As a member of Gen Z (I was just barely born in the 1990s), I was admittedly quite fascinated when I saw people debating whether or not my generation knows ‘90s movies. That’s because, admittedly, I don’t know them that well. I know the best movies of the 2000s, and I’m up on current TV hits. However, when it comes to the throwbacks from the decade I was born in, I’ve had to put in an effort to watch them. So, why is that the case? Well, some people on Reddit put a lot of thought into this.

The common consensus on this generationology Reddit thread about why “Millennials and Gen X know more about pop culture that was before they were born than Gen Z” seemed to surround how various generations grew up watching TV (and movies on TV). As Wooden-Muffin-3981 wrote:

This is true, for a long time, I haven't watched movies on a TV channel, and no, I didn't spend my childhood watching films like Shawshank Redemption and My Cousin Vinny because they were casually on. I've had to make an effort to watch flicks like Fight Club, The Silence of the Lambs, Fargo and more on streaming in my 20s. There's no casual cable watching for me anymore; it's an active choice to watch '90s movies.

Plus, when I use my Netflix subscription or click into my Hulu subscription to watch something, almost always it's new titles flooding my screen. So, if I’m casually surfing for something to watch, I’m more likely to pick a project on the 2026 movie schedule because it’s what’s being advertised. On top of that, ultimately, while these services push programming, I’m the one who decides to watch something. It's not up to the TV Guide. So, as riotalk wrote:

Riotalk went on to say that newer generations “have the ability to choose and tailor” what they watch thanks to streaming. Therefore, that could explain why it seems like they aren’t exposed to more movies from the past. To put this statement in a shorter form, crew_hour posted:

As someone who spent a lot of my childhood channel surfing, I did grow up on certain movies and shows that ran in syndication, like Friends – yeah, that’s right, I watched it on Nick at Nite, not with an HBO Max subscription. However, I almost always chose to watch Disney Channel or Nickelodeon over an old movie. That plays into the point FedoraPG made, as they wrote:

I watched my fair share of Hannah Montana, High School Musical and iCarly growing up. Disney Channel and Nickelodeon defined my childhood watching habits.

However, since my parents grew up in the 1980s, I also was schooled in the best ‘80s movies (we’re talking Top Gun, Back to the Future, The Princess Bride and more). So, that explains why I haven’t seen some ‘90s movies, and proves that maybe all generations do get exposed to what their parents love, which is something brokemillionaire572 wrote about:

Now, these days, I’m admittedly backtracking to catch the best movies of the ‘90s. However, it is an active mission I’m on; it’s not something I’m just casually doing when I turn on the TV and start channel surfing.

So, I see the points here, and I can point to myself as an example of this happening. However, have no fear, Gen Xers, Millennials and the generations who came before, there are members of Gen Z who still love movies and are doing the good work to watch the classics (myself included).

The Silence of the Lambs is not just considered one of the best movies of the ‘90s; it's widely regarded as one of the best horror movies ever made. However, in the 35 years since the film was released, it’s also received accusations of transphobia due to the character Buffalo Bill. Now, the actor who played that character has opened up about how gender was represented in the movie, the criticism the film has faced, and his personal feelings about it all.

Overall, the film is regarded as a career-defining performance for Jodie Foster, and it's considered one of Anthony Hopkins best movies. However, when it comes to Ted Levine’s character, Buffalo Bill, the discourse surrounding him is complex. In the movie, Buffalo Bill is a serial killer who skins his female victims, and Foster’s FBI trainee Clarice Starling is trying to catch him. The characterization of Buffalo Bill has been viewed as trans or gender nonconforming (though it's not explicitly stated in the movie), and now, Levin has opened up to THR about this and the impact it's had, saying:

The story notes that in the decades since The Silence of the Lambs was released, the actor learned more about the trans community and their experiences. While he didn’t have concerns at the time the movie was made, over time, he’s come to recognize and understand the criticisms, as he explained:

After that, Levine explained how he played the character. While some do view Buffalo Bill as trans, according to the actor, that’s not how he played him at the time, explaining:

Along with Levine acknowledging the criticisms of his role in this film, producer Edward Saxon also explained that they were not aware of how this movie could harm the LGBTQ+ community at the time. Speaking to that point, he said:

He also noted that there is “regret” over all this, and that they did not make the movie “from any place of malice.”

Going back to Levine, he made it clear that he understands why his performance is criticized. However, he also explained that he had a positive experience making the movie.

Following the release of The Silence of the Lambs, it won Oscars and was a box office smash. Quotes from the movie have also stayed relevant in pop culture, and Hopkins’ character, Hannibal Lecter, is touted as one of the smartest villains on screen.

However, the complex discourse about Buffalo Bill has also continued throughout the years. Now, the actor who played him has spoken out, and he made it clear that he understands why criticisms of transphobia were made, and he’s learned a lot about the trans and LGBTQ+ communities in the 35 years since the film’s 1991 release.

More than three decades after The Silence of the Lambs won the big five at the Oscars, one rumor refuses to die: that stars Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster clashed—or at least kept a frosty distance—on set. The myth has morphed over the years into a grab bag of alleged “feud” details, usually tied to Hopkins’ unsettling performance as Hannibal Lecter and the idea that Foster avoided him between takes to protect her headspace as Clarice Starling. Hopkins took a moment from his busy 2025 movie schedule to finally weigh in on the rumor.

Anthony Hopkins recently appeared on an episode of The Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard. During the conversation, Hopkins addressed the long-circulating chatter head-on, saying the vibe with his co-star was professional and decidedly not "spooky." It’s as definitive a correction as we’ve had in years, and it comes straight from Lecter himself. As he explains it:

That’s a clear counterpoint to a story Foster has told. In 2016, on The Graham Norton Show, she addressed the same rumors and remembered the set very differently. As she recalled:

It’s a fascinating split in perspective—and not as odd as it sounds. As imposing as Lecter looms in our collective memory, he and Clarice actually share the screen for only about 16 minutes of a nearly two-hour film. Given that limited overlap, it makes sense they could pass whole shooting days with little interaction, even as each recalls the experience in very different ways.

Jonathan Demme’s film is famously precise, possessing tight blocking, direct-to-lens close-ups and long takes that force Clarice and Lecter into a psychological duel. That on-screen electricity rarely requires real-life animus; it usually comes from two actors trusting the same plan and director. The Welsh actor's comments point to precisely that.

Jonathan Demme’s film is famously precise, possessing tight blocking, direct-to-lens close-ups and long takes that force Clarice and Lecter into a psychological duel. That on-screen electricity rarely requires real-life animus; it usually comes from two actors trusting the same plan and director. The Welsh actor's comments point to precisely that.

Hannibal Lecter landed like a lightning strike in 1991, cementing him as one of the greatest horror movie villains, but that was with less than 25 minutes of screen time, and every syllable hits like a scalpel. Performances that iconic tend to spawn myths to explain the power. Sometimes those stories get juiced in the retelling. Hopkins’ version demystifies the rumors just a tad.

By the Hearts in Atlantis star’s account, the “feud” talk is way off base, and debunking it doesn’t dull the movie one bit. The Silence of the Lambs is still a masterclass in performance and tone, driven by two leads who knew precisely what the film needed. His clarification just underscores a simple truth: great on-screen chemistry doesn’t require off-screen drama.

Want more Hopkins right now? His latest film, Locked (co-starring Bill Skarsgård), is streaming with a Hulu subscription. You can also grab his new memoir, We Did OK, Kid: A Memoir by Anthony Hopkins, wherever books are sold.

As for The Silence of the Lambs, you can revisit Lecter in all his horrifying glory with a subscription to AMC+.

It’s not every day that someone who’s known to have made their name on reality television draws the attention of who many would call one of our greatest living actors, but here we are. It was just a few days ago that The Kardashians star/multi-media mogul Kim Kardashian launched a product for her SKIMS brand, the $48.00 Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap, which outright baffled many of her most diehard fans. Now we’ve even got Sir Anthony Hopkins making Silence of the Lambs jokes about the odd new item.

What Did Anthony Hopkins Say About Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS Face Wrap?

You know, while I haven’t bought any SKIMS, I do actually like the look of a lot of the more comfy-looking products from Kim Kardashian’s body sculpting/fashion brand. I have to say, though, never in a million years would I have figured that she and her designers would come up with something like her face wrap, which those on the internet have already pointed out is basically what you get after jaw surgery or to help with TMJ symptoms, which are not exactly fashionable comparisons.

Well, make fun of it all you like, because I doubt anything you say will compare to the thoughts of Oscar-winning thespian Anthony Hopkins. He posted a short clip on Instagram that took the ribbing that the All’s Fair (which hits the 2025 TV schedule in the fall) star is getting over the product to new, Hannibal Lecter heights. Take a look:

Wow. Just when you think you’ve seen everything, right? I have so many questions. First off, this does appear to be the actual wrap that the legal ace and mom of four is selling, so did Hopkins buy it because he desires some facial sculpting in his later years?

He thanks her in the caption. Did Kardashian (rather randomly) send it to him? Are they buddies?! Just as importantly, is he wearing a Swatch Watch? Guys? I would actually love it if he bought this just so that he could make a Silence of the Lambs joke about it for all to see. “Ten years younger” indeed!

If you don’t know why this is beyond cool, it’s pretty clear that you’ve been living off the grid in a cave somewhere for nearly 35 years. Welcome back to civilization (it might be best to gather some supplies and just head back to the cave, fyi)! Since you missed the 1991 release of the thrilling horror classic (one of the best Anthony Hopkins movies), he starred as an infamous imprisoned cannibal who begins assisting Jodie Foster’s FBI agent in finding another wild serial killer.

His Lecter was so dangerous (And hungry, I guess?) that he was forced to wear a mask that covered most of his face and mouth, in a look that is suspiciously similar to the one created by the billionaire bikini-lover. I mean, just look:

My goodness. I don’t know about you, but I would kinda love it if this starts a new wave of fame for Hopkins where he’s an Insta star who makes fun of fashion trends in his own perfectly deadpan way. You simply cannot beat this kind of publicity!

No one really scrolls the channels looking for something to watch anymore, there are too many great streaming services and other ways to call up your entertainment on demand. Back in the late 20th Century, however, that was the only option, and so, as you flipped endlessly from channel to channel, you could only hope to come across a classic "remote dropper." One of those movies, like The Big Lebowski or The Hunt For Red October, that never gets old is a remote dropper, and those are what this list is all about. The moment you hit on a movie you love, and drop the remote for the next couple of hours.

Die Hard

Die Hard may ultimate Christmas movie to some, but it is always a must-watch, no matter what season it is. There are so many amazing moments in the movie, no matter where it is in the plot, you just have to stop and watch until the end when Al becomes the hero he deserves to be.

GoodFellas

Martin Scorsese's classic Goodfellas is one of those movies where the great performances and amazing dialogue just get better with time. It's a movie that has aged incredibly well, and really, do we need to explain why so many people call this the perfect gangster movie?

Friday

Speaking from experience, I can tell you, if you went to college in the '90s, Friday was part of a regular rotation of movies that were watched over and over and over again. It really introduced Chris Tucker to the world, and it's filled with so many quotable lines from Tucker and the others that my friends and I could basically recite the entire movie. There's a good reason that it is so meme'd today.

Ocean's Eleven

The incredible cast, headlined by George Clooney and Brad Pitt, is so utterly charming in Ocean's Eleven that it's impossible to pass up when it's on. Every viewing will give you a new favorite moment or favorite line. The pace of the movie is perfect as you speed along to the fantastic conclusion. It's a classic heist movie, among the best the genre has ever produced.

Anchorman

Talk about a movie with an endless amount of quotable lines. There aren't many movies out there that have as many as Anchorman. It's ridiculous and hilarious. The comedy is Will Ferrell at his zenith, in my opinion. He's always funny, but Ron Burgundy is his funniest character ever. Including Buddy the Elf.

The Godfather And The Godfather Part II

There is a reason The Godfather and its first sequel are so often ranked as among the finest films ever made. The dense, complex movies are still incredibly watchable. That is a hard combo to pull of, but that's what makes the Francis Ford Coppola's movies so freaking great. They have everything anyone could ever want in a movie. Watching them back to back is a perfect way to spend a rainy day.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

With an incredible cast of future stars, Fast Times at Ridgemont High will never not be a classic. Some of the jokes have aged poorly, to be sure, but for anyone who grew up with the movie on cable all the time, it will always be a favorite.

Dredd

If you haven't watched Dredd in a while, you should. The Alex Garland-penned superhero based on the classic comic series is an amazing improvement over the first attempt to adapt Judge Dredd by Sly Stallone in the '90s. Whenever I want to watch a movie and can't decide what to watch, there is a good chance I'll fall back on this, since it never gets boring or old.

Malcolm X

I'm a sucker for a great historical biopic and Spike Lee's Malcolm X is truly one of the best. It's also my favorite performance by Denzel Washington, and that is really saying something. Based on Alex Haley's The Autobiography Of Malcolm X, Lee adaptation is fantastic from start to finish.

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

I mean, come on, how could Raiders not be on this list? The Steven Spielberg classic is one of the most fun movies ever made. It's quippy and exciting, and it's exactly the kind of movie that everyone loves to watch. And we all know it so well, you can still get distracted by your phone and not worry about missing any important plot points that you don't already know by heart.

Network

It's almost scary just how relevant a movie like Network, which was released in 1976, is today. Ned Beatty's speech about corporations running the country is so prescient it's crazy. The rest of the movie is just as good.

The Hunt For Red October

This, to me, is the ultimate remote-dropper. It's the movie that inspired this list. It's such a well-made movie, from start to finish, that it just never, ever gets old. The Hunt For Red October is a near-perfect movie in my opinion, and it's easily one of the best movies of the 1990s. Sure, Sean Connery's lack of an accent is a little weird, but he's so great otherwise, it's easy to overlook. Alec Baldwin was born to play Jack Ryan, and I wish we'd gotten more movies with him in the role.

The Big Lebowski

There are many people who, when asked what their favorite movie of all time is, will answer with The Big Lebowski. It's the ultimate shaggy dog story with a cool macguffin (The Dude's rug), and some of the best dialogue ever put on film, courtesy of the Coen Brothers. All the Dude wanted was his rug back, and instead, we got one of the best movies ever.

The Dark Knight

Whenever a director as talented as Christopher Nolan takes on a superhero movie, sign me up. Ultimately, though, it's not Nolan's awesome direction that brings me back again and again; it's Heath Ledger's legendary performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight. It has redefined how the classic character has been portrayed ever since.

The Princess Bride

From the time you're a kid, well into adulthood, The Princess Bride is part of your life. It changes with perspective as you age, but it's always fantastic. The story is so timeless, and the performances are so good, it just never gets old. It would be inconceivable to me to keep scrolling when I see it on TV.

Dazed And Confused

Alright, alright, alright. You knew this one had to be here. The ultimate coming-of-age high school party movie that somehow avoids so many of the tropes of the genre that other movies like it fall into. It helps to have actors like Matthew McCoughnehey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey, Cole Hauser, and so many more to anchor the movie.

Sicario

I was entranced the first time I saw Sicario. The gripping movie is intense, but incredibly watchable. The performances from Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin are great, but it's Benicio Del Toro who really steals the show as a man on a psychotic mission to avenge his family.

Casablanca

Casablanca is quite possibly the most quoted movie of all time. The first time you see it, it almost feels like a parody of classic cinema because so many iconic lines originated here. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are incredible, and the movie has it all, from daring escapes to classic romance to even some wonderful humor. Yeah, it's a misquote, but I'll always "Play it again, Sam."

Apocalypse Now

The opening scene of Apocalypse Now, with the trees exploding and The Doors playing over the sound of a helicopter is one of the most engaging opening scenes in any movie, ever. The movie never lets up from there (unless you're watching the "Redux" version, which I don't recommend). Screenwriter John Milius manages to cram a war movie with so many classic quotes, it's a movie you can recite over and over when you watch.

New Jack City

If we're honest, New Jack City is a bit dated these days, but in its time, it was one of the most rewatchable movies of the era. The Crack Epidemic was very real, and no movie showed it quite like this Wesley Snipes-led classic. Plus, Chris Rock, who was just 19 years old at the time, puts in one of his best acting performances of all time.

Tombstone

Could Tombstone be the most quotable movie ever? It is certainly one of the best Westerns ever. That's before we even get into all the amazing facial hair in the movie. The whole cast is amazing, especially Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday, and that will always make the movie rewatchable.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

This one is personal. I love some Quentin Tarantino movies, and I honestly hate other ones. I suppose that's the mark of a great artist. His vision isn't always going to line up with everyone else's idea of greatness. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is a truly great one, though. There are so many fun moments, great lines, and superb performances that it's easy to watch again and again.

Friends With Benefits

Rom Coms are always great movies to have on in the background as you do your daily chores, and my favorite for that is Friends with Benefits. Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake have great chemistry, and, honestly, Woody Harrelson's performance is my favorite part of the movie. He's just hilarious.

Iron Man

In a way, Iron Man is on this list to represent the entire MCU. It set such a fantastic example for next three dozen movies that it's hard to imagine any other movie launching the most successful franchise of all time. And it's maybe the most rewatchable of all them.

Beverly Hills Cop

In the 1980s, there was no one funnier than Eddie Murphy, and the peak of that came in Beverly Hills Cop. It's the perfect movie for Murphy's irreverent, foul-mouthed humor, and every single joke in the movie lands perfectly. It also has a great plot that allows for more than just Murphy delivering those jokes.

The Game

Director David Fincher has a slew of movies that could be on this list, like Seven and Fight Club, and even The Social Network, but for me, the one I love the most is The Game. It's a movie I knew nothing about when I first saw it and it blew my mind. I've revisited it many, many times over the years since.

Jurassic Park

The summer of 1993 will forever be known as the summer of Jurassic Park. The movie dominated the box office all summer, and it launched a franchise that is still going more than 30 years later. The most amazing part is how well the visual effects still hold up, and that is why it is on this list. It will be watched until the end of time.

Mean Girls

Talk about quotable movies! Mean Girls is full of classics. Its also one of the most enduring comedies of its era and has even inspired a musical and movie adaptation of that musical.

The Silence of the Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs is the last movie to win each of the "Big Five" Oscars. It won Best Picture, Best Director for Jonathan Demme, Best Adapted Screenplay for Ted Tally, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, and Best Actress for Jodi Foster. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know.

True Romance

Tony Scott has a bunch of movies that could fit on this list. Top Gun, Days Of Thunder, Crimson Tide...it's a long list. For me, however, True Romance is his best. The Tarantino-penned classic also features one of the greatest scenes in movie history between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper that ends with Hopper's character's death.

American Fiction

The Oscar-winning American Fiction is the newest movie on this list, but it became an instant classic for me. Issa Rae's character never fails to crack me up in her first scene, and Sterling K. Brown delivering the line "I've taken a lover" is my favorite quote in a movie this decade.

Boogie Nights

Paul Thomas Anderson hit the big time with Boogie Nights, and there are a lot of reasons it's on this list. The music is amazing, and every scene is like a self-contained mini-film. No matter where you start, you are sucked right in. The end gets a little dark, sure, but it's still Anderson's most rewatchable film.

Jodie Foster is 62 years old and, because she's been acting since she was two years old, she's achieved six decades of success both in front of and behind the camera. She’s had an incredible career, winning multiple Oscars as an actress as well as other accolades. She has a preference for directing, though, and that perspective really shone through while she discussed today's crop of young actors.

The Maverick star has been spending more time in front of the camera of late than she has in recent years. She tells Variety that she has little interest in “acting for the sake of acting” and that for her, the work has to really speak to her in some way for it to be worth doing. This is apparently what separates Foster from her younger counterparts, as she says many young actors seem to just want to act, and they don’t care how or where. She said…

It’s certainly true that Jodie Foster had done more by the age of 18 than many actors achieve in an entire career. She had over 40 film and TV appearances on her resume by that point. She had an iconic role in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver but also starred in some early Disney projects, including the original version of Freaky Friday and the kid-friendly mystery Candleshoe. (The latter of those two films was likely the reason Foster didn’t play Princess Leia in the original Star Wars.)

Foster certainly did take a different approach starting in 1980, which was the year she turned 18. Her roles became much more mature, and that resulted in a lot of acclaim and a pair of Best Actress Oscars. She notably played a rape survivor in The Accused and later took on her most famous role as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs alongside Anthony Hopkins.

We can see some of Foster’s thought process at work in the roles she didn’t take. Despite her incredible success with The Silence of the Lambs, she didn’t return to her role for the sequel, Hannibal. Anthony Hopkins wishes he'd done the same.

To be clear, Foster doesn’t seem to indicate there’s anything wrong with acting for its own sake, and not caring so much about it. In many ways, that probably makes acting a lot easier. It’s just not the way Foster herself works, and the way she’s approached Hollywood has certainly worked for her.

The hero of a movie is the one who gets all the glory, but many actors claim to prefer playing the villain. It’s certainly true that many villains have stolen the movie from the hero when played in memorable ways, and one actor who would know is Anthony Hopkins. Perhaps surprisingly, the actor follows the simplest rule when portraying antagonists, and it makes so much sense.

Anthony Hopkins has played some of the most incredible roles in movie history, but it’s a safe bet that when the heat death of the universe occurs in a few billion years, the one performance the human race will most remember will be his Oscar-winning turn as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. He recently told Business Insider that the trick to playing the bad guy is to simply play them in the opposite way that people expect. He said…

We can certainly see Anthony Hopkins' performance as Hannibal Lecter taking that idea to heart. While “Hannibal the Cannibal” is a vile human being in every measurable way, Hopkins plays him as calm, polite, and exceedingly pleasant. Of course, all that is clearly masking the viciousness of the character, but then, that’s the point. The performance is so perfect that even Hopkins believes trying to do it again was a mistake.

Hopkins tells BI that he also used this formula for his new film. In Locked, IT's Pennwise portrayer Bill Skarsgard plays a man who tries to steal a car, only to discover he’s been intentionally trapped inside by the vehicle’s owner, a man named William, played by Hopkins. The character then proceeds to torture the would-be car thief, but he’s incredibly calm and pleasant about the whole thing.

Playing villains as purely evil is what we’re used to seeing, and while it certainly makes sense in a lot of cases, the idea that the “villain is the hero of their own story” would make a purely evil character not actually make sense. There’s no reason that a villain can’t be perfectly pleasant.

And looking back at not only Hannibal Lectuer but also other memorable villains in cinema history, it’s easy to see other actors potentially following this same rule. Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber in Die Hard is very pleasant. He treats the hostage situation he orchestrates as a simple business transaction. Norman Bates in Psycho, perhaps the greatest movie villain of all time, seems ordinary to a fault, which is what makes his reveal as a monster all the more shocking.

With so many blockbuster movies dominated by heroes, there are just as many opportunities for villains to stand out. Perhaps Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will use this philosophy in his upcoming Marvel movie appearances.

Have you ever heard someone describe your favorite movie in a way that completely changed your perception of its story forever… or at least made you chuckle a little? Cinephiles have been coming up with examples to describe a film plot badly (or just in simpler, funnier terms) for years.

I scoured the internet for some of the wittiest examples I could find and also managed to come up with a few decent ones of my own that I now present to you. You may never think of these classics the same way again.

A Father Asks His Long Lost Son To Take Over The Family Business (The Empire Strikes Back)

This one is inspired by an X post (from when it was still called Twitter) by Mitch Poppe, who makes, arguably, the best Star Wars movie sound more like a sweet Earthly drama (or even an organized crime thriller). Of course, it is not until the stunning climax of 1980's The Empire Strikes Back that we discover Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) is the father of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who is then tempted by the Sith Lord to come to the Dark Side and rule with him.

The Story Of One Man's Catastrophic Inner Conflict (Fight Club)

SPOILER WARNING: In one of the best movie plot twists ever, 1999's Fight Club reveals that the chaotic Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) is a dissociative identity of Edward Norton's "Narrator." Unfortunately, he comes to that realization only after his other half has converted their unconventional male support group into a terrorist organization that he immediately intends to stop.

An Accident-Prone Dinosaur Theme Park, Shockingly, Still Exists (Jurassic World)

I also turned to my co-workers for help to come up with some of these simplified movie plot descriptions and one suggested this bit that, admittedly, points out just how ludicrous the plot of 2015's Jurassic World really is. It was already established in Steven Spielberg's 1993 original Jurassic Park movie that a theme park with real, living prehistoric creatures has the potential to result in disaster, much like the very plot of this sequel.

Three Escaped Convicts Start A Boy Band (O Brother, Where Art Thou?)

There is a reason why O Brother, Where Art Thou? is considered to be one of the best music movies ever made and the X account Explain A Movie Plot Badly recognizes this in its simplified explanation. Joel and Ethan Coen's 2000 comedy is a retelling of The Odyssey, redefined as the story of Depression Era inmates (played by George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson) who ditch the chain gang and find success as singing folk songs as The Soggy Bottom Boys.

Deja Vu Cures A Weatherman's Cynicism (Groundhog Day)

When you really think about it, all of the best time loop movies are tales of redemption and self-rediscovery. In other words, my colleague's clever description of 1993's Groundhog Day could be applied to almost any one of them, save the mention of Phil Connors' (Bill Murray) profession as a TV weather reporter.

A Teen Plays Matchmaker For His Own Parents (Back To The Future)

Back to the Future, stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, who accidentally takes Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) time machine 30 years in the past and nearly prevents his own existence by getting in the way of his mother (Lea Thompson) and father (Crispin Glover) falling in love in high school. If you did not realize that I was talking about the 1985 time travel movie classic, you might assume I was describing the story of a child trying to get their divorced parents back together.

A Young Man Goes Through A Lot Of Trouble To Return Some Jewelry (The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy)

I almost hate to admit this, but I have never been very interested in epic fantasy stories like the Lord of the Rings movies. However, Eser Ünsalan's X post helped me realize just how relatable Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy is if you break down Frodo's (Elijah Wood) journey into its simplest terms.

A Man Constantly Loses His Prized Possessions To This French Jerk (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

Many would agree that the best Indiana Jones villain is Dr. René Belloq, who claims at the beginning of 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark that there is nothing Harrison Ford's heroic archaeologist can possess that he cannot take away. Actor Paul Freeman has said that he believes his sniveling, French explorer is not so different from Indy, save for his reluctance to do the work himself and alliance with fascist organizations, of course.

A Fight Breaks Out Between Two Angry Orphans (Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice)

Despite their differing methods of justice, overall sense of optimism, and respective species, Batman and Superman relate to each other in many ways, most notably that they both know what it is like to lose their parents. Explain a Movie Plot Badly reflected on that in the X post that inspired this joke, which references 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, even though Ben Affleck's Bruce Wayne did not know Clark Kent's (Henry Cavill) own tragic backstory until a little too late into their quarrel.

A Man Wins Back His Wife By Throwing Out Uninvited Christmas Party Guests (Die Hard)

Many have debated whether or not Die Hard – in which Det. John McClane (Bruce Willis) wages a war against ruthless thieves taking his wife (played by Bonnie Bedelia) and her colleagues hostage in an L.A. high-rise – it deserves a spot among the best Christmas movies ever made. Well, if you strip away its more violent content, the 1988 action movie classic's plot is clearly not much different from your typical holiday rom-com.

A Man Goes Through A Lot To Have The Perfect Suit (The Silence Of The Lambs)

One would have to have a pretty bleak sense of humor to paint Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb (Ted Levine) from 1991's The Silence of the Lambs in a sympathetic light and it appears that the people at Explain A Movie Plot Badly do. Their X post, referring to a serial killer fixing to make a suit of human skin in Jonathan Demme's unsettling Best Picture Oscar winner, inspired this also quite unsettling joke.

A Teen Becomes Upset When His Computer Dies (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

In addition to its astonishing action sequences, what really makes 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day a classic sci-fi movie is the endearing relationship between the T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and young John Connor (Edward Furlong). Of course, no matter how misty-eyed you may get from their final goodbye at the end, you cannot ignore the fact that this kid's father figure was still a machine.

Two Men Turn To The Bible To Solve Their Problems (Se7en)

Let me just make this clear: Se7en is not a religious movie. However, faith does play a pivotal role in how veteran detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and rookie Mills (Brad Pitt) investigate a multiple murder case in David Fincher's 1995 thriller. They recognize that the sadistic killer's pattern is related to the biblical seven deadly sins.

Water Helps A Family Survive (Signs)

One of the most divisive M. Night Shyamalan movie plot twists comes from Signs, in which it is revealed that the extra-terrestrial intruders die when water touches them. It is easy to understand why this is underwhelming, but we also should not ignore the fact that Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) and his family might not have made it through the alien invasion if not for the invaders' strange weakness.

A Man Sleeps Through A 10-Hour Flight (Inception)

Due to its visually stunning appeal, it is easy to forget that much of what we see in Inception is not even real and the main characters are all asleep as it happens. In fact, much of the film takes place in the mind of a sedated Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), whose subconscious is invaded by Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his crew while on a long plane trip to the United States.

A Guy Jumps Through Many Hoops To Complete His Rock Collection (Avengers: Infinity War)

I do not in any way mean to undermine the efforts that the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and other concerned parties go through to prevent a cataclysmic event that, tragically, does end up happening anyway. However, darthyogi on Reddit makes a really good point in the way they describe Thanos' (Josh Brolin) ultimate goal in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. I mean, a fitting alternate title for the acclaimed Marvel movie could have been Avengers: Geology War.

Six Men Dress The Same For Their First Day At Work (Reservoir Dogs)

It is really nothing unusual for a group of coworkers to have matching uniforms. Of course, Explain A Movie Plot Badly's tweet that inspired this reimagining of Reservoir Dogs' storyline leaves out that this "first day at work" is also their last, since the jewelry store heist they volunteer for goes terribly, and fatally, wrong.

Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Forgets Girl, Boy Meets Girl (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)

Arguably Jim Carrey's best movie, 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is such a conceptually, visually, and even structurally unique experience, as acknowledged in this bit from the mind of my coworker. It is such a clever twist to learn that the beginning, when Joel (Carrey) meets Clementine (Kate Winslet) on a train, is actually the end of the sci-fi rom-com, taking place after they each unwittingly erased the memory of their relationship.

A Millionaire Is Forever Haunted By The Loss Of His Favorite Toy (Citizen Kane)

The end of 1941's Citizen Kane reveals that the titular, late publishing tycoon (played by co-writer and director Orson Welles) was remembering the sled he used to play with as a child when he spoke his final word: "Rosebud." For decades, this seminal film's conclusion has been heralded as one of all-time finest, but I cannot help but wonder how divisive this twist would be if the film had come out in modern times, especially if you think of it in the same terms as this joke.

A Clown Provokes An Angry Cosplayer (The Dark Knight)

Without the proper context, this sounds like a headline for a newspaper article reporting a fight that broke out on Hollywood Boulevard. Actually, even with the proper context, it does not just sound like the plot of 2008's The Dark Knight but of a few of the best live-action Batman movies.

A Divorced Dad Kills An Intruder And Takes His Job (The Santa Clause)

Even before finding Explain A Movie Plot Badly's X post that inspired this simplified film story, I had been made aware of just how dark the concept of 1994's The Santa Clause truly is in retrospect. However, that does not stop me from recognizing Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) as one of the coolest cinematic movie Santas for the way comes to wholeheartedly accept the job (after some convincing) when he accidentally causes his successor's fatal accident from the top of his roof.

A Princess Convinces A Millionaire And A Cat Lady To Give Up Their Dreams (Wonder Woman 1984)

Perhaps my favorite tweet from Explain A Movie Plot Badly offers the funniest way to describe 2020's Wonder Woman 1984 that I think anybody could imagine. The DC movie sequel features two villains for Gal Gadot's Amazonian warrior to take on: the wealthy Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), who gets ahold of a mystical rock that grants wishes, and geologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig), whose wish turns her into "Cheetah."

A Young Man Has A Bunny To Thank For Saving His Life (Donnie Darko)

The plot of the mind-bending high school movie Donnie Darko (a personal favorite of a friend of mine who helped come up with this bit) is set in motion when the titular teen (Jake Gyllenhaal) narrowly escapes a tragic death when he follows the voice of a possibly hallucinatory man named Frank (James Duval). I am not sure where writer and director Richard Kelly got the idea to dress Frank in the most disturbing rabbit costume imaginable, but I also believe it is essential to the 2001 thriller's legacy as an enduring cult favorite.

A Woman's Motel Room Shower Is To Die For (Psycho)

I cannot imagine there exists a motel with a bathroom shower this impressive. But, do you know what is impressive? The shocking, iconic scene from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece in which Marion Crane (Scream Queen Janet Leigh) is murdered by who we assume is the mother of Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) while taking a shower at the Bates Motel.

A Divorced Father Fights To See His Daughter (Taken)

One of the most matter-of-fact X posts by Explain A Film Plot Badly takes aim at Taken, in which retired CIA agent Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) takes action to locate his kidnapped daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace), in France. Without knowing what the 2008 action flick is actually about, one might hear this description and assume it is a wholesome family film.

