon's Will Hunting as a genius working-class Boston janitor who is discovered by a university professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) after he solves a complex math problem. On its own, the premise may sound like a tough sell, but Damon and Affleck's top-notch dialogue, which manages to be emotional, heartfelt, hilarious, and profane all at the same time, is what sells the movie. They deservedly won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for their work, and also taking home a statue that night was the late Robin Williams for Best ing Actor. Williams played Will's therapist Sean Maguire, and the actor's heartwrenching performance is still talked about to this day.

Director: Marc Webb | Runtime: 1h 35m

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tom Hansen), Zooey Deschanel (Summer Finn)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel star in 500 Days of Summer as a lovelorn greeting card writer and the woman he falls for, a deconstruction of the “Manic Pixie Dream Girl” stock character. With its nonlinear narrative chronicling a neurotic young man’s recollections of a failed relationship, 500 Days of Summer is essentially a modern-day take on Annie Hall – and one of the few romcoms to effectively recapture that movie’s magic. Critical acclaim and unexpected box office success made 500 Days of Summer a sleeper hit and a hugely enjoyable romance movie years after its release.

Director: Rob Reiner | Runtime: 1h 36m

Cast: Billy Crystal (Harry Burns), Meg Ryan (Sally Albright), Carrie Fisher (Marie), Bruno Kirby (Jess)

From the unbeatable team of director Rob Reiner and writer Nora Ephron comes When Harry Met Sally..., which poses the question, "Can a man and a woman really be friends?" The film chronicles 12 years of interactions between the cynical Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and the optimistic Sally Albright (Meg Ryan), who first meet when they go on a post-college cross-country drive to New York City together. Crystal and Ryan have some of the greatest chemistry in the rom-com genre, and together they create iconic Hollywood scenes, from Sally's infamous deli scene to Harry's heartfelt New Year's Eve love confession. When Harry Met Sally... became a word-of-mouth hit upon release, and it was voted #23 on AFI's "100 Years... 100 Laughs" poll. It was also selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2022. Ephron sadly ed away, but her Oscar-nominated screenplay lives on.

Director: Wong Kar-wai | Runtime: 1h 38m

Cast: Tony Leung (Chow Mo-wan), Maggie Cheung (Su Li-zhen)

A poignant portrayal of heartbreak and healing, Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love is an important reminder that any trauma can be overcome through shared humanity. Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung give heartfelt lead performances as two married people whose respective spouses are having an affair, and who gradually develop romantic feelings for one another. In the Mood for Love is a touching love story about lonely souls finding a kindred spirit. It’s been hugely influential on the genre, providing particular inspiration for Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation.

Director: Joel Zwick | Runtime: 1h 35m

Cast: Nia Vardalos (Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos), John Corbett (Ian Miller), Lainie Kazan (Maria Portokalos), Michael Constantine (Costas "Gus" Portokalos)

One of the most successful independent movies ever released, My Big Fat Greek Wedding's success belies its relatively tiny budget. Made for just $5 million, this sleeper hit eventually made over $360 million at the global box office and remains a cultural touchstone to this day. Nia Vardalos stars as Toula, a Greek-American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her overbearing family to accept her choice of partner. Funny and romantic in equal measure, the movie was nominated for a string of major awards – including the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Director: Lee Toland Krieger | Runtime: 1h 53m

Cast: Blake Lively (Adaline), Michiel Huisman (Ellis Jones), Harrison Ford (William Jones)

A delicate blend between high-concept fantasy and traditional romance, The Age of Adaline is a perfect demonstration of Blake Lively's dramatic acting chops. Lively leads the cast as Adaline, a woman who cannot age beyond 29 after she was resuscitated following a tragic accident. Unable to love, and pursued by shady figures who wish to study her condition further, Adaline faces life as an outcast, until an opportunity to rediscover love finally arrives. The performances of both Lively and Ford won substantial critical praise, while the movie also picked up a number of popular awards nominations.

