Critics Consensus: A frightening tale of Satanism and pregnancy that is even more disturbing than it sounds thanks to convincing and committed performances by Mia Farrow and Ruth Gordon.

Synopsis: A young wife comes to believe that her offspring is not of this world. Waifish Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her struggling actor husband Guy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer

Directed By: Roman Polanski

Critics Consensus: Filled with style and dark, lurid energy, The Crow is an action-packed visual feast that also has a soul in the performance of the late Brandon Lee.

Synopsis: The night before his wedding, musician Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiancée are brutally murdered by members of a violent inner-city gang. On the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, David Patrick Kelly

Directed By: Alex Proyas

Critics Consensus: An action-packed creature feature that's fast, terrifying, and benefits greatly from a completely game Kaya Scodelario, Crawl is a fun throw-back with just enough self-awareness to work.

Synopsis: When a massive hurricane hits her Florida town, young Haley ignores the evacuation orders to search for her missing father, Dave. After finding him gravely... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark, Ross Anderson

Directed By: Alexandre Aja

Critics Consensus: Using its low-budget effects and mockumentary method to great result, Paranormal Activity turns a simple haunted house story into 90 minutes of relentless suspense.

Synopsis: Soon after moving into a suburban tract home, Katie (Katie Featherston) and Micah (Micah Sloat) become increasingly disturbed by what appears to be a supernatural... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Amber Armstrong, Mark Fredrichs

Directed By: Oren Peli

Critics Consensus: A brainy and suspenseful -- if somewhat uneven -- thriller.

Synopsis: On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff (Kurt Russell) and Amy Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan), experience car trouble after an accident. Stranded in the New... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kurt Russell, J.T. Walsh, Kathleen Quinlan, M.C. Gainey

Directed By: Jonathan Mostow

Critics Consensus: Marathon Man runs the gamut from patient mystery to pulse-pounding thriller, aided by Laurence Oliver's coldly terrifying performance and a brainy script by William Goldman.

Synopsis: Thomas "Babe" Levy (Dustin Hoffman) is a Columbia graduate student and long-distance runner who is oblivious to the fact that his older brother, Doc (Roy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider, William Devane

Directed By: John Schlesinger

Critics Consensus: Infamous for its shower scene, but immortal for its contribution to the horror genre. Because Psycho was filmed with tact, grace, and art, Hitchcock didn't just create modern horror, he validated it.

Synopsis: Phoenix secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

Critics Consensus: Still unnerving to this day, Frankenstein adroitly explores the fine line between genius and madness, and features Boris Karloff's legendary, frightening performance as the monster.

Synopsis: This iconic horror film follows the obsessed scientist Dr. Henry Frankenstein as he attempts to create life by assembling a creature from body parts of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff

Directed By: James Whale

Critics Consensus: Proving once again that build-up is the key to suspense, Alfred Hitchcock successfully turned birds into some of the most terrifying villains in horror history.

Synopsis: Melanie Daniels meets Mitch Brenner in a San Francisco pet store and decides to follow him home. She brings with her the gift of two... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

Critics Consensus: A politically subversive blend of horror and sci fi, They Live is an underrated genre film from John Carpenter.

Synopsis: Nada (Roddy Piper), a wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George "Buck" Flower

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: Grimmer and more terrifying than the 1950s take, John Carpenter's The Thing is a tense sci-fi thriller rife with compelling tension and some remarkable make-up effects.

Synopsis: In remote Antarctica, a group of American research scientists are disturbed at their base camp by a helicopter shooting at a sled dog. When they... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T.K. Carter, Richard Dysart

Directed By: John Carpenter

Critics Consensus: Director Jonathan Demme's smart, taut thriller teeters on the edge between psychological study and all-out horror, and benefits greatly from stellar performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.

Synopsis: Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine

Directed By: Jonathan Demme

Critics Consensus: Dances with Wolves suffers from a simplistic view of the culture it attempts to honor, but the end result remains a stirring western whose noble intentions are often matched by its epic grandeur.