A Group Of Men Learn To Never Trust Dogs (The Thing)

The best kind of dog movies are the ones where the dog saves the day, but that is certainly not the case in John Carpenter's The Thing. The 1982 horror movie classic opens with the central characters taking in a Canadian timber wolf-Alaskan Malamute hybrid that turns out to be a malevolent, shapeshifting alien in disguise.

Amateur Gambler Loses Everything, But Still Keeps His Job (Casino Royale)

A coworker of mine who has a special affinity for the James Bond movies had the perfect way to summarize the events of Daniel Craig's debut as 007 in Casino Royale.

A Woman Falls In Love With The First Guy She Sees After Waking Up (Sleeping Beauty)

Many of Disney's animated princess movies take on a more creepy, problematic guise in retrospect. Take, for example, this summarization of Sleeping Beauty, inspired by a tweet from Marisa Nocito.

First Responder Uses Government Resources To Exclusively Rescue Personal Family Members After An Earthquake (San Andreas)

The coworker of mine who came up with the idea for this bit inspired by 2015's San Andreas actually had some harsher words to describe Dwayne Johnson's central hero, who probably would have lost his job for acting in his own self-interests in the wake of a natural disaster.

A Powerful Corporation Benefits From Child Endangerment (Monsters Inc.)

I just might have ruined one of my own favorite Pixar movies for myself by the way I reinterpret 2001's Monsters Inc. and the titular company's bid to collect children's screams in this joke.

A Man Walks Up And Down A Flight Of Stairs (The Woman In Black)

The 2011 adaptation of Susan Hill's The Woman in Black certainly boasts some effective frights. However, there is a shocking amount of scenes in which Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is seen walking up a flight of stairs to find something scary before walking back downstairs to avoid the creepy entity, only to find something else freaky, and the situation repeats.

A Team Of Athletes Try New Eating Habits (Alive)

One of the darkest posts on X by Explain A Movie Plot Badly references the 1993 thriller, Alive, which is based on the harrowing true story of a Uruguayan rugby team forced to do the unthinkable when their plane crashes in the middle of the Andes Mountains.

We do not necessarily believe that a film’s overall quality lives or dies by the strength of its final line. However, quite a few films have managed to absolutely stick the landing with a concluding quote that would continue to ring in audiences’ heads long after the credits rolled. Relive some of the most iconic last lines in cinematic history in this list and be sure to keep SPOILERS in mind.

"After All, Tomorrow Is Another Day" - Gone With The Wind

When it comes to classic movie quotes, 1937's Gone with the Wind is full of them, with the most memorable of the bunch said by Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) just as he leaves Scarlet O'Hara (Vivien Leigh). However, the undeniably iconic and even inspirational final line of the Best Picture Oscar winner is said by her as a form of self-encouragement that there may be some hope for her and her husband.

LAURIE: "It Was The Boogeyman"; LOOMIS: "As A Matter Of Fact, It Was" - Halloween

Throughout John Carpenter's 1978 slasher movie classic, Halloween, the boy Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) babysits, Tommy Doyle (Brian Andrews), expresses great fear of the Boogeyman, whom she insists is no one to be afraid of until she comes face to face with Michael Myers. When Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance) stops the murderer from attacking the young woman, she declares he is the fabled monster and Loomis agrees.

"In Case I Don't See You, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, And Good Night!" - The Truman Show

The prophetic, paranoid 1998 dramedy, The Truman Show (also one of the best Jim Carrey movies), follows the eponymous everyman as he slowly begins to realize his life is fabricated for television. He gives his fans the perfect send-off with what he had unwittingly made into his official catchphrase before we hear a devoted viewer utter the film's actual final line, "Where's the TV guide?"

"I'll Be Right Here" - E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

More than just a great sci-fi movie, Steven Spielberg's 1982 blockbuster, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, is the story of a wonderful friendship that must come to an end when the titular otherworldly visitor boards a spaceship to his home planet. Right before he leaves, he lets young Elliott (Henry Thomas) know that, while they will be worlds apart, he will always remain in his memory.

“All Right, Mr. DeMille, I’m Ready For My Close-Up” - Sunset Boulevard

Every aspiring actor has brought out this oft-quoted line from Sunset Boulevard when living out their dreams of Hollywood stardom. Of course, those who have not seen the 1950 drama may not realize that Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond says this at the peak of her deluded madness and is not even speaking Cecil B. DeMille at the time.

"Well, Nobody's Perfect" - Some Like It Hot

Co-writer, producer, and director Billy Wilder was way ahead of his time when he came up with the gut-busting final stinger of his classic 1959 fish-out-of-water comedy, Some Like It Hot. Jerry (Jack Lemmon), posing in drag as "Daphne," reveals to his fiancé, Osgood (Joe E. Brown), that he is really a man, which the millionaire seems pretty open-minded to.

"Ernest Hemingway Once Wrote, 'The World Is A Fine Place And Worth Fighting For.' I Agree With The Second Part" - Se7en

If not for its final line, spoken by Morgan Freeman's Det. William Somerset in a voiceover, David Fincher's masterful 1995 crime thriller, Se7en, would be entirely devoid of any shred of optimism. Of course, the iconic Black detective's perspective on author Ernest Hemingway's philosophy is still relatively bleak.

"Forget It, Jake. It's Chinatown" - Chinatown

The 1974 film noir movie classic Chinatown ends with private investigator J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) forced to move on from the tragedy and injustice he witnessed while investigating a bizarre case in 1930s California, with some plodding encouragement from Lawrence Walsh (Joe Mantell).

"You Met Me At A Very Strange Time In My Life" - Fight Club

The wild ending of 1999's Fight Club sees Edward Norton's Narrator effectively remove his evil other half, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), via gunshot before being reunited with Marla (Helena Bonham Carter). He assures her that the bizarre circumstances they faced together were not typical for him as they watch the buildings surrounding them crumble to the ground.

"Louis, I Believe This Is The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship" - Casablanca

Quite a few of the most iconic quotes in cinematic history come from 1942's Casablanca, including the concluding line, said by Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) to Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) to signify an unlikely bond forming between them.

"And In The Dream I Knew That He Was Goin' On Ahead And He Was Fixin' To Make A Fire Somewhere Out There In All That Dark And All That Cold, And I Knew That Whenever I Got There He Would Be There. And Then I Woke Up" - No Country For Old Men

The ending of 2007's No Country for Old Men, in which the now-retired Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) describes a dream he had about his father to his wife, was polarizing upon release. Of course, it was only disappointing to those who did not initially realize Joel and Ethan Coen's modern Western movie classic is really about the aging lawman's struggle to find meaning in a world full of meaningless violence.

“Because He's The Hero Gotham Deserves, But Not The One It Needs Right Now. So, We'll Hunt him. Because He Can Take It. Because He's Not Our Hero. He's A Silent Guardian, A Watchful Protector. A Dark Knight” - The Dark Knight

It may be an old cliché to start the credits after a character speaks the film's title, but 2008's The Dark Knight makes great use of it with Commissioner James Gordon's (Gary Oldman) explanation to his son, Jimmy (Nathan Gamble), why Batman (Christian Bale) is taking the fall for the tragedies he tried to prevent.

"The Greatest Trick The Devil Ever Pulled Was Convincing The World He Didn't Exist. And Like That... He's Gone" - The Usual Suspects

The mindblowing ending of 1995's The Usual Suspects sees Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palmenteri) realize he had been fed a phony, completely improvised story by Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey), the real "Keyser Soze." This is followed by a shot of the clever criminal likening himself to Satan and his cunning nature.

"Life Moves Pretty Fast. You Don't Stop And Look Around Once In A While, You Could Miss It" - Ferris Bueller's Day Off

While Matthew Broderick's fourth-wall-breaking character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a mischievous troublemaker, he makes a great point about the importance of occasionally taking it easy in his final line in John Hughes' 1986 high school movie classic (not counting the post-credit scene, that is).

"I'm Finished" - There Will Be Blood

It is not until the final scene of Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar-winning 2007 masterpiece, There Will Be Blood, when blood does hit the screen after Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) murders his rival, Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), with a bowling pin at his home, which seems to be the one thing he needed to make his life feel complete.

“Oh No, It Wasn’t The Airplanes. It Was Beauty Killed The Beast” - King Kong

The seminal 1933 monster movie, King Kong, ends with the eponymous ape falling to his death, which filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) remarks was truly caused by his affection for Fay Wray's Ann Darrow.

RAY: "You Wanna Have A Catch?"; JOHN: "I'd Like That" - Field Of Dreams

In one of Kevin Costner's best baseball movies, 1989's Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella (Costner) is reunited with the ghost of his dead father, John (Dwier Brown), with whom he gets to share a long overdue catch.

"The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of" - The Maltese Falcon

The 1941 adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon ends with the discovery that the eponymous artifact is a fake. Yet, considering the trouble so many endured to get their hands on it, private investigator Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) acknowledges one way it does possess some value.

“Roads? Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads” - Back To The Future

Initially, there were no plans to make the 1985 time travel movie, Back to the Future, a trilogy, which means that Doc Brown's (Christopher Lloyd) hint at what awaits them 30 years from then was merely a wildly imaginative joke before director Robert Zemeckis brought a "roadless" future to life in the follow-up.

"So Long, Partner" - Toy Story 3

Woody's (Tom Hanks) final goodbye to the grown-up Andy (John Morris) after he leaves him and his other child's playthings to Bonnie was not only a perfect way to end 2010's Toy Story 3, but also the franchise of beloved Pixar movies as a whole. Thus, some feel the otherwise entertaining fourth installment was needless, but we digress.

"Aren't You His Mother?" - Rosemary's Baby

Some great horror movies like to end with a jump scare, but Rosemary's Baby proved that all you need is a chilling final line, such as when Mia Farrow's titular character from the 1968 thriller accepts her role as the mother of the Antichrist in response to Roman Castevet's (Sidney Blackmer) reassuring question.

“I Do Wish We Could Chat Longer, But I’m Having An Old Friend For Dinner” - The Silence Of The Lambs

The escaped Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) ends 1991's The Silence of the Lambs by phoning Agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) from the Bahamas and hinting that he has some gruesome plans for the recently arrived Dr. Frederick Chilton (Anthony Heald).

“The Truth Is, I Am Iron Man” - Iron Man

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was essentially born the moment Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) revealed his identity as an armored vigilante at the end of 2008's Iron Man. The now iconic line made an astonishing reprise 11 years later when Stark sacrificed his life to stop Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Endgame.

GORDON: "I Never Said 'Thank You'"; BATMAN: "And You'll Never Have To" - Batman Begins

After a rooftop meeting with Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman), Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) nobly acknowledges and accepts that his crusade against injustice is a thankless job at the end of Christopher Nolan's first live-action Batman movie, 2005's Batman Begins.

"I Think I Can Go Now. I Just Needed To Do A Couple Things. I Needed To Help Someone. I Think I Did. I Needed To Tell You Something: You Were Never Second. Ever. I Love You. You Sleep Now. Everything Will Be Different In The Morning... Good Night, Sweetheart" - The Sixth Sense

Most would agree that the greatest M. Night Shyamalan movie twist remains that child psychiatrist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is one of the dead people his patient, Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), can see, which he realizes at the end of 1999's The Sixth Sense before saying goodbye to his wife Anna (Olivia Williams).

"If This Is Their Idea Of Christmas, I Gotta Be Here For New Year's" - Die Hard

In addition to being a classic action flick, 1988's Die Hard is also a holiday favorite, albeit an unconventional Christmas movie, which is reflected by limo driver Argyle's (De'voreaux White) enthusiastic reaction to the truly explosive event that took place at Nakatomi Plaza on the night before Christmas.

"Why Don't We Just Wait Here For A Little While, See What Happens?" - The Thing

After seemingly defeating the shapeshifting alien that terrorized their Antarctica research base, R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell) essentially accepts his fate as he and Childs (Keith David) are the only survivors of the ordeal... or are they? There has been much debate over who is still human at the end of 1982's The Thing, which makes MacReady's quip such a haunting final line.

"I Just Never Want It To End" - MaXXXine

After the traumatic circumstances that Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) endures in both X and her '80s-set self-titled sequel, MaXXXine, seeing her finally achieve her dream to be a Hollywood actor and tearfully wishing that it lasts is an unusually heartwarming moment in Ti West's A24 horror movie.

"It Was Perfect" - Black Swan

Natalie Portman won a rare Oscar for a horror movie performance as Nina Sayers in Darren Aronofsky's 2011 thriller, Black Swan, which ends with the dangerously ambitious ballerina performing the final dance with a bleeding abdomen, which she believes was her magnum opus.

“Now, Where Was I?” - Memento

The ending of Christopher Nolan's 2000 breakthrough thriller, Memento, is really the beginning when Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) learns that the search for his wife's killer has been long over but allows his short-term memory condition to keep him on the case.

"Oh, God" - Avengers: Infinity War

Never had a Marvel movie ended as hopelessly as 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, in which Thanos (Josh Brolin) successfully uses the Infinity Gauntlet to eradicate half of all living beings, leaving the surviving Avengers to helplessly reflect on their defeat, including Steve "Captain America" Rogers (Chris Evans), who utters the final line with heartbreaking desperation.

"I Told Ya" - Accepted

In the underrated college comedy, 2006's Accepted, Jeremy Howard's character, "Freaky Student," aspires to learn how to blow things up with his mind. At the very end, he proves this is possible by demonstrating his ability on the Harmon University dean's car in a hilarious "I told you so" moment.

We have seen many a cinematic masterpiece, and even a Best Picture Oscar winner, based on the work of authors such as William Shakespeare, Mary Shelley, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and more legendary writers. Of course, not all classic literature and the films they inspire have to be, speaking frankly, so ancient. Just take a look at these acclaimed and popular movies that were bred from books published as early as 1950.

To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

In 1961, Harper Lee won a Pulitzer Prize for her debut novel (and her only novel until 2015's Go Set a Watchmen), To Kill a Mockingbird, which depicts a trial against a Black man accused of assault in the 1930s South from the point of a view of young Scout Finch. Soon after, the powerful anti-prejudice statement was adapted into a feature by director Robert Mulligan and starring Gregory Peck in an Oscar-winning portrayal of selfless attorney Atticus Finch.

The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

All three volumes of J.R.R. Tolkien’s influential trilogy of fantasy novels – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King – were published between 1954 and 1955. Director Peter Jackson would bring Middle Earth to life in his live-action Lord of the Rings movies, which were a worldwide critical and commercial smash, spawning a prequel trilogy based on The Hobbit, an Amazon Prime series (The Rings of Power), and an animated spin-off (The War of the Rohirrim).

Forrest Gump (1994)

Six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, went to director Robert Zemeckis’ adaptation of Forrest Gump, starring Tom Hanks in the title role of a simple man who, unwittingly, lives a truly historic life. A year after the film’s release, Winston Groom, author of the original 1986 novel, would publish a sequel, Gump & Co., that chronicles the shrimp company owner’s life in the 1980s.

The Shining (1980)

Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall lead Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s 1977 novel, The Shining, in which an author is mysteriously driven mad while serving as the caretaker for a Colorado ski resort with his wife and psychic son. While now revered as one of the best King adaptations, let alone one of the best horror movies ever made, the author famously hated the thriller which was not a critical or commercial success upon release either.

Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

Writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak earned the Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are, in which the ill-behaved Max dreams he is the king of a place where otherwordly creatures roam. The beloved 1963 children’s book was adapted into a bizarre, beautifully puppeteered, and significantly darker live-action feature film by director Spike Jonze and starring Max Records with the voice talents of James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

The Oscar-winning film that made cannibalistic criminal psychologist Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) one of the horror genre’s most feared villains is actually based on the second book to feature the character. Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of 1988’s The Silence of the Lambs is also predated by Manhunter – Michael Mann’s adaptation of Thomas Harris’ first Lecter novel, Red Dragon.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Director Miloš Forman's Best Picture Oscar winner, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, stars Jack Nicholson as a criminal who pleads insanity to get out of jail and ends up leading a revolt against the sinister Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). While revered as a film that takes mental health seriously, some would say it does not quite do Ken Kesey's 1962 novel justice, rendering the narrator, Chief Bromden (portrayed by Will Sampson), into more of a side character.

No Country For Old Men (2007)

Joel and Ethan Coen were quite faithful to Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel when adapting No Country for Old Men, which follows a disillusioned sheriff (played by Tommy Lee Jones) and his search for a hunter (played by Josh Brolin) who is on the run from a sadistic hitman (played by Javier Bardem). In fact, for its breathtakingly grounded craftsmanship, Bardem's chilling Oscar-winning performance, and provocative commentary on violence, some might say it is the best Western movie of all time.

The Harry Potter Movies (2001-2011)

J.K. Rowling’s seven-part series of young adult fantasy novels following an orphaned wizard’s education in the mystic arts at Hogwarts was published between 1997 and 2007. The bestselling series inspired eight Harry Potter movies (including two based on the final novel, Deathly Hallows) which starred Daniel Radcliffe and became an enduring worldwide phenomenon.

The Godfather And The Godfather Part II (1972-1974)

Mario Puzo’s 1969 post-World War II crime epic, The Godfather, inspired two Best Picture Oscar winners following the rise of reluctant mafia boss Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). Director Francis Ford Coppola would collaborate with Puzo on the screenplay for a third installment that was released in 1990 and is not held in such high regard today.

Dune And Dune: Part Two (2021-2024)

Director Denis Villeneuve adapted Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi epic Dune, which largely influenced George Lucas’ Star Wars saga, into two widely acclaimed big-screen adventures that brought the eponymous planet to life with wondrous visual effects. The first live-action adaptation by David Lynch from 1984 was, unfortunately, far less appreciated.

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Roald Dahl wrote the screenplay for director Mel Stuart’s adaptation of his 1964 novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – the title of which replaced the original eponymous character, Charlie Bucket, with Gene Wilder’s eccentric chocolatier. While Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation, with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka and Freddie Highmore as Charlie, is not quite the beloved children's movie the original is, it at least made the poor Golden Ticket holder the title hero again.

The Color Purple (1985)

Alice Walker’s influential tale of a Black, Southern woman’s life of abuse and neglect inspired one of director Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey in Oscar-nominated roles. Winfrey would later produce a stage musical based on the novel that was also adapted into a film starring Fantasia Barrino in 2023.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

One of the most controversial X-rated classics in cinematic history is Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ 1962 dystopian novel, A Clockwork Orange. It stars Malcolm McDowell as one of the most fearsome 1970s movie villains, Alex DeLarge – a gang leader subjected to an experimental, government-issued cure for his violent tendencies.

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

Douglas Adams condensed his absurdist, science-fiction radio play, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, into a 1979 novel that was first adapted as a British miniseries in 1981. Decades later, Disney released a feature adaptation starring Martin Freeman, Mos Def, and Alan Rickman as the voice of a clinically depressed but still friendly robot named Marvin, who was portrayed on screen by Warwick Davis.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas (1998)

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson chronicled his experiences in the Sin City with attorney Oscar Zeta Acosta in a fictionalized memoir called Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, published in 1971. Director Terry Gilliam adapted the book into a wild, psychedelic trip starring Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke (Thompson's alter ego) and Benicio del Toro as Dr. Gonzo.

The Road (2008)

Just two years after it was published, one of Cormac McCarthy’s most acclaimed novels, The Road, was adapted into a film starring Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee as an unnamed father and son searching for sanctuary in a ruined future. Director John Hillcoat’s thriller is regarded as one of the best post-apocalyptic movies of its time.

Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

François Truffaut adapted Ray Bradbury’s prophetic, dystopian 1953 novel, Fahrenheit 451, into a film starring Oskar Werner as a fireman tasked with destroying any and all literature who has a sudden change of heart. Michael B. Jordan would portray the hero, Guy Montag, in a later feature made exclusively for HBO in 2018.

Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s seminal, Harrison Ford-led sci-fi thriller, Blade Runner, takes inspiration from Philip K. Dick’s 1986 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The author’s vision of a world in which artificial beings known as Replicants live among humans was also expanded upon in director Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed 2017 sequel, Blade Runner 2049.

The Hunger Games Movies (2012-2015)

Jennifer Lawrence received wide acclaim for portraying teenage rebel Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and its three sequels, based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling dystopian trilogy published between 2008 and 2010. Cinema would return to Panem once more with 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which takes place during one of the earliest holdings of the eponymous challenge that pits children against each other in an annual fight to the death.

Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961)

Holly Golightly – the central character of Truman Capote’s 1958 novella, Breakfast at Tiffany’s – essentially remains the same in Blake Edwards’ Audrey Hepburn-led adaptation. However, the story changes dramatically, making it more of a sweeping romance between the callgirl and the previously unnamed narrator, Paul (played by George Peppard in the film).

American Psycho (2000)

Before he took on the mantle of a live-action Batman actor, Christian Bale gave a star-making performance as a more menacing urban yuppie with a violent double life named Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. His portrayal of the character in director Mary Harron’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ provocative 1991 novel has since been recognized as one of the most disturbing killers in cinematic history.

The Haunting (1963)

A psychologist invites a group of patients to stay in a house supposedly inhabited by ghosts in director Robert Wise’s classic haunted house movie, The Haunting, which is based on Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. The chilling 1959 novel inspired another film bearing the shortened title from 1999 and, in 2018, a more loosely connected but widely acclaimed Netflix miniseries from creator Mike Flanagan.

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (2005)

The first volume of C.S. Lewis’s seven-part fantasy novel series, published in 1950, was adapted into a critically and commercially successful adventure set in a wondrous land. The next two books in the series, collectively known as The Chronicles of Narnia, also received feature-length adaptations from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023)

Abby Ryder Fortson makes her film debut in the first feature based on Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., which also stars Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams as the title character's supportive mother. Author Judy Blume shared with Today that she believes writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig’s adaptation surpassed her own novel, which offered a groundbreaking inside look at the pains of female adolescence in 1970.

Catch-22 (1970)

Director Mike Nichols and writer Buck Henry adapted Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel into the star-studded WWII-era satire Catch-22, starring Alan Arkin and Bob Newhart. The book also inspired a Hulu original miniseries released in 2019 starring Christopher Abbott and George Clooney, who also executive produced.

Watchmen (2009)

Many credit the long-awaited acceptance of comic book fiction as earnest literature with writer Alan Moore and illustrator Dave Gibbons and their groundbreaking graphic novel, Watchmen, which was originally published by DC in 12 parts between 1986 and 1987. Director Zack Snyder first adapted the story of costumed crimefighters coming out of retirement years after vigilanteism is banned into a live-action film 15 years before Warner Bros. released a two-part animated feature in 2024.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

Amy Tan's influential 1989 novel, The Joy Luck Club, depicts the eye-opening experiences of four different women from a Chinese family. The author made a cameo in the film adaptation from director Wayne Wang.

Lord Of The Flies (1963)

William Golding’s seminal coming-of-age survival novel, Lord of the Flies, was first adapted for cinema nine years after it was published. Writer and director Peter Brook’s adaptation is considered to be more a faithful take on the story of adolescent boys stranded on a desert island than the American version released in 1990 by director Harry Hook.

Lolita (1962)

Vladimir Nabokov’s provocative 1955 novel, Lolita – the story of a middle-aged college professor obsessed with his teenage stepdaughter – was first adapted for cinema by director Stanley Kubrick in the early 1960s, starring James Mason and Sue Lyon in the title role. Director Adrian Lyne would later remake the drama in 1997 with Jeremy Irons and Dominique Swain.

Devil In A Blue Dress (1995)

Denzel Washington portrays one of the most iconic Black detectives in pop culture, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, in Devil in a Blue Dress. Based on Walter Mosley's 1990 novel, and the first to feature the character, the gritty period piece follows the World War II veteran as he becomes embroiled in the search for a mysterious woman.

The Twilight Movies (2008-2013)

Stephanie Meyer became one of the most popular authors of her time with 2008's Twilight and its three sequels, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. The saga, chronicling a teenage girl’s complicated romance with a vampire, was adapted into five box-office hits that made A-listers out of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.

Some call it the "Mandela Effect," but really, movies have been getting misquoted since the dawn of Hollywood. Usually, the quotes are close to correct, but there is still something clearly off about them. It can even lead to huge arguments when the more famous version of a quote is wrong (We're looking at you Darth Vader). Here is our list of movie quotes that people always get wrong.

"Luke, I am your father." - The Empire Strikes Back

It may be the most famous misquote of all time. At the end of Empire Strikes Back, after Luke and Darth Vader have battled to the edge, and with Luke hanging on for dear life, Darth takes a moment to tell him who his father is. "Luke, I am your father," is not what Vader says, however. Luke tells Vader that Obi-Wan told Luke that Vader had killed his father, and Vader says, "No, I am your father!"

"Play it again, Sam." - Casablanca

Yes, Sam is the piano player. And yes "As Time Goes By" is Rick and Ilsa's song in Casablanca, but at no point in the movie does anyone say "Play it again, Sam." Instead, what most people are misremembering is Ilsa requesting the song when she first walks into Rick's Cafe. What she actually says is "Play it once, Sam"

“Beam me up, Scotty." - Star Trek

"Beam me up, Scotty" has become one of the most iconic quotes from the entire Star Trek franchise. The only problem is that no one, not Captain Kirk, not Spock, not Bones... no one, ever actually used that line in the whole history of the TV or in any of the movies that followed. It is, more or less, completely made up. Kirk does say "Scotty, beam us up," in one episode, but that's as close as anyone gets.

“We’re going to need a bigger boat.” - Jaws

This one is close. Very close. The line Brody actually says in Jaws is "You're gonna need a bigger boat." The confusion may come from Clerks, where Randal misquotes it as "We're."

"Hello, Clarice" - The Silence Of The Lambs

This one is hard for people to believe, but Hannibal Lector doesn't say "Hello, Clarice" when the two characters meet in Silence Of The Lambs. It wouldn't even make sense, as they have yet to formally meet, so he would never be so informal. Instead, he simply greets her with "Good morning."

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” - Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

This one is a little tricky. In Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, the witch is often quoted as saying "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" That is, in fact how it is written in the original story that the movie is based on, including in the original German. BUT, in the movie, the quote is actually "Magic, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

“Do ya feel lucky, punk?” - Dirty Harry

Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) doesn't actually say the exact line "Do ya feel lucky, punk?” in Dirty Harry. It's close, but what the hard-boiled detective says is "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky? ' Well, do ya punk?”

"Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" - The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre

The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre is a legendary movie starring Humphrey Bogart, but the most famous line from the movie actually comes from the leader of a Mexican gang they come across as they search for the treasure. The line "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" has been misquoted many, many times over the years in many movies and in pop culture. The original line in the movie is, "Badges? We don't have no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges!"

“If you build it, they will come.” - Field Of Dreams

This is another one that people always just miss by a nose. When you hear the famous quote that the voice from beyond in Field Of Dreams says, usually it's "If you build it, they will come." It probably is due to the long line of cars at the end of the movie that coming to watch the baseball and save the farm. Instead, what the mysterious voice actually says is "If you build it, he will come," meaning Kevin Costner's character's father.

“I’m king of the world!” - Titanic

This one is really getting pedantic, but while we're here, let's get it right. When quoting Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Titanic, most people say, "I'm king of the world!" What the character actually says on the prow of the ill-fated ship is "I'm the king of the world!" Yeah, pedantic, we know.

“Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?” - The Graduate

The Graduate is a stone-cold classic about a college guy having an affair with the older friend of his parents. There is no question what is going on in the scene where this famous line comes from, but doesn't actually go down like this. Instead of asking, "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" what Ben (Dustin Hoffman) actually declares is, "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me!"

“Mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’” - Forrest Gump

This is one that we're really splitting hairs with, but while we're doing this list, we might as well get them all out of the way. In Forrest Gump, Gump actually says "My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." It's usually misquoted as "life is like a box of chocolates."

"Cowabunga, dude." - The Simpsons

This is a pretty odd one. It's pretty clearly a mashup of two different IPs that both came to prominence around the same time. Bart Simpson has never said "Cowabunga, dude" in the whole history of The Simpsons. "Cowabunga, dude" comes from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While Bart does say "Aye Carumba," he doesn't ever quote the Turtles.

"Houston we have a problem" - Apollo 13

This one goes back way further than 1995's Apollo 13. This line, or the real line, was first uttered by Jack Swigert during the actual Apollo 13 mission in 1970. What Swigert actually said was, "Houston, we've had a problem here." Captain Jim Lovell repeated it in real life. In the movie, all you hear is Hanks say "Houston we have a problem." So the movie is actually doing what everyone else had been doing, misquoting the now famous line.

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore" - The Wizard Of Oz

“I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" has become one of the most famous misquotes in Hollywood history. It's been said in movies and TV shows for decades. Of course, it's not what Dorothy actually said in The Wizard of Oz. The exact quote is actually, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.”

"Greed is good." - Wall Street

In Wall Street, Michael Douglas plays one of the best villains of the 1980s, and his character, Gordon Gekko, definitely believes that greed is good. That's not exactly how it expresses the sentiment. In the famous speech, Gekko says, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." We've all shortened to what many believe is now the actual quote.

"A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do" - Hondo

“A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do," has become more than just a famous line by the legendary John Wayne. It's become a modern mantra. Unfortunately, like the other famous lines on this list, it's quoted incorrectly The real line said by The Duke is "A man oughta do what he thinks is best." Quite different, don't you think?

"What if I told you..." - The Matrix

One of the most famous misquotes ever, and it's all due to modern memes is Morpheus saying "What if I told you..." in The Matrix. Though the meme's photo does come from the scene where Morpheus is telling Neo about the matrix, he never actually says those words at any point.

“I’m ready for my close-up now, Mr. DeMille.” - Sunset Boulevard

The ending of Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic scenes of all time. As Gloria Swanson, as NormaDesmond, makes her way down the stairs, she turns to the camera and says “I’m ready for my close-up now, Mr. DeMille.” Except, that's not exactly what she says, we get it backwards. What she actually says is, "Alright, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Same effect, but slightly different wording, just like most of the quotes on this list.

Ending a story is hard, just ask Monty Python who had a very hard time (and budget issues) with the ending of The Holy Grail. When a film ends well, it's often with one iconic scene that really sticks with the audience forever. Sometimes it's the most enduring image of the movie and this is a list of scenes like that. Iconic scenes that really stick the landing at the end.

Fight Club

It's really hard to believe that Fight Club wasn't really a hit when it was released in 1999, especially given the epic ending. Not only does it tie up a disturbing bow on the whole movie, but the visual, of a city collapsing is simply stunning. If those two things are not enough, having The Pixies' "Where Is My Mind" play over the exploding city is one of the best uses of music in a movie, ever.

Oppenheimer

Director Christopher Nolan pulled off an amazing trick in Oppenheimer. With his trademark use of time in a movie, he managed to tell the whole story of Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), including what happened after The Manhattan Project but still managed to bring the film to a climax with the big boom of the first nuclear bomb test. All of that set the end, with a focus on Oppenheimer himself internally debating if it was all the right thing to do.

Psycho

Leave it to Alfred Hitchcock to end a movie with a quiet bang that leaves the audience freaked out and thinking about days and even years later. The end of Psycho, with Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) staring into the camera as we hear his internal monologue, is about as perfect an ending as a movie can have.

Dead Poets Society

You simply cannot think about Dead Poets Society without thinking of that iconic ending first. As John Keating (Robin Williams) walks out of his classroom after being fired, all of his students stand on their desks in tribute, reciting "O Captain! My Captain!" from the famous poem by Walt Whitman. It is guaranteed to bring a tear to your eye every time you see it.

The Breakfast Club

Over the 90 or so minutes of The Breakfast Club, audiences all get to know each one of the characters intimately. Vice Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason) reads Brian's words as the audience hears Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) explain how each student is unique, but how they have to appreciate each other. They may be a brain, an athlete, a basket case, and a criminal, but they all have the problems of any teenager.

The Truman Show

The Truman Show is one of Jim Carrey's best films and the ending is a big part of that. The emotion of his sailing trip across "the ocean" and the moment he arrives at the door is harrowing. The joy of seeing Truman finally escape captures the audience perfectly and Truman waving goodbye as he walks out the door ends the movie in the best way possible.

The Silence Of The Lambs

The worst part about the end of The Silence Of The Lambs is that you find yourself actually rooting for a psychopathic serial killer. The movie, if you don't remember, ends with an escaped Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in disguise tracking his nemesis, Dr. Chilton (Anthony Heald) as he gets off a plane in a tropical location.

Thelma & Louise

There really isn't a more epic ending to a movie than Thelma & Louise. After being chased across multiple states after committing a justified crime, the two titular characters decide to literally ride off into the sunset - or off a cliff - as the police are closing in on them. In it together to the end.