Director: Michael Curtiz | Runtime: 1h 42m

Cast: Humphrey Bogart (Rick Blaine), Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa Lund), Paul Henreid (Victor László)

One of the all-time great romance movies, Casablanca has remained an influential presence in cinema for over 80 years. An indisputable classic, the movie takes place during World War Two and centers on Rick, the owner of a bar in the titular Moroccan city. A former fighter against fascistic oppression, Rick finds himself torn between his desire to help smuggle a resistance leader to freedom and his love for the man's wife, forcing him to confront an agonizing dilemma. Heartbreaking and hopelessly romantic, Casablanca is an essential watch for every film-lover and frequently appears on many "greatest movie of all time" lists.

Director: Ari Aster | Runtime: 2h 7m

Cast: Toni Collette (Annie Graham), Alex Wolff (Peter Graham), Milly Shapiro (Charlie Graham)

Ari Aster burst onto the scene with this startling debut feature about a grieving mother who dooms her family by performing a séance to her late daughter and unwittingly inviting a sinister pagan cult into their home. With an endorsement from none other than Martin Scorsese (via IndieWire), Hereditary is one of the most terrifying horror films in recent memory led by a powerhouse performance by Toni Collette. Hereditary is a deeply disturbing but thematically rewarding horror masterpiece that is perhaps the definitive example of so-called "elevated horror".

Director: Mark Mylod | Runtime: 1h 46m

Cast: Ralph Fiennes (Chef Slowik), Anya Taylor-Joy (Margot), Nicholas Holt (Tyler)

A combination of cut-throat social satire and effectively creepy chills makes The Menu a successful – if unconventional – modern horror. The movie takes place within the claustrophobic confines of a fictitious elite restaurant, where a top chef and his crew work with cult-like devotion to create the perfect meal. However, unbeknownst to the guests, food is just one of the factors under consideration in the kitchen. Ralph Fiennes is in typically sinister form as the maniacal Chef Slowik, while Nicholas Hoult provides some much-needed comic relief as the merrily oblivious fine-dining devotee Tyler.

Director: Zach Cregger | Runtime: 1h 46m

Cast: Justin Long (AJ), Bill Skarsgärd (Keith), Georgina Campbell (Tess)

A terrifying indictment of societal misogyny, Barbarian ranks favorably alongside other modern polemics such as Promising Young Woman. However, while other movies no less ably address similar important themes and social issues, very few can claim to do so while engendering an atmosphere of abject terror. The movie follows Tess, who arrives at an isolated rental home, only to find it has been double-booked by another man. During her stay, she unravels a dark secret that drives her to confront pure evil. The debut of writer-director Zach Cregger, Barbarian is scary throughout and establishes its creator as one to watch within the horror genre.

Director: Jonathan Demme | Runtime: 1h 58m

Cast: Anthony Hopkins (Hannibal Lecter), Jodie Foster (Clarice Starling), Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill)

Based on Thomas Harris’s novel of the same name, The Silence of the Lambs is a landmark in gothic horror. Starring Jodie Foster as FBI agent Clarice Starling, the movie sees the rookie consult with the cunning, cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, in her search for a serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill.” The Silence of the Lambs is a masterfully crafted crime thriller with taut plotting and captivating performances. It’s one of the few films (along with It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) to win all five major Oscar categories. However, the film is all about Hopkins' masterful portrayal of Lecter, with the actor managing to take home the Academy Award for Best Actor with just 16 minutes of screen time.

Director: Sean Cronin | Runtime: 1h 36m

Cast: Alyssa Sutherland (Ellie), Lily Sullivan (Beth), Morgan Davies (Danny)

A worthy addition to the iconic Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise abandons the series' signature cabin-in-the-woods formula for something altogether more relatable. Set in a creaking apartment block, the movie pits possessed mom Ellie against her own family after her son accidentally unleashes ancient spirits on the building. Filled with some of the most wince-inducing moments in the entire franchise, Evil Dead Rise balances shocking violence with effective scares, successfully revitalizing the series in the process.