Synopsis: A Civil War soldier develops a relationship with a band of Lakota Indians. Attracted by the simplicity of their lifestyle, he chooses to leave his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant

Directed By: Kevin Costner

Critics Consensus: Girded by strong performances from Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, and lifted by some of the Coens' most finely tuned, unaffected work, True Grit is a worthy companion to the Charles Portis book.

Synopsis: After an outlaw named Tom Chaney murders her father, feisty 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross hires Rooster Cogburn, a boozy, trigger-happy lawman, to help her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper

Directed By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Critics Consensus: Election successfully combines dark humor and intelligent writing in this very witty and enjoyable film.

Synopsis: Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), a well-liked high school government teacher, can't help but notice that successful student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) uses less than ethical... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein, Jessica Campbell

Directed By: Alexander Payne

Critics Consensus: A quiet, dialogue-driven thriller that delivers with scene after scene of gut-wrenching anxiety. David Fincher also spends more time illustrating nuances of his characters and recreating the mood of the '70s than he does on gory details of murder.

Synopsis: In the late 1960s and 1970s, fear grips the city of San Francisco as a serial killer called Zodiac stalks its residents. Investigators (Mark Ruffalo,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards

Directed By: David Fincher

Critics Consensus: A brutal, often times funny, other times terrifying portrayal of drug addiction in Edinburgh. Not for the faint of heart, but well worth viewing as a realistic and entertaining reminder of the horrors of drug use.

Synopsis: Heroin addict Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends -- Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd

Directed By: Danny Boyle

Critics Consensus: With Matt Damon's unsettling performance offering a darkly twisted counterpoint to Anthony Minghella's glossy direction, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a suspense thriller that lingers.

Synopsis: To be young and carefree amid the blue waters and idyllic landscape of sun-drenched Italy in the late 1950s; that's la dolce vita Tom Ripley... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett

Directed By: Anthony Minghella

Critics Consensus: It follows a predictable narrative arc, but Good Will Hunting adds enough quirks to the journey -- and is loaded with enough powerful performances -- that it remains an entertaining, emotionally rich drama.

Synopsis: Will Hunting (Matt Damon) has a genius-level IQ but chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. When he solves a difficult graduate-level math problem,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver

Directed By: Gus Van Sant

Critics Consensus: Girded by strong performances from Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, and lifted by some of the Coens' most finely tuned, unaffected work, True Grit is a worthy companion to the Charles Portis book.

Synopsis: After an outlaw named Tom Chaney murders her father, feisty 14-year-old farm girl Mattie Ross hires Rooster Cogburn, a boozy, trigger-happy lawman, to help her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper

Directed By: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Critics Consensus: With Matt Damon's unsettling performance offering a darkly twisted counterpoint to Anthony Minghella's glossy direction, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a suspense thriller that lingers.

Synopsis: To be young and carefree amid the blue waters and idyllic landscape of sun-drenched Italy in the late 1950s; that's la dolce vita Tom Ripley... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett

Directed By: Anthony Minghella

Critics Consensus: A funny, tender, and thought-provoking film, The Truman Show is all the more noteworthy for its remarkably prescient vision of runaway celebrity culture and a nation with an insatiable thirst for the private details of ordinary lives.

Synopsis: He doesn't know it, but everything in Truman Burbank's (Jim Carrey) life is part of a massive TV set. Executive producer Christof (Ed Harris) orchestrates... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone

Directed By: Peter Weir

Critics Consensus: Flawlessly cast and brimming with dark, acid wit, American Beauty is a smart, provocative high point of late '90s mainstream Hollywood film.

Synopsis: Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a gainfully employed suburban husband and father. Fed up with his boring, stagnant existence, he quits his job and decides... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley

Directed By: Sam Mendes

Critics Consensus: With Jordan Peele's second inventive, ambitious horror film, we have seen how to beat the sophomore jinx, and it is Us.

Synopsis: Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker

Directed By: Jordan Peele

Critics Consensus: Unapologetically silly and all the more entertaining for it, M3GAN is the rare horror-comedy that delivers chuckles as effortlessly as chills.