The Godfather

There is nothing in cinema quite like The Godfather saga. There are some amazing scenes all throughout the two...okay, three... movies. None are more arresting than the final scene of the first movie when Michael (Al Pacino) fights with, and lies to, Kate (Diane Keaton) before leaving the room to greet his other family members. The door closing in Kate's face is tragic, but incredible.

Chinatown

Despite the last line of dialog in the movie, it's impossible to forget Chinatown, especially its tragic ending as Evelyn (Faye Dunaway) is killed attempting to finally escape the clutches of her domineering and, frankly, evil father played by John Huston. Jake (Jack Nicholson) is understandably distraught, yet all he can do is forget about it.

Planet Of The Apes

With one of the best twists in film history, the ending of Planet Of The Apes is so unforgettable that it has become a part of pop culture. Even people who have never seen the movie, starring Charlton Heston as an astronaut stuck on what he thinks is a distant planet, know how it ends when he discovers he's been on Earth the whole time.

Field Of Dreams

The premise of Field of Dreams is that if he (Kevin Costner) builds it "he" will come. The "he," of course, is Costner's character's father. The movie ends with the two characters having a catch on the baseball field as the camera pulls out to reveal a line of cars headed to watch a game at the magical field. Finally, they come.

The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects has one of the most beloved twists ever and the way it ends, with the reveal that Kevin Spacey's character is Keyser Söze, and with that final breath...poof, one of the most epic final scenes ever.

Dr. Strangelove

You can't really end a movie in a more epic way than having nuclear weapons exploding over and over. From the moment Korg (Slim Pickens) hitches a ride on one of his bombs, to the montage of actual nuclear explosions, the end brings to a point the absurdity of nuclear war.

Casablanca

There aren't many movies that have multiple quotes that have become part of the lexicon like Casablanca. Playing it again, hills of beans, looking at you... the list goes on and on. The final shot of Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Renault (Claude Raines) walking off into the fog is right up there with the greatest endings ever, with that iconic quote from Rick to Renault about the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Sunset Boulevard

There are few ending scenes as uncomfortable (and wonderful) as the final scene in Sunset Boulevard. Norma Desmond's slow walk down the stars, with the over-the-top facial expressions by actor Gloria Swanson is sooooo disconcerting, and when the camera comes to a stop on Swanson's face and she delivers that famous line, "Alright, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" is spine-tingling.

Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino's debut movie is one of the best movies by a first-time director ever. His brilliant script ends as tragically as a movie can with virtually all the characters dying. The last two, Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) and Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) are the most heartbreaking.

Whiplash

The only way to end a movie as intense as Whiplash is with a scene befitting that intensity and the final drum solo of the movie when it all comes together for Miles Teller's character. The movie is hard to watch and tension built up until that final release is felt by audiences as much as it shows in Teller's face. It's brilliant.

The Graduate

The best thing about the ending to The Graduate is just how unsure both Benjamin (Dustin Huffman) and Elaine (Katharine Ross) are when they take their seats on the bus. Sure, on the surface it's a pretty standard ending to a Rom-Com, with the two lovebirds facing the future together. But as the shot lingers, it's clear both are nervous about that future, unsure that they've made the right decision. It's an excellent ending.

The Thing

The thing about the ending of The Thing is that it really is all about one line. One iconic line. After all MacReady (Kurt Russell) and Childs (Keith David) have been through, they are left by themselves in the cold. When Childs asks what they should do, MacReady can only say, "Why don't we just wait here a little while...and see what happens."

There Will Be Blood

The final act of There Will Be Blood is one of the most intense scenes in any movie, ever. The physical and metaphysical battle for Daniel Plainview's soul is violent. In the end, after Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Eli (Paul Dano) are finished, and Eli is dead, Plainview can only turn to his butler and say, "I'm finished." He is finished in almost every way

Inception

Much like the rest of the movie, the ending to Christopher Nolan's Inception is left open to interpretation by the audience. When Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) spins the top at the end to determine if he's in the real world, he never actually looks at it, leaving him, and us, to wonder just where he is.

Primal Fear

Edward Norton's character (or characters) in Primal Fear are terrifying and the end, with its nod to Hitchcock's Psycho, leaves the audience with a most uneasy feeling. What did we all just watch and what is real? Those are the questions we are asked and we don't have all the answers.

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is one of the most unconventional romances in film history. It asks the question we all ask sometimes, are we destined to be one other person in our lives? The ending doesn't really answer it, but it is clear that two souls can be connected whether we want them to be or not.

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Sure, it's the "Hollywood" ending to a kinda true story in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid. In the end, in classic Western style, our heroes are surrounded with no chance to escape, they choose to go out guns blazing. Of course, in real life, the fate of the real Butch and Sundance has been open to a lot of conjecture. Did they survive? Well, the movie freezes just as they burst out of their hideout, and we never see the final gunfight, so maybe they did. It's part of what makes it one of the best Westerns ever.

Se7en

It doesn't get more disturbing than the end of Se7en. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) is in control the whole time and he proves it with the delivery of "the box," getting exactly what he wants from Mills (Brad Pitt), and the audience is left with that pullback from the camera on the helicopter as we hear radio chatter about what's happened. It's one you just can't stop thinking about for days.

The Shawshank Redemption

The end of The Shawshank Redemption could be subtitled "Red's Last Journey" as he makes his way across the country, and across the border to reunite with Andy on the beach. It's a touching ending to the best movie of the 1990s.

Citizen Kane

Obviously, Citizen Kane is one of the most iconic movies of all time, and the ending is no small part of why people love it so much. The image of the burning sled called "Rosebud" at the end not only answers what Kane (Orson Welles) hinted at in the first scene of the movie, but it leaves the audience to ponder just what life, even one like Kane's, really means in the end.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

For much of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, we don't really see just how important Big Chief is. In the end, though, it's Big Chief who not only sets McMurphy free by suffocating him, but he frees himself of the hospital and all his internal baggage that he's found so hard to let go of. It's a tragically beautiful ending to a wild movie.

The Bridge On The River Kwai

So much of war is futile and no movie expresses that more succinctly than The Bridge On The River Kwai. The whole movie is a battle between the Japanese guards and the Allied prisoners, and it's a battle with nature, and the titular bridge, which, in the end, of course, is blown up. What is the point of it all?

Schindler's List

The raw power of the final scene of Steven Spielberg's masterpiece Schindler's List is undeniable. The black-and-white movie turns to color as the real-life survivors place stones on the real-life grave of Oskar Schindler. It brings even more weight to the cost of the Holocaust than you could possibly expect and it's as powerful a moment as has ever been in any film, ever.

It's A Wonderful Life

The Christmas classic It's A Wonderful Life has become a bit of a trope in recent decades, but you still can't deny how sweet and wonderful the ending is as an angel finally earns his wings.

You've heard the saying, "The book's always better than the movie." Well, it turns out that's not always true. Sometimes films are able to streamline through a novel's tedious exposition or confusing jargon. Other times they're able to bring fantastical worlds to life in a more spectacular way than you might have imagined. Either way, here are some book-to-screen adaptations that are at least as good as — and sometimes better than — their source material.

Jaws

Never bet against Steven Spielberg, especially with John Williams providing what turned out to be an Oscar-winning score! The 1975 thriller Jaws is widely considered to be one movie that's at least as good as its source material. Spielberg cut out a lot of side plots from Peter Benchley's 1974 novel, and the actors really elevated the book's largely unlikeable characters, particularly Robert Shaw as Quint, turning the film into a classic you can watch over and over.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

There are some pretty big differences between Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder (not to mention the 2005 remake and 2023 prequel). That means it's probably a matter of personal preference regarding which is "better," but it's hard to argue with Mel Stuart's musical fantasy.

The Thing

While John W. Campbell Jr.'s 1938 novella Who Goes There? is considered a classic for its deeply developed characters and an alien that's smarter — and therefore possibly scarier — than its movie's equivalent, John Carpenter's The Thing from 1982 is considered one of the best horror movies of all time. Its truly repulsive monster and effective special effects hold up even decades later.

Stand By Me

Lots of Stephen King novels have been adapted for the screen, and not all of those projects have been great. Stand By Me, however, which was adapted from "The Body," from the Different Seasons collection, is considered one of the best movies from the '80s. Some people prefer the movie, if only for the nostalgia kick provided by its phenomenal casting of Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell.

The Ring

Both the Americanized 2002 horror The Ring and Koji Suzuki's 1991 novel are highly acclaimed, but the book simply can't match the movie in terms of the creepy imagery from the cursed video.

Fight Club

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are simply incomparable as a dynamic duo in 1999's Fight Club. Not only is the movie considered one of the best of the '90s, and Chuck Palahniuk — author of the 1996 book of the same name — has spoken positively about David Ficher's film.

The Lord Of The Rings

I don't think anyone's arguing the talents of J. R. R. Tolkien here, and indeed many do prefer the world-building and lore of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings saga. However, other fans argue that the films are more inviting, bringing emotion to the characters and cutting through all of the author's descriptive text.

The Hunger Games

There's no question that Suzanne Collins' The Hunter Games books could stand on their own, but it was thrilling to see those terrifying games portrayed on the big screen. From the worlds built for the youngsters' trials to The Hunger Games' ridiculous outfits, it's no wonder many hold Jennifer Lawrence's movie trilogy in such high regard. To me, it was worth it all to see Katniss' red carpet-worthy "Girl on Fire" dress.

The Shining

The Shining is one of Stephen King's best books, and — thanks in large part to Jack Nicholson's unforgettable turn as Jack Torrance — the horror movie of the same name also remains a time-honored classic. Both will scare the daylights out of you, and there are enough differences between Stanley Kubrick's film and the book that The Shining is totally still worth reading after you've seen the movie.

Requiem For A Dream

Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1978 novel Requiem for a Dream is a good read, but you just can't beat the performances turned in by the cast of Darren Aronofsky's 2000 film. Whether it's the heartbreaking tailspin of Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans' characters into addiction, Ellen Burstyn's obsession with being on television or Christopher McDonald's haunting Tappy Tibbons leading a chant about JUICE, this movie elevates the already-harrowing text into something that you won't be able to shake.

Room

Emma Donoghue's 2010 novel Room is told from the perspective of 5-year-old Jack, which gives a different POV to the story of a mother and her son escaping after years of captivity than the 2015 film adaptation. The book is undoubtedly gripping, but the movie holds its own, earning four Academy Award nominations, including a win for Brie Larson for Best Actress.

The Silence Of The Lambs

It doesn't matter how good Thomas Harris' 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs was — and it was definitely good — the 1991 film adaptation won the Academy Awards' "Big Five," which includes the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Talley). Since its release there have been three more movies and two TV series based on these characters, so I'd say that paints both the film and the novel in a phenomenally successful light.

Mean Girls

It's not really fair to compare 2004's Mean Girls to the source material that inspired it. That's because Tina Fey adapted one of the best high school movies of all time from Rosalind Wiseman's self-help book Queen Bees and Wannabes, which is a guide for parents to help their teenage daughters survive in a world of cliques, gossip and boyfriends. While moms of teens (myself included) could probably use all the help we can get, there's no way Queen Bees and Wannabees could stand up to Mean Girls' most quotable lines and pop culture references.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird has been a staple in schools since it came out in 1960 for its exploration of themes like race and stereotypes. It wouldn't be fair or correct to say that the 1962 film was better, but Gregory Peck and Mary Badham gave performances that earned them Oscar nominations as Atticus and Scout Finch, respectively. Overall the movie won three of the eight awards it was up for (including Best Actor for Peck), which should make it worthy of being considered as good as Lee's novel.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

While many still prefer Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the 1975 movie made Randle Patrick McMurphy's crimes more palatable for the moviegoing audience and ultimately won five of the nine Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Actor for Jack Nicholson and Best Actress for Louise Fletcher (Nurse Ratched).

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, but the movie proved why Hitchcock was the master of suspense, with that infamous shower scene likely inspiring audience members to start double-checking the locks on their bathroom doors. While the 1960 film may be as good (or better than) the book, the same can't be said for 1998's Psycho, which is considered one of the worst remakes in Hollywood history.

The Shawshank Redemption

Adapted from Stephen King's novella from Different Seasons, The Shawshank Redemption was turned into a classic movie that many think surpasses its source material. Frank Darabont's 1994 film adds a lot to the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) and their decades together in prison. The film garnered seven Oscar nominations but did not win any.

Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton set the stage with his 1990 novel Jurassic Park for how dinosaurs could come to exist in the modern era and Steven Spielberg got hold of the idea and ran with it, creating a world for the big screen that we'd only ever dreamed about. As good as the book is, there was just something about seeing the prehistoric beasts walking amongst the humans with our own eyes, and that idea has since inspired two trilogies and several TV series.

Forrest Gump

A lot was changed in the story of Forrest Gump between the 1986 novel by Winston Groom and the 1994 Robert Zemeckis film, but for many, it was Tom Hanks' heartbreaking portrayal that got us, along with plenty of quotes still being repeated today. The six Academy Awards from 13 nominations also speak to it being a pretty good movie adaptation.

The Hunt For Red October

The 1990 spy thriller The Hunt for Red October cut out quite a few subplots and a lot of technical language from Tom Clancy's best-selling debut novel, making it more approachable for a wider audience. Without the popularity of this movie, would we still live in a world with three dozen Jack Ryan novels, a handful of films and a TV series? Thankfully we don't have to consider the alternative.

The Notebook

Nobody tells an epically sad love story quite like Nicholas Sparks, and that includes his 1996 novel The Notebook. However, seeing Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams' chemistry as they brought Noah and Allie's story to life in the 2004 drama was what really stuck with fans over the years.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is one of the funniest and most quotable movies of the 1980s, and it's considered just as good as its source material, though the two are very different. William Goldman's 1973 novel is highly praised amongst those who have read it, with many fans suggesting that people who have only seen the movie would still enjoy the book.

A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick's 1971 adaptation of A Clockwork Orange is a fairly loyal interpretation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel, save for a few changes to make Malcolm McDowell's Alex more palatable. Many prefer the film's darker ending, as well, to the more optimistic conclusion Burgess wrote.

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women has been adapted twice in recent decades — the 1994 version starring Winona Ryder as Jo March and Greta Gerwig's 2019 film. Because each iteration alters the March sisters' stories to better reflect the societal roles and priorities of a woman in that day, it only makes sense that audiences connect more with the updated material.

The Wizard Of Oz

No matter how classic L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is — and there are plenty who are staunch defenders of the book — there's nothing quite like seeing Dorothy step from her sepia-toned Kansas farmhouse into the fantastic Technicolor world of Oz in 1939's The Wizard of Oz. The film adaptation remains a beloved children's movie all these decades later.

Shutter Island

Both the 2003 psychological thriller by Dennis Lehane and Martin Scorsese's 2010 adaptation of Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio are highly regarded by fans, with many choosing to experience both, despite knowing how it ends. The movie stays loyal to the novel and can be considered at least as good, if not better.

The Devil Wears Prada

In Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada, her fictionalized account of working for Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is undoubtedly fascinating, but Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly on top of the performances of Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and the rest of the cast elevate the story.

The Godfather

Mario Puzo's 1969 bestseller The Godfather was arguably made even better by Francis Ford Coppola by focusing his film on Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone and his relationship with son Michael (Al Pacino), thereby streamlining the novel's grand story.

A Simple Favor

In the movie adaptation of A Simple Favor, many find Anna Kendrick's Stephanie more likable than the blogger in Darcey Bell's 2017 novel of the same name. To that point, Blake Lively makes her own character Emily feel even more dangerous.

Blade Runner

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time and many think it's even better than its literary counterpart, Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? From Harrison Ford's portrayal of android hunter Rick to the book's bleaker ending, this is the rare film that surpasses its source material in many fans' eyes.

City Of God

Fernando Meirelles' celebrated 2002 crime drama City of God expands on the 1997 novel by Paulo Lins in its performances and how it illustrates gang life in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Respect and homage are paid to the people of the region, and the cinematography shows the beauty that exists amidst the tragedy.

Drive

Many fans seem to prefer Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 movie Drive to the 2005 book by James Sallis, crediting the director and Ryan Gosling with further developing the Driver and other themes in Sallis' work.

The best uses of music in movies and TV shows have typically changed the way we perceive the songs in question forever, especially if the normally jovial tune is heard during or relates to a particularly intense or disturbing scene. Because of the way the following titles used some of the happiest radio hits of all time, we can never hear them again without our hearts skipping a beat.

Zodiac ("Hurdy Gurdy Man" - Donovan)

The opening scene of Zodiac depicts a horrifying crime by the eponymous killer, accompanied by an otherwise relaxing folk ballad from 1968 called "Hurdy Gurdy Man." Coincidentally, Ione Skye, the daughter of the song's writer and performer, Donovan, makes an uncredited appearance in David Fincher's great true crime movie from 2007 as Zodiac Killer witness Kathleen Johns.

Black Mirror ("Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand" - Irma Thomas)

In one of the best episodes of Black Mirror (Season 1's "Fifteen Million Merits), Abi (Jessica Brown Findlay) auditions for Hot Shot by singing "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand." Following this memorable scene from the sci-fi anthology series, the 1964 Irma Thomas hit would be featured in some capacity in every season since, offering plenty more reasons to feel unsettled by the feel-good romance tune.

The Silence Of The Lambs (“Goodbye Horses” - Q Lazzarus)

According to the original writer of "Goodbye Horses," William Garvey, the 1988 one-hit-wonder performed by Q Lazzarus is about “the ability to lift one’s perception above [their] physical limitations." In that case, its inclusion in the terrifying Best Picture Oscar winner, The Silence of the Lambs, as serial killer Jame “Buffalo Bill” Gumb (Ted Levine) embraces his femininity through dance is a perfect match.

Halloween ("(Don't Fear) The Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult)

To be fair, the lyrics to Blue Öyster Cult’s signature 1976 hit “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” are not the happiest, referencing a romance destined to end similar to that of Romeo and Juliet. However, the world might have been less receptive to its creepier themes if not for its inclusion in one of the best horror movies of all time, 1978's Halloween, as Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Annie Brackett (Nancy Kyes) are unwittingly being tiled Haddonfield’s own “reaper,” Michael Myers.

Watchmen ("The Times They Are A-Changin'" - Bob Dylan)

There is a dark thematic tone to most of Bob Dylan's earlier work, especially his 1962 breakthrough hit, "The Times They Are A-Changin'." The folk ballad's message of a society experiencing a revolution comes through effectively while playing over the opening titles of 2009's Watchmen, which traces the ups and downs of superheroes' contributions to history in the world Alan Moore's seminal graphic novel.

American Psycho (“Hip To Be Square” - Huey Lewis And The News)

Pop culture's most famous Huey Lewis and the News fan would have to be Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), who provides an impassioned analysis of 1986's "Hip to Be Square," and the Fore! album in general, as he prepares to murder his colleague, Paul Allen (Jared Leto) in his apartment. Lewis himself would pay tribute to the memorable moment from American Psycho in a Funny or Die bit in which he exuberantly analyzes the 2000 psychological thriller as he prepares to murder “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Insidious ("Tiptoe Through The Tulips" - Tiny Tim)

For years, the only creepy aspect of Tiny Tim's version of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" was that the high-pitched vocalist was actually a lanky, 6'1" man. These days, since its prominent use in the first Insidious movie from 2011, audiences cannot help but picture the demonic "Man with Fire on His Face" when the romantic ukulele ballad plays.

American Horror Story ("Tonight You Belong To Me" - Patience & Prudence)

The best-known version of writers Billy Rose and Lee David's "Tonight You Belong to Me" is by young sisterly duo Patience & Prudence, which became even more famous in 2011, thanks to American Horror Story. The playful 1956 tune about making the most of your time with a loved one appeared in four episodes of the horror anthology TV show's premiere season from 2011, taking place in a haunted house with an extensive history of murders.

Beetlejuice ("Banana Boat (Day-O)” - Harry Belafonte)

In 1988's Beetlejuice, the ghostly Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis) attempt to scare off the Deetzes (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) by possessing them and their party guests into dancing and lip-synching to Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat (Day-O).” While the scene did not necessarily make the 1956 Calypso hit creepy, it would be forever entwined with the classic horror-comedy movie – a fact that Belafonte told Pitchfork he enjoyed.

Reservoir Dogs ("Stuck In The Middle With You" - Stealers Wheel)

The first of many iconic musical moments in Quentin Tarantino's movies occurs in 1992's Reservoir Dogs, when Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) puts on K-Billy's Super Sounds of the '70s (which starts playing "Stuck In The Middle With You") and proceeds to torture Officer Marvin Nash (Kirk Baltz). We doubt there is a single person who can listen to Stealers Wheel's upbeat, 1973 rock single without imagining the criminal slicing the cop's ear off, even though that moment is thankfully kept off camera.

A Clockwork Orange (“Singin' In The Rain”)

If there is one cinematic use of 1929's "Singin' in the Rain" as, if not more, iconic as Gene Kelly's performance in the eponymous 1952 musical, it would be the rendition heard in A Clockwork Orange. As Alex DeLarge, Malcolm McDowell belts out the song about happiness that even weather cannot deter during one of the most unspeakably brutal moments from the 1971 Stanley Kubrick movie.

Stranger Things ("Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" - Kate Bush)

There have been many memorable musical moments from Stranger Things but none as impactful as its uses of "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" in Season 4, which made Kate Bush's definitive track more popular than ever. The English art pop queen’s 1985 ballad first helps rescue Max (Sadie Sink) from Vecna's trance before a remixed reprise accompanies the disparate gang's multi-faceted defeat of the villain in the action-packed finale.

10 Cloverfield Lane ("I Think We're Alone Now" - Tommy James & The Shondells)

While it experienced a new life in the 1980s with Tiffany's cover, the original version of "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tommy James & The Shondells was reintroduced to modern audiences via 10 Cloverfield Lane. The cute pop tune about a couple enjoying their time on their own took on a whole new meaning when it appeared in the 2016 thriller, which takes place in an underground bunker inhabited by survivors of an unknown disaster.

Supernatural ("Carry On, Wayward Son" - Kansas)

"Carry On, Wayward Son" by Kansas would become the de facto theme for Supernatural after it was used in the season finale following the first one. In fact, the series finale of the hit series, following the adventures of paranormal hunters Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki), was named "Carry On," after the 1976 rock epic.

Get Out (“Run Rabbit Run” - Flanagan And Allen)

Originally released in the late 1930s and a hit during World War II, "Run Rabbit Run" became iconic to modern horror movie audiences as the first song featured in Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning 2017 thriller Get Out. The song is heard coming from the car that sneaks up on Andre Hayworth (LaKeith Stanfield), who tries to walk in the opposite direction before getting abducted.

Halloween II (“Mr. Sandman” - Chordettes)

The second installment of the Halloween franchise from 1981 opens in an unexpected manner. Instead of John Carpenter's unmistakable score, we hear the Chordettes' endearing doo-wop hit, "Mr. Sandman," which might have had a more endurable reputation as a retroactively creepy song if not for its use in the time travel movie classic, Back to the Future, four years later.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 ("Woo Hoo" - The 5.6.7.8's)

Before blood hits the screen at the House of Blue Leaves in 2003's Kill Bill Vol. 1, things are peaceful at the Japanese eatery. One major reason why is because the guests are treated to the head-knocking rock 'n roll song, "Woo Hoo," by The 5.6.7.8's, whom Quentin Tarantino discovered while shopping in Japan and wound up casting in the violent revenge movie.

Jeepers Creepers ("Jeepers Creepers" - Paul Whiteman and His Swing Wing)

The lyric "Jeepers creepers, where'd you get those eyes?" takes on a more frighteningly literal meaning in Jeepers Creepers. The eponymous love song by Paul Whiteman and His Swing Wing plays during the final moment of the 2001 horror flick as the grotesque, villainous "Creeper" (Jonathan Breck) shows off his new "peepers," which he stole from Darry (Justin Long).

Shaun Of The Dead ("Don't Stop Me Now" - Queen)

Like most Edgar Wright films, there are many moments from Shaun of the Dead in which music plays a large role but the best takes place at the Winchester. Nearly every move Shaun (Simon Pegg) and the gang make when battling the bar's undead owner is in near-perfect sync with Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," which randomly starts playing from the jukebox as they are desperate to stay undetected from the horde outside.

The Shining ("Midnight, The Stars And You" - Ray Noble And His Orchestra)

The final moment of Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining slowly zooms into a photo taken at the Overlook in 1921 with a man resembling Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) shown front and center. The chilling shot is accompanied by 1934's "Midnight, the Stars and You" –performed by Ray Noble and his Orchestra with vocals by Al Bowlly – which is most notable today for its inclusion in the 1980 horror classic.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe ("Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)" - The McGuire Sisters)

In The Autopsy of Jane Doe, the titular corpse (actually a witch capable of nearly anything but moving a muscle) likes to taunt the father-son coroners examining her by playing the McGuire Sisters' version of "Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)" on the radio. The otherwise "shiny" tune makes a devasting reprise near the end when Austin (Emile Hirsch) believes he is being rescued by Sheriff Burke (Michael McElhatton) who repeatedly tells him to "open up" the stuck cellar doors until he hears him belt the song's chorus, indicating his nightmare is not yet over.

The Strangers ("My First Lover" - Gillian Welch)

Sometimes turning a happy song into nightmare fuel takes a little manipulation, such as how Gillian Welch's "My First Lover" appears in The Strangers. At one point in the 2008 home invasion thriller, a record scratch causes the romantic folk ballad to repeatedly loop on the lyric, "Quicksilver girl," which is enough to create relentless tension.

Us ("Les Fleurs" - Minnie Riperton)

Sung from the perspective of a flower, Minnie Riperton's 1969 hit "Les Fleurs" is a beautiful song about spiritual renewal. However, when it begins playing as the twist from the ending of Us is revealed and reaches its invigorating crescendo during the apocalyptic final shot, it creates a chilling juxtaposition for Jordan Peele's sophomore hit.

A Quiet Place Part II ("Beyond The Sea" - Bobby Darin)

In A Quiet Place Part II, Emmett (Cillian Murphy) tells Regan (Millicent Simmonds) that he has heard a radio station playing Bobby Darin's scintillating swing hit "Beyond the Sea" on repeat. She correctly deciphers this as a code sent from an island safe haven, which she and Emmett eventually find and, unwittingly, lead a sound-hunting alien to.

Candyman ("The Candy Man" - Sammy Davis Jr.)

Some might argue that 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has its creepy moments, but Aubrey Woods' performance of "The Candy Man" is not one of them. However, by playing Sammy Davis Jr.'s rendition of the song and slowly fading it out with the sound of buzzing bees during the production logos serves as a perfect way to set the tone for the 2021 Candyman requel.

Annabelle: Creation ("You Are My Sunshine" - Charles McDonald)

The end of Annabelle: Creation from 2017 leaves off where the rising action of its 2014 predecessor begins, revealing how Malthus entered the creepy doll. Playing over the closing credits is Charle McDonald's rendition of "You Are My Sunshine," making it the ironic defacto theme of the Conjuring Universe movie.

The House Of The Devil ("One Thing Leads To Another" - The Fixx)

Ti West's 2009 breakthrough feature, The House of the Devil, is a slow-burn horror film that waits to reveal its visceral frights with masterful pacing. During that time, he finds ways to catch you off guard with moments of levity, such as when Samantha (Jocelin Donahue) tries to distract herself from her creepy "babysitting" gig by dancing around her clients' house to The Fixx's "One Thing Lead to Another" on her tape player.

Dawn Of The Dead ("The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash)

Upon deeper examination, Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" is a song about Jesus Christ's return to Earth on Judgment Day. Its foreboding apocalyptic message is greatly emphasized by its inclusion over the opening credits of Zack Snyder's 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.

The Handmaid's Tale ("Cloudbusting" - Kate Bush)

Despite boasting one of Kate Bush's most cheerful melodies, "Cloudbusting" is actually one of her darkest hits, inspired by the true story of a boy whose father was taken away from him when he was abruptly arrested. However, that tale is far lighter than the story of The Handmaid's Tale, which uses the song in a scene from Season 3 in which evidence of a character's brutal murder is removed.

You're Next ("Looking For Magic" - Dwight Twilley Band)

Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett are known for using comedy in their horror movies, including their otherwise brutal 2013 home invasion thriller, You're Next. Much of the humor comes from the ironic use of the Dwight Tilley Band's "Looking for Magic" in two scenes, due to one victim of the masked assassins putting the 1977 pop tune on repeat accidentally before his death.

Final Destination ("Rocky Mountain High" - John Denver)

The uplifting music of John Denver has been used for ironically dark purposes in several movies and the most iconic example comes from the first installment of the Final Destination movies. Any time "Rocky Mountain High" is heard in the 2000 teen thriller is a signal that Death is near.

Nope ("Fingertips" - Stevie Wonder)

To be fair, Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips" never actually appears in Jordan Peele's third feature, 2022's Nope. However, a remixed version of it provides an ominous aura for the alien invasion movie's trailer.

The 1990s were a great decade for music and that is reflected in this list of some of the best music moments from films of the era. Not all the music is "'90s music" but all of the moments are unforgettable. Here is our list of some of those amazing moments from some of the best movies of the decade.

"Flower Duet" - True Romance

Composer Léo Delibes' "Flower Duet" sets the backdrop for the amazing, and intense, scene between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper in Tony Scott's True Romance. Not only is it a fantastic use of music in film, it's one of the best scenes of any movie from the '90s. Maybe one of the best of all time.

"O-o-h Child" - Boyz 'N The Hood

The melancholy music and lyrics of "O-o-h Child" by the Five Stairsteps set the perfect tone for the scene in Boyz In The Hood where we see a young Dough Boy getting arrested for the first time as Tre and his father Furious look on after a nice afternoon fishing. The scene says so much about how each kid would grow up stuck in an unsustainable system.

"Layla" - GoodFellas

Martin Scorcese has always been great with his use of music in movies. Goodfellas is filled with classic songs and the most dramatic of all of them has to be the coda of the Derek and the Dominos' song "Layla." The piano, along with Eric Clapton and Duane Allman's soaring, dueling guitar solo, sets the perfect tone as bodies from the crew turn up everywhere as Jimmy (Robert DeNiro) cleans up the heist.

"Bittersweet Symphony" - Cruel Intentions

One of the best songs of the '90s, and indeed of all time, is "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve. The use of it at the end of Cruel Intentions as Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) gets busted and embarrassed in front of the whole school is, in one word, epic.

"Sweet Emotion" - Dazed And Confused

The opening moments of Dazed and Confused, accompanied by Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" make it immediately clear just how cool the movie is going to be. When the beat kicks in and we see Pickford (Shawn Andrews) and Michelle (Milla Jovovich) cruising the parking lot in his car, it draws the audience in immediately.

"Son Of Preacher Man" - Pulp Fiction

There are a lot of songs you can choose from in Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece Pulp Fiction. The dancing scene with Chuck Berry certainly stands out, but we just have to go with "Son of a Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield when Vincent (John Travolta) first arrives to pick up Mia (Uma Thurman). If nothing else, it's really cool, and the scene is now a legendary meme.

"Supermodel" - Clueless

"Cher's main thrill in life is a makeover," is one of the defining lines of Clueless, and the montage that follows accompanied by "Supermodel" by Jill Sobule, is one of the most iconic scenes from one of the most iconic movies of the '90s.

"Jungle Fever" - Jungle Fever

You can't have a list like this and not include the music from Spike Lee's Jungle Fever. The songs, all written and performed by the great Stevie Wonder, fit the movie perfectly. It would be a very different movie without them and while it's hard to pick just one, we went with the title track to the movie, played over the opening credits, to represent them all.

"Still" - Office Space

Sure, the most famous song featured in Office Space is "Feels Good To Be A Gangsta" but it's another song by The Geto Boys, "Still," that gets the nod here. There isn't a harder song director Mike Judge could have gone with to play along with the most famous scene in the movie when the office crew finally put their misery to an end and killed the janky printer.

"Hotel California" - The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski has some amazing quotes and is filled with unforgettable moments and lines. None more so than the moment cast member John Turturro's character, Jesus, is introduced while The Gypsy Kings' version of The Eagles' "Hotel California" plays.

"My Heart Will Go On" - Titanic

While Celine Dion's song "My Heart Will Go On" is not part of one particular scene in Titanic, the theme, written by James Horner (in the composer's most famous work), is played so much that it's as much a part of everyone's fond memories of the movie as the wonderful sets and incredible special effects arfe.

"Unchained Melody" - Ghost

"Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers may have been a quarter of a century old when it was used in Ghost but there are generations of movie fans that only associate with that famous scene of Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze throwing some pottery together.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” - Wayne’s World

It's incredible to think that Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was almost cut from Wayne's World. Not only did end up being the most iconic scene in the movie, it introduced a whole new audience to Queen's music. The movie world would be very different with it.