Director: William Friedkin | Runtime: 2h 2m

Cast: Linda Blair (Regan MacNeil), Ellen Burstyn (Chris MacNeil), Jason Miller (Father Karras), Max von Sydow (Father Merrin)

Regarded by many as one of the greatest and scariest horror movies of all time, The Exorcist follows Chris MacNeil (Ellen Burstyn), who believes her 12-year-old daughter Regan (Linda Blair) is possessed by demons, so she enlists the help of two Catholic priests (Jason Miller and Max von Sydow) to exorcise them from her. Upon release, The Exorcist immediately became a pop culture icon, selling out screenings across the United States. The film was so successful that it held the record for highest-grossing horror movie of all time until it was dethroned by 2017's It. The Exorcist was also notably the first horror film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. The movie spawned several sequels, though none will ever be as iconic as the original.

Director: Robert Eggers | Runtime: 1h 32m

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy (Thomasin), Ralph Ineson (William), Kate Dickie (Katherine)

A slow-burning, yet undeniably sinister folk horror, Robert Eggers The Witch eschews many of the traditional techniques associated with the genre for something altogether more terrifying. Set in 1630s New England, the movie follows an English settler and his family as they attempt to establish a homestead on the border of impenetrable wood. However, as disaster strikes, it becomes clear that evil supernatural forces are conspiring against them. Eggers' direction imbues the film with a kind of religious fervor, making it almost impossible to avoid being caught up in the characters' paranoia and fear. As a result, the movie is one of the most effective horror movies in recent memory and among the best movies on Max.

Director: James Cameron | Runtime: 1h 47m

Cast: Linda Hamilton (Sarah Connor), Michael Beihn (Kyle Reese), Arnold Schwarzenegger (T-800)

One of the most explosive, innovative, and influential sci-fi action movies ever made, The Terminator announced James Cameron as a director and confirmed Arnold Schwarzenegger's status as a star. The movie centers on a future conflict between man and machines, in which two combatants are sent back through time to battle over the human resistance's future leader. While a human soldier tries desperately to protect the unborn child's mother, a merciless machine stalks the pair, seeking their destruction by any means necessary. Violent, thrilling, and terrifying in parts, The Terminator is a masterclass in suspenseful science fiction.

Director: Doug Liman | Runtime: 1h 53

Cast: Tom Cruise (Bill Cage), Emily Blunt (Rita Vrataski)

A mind-bending time-travel sci-fi actioner, Edge of Tomorrow went slightly unfairly under the radar on release – in part due to its somewhat confusing alternate title and consequent marketing issues. Nevertheless, the movie remains one of the best action movies of the past 10 years. Cruise stars as initially combat-shy soldier Bill Cage, drafted into a conflict against a mysterious alien invader that seems one step ahead of humanity's forces. However, once he "dies" on the battlefield and mysteriously wakes up 24 hours in the past, he realizes that he may be the key to winning the war for Planet Earth. Great chemistry between Blunt and Cruise, coupled with a smart, sophisticated story makes Edge of Tomorrow a slickly executed and thoughtful blockbuster.

Director: Jon Turteltaub | Runtime: 1h 53m

Cast: Jason Statham (Jonas Taylor), Li Bingbing (Suyin), Ruby Rose (Jaxx Herd)

Unashamedly silly but undeniably entertaining, The Meg is a worthy continuation of Hollywood's long-running love affair with shark-based B-movies. In one of the more outlandish plot devices to hit the big screen in recent years, the movie follows a team of scientists as they uncover a hidden underwater wonderland deep within the Mariana Trench. It turns out that this secret habitat has actually been a refuge for megalodon – a species of giant shark long thought to be extinct. Cue Jason Statham doing battle against said fish, armed only with a spear gun, a wet suit, and a no-nonsense attitude. While the movie received mixed reviews upon release, it was a huge commercial hit – spawning a 2023 follow-up.