Synopsis: M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child's greatest companion and a parent's greatest ally. Designed by brilliant... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez

Directed By: Gerard Johnstone

Critics Consensus: Smart, well-acted, and above all scary, The Invisible Man proves that sometimes, the classic source material for a fresh reboot can be hiding in plain sight.

Synopsis: After staging his own suicide, a crazed scientist uses his power to become invisible to stalk and terrorize his ex-girlfriend. When the police refuse to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid

Directed By: Leigh Whannell

Critics Consensus: An entertaining slasher with a gender-bending, body-swapping twist, this horror-comedy juggles genres with Freaky fun results.

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler spends her days trying to survive high school and the cruel actions of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the latest... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Celeste O'Connor

Directed By: Christopher Landon

Critics Consensus: Halloween largely wipes the slate clean after decades of disappointing sequels, ignoring increasingly elaborate mythology in favor of basic - yet still effective - ingredients.

Synopsis: It's been 40 years since Laurie Strode survived a vicious attack from crazed killer Michael Myers on Halloween night. Locked up in an institution, Myers... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton

Directed By: David Gordon Green

Critics Consensus: The Big Short approaches a serious, complicated subject with an impressive attention to detail -- and manages to deliver a well-acted, scathingly funny indictment of its real-life villains in the bargain.

Synopsis: In 2008, Wall Street guru Michael Burry realizes that a number of subprime home loans are in danger of defaulting. Burry bets against the housing... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt

Directed By: Adam McKay

Critics Consensus: Funny, self-referential, and irreverent to a fault, The Wolf of Wall Street finds Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio at their most infectiously dynamic.

Synopsis: In 1987, Jordan Belfort takes an entry-level job at a Wall Street brokerage firm. By the early 1990s, while still in his 20s, Belfort founds... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Critics Consensus: With its impressive action sequences, taut economic direction, and relentlessly fast pace, it's clear why The Terminator continues to be an influence on sci-fi and action flicks.

Synopsis: Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield

Directed By: James Cameron

Critics Consensus: While over-the-top and gory, Robocop is a surprisingly smart sci-fi flick that uses ultraviolence to disguise its satire of American culture.

Synopsis: In a violent, near-apocalyptic Detroit, evil corporation Omni Consumer Products wins a contract from the city government to privatize the police force. To test their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Dan O'Herlihy

Directed By: Paul Verhoeven

Critics Consensus: Thanks to the impeccable chemistry between Steve Martin and John Candy, as well as a deft mix of humor and heart, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a hilarious, heartfelt holiday classic.

Synopsis: Easily excitable Neal Page (Steve Martin) is somewhat of a control freak. Trying to get home to Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with his wife (Laila... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean

Directed By: John Hughes

Critics Consensus: Matthew Broderick charms in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a light and irrepressibly fun movie about being young and having fun.

Synopsis: Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jennifer Grey

Directed By: John Hughes

Critics Consensus: The buddy cop movie continues its evolution unabated with this Eddie Murphy vehicle that's fast, furious, and funny.

Synopsis: After his childhood buddy is murdered while visiting Detroit, rebellious cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) follows the leads to Beverly Hills, Calif., under the auspices... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher

Directed By: Martin Brest

Critics Consensus: Bombastic and occasionally silly but extravagantly entertaining, Cecil B. DeMille's all-star spectacular is a muscular retelling of the great Bible story.

Synopsis: Enjoying a life of ease in the court of Egypt's pharaoh, Moses (Charlton Heston) discovers his Hebrew heritage and, later, God's expectations of him. He... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Edward G. Robinson, Anne Baxter

Directed By: Cecil B. DeMille

Critics Consensus: Honoring real-life history while delivering impactful drama, Devotion is a straightforward biopic elevated by standout performances from a talented cast.

Synopsis: Devotion, an aerial war epic based on the bestselling book of the same name, tells the harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Glen Powell, Jonathan Majors, Joe Jonas, Christina Jackson

Directed By: J.D. Dillard

Critics Consensus: With sweeping visuals grounded by strong performances in service of a timeless tale told on a human scale, Darren Aronofsky's Noah brings the Bible epic into the 21st century.