"Bring The Pain" - The Great White Hype

1996's The Great White Hype is one of the great underrated movies of the decade. Not only does it have a stacked cast with Damon Wayons, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Berg, Jamie Foxx, and others, but it also has one amazing moment when Wayons' character, heavyweight champion James "The Grim Reaper" Roper enters the ring with Method Man rapping "Bring The Pain."

"Goodbye Horses" - Silence Of The Lambs

There are very few songs in the history of film that can creep you out quite like "Goodbye Horses" by Q Lazzarus. The song, used in one of the most traumatic scenes in Silence Of The Lambs will immediately put you back in that moment whenever and wherever you hear it.

"Lust For Life" - Trainspotting

Director Danny Boyle is a master of using music in his movies and the best example of this is probably Trainspotting. From the opening moments of the movie with "Lust For Life" by Iggy Pop playing to the end of the movie with the epic "Born Slippy" by Underworld, the music is just amazing.

"The Stroke" - Billy Madison

Billy Madison launched Adam Sandler's movie career. The Sand Man plays a idiot 20-something who is forced to redo all 12 grades to earn his father's company. As a guy who clearly grew up in the 1980s, turning up to his first day of "high school" in a Trans Am while "The Stroke" by Billy Squire plays is, well, radical and perfect.

“I Will Always Love You” - The Bodyguard

We simply couldn't have put together this list without including one of the most popular songs of all time. Whitney Houston's version of the Dolly Parton-penned "I Will Always Love You" was a cultural atom bomb in the '90s. The song was everywhere and while the movie, which also stars Houston has mostly been forgotten, the song and the soundtrack live on forever.

"Everybody Knows" - Pump Up The Volume

Pump Up The Volume is an excellent example of a great movie from the 1990s that no one talks about anymore. The Christian Slater-led movie about a disaffected high school kid who broadcasts his own pirate radio station did, at the time, do as much to define Gen X culture as any movie from the era. The fact that it predates Grunge makes it all the more defining. All of the music is great, but his theme song, "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen is just so... cool.

"My Sharona" - Reality Bites

No movie oozes "Gen X" quite like Reality Bites. Not only does it star actors like Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder, Janeane Garofalo, and Steve Zahn, but the soundtrack is very '90s. With one exception - "My Sharona" by The Knack. The '80s song fits perfectly though, as the stars all take a moment to turn it up and dance in a convenience store.

“Sister Christian” - Boogie Nights

The scene with "Sister Christian" in Boogie Nights is INTENSE. It's a scene that is, honestly, hard to watch because it makes your skin crawl. That's also what makes the scene, and the movie, such a masterpiece.

"99 Luftballoons" - Grosse Pointe Blank

Grosse Pointe Blank has a truly great soundtrack made up of some of the coolest songs of the 1980s. This is unsurprising given the cast and crew of the movie, including star John Cusack. One of the more ridiculous scenes in this underrated dark romantic comedy is Cusack's character getting help from Jeremy Piven's character to haul a dead body out of a high school reunion with Nena's "99 Luftballoons" playing in the background.

"Stuck In The Middle With You" - Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino burst onto the scene with his first movie Reservoir Dogs and he immediately set the kind of tone he would carry into most of his movies with the ultra-violent scene of Mr. Blonde (Michael Madson) cutting the ear off a cop. The fact that the sweet love song "Stuck In The Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel plays over it makes it all the more jarring.

"Only You" - Can't Hardly Wait

Can't Hardly Wait is a very '90s with a very '80s aesthetic in a lot of ways, especially the music. The movie's title comes from an '80s song of the same name by The Replacements and the last song of the movie, "Only You" by Yazoo is an '80s New Wave classic. It all fits perfectly though.

"Something I Can Never Have" - Natural Born Killers

Nine Inch Nails have the well-earned reputation of being one of the darkest bands of the 1990s and so when their song "Something I Can Never Have" was included in one of the darkest movies of the decade, it was a marriage made in Heaven, or Hell, depending on how you look at it.

"Mary Jane" - Friday

We all know what Friday is about. The Ice Cube/Chris Tucker comedy classic is one of the funniest movies of the '90s and while "Mary Jane" by Rick James dates back to the '70s, there isn't a more perfect song for the movie.

"Fortunate Son" - Forrest Gump

It's become a comedic trope that Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" is in every Vietnam War movie, but the facts actually show it's not used all that much. One movie it is used perfectly in is Forrest Gump, as the first song we hear when Forrest (Tom Hanks) gets to Vietnam.

"I Got You Babe" - Groundhog Day

There is no more perfect song than "I Got You Babe" to be played over and over and over and over as it is in Groundhog's Day. It does an amazing job just sucking the audience into Bill Murray's character's frustration again and again...and again.

“That Thing You Do” - That Thing You Do!

That Thing You Do! is a really fun movie about a fictional band, so it just had to be included here. None of the songs are all that great, except the star of the show, the song with the same name as the movie, written by the late Adam Schlesinger. It's just so darn catchy!

"State of Love and Trust and Breathe" - Singles

In 1992 the music scene was completely overrun with Grunge. Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains, were just a few of the Seattle bands dominating the charts. Another one of those Seattle bands was, of course, Pearl Jam. Not only did Eddie Veddar and company write and perform the best song on the soundtrack, "State of Love and Trust" but Veddar even showed up in the movie.

"Secret Garden" - Jerry Maguire

Bruce Springsteen had some great contributions to '90s movies, like the theme to Philadelphia, called ""Streets of Philadelphia" for which he won an Oscar, and "Dead Man Walkin'" from Dead Man Walking. We went with another Springsteen choice, "Secret Garden" which is played over the scene in Jerry Maguire when Renee Zelleweger's character is forced to break up with Jerry (Tom Cruise).

"Love Stinks" - The Wedding Singer

Some could argue that The Wedding Singer was the last great movie from Adam Sandler's early career. It's a funny movie, with an even funnier premise and that premise, of Sandler as a washed up singer playing weddings is highlighted perfectly when a depressed singer chooses to sing "Love Stinks" by the J. Geils Band at a wedding. A very Sandler choice.

Over the years, there has been no shortage of movie villains with a tragic backstory so great that it makes it a little harder to root against them. Look at iconic scene-stealing villains like Thanos, Hannibal Lecter, Roy Batty, and countless others, and it won’t take long to see their heartbreaking and unforgettable personal histories have allowed them to withstand the test of time despite being terrible people (or aliens).

Here are 32 movie villains with a tragic backstory…

Erik Killmonger (Black Panther)

Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger helped make Black Panther one of the best Marvel movies as well as a landmark comic book movie thanks in no small part to his tragic backstory. The unknown cousin of Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa and son to a wayward prince killed by the former king, Killmonger spent his life searching for himself and his elusive homeland of Wakanda. Sure, he tried to take it over and bring chaos to the world, but he had every right to do so.

Lotso (Toy Story 3)

On the surface, Lotso (Ned Beatty) seems like an iron-fisted ruler of the toys stuck at Sunnyside Daycare, but his heartbreaking personal history adds a whole other level to the Toy Story 3 antagonist. After being left at a rest stop by his “faithful” owner long ago, Lotso went to great lengths to find the little girl, only to discover he’d been replaced. Traumatized by the experience, the once kind-hearted stuffed bear went through a radical transformation.

Gollum (The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy)

Though not the central antagonist in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gollum (Andy Serkis) is up there. In the third and final film – The Return of the King – it’s revealed that Gollum was once a hobbit who became consumed by the powerful ring, being transformed into a deformed and deranged creature with one purpose in life: hold onto his “precious.”

Jason Voorhees (The Friday The 13th Movies)

Jason Voorhees is one of the most recognizable horror movie villains of all time with a kill count that is up there with the best of them. However, like other great horror icons, this masked, undead killer has a heartbreaking story behind his path of blood, guts, and revenge. Cast aside by society and the counselors of Camp Crystal Lake, a young Jason drowned with no one watching.

Roy Batty (Blade Runner)

Roy Batty, or model number N6MAA10816, is one of those characters played by the late Rutger Hauer that will live on forever, and that’s because the Blade Runner villain was a sympathetic antagonist like no other. Forced into slavery upon his inception, the vengeful replicant suffered years of unimaginable abuse and danger to help the bottom line of the Tyrell Corporation. That was until he led a rebellion for a better life for himself and others of his kind.

The Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

One of the best things about Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the way the 2000 movie expanded Jim Carrey’s titular character and provided a more in-depth look at the green recluse and what led him to live alone on Mount Crumpit. The story of a young Grinch being picked on by his schoolmates for no reason besides his appearance is utterly heartbreaking and is impossible to watch with a dry eye.

Carrie White (Carrie)

An antagonist or protagonist depending on how you look at it, Carrie White (Sissy Spacek) in Brian De Palma’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name is one of the most sympathetic and justified characters in the history of horror movies. Through no fault of her own, the teenage girl with awe-inspiring and deadly powers, is thrust into a murderous rampage after being tormented and humiliated by her fellow students.

Hannibal Lecter (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Hannibal Lecter will forever go down as one of the most chilling horror movie icons of all time, but he also has one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking backstories. Long before he became the infamous cannibalistic at the center of The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal was a young boy when he narrowly survived an encounter with a group of starved and desperate Nazi soldiers who attacked and ate his sister.

Magneto (The X-Men Movies)

Magneto (Ian McKellen, Michael Fassbender) was one of the most complex characters in all of the X-Men movies and had one of the most unsettling backstories. In X-Men: First Class, we saw the origins of the legendary comic book villain who was forced to watch his mother being brutally murdered in a German concentration camp.

Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War)

Perhaps the best comic book movie villain of all time (at least in the MCU), Thanos (Josh Brolin) wasn’t your average big bad. Inspired by the traumatic event where he watched his civilization rip itself apart due to a lack of resources, the Mad Titan put a plan into effect to prevent that from happening ever again. It’s just that his plan temporarily resulted in the deaths of billions of living beings.

Severus Snape (The Harry Potter Movies)

Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) will always be one of the most complex and beloved characters in the Harry Potter series, even if he’s viewed as a villain for most of the books and movies. Madly in love with Harry’s late mother, Lily, a young Severus was also bullied by the Potter’s father and his friends, pushing him to the dark side.

Candyman (Candyman)

Daniel Robitaille (Tony Todd), aka Candyman, is a terrifying figure in the world of horror, but that’s because he also has an incredibly tragic backstory in which he was was lynched, disfigured, and killed by bees before his body was burnt by an angry mob.

Frankenstein’s Monster (Frankenstein)

Frankenstein’s monster in Frankenstein was just enjoying being a dead man when he was reanimated and unleashed upon the world in the 1931 horror classic. Though viewed as a monster by most, this tragic figure had a heartbreaking existence.

Darth Vader (The Star Wars Movies)

Losing your mother and being responsible for the death of your wife is enough to make anyone turn to the dark side, and that’s what happened to Anakin Skywalker, aka, Darth Vader, in the Star Wars movies. Sure, Lord Vader is all but void of humanity, but that’s because of the pain, suffering, and tragedy that filled his life, both before and after being defeated by his mentor in battle.

Bane (The Dark Knight Rises)

The Dark Knight Rises is a bit of a mess, but Tom Hardy’s Bane is one of the most interesting characters and sympathetic villains in all of comic book movies. Taking over Gotham was bad and there were a lot of unnecessary deaths, but the masked figure was doing it for Talia al Ghul (Marion Cotillard), whom he nearly died protecting years earlier.

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)

Sleeping Beauty leads us to believe that Maleficent is a force of pure evil, but the character got her due in Maleficent. In this live-action Disney film starring Angelina Jolie, we learn that the character was only acting out the way she did because her former friend and current king betrayed her long ago.

Mr. Freeze (Batman & Robin)

Batman & Robin isn’t the first movie that comes to mind when you’re thinking about tragic villains, but Arnold Schwarzenegger’s take on Mr. Freeze in this 1997 comic book movie has a heartbreaking backstory. All of his antics, destruction, and puns are part of an attempt to reconnect with his wife, who’s long been in a coma, caught between the living and dead.

Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street)

Before he was Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), Benjamin Barker was a talented barber sent into exile by a powerful and corrupt judge who lusted after his wife. In Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street, it is revealed that Barker’s wife took her own life and their daughter is under the control of his nemesis, which kicks off his bloody tour of revenge.

Zemo (Captain America: Civil War)

Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo in Captain America: Civil War, though different from his comic book counterpart, quickly became one of the best and most complex villains in the MCU. Instead of being gifted with superpowers or awesome tech, this antagonist used his grief from the death of his family (at the hands of the Avengers) as his motivation to tear the team apart from the inside.

Kayako Saeki (Ju-On: The Grudge)

Kayako Saeki is Ju-On: The Grudge is one of the most terrifying horror movie characters of the 21st century but also one with an absolutely gut-wrenching origin story. Once a living person, the film’s antagonist became a ghostly undead figure after she and her family were viciously murdered and left to haunt their former home for all eternity.

Scar (The Lion King)

If you only take into account the events of The Lion King, then Scar is a vengeful, jealous, and bitter brother of the king of the Pride Lands. However, learn more about his upbringing in which he was originally named Taka (a name that essentially means “trash”) and how he was cast aside for Simba, and his actions start to make sense.

Norman Bates (Psycho)

Though vicious and sadistic, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) in Psycho had quite a tragic backstory, one filled with jealousy, revenge, and unaddressed mental illness. This does not justify his actions, but it does offer some insight into why he carried out the way he did.

John Kramer (The Saw Movies)

John Kramer (Tobin Bell), aka, Jigsaw, is one of the most devilish and inventive serial killers in cinematic history, but he’s also oddly enough one of the most sympathetic. The death of an unborn child, a divorce, a terminal illness, and a slow descent into madness helped turn the civil engineer into a murderous madman.

Ms. Collins (Last Night In Soho)

Last Night in Soho, one of the best horror movies of 2021, had what can best be described as one of the most shocking endings in recent memory when it was revealed that Ms. Collins (Diana Rigg), the seemingly normal owner of Ellie’s (Thomasin McKenzie) small apartment is a vicious killer preying upon less-savory men. However, it turns out that Ms. Collins’ motivation for the crimes is even more tragic.

Cruella De Vil (Cruella)

Estella Miller (Emma Stone), who later becomes the Cruella de Vil we all know and love (to hate) from 101 Dalmatians, had quite a tragic backstory in Cruella, a 2021 prequel that explained her hatred for a certain breed of dogs. Losing a parent to a pack of the spotted pups is enough to drive one mad.

Scarlet Witch (Doctor Strange And The Multiverse Of Madness)

After witnessing the death of her best friend and lover, not once but twice, before being turned to dust for five years and then returning to a world she no longer understands, it’s easy to see how Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) could turn into a monster of her own creation in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Add in the deaths of her children (don’t tell her they don’t exist), and it gets even darker.

Two-Face (The Dark Knight)

The Two-Face story has always been one of tragedy, but no version is as heartbreaking as the one that plays out in The Dark Knight. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) goes from being Gotham’s last hope against crime and corruption to one of its most violent and disfigured villains. The loss of the love of his life and a chance at normalcy push him over the edge.

Ghost (Ant-Man And The Wasp)

Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), better known as Ghost, was introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp as a young and tormented villain still suffering from the effects of a quantum explosion that left her in state of physical limbo and her parents dead. Sad, confused, and angry, Starr turned against S.H.I.E.L.D. after the organization began taking advantage of her powers.

The Vulture (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), aka, The Vulture, quickly made an impact in Spider-Man: Homecoming, providing an all-time great movie villain in the process. After the Department of Damage Control essentially puts his small salvage operation out of business, Toomes goes to great lengths to provide food, shelter, and security for his family… even if it means taking a more villainous path.

Syndrome (The Incredibles)

One of the best Pixar villains, Syndrome (Jason Lee) in The Incredibles has a great and unforgettable backstory that adds another dimension to his character. After being turned down by his longtime idol, Syndrome turns to a life of villainy against Mr. Incredible after his whole worldview is shattered in an instant.

Arthur Fleck (Joker)

Not knowing your father has to be one of the most traumatic events someone could go through, but that’s just a part of Arthur Fleck’s (Joaquin Phoenix) story in Joker. The unhinged and violent loner in Todd Phillips’ 2019 comic book movie lived a life of loneliness, misery, and confusion before making a name for himself in a shocking way.

Draco Malfoy (The Harry Potter Movies)

Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is one of the most annoying Harry Potter characters, but he’s also a villain who’s rather sympathetic once you consider his backstory. Subjected to all kinds of torment by his father and the expectations of his family, poor Draco never stood a chance.

You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself outshined by the villain. That’s how it goes, right? Or something like that. All jokes aside, there have been countless times over the years where villains have resonated so well with audiences we have forgotten about the heroes who’ve tried to vanquish them. But it’s hard to compete with the likes of the “Crown Prince of Crime,” a certain ice-cold assassin with a fondness for coins and bad haircuts, and vindictive and psychotic nurses.

From the best Marvel movies to a handful of Best Picture winners and so many others, here are 32 times the villain stole the show in a movie.

Hans Gruber (Die Hard)

Alan Rickman crushed his first major movie role as Hans Gruber in 1988’s Die Hard. Nothing against Bruce Willis’ John McClane, but there’s no denying the fact that Gruber immediately became one of those unforgettable villains we love to hate. The saying “It isn’t Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nataktomi Plaza” says it all.

Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Luke Skywalker is an iconic hero, Han Solo is the coolest scoundrel in the galaxy, and Princess Leia is divine, but we all know that Darth Vader sucks all the air out of the room whenever he’s on-screen in Star Wars. The presence, the physicality, and the powerful voice of the late James Earl Jones, all make Lord Vader one of the best villains of all time.

Erik Killmonger (Black Panther)

Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger is hands down one of the best Marvel villains, with only a couple of other foes topping him in the ranking. The intensity, emotion, and wow factor all go up whenever this long-lost son of Wakanda shows up in Black Panther. 

Colonel Hans Landa (Inglorious Basterds)

Quentin Tarantino pulled off the impossible when he gave the world Colonel Hans Landa, a maniacal yet charming Nazi played by Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds. Seriously, the movie could have been two hours of Landa talking to people (which it pretty much was) and we still would have gone crazy for it. Almost feel bad liking the guy this much.

Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War)

Avengers: Infinity War, for all intents and purposes, is Thanos’ movie and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are just living in it. Rarely do movies allow the villain to take center stage like this, and the 2018 crossover event is better because of it.

Anton Chigurh (No Country For Old Men)

Anton Chigurh, Javier Bardem’s ice-cold killer from No Country for Old Men, is one of those movie villains we’ll be studying for years, if not decades, to come. Every time this assassin with a bad haircut and a unique set of skills comes on screen, you can feel a chill run down your spine.

Annie Wilkes (Misery)

One of the meanest ‘90s movie villains, Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) from Misery steals the scene whenever she’s on screen in Rob Reiner’s 1990 Stephen King adaptation. A force of pure evil, this obsessive book fan will forever live in our hearts, even if she fills us with fear.

Terence Fletcher (Whiplash)

J.K. Simmons has played some great villains over the years (Oz fans know what we’re talking about), but even the neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger couldn’t hold a candle to Terence Fletcher in Whiplash. The angry, petty, vindictive, and obsessive Julliard professor is a force to be reckoned with in this 2014 drama.

The Joker (The Dark Knight)

From the first time Heath Ledger’s Joker appears on screen in The Dark Knight, you know he’s going to be a villain to remember. The anarchy, the carnage, the changing stories about how he got his scars, all of it makes him someone we’ll never forget. 

The Terminator (The Terminator)

James Cameron gave the world one of the best sci-fi movies and all-time great villains when he unleashed The Terminator upon the world in 1984. And while Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn) are heroes worth rooting for, we all know we want nothing more than to see Arnold Schwarzenegger’s titular cyborg show up with his one-liners and knack for killing folks.

Hannibal Lecter (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Hannibal Lecter, the role that won Anthony Hopkins an Academy Award, was only on screen in The Silence of the Lambs for 16 years, and he still stole the show. The cannibalistic prison inmate who helps Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling in the most unorthodox and unsettling ways is still the most talked about part of the movie despite his limited screen time.

Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)

Few nurses or medical professionals have instilled as much fear in the hearts of audiences as Nurse Ratched, Louise Fletcher’s manipulative and sadistic character from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Sure, we all love Jack Nicholson’s R.P. McMurphy, but Ratched stole the show.

Clarence Boddicker (Robocop)

Long before he was the wise-cracking Red Foreman on That ‘70s Show, Kurtwood Smith played the sensationally violent Clarence Boddicker in Robocop. The man who turned Peter Weller’s Alex Murphy into a crime-fighting cyborg had some wild moments throughout the movie, most of which we can’t really describe here.

Nino Brown (New Jack City)

Already on the rise thanks to Major League, Wesley Snipes became a massive star thanks to his portrayal of Nino Brown, the powerful drug lord in New Jack City. Nothing against Ice-T’s Scotty Appleton (who takes things personally), but Nino is in in a league of his own in this sprawling crime epic.

Bodhi (Point Break)

Though he could be considered an antihero we hate to love, Bodhi, Patrick Swayze’s surfing, skydiving, and bank-robbing character from Point Break is also an incredibly interesting villain. Both physical and spiritual, this three-dimensional adrenaline junkie is just so dang cool.

Regina George (Mean Girls)

Villains don’t have to be angry nurses or criminals with a high body count, and Regina George (Rachel McAdams) proved that in Mean Girls. The leader of the Plastics, a group she ran with an iron and pink fist, Regina was for sure one of the most vindictive antagonists of the 2000s and one we still love to hate.

Clubber Lang (Rocky III)

For the most part, the Rocky movies featured iconic and unique villains like Apollo Creed (before he turned good) and Ivan Drago, but Clubber Lang from Rocky III is in a league of his own. Mr. T’s formidable foe in the 1982 movie stole every scene and his presence could be felt even when he wasn’t on screen.

Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct)

Being bad never looked as good as it did for Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) in the 1992 erotic thriller, Basic Instinct. The crimes, the head games, the seduction, and the attitude make this femme fatale one of the best villains of all time.

Gordon Gekko (Wall Street)

Though there are some who still miss the message of Gordon Gekko’s “Greed is Good” speech from Wall Street, Michael Douglas’ powerful character is very much the villain in Oliver Stone’s 1987 drama. Poor Charlie Sheen didn’t stand a chance next to this guy.

The Wicked Witch Of The West (The Wizard Of Oz)

Margaret Hamilton’s portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz is one of those villainous performances that we’ll never forget. The way she could say things like “I’ll get you my pretty,” throw fireballs, and call on an army of flying monkeys is still frightening all these years later.

Norman Bates (Psycho)

One of the best slasher horror movies of all time, Psycho also features one of the genre’s great villains in Norman Bates. After his facade of a seemingly harmless albeit off-putting man with mommy issues fades away, we’re left with an unforgettable creep.

Cyrus The Virus (Con Air)

Nothing against Nicolas Cage, but Con Air is Cyrus the Virus’ movie. The way John Malkovich looks on screen with that shaved head and goatee makes him look like a cleanup hitter for the Houston Astros who went crazy and killed a bunch of folks after getting busted for steroids adds such a great dynamic to this iconic ‘90s action movie.

Luther (The Warriors)

Though he’s only in a handful of scenes, Luther, with his “Warriors, come out to play,” delivery, steals the show in this ‘70s classic. Would The Warriors be a good movie without him? Probably. But the leader of the Rogues makes it an all-timer.

Scar (The Lion King)

When it comes to Disney villains from the ‘90s, there are few that come close to the rightful king that is Scar. Voiced by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons, the brother of King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) takes villainy to a whole new level in The Lion King. Sure, he destroys the natural order of things, brings famine and drought to the Pride Lands, and gives his nephew one major guilt trip after killing his father, but that’s what makes him so iconic, right?

HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey)

You don’t have to be a human or even a living thing to make a good villain, and HAL 9000 proved that in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Voiced by Douglas Rain, this cold and calculated computer goes out of his way to make life miserable for the astronauts aboard the Discovery One spacecraft. What makes him even more menacing is that HAL is mostly depicted as a camera lens with a red dot in the middle.

Howard Payne (Speed)

Though Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock became massive stars following the 1994 release of Speed, it was impossible to be captivated by the maniacal and over-the-top performance of Dennis Hopper as Howard Payne. The cop-turned-bomber has a way about him that’s just so perfect in this landmark action flick. And if it weren’t for the iconic bus jump sequence, he’d probably be what we talk about the most.

Max Cady (Cape Fear)

Whenever we talk about the best Robert De Niro movies, it doesn’t take long for Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of Cape Fear to enter the conversation. Max Caddy, one of the all-time great movie villains, steals every single scene in this tense revenge thriller, even when the ex-con with a bone to pick with his former defense attorney isn’t on screen. And the way he says “Counselor” when toying with Nick Nolte’s Sam Bowden is just perfect.

Count Orlok (Nosferatu)

Few movie characters have an impact on the viewer like Count Orlok, Max Schreck's vampire from the 1922 silent horror film, Nosferatu. The off-putting appearance, the eerie movements, and the unrelenting nature of the monster are all frightening more than a century after the controversial film was first released.

Joan Crawford (Mommie Dearest)

Frank Perry’s Mommie Dearest is one of the wildest and most terrifying biographical dramas ever made, and the based-on-a-true-story aspect of it makes Faye Dunaway’s portrayal of Joan Crawford even more terrifying. There’s a good chance more people know the “No wire hangers!” line than the movie itself, which says it all.

Agent Smith (The Matrix)

The way Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith says “Mr. Anderson,” whenever he encounters Neo (Keanu Reeves) in The Matrix is so bone-chilling, so iconic, and so perfect, we just can’t get enough of it. One of the best sci-fi villains of all time, it’s hard to look away from this increasingly powerful computer program.

John Doe (Seven)

Though we don’t meet Kevin Spacey’s John Doe until the final act of Seven, his presence can be felt throughout David Fincher’s 1995 thriller. The nature of his crimes, especially during the movie’s twisted ending, tells us everything we need to know about the bitter, dangerous, and self-righteous killer.

Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare On Elm Street)

When it comes to the best horror movie icons, Freddy Krueger is in a league of his own. Robert Englund’s knife-handed killer from A Nightmare on Elm Street is equal parts terrifying and hilarious, so much so that we don’t really care who plays his victims (except for maybe Johnny Depp).

There's a slew of upcoming horror movies coming down the pipeline, and if you've been watching any of them, then you've probably at least heard of Longlegs. It's been everywhere. A common thread of thought from fans has been comparing the new Neon movie to Silence of the Lambs. Now, the film's editors, Greg Ng and Graham Fortin, collaborators of director Osgood Perkins, told me the real inspiration behind the Nicolas Cage movie.  

In fact, the film's inspiration comes from movies you might not expect. 

Longlegs hit the 2024 movie schedule on July 12, and has been the talk of the town in the time since. The flick follows an FBI Special Agent who is tasked with hunting down a serial killer who has been involved in the murder-suicides of myriad families. The horror film starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe has received critical acclaim and out-performed at the box office in its first days – I'd argue thanks to the incredible marketing campaign around it. 

And as the flick continues to have long legs (pun so very much intended) on the big screen, I had the chance to sit down with the editors and ask what their inspirations were. Ng agreed that while Silence of the Lambs is the film everyone has been comparing it to, there are a lot of older films that Osgood Perkins actually recommended and had them watch to get the vibe of the film down so that the scares "stand on their own:"

He's right that many people have compared Longlegs to the Academy Award-winning film Silence of the Lambs, which starred Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. The movies have similarities in tone and in similar authority-criminal relationships. Seven made sense too, but I was surprised to hear The Long Goodbye and other flicks referenced. 

The Long Goodbye is on a long list of Robert Altman movies that were massive hits back in the '70s, and if you've seen Longlegs, you could definitely see how the way the story is delivered in the film can be seen as similar. 

Fortin also commented that it was just "fun" to nerd out on older films, saying that sometimes, the movies they would watch to inspire editing didn't even have anything to do with Longlegs: 

It's undoubtedly one of those films that will sit with you for a while, and you'll rewatch it to see what you missed the second time around – something that you can easily do with most of the best horror movies out there. But what makes Longlegs one of the best films of the year is its editing and its outstanding dedication to suspense. 

Both Ng and Fortin are working on two other films coming out with Osgood Perkins – the long-awaited adaptation of Stephen King, The Monkey and a new film called Keeper, so there's no denying that we're all going to be on the edge of our seats once again coming up. For now, maybe I'll dive back into these classic films that helped Longlegs grow so tall as well. 

Jodie Foster began acting when she was 3 years old, and she’s been consistently working basically ever since. With two Oscras, many nominations and a stack of acting and directing credits under her belt, she has proven over and over again that she’s not only here for the long haul, but that she’s a shining example of what a long, successful, and balanced career looks like. 

From The Silence of the Lambs to Nyad and so much more, this woman has made it clear that she is not only a master, but one who has been able to sustain her excellence across her decades-long career. And that, my friends, is why Jodie Foster is such an empowering role model. 

Jodie Foster Got Her First Oscar Nomination In 1977 For Taxi Driver At The Age Of 14 

When Jodie Foster was hired to work on Taxi Driver she was only 12 years old, however, she already had over 30 credits to her name. This made Martin Scorsese’s team feel intimidated, however, casting her proved to be a masterful decision as the actress went on to get an Oscar nomination for playing the child sex worker Iris Steensma opposite Robert DeNiro.

At only 14 years old, Foster attended the Oscars, and while she didn’t win, this film marked a shift in the tide and the beginning of the actress’s dominant career as a powerful performer. 

Not long after Taxi Driver, Foster was even offered the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, but she had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts. This film from Scorsese made the actress a household name, and a critical darling. From there her career flourished, and to this day, the drama is considered one of her best films.

In 1989 Jodie Foster Won Her First Oscar For The Accused

In her late 20s, Jodie Foster returned to the Academy Awards. In 1989, she was nominated for her role in The Accused. In the legal drama, she starred as Sarah Tobias, a woman who was gang-raped and the subject of the case that followed. Ultimately, this performance won the actress her first Oscar, and you can see her acceptance speech here:

The Accused, which came out in 1988, is a vital movie that tells the story of how the legal system helps and harms victims of rape, an issue that is still incredibly relevant today. Foster’s brave performance was moving, and rightfully award-worthy. It also marked the end of her second decade working as an actor, and at the time she wasn’t even 30 years old yet. 

Little Man Tate Served As Jodie Foster’s Directorial Debut In 1991

Now, Foster’s career as a young actress is empowering as is. Her choice of projects is powerful, and her fearlessness on screen is admirable. However, in 1991 she became even more of a role model when she directed and starred in the film Little Man Tate.

The actress’s ability to take on new roles is commendable, and her successful feature directorial debut is even more reason to look up to her. It’s also well known that the child prodigy at the center of this film shares a lot in common with Foster herself. In Roger Ebert’s review of the film he complimented the actress and her work, writing:

This move into directing shows Foster’s skill, and it helped illuminate how well she had transitioned from being a child star into a grown-up one. 

Jodie Foster Earned Her Second Oscar In 1992 For Silence Of The Lambs 

To this day, The Silence of the Lambs is probably the film Foster is best known for, and rightfully so. While Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Laura Dern were all considered for Clarice, ultimately, Foster won the part. The story goes that she passionately campaigned for it, and her persistence, determination and passion are what got it for her. In the end, she proved to be perfect for the character of the equally determined FBI agent in training, because on the film’s dominant night at the Oscars, she took home one of them:

With this win, Jodie Foster became one of only a few folks under the age of 30 who had won two Oscars. 

What I’ve learned from all this is just how passionate and committed Foster is. It’s admirable to pursue a project like she did, and the film's critical and commercial success goes to show just how much hard work pays off. 

She’s Also Directed Two Other Features And Episodes Of Iconic Television Shows

While I’m only mentioning a few of her acting gigs, it’s vital to note that Foster has been acting consistently for decades. This is important, because along with performing, she also took up directing again.

Following Little Man Tate, she led the feature film Home for the Holidays in 1995 and The Beaver in 2011. Then in the 2010s, she helmed episodes of some of the earliest Netflix hits, like Orange is the New Black, House of Cards and Black Mirror. While her career began in television, she didn’t really come back to it until she started directing these shows. Her versatility as an actress and a director, along with her desire to take on a myriad of projects is really on full display here, and it's incredibly empowering. 

Almost 30 Years After Her Nell Nomination, Jodie Foster Got A Nod For Nyad

When I look at Foster’s career, a movie like Nyad isn’t necessarily something I’d expect her to do. However, as she’s proven over and over again, she can do anything – as her first Oscar nomination in over two decades proved. 

In 1995 Foster received her fourth Oscar nomination for Nell. Then 24 years went by before she received her next one at the age of 61 for Nyad. That’s how she found herself on the list of 2024 Oscar nominees for her role as Bonnie Stoll, Diana Nyad’s best friend and swim coach, in the sports biopic (which you can stream with a Netflix subscription). Along with Foster’s performance in this uplifting film being incredible, it’s also a film about queer friendship, and it’s a lovely representation of the LGBTQ+ community. Showing, once again, the importance of her work.