Director: Andrew Davis | Runtime: 2h 7m

Cast: Harrison Ford (Richard Kimble), Tommy Lee Jones (Samuel Gerard)

A thrilling mystery that sees Harrison Ford on the wrong side of the law, The Fugitive takes its inspiration from the popular 60s TV series of the same name. Ford plays Richard Kimble, a disgraced doctor wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife in cold blood. Sentenced to death, he sets out to prove his innocence after fortuitously escaping from a prison bus crash. A gripping plot and memorable set pieces make The Fugitive an essential 90s action movie, augmented by the dynamic between both Ford and Lee Jones as the two main protagonists.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Runtimes: 2h 20m – 2h 45m

Cast: Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne/Batman), Michael Caine (Alfred Pennyworth), Heath Ledger (Joker), Gary Oldman (Commissioner Gordon)

In stark contrast to the colorfully flamboyant MCU, Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy is proof positive that there's more than one way to make a superhero movie. After Batman & Robin became a commercial flop and critical laughingstock, Christopher Nolan saved the franchise with his gritty, in-depth exploration of Bruce Wayne’s origins in Batman Begins. This was promptly followed by two even more acclaimed sequels, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, as well as a wave of dark superhero reboots hoping to emulate its style. The Dark Knight Trilogy is one of the most groundbreaking and influential comic book adaptations ever made, and Heath Ledger’s captivating, Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight remains one of the most iconic villains ever put on film.

Director: Billy Wilder | Runtime: 1h 59m

Cast: Tony Curtis (Joe/Josephine), Jack Lemmon (Jerry/Daphne), Marilyn Monroe (Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk)

One of Hollywood's most classic comedies, Some Like It Hot sees musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) witness a mafia crime, and to escape the gangsters, they disguise themselves as women and an all-female tour band. Curtis and Lemmon make for one of the funniest comedy duos in cinema, though the iconic Marilyn Monroe steals the show as Sugar, the band's singer and ukelele player. Monroe was famously troubled during Some Like It Hot's production, but she still delivers an astonishing performance, and her not receiving an Oscar nomination is one of the most egregious snubs in the history of the awards. And with its note-perfect final line, Some Like It Hot leaves no doubt why it was voted as the #1 comedy film in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs poll.

Director: Phil Lord, Chris Miller | Runtime: 1h 30m

Cast: Bill Hader (Flint Lockwood), Anna Faris (Sam Sparks), Andy Samberg (Baby Brent)

A pun-tastically inventive animated romp, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs marks the directorial debut of Phil Lord and Chris Miller in spectacular style. The movie follows the enthusiastically incompetent scientist Flint Lockwood as he manages to successfully invent a machine that can convert water into food. However, things soon go awry when the machine becomes self-aware and begins creating volatile food storms that assault Flint's island community. Replete with slapstick comedy and great voiceover performances, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs is an enjoyable watch for audiences of all ages.

Director: David and Jerry Zucker | Runtime: 1h 28m

Cast: Robert Hays (Ted Striker), Julie Hagerty (Elaine Dickinson), Leslie Nielsen (Dr. Rumack)

Often named the greatest comedy movie ever made, with an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%, Airplane! ostensibly revolves around an ex-fighter pilot who is called into action when the entire crew of a enger plane comes down with food poisoning. However, this setup is just an excuse for an onslaught of quickfire gags and hilariously contrived set pieces. There are few films that get laughs as big or as frequent as Airplane! does. Long after its spoof targets have been forgotten, from Zero Hour! to the Airport franchise, Airplane! still holds up. It’s full of timeless sight gags and one-liners that never get old and remains a must-watch comedy classic.