Synopsis: When God decides that mankind has become too sinful and must be wiped off the Earth, he chooses Noah (Russell Crowe), a pious man, for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins

Directed By: Darren Aronofsky

Critics Consensus: Arguably the greatest of the spaghetti westerns, this epic features a compelling story, memorable performances, breathtaking landscapes, and a haunting score.

Synopsis: In the Southwest during the Civil War, a mysterious stranger, Joe (Clint Eastwood), and a Mexican outlaw, Tuco (Eli Wallach), form an uneasy partnership --... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffré

Directed By: Sergio Leone

Critics Consensus: With Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo as his template, Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars helped define a new era for the Western and usher in its most iconic star, Clint Eastwood.

Synopsis: Wandering gunfighter Joe arrives in the Mexican village of San Miguel in the midst of a power struggle among sheriff John Baxter and the three... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Marianne Koch, Joseph Egger, Wolfgang Lukschy

Directed By: Sergio Leone

Critics Consensus: Though unabashedly juvenile and silly, Airplane! is nevertheless an uproarious spoof comedy full of quotable lines and slapstick gags that endure to this day.

Synopsis: This spoof comedy takes shots at the slew of disaster movies that were released in the 70s. When the passengers and crew of a jet... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Peter Graves, Robert Stack

Directed By: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Critics Consensus: Black's exuberant, gleeful performance turns School of Rock into a hilarious, rocking good time.

Synopsis: Overly enthusiastic guitarist Dewey Finn (Jack Black) gets thrown out of his bar band and finds himself in desperate need of work. Posing as a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, Sarah Silverman

Directed By: Richard Linklater

Critics Consensus: Marking an auspicious feature film debut for Eddie Murphy, 48 Hrs. is a briskly paced action comedy that succeeds largely due to the outstanding chemistry between its two leads.

Synopsis: Renegade cop Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) pulls bank robber Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) from a federal prison on a 48-hour leave to help him capture... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O'Toole, Frank McRae

Directed By: Walter Hill

Critics Consensus: Intelligent and humorous satire with an excellent cast -- no previous Trekkie knowledge needed to enjoy this one.

Synopsis: The stars of a 1970s sci-fi show -- now scraping a living through re-runs and sci-fi conventions are beamed aboard an alien spacecraft. Believing the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub

Directed By: Dean Parisot

Critics Consensus: Darkly funny, solidly cast, and surprisingly thoughtful, Flirting with Disaster proved David O. Russell's Spanking the Monkey was no fluke.

Synopsis: Adopted as a child, new father Mel Colpin (Ben Stiller) decides he cannot name his son until he knows his birth parents, and determines to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Téa Leoni, Alan Alda

Directed By: David O. Russell

Critics Consensus: An oddball comedy that revels in its silliness and memorable catch phrases, Wayne's World is also fondly regarded because of its endearing characters.

Synopsis: A big screen spin-off of the "Saturday Night Live" skit. Rob Lowe plays a producer that wants to take the public access "Wayne's World" to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe, Tia Carrere

Directed By: Penelope Spheeris

Critics Consensus: Licorice Pizza finds Paul Thomas Anderson shifting into a surprisingly comfortable gear -- and getting potentially star-making performances out of his fresh-faced leads.

Synopsis: LICORICE PIZZA is the story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Critics Consensus: With its trio of outstanding performers volleying their star power back and forth without ever dropping the ball, Challengers is a kinetic and sexy romp at court.

Synopsis: From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, Mike Faist, A.J. Lister

Directed By: Luca Guadagnino

Critics Consensus: Informed by director Oliver Stone's personal experiences in Vietnam, Platoon forgoes easy sermonizing in favor of a harrowing, ground-level view of war, bolstered by no-holds-barred performances from Charlie Sheen and Willem Dafoe.