True Detective: Night Country Was Jodie Foster’s First TV Role Since The 1970s

If you tuned in to True Detective: Night Country when it aired on the 2024 TV schedule (you can still stream it with a Max subscription) then you witnessed Foster’s fantastic performance, proving that her work continues to be just as meaningful and prolific as it always has been.

Both Nyad and True Detective marked a turn in Foster’s career, as she hadn’t consistently worked in TV since the ‘70s, and her role in Nyad was unlike anything she’d taken on. In an interview with Interview Magazine, the actress explained how her work now is different from her work when she was younger, saying:

Whether you are looking at the work Jodie Foster did as a kid, in her 20s or the projects she’s releasing today, there’s no denying that she’s an absolute powerhouse. She’s maintained an admirable work ethic and a magnificent reputation for her entire life. As she continues to work on more projects, and as her older movies and shows’ legacies live on, there’s no question that she is a role model to many women all over, myself included, and it’s for good reason, too. 

Not everyone wants to root for the squeaky-clean hero. People like flaws and misguided motivations. There are villains we love to hate, like Hans Gruber and Regina George, and there are antiheroes we hate to love. This is our list of all those flawed characters that we cheer for. 

Mad Max (Mad Max Franchise)

No one could have predicted that a small-budget Australian movie like The Road Warrior would launch a franchise, but it has. Mel Gibson's Mad Max, a former cop turned vigilante in a post-apocalyptic world. Max is violent and ruthless, but he's driven by grief, so we love him for it. 

Jack Sparrow (Pirates Of The Caribbean)

There aren't a lot of chances in life to root for a pirate, but there aren't a lot of pirates quite like Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He cheats, lies, and steals and we love him for it. He's one of the greatest antiheroes of all time. 

Catwoman (Batman)

Though Catwoman may have started as a villain in the Batman comics, in most of her appearances in movies, she's been a clear antiheroine. She's been portrayed on the big screen most recently by Zoë Kravitz in The Batman, and in the past by Anne Hathaway, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Halle Berry, and each time, she walks that line between enemy and friend to Batman. 

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

One of the worst characters on this list has to be Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) from American Psycho. The title tells the whole story, right? Yet somehow, he's one of the most quotable characters in film history, Whether it's about how Huey Lewis is great or getting reservations at Dorsia we love to quote the serial killer and that means we are rooting for him, in a way. 

Arthur Fleck (The Joker)

Everyone knows where the Joker ends up, as the Clown Prince of Crime and one of the worst villains in Gotham. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) in The joker is easy to root for, at least at first. He's a guy that just can't catch a break and he's pushed to his limit, so we can all empathize with his plight, even when it leads to crime. We just don't take it as far as Fleck does, hopefully. 

Han Solo (Star Wars)

You might be surprised to see Han Solo (Harrison Ford) on this list, but you have to remember, before he became a hero, he was a bad boy smuggler; the one who shot first in his meeting with Greedo; just a stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder who few people trusted. He didn't want to get involved in the fight for freedom and fought joining the rebellion for years.  

Vito Corleone

Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) in The Godfather rose from the most modest of circumstances in Sicily to the height of power in New York City. Unfortunately, he made that rise through brutality and murder. Still, he's loyal and honest to his family and his organization, and he's just...well... cool. Plus he loves cats. 

Snake Plissken (Escape From New York)

Snake Plissken is maybe the coolest guy on this list. Sure, he's a heartless criminal who only looks out for himself, but can you blame him? Look at the mess of a world he's living in. He's who everyone would want to be if they were stuck in a bombed-out shell that was once New York City. 

Deadpool (Deadpool)

The Merc with the Mouth, Deadpool, is a now-legendary antihero from Marvel. He's foul-mouthed and murderous. Everything most Marvel heroes eschew, Deadpool embraces and we love him for it. Somehow, despite being everything a hero isn't supposed to be, makes him a better hero than many. He's just a bad guy who gets paid to mess up worse guys. 

Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)

In Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson's Jules Winnfield is trying to walk a different path. He's had enough of being a hitman, and we should admire him for it, but let's be honest, it's his coolness in being a hitman that makes us love him. The bible-quoting, swearing, no-nonsense criminal is just fun to root for, despite all the murdering. 

Lisbeth Salander (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)

No one can ever question the motivations of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The abuse she suffered would not be wished on anyone's worst enemies. What it turns her into is something terrifying, and yet endearing, making her the ultimate antiheroine. 

John Wick (John Wick)

Yes, John Wick is avenging the murder of a dog when he is sucked back into his old life, and that is something we can all stand behind, but let's not forget he is a cold-blooded assassin. He lives and operates in a terrifying underworld that is not making the world a better place. So while his immediate actions might be somewhat justified, he's no hero. 

R.P. McMurphy (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)

Randle Patrick McMurphy is one of the greatest antiheroes of modern literature and cinema. Played brilliantly by Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest RP McMurphy is the best kind of troublemaker. A career criminal trying to take down the real bad guys, "the system", or in this specific case, Nurse Ratched and the institution he finds himself in. 

Léon (Léon: The Professional)

Jean Reno's performance as the protagonist in Léon: The Professional is phenomenal. His dedication to Mathilda (Natalie Portman) is heartfelt and honest and that's what endears him to audiences. The hitman with a heart of gold, so to speak. 

Veronica (Heathers)

One of the darkest (and best) comedies of the 1980s was Heathers and at its heart is Veronica (Winona Ryder), who becomes part of a murderous duo with her boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater). It plays for laughs, sure, and every teenager can relate, but, yikes, she's terrible! 

Alex DeLarge (A Clockwork Orange)

There may be no worse person on this list than Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange. His penchant for "ultra-violence" is beyond disturbing, but she sure does have style! The white suit and black bowler hat is an iconic look so that alone makes him cool enough to root for. It's really what happens to him at the hands of the doctors to cure him that gets us rooting for him though, as messed up as that is. 

Wolverine (X-Men)

Comic books, and the movies based on them, are filled with great antiheroes, and Wolverine is among the very best. Hugh Jackman's version of Wolverine in all of the various X-Men movies makes us love the character even more. 

Tyler Durden

Tyler Durden in Fight Club has almost become an actual hero to many these days, but it shouldn't be. Sure, he shows the Narrator (Edward Norton) a different way to live, with more confidence and moxie, but he's a terrible role model, ultimately. Brad Pitt plays the role with so much charisma though, he's hard not to love.  

Harley Quinn (Suicide Squad)

Harley Quinn, played brilliantly by Margot Robbie in various DC films, including Suicide Squad among others, is one of the most likable antiheroines on this list. She's as violent as a character can be, but she sure does it with style! 

Severus Snape (Harry Potter)

Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) in the Harry Potter franchise walks the line between antihero and hero more than anyone on this list. His motivations seem to be to get back at Harry for his unrequited love for Harry's mother, but he ultimately proves his loyalty several times in Harry's fight with Voldemort. 

Michael Corleone (The Godfather Saga)

While Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) may claim that that he's trying to go legit, his actions at every turn throughout the The Godfather series say otherwise. Pretty much everything he says is immediately discarded in favor of his lust for power. He turns on almost everyone around him, yet somehow audiences always see the more human side of him and root for him. 

Beatrix Kiddo (Kill Bill)

Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to create one of the most stylish antiheroines in film history. Beatrix Kiddo (Uma Thurman) is dead-set on revenge for past actions against her, and boy oh boy does she get it. Don't get in her way.

Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Loki causes more grief and mischief than almost any other character in the MCU, save for Thanos. Still, Tom Hiddleston's various performances are among the best in the franchise, and how can you not love him, even when he's at his worst? Truly one of the best villains in film history.  

Gordon Gekko (Wall Street)

It's unlikely that Wall Street Director Oliver Stone meant for Gordon Gekko to become a cultural hero of any kind, but Michael Douglas' Oscar-winning performance has turned him into a very popular antihero. While the character represents everything that is wrong with Wall Street in the 1980s and even today, Douglas is so good, you walk away liking the character, instead of despising him. 

Tony Montana (Scarface)

There is nothing we should like about Tony Montana (Al Pacino) in Scarface. Sure, he got rich after getting thrown out of Cuba and landing in Miami with nothing, but how he got there is just awful. He's mean and nasty to everyone he comes in contact with, even his closest friends. Somehow still, audiences love him and his little friend. 

Bodhi (Point Break)

Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) is a bank-robbing criminal with little regard for anyone but himself and his desires. He's also a surfer and skydiver who is searching for "100% pure adrenaline). It's that second part that audiences fall in love with. He's a guy searching for the ultimate natural high, no matter what it takes. 

The Punisher (Marvel)

There may be no greater example of a pure antihero than The Punisher. Former cop Frank Castle has understandable motives, avenging the murder of his family, but his means are brutal. The character has been played by Thomas Jane, Ray Stevenson, and Dolph Lundgren on the big screen, and more recently by Jon Bernthal in the MCU, but the story is always the same and it's always violent, yet relatable, in a weird way.  

William Foster (Falling Down)

Michael Douglas' character in Falling Down is a man on the edge when the film begins. Soon, he's in a rage, followed by a violent rampage against everything that irks him. It's an irrational response to common feelings all humans deal with. It makes the character relatable, but not righteous. 

Conan (Conan the Barbarian)

Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) in Conan the Barbarian is another antihero who is driven by his desire to avenge his family's murder. To do so, he is ruthless and violent. His methods are everything we should hate, but we understand what has driven him to this point. 

Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry)

Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) isn't a dirty cop, in that he's not taking bribes and treating the innocent badly. He's not a good cop either and his means to the end are terrifying. He's a one-man judge, jury, and executioner throughout the entire Dirty Harry series, but he's got some amazing lines, so we love him. 

Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood)

Daniel Day-Lewis can make almost any character he plays likable, no matter how awful they are. Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood is the perfect example of this, as he is mean, greedy, and vengeful. Still, the performance is so amazing, and his love for his son is genuine, so we excuse it, to a point. 

Hannibal Lector (The Silence Of The Lambs)

Anthony Hopkins performance as Hannibal Lector in The Silence Of The Lambs is one of the most chilling and scariest in film history. The serial killer-turned-FBI-consultant is awful in every way except for his treatment of Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). It's exactly why we're rooting for him at the end of the movie to get his revenge on Dr. Chilton (Anthony Heald). 

Antiheroes have been a part of storytelling forever and though we know we're supposed to hate them, this list shows why we can't help but love them. 

We all know the trope of the hero defeating evil, getting the girl, and they live happily ever after. That isn't always what happens in life or at the movies. Sometimes the bad guy wins. Sometimes the hero can't come out on top. These movies will sometimes stick with us days or weeks, so here's our list of the times the bad guy wins in the end. 

Warning: Spoilers ahead, of course.

No Country for Old Men

Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a reluctant hero in No Country for Old Men. He stumbles onto a briefcase full of cash from a deal gone bad by the Mexican Cartel and finds himself on the run from them and the assassin Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). Despite his resourcefulness, which leads audiences to believe he'll come out ok, his mother's mistake leads to Moss getting killed and losing the money while his wife (Kelly Macdonald) is (probably) murdered by Chigurh.

Se7en

Kevin Spacey's John Doe in Se7en is one of the most evil villains in cinema history and a big reason why is that in the end, he gets everything he wants. He completes all seven of the deadly sins when Detective David Mills (Brad Pitt) kills Doe and becomes the seventh sin, rage. So while Doe ends up dead, he still wins. 

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Throughout the Star Wars saga, good and evil have traded blows with both sides coming out on top at different times. The first example (or second, depending on what order you watch the Star Wars movies in) is the legendary end of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke, handless, dangles from a tower as Darth Vader tells him about his lineage after Han Solo is carted away, frozen in carbonite. It's bleak. 

Silence Of The Lambs

The ending of Silence of the Lambs is a mixed bag. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) gets Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine), but another villain, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) gets away and hunts his nemesis down on an unnamed tropical island. Some may call Lecter an anti-hero here, but he's pure bad guy in reality.

Rocky

One of the reasons Rocky is such a timeless movie is because, in the end, Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) actually loses the fight. It makes the movie real and gritty. Its true brilliance is that the end it still triumphant, even though Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) wins the fight. 

Avengers: Infinity War

It was the snap heard 'round the universe after Thanos collected all the Infinity Stones and in a millisecond wiped out half of the population everywhere. Marvel is not where audiences ever expect to see a movie end with the villain winning, but Avengers: Infinity War changed everything and it's brilliant. 

Chinatown

One of the reasons Chinatown has one of the greatest scripts ever written is because of the twist ending no one sees coming. Jake (Jack Nicholson) has just worked out all the ins and outs of the scam he's been trying to uncover for the whole movie when he's caught by Cross (John Huston) and forced to help Cross complete his plan. Cross gets away and Jack can only watch it happen. 

Kingpin

The stakes are quite a bit lower in Kingpin than in some of the other movies on this list, but that doesn't change the fact that the villain, in this case bowler Ernie McCracken (Bill Murray) defeats Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson) in the final match of the movie. Munson just can't catch a break. 

The Usual Suspects

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist and the greatest trick The Usual Suspects pulls is having Keyser Soze (Kevin Spacey) escape right out from under the noses of the authorities. Hailed as one of the great twists in cinema, while all the clues are right there for audiences to see, the mysterious Soze completes his plan and gets away. 

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is one of the greatest anti-heroes in literary and cinema history, but that doesn't mean he gets to win. No, in the end, it's one of cinema's greatest villains, Nurse Rachet (Louise Fletcher), and the system that wins leaving McMurphy lobotomized. 

Rosemary's Baby

Rosemary's Baby is one of the scariest movies ever made and just when you think Rosemary (Mia Farrow) might figure out what is going on with the weirdos in her apartment building, the coven wins, and Rosemary births Satan's child. What's worse is that Rosemary gives in and decides to raise the child. 

Primal Fear

The shocking twist ending to Primal Fear was a controversial one, but it's so satisfying when you think about it. Yeah, the good guy, attorney Martin Vail (Richard Gere), and everyone else, is fooled by Aaron/Roy (Edward Norton) and a murderous villain basically gets away with killing multiple people, but it works so, so well. 

Saltburn

One of 2023's most talked-about films, Saltburn leaves audiences guessing until the end with what is really going on. Oliver Quick's (Barry Keoghan) is a bit of a mystery until he reveals that he is pretty evil. He manipulates an entire family so he can get what he wants, which is apparently to dance...um...freely, through the Saltburn estate. 

Skyfall

No one ever expects James Bond to lose, and he rarely does. Sometimes, however, the villain does at least partially win. Skyfall is a great example. Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) is one of the best Bond villains of all time, and in the end, while he doesn't live, Silva does take out M (Judi Dench) and in a way, breaks Bond on his way out. 

The Wicker Man

Whether it's the classic original from 1973 or the ill-advised "comedic" 2006 remake of The Wicker Man, the results are the same. The police officer investigating the cult of pagans doesn't get his man in the end, in fact, they get him. 

Fallen

While Fallen isn't going to top any list of great Denzel Washington movies, it is an example of the bad guy winning in the end. It's a weird story, involving demon possession and other occult-ness, and in the end, while Washington's character thinks he's got the upper hand by poisoning himself and shooting his possessed partner, played by John Goodman, it turns out he doesn't and the demon walks away after possessing a cat. Seriously. 

12 Monkeys

12 Monkeys is as confusing as it is visually stunning and because the plot can be so confusing it's hard to say if the bad guy wins definitively. It's even hard to say who the baddies are definitively. What is clear is that despite Bruce Willis' character trying to do what's best for himself and his future, fate, the scientists in the future, or whomever, steps in to take him out. So the good guy doesn't win, which is close enough. 

Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith

There's no surprise that Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith is on this list. It's an interesting addition because most fans knew exactly where this part of the Star Wars saga was headed. Palpatine/Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) wins by drawing Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) to the Dark Side and creating Darth Vader. Bummer. 

The Bad New Bears

The Bad New Bears is a classic sports comedy that follows a tried and true formula. A group of misfits come together after struggling and make it to the championship game. Unfortunately for the Bears, they lose in the championship to their rivals, the Yankees. The bad guy is most definitely the terrible coach of the Yankees, who even slaps his son before the game ends, yet he's rewarded by winning. Bad news for the Bears. 

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines

In the Terminator series, fans waited a long time to see Judgment Day, when Skynet became aware. That finally happens at the end of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. John Connor (Nick Stahl) and Kate Brewster (Claire Danes) seek to shut down Skynet before it becomes sentient, but find their destination is the wrong place to do that. Skynet becomes aware, launching the nukes that would kick off the war with the machines. 

A Clockwork Orange

A Clockwork Orange turns a lot of tropes on their heads. For starters, audiences end up rooting for Alex (Malcolm McDowell) despite being a horrid, homicidal maniac. When he's sent to the hospital to be reformed, the brainwashing works and Alex is "cured" of his ultra-violent tendencies, and yet, we're all left disappointed somehow and the bad guys become those saving the maniac. Or did they...

Taxi Driver

Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) in Taxi Driver is a bad guy. There's no way around it. He might have been driven to madness, but that doesn't mean he's good. Still, he never pays for any of his horrible crimes and in the end, is still driving his cab. It's a win for the anti-hero that shouldn't even be considered that. 

Swimming with Sharks

When Guy's (Frank Whaley) dream job turns into a nightmare at the hands of one of the worst bosses in movie history, Buddy Ackerman (Kevin Spacey) in Swimming With Sharks he comes up with a plan to end Buddy's reign of terror. Instead, Buddy turns it around on Guy and Guy becomes everything he tried to avoid. Chalk another one up for the bad guy. 

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley is a grade-A sociopath and when presented with an opportunity to weasel his way into a lifestyle he craves, he resorts to everything up to murder to do so. He kills friends, lovers, and other innocent people to get what he wants, without even a hint of remorse most of the time. He also gets away with it all, getting everything he wants with no consequences. 

Cool Hand Luke

"Cool Hand" Luke Jackson is another anti-hero we all love. He's incorrigible and untamable in the best way. That is until he meets The Captain in a prison in Florida who goes out of his way to break Luke in Cool Hand Luke. The Captain is so brutal on Luke, that the movie ends with Luke's death. The Captain wins and seemingly will continue his brutal ways in the future. 

Network

Network doesn't have one bad guy that wins, it has a bad system that wins. Corporations and capitalism are the bad guys, not state actors or terrorists. "There is only IBM and ITT and AT&T and DuPont, Dow, Union Carbide, and Exxon," according to Arthur Jensen (Ned Beatty). Howard Beale (Peter Finch) tries to take them down, but he's just yelling madly out a window. Almost 50 years after Network came out and the corporations are still winning. 

Basic Instinct

Catherine Tramell is a great villain in Basic Instinct. The role is played so well by Sharon Stone that by the end, audiences aren't sure if she's good or bad, if she's a murderer or not. It's less ambiguous when we see the ice pick in the final scene. Still, she wins, she gets away with murder, or multiple murders and lives on, ready to commit at least one more, maybe. 

Sicario

Sicario's morality is all over the place. Audiences are left asking more questions about it than answers to be found in the movie. Is the CIA evil? Are the U.S. policies in the War on Drugs? Is the Mexican Cartel? What about Benicio Del Toro's character? We just don't know. What we do know is that no one wins, especially not the good guy.  

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

In George Lazenby's only appearance as James Bond, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, James Bond saves the world but loses his wife, which definitely qualifies as the bad guy winning. After Bond stymies Blofeld's (Telly Savalas) plans and rescues his love interest, Tracy (Diana Rigg), Blofeld returns the favor when he and his henchwoman gun down Tracy in a drive-by shooting as the couple are leaving their wedding. It's safe to say the moment changed 007 forever. 

Arlington Road

In Arlington Road Michael (Jeff Bridges) suspects his neighbors, played by Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack, as being terrorists, and he pursues them in a cat-and-mouse game that ultimately leads to Michael discovering he was right, but the terrorists are one step ahead of him and Michael dies in an explosion at FBI headquarters and is framed as the perpetrator of the blast. Meanwhile, his neighbors, who are responsible, get away scot-free. 

Gone Girl

Just who is the bad guy in Gone Girl? Is it Nick (Ben Affleck) for the way he treats his wife, or is it his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike) for the way she frames him? It's hard to answer, but by the end, Amy has trapped Nick in their toxic relationship, so in one way or another, the bad guy wins. 

The Dark Knight Rises

The Joker in The Dark Night Rises is quite possibly the best villain in any comic book movie ever. Heath Ledger's performance is worthy of all the praise it gets. And while he doesn't get everything he wants, to destroy the soul of Gotham, he does manage to destroy Batman's (Christian Bale) psyche and that is enough to say the bad guy won. 

It's nice to not always have the bad guy lose, even if we don't like it in the moment. But as the Rolling Stones said, sometimes you need to have a little "sympathy for the devil." 

There was a time when seeing iconic horror movie villains such as Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees slashing up young, defenseless civilians was the genre’s main draw. However, these days, audiences have come to better appreciate the Scream Queens and Scream Kings who know how to hold their own against the likes of masked killers, vicious extraterrestrials, mischievous demons, and more. With that in mind, let’s take a minute to shine the spotlight on the clever and courageous heroes from the best horror movies of all time and point out what makes them worth rooting for.

Ash Williams (The Evil Dead Movies) 

The Ash we meet in 1981's The Evil Dead is completely in over his head, struggling desperately to defend himself against his possessed friends in whatever way he can find. However, by the end of 1987's Evil Dead II, when he replaces his severed hand with a working chainsaw, Bruce Campbell's most iconic role becomes one of the horror genre's grooviest heroes… even if he is prone to a few flubs and mishaps here and there.

Laurie Strode (Halloween) 

Out of all of the babysitters working in Haddonfield on All Hallow’s Eve, Laurie Strode is the only one who manages to survive the escaped Michael Myers' killing streak in 1978's Halloween. The young woman’s courage and avoidance of distracting vices in John Carpenter's quintessential slasher made the character the ultimate “final girl” and Jamie Lee Curtis the quintessential Scream Queen.

Ben (Night Of The Living Dead) 

Duane Jones made history as the first Black actor to play the lead hero in a horror movie with his role in 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Ben is the one character in George A. Romero's groundbreaking thriller who manages to keep a level head when struggling to survive against hungry reanimated corpses.

Nancy Thompson (A Nightmare On Elm Street) 

Played by Heather Langenkamp, Nancy Thompson certainly takes a little while to figure out how to defeat the subconscious-haunting Freddy Kreuger (Robert Englund) in writer and director Wes Craven’s supernatural slasher classic. Near the end of A Nightmare on Elm Street, when she realizes that bringing him into reality is the key, she turns the tables on him with a series of elaborate traps that predate Home Alone.

Ellen Ripley (Alien) 

Sigourney Weaver’s career-defining role of Ellen Ripley became the sole survivor of  1979’s Alien and, as a result, one of the most inspirational female heroes in horror movie history. Her previous experience contending with the Xenomorph provided her with the resilience and wherewithal to ensure there would be more survivors in 1986’s Aliens, making her one of the greatest female action heroes of all time.

Sidney Prescott (Scream) 

When you have been targeted by masked killers as many times as Sidney Prescott, you tend to pick up on a few helpful tips and tricks for survival. Even before the original Ghostface first struck in 1996's Scream, the tragic murder of her mother a year prior prompted Neve Campbell's character to be prepared for such things.

R.J. MacReady (The Thing) 

Easily one of Kurt Russell's best roles is R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter's The Thing. The pilot brings a well-conceived, no-nonsense approach to weeding out who among his fellow researchers is a shape-shifting alien in disguise while stranded at their outpost in the Arctic.

Elise Rainier (Insidious)

When your house (or, maybe, your child) is haunted, the first person you should call is someone with a direct line to the afterlife, such as Lin Shaye's Elise Rainier from the Insidious movies. The medium comes to the Lambert Family's aid after young, unwitting astral traveler Dalton (Ty Simpkins) flies too far into "The Further" — a spiritual realm she named herself.

Chris Washington (Get Out)

Jordan Peele made a point to have a protagonist capable of making intelligent decisions for his Oscar-winning directorial debut, Get Out. He achieved that goal beautifully with Daniel Kaluuya's Chris Washington, with his adept suspicions of unusual circumstances and ingenious plan to escape the Armitage Family’s clutches.

Grace (Ready Or Not) 

Samara Weaving's newlywed in Radio Silence's breakthrough hit, Ready or Not, proves to be an ideal Hide-and-Seek player when her in-laws forced her to play it to the death as part of a matrimonial ritual. While she does get spotted a few times, it is in those moments when Grace also proves to be quite the fighter.

Dutch (Predator) 

Even the biggest fans of the Predator movies seem to forget that, when it comes to defeating the cunning, titular extraterrestrial, being the toughest, strongest, and best marksman is nowhere near as important as being the smartest. Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character from the 1987 original) realizes this after becoming the last of his crew and taking him on with old-school hunting tactics.

Sienna Shaw (Terrifier 2) 

Played by Lauren LaVera, the hero of Damien Leone's sequel to his shockingly brutal, old-school slasher throwback, Terrifier, is not just a final girl by circumstance. As foretold in artwork crafted by her late father, it is Sienna Shaw's destiny to cross paths with and defeat the sadistic Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton).

Clarice Starling (The Silence Of The Lambs) 

Jodie Foster won her second Academy Award for her performance in Jonathan Demme's adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel, The Silence of the Lambs. Her role as Clarice Starling — an FBI trainee seeking help from a manipulative, cannibalistic psychiatrist (played by Anthony Hopkins) — is one of the most intelligent and inspirational heroes in cinematic history, regardless of whether or not you want to call the Best Picture Oscar winner "horror."

Casey Cooke (Split, Glass) 

In M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, it eventually becomes known that Casey Cooke's calm demeanor and resourcefulness when she and her friends are kidnapped by a DID patient (James McAvoy) are the result of years of abuse from her uncle. Her trauma also allows Anya Taylor-Joy's character to have a unique connection with her captors' core identity, Kevin Wendell Crumb, that helps bring him back to earth in the 2019 sequel, Glass.

Randy Meeks (Scream)

The only original Scream cast member as resourceful as Sidney (if not more) is Randy Meeks, whose obsession with horror movie tropes allows him to, successfully, figure out at least one of Ghostface's true identities. Even though Jamie Kennedy's movie buff does not survive 1997’s Scream 2, his prime suspect in that sequel also turns out to be halfway correct.

Chief Martin Brody (Jaws)

Roy Scheider's Brody is the one member of Jaws' heroic trio with the least amount of experience with sharks. Yet, he makes up for it with the courage and skill needed to rid the waters of that man-eating beast.

Erin Harson (You're Next) 

When masked assassins turn an already bitter family reunion into a bloody nightmare in You're Next, the first one to take charge (and take out these adversaries) is Sharni Vinson's Erin, who is dating one of the family members. It is later revealed that she was trained for situations like this when she was a child, having grown up on her father's survivalist compound.

Peter Washington (Dawn of the Dead)

In the midst of the apocalypse, there is no one better to have in your crew than a member of SWAT, like Peter Washington. Ken Foree's role in George A. Romero’s 1978 zombie movie classic, Dawn of the Dead, is not only a master at slaying zombies, but a devoted survivalist and clever strategist.

Mindy Meeks-Martin (Scream, Scream VI) 

Like uncle, like niece. You would not be able to tell that Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) never got to meet the slain Randy based on how remarkably similar she is to him, particularly in her wide range of horror movie knowledge that proves to be very beneficial for the Scream franchise's new generation of targets.

Dr. Sam Loomis (Halloween) 

In Halloween, Laurie Strode manages to defend herself against Michael Myers, but is unable to expect when, where, and how he might strike — unlike the killer's psychiatrist. Donald Pleasence's Dr. Loomis is not necessarily one step ahead of his former patient, but is not too many steps behind him either, and there might have been fewer casualties in Haddonfield if more people actually accepted his advisement.

Marty (The Cabin In The Woods) 

Fran Kranz's character in the 2012 horror-comedy movie favorite The Cabin in the Woods, Marty, is chosen to represent the "Fool" archetype by The Organization, but they largely misjudged him. He is the first among his vacationing friends to pick up on the strange circumstances surrounding them and call them out on poor decisions often made in less self-aware horror movies.

Maddie Young (Hush) 

In Mike Flanagan's Hush, when a masked killer (John Gallagher Jr.) discovers his target, Maddie Young (Kate Siegel), is deaf, he takes advantage of that fact to intimidate, manipulate, and trap her in her secluded home. What he does not expect is that, as an author, she possesses a sharp analytical mind that keeps her one step ahead of her adversary.

Naru (Prey) 

In Dan Trachtenberg's 2022 Predator prequel, Prey, Amber Midthunder's aspiring Comanche warrior, Naru, proves her worth as a hunter by besting the greatest hunter in the universe. Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch from the original classic, she manages to take out the hulking extra-terrestrial with her wits.

The Janitor (Willy's Wonderland) 

Similarities between 2020's Willy’s Wonderland and the popular Five Nights at Freddy’s series are allegedly coincidental, but there are some audiences who believe that said recent underrated horror movie is a better cinematic counterpart than Blumhouse’s official feature adaptation. The reason is that Nicolas Cage's silent, unnamed drifter manages to absolutely lay waste to a rundown family entertainment center's evil-possessed animatronics with his bare hands, all while cleaning the place up to an immaculate degree and scoring big in pinball.

Tess Marshall (Barbarian) 

In 2022’s Barbarian, Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell) wastes no time scoping out the strange man she finds staying in her vacation rental home (played by Bill Skarsgård) — asking for his ID, avoiding a drink he prepares for her, etc. — which is only the first sign of her wisdom. The most definitive sign is when she finds a creepy hidden room in the basement and, instead of taking a look inside, her first instinct is one big, "Nope."

Scarlett Marlowe (As Above, So Below) 

Scarlett Marlowe (Perdita Weeks) proves her worth as a Final Girl hall-of-famer in one pivotal scene from the 2014 found footage favorite, As Above, So Below. She single-handedly runs all the way back through the, literally, devilish caverns she and her comrades have traveled through to find a mystical artifact that will save a man's life.

The Abbott Family (A Quiet Place) 

A post-apocalyptic world overrun with aliens that hunt by sound is the ingenious concept behind 2018’s A Quiet Place from director John Krasinski, who also stars alongside his real-life wife, Emily Blunt, as a family struggling to stay undetected. For the most, the Abbotts manage this pretty well with tricks like creating paths of sand for quieter walks, building a soundproof bunker for their newborn, and speaking exclusively in American Sign Language.

Lionel Cosgrove (Dead Alive) 

While initially known for his clumsiness, Lionel (Timothy Balme) proves to be a real hero in Peter Jackson's comedic classic, Dead Alive, by making mincemeat about out of a zombie horde with a makeshift lawnmower. What an ingenious idea!

Sang-hwa (Train To Busan)

It is no wonder Don Lee went on to star in Marvel's Eternals cast after playing Sang-hwa in Train to Busan. Fewer characters might have survived the onboard outbreak in the South Korean zombie movie favorite if not for his remarkable skills as a strategist and a bare-knuckle brawler.

Cecelia Kass (The Invisible Man) 

Writer and director Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man is an ingenious modernization of H.G. Wells’ novel for multiple reasons — including its narrative from the perspective of the victim, and a very bright and cautious one at that. Elisabeth Moss' Cecelia Kass is one of the few horror movie characters who leaves absolutely no stone unturned in a fierce battle of wits against her adversary — in this case, her manipulative former husband, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), whom she suspects has figured out a way to stalk her without being seen.

Blade (Blade) 

What makes Blade — originally played by Wesley Snipes in his own trilogy — the ultimate vampire hunter? He technically is one himself. The Marvel Comics hero is known as a Daywalker, having been born with vampire blood and similar abilities that allow him to think just like his prey.

Tommy Jarvis (Friday The 13th Movies) 

Few of Jason Voorhees' targets have been about to successfully outsmart the hockey-masked killer like Tommy Jarvis. In his debut appearance in 1984's Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, the young man (played then by Corey Feldman) shaves his head to appear like a young Jason, disorienting the killer and giving him a clear shot to defeat him.

Tired of watching horror movies and getting frustrated over the characters’ ill-advised decisions? You shouldn’t have that problem with these characters.

Music transforms movies. I’m not talking about the score, or songs written for movies like anything Lin-Manuel Miranda does, but the great songs that when you hear them later on the radio or on Spotify, you can’t help but immediately think of a scene from the movie they made better and more memorable. These are the 21 movie songs that I can only associate with a specific scene in a movie. 

Bittersweet Symphony - Kathryn Gets Busted In Cruel Intentions

I’ll start here because the scene is just so fantastic. The building momentum of the strings in The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” fits so well with the slow reveal of Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) getting her mean girl life turned completely on its head in Cruel Intentions. Not only is her reputation completely trashed, but she’s busted with the cocaine in her crucifix. I could watch the scene over and over with that music. It's a good thing the production paid the insane amount of money they did for the song; nothing else would've worked. 