Director: Harold Ramis | Runtime: 1h 38m

Cast: Bill Murray (Carl Spackler), Chevy Chase (Ty Webb), Rodney Dangerfield (Al Czervik)

Perhaps one of the most chaotic comedies ever committed to screen, Caddyshack is notorious for its wild sense of humor and whacky cast of characters. Theoretically, the movie follows a golf caddie who finds himself caught up in a feud between old and new of an established golf club. However, Caddyshack is probably best ed for its B-plot, which sees Bill Murray go toe-to-toe with an elusive and impossible-to-eradicate gopher. Cited among the funniest sports comedies ever made, Caddyshack has garnered a deserved cult following and remains popular four decades after its release.

Director: Mike Judge | Runtime: 1h 29m

Cast: Ron Livingston (Peter Gibbons), Jennifer Aniston (Joanna), Stephen Root (Milton Waddams), Gary Cole (Bill Lumbergh)

A cult hit that perfectly encapsulates the bleak tedium of office culture, Mike Judge's Office Space is a blackly funny satire that has only grown in stature since its release. The film is set in a stereotypical IT company in the 90s, where a group of disaffected employees struggle against both their apathy for their jobs and their malevolent manager, Bill Lumbergh. Both an accurate representation of the era and a timeless example of comedic camaraderie, Office Space still stands up as a class workplace comedy.

Director: Mel Brookes | Runtime: 1h 46m

Cast: Gene Wilder (Frederick Frankenstein), Marty Feldman (Igor), Peter Boyle (The Monster)

Often cited as one of the funniest comedies ever made, Young Frankenstein is arguably Mel Brooks' finest achievement as a filmmaker. A satirical retelling of Mary Shelley's gothic horror, Young Frankenstein follows a descendant of the notorious original doctor as he embarks on his own mission to create life. Ably assisted by Marty Feldman's hilarious Igor, Frederick Frankenstein quickly discovers that playing God has its problems. Endlessly quotable and boasting some of the greatest comedy scenes of all time, Young Frankenstein is a genre classic.

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber | Runtime: 1h 32m

Cast: Vince Vaughn (Peter LaFleur), Ben Stiller (White Goodman), Christine Taylor (Katherine "Kate" Veatch), Rip Torn (Patches O'Houlihan)

A quirky comedy that put one of America's most niche sports in the spotlight, Dodgeball is – as its tagline suggests – a true underdog story. The movie sees two rival gyms go head-to-head in a national dodgeball tournament in a bid to save the smaller of the two businesses. Ben Stiller is spectacularly eccentric as the flamboyantly evil White Goodman, while Rip Torn steals the show as unorthodox coach and ex-dodgeball star Patches O'Houlihan. Despite its silly tone, Dodgeball earned a generally positive critical reception and remains a cult classic.

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos | Runtime: 1h 58m

Cast: Colin Farrell (David), Rachel Weisz (Short Sighted Woman), Léa Seydoux (Loner Leader), John C. Reilly (Lisping Man), Olivia Colman (Hotel Manager)

A surrealist comedy as black as night, The Lobster takes place in a dystopian future in which single people are rounded up and taken to a hotel where they have 45 days to find a romantic life partner or else be turned into an animal of their choice. The Lobster is full of Yorgos Lanthimos' directorial trademarks, from his stilted, deadpan dialogue to his bleak themes. He frequently works with the same actors, and his first time collaborating with Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz (who would go on to star in Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite, respectively), proves to be a rousing success as everyone involved is in top form. The Lobster was deservedly nominated for Best Original Screenplay for Lanthimos' script he co-wrote with Efthimis Filippou.

Director: Henry Selick | Runtime: 1h 55m

Cast: Dakota Fanning (Coraline Jones), Teri Hatcher (Mel Jones/The Other Mother), Jennifer Saunders (April Spink), Dawn French (Miriam Forcible)

Inventively animated and fantastically creepy, Coraline is a rare movie that can unsettle kids and adults alike. The film's sinister premise sees Coraline, a young girl who has recently moved to a new home, discover a seemingly perfect version of the world behind a hidden door. However, although things seem better than reality on the outside, the true horror of this alternative dimension soon becomes clear. Based on Neil Gaiman's novella, Coraline mixes fantasy and horror to great effect, winning a string of awards as a result.

