I am a movie lover. I have seen roughly around 655 movies with a total of 1138 hours. I know the struggle of finding a good movie, that is why I dedicated my precious time to create this top 50 movies list. In this list I am trying to exclude the movies that the majority of people have seen such as Marvel movies, Star Wars, or classic Disney movies. This list is in no particular order.

#. Movie(Year,Genre,Rating)        *=Personal Favorites in Category

1. Parasite (2019,Foreign,R)*

Parasite is a South Korean film about a poor family that starts to acquire jobs by working in the house of a rich family. This movie is best to go into with no expectations or even knowing what it is about. It is surely worth your time. The movie is all in subtitles however, once you get over that you will learn that it is surely deserving of the Oscars it won.

2. 1917 (2019,War,R)

1917 is a film about two soldiers in the British army during World War 1. The soldiers are set out on a seemingly impossible task to travel across enemy territory to stop a British Attack from happening. This film is one of the most visually pleasing films in history. The movie is done with one take and by doing this it keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.

3. 12 Angry Men (1957,Drama,PG-13)

12 Angry Men is a movie about 12 jurors in deliberation. As time goes on, the jurors become less sure of whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty. This movie is dialogue heavy. While this movie may lack action, it is entertaining due to the tension and clash of different personalities.

4. Marriage Story (2019,Drama,R)

Marriage Story is an in depth movie about a grueling divorce between an actor and a director. This movie is very heavy and emotion filled. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson deliver two of the best acting performances I have ever seen. Make sure to have a tissue box near you before watching this movie.

5. Joker (2019,Thriller,R)

Joker is a movie about the descent of a mentally ill man into the comic world renowned Joker. The performance by Joaquin Phoenix in this movie will make you feel eerie. This film is extremely dark and shows a dark side of comics that is not very well explored.

6. Mulholland