Where Is My Mind - The End Of Fight Club

A perfect example of a classic track, in this case it's The Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind” blending into a dramatic scene that elevates the moment to new heights at the end of Fight Club. As the walls literally come down around The Narrator (Edward Norton) and Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), he tells her she’s met him at a very strange time in his life, as Pixies lead singer Black Francis asks everyone “Where is my mind?” Unless you see it in China, where the movie ends very differently. 

Layla - Covering Up The Heist In GoodFellas

“Layla,” by Derek and the Dominos was almost 20 years old when GoodFellas was released in 1990, but it still ends up in what I think is actually the best use of a popular song in a movie. In case you’ve forgotten, Jimmy (Robert DeNiro) is cutting all ties between him and the others involved in the Lufthansa heist. One by one, bodies are discovered in a montage as the piano-and-guitar coda of “Layla” plays over it. It almost makes murder look cool.  

The End - The Opening Of Apocalypse Now

There may be any opening scene in any movie that sucks you in quite like the opening scene of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece Apocalypse Now. The wide shot of the jungle being napalmed as the haunting beginning of The Doors' classic "The End" plays over it. Just as the music gets chaotic, so does the movie with Martin Sheen busting his hand open in his hotel room. Brilliant. 

Mr. Blue Sky - Opening Scene Of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

There are a whole bunch of music moments from Guardians of the Galaxy I could choose from the trilogy, as songs are, of course, a key component of the storytelling. For this list, I’ve chosen “Mr. Blue Sky” by the great Electric Light Orchestra that opens Vol. 2. It sets the tone for the movie perfectly. These movies are most of all about having fun, and there’s nothing more fun than this opening scene, and when I hear the tune, I always see Groot dancing. 

Fight The Power - Sal Destroys Radio Raheem’s Radio In Do The Right Thing

The use of Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power” in Do The Right Thing is anything but fun. After a long, hot, stressful day, Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) and Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) confront Sal (Danny Aiello) in his pizzeria while blasting the song from the boombox. Not only do the lyrics fit the scene well, but the chaotic nature of it adds a level of desperation to the argument that eventually leads to the tragedy that follows.  

Everything In It's Right Place - The Opening To Vanilla Sky

There's a very good chance that I would not have liked Vanilla Sky if not for the epic beginning of the movie with Radiohead's Everything In It's Right Place playing over the montage of Tom Cruise's character starting his day. The song has just the right amount of excitement mixed with forboding to set the tone for the whole movie. 

Stuck in the Middle With You - Mr. Blonde Cutting A Cop's Ear Off In Reservoir Dogs

Another movie that brilliantly uses music is Reservoir Dogs, and nowhere is that more true than the happy-go-lucky tones of Steelers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You” during the most violent scene of a very violent movie, when Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) cuts off the ear of a cop he’d tied up and tortured. Something about the contrast between the sweet song and the ultra-violence just works. 

Goodbye Horses - Buffalo Bill Getting Dressed In Silence Of The Lambs

There is no way anyone, anywhere, hears the song “Goodbye Horses” by Q Lazzarus and thinks of anything except Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) getting dressed and dancing in front of the mirror in The Silence of the Lambs. The scene is so iconic that I can’t help but shiver a little when I hear the song, no matter where I am. 

Time To Pretend - The Opening Of 21

The opening scene of 21, as the audience is taken on a quick tour of Boston and Cambridge by way of the Charles River is great. The music, "Time To Pretend" by MGMT fits perfectly. It's an upbeat song about having the time of your life, and it's about pretending to be someone else, just like the MIT blackjack team in the movie.

Old Time Rock And Roll - Tom Cruise Dancing In His Underwear In Risky Business

Bob Seger wrote “Old Time Rock and Roll” in 1979 and it became a moderate hit for him, but it was four years later when it was used as the music Tom Cruise dances in his underwear to in Risky Business that it became an American classic. How many times have you heard it and thought about dancing around in your underwear? I know I have, many times. 

O-o-h Child - Doughboy Gets Busted In Boyz N The Hood

“O-o-h Child” by the Five Stairsteps is a soul music standard, and when I hear it now, I immediately think about the scene in Boyz N the Hood, when Furious (Laurence Fishburne in a performance that should have gotten him an Oscar) is returning home after a nice day fishing with his son Tre. At first, the song is a nice moment for Furious, but in the context of the movie, it changes almost immediately when they drive by young Dough Boy’s house as he’s getting arrested. Things are going to get better according to the song, but they don’t, really. 

Hurricane - Wooderson Walks Into The Emporium In Dazed & Confused

I love Bob Dylan, but now whenever I hear his classic call for justice song, “Hurricane,” I can only think of how cool Wooderson (Matthew McConaughey) and Pink (Jason London) look as they stroll into the Emporium and meet up with the other characters just as the legendary night is getting underway. 

In Your Eyes - Outside The Window In Say Anything

An old crush once asked me if I’d ever stood outside a girl’s window and played a song on a jukebox like Lloyd (John Cusack) does in Say Anything. I told her no, but she would’ve been the first to know if I had. You simply cannot hear Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” without immediately picturing Lloyd with the radio above his head in front of his Chevy Malibu. 

The Times They Are A-Changin - Opening Credits Of Watchmen

I’m not going to debate whether Zach Snyder’s adaption of the graphic novel Watchmen is well done or not (it is). What I will debate is how great the opening scene is accompanied by Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin.” 20 years ago it was unthinkable to me that I would think of anything but the 1960s when I heard that song, now all I see is the bloody Smiley Face button. 

Flower Duet - Clifford’s Death In True Romance

The most powerful use of music on this list comes from one of the best scenes in movie history. It’s when the “Flower Duet,” from the Léo Delibes opera Lakmé, is played over the True Romance scene between Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken. The music swells as Hopper realizes that no matter what, this confrontation is going to lead to his death. It is an immensely commanding moment and while the music may be over 100 years old, it will, at least for me, be forever connected to this one amazing moment. 

Hip To Be Square - Paul Allen’s Murder In American Psycho

Do you like Huey Lewis and the News? If you do, and you’ve never seen American Psycho then you might think twice, because after you do, you will only associate their 1986 hit, “Hip To Square,” with one thing: the murder of Paul Allen (Jared Leto) by Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). Try getting a reservation at Dorsia now! 

Sister Christian - Drug Deal In Boogie Nights

Maybe the most tense I’ve ever felt from a film scene is in Boogie Nights when Dirk (Mark Wahlberg) and the others attempt to con Rahad (Alfred Molina). The stress of the scene, with the fireworks going off and the incredible performance by Molina is enhanced by Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian.” I still get the jitters when I hear the song. 

Hurdy Gurdy Man - The First Murder Scene In Zodiac

Speaking of getting the willies, Donavan’s “Hurdy Gurdy Man” will never be the same for me after seeing it used in Zodiac. The way the volume rises on the song as the killer’s car approaches the soon-to-be-murdered couple, then fades as it pulls away, to the relief of the couple, only to rise again as he returns. Yikes! Brilliant!

Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - Dream Sequence In The Big Lebowski

The Coen brothers are masters of using music to set the tone of their movies. In The Big Lebowski they up the ante by adding two musical vignettes, almost like music videos as dream sequences. The second, with the song “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” has become so classic that when I saw Kenny Rogers in concert (who sings the song with his old band The Third Edition) he even acknowledged it’s what’s made the song so timeless. 

Tiny Dancer - The Bus Ride In Almost Famous

“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John is a great song to sing along to. When I’m hitting those high notes all by myself in the car, I feel just like the band Sweetwater in Almost Famous as they travel down the highway on tour in their big bus. It’s just a fun scene after a tense moment, which is perfect for that song. 

Pocket Full Of Sunshine - The Opening Scene Of Easy A

In Easy A Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) declares “Pocket Full of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield to be the “worst song ever” before she hears the earworm of a tune so many times that it becomes her favorite song. That’s kind of exactly how I feel about it, and now when I hear it, the guilty pleasure I enjoy is justified because Olive said it was okay to love it. 

Bohemian Rapsody - The Car Ride In Wayne’s World

You knew I couldn’t end this list without including “Bohemian Rhapsody” from Wayne’s World. I’ll fully admit Queen is not my favorite band, and this is not one of my favorite songs, but the scene is so classic that you can’t help but immediately be transported back to seeing it for the first time. Look, see? I’ll bet you’re banging your head right now.

You Should Be Dancing - The Famous Dance Scene In Saturday Night Fever

You can't have this list without including one of the best music movies of all time, and there is no way to here "You Should Be Dancing" by The Bee Gees without thinking of the icon scene of John Travolta taking over the nightclub. 

Shipping Off To Boston - Billy Goes Undercover In The Departed

There is no more iconic song about Boston than the Dropkick Murphys' "Shipping Off To Boston" so Martin Scorsese's decision to not only use it in The Departed but where uses it, as Billy (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes into jail to start his undercover work, is perfect. 

Tequila - The Bar Scene In Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

There are rumors that a time existed when the song "Tequila" by The Champs was known for some other than Pee-Wee Herman's famous dance in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, but that's hard to believe. The scene is so iconic now, that it's all anyone thinks of, and it's sure to get people dancing like Pee-Wee. 

Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) - Dinner Scene In Beetlejuice

Harry Belafonte had a huge hit with "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)" back in the day, but it was Beetlejuice that opened it up to a whole new generation. That generation always associates with the amazing scene when the ghosts try to scare the new homeowners off. 

Also Sprach Zarathustra - The Opening Of 2001: A Space Odyssey

Composer Richard Strauss could never have predicted what would become of his music work, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" as conceived by the brilliant mind of director Stanley Kubrick. In 2001: A Space Odyssey, it probably becomes very different than what Strauss had in mind. It's so iconic today, that people usually refer to the music as "2001."

You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Funeral In The Big Chill

One of the things that makes the use of The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" so cool in The Big Chill is that instead of the choir that opens the original version before fading into the song, the movie does it on organ. It's perfect and now the only way I ever want to hear it. 

I Got You Babe - The Alarm Clock In Groundhog Day

If there are two things I hate in this world, it's alarm clocks and the Sonny & Cher song "I Got You Babe." It's likely because I connect the two so closely in my mind because of Groundhog Day.

Lust For Life - Opening Scene Of Trainspotting

Director Danny Boyle using "Lust For Life" by Iggy Pop at the beginning of Trainspotting makes it one of the most bombastic openings ever and the chaotic music is perfect for the chaotic nature of the movie. 

These Days - Margot Gets Off The Bus In The Royal Tenenbaums

Wes Anderson has a deft touch when it comes music in his movies, and I love a lot of the songs he choses, but for my money, using Nico's "These Days" is probably the best. I love the song, and now I always picture Gwyneth Paltrow in her fur coat. 

Great film scores transform movies, but nothing transcends like a well-placed classic pop song like the ones on this list. There are so many more songs I could’ve chosen that I could have 100 more entries. Adding the right song at the right time is the easiest way to make me nostalgic for a time and place, and that includes on film and on television, as well. 

SPOILER WARNING: We are going to discuss major spoilers for all the movies mentioned in the list.

As horror fans, we willingly immerse ourselves in heart-pounding suspense, bone-chilling terror, and the adrenaline rush of a good scare. Whether it's a sinister entity haunting a home or a deranged serial killer lurking in the shadows, some of the best horror movies have gifted us with unforgettable moments of cinema that continue to plague our nightmares. I explore the scariest scenes in 25 major horror movies in this feature. So, fellow horror enthusiasts, let's dive into the most terrifying motion picture moments.

Psycho (1960) - The Shower

Let's kick off this list with Alfred Hitchcock's genre-redefining classic from 1960, Psycho. The film follows Marion Crane, who finds herself at the Bates Motel, run by the enigmatic Norman Bates. In one of the most iconic moments in cinema, a routine shower turns into a shocking and suspenseful encounter as Marion is attacked by Norman, dressed like his mother and wielding a knife. The rapid cuts and Bernard Herrmann's intense string score make this scene a masterclass in suspense, leaving an indelible mark on horror history.

Paranormal Activity (2007) - The Demon Drags Katie

In 2007, Paranormal Activity emerged as a groundbreaking found-footage horror film, captivating audiences with its minimalist approach to terror. The scariest scene occurs when the malevolent demon entity drags a still-sleeping Katie out of bed, down the dimly lit hallway, into the abyss of the unknown. This scene alone solidifies Paranormal Activity as one of the best movies about demonic possession. 

Signs (2002) - The Fingers Under the Door

In one of M. Night Shyamalan's best films, Signs, an alien invasion becomes a gripping and unsettling experience for the former priest, Graham Hess, and his family, who find themselves trapped in their home. When the family takes refuge in their basement, a terrified Merrill, played by Joaquin Phoenix, investigates strange noises outside the door, only to encounter a pair of ghastly alien fingers emerging from under the door, instilling a visceral sense of dread. The fear of the unknown and the eerie sound design in this scene create a visceral sense of dread, proving that sometimes, what we don't see can be the most terrifying thing of all.

The Others (1999) - The Confirmation Dress

Set in post-World War II England, The Others is an eerie ghost story centered around Grace Stewart (Nicole Kidman) and her two children with a rare photosensitivity condition. The tension builds as strange occurrences unfold in their isolated mansion. A haunting moment comes when Grace confronts her daughter, Ann, playing on the floor in a confirmation dress, only to discover a ghostly older woman speaking in her daughter's voice. When the creepy woman says: “Are you mad? I am your daughter.” scored with an eerie soundtrack and dizzying camerawork, it is a moment in a PG-13 movie that is legitimately terrifying and is bound to send shivers down your spine.

Poltergeist (1982) - The Clown Under the Bed

Poltergeist is a classic '80s horror film and easily one of the best haunted house movies ever. The movie focuses on evil spirits hellbent on pulling a young girl into their ghostly world, infiltrating the home of a terrified family. Amidst the chaotic frightening experiences, one truly unforgettable moment emerges when a once seemingly harmless clown doll ropes an arm around young Robbie’s neck and pulls him under his bed.

The Shining (1980) - Room 237

Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Stephen King's novel is a psychological horror masterpiece, filled with an eerie atmosphere and unforgettable imagery. Though it’s divisive amongst some longtime King readers due to its big differences from the written story, the movie is superior to the book in some ways. The film follows the Torrance family at the isolated Overlook Hotel, where Jack's sanity unravels due to the hotel's sinister past. The most unsettling and nightmarish sequence happens when Jack explores Room 237, encountering a beautiful young woman in the bathtub who undergoes a terrifying transformation into a rotting older woman. The terrifying score adds to the sheer terror, leaving a lasting impact on the audience.

Barbarian (2022) - Keith’s Death in the Tunnels

In 2022's Barbarian, a young woman books a rental home already occupied by a stranger and decides to spend the night despite her reservations. However, she soon discovers there's more to fear than just an unexpected house guest. The most shocking moment involves Keith, portrayed by Bill Skarsgård, meeting a violent end at the hands of the basement-dwelling Mother. Skarsgård's previous role as Pennywise adds intrigue, but his true intentions are brutally revealed as he is murdered in front of our modern-day final girl, Tess, with his head bashed into the basement wall.

The Sixth Sense (1999) - The Ghosts in the Hallway and Bathroom

In M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense, young boy Cole, who can communicate with the dead, seeks help from child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe. One night, as Cole uses the restroom, he senses the presence of restless spirits and the temperature drops. Confronting eerie unease in the hallway, he faces a horrifying sight in his tent. This suspenseful scene is masterfully crafted and leaves no questions about why the movie was one of the few horror movies nominated for Best Picture.

Hereditary (2018) - The Cake Allergic Reaction

Ari Aster's Hereditary is a modern masterpiece delving into family and grief's psychological horrors. After the family matriarch's death, the Graham family experiences terrifying and unexplained events. The scariest scene occurs when Charlie, the youngest daughter, unknowingly ingests nuts to which she is fatally allergic. Charlie's reaction's slow and agonizing progression is excruciating, culminating in her shocking fate. A light pole decapitates her as her brother races to get her to help. This scene's emotional and unflinching intensity is a testament to the film's ability to create terror through familial trauma and visceral horror. Hereditary is also notable for, like The Sixth Sense, featuring one of the most potent Toni Collette performances. 

Misery (1990) - Annie Hobbles Paul

Another Stephen King adaptation, Misery follows Paul Sheldon, a famous author held captive by his deranged number-one fan, Annie Wilkes, exploring obsession, manipulation, and sadism. The most gruesome scene occurs when Annie discovers Paul killed off her beloved literary character, Misery Chastain. In a rage, she brutally hobbles Paul to prevent his escape, showcasing the horrors of obsession and the destructive power of fanaticism, magnified by Kathy Bates' Oscar-winning performance.

Scream (1996) - Opening Scene/Casey Becker’s Death

Wes Craven's Scream cleverly revitalized the slasher genre in the 1990s, blending self-awareness with classic horror tropes. The opening 13 minutes, featuring Drew Barrymore’s Casey Becker on the receiving end of a deadly prank phone call (despite some fan theories), is a masterclass in horror filmmaking. It was also where the now iconic line "What's your favorite scary movie?" was first uttered. 

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) - Night Vision

Jonathan Demme's The Silence of the Lambs is a psychological thriller classic introducing the infamous cannibalistic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter. FBI trainee Clarice Starling seeks Lecter's help to catch serial killer Buffalo Bill. The most intense scene occurs during the heart-pounding climax in Buffalo Bill's pitch-black basement, where he stalks his latest victim, Catherine Martin, using night vision goggles, creating a nightmarish sequence that effectively builds tension and fear, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer's psyche.

The Thing (1982) - The Chest Chomp

John Carpenter's The Thing, initially a flop, is now a cult classic sci-fi horror where researchers in Antarctica encounter a shape-shifting alien organism. In a skin-crawling scene, Dr. Copper's forearms get trapped as he attempts to use a defibrillator on Norris, showcasing Rob Bottin's practical effects mastery in this body horror masterpiece.

The Exorcist (1973) - The Crucifix Stabbing

William Friedkin's The Exorcist is an iconic horror film that introduces the terrors of demonic possession, following young girl Regan MacNeil's struggles with a malevolent entity. The most intense scene unfolds during the exorcism ritual, as Regan utters disturbing and blasphemous statements before violently stabbing herself with a crucifix, shocking audiences with its horrifying act of self-harm and graphic imagery, solidifying the film's status as a benchmark for horror and its ability to elicit genuine fear, and is why it's one of the best 1970s horror movies. 

The Exorcist III (1990) - The Hallway/Scissors 

The Exorcist III may be an underrated sequel, but it delivers spine-chilling moments as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman investigates murders resembling a past case. The scariest scene occurs in a hospital hallway during a quiet night shift; the sole nurse hears a strange noise in one of the rooms and investigates. Startled by a sleeping doctor, as she catches her breath, she encounters a figure dressed as a white nun wielding giant shears in the adjacent room. It’s one of the most effective jump scares ever filmed. 

Child's Play (1988) - Batteries Not Included

Child's Play is one of the best scary doll movies, introducing the iconic killer Chucky on a quest to possess young Andy's body. When Andy's Mother, suspecting her son is telling the truth about his homicidal plaything, confronts the “Good Guy” and discovers he has no batteries. The doll's true nature is revealed as he terrifyingly attacks Karen. The film's ability to instill fear into an innocent children's toy solidifies Chucky as one of cinematic history's most memorable horror villains.

Frailty (2001) - Destroy Him

Bill Paxton's directorial debut, Frailty, is a shocking psychological drama and great one-off horror movie that explores a father's belief in a divine mission to destroy demons disguised as humans, delving into themes of faith and fanaticism. The most intense scene occurs when the father orders his son Fenton to kill a man, but Fenton swings the axe in the opposite direction, embedding it in his father. This blood-curdling moment is a testament to the film's exploration of morality and the depths of human darkness, making it an underrated gem in the horror genre.

Audition (1999) - Asami's Torturing Nature

Takashi Miike's Audition is a Japanese horror film delving into obsession and sadism. The story follows a widower who sets up an elaborate lie to find a new partner. During the film's climax, the woman the widower finds, Asami, shows her true sadistic nature as she traps Aoyama in a nightmarish and torturous ordeal. The slow and deliberate pacing creates an excruciating and visceral experience, leaving the viewer disturbed and haunted by the horrifying events.

Bone Tomahawk (2015) - Deputy Nick’s Demise

Bone Tomahawk is a visceral blend of horror and Western genres, following a group on a rescue mission to save captives from cannibalistic troglodytes. The most disturbing scene occurs during the group's encounter with the savage tribe, as Deputy Nick suffers an unimaginable fate, brutally scalped and ripped in half before being devoured. This scene's graphic and unflinching violence reflects the film's relentless and ruthless approach to horror.

The Blair Witch Project (1999) - The Corner

When released in 1999, The Blair Witch Project revolutionized the found-footage genre. Near the flick's climax, the surviving filmmaker discovers an unsettling figure, who looks a lot like their friend, standing in the corner of an abandoned house in the woods. The eerie and inexplicable sight effectively capitalizes on the fear of the unknown and isolation, solidifying the film's place as a groundbreaking and unforgettable entry in horror movie history.

The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) - Child Eating

The Taking of Deborah Logan, a found-footage horror film, delves into dementia and possession. The most horrific scene unfolds when unknowingly possessed, Deborah kidnaps a child and transforms into a horrifying entity with an unhinged snake-like jaw, attempting to devour the child. This unexpected and contextually fitting moment delivers one of the best jump scares in any horror movie, evoking both fear and surprise in the audience.

It  (2017) - The Losers Visit The House on Neibolt Street

One of the best creepy clown movies is 2017’s It, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. The movie follows children in Derry confronting an ancient evil personified as Pennywise the Clown. During the Losers Club's journey to the gothic and rundown house on Neibolt Street, Pennywise uses illusions to manipulate Richie, Bill, and Eddie, resulting in Eddie breaking his arm. The relentless pursuit in the bowels of the abandoned home will make any horror lover squirm. 

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) - The Home Videos

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a disturbing and unflinching exploration of the mind of a serial killer. The film, supposedly based on a true story, follows Henry, a remorseless and sadistic murderer, as he goes about his brutal and senseless killings. The most disturbing scene occurs when Henry and his partner, Otis, watch home videos of their past crimes, showcasing their unnerving lack of remorse and depravity. The film is a harrowing and relentless portrayal of human evil.

Skinamarink (2023) - The Face Without a Mouth

In 2023, Skinamarink became a game-changing, untraditional horror movie, gaining popularity on TikTok. The story follows Kevin and Kayle, two children who wake up to find their father missing and their home's windows and doors vanished. The freakiest scene is when Kevin approaches his sister, revealing her face transformed into a skin-covered void, evoking primal fears of the uncanny and the unknown.

Sinister (2012) - The Lawnmower Home Video Footage

Sinister is a 2012 supernatural horror film following true-crime writer Ellison Oswalt as he uncovers disturbing footage of a series of murders. The scariest scene occurs when Ellison, played by Ethan Hawke in one of his best roles, watches a horrifying Super 8 home video of a family's brutal demise with a lawnmower, combining shocking imagery and a hair-raising score for an unnerving and nightmarish experience. The film expertly blends found-footage elements with traditional horror storytelling, creating an atmospheric and unsettling cinematic journey.

As our journey through the scariest scenes in 25 major horror movies concludes, we're reminded of fear's enduring power in cinema. Each moment has left an indelible mark on the genre, resonating with horror fans worldwide. Who knows, maybe some of the many upcoming horror movies set for the 2024 movie release schedule could find themselves on this list one day. 

Britney Spears loves dropping videos of herself dancing on Instagram. My favorite part of clicking on them is the anticipation before I find out what music she’s chosen because she’s all over the board. Lately we’ve gotten everything from Bruce Springsteen songs to Seal songs to Britney’s own songs. I’m rarely surprised anymore, as I’ve stopped going in with any preconceived notions, but even so, I still did an immediate mouth open, shocked double take when I clicked on her last video and it was set to Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses.”

If the name of that song sounds vaguely familiar to you it’s almost certainly because you’ve heard it in The Silence Of The Lambs. It’s the track Buffalo Bill dances to while tucking and wearing a woman’s scalp as a wig. It’s one of the most unnerving and iconic scenes in one of the best movies ever made, and now we have a video of Britney Spears dancing in a crop top set to the song. It’s weird and amazing and I feel like my fandoms are uniting and crashing together in an unexpected way. You can check out the video below…

So, first of all, I have no idea if Britney Spears realizes this video is giving Silence Of The Lambs to a lot of people watching. I can’t find any record of her talking about the movie, and there’s reason to believe this may have just been a happy accident. She recently re-posted a dance group performing with “Goodbye Horses” in the background and may have simply thought, hey, that song rules. I’m going to put it on one of my dance videos. So, maybe she just heard the song and couldn’t get enough, which would make sense since it’s sooooooo good. Besides, if she is a Silence Of The Lambs fan, I can’t imagine her dropping this video and not making some reference to the iconic scene shown below.

Either way, “Goodbye Horses” is a spectacular song with a truly bizarre history. Jonathan Demme, who directed Philadelphia, Stop Making Sense and a bunch of other awesome movies and concert videos, got picked up by a taxi during a snowstorm. The driver was Q Lazzarus, a struggling musician. She played him a demo of her music, and he wound up using it in a bunch of his movies including “Goodbye Horses” in Silence Of The Lambs, which we recently put on our list of best music moments in the history of horror movies. 

As for Britney Spears herself, she’s been the subject of a thousand and one tabloid rumors over the last few months about everything from her marriage to her sleeping habits to her relationship with her parents and ex-husband. Throughout it all, however, she’s just kept living and dropping more fun dance videos set to a variety of random songs. Hopefully this one convinces many to discover Q Lazzarus and to go watch The Silence Of The Lambs.

Of all the great 2024 movies nominated for Best Picture at the 2025 Academy Awards – including The Brutalist, The Substance, and Wicked – Anora was the big surprise winner of the night. In celebration of the most recent celebration of Hollywood's finest achievements, let’s take a look back at not just the best Best Picture Oscar winners but all 97 films to receive the honor in the annual ceremony’s prestigious history, along with a tip on how to watch them from home. Let’s start at the very beginning.

The 1920s-1930s

Wings (1927)

Director: William A. Wellman

Starring: Clara Bow, Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Richard Arlen

What it’s about: According to History.com, the first movie to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards (before they were called Oscars) was Wings – an action-packed, silent epic following two World War I fighter pilots and their bitter feud over the same woman.

How to watch Wings

• Stream Wings on Tubi
• Rent or buy Wings on Amazon
• Buy Wings on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Broadway Melody (1929)

Director: Harry Beaumont

Starring: Charles King, Anita Page, Bessie Love

What it’s about: There is a romantic rivalry at the heart of The Broadway Melody – a musical about show business dreams and the first “talkie” to win the highest honor at the Academy Awards.

How to watch The Broadway Melody

• Stream The Broadway Melody on Tubi
• Rent or buy The Broadway Melody on Amazon
• Buy The Broadway Melody on Blu-ray on Amazon

All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)

Director: Lewis Milestone

Starring: Lew Ayres, Lewis Wolheim

What it’s about: The first adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, – and only the first to be nominated for Best Picture before Netflix’s 2022 version (one of the best war movies on Netflix) – won the prize for its heartbreaking depiction of World War I from a German soldier’s perspective.

How to watch All Quiet on the Western Front

• Stream All Quiet on the Western Front on Tubi
• Rent or buy All Quiet on the Western Front on Amazon
• Buy All Quiet on the Western Front on Blu-ray on Amazon

Cimarron (1931)

Director: Wesley Ruggles

Starring: Richard Dix, Irene Dunne

What it’s about: Edna Farber’s novel about a newspaper editor and his involvement in the late 19th-Century Oklahoma land rush inspired Cimarron – the first Western to win at the Academy Awards, including the top prize.

How to watch Cimarron

• Rent or buy Cimarron on Amazon
• Buy Cimarron on Blu-ray on Amazon

Grand Hotel (1932)

Director: Edmund Goulding

Starring: Joan Crawford, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore

What it’s about: An iconic ensemble leads the thrilling, romantic interwoven stories told in Grand Hotel, which was only nominated for Best Picture but managed to take it home.

How to watch Grand Hotel

• Rent or buy Grand Hotel on Amazon
• Buy Grand Hotel on Blu-ray on Amazon

Cavalcade (1933)

Director: Frank Lloyd

Starring: Diana Winyard, Clive Brook

What it’s about: Several notable and tragic events of the early 20th Century are seen through the eyes of a well-to-do English family in Cavalcade, which also earned awards for Frank Lloyd and art director William S. Darling.

How to watch Cavalcade

• Rent or buy Cavalcade on Amazon
• Buy Cavalcade on Blu-ray on Amazon

It Happened One Night (1934)

Director: Frank Capra

Starring: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert

What it’s about: Frank Capra, Clark Gable, and Claudette Colbert each won their first Academy Award for It Happened One Night – one of the most charming and influential romantic comedy movies ever made.

How to watch It Happened One Night

• Stream It Happened One Night on Tubi
• Rent or buy It Happened One Night on Amazon
• Buy It Happened One Night on Blu-ray on Amazon

Mutiny On The Bounty (1935)

Director: Frank Lloyd

Starring: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton

What it’s about: Mutiny on the Bounty is a thrilling adventure, inspired by a real incident from 1789, about a ship crew rebelling against their sadistic captain.

How to watch Mutiny on the Bounty

• Rent or buy Mutiny on the Bounty on Amazon
• Buy Mutiny on the Bounty on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

Director: Robert Z. Leonard

Starring: William Powell, Luise Rainer, Myrna Loy

What it’s about: The Great Ziegfeld is a lavish, fact-based tale about the ups and downs of show business that also took home an award for Seymour Felix’s choreography.

How to watch The Great Ziegfeld

• Rent or buy The Great Ziegfeld on Amazon
• Buy The Great Ziegfeld on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Life Of Emile Zola (1937)

Director: William Dieterle

Starring: Paul Muni, Gloria Holden

What it’s about: The following year, the Academy gave the Best Picture Oscar to another fact-based drama, The Life of Emile Zola, which follows the titular French writer and his fight against the unjust Dreyfus affair.

How to watch The Life of Emile Zola

• Stream The Life of Emile Zola on Max
• Rent or buy The Life of Emile Zola on Amazon
• Buy The Life of Emile Zola on Blu-ray on Amazon

You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Director: Frank Capra

Starring: Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart

What it’s about: You Can’t Take It with You – based on playwrights George S. Kaufmann and Moss Hart’s brilliant, romantic class satire – won Best Picture the first year the Academy started calling the statuette “Oscar.”

How to watch You Can’t Take It with You

• Rent or buy You Can’t Take It with You on Amazon
• Buy You Can’t Take It with You on Blu-ray on Amazon

Gone With The Wind (1939)

Director: Victor Fleming

Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Hattie McDaniel

What it’s about: Still the all-time highest-grossing movie when adjusted for inflation, according to Box Office Mojo, Gone with the Wind made Oscar history as the first color film to win Best Picture and Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to be nominated and awarded by the Academy when she won Best Supporting Actress.

How to watch Gone with the Wind

• Stream Gone with the Wind on Max
• Rent or buy Gone with the Wind on Amazon
• Buy Gone with the Wind on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 1940s

Rebecca (1940)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: Laurence Olivie, Joan Fontaine

What it’s about: It is hard to believe that Alfred Hitchcock never won an Oscar himself, but his adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s riveting suspense novel, Rebecca, at least earned him the honor of saying he helmed a Best Picture winner.

How to watch Rebecca

• Stream Rebecca on Filmzie
• Buy Rebecca on Blu-ray on Amazon

How Green Was My Valley (1941)

Director: John Ford

Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara

What it’s about: Famous for beating Citizen Kane for the top prize is How Green Was My Valley, which is based on Richard Llewellyn’s story of one family’s struggles in a Welsh mining village in the early 1900s.

How to watch How Green Was My Valley

• Rent or buy How Green Was My Valley on Amazon
• Buy How Green Was My Valley on Blu-ray on Amazon

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Director: William Wyler

Starring: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon

What it’s about: As World War II was still raging, the Best Picture Oscar went to Mrs. Miniver, which chronicles the early days of the earth-shattering conflict through the eyes of a middle-class British family.

How to watch Mrs. Miniver

• Stream Mrs. Miniver on Max
• Stream Mrs. Miniver on IndieFlix
• Rent or buy Mrs. Miniver on Amazon
• Buy Mrs. Miniver on Blu-ray on Amazon

Casablanca (1943)

Director: Michael Curtiz

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman

What it’s about: The events of World War II were very much an influence on the story of the heartbreaking classic about unrequited love, Casablanca, in which former lovers reunited over political intrigue in Morocco.