Director: Victor Fleming | Runtime: 1h 52m

Cast: Judy Garland (Dorothy Gale), Frank Morgan (The Wizard of Oz), Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of the West)

One of the most famous and important fantasy movies ever made, The Wizard of Oz ushered in a new era of filmmaking. The movie innovatively combined black and white and technicolor to make the Land of Oz seem more vivid than ever to an audience used to monochrome movies. Coupled with iconic songs and storytelling, The Wizard of Oz still stands up as an all-time great movie more than 80 years after its cinematic release.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Runtime: 2h 9m

Cast: Sophie Hatter (Chieko Baisho/Emily Mortimer), Howl (Takuya Kimura/Christian Bale)

One of Studio Ghibli's most internationally acclaimed releases (which is saying a lot, considering the competition), Howl's Moving Castle is a searing anti-war fantasy epic inspired by the 1986 novel of the same name. The film blends realism with fantasy, imagining a world where magic and technology exist side by side. The narrative follows Sophie, a young woman who is prematurely aged after an unfortunate encounter with a witch. Born, in part, out of director Miyazaki's opposition to the war in Iraq, Howl's Moving Castle is a layered and thoughtful adventure that only rewards repeat viewing.

Director: Richard Donner | Runtime: 2h 23m

Cast: Christopher Reeve (Kal-El), Margot Kidder (Lois Lane), Gene Hackman (Lex Luthor)

Led by Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder’s electric on-screen chemistry as Clark Kent and Lois Lane, Superman was the first modern superhero blockbuster to prove the potential of comic book movies. Even though the source material has a long and storied history, it took innovative special effects and a perfectly cast Reeve to successfully bring the Man of Steel to the big screen. Even in an oversaturated market in which audiences are inundated with superhero movies, Richard Donner’s original Superman movie still holds up as a faithful adaptation of the time-tested Superman myth.

Directors: Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, David Yates | Runtimes: Various

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)

A cultural monolith decades after its big-screen debut, the Harry Potter movie franchise (available on Max in its entirety) is one of the most important I.P.s in Warner Bros. history. Daniel Radcliffe stars as the title character, a boy who learns that he has magical powers and attends a secret boarding school where young wizards and witches hone their craft. With unparalleled critical and commercial success, the Harry Potter movies were a sensation that set a high benchmark for every YA fantasy series that followed. From start to finish, the Harry Potter franchise is a spot-on adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s books that brings her magical world to life on-screen with perfect casting and immersive production design.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Runtime: 2h 5m

Cast: Rumi Hiiragi (Chihiro Ogino/Sen), Miyu Irino (Haku), Akio Nakamura (No-Face)

Perhaps the crown jewel in Studio Ghibli’s impressive roster, Spirited Away is a visually sumptuous triumph in animated filmmaking. The film tells the story of 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino, whose family is moving to a new neighborhood. Her struggle to adapt to the move is visualized by her entrance into the world of Kami and her quest to save her parents, who have been turned into pigs by a local witch. Spirited Away is a typically beautiful and moving Hayao Miyazaki animation, often described as the director’s magnum opus. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the first hand-drawn and non-English-language film to do so.

Director: Peter Jackson | Runtimes: 2h 58 – 3h 30m

Cast: Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)

One of the greatest cinematic adaptations of all time, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is a perfect blend of ambition, brilliant storytelling, and incredible technical achievement. The story centers on plucky young hobbit Frodo Baggins, who is sent on a treacherous journey to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. For decades, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novels were considered unfilmable, largely because of the huge scope and opaque mythology. But, with an ambitious back-to-back-to-back production, Peter Jackson delivered a visually stunning, powerfully acted adaptation of the Tolkien masterpiece. Acclaimed by fans and critics alike, The Lord of the Rings trilogy won 17 Oscars out of 30 nominations, including Best Picture for its final chapter, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Consequently, all three films rank among the best movies available on Max.