Synopsis: Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) leaves his university studies to enlist in combat duty in Vietnam in 1967. Once he's on the ground in the middle... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen, Forest Whitaker

Directed By: Oliver Stone

Critics Consensus: This road-trip movie about an autistic savant and his callow brother is far from seamless, but Barry Levinson's direction is impressive, and strong performances from Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman add to its appeal.

Synopsis: When car dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) learns that his estranged father has died, he returns home to Cincinnati, where he discovers that he has... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeria Golino, Gerald R. Molen

Directed By: Barry Levinson

Critics Consensus: Enlivened by the antagonistic chemistry between Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin, Midnight Run is an uncommonly entertaining odd couple comedy.

Synopsis: When Eddie Moscone (Joe Pantoliano) hires tight-lipped bounty hunter Jack Walsh (Robert De Niro) to locate a mob accountant named "The Duke" (Charles Grodin) and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton

Directed By: Martin Brest

Critics Consensus: Expertly blending genre formula with bursts of unexpected wit, The Bourne Identity is an action thriller that delivers -- and then some.

Synopsis: A man, salvaged, near death, from the ocean by an Italian fishing boat. When he recuperates, the man suffers from total amnesia, without identity or... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen

Directed By: Doug Liman

Critics Consensus: Nobody doesn't break any new ground for the genre, but this viscerally violent thriller smashes, shatters, and destroys plenty of other things -- all while proving Bob Odenkirk has what it takes to be an action star.

Synopsis: Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, The Post, Nebraska) stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life's indignities on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Alexey Serebryakov, Christopher Lloyd

Directed By: Ilya Naishuller

Critics Consensus: Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels is a grimy, twisted, and funny twist on the Tarantino hip gangster formula.

Synopsis: Eddy (Nick Moran) convinces three friends to pool funds for a high-stakes poker game against local crime boss Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarty). Harry cheats and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Jason Statham

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Critics Consensus: Wanted is stylish, energetic popcorn fare with witty performances from Angelina Jolie (playing an expert assassin), James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman that help to distract from its absurdly over-the-top plot.

Synopsis: Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is an office worker whose life is going nowhere. After his estranged father is murdered, he meets Fox (Angelina Jolie), who... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp

Directed By: Timur Bekmambetov

Critics Consensus: Though unabashedly juvenile and silly, Airplane! is nevertheless an uproarious spoof comedy full of quotable lines and slapstick gags that endure to this day.

Synopsis: This spoof comedy takes shots at the slew of disaster movies that were released in the 70s. When the passengers and crew of a jet... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Peter Graves, Robert Stack

Directed By: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Critics Consensus: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is loaded chock full of gags that are goofy, unapologetically crass, and ultimately hilarious.

Synopsis: Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), a rather clueless police detective, tries to foil a plot to turn innocent people into assassins through mind control. After his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Leslie Nielsen, George Kennedy, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalban

Directed By: David Zucker

Critics Consensus: Top Secret! finds the team of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker sending up everything from spy movies to Elvis musicals with reckless, loony abandon.

Synopsis: Popular and dashing American singer Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer) travels to East Germany to perform in a music festival. When he loses his heart to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Val Kilmer, Lucy Gutteridge, Christopher Villiers, Omar Sharif

Directed By: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Critics Consensus: Repo Man is many things: an alien-invasion film, a punk-rock musical, a send-up of consumerism. One thing it isn't is boring.

Synopsis: After being fired from his job, Los Angeles slacker and punk rocker Otto (Emilio Estevez) lands a gig working for an eccentric repossession agent named... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Tracey Walter, Olivia Barash

Directed By: Alex Cox

Critics Consensus: Children of Men works on every level: as a violent chase thriller, a fantastical cautionary tale, and a sophisticated human drama about societies struggling to live.

Synopsis: When infertility threatens mankind with extinction and the last child born has perished, a disillusioned bureaucrat (Clive Owen) becomes the unlikely champion in the fight... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón

Critics Consensus: The plot's a bit of a jumble, but excellent performances and mind-blowing plot twists make 12 Monkeys a kooky, effective experience.

Synopsis: Traveling back in time isn't simple, as James Cole (Bruce Willis) learns the hard way. Imprisoned in the 2030s, James is recruited for a mission... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer

Directed By: Terry Gilliam

Critics Consensus: Campy charm and a knowing sense of humor help to overcome a silly plot involving a spacefaring ex-football player, his adoring bevy of groupies, and a supervillain named Ming the Merciless.

Synopsis: Although NASA scientists are claiming the unexpected eclipse and strange hot hail are nothing to worry about, Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol) knows better, and takes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol

Directed By: Mike Hodges

Critics Consensus: Snappy dialogue and goofy characters make this Wild Wild West soap opera in space fun and adventurous.

Synopsis: In this continuation of the television series "Firefly," a group of rebels travels the outskirts of space aboard their ship, Serenity, outside the reach of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin

Directed By: Joss Whedon

Critics Consensus: Propulsive and over-the-top, Bottoms is an instant high school comedy classic that feels both current and nostalgic.

Synopsis: BOTTOMS, a refreshingly unique raunchy comedy, focuses on two girls, PJ and Josie, who start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber

Directed By: Emma Seligman

Critics Consensus: Mike Nichols wrangles agreeably amusing performances from Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in this fun, if not quite essential, remake of the French comedy La Cage aux Folles.

Synopsis: In Miami Beach, a gay couple pretend to be man and wife when a son's future father-in-law and family visit.

Starring: Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest

Directed By: Mike Nichols

Critics Consensus: Arguably the greatest movie about Hollywood, Billy Wilder's masterpiece Sunset Boulevard is a tremendously entertaining combination of noir, black comedy, and character study.

Synopsis: An aging silent film queen refuses to accept that her stardom has ended. She hires a young screenwriter to help set up her movie comeback.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson

Directed By: Billy Wilder

Critics Consensus: George Cukor's elegant, colorful adaptation of the beloved stage play is elevated to new heights thanks to winning performances by Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.

Synopsis: In this beloved musical, pompous phonetics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) is so sure of his abilities that he takes it upon himself to transform... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White

Directed By: George Cukor

Critics Consensus: Featuring a trio of classic leading men and a rich story captured by a director at the peak of his craft, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is one of the finest Westerns ever filmed.

Synopsis: Questions arise when Senator Stoddard (James Stewart) attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) in a small Western town. Flashing... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin

Directed By: John Ford

Critics Consensus: The holiday classic to define all holiday classics, It's a Wonderful Life is one of a handful of films worth an annual viewing.

Synopsis: After George Bailey (James Stewart) wishes he had never been born, an angel (Henry Travers) is sent to earth to make George's wish come true.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell

Directed By: Frank Capra

Critics Consensus: It may occasionally be guilty of coasting on pure charm, but To Catch a Thief has it in spades -- as well as a pair of perfectly matched stars in Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

Synopsis: Notorious cat burglar John Robie (Cary Grant) has long since retired to tend vineyards on the French Riviera. When a series of robberies is committed... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams

Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock

Critics Consensus: Murder, intrigue, and a star-studded cast make this stylish production of Murder on the Orient Express one of the best Agatha Christie adaptations to see the silver screen.

Synopsis: Having concluded a case, detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) settles into what he expects will be a relaxing journey home aboard the Orient Express. But... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, Ingrid Bergman

Directed By: Sidney Lumet

Critics Consensus: Smartly written, smoothly directed, and solidly cast, A Fish Called Wanda offers a classic example of a brainy comedy with widespread appeal.

Synopsis: British gangster George Thomason (Tom Georgeson) and his hapless aide, Ken Pile (Michael Palin), draft a pair of arrogant Americans, grifter Wanda Gerschwitz (Jamie Lee... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Michael Palin

Directed By: Charles Crichton, John Cleese

Critics Consensus: Violent, quirky, and darkly funny, Fargo delivers an original crime story and a wonderful performance by McDormand.

Synopsis: "Fargo" is a reality-based crime drama set in Minnesota in 1987. Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is a car salesman in Minneapolis who has gotten... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy, Peter Stormare

Directed By: Joel Coen

Critics Consensus: With a perfect cast and a sly twist on the usual Hollywood gangster dynamic, Get Shorty delivers a sharp satire that doubles as an entertaining comedy-thriller in its own right.

Synopsis: Chili Palmer (John Travolta) is a Miami mobster who gets sent by his boss, the psychopathic Bones Barboni (Dennis Farina), to collect a bad debt... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito

Directed By: Barry Sonnenfeld

Critics Consensus: Perhaps Kenneth Branagh's most fully realized Shakespeare adaptation, Henry V is an energetic, passionate, and wonderfully acted film.

Synopsis: In this gritty screen adaptation of Shakespeare's play about the heroic and ruthless king, Henry V of England (Kenneth Branagh) determines to lay claim to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, Ian Holm

Directed By: Kenneth Branagh

Critics Consensus: Lighthearted to a fault, Much Ado About Nothing's giddy energy and intimate charm make for an entertaining romantic comedy -- and a Shakespearean adaptation that's hard to resist.

Synopsis: After a successful campaign against his rebellious brother, Don John (Sean Maher), Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) visits the governor of Messina. With him are Benedick... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Amy Acker, Alexis Denisof, Nathan Fillion, Fran Kranz

Directed By: Joss Whedon

Critics Consensus: As bruised and cynical as the decade that produced it, this noir classic benefits from Robert Towne's brilliant screenplay, director Roman Polanski's steady hand, and wonderful performances from Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.

Synopsis: When Los Angeles private eye J.J. Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband's activities, he believes it's a routine... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez

Directed By: Roman Polanski

Critics Consensus: Don't Look Now patiently builds suspense with haunting imagery and a chilling score -- causing viewers to feel Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie's grief deep within.

Synopsis: Still grieving over the accidental death of their daughter, Christine (Sharon Williams), John (Donald Sutherland) and Laura Baxter (Julie Christie) head to Venice, Italy, where... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania

Directed By: Nicolas Roeg

Critics Consensus: Primal Fear is a straightforward yet entertaining thriller elevated by a crackerjack performance from Edward Norton.

Synopsis: Defense attorney Martin Vail takes on jobs for money and prestige rather than any sense of the greater good. His latest case involves an altar... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, John Mahoney

Directed By: Gregory Hoblit

Critics Consensus: Steven Spielberg's West Side Story presents a new look at the classic musical that lives up to its beloved forebear -- and in some respects might even surpass it.

Synopsis: Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez

Directed By: Steven Spielberg

Critics Consensus: A bird may love a fish -- and musical fans will love this adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof, even if it isn't quite as transcendent as the long-running stage version.

Synopsis: A lavishly produced and critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the international stage sensation tells the life-affirming story of Tevye, a poor milkman whose love, pride... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon

Directed By: Norman Jewison

Critics Consensus: Driven by ride-or-die chemistry between Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon while director Ridley Scott provides scorching visuals fit for a postcard, Thelma & Louise is a feminist adventure that's equal parts provocative and rollicking.

Synopsis: Meek housewife Thelma (Geena Davis) joins her friend Louise (Susan Sarandon), an independent waitress, on a short fishing trip. However, their trip becomes a flight... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen

Directed By: Ridley Scott

Critics Consensus: Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are just charming, goofy, and silly enough to make this fluffy time-travel Adventure work.

Synopsis: Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are high school buddies starting a band. However, they are about to fail their history class, which means... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Bernie Casey

Directed By: Stephen Herek

Critics Consensus: Kevin Costner is at his funniest and most charismatic in Bull Durham, a film that's as wise about relationships as it is about minor league baseball.

Synopsis: In Durham, N.C., the Bulls minor league baseball team has one asset no other can claim: a poetry-loving groupie named Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon). As... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Trey Wilson

Directed By: Ron Shelton

Critics Consensus: Perhaps less than absorbing for non-baseball fans, but nevertheless underpinned by strong performances from the cast and John Sayles' solid direction.

Synopsis: The Chicago White Sox, who are set to play the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series of 1919, are at odds with their team's owner,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cusack, Clifton James, Michael Lerner, Christopher Lloyd

Directed By: John Sayles