How to watch Casablanca

• Stream Casablanca on Max
• Rent or buy Casablanca on Amazon
• Buy Casablanca on Blu-ray on Amazon

Going My Way (1944)

Director: Leo McCarey

Starring: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald

What it’s about: The Academy must have been in the mood for something lighter when it awarded Best Picture to a musical called Going My Way, which also earned Bing Crosby his sole Oscar.

How to watch Going My Way

• Rent or buy Going My Way on Amazon
• Buy Going My Way on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Director: Billy Wilder

Starring: Ray Milland, Jane Wyman

What it’s about: Following World War II’s end, the Academy sought darkness again and gave the top prize to Billy Wilder’s The Lost Weekend – a film noir classic following an alcoholic’s days-long bender.

How to watch The Lost Weekend

• Rent or buy The Lost Weekend on Amazon
• Buy The Lost Weekend on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)

Director: William Wyler

Starring: Myrna Loy, Fredric March

What it’s about: While many films set around and released close to World War II intended to glorify the conflict, The Best Years of Lives took a more honest approach to its psychological effects, by following a trio of traumatized veterans struggling to readjust.

How to watch The Best Years of Our Lives

• Stream The Best Years of Our Lives on Amazon Prime
• Stream The Best Years of Our Lives on Peacock
• Buy The Best Years of Our Lives on Blu-ray on Amazon

Gentleman's Agreement (1947)

Director: Elia Kazan

Starring: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire

What it’s about: A renowned journalist goes undercover as a Jewish man as research for a series of articles covering anti-Semitism in Gentleman’s Agreement.

How to watch Gentleman’s Agreement

• Rent or buy Gentleman’s Agreement on Amazon
• Buy Gentleman’s Agreement on Blu-ray on Amazon

Hamlet (1948)

Director: Laurence Olivier

Starring: Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons

What it’s about: Sir Laurence Olivier also did uncredited screenwriting work on and gave an Oscar-winning performance in the title role of Hamlet – the first talkie based on William Shakespeare’s tragedy and the first non-American film to win Best Picture.

How to watch Hamlet

• Stream Hamlet on Max
• Stream Hamlet on Tubi
• Rent or buy Hamlet on Amazon
• Buy Hamlet on DVD on Amazon

All The King's Men (1949)

Director: Robert Rossen

Starring: Broderick Crawford, John Ireland

What it’s about: Broderick Crawford earned an Oscar for his lead performance in All the King’s Men – based on Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel following the triumphant rise and fall of a corrupt politician.

How to watch All the King’s Men

• Stream All the King's Men on Tubi
• Rent or buy All the King’s Men on Amazon
• Buy All the King’s Men on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 1950s

All About Eve (1950)

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Starring: Anne Baxter, Bette Davis

What it’s about: “Fasten your seatbelts” for All About Eve – the dazzling drama in which the title character schemes to assume the life of an aging Broadway star.

How to watch All About Eve

• Rent or buy All About Eve on Amazon
• Buy All About Eve on Blu-ray on Amazon

An American In Paris (1951)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron

What it’s about: A painter struggles to find work in France in the essential romantic musical, An American in Paris, which also won Best Original Score.

How to watch An American in Paris

• Rent or buy An American in Paris on Amazon
• Buy An American in Paris on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Greatest Show On Earth (1952)

Director: Cecil B. DeMille

Starring: James Stewart, Charlton Heston

What it’s about: The Greatest Show on Earth brought all the excitement of the circus to the movie theater and, as depicted in The Fabelmans, inspired a young Steven Spielberg to pursue a career in filmmaking.

How to watch The Greatest Show on Earth

• Stream The Greatest Show on Earth on MGM+
• Rent or buy The Greatest Show on Earth on Amazon
• Buy The Greatest Show on Earth on Blu-ray on Amazon

From Here To Eternity (1953)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Starring: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed

What it’s about: One of the most exciting and romantic war dramas of all time is From Here to Eternity, which includes one of the most iconic movie kisses and for which Frank Sinatra won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

How to watch From Here to Eternity

• Rent or buy From Here to Eternity on Amazon
• Buy From Here to Eternity on Blu-ray on Amazon

On The Waterfront (1954)

Director: Elia Kazan

Starring: Marlon Brando, Karl Malden

What it’s about: Marlon Brando won his first Academy Award for playing a down-and-out former boxer who “coulda been a contender” in On the Waterfront, which also earned Elia Kazan his second Oscar.

How to watch On the Waterfront

• Rent or buy On the Waterfront on Amazon
• Buy On the Waterfront on Blu-ray on Amazon

Marty (1955)

Director: Delbert Mann

Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair

What it’s about: Ernest Borgnine gives an Oscar-winning performance in the title role of Marty – a Bronx butcher who receives an unexpected chance at love when he meets the equally disillusioned teacher, Clara.

How to watch Marty

• Stream Marty on Amazon Prime
• Stream Marty on Tubi
• Stream Marty on Pluto TV
• Buy Marty on Blu-ray on Amazon

Around The World In 80 Days (1956)

Director: Michael Anderson

Starring: David Niven, Cantinflas

What it’s about: Based on Jules Verne’s seminal, inventive adventure novel, Around the World in 80 Days follows two explorers attempting to do just what the title suggests.

How to watch Around the World in 80 Days

• Rent or buy Around the World in 80 Days on Amazon
• Buy Around the World in 80 Days on DVD on Amazon

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

Director: David Lean

Starring: Alec Guinness, William Holden

What it’s about: Future Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Alec Guinness won the Best Actor Oscar for playing one of many POWs forced to build a doomed railroad during World War II in The Bridge on the River Kwai.

How to watch The Bridge on the River Kwai

• Rent or buy The Bridge on the River Kwai on Amazon
• Buy The Bridge on the River Kwai on Blu-ray on Amazon

Gigi (1958)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Starring: Leslie Caron, Louis Jordan

What it’s about: Winner of all nine Oscars it was nominated for, Gigi is a sweeping musical about a friendship between a rich playboy and a courtesan-in-training that blossoms into more.

How to watch Gigi

• Stream Gigi on Tubi
• Rent or buy Gigi on Amazon
• Buy Gigi on Blu-ray on Amazon

Ben-Hur (1959)

Director: Willian Wyler

Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins

What it’s about: Charlton Heston won Best Actor for playing the title role of a Jewish prince wrongfully sold into slavery in Ben-Hur – a quintessential period epic that is also celebrated for its editing by experts of the craft.

How to watch Ben-Hur

• Stream Ben-Hur on Tubi
• Rent or buy Ben-Hur on Amazon
• Buy Ben-Hur on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 1960s

The Apartment (1960)

Director: Billy Wilder

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine

What it’s about: One of Billy Wilder’s most definitive achievements was The Apartment – an inventive comedy about an insurance clerk who allows his coworkers to have romantic encounters in his Manhattan home.

How to watch The Apartment

• Stream The Apartment on MGM+
• Stream The Apartment on Tubi
• Rent or buy The Apartment on Amazon
• Buy The Apartment on Blu-ray on Amazon

West Side Story (1961)

Director: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

Starring: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer

What it’s about: William Shakespeare’s seminal romantic tragedy, Romeo & Juliet, is given a modernized, musical update with West Side Story, which Steven Spielberg would later reimagine in 2021.

How to watch West Side Story

• Stream West Side Story on Amazon Prime
• Stream West Side Story on Tubi
• Buy West Side Story on Blu-ray on Amazon

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

Director: David Lean

Starring: Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness

What it’s about: It is hard to believe that Peter O’Toole never won an Oscar, even for his performance in the title role of Lawrence of Arabia, which is about how England’s T.E. Lawrence led Arab tribes against the Turks during World War I.

How to watch Lawrence of Arabia

• Stream Lawrence of Arabia on Max
• Rent or buy Lawrence of Arabia on Amazon
• Buy Lawrence of Arabia on Blu-ray on Amazon

Tom Jones (1963)

Director: Tony Richardson

Starring: Albert Finney, Susannah York

What it’s about: Four Oscars went to this adaptation of Henry Fielding’s period novel, Tom Jones, which follows the romantic exploits of the chivalrous, titular lothario.

How to watch Tom Jones

• Stream Tom Jones on Max
• Rent or buy Tom Jones on Amazon
• Buy Tom Jones on Blu-ray from Walmart

My Fair Lady (1964)

Director: George Cukor

Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison

What it’s about: Based on the stage musical of the same name, My Fair Lady is the largely influential story (it was the basis for She’s All That) of a phonetics professor who wagers he can make an upper-class citizen out of a working-class, Cockney woman.

How to watch My Fair Lady

• Rent or buy My Fair Lady on Amazon
• Buy My Fair Lady on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Sound Of Music (1965)

Director: Robert Wise

Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer

What it’s about: Another iconic musical that earned the top prize at the Oscars in the 1960s is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews as a governess who teaches the children of her employer about the joys of song.

How to watch The Sound of Music

• Stream The Sound of Music on Disney+
• Stream The Sound of Music on Hulu
• Rent or buy The Sound of Music on Amazon
• Buy The Sound of Music on Blu-ray on Amazon

A Man For All Seasons (1966)

Director: Fred Zinnemann

Starring: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller

What it’s about: Sir Thomas More’s defiance of the Catholic Church’s prohibition of divorce inspired the play A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt, who would win an Oscar for penning the screenplay of this enthralling adaptation.

How to watch A Man for All Seasons

• Rent or buy A Man for All Seasons on Amazon
• Buy A Man for All Seasons on Blu-ray on Amazon

In The Heat Of The Night (1967)

Director: Norman Jewison

Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger

What it’s about: In one of Sidney Poitier’s best movies, In the Heat of the Night, he plays a Black detective asked by a Mississippi police chief to help solve a murder he was unjustly accused of.

How to watch In the Heat of the Night

• Stream In the Heat of the Night on Tubi
• Rent or buy In the Heat of the Night on Amazon
• Buy In the Heat of the Night on Blu-ray on Amazon

Oliver! (1968)

Director: Carol Reed

Starring: Ron Moody, Mark Lester

What it’s about: Based on the classic Charles Dickens novel, Oliver! is a musical that tells the story of a young orphan who adopts the art of pickpocketing in 1830s London.

How to watch Oliver!

• Stream Oliver! on The Roku Channel
• Rent or buy Oliver! on Amazon
• Buy Oliver! on Blu-ray on Amazon

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Director: John Schlesinger

Starring: Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman

What it’s about: The first and only Best Picture winner to receive an X rating is Midnight Cowboy, in which a Texas hustler in Brooklyn forms a deep bond with a rebuffed local.

How to watch Midnight Cowboy

• Stream Midnight Cowboy on Amazon Prime
• Stream Midnight Cowboy on Tubi
• Buy Midnight Cowboy on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 1970s

Patton (1970)

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

Starring: George C. Scott, Karl Malden

What it’s about: George C. Scott brilliantly embodied one of the most famous military figures in history to Oscar-winning acclaim in the monumental biopic, Patton.

How to watch Patton

• Rent or buy Patton on Amazon
• Buy Patton on Blu-ray on Amazon

The French Connection (1971)

Director: William Friedken

Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider

What it’s about: In addition to earning a Best Director Oscar, William Friedkin arguably redefined the cop thriller with The French Connection, starring Gene Hackman in a winning performance as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle.

How to watch The French Connection

• Rent or buy The French Connection on Amazon
• Buy The French Connection on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Godfather (1972)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino

What it’s about: The mafia thriller genre was inarguably redefined by one of the best ‘70s movies, The Godfather, starring Marlon Brando in an Oscar-winning performance as Don Vito Corleone.

How to watch The Godfather

• Stream The Godfather on Paramount+
• Rent or buy The Godfather on Amazon
• Buy The Godfather on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Sting (1973)

Director: George Roy Hill

Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford

What it’s about: In the classic heist thriller classic The Sting, a pair of grifters plan a huge con to avenge the murder of their mutual friend.

How to watch The Sting

• Stream The Sting on Netflix
• Rent or buy The Sting on Amazon
• Buy The Sting on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro

What it’s about: Francis Ford Coppola won Best Director after completing his adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel with the, arguably, more powerful follow-up, The Godfather Part II, starring Robert De Niro in an Oscar-winning performance as a young Don Vito Corleone.

How to watch The Godfather Part II

• Stream The Godfather Part II on Paramount+
• Rent or buy The Godfather Part II on Amazon
• Buy The Godfather Part II on Blu-ray on Amazon

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Director: Milos Forman

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher

What it’s about: A movie that gets real about mental health is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which features one of the greatest Jack Nicholson performances as a petty criminal who leads a rebellion against a sadistic nurse after an insanity plea gets him sent to a mental institution.

How to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

• Rent or buy One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Amazon
• Buy One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on Blu-ray on Amazon

Rocky (1976)

Director: John G. Avildsen

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire

What it’s about: Sylvester Stallone was nominated for both writing and starring in the title role of Rocky – one of the best sports movies ever made, which inspired an ongoing franchise of beloved boxing films.

How to watch Rocky

• Stream Rocky on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy Rocky on Amazon
• Buy Rocky on Blu-ray on Amazon

Annie Hall (1977)

Director: Woody Allen

Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton

What it’s about: A neurotic comedian looks back on his unique relationship with a free-spirited, aspiring singer in Annie Hall, which remains one of the best romantic comedy movies of all time.

How to watch Annie Hall

• Stream Annie Hall on Tubi
• Rent or buy Annie Hall on Amazon
• Buy Annie Hall on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Deer Hunter (1978)

Director: Michael Cimino

Starring: Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken

What it’s about: Less a war movie and more an analysis of post-war trauma, The Deer Hunter – one of the best Robert De Niro movies – is the harrowing and controversial story of a veteran and his struggles to find his friends after becoming separated in Vietnam.

How to watch The Deer Hunter

• Rent or buy The Deer Hunter on Amazon
• Buy The Deer Hunter on Blu-ray on Amazon

Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)

Director: Robert Benton

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep

What it’s about: Both Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep received Oscars for their performances in Kramer vs. Kramer as a separated couple embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their young son.

How to watch Kramer vs. Kramer

• Rent or buy Kramer vs. Kramer on Amazon
• Buy Kramer vs. Kramer on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 1980s

Ordinary People (1980)

Director: Robert Redford

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton

What it’s about: Dysfunctional family dynamics are also at the heart of the devastating drama, Ordinary People – one of Donald Sutherland's best movies – for which Robert Redford won his sole competitive Academy Award.

How to watch Ordinary People

• Stream Ordinary People on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy Ordinary People on Amazon
• Buy Ordinary People on Blu-ray on Amazon

Chariots Of Fire (1981)

Director: Hugh Hudson

Starring: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson

What it’s about: Vangelis earned his sole Academy Award for his instantly recognizable score for Chariots of Fire, which follows two young, British track runners of differing backgrounds at the 1924 Olympics.

How to watch Chariots of Fire

• Rent or buy Chariots of Fire on Amazon
• Buy Chariots of Fire on Blu-ray on Amazon

Gandhi (1982)

Director: Richard Attenborough

Starring: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud

What it’s about: Sir Ben Kingsley, who is of Indian descent on his father’s side, disappears into the role of the titular, iconic proponent for non-violent resistance in the rousing historical biopic, Gandhi.

How to watch Gandhi

• Stream Gandhi on Tubi
• Rent or buy Gandhi on Amazon
• Buy Gandhi on Blu-ray on Amazon

Terms Of Endearment (1983)

Director: James L. Brooks

Starring: Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson

What it’s about: It is hard to believe that Shirley MacLaine has just one Oscar, for her performance in Terms of Endearment – a drama tracing the relationship between a woman and her daughter that is often funny, until it is devastating.

How to watch Terms of Endearment

• Stream Terms of Endearment on Paramount+
• Stream Terms of Endearment on MGM+
• Stream Terms of Endearment on Hoopla
• Rent or buy Terms of Endearment on Amazon
• Buy Terms of Endearment on Blu-ray on Amazon

Amadeus (1984)

Director: Milos Forman

Starring: Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham

What it’s about: Milos Forman earned his second Best Director Oscar for Amadeus – a retelling of the life of renowned composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as told by a fellow musician who claims to have enviously murdered him, Antonio Salieri.

How to watch Amadeus

• Rent or buy Amadeus on Amazon
• Buy Amadeus on Blu-ray on Amazon

Out Of Africa (1985)

Director: Sydney Pollack

Starring: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep

What it’s about: A big game hunter and a Danish baroness fall in love in 20th-century Kenya in the tender, powerful romance, Out of Africa.

How to watch Out of Africa

• Stream Out of Africa on Netflix
• Rent or buy Out of Africa on Amazon
• Buy Out of Africa on Blu-ray on Amazon

Platoon (1986)

Director: Oliver Stone

Starring: Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe

What it’s about: American soldiers are subjected to relentless, senseless brutality while serving in Vietnam in one of the greatest war movies to win Best Picture, Platoon.

How to watch Platoon

• Stream Platoon on Amazon Prime
• Stream Platoon on Tubi
• Buy Platoon on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Last Emperor (1987)

Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

Starring: John Lone, Joan Chen

What it’s about: The story of Pu Yi – who would become the last person to serve as the monarchical leader of China – is revealed in The Last Emperor, for which Bernardo Bertolucci earned Oscars for both writing and directing.

How to watch The Last Emperor

• Stream The Last Emperor on Max
• Buy The Last Emperor on Blu-ray on Amazon

Rain Man (1988)

Director: Barry Levinson

Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise

What it’s about: Dustin Hoffman gives one of the most esteemed performances of his career as an autistic savant opposite a stellar Tom Cruise as his previously unwitting younger sibling in Rain Man – a beautiful story of redemption through brotherly love.

How to watch Rain Man

• Stream Rain Man on Tubi
• Rent or buy Rain Man on Amazon
• Buy Rain Man on Blu-ray on Amazon

Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

Director: Bruce Beresford

Starring: Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman

What it’s about: Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman make an irresistible pair as a disgruntled, elderly widow and her chauffeur in one of Freeman’s best movies, Driving Miss Daisy – an inspirational story about redemption through friendship set between the 1950s and 1970s.

How to watch Driving Miss Daisy

• Rent or buy Driving Miss Daisy on Amazon
• Buy Driving Miss Daisy on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 1990s

Dances With Wolves (1990)

Director: Kevin Costner

Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonell

What it’s about: Kevin Costner won a Best Director Oscar for Dances with Wolves – the first Western to win Best Picture since 1931’s Cimarron – in which the Yellowstone cast member also plays the title role of a Civil War-era soldier who learns the ways of a Native American tribe.

How to watch Dances with Wolves

• Stream Dances with Wolves on Amazon Prime
• Stream Dances with Wolves on Peacock
• Stream Dances with Wolves on MGM+
• Stream Dances with Wolves on Tubi
• Buy Dances with Wolves on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

Director: Jonathan Demme

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins

What it’s about: An FBI trainee seeks help from a cannibalistic former psychologist to catch a killer in The Silence of the Lambs – one of the best horror movies ever made and the only film out of a handful of horror movies nominated for Best Picture to win so far.

How to watch The Silence of the Lambs

• Rent or buy The Silence of the Lambs on Amazon
• Buy The Silence of the Lambs on Blu-ray on Amazon

Unforgiven (1992)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman

What it’s about: The Academy would show its taste for the Western again by giving the top prize to one of the best Clint Eastwood movies, Unforgiven, for which the star won his first Oscar as both director and producer.

How to watch Unforgiven

• Rent or buy Unforgiven on Amazon
• Buy Unforgiven on Blu-ray on Amazon

Schindler’s List (1993)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes

What it’s about: Arguably the best Steven Spielberg movie is the film that made him an Academy Award-winning filmmaker as director and producer, Schindler’s List – a technically magnificent, emotionally distressing portrait of the Holocaust.

How to watch Schindler’s List

• Stream Schindler’s List on Netflix
• Rent or buy Schindler’s List on Amazon
• Buy Schindler’s List on Blu-ray on Amazon

Forrest Gump (1994)

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright

What it’s about: In one of Tom Hanks’ best movies, the actor gives his second Oscar-winning performance as the simple-minded title hero of Forrest Gump – an endearing revisionist history drama from director Robert Zemeckis.

How to watch Forrest Gump

• Stream Forrest Gump on Paramount+
• Rent or buy Forrest Gump on Amazon
• Buy Forrest Gump on Blu-ray on Amazon

Braveheart (1995)

Director: Mel Gibson

Starring: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau

What it’s about: Mel Gibson became an Oscar-winning filmmaker as the director and producer of the historical epic Braveheart, in which he also stars as Scottish warrior William Wallace in a bid to free his people from England’s tyrannical rule.

How to watch Braveheart

• Stream Braveheart on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy Braveheart on Amazon
• Buy Braveheart on Blu-ray on Amazon

The English Patient (1996)

Director: Anthony Minghella

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche

What it’s about: A French-Canadian nurse indulges in an affair with a British, semi-amnesiac plane crash victim in the romantic World War II-era drama, The English Patient.

How to watch The English Patient

• Stream The English Patient on MGM+
• Stream The English Patient on Hoopla
• Rent or buy The English Patient on Amazon
• Buy The English Patient on Blu-ray on Amazon

Titanic (1997)

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet

What it’s about: Sparks fly between a wealthy young woman and a poor young man while on an ill-fated luxury ship in Titanic – James Cameron’s heavily dramatized retelling of the 1912 tragedy that became the highest-grossing film ever for a time.

How to watch Titanic

• Stream Titanic on Paramount+
• Stream Titanic on MGM+
• Rent or buy Titanic on Amazon
• Buy Titanic on Blu-ray on Amazon

Shakespeare In Love (1998)

Director: John Madden

Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench

What it’s about: A young William Shakespeare indulges in an affair with a woman who inspires some of his most iconic work in Shakespeare in Love, for which Gwyneth Paltrow and Judi Dench also won Oscars for their performances.

How to watch Shakespeare in Love

• Stream Shakespeare in Love on Paramount+
• Rent or buy Shakespeare in Love on Amazon
• Buy Shakespeare in Love on Blu-ray on Amazon

American Beauty (1999)

Director: Sam Mendes

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening

What it’s about: Following his own death, a forty-something suburban dad recalls the bizarre last few weeks of his life through overhead narration in American Beauty.

How to watch American Beauty

• Stream American Beauty on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy American Beauty on Amazon
• Buy American Beauty on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 2000s

Gladiator (2000)

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix

What it’s about: Russell Crowe gives an Oscar-winning performance as the hero of Gladiator – a thrilling period piece that surely had audiences “entertained” and spawned the sequel, Gladiator II, in 2024.

How to watch Gladiator

• Stream Gladiator on Paramount+
• Stream Gladiator on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy Gladiator on Amazon
• Buy Gladiator on Blu-ray on Amazon

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Director: Ron Howard

Starring: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly

What it’s about: Russell Crowe headlined back-to-back Best Picture winners in the early 2000s – the second being A Beautiful Mind, in which he plays real-life mathematician John Nash, whose struggles with mental illness almost threatened his career.

How to watch A Beautiful Mind

• Rent or buy A Beautiful Mind on Amazon
• Buy A Beautiful Mind on Blu-ray on Amazon

Chicago (2002)

Director: Rob Marshall

Starring: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellwegger, Richard Gere

What it’s about: Catherine Zeta-Jones danced her way to Oscar glory in Chicago – the cinematic adaptation of the Broadway musical inspired by the infamous “Murderess Row” case of the late 1920s.

How to watch Chicago

• Stream Chicago on Paramount+
• Stream Chicago on Pluto TV
• Rent or buy Chicago on Amazon
• Buy Chicago on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen

What it’s about: Director Peter Jackson completed his trilogy inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s influential fantasy books with The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which also became the most acclaimed of the Lord of the Rings movies and earned him a Best Director Oscar.

How to watch The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

• Stream The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on Max
• Stream The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Edition) on Max
• Rent or buy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on Amazon
• Buy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King on Blu-ray on Amazon

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman

What it’s about: Clint Eastwood won his second Best Director Oscar for the tragic boxing drama Million Dollar Baby, which also saw Morgan Freeman win his first Academy Award and Hilary Swank her second.

How to watch Million Dollar Baby

• Rent or buy Million Dollar Baby on Amazon
• Buy Million Dollar Baby on Blu-ray on Amazon

Crash (2005)

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle

What it’s about: Paul Haggis earned a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for co-writing Crash – an analysis of modern racial tension as told from the point of view of various Los Angeleans in a 36-hour period.

How to watch Crash

• Stream Crash on Plex
• Rent or buy Crash on Amazon
• Buy Crash on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Departed (2006)

Director: Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson

What it’s about: Martin Scorsese received a long-overdue Oscar for directing The Departed – a gritty, bleak, twisty remake of the Chinese cop drama, Infernal Affairs, set in Boston’s criminal underground.

How to watch The Departed

• Rent or buy The Departed on Amazon
• Buy The Departed on Blu-ray on Amazon

No Country For Old Men (2007)

Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin

What it’s about: One of Joel and Ethan Coen’s best movies and one of the all-time best Western movies, No Country for Old Men – based on Cormac McCarthy’s powerful commentary on violence as seen through the eyes of three men on different sides of the law – also earned the duo Oscars for both writing and directing.

How to watch No Country for Old Men

• Stream No Country for Old Men on Paramount+
• Stream No Country for Old Men on MGM+
• Rent or buy No Country for Old Men on Amazon
• Buy No Country for Old Men on Blu-ray on Amazon

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Director: Danny Boyle

Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto

What it’s about: A young man reflects on his childhood in Mumbai while competing on a game show in the inspiring fairy tale, Slumdog Millionaire.

How to watch Slumdog Millionaire

• Rent or buy Slumdog Millionaire on Apple TV
• Buy Slumdog Millionaire on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Hurt Locker (2009)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Starring: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie

What it’s about: Kathryn Bigelow became the first female Best Director winner for The Hurt Locker – one of the best war movies of all time, which stars Jeremy Renner as a military bomb defuser whose recklessness puts him at odds with his peers while serving in Iraq.

How to watch The Hurt Locker

• Rent or buy The Hurt Locker on Amazon
• Buy The Hurt Locker on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 2010s

The King's Speech (2010)

Director: Tom Hooper

Starring: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush

What it’s about: Colin Firth gives a brilliant performance as an heir to the British throne struggling to overcome his debilitating stammer in The King’s Speech, which also earned Tom Hooper an Oscar.

How to watch The King’s Speech

• Stream The King's Speech on The Roku Channel
• Rent or buy The King’s Speech on Amazon
• Buy The King’s Speech on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Artist (2011)

Director: Michel Hazanavicius

Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo

What it’s about: The first “silent film” to win the Best Picture Oscar since the very first Best Picture Oscar winner (Wings) was The Artist, which, itself, is a rousing, visually stunning love letter to the silent era.

How to watch The Artist

• Stream The Artist on Tubi
• Rent or buy The Artist on Amazon
• Buy The Artist on Blu-ray on Amazon

Argo (2012)

Director: Ben Affleck

Starring: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston

What it’s about: One of Ben Affleck’s best movies, the intense thriller Argo is based on the true story of a CIA agent who helped Americans escape an Iranian hostage situation by posing as a film crew in 1979.

How to watch Argo

• Rent or buy Argo on Amazon
• Buy Argo on Blu-ray on Amazon

12 Years A Slave (2013)

Director: Steve McQueen

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael Fassbender

What it’s about: Lupita Nyong’o earned a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in her feature-length debut, 12 Years a Slave, which is based on Solomon Northrup’s experience as a free Black man abducted and sold into slavery.

How to watch 12 Years a Slave

• Stream 12 Years a Slave on Hulu
• Rent or buy 12 Years a Slave on Amazon
• Buy 12 Years a Slave on Blu-ray on Amazon

Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (2014)

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Starring: Michael Keaton, Emma Stone

What it’s about: One of the best Michael Keaton movies, Birdman is a masterclass in satire and surrealism that sees the Oscar nominee poking fun at his own career by starring as a former superhero movie actor seeking a comeback.

How to watch Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

• Stream Birdman on Hulu
• Rent or buy Birdman on Amazon
• Buy Birdman on Blu-ray on Amazon

Spotlight (2015)

Director: Tom McCarthy

Starring: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams

What it’s about: Michael Keaton led back-to-back Oscar winners in the mid-2010s – the second being Spotlight, which tells the story behind the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning exposé about child molestation cover-ups in the Catholic Church.

How to watch Spotlight

• Stream Spotlight on Starz
• Rent or buy Spotlight on Amazon
• Buy Spotlight on Blu-ray on Amazon

Moonlight (2016)

Director: Barry Jenkins

Starring: Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris

What it’s about: Although an infamous mistake initially made it seem like La La Land won in 2017, the Best Picture Oscar really went to Moonlight – the harrowing story of a young Black man struggling with abuse and his sexual identity.

How to watch Moonlight

• Rent or buy Moonlight on Amazon
• Buy Moonlight on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Shape Of Water (2017)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Starring: Sally Hawkins, Doug Jones

What it’s about: Visionary filmmaker Guillermo del Toro won over the Academy with The Shape of Water – one of his many celebrated collaborations with Doug Jones – which sees him continue to indulge in his love of creature features but filtered through a powerful commentary on forbidden love.

How to watch The Shape of Water

• Rent or buy The Shape of Water on Amazon
• Buy The Shape of Water on Blu-ray on Amazon

Green Book (2018)

Director: Peter Farrelly

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali

What it’s about: Mahershala Ali won his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for one of his best roles yet – a Black pianist who forms a strong bond with his white chauffeur while touring the Jim Crow era South – in Green Book, which takes its name from a real road guide used to locate safe areas for Black travelers at the time.

How to watch Green Book

• Rent or buy Green Book on Amazon
• Buy Green Book on Blu-ray on Amazon

Parasite (2019)

Director: Bong Joon-ho

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun

What it’s about: An impoverished, South Korean family infiltrates the lives of a wealthy family in the striking, brilliant, subversive thriller, Parasite – the first movie to win Oscars for both Best Foreign Language Film and Best Picture.

How to watch Parasite

• Stream Parasite on Netflix
• Stream Parasite on Hulu
• Rent or buy Parasite on Amazon
• Buy Parasite on Blu-ray on Amazon

The 2020s

Nomadland (2020)

Director: Chloé Zhao

Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn

What it’s about: The Chinese-born Chloé Zhao became the first woman of color to win Best Director for Nomadland, which could almost count as a documentary on the post-Recession culture of middle-aged people living exclusively on the road for its casting of real “nomads” as themselves.

How to watch Nomadland

• Stream Nomadland on Hulu
• Rent or buy Nomadland on Amazon
• Buy Nomadland on Blu-ray on Amazon

CODA (2021)

Director: Sian Heder

Starring: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin

What it’s about: A young woman, who is the only hearing person in her family, struggles between following her musical aspirations and helping her parents when they fall on hard times in CODA, which also saw star Troy Kotsur make history as the first deaf person to win the Best Actor Oscar.

How to watch CODA

• Stream CODA on Apple TV+

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Director: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu

What it’s about: One of the best A24 movies, Everything Everywhere All At Once – a bizarre, emotional, and crowd-pleasing Multiverse movie – took home the top prize, while acting awards went to Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Jamie Lee Curtis and DANIELS earned Best Original Screenplay and Best Director.

How to watch Everything Everywhere All At Once

• Stream Everything Everywhere All At Once on Max
• Rent or buy Everything Everywhere All At Once on Amazon
• Buy Everything Everywhere All At Once on Blu-ray on Amazon

Oppenheimer (2023)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.

What it’s about: Robert Downey, Jr. became the first former SNL actor to win an Oscar for his supporting performance in Oppenheimer – a dramatization of the story of the Atomic Bomb's construction from the perspective of the project's leader, J. Robert Oppenheimer, that also won the top prize.

How to watch Oppenheimer

• Stream Oppenheimer on Amazon Prime
• Buy Oppenheimer on Blu-ray on Amazon

Anora (2024)

Director: Sean Baker

Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov

What it’s about: At the 2025 Academy Awards, five went to Anora – in which a young, Brooklyn sex worker's impulsive marriage to a Russian oligarch's son creates issues in her life – including Best Editing, Original Screenplay, and Director for Baker; Best Actress for Madison; and top prize.

How to watch Anora

• Rent or buy Anora on Amazon
• Buy Anora on Blu-ray on Amazon

Now that you can say you have seen every Best Picture Oscar winner so far, would you say you agree with the Academy?

There have been six horror movies nominated for Best Picture. Six! That may seem like a lot given how horror movies are often seen as schlocky affairs, but when you compare it to something like dramas, then movies like Get Out, Jaws, and The Exorcist seem super few and far between.

