I’ve never been a fan of strict favourites — why lock yourself into a decision when tastes change with mood, weather, or how hungry you are? That said, my list of roughly twenty favourite films has stayed remarkably steady over the past decade. The exact order shifts, but the titles themselves endure. My selections are eclectic: action and horror, sci-fi and animation all make an appearance. What unites them are memorable characters, unusual storylines, and misfits finding their place in the world.
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10. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Starring Aubrey Plaza alongside Mark Duplass and Jake Johnson, Safety Not Guaranteed is a warm, witty independent take on time travel. Directed by Colin Trevorrow before he moved into major studio features, the film keeps an indie charm while delivering genuine emotional beats.
The story begins with an eccentric want-ad in a local Washington newspaper. A journalist named Jeff (Jake Johnson) assembles a motley crew to investigate. Kenneth (Mark Duplass) could easily be dismissed as a deluded oddball, but director and cast steadily draw the audience into his perspective. The film balances humour, heart, and grounded performances, making it a small gem worth revisiting.
9. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
I don’t usually gravitate toward superhero movies, but Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is an exception. The film reinvigorated the genre with a unique visual language that blends comic-book techniques with cutting-edge animation. It’s packed with detail, inventive visuals, and a soundtrack that elevates the story.
The characters feel lived-in and believable despite their larger-than-life circumstances. Miles Morales offers a fresh, relatable Spider-Man, and the film’s core message about identity and possibility struck home—especially when my child watched and declared, “So I could be Spider-Man,” a moment that cemented its place on my list.
8. WALL-E (2008)
WALL-E is a masterpiece of visual storytelling. Set in a future where Earth has been abandoned, it follows a small waste-collecting robot whose curiosity and unexpected emotions spark a planet-saving adventure. The first half of the film is almost silent and demonstrates how powerful visual narrative can be; the second half delivers thrilling action and emotional payoff.
WALL-E and EVE’s relationship is quietly profound, and the film’s environmental and human themes remain timely. It’s beautiful, inventive, and emotionally rich—an animation that speaks to adults and children alike.
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Wes Anderson’s distinctive style is on full display in The Grand Budapest Hotel: meticulous composition, deadpan humour, and an ensemble cast led by Ralph Fiennes. The film mixes intrigue, murder, inheritance disputes, and a peculiar romance, all told with Anderson’s signature visual precision.
It’s one of his slickest and most accessible works—odd and charming in equal measure—and ranks high for its craftsmanship, memorable characters, and playful storytelling.
6. Hero (2002)
Zhang Yimou’s Hero is visually breathtaking and thematically rich. On the surface it’s about an assassin, but the film explores storytelling itself, memory, loyalty, and the complexity of truth. Its fight choreography is balletic and precise, and sequences such as the calligraphy scene are cinematic highlights.
Hero blends beauty with violence in ways that linger long after the credits roll. It’s a film that rewards repeated viewing for its layers of meaning and craftsmanship.
5. Get Out (2017)
Jordan Peele’s Get Out is a sharp, unnerving blend of horror and social satire. The film builds tension through atmosphere and concept rather than gore, and Daniel Kaluuya delivers a powerful lead performance. The premise is bone-chilling: a Black man’s visit to his white girlfriend’s family escalates into a study of control, appropriation, and racial terror.
Get Out is smart, suspenseful, and uncomfortable in the best possible way. It remains one of the most important genre films of the last decade.
4. Talk to Her (2002)
Pedro Almodóvar’s Talk to Her (Hable con ella) introduced me to his work and to world cinema more broadly. The film explores love, loneliness, and obsession through the lives of two men connected by the women in comas whom they care for. It’s strange, tragic, and deeply humane, revealing truths slowly and with great emotional precision.
Almodóvar’s focus on the domestic and the theatrical gives the film a unique tone: tender, unsettling, and unforgettable.
3. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
In the Heat of the Night is a classic crime drama anchored by Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. Set in the racially charged American South of the 1960s, it’s a taut whodunnit that also confronts prejudice and power. Poitier’s Virgil Tibbs steadily dismantles assumptions as he investigates a murder, while the relationship between Tibbs and Chief Gillespie evolves into a complex, hard-won respect.
The film’s depiction of racial tension and moral courage remains powerful and relevant, and it contains moments of cinematic intensity that deserve repeated recognition.
2. Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park sits high on my list for the sense of wonder and nostalgia it inspired. Spielberg’s blockbuster combines a superb cast, tight pacing, and a compelling theme about human hubris. The film captured my imagination as a child—the terror of a raptor’s cry and the thrill of seeing dinosaurs brought to life remain vivid memories.
Laura Dern’s Ellie Sattler is a standout character: smart, capable, and a positive role model for young viewers. Jurassic Park balances scientific curiosity with cautionary insight, and it holds up as both a thrilling adventure and a thoughtful parable about control and consequence.
1. Amélie (2001)
Amélie is the film that opened the door to world cinema for me at age eleven. It’s a whimsical, bittersweet fairy tale set in sunlit Paris, full of quirky details and eccentric characters. Audrey Tautou’s Amélie is shy and imaginative, and the film follows her journey from isolation to connection after she embarks on a secret mission to change the lives of those around her.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s direction, the enchanting soundtrack, and the vivid, meticulous production design make Amélie endlessly rewatchable. It’s a feel-good film with depth—a love story that never fails to warm me, and the perfect choice for the top spot on this list.