And it just makes me wonder, why? Does a horror movie really have to be an art house film for it be considered worthy of the Academy Award? There was a time when all a musical really had to do was show up that year and be nominated for Best Picture. The same could be said for war movies. The truth is, the Academy seems blatantly biased against certain genres, like fantasy, sci-fi, and yes, horror. But it seems to love dour affairs like Nomadland, which yeah, is good, but do you know what’s also really good? Hereditary! Well, anyway, rant over. Here are all 6 Best Picture nominated horror movies, based on how scary they are.

Oh, and some spoilers up ahead.

6. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The only horror movie to ever win Best Picture, do you know how unscary The Silence of the Lambs is? So unscary, that many people don’t even consider it a horror movie at all. They consider it “a thriller." I don’t know if that’s to discredit horror as a genre or what, but The Silence of the Lambs, which is about a young FBI trainee (played by Jodie Foster) who interviews a brilliant cannibal (played by Anthony Hopkins) in order to track down a serial killer (played by Ted Levine) is most certainly a horror movie.

Now, look. If you were to ask me the best horror movie on this list, I would undoubtedly say The Silence of the Lambs. It’s quite possibly the best movie of the ‘90s. That said, it’s really not all that scary. It is tense, though, which is why most people likely view it more as a thriller than as a horror movie. My favorite part (besides, “Put the lotion in the basket,” which I say to my kids all the time at the supermarket) is when Clarice is in the basement and Buffalo Bill is stalking her with his night vision goggles. It's intense! But not really scary. So, that’s why it sits at the bottom of this list.

5. Get Out (2017)

Alright, so if you’re black like me, then Jordan Peele’s Get Out just hits differently. It’s the story of a black man named Chris (played by Daniel Kaluuya) who visits his white girlfriend’s family in an upstate getaway. But he soon learns that the family wants to do pretty nefarious things to him. It was a huge hit that made Jordan Peele a household name, and he even won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, so go Jordan Peele!

Still, I can see a certain audience admiring Get Out but not really being scared by it. I mean, it is a pretty comical film at times, as that’s just in Jordan Peele’s nature. But if you’ve ever been the only minority in the neighborhood and you’ve experienced people turning to look at you as if to literally say, “Get out,” then the movie’s tension is a bit more palpable. That said, it’s not “scary” scary, so that’s why it lands at number 5 on this list.

4. Black Swan (2010)

One of Darren Aronofsky’s best films, Black Swan is about a ballerina (played with an Oscar winning turn by Natalie Portman) who is set to be in an upcoming production of Swan Lake. Everything seems to be going well, but when she has to compete with an understudy (played by Mila Kunis), she gradually has a mental collapse in the process.

Black Swan is super creepy, which is why it’s so effective. It doesn’t seem like a horror film at first, but it slowly and patiently goes down that route, until you don’t know what’s real and what’s all in this ballerina’s head. It kind of reminds me of this great Roman Polanski movie, Repulsion, which, despite the man, is a compliment of the highest form. Even so, while I do consider Black Swan creepy, I don’t entirely find it scary, which is why it doesn’t end up in the top 3 on this list.

3. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Ah, the halcyon days when M. Night Shyamalan was once considered the next Alfred Hitchcock. The Sixth Sense, which was massive, is about a little boy (played by Haley Joel Osment) who quote unquote “sees dead people.” He is haunted by ghosts, but his child psychologist (played by Bruce Willis) is going to help get him through this endeavor. If only he knew… you know what, I’m going to stop there just in case you’re the one person who hasn’t seen this movie and doesn’t know how it ends.

The Sixth Sense is PG-13 but genuinely scary. Shots of a little girl underneath a bed or vomiting in a tent make the goosebumps sprout right up on the old arms and legs. I mean, this is a ghost story, after all, so it better be scary. It also surprisingly holds up today. It’s just good old fashion scares done right. Sigh. I miss this M. Night Shyamalan, sad face emoji.

2. Jaws (1975)

The movie that literally made people afraid to go in the water, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is a movie for the ages. It’s about a police chief (played by Roy Scheider) who embarks on a mission with a marine biologist (played by Richard Dreyfuss) and a shark hunter (Robert Shaw) to stop a killer shark from ravaging the beaches.

Now, personally, I don’t find Jaws scary, but I understand that many people do, which is why it lands so high on this list. Did you know that mosquitoes kill more people every year than sharks by a wide margin? But because of Jaws, sharks have developed this reputation for being ravenous killing machines. That’s how big an impact Jaws has had on the human psyche, and that’s why it lands so high on this list.

1. The Exorcist (1973)

You know what The Exorcist is (Even though Jason Blum thinks you don’t). It’s the story of a girl (played by Linda Blair) who gets possessed by a demon, and a local priest (played by Jason Miller) and an exorcist (Played by Max von Sydow) who try to pull it back out of her.

The Exorcist is still scary and shocking even today. Want proof? Kids who have never even seen The Exorcist are still being terrified by Regan’s horrific visage when their friends send along the Scary Maze game online. The very first horror movie ever nominated for Best Picture still has all the frights, and it’s kind of amazing to me that a movie this graphic and scary could actually be up for Best Picture, but, hey, those were the ‘70s for you.

But what do you think? Which of these horror movies do you think is the scariest? Sound off in the poll below. And if you want to know the best horror movies or about upcoming horror movies, then make sure to come by often!

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With over 90 Academy Award Best Picture winners, you would think that it was difficult to narrow this list down to just 10, right? Well, no, actually. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The movie that wins Best Picture is rarely ever a masterpiece. In fact, there are several years where the best picture of the year wasn’t even nominated. Like, how was Do The Right Thing not nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars? How was Ex Machina not freaking nominated?

Sorry, I’m still just a little upset over some of these snubs. The fact is, a Best Picture winner is rarely a film that will be remembered forever. I recently did an article on Musicals that won Best Picture, and while I like some of them, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t consider any of them as one of the best movies ever made. But, I definitely would call the 10 movies that I have for you here some of the best motion pictures of all time. Oh, and there are actually a few that hurt me not to put on this list. And, those films are: Casablanca, On the Waterfront, Schindler’s List, Amadeus, and No Country For Old Men. They all just barely missed the cut.

Rebecca (1940)

Yes, you could argue that Alfred Hitchcock should have won Best Picture many times over for classics like Psycho, Rear Window, and Vertigo (None of which were even nominated for Best Picture, by the way. See above rant). But, look, Rebecca is an out-and-out masterpiece, as well. While you might be more familiar with the recent Netflix movie starring Lily James and Armie Hammer, I implore you to give this dense psychological thriller a shot, as it is just as compelling as any of Hitchcock’s other masterpieces.

The story concerns a new wife (Joan Fontaine) who recently married a deeply depressed man (Laurence Olivier) with a dark past. The thing is, his past is actually SUPER dark (much darker than you might expect for a 1940s movie), and his new wife is constantly haunted by the old wife’s memory. The movie can get surprisingly creepy, but mostly because of their housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), who definitely loved (maybe even sexually) the old wife to an extreme extent. The film is as twisty and wonderful as Hitchcock’s best, and you definitely won’t be disappointed.

The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)

It’s kind of crazy to think, but The Best Years of Our Lives was a very lucrative film when it first came out. I say it’s crazy, because the film is basically about P.T.S.D. and the effects of war on veterans, which definitely isn’t light popcorn fare. Thor: Ragnarok, this isn’t. Directed by William Wyler, and starring Frederic March, Dana Andrews, and Harold Russell (who is one of the only non-professional actors to ever win an Academy Award for acting), the story concerns three veterans returning home from World War II and the struggles they endure, both personally, and in their relationships.

Russell’s performance is especially powerful, as he really did lose his hands in war. But, all around, the story is so engaging and depressing, that it’s just surprising that such a deeply emotional movie could really win the top prize. That doesn’t happen often.

All About Eve (1950)

All About Eve is, in my mind, the best movie to ever win the trophy. Directed and written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (Yes, brother to that Mankiewicz), the film stars Bette Davis as a stage actress who feels she’s over the hill since she's been pigeonholed into older roles. Meanwhile, a young woman named Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter), idolizes her and manages to get into her good graces long enough to have her own star rise. But, is Eve really the meek woman she appears to be?

Short answer: No. From the very first scene, though, you’re hooked. George Sanders won a Best Supporting Actor Award as a shady theater critic named Addison DeWitt, and it’s just such a deep, whip smart movie that shines a light on the idea of what people will do just to become famous.

Marty (1955)

Winning both Best Picture AND the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Marty is pretty much the perfect movie. It’s also the shortest to ever win, clocking in at just 90 minutes. Directed by Delbert Mann and starring Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair, this love story is so sweet because it’s not between two super gorgeous people. Instead, it’s just between two average folks. Some might even call them “dogs.”

Both have given up on love. But, you feel for them so much that you’re swept up in their unlikely romance and ultimately want them to become an item. I’m not going to spoil what happens, but by the end, you’re satisfied. I’ll leave it at that.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

I’m usually not a fan of epics. I found Gone With the Wind and Ben-Hur to be tedious and bloated. Lawrence of Arabia is different. Directed by David Lean (who won Best Director for this AND The Bridge On The River Kwai) and starring Peter O’Toole as the real-life T.E. Lawrence, this epic film is about the man who would lead people from different Arab nations to defeat the Turks in the desert.

What makes Lawrence of Arabia work is the sheer scale of it all. Even on a small screen, shots of people on horseback charging into battle are awe-inspiring. I also love that great scene where he blows up the train. We get the personal side of Lawrence, too, and his feelings about being a traitor to his British roots by helping these people out. All around, it’s just a fantastic, epic movie, and there will probably never be another one like it.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman were robbed when they both lost Best Actor to John Wayne for True Grit. Directed by John Schlesinger, this drama—which is the only X-rated film to ever win Best Pic—is about a gigolo from Texas (Voight) who wants to make it big in New York, and the sick friend he meets along the way (Hoffman).

Midnight Cowboy makes me cry ugly tears. The relationship the two friends form is seamless, and the film is just so gritty, it’s perfect. For a friendship to form in this hell hole doesn’t seem possible, but it happens. And, that scene on the bus…man. Seinfeld parody be damned.

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Am I cheating with this pick? Yes. But I only have 10 slots and I don’t want to put both Godfather Part I AND Part II on the same list. But both deserve to be on here, sure. Think of it like Kill Bill. Two movies, but one full story. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola (who legit beat himself as Best Director that same year for The Conversation), and starring Al Pacino AND Robert DeNiro as son Michael Corleone and a young version of his dad, Vito Corleone, respectively, this mafia epic is so rich and layered it hurts.

I prefer this to the original, though, because I love seeing Vito’s backstory and how it intersects with his son, Michael’s, as he rises in the mafia empire. There’s such great pathos and regret in this film, and I just love that Fredo kiss. It gives me goosebumps every time.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The only horror movie (yes, you heard me) to win Best Picture, The Silence of the Lambs is genre story telling done right. Directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, and Ted Levine, The Silence of the Lambs is about a serial killer on the loose (Levine) and the fearless FBI trainee (Foster) who talks to another serial killer (Hopkins) to track him down.

The whole movie is a master class in tension, and Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter is in the movie for less than 20 minutes, but his presence is so deeply felt that it pervades the entire film. Quite possibly the greatest movie of the ‘90s, and definitely one of the greatest movies of all time.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)

Look on any lists for the greatest Best Picture winners ever, and you won’t find the third installment of Peter Jackson’s epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy anywhere near the top, but I don’t care. I have The Return of the King on constant rotation in my household. Click on my HBO Max and it will legit say, “Continue Watching The Return of the King?”

Much like The Godfather Parts I and II, I consider the whole LOTR trilogy to be one film, and The Return of the King is just such a satisfying conclusion. Frodo and Sam (Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, respectively) are on the last leg of their journey, and they come across copious problems along the way, mostly involving Gollum (played in motion capture by Andy Serkis). Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) is having his own problems leading the remaining fellowship of the ring. It’s just a masterpiece, and infinitely rewatchable.

Parasite (2019)

Having re-watched Parasite twice more since I initially saw it, I feel a little silly with the list I wrote about the best Best Picture winners of the 2010s. Yes, I have an unhealthy obsession with Birdman, but to place Parasite beneath Argo is just criminal.

Directed by Bong Joon-Ho, and the first foreign film to ever win Best Picture (as well as the Palme d’Or), Parasite is unlike any Best Picture winner before it, and in the best way possible. Part comedy, part tragedy (but not a tragicomedy), part thriller, Parasite doesn’t really fit into any specific category, which is why I might not have appreciated it enough at first. Essentially, it’s a story about a poor family who sneak their way into working for a rich family. But, within that plot is all this subtext about class, as well as subtext concerning South and North Korean relations. It’s a knock-out film, and it sits at the top of the heap with the rest of these movies.

I’m sure I missed some of your favorites, but I would love to know what you think is the best of the movies mentioned here. So, sound off in the poll below!

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Of all the follow-up projects that surfaced in the years after The Silence of the Lambs changed the landscape of serial killer entertainment, CBS' new trauma drama Clarice is perhaps the most unexpected. Rather than tying its hook to the cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter that every other project focused on – for legal reasons more than anything else – Clarice is all about its titular FBI agent and the emotional turmoil she experienced after her PTSD-inspiring experiences with Hannibal and Buffalo Bill. So it's obvious why fans are curious whether or not the O.G. Clarice Starling, actress Jodie Foster, will be tuning in.

While it's not exactly common behavior for actors to watch movie sequels that they aren't involved with, it does happen. This particular case may also have the advantage of Clarice being more of a standalone project as opposed to a direct sequel, such as 2001's baffling Hannibal, with Julianne Moore taking over the Clarice role. As such, even though the CBS thriller does indeed feature direct references to Silence of the Lambs, it's at least one layer removed from Jodie Foster's connection to the material. But how does Foster feel about it, and is she planning on tuning in? Infer what you will from the actress' interview with Uproxx. In her words::

It's probably safe to assume that Jodie Foster is not cancelling previously settled plans in order to stay at home on Thursday night in order to watch CBS' Clarice with the rest of America. That said, it's mildly surprising that she even entertained the notion with something other than a flat, "Nah, fam." Actors tend to have zero concern or shame in making it known that they won't be watching particular projects, especially ones that connect to major moments from their careers. So while it seems like Foster was perhaps going to say she "probably" won't watch The Originals' Rebecca Breeds taking over the role, that hesitation and reversal could potentially mean Foster will let her curiosity about her character's next phase take over.

Jodie Foster was lightly pressed for clarity, and was asked if she would maybe stop on Clarice if she was flipping through channels looking for something to watch. Her answer was slightly more positive, if not exactly a full embrace of the CBS drama. In her words:

Jodie Foster's standpoint there is perfectly sensible, since Silence of the Lambs has a proven legacy, and stands as one of the very few films that swept the Academy Awards' five main categories – Best Movie, Lead Actor and Actress, Director and Adapted Screenplay. I imagine fans would have raised a suspicious eyebrow had Foster become a full-fledged Fannibal for Bryan Fuller's exquisite Hannibal drama on NBC, especially considering that show wasn't legally able to use Clarice Starling as a character. But it's totally understandable for the actress to be hesitant about embracing a new Lambs-related project that she isn't personally or professionally invested in.

While CBS would probably love to have Jodie Foster as a vocal cheerleader for its new Clarice show, I'm betting they're more hopeful that millions of non-celebrity viewers are eager to tune into the new show when it debuts on February 11 at 10:00 p.m. ET.

There are few filmmakers more respected than Quentin Tarantino. The Oscar-winning director has had an indelible impact on Hollywood and is considered by some to be one of the best filmmakers of all time. His films are known for their controversy, snappy R-rated dialogue and ultra-violence, but recently the director suggested that his latest, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, is more terrifying than Jonathan Demme’s classic The Silence of The Lambs.

While talking to fellow director Edgar Wright, Quentin Tarantino suggested that the Spahn Ranch scene from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is truly terrifying. Eventually he went on to compare it to The Silence of the Lambs' finale. First he addressed his own scene, saying:

In his interview on the Empire Film Podcast, Tarantino mentions that there is terror in his own film versus the ending scene of The Silence of the Lambs, which he says is wonderfully executed but not necessarily terrifying. As he put it,

After discussing audience reactions for a number of films, including Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, Hot Fuzz and The Silence of the Lambs Quentin Tarantino noted what he considered to be the differences between terror and suspense:

According to Tarantino the final showdown between Buffalo Bill and Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling doesn’t qualify as terror. While that is certainly a hot take, I can see where he is coming from. The Spahn Ranch scene in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is absolutely a nail-biting sequence, but is it more ‘terrifying’ than The Silence of the Lambs? In Tarantino's eyes, it looks like that’s the case.

In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt, finds himself at the infamous Spahn Ranch, a former studio lot that was inhabited by Charles Manson and his followers. What follows is a taught stand-off between Booth and the residents of the ranch.

Fortunately for Cliff Booth, he makes it out alive. But he could have just as easily been killed, at least according to Tarantino. That slight difference is what elevates the scene into pure terror, as opposed to the suspense at the end of The Silence of the Lambs. While I certainly understand Tarantino's point, as he has no qualms about killing off major characters in his movies, I don’t know if I’m sold on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood being more terrifying than one of the best horror movies of all time.

What do you all think? Is that Spahn Ranch scene really more terrifying than the final confrontation between Clarice Starling and Buffalo Bill? Vote in the poll below or let us know in the comments, because I’m not sure if I’m sold on the idea yet.

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The Silence of The Lambs is considered by many to be one of the greatest horror films of all time. The psychological thriller starring Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine and Jodie Foster crushed at the box office and the 64th Academy Awards, ultimately taking home five Oscars. Despite Jodie Foster earning her second Academy Award at just 28, the role of FBI agent Clarice Starling was originally intended for Michele Pfeiffer, who, in a recent interview, shared her biggest regret from turning down The Silence of The Lambs.

Elaborating on why she she walked away from The Silence of the Lambs despite having the first offer from director Jonathan Demme, Michelle Pfeiffer said:

During her interview with The New Yorker, Michelle Pfeiffer mentioned her initial hesitation came from just how evil the film was, which is no surprise considering the brutal subject matter and ending of The Silence of the Lambs. Director Jonathan Demme offered Pfeiffer the role after the pair's first film together, Married to the Mob.

Despite its violence, The Silence of the Lambs went on to earn over $272 million at the box office. For a horror movie working off a $19 million budget, that's not too shabby. The Clarice Starling role is one of Jodie Foster’s most memorable, and it helped launch her already impressive career to new levels, including a move to the director's chair.

Michelle Pfeiffer wasn’t the only other actress considered to star alongside Anthony Hopkins either. Jodie Foster reportedly beat out Laura Dern and Meg Ryan, among others, after Pfeiffer passed on the role.

It’s easy to see where Michelle Pfeiffer is coming from. It couldn’t have been easy to pass up on the opportunity to be in such an iconic film, but she hasn’t done bad for herself either. Ahead of The Silence of the Lambs she earned two consecutive Academy Award nominations. Later, she also starred as Catwoman alongside Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito in Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. In recent years, she has joined the ranks of the MCU as the original Wasp in Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Those wishing to revisit the evil world of Clarice Starling and Dr. Hannibal Lecter can watch The Silence of the Lambs on Showtime. As for more modern movie fare, be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 Movie Release Schedule for the latest on this year's film slate.

It's hard to believe Silence of the Lambs turns thirty years old this February. Heading into this milestone, the psychological thriller is now a spine-chilling classic and important to the fabric of our pop culture. The Best Picture winner is the only horror flick to ever win the coveted prize and continues to be the most iconic role of Jodie Foster’s career as she returns to the big screen for the first time since 2018 for The Mauritanian. And as you can imagine, Foster still has fond memories from working on the iconic movie.

When CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg spoke with Jodie Foster ahead of the release of The Mauritanian, a legal drama about a man seeking justice for his imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay detention camp without charge or trial. During the conversation, he asked the Best Actress-winner about what jumps to mind when reflecting on her experience as Clarice Starling. In her words:

That’s certainly the lasting memory many of us have about Silence of the Lambs, too. The most electric aspect of the 1991 film is the tense moments where Clarice and Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector are face-to-face as the FBI trainee utilizes him to track down the serial killer Buffalo Bill. Foster expanded on her time on Silence of the Lambs with a conversely fun time on set without intense stares or horrifying violence. In her words:

Silence of the Lambs was a super dramatic film and likely an exhaustive shoot, so it’s nice to hear Jodie Foster and the cast had some fun times together in between. Some of the most memorable moments in movies are often the parts not caught on camera and, for Foster, she loved the atmosphere of dancing in her Pittsburgh house on Super Bowl night, blasting music with the film’s crew.

Jodie Foster never reprised her role as Clarice following the Best Picture winner, but Anthony Hopkins did continue his Silence of the Lambs role for Hannibal and Red Dragon. The franchise memorably lived on through the cult favorite spinoff show Hannibal starring Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen, which tracked the origins of Lecter.

Hannibal’s showrunner had plans to intersect the show with Silence of the Lambs for the fourth season, but the series was prematurely cancelled in 2015 and he has not been given the rights to adapt those characters, despite interest from fans and the cast. CBS has now made a series exclusively about Clarice Starling following the events of Silence of the Lambs, which fittingly arrives just ahead of the 1991 film’s anniversary on Valentine’s Day. The Originals star Rebecca Breeds will play the role in Clarice, which premieres on February 11.

Check out Jodie Foster in The Mauritanian in select theaters on February 12.

Hello, Clarice. The Silence of the Lambs, the Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins-starring psychological thriller/horror, turns 30 this year. Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling and many of the films classic lines (of which “Hello, Clarice” isn’t actually one) have been ingrained into our culture, not to mention aped in the form of sequels, prequels, spinoffs and parodies. There is a rich history to this classic film and how it all came together, which you can learn more about with these behind-the-scenes facts on The Silence of the Lambs.

Thomas Harris Met The Inspiration For Hannibal Lecter In A Mexican Prison

Thomas Harris introduced the world to Hannibal Lecter in his book Red Dragon and then expanded on the character in The Silence of the Lambs. The sophisticated psychiatrist who eats people resided in Baltimore, but Harris’ inspiration for Lecter has roots in a Mexican prison.

In an author’s introduction for a The Silence of the Lambs reprint, Harris recalls a magazine assignment when he was 23 to interview an American locked up for murder in Mexico. There, Harris met Dr. Salazar (a created name), who provided medical treatment at the prison. The doctor would ask him probing questions about his interactions and impression of prisoners. It was not until Harris was leaving the prison that he was told that Dr. Salazar was a prisoner himself, an “insane” murderer as described by the warden.

Harris credited Dr. Salazar for allowing him to “recognize his colleague and fellow practitioner, Hannibal Lecter.” And per Demme, that remains Harris' vision of Lecter, as he has never seen the film version of The Silence of the Lambs.

Psycho And The Silence Of The Lambs Killers Are Based In Part On Ed Gein

Though Hannibal Lecter gets a lot of the attention, the main antagonist of The Silence of the Lambs is Buffalo Bill, who was conjured up by taking bits and pieces from infamous killers, including Ed Gein, who previously served as the inspiration for Psycho.

An essay by author and film critic Amy Taubin included in The Silence of the Lambs Criterion DVD broached Gein’s influence. Ed Gein was a serial killer who had an unhealthy relation with his mother (part of the Psycho connection). He also collected body parts from his victims, making household items, masks and clothes. It is the latter that helped inspire the character of Buffalo Bill, as his plan involved making a woman suit from the skin of his victims.

The Man Who Inspired Jack Crawford And David Fincher’s Mindhunter

Jack Crawford (played by Scott Glenn) heads the Behavioral Science Unit of the FBI and the man who recruits Clarice Starling onto the Buffalo Bill case in The Silence of the Lambs. Like Lecter and Buffalo Bill, Crawford also has a connection to a real person, John Douglas.

Douglas was a leading member of the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit in its early days. More than just a jumping off point, he is given a special thanks for his work consulting on The Silence of the Lambs. Jodie Foster also took classes with Douglas during her research at FBI’s headquarters in Quantico, Va., prior to filming, which she described in a three-part making-of documentary, Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster.

Douglas’ career would inspire another popular crime story, David Fincher’s Netflix series Mindhunter. Douglas wrote the book the series is based on and served as a consultant.

Silence Of The Lambs Interested Jonathan Demme More As A Woman’s Pic Than Thriller

Had Clarice Starling been Clark Starling, director Jonathan Demme may never have made The Silence of the Lambs. In Film Comment’s January 1991 issue (via Diary of a Screenwriter), Demme said, as both a moviegoer and director, he was a sucker for a woman’s picture. Demme explained:

Demme and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto encapsulated that perspective in the look of The Silence of the Lambs. In Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster, Demme explains casting tall actors around Jodie Foster to accentuate the idea of her being out of place. They also shot from Starling’s point of view to put the audience more in her shoes and “constantly feel this sense of challenge that she is encountering,” Demme said.

Jodie Foster’s Fight To Be Demme’s Second Choice

Jodie Foster was not happy when Jonathan Demme was hired as the director for The Silence of the Lambs. But it had nothing to do with Demme as a director.

Foster had read The Silence of the Lambs book and immediately wanted to play Clarice Starling. However, when Demme was brought on Foster knew his first choice was going to be Michelle Pfeiffer, who Demme worked with on Married to the Mob. Foster really wanted the part though, so much so that she called and visited Demme personally in New York to push to be the director’s second choice.

She explained her pursuit of Starling in Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster. Coming off an Oscar for Best Actress in The Accused, many people said she was humiliating herself, but Foster looked at it a different way.

Of course, she would be proven right. Pfeiffer passed and Foster earned her second Oscar for Best Actress and created her most iconic role.

Many Actors Wanted To Wear Hannibal’s Mask

It’s always fun to think of who else could have played famous characters, and nearly every major male actor of the time wanted to play Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs.

This included Gene Hackman, who was originally attached to direct the film and potentially star as Lecter. However, Hackman could not see eye to eye with Ted Tally on the script, so he eventually left the project.

When Jonathan Demme came on board, he said - once again in Jonathan Demme and Jodie Foster - he had two thoughts for casting Hannibal. One was Anthony Hopkins; the other was what he deemed the commercial option: Sean Connery. They reached out to Connery first, but he declined the role. So in the end, Demme got to go with his preferred choice, Hopkins.

Demme Filled The Cast With Lucky Charms, Mentors And Crew

While Foster and Hopkins are given their proper due for their tremendous performances, the entire cast of The Silence of the Lambs is fantastic. To fill out all the roles, Demme made some fun and meaningful choices.

Demme cast his “lucky charm” Charles Napier as one of guards who is killed by Lecter. Per IMDb, Napier had been in every Demme film between 1977’s Citizens Band and Silence of the Lambs (he would star in nine Demme films in total). He also brought in B-movie maven Roger Corman as the director of the FBI; Corman helped Demme, like many others, get his start in the industry.

Among the cameos, George Romero, the director for Night of the Living Dead, had a brief appearance in the movie in large part because it was shot in Pittsburgh, where Romero was based. Foster also recalled in Jonathan Demme & Jodie Foster that all members of the crew wound up being used as extras or other small parts.

Anthony Hopkins Devised Hannibal Lecter’s Iconic Entrance

Clarice Starling walks down the subterranean corridor that holds the prison’s most dangerous inmates to have her first meeting with Dr. Hannibal Lecter. When she arrives, she finds the unblinking, cannibal psychiatrist eerily waiting for her in the center of his cell, eager to greet his guest. It’s an iconic entrance that immediately gives Hopkins’ Lecter an unsettling air about him; and according to Hopkins was his choice.

During an interview with Jim Ferguson promoting The Silence of the Lambs, Hopkins said Demme asked how he felt Hannibal should be discovered. Hopkins thought having this infamous murderer waiting for Starling in the center of an empty room saying “good morning” spooked him. Ferguson, to Hopkins' delight, agreed. Hopkins eventually saw first-hand how scary his performance was.

Foster And Hopkins Acted More With The Camera Than Each Other

There are so many great scenes between Starling and Lecter throughout the film. Demme’s use of POV shots continued during these scenes. However, that meant Foster and Hopkins often weren’t acting off each other, but opposite the camera.

Foster, in a Vanity Fair video, explained that those scenes between her and Hopkins would be shot over two days - grabbing her coverage one day and Hopkins’ the other. When the camera was on whichever actor, the other would more or less be a disembodied voice, as Foster described it. “Those scenes feel so intimate, and yet we couldn’t see each other.”

In fact, Foster, in the making-of documentary, said that she and Hopkins had little interaction during filming because of the way their scenes were shot.

Buffalo Bill Drew The Ire Of The LGBTQ Community

Buffalo Bill’s motive is said to be fueled by his desire to change himself. Lecter says that a former patient of his, a gay man, was a partner of Buffalo Bill, and that at one point Buffalo Bill may have applied for a sex change operation. This led many to infer that Buffalo Bill was gay or trans, which in turn wrought criticism from the LGBTQ community upon the film’s release.

The Los Angeles Times reported many in the gay community believed Buffalo Bill painted gay or trans people as mentally deranged. Protests from gay rights activists were held outside of the Oscars the night The Silence of the Lambs won.

Writer and activist Larry Kramer, in a LA Times op-ed on Demme’s follow-up, Philadelphia, said The Silence of the Lambs is considered by “many gays one of the most virulently and insidiously homophobic films ever made.”

The Silence of the Lambs never outright says Buffalo Bill is gay or trans. Lecter’s theory - and the filmmakers’ intent, per Demme’s Film Comment interview - suggests more that he hates his own image and adopting gay or trans traits was a way to alter it. That was not, however, enough for the film to avoid controversy.

Anthony Hopkins Oscar Screen Time Record Has An Asterisk

Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for Best Actor for The Silence of the Lambs, doing so with only 24 minutes and 52 seconds on screen. That set a record for Oscars, but not the one many people assume.

Hopkins’ performance is often cited as the shortest to win a lead acting Oscar. That is half right. Hopkins holds the record for shortest performance to win Best Actor, however the record for a lead performance (actor or actress) actually goes to Patricia Neal for 1963’s Hud, for which she is on screen for 21 minutes and 51 seconds.

One other quick Oscar tidbit: The Silence of the Lambs is the third, and most recent, film to win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay (original or adapted). The others are It happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

The Silence of the Lambs celebrates its 30th anniversary on Feb. 14. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a rewatch and a nice chianti.

It kind of sucks (for him), but after Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian, Giancarlo Esposito will probably forever be typecast as a villain. But he’s just so good at it. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s his almost stoic demeanor, or the way he can turn a smile into the most menacing glower you’ll ever see, but Giancarlo Esposito is pretty much the perfect villain. Which is why I thought it would be fun to imagine what classic bad guys the man probably best known as “The Chicken Man” Gus Fring could play. 

Now, some of these characters might seem ancient, but Giancarlo Esposito could still pull them off. I’m pretty sure he could play any villain you could imagine. As I said before, he’s just so good at it.

Dracula – Dracula

Who doesn’t know Dracula? He’s been portrayed by many different actors. You have the Bela Lugosi 1931 version, who was mesmerizing with his stare and had a sexual charm to him. You have the ferocious Christopher Lee Dracula (my personal favorite) in the Hammer films. And then you have the young again, old again Gary Oldman Dracula from Bram Stoker’s Dracula. And those are just three of the most famous in cinematic history. How many other people have played the Count? Too many to, er, count.

But I’d actually like to add Giancarlo Esposito to that list, since I think he would be perfect for the role. I picture a modern-day Dracula. One who has lived for centuries and is just tired, but still holding on because of past vendettas. He’d be devilishly charming and unassuming, but a monster underneath. Just like Gus Fring himself.

Frankenstein’s Monster - Frankenstein

From Dracula to Frankenstein’s monster. The monster is often mistakenly confused as Frankenstein himself, and it’s usually the image of Boris Karloff in Frank Whale’s classic Frankenstein that people think of. But the monster (or “the creature”) has been played by other actors as well, most notably by Christopher Lee (yes, he played Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster) in 1957’s The Curse of Frankenstein. Robert DeNiro also played “the creation” in 1994’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. So the character is as classic as horror villains gets.

And this would be an interesting one, since I think Giancarlo could play either Frankenstein’s monster or Dr. Frankenstein himself, just like Benedict Cumberbatch did a few years back. I’d personally prefer him as the monster though. In the novel, Frankenstein’s monster is actually quite cerebral, and I’d love to see that version of the character portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito. Instead of some hulking version of the monster, I’d love to see a version who has already gotten past all the pitchforks and fires and is currently hunting his creator through an icy wasteland, disfigured, but determined.

Erik – The Phantom of the Opera

When most people think of The Phantom of the Opera, they likely think of the one singing in the boat in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. But The Phantom of the Opera actually goes way back. Cinematically, the most famous one is surely the 1925 silent film version starring Lon Chaney as Erik, the Phantom. There was also a 1916 version, but that film was lost and nobody can see it. Both versions are about a mysterious phantom in an Opera house who kills a bunch of people to make the woman of his dreams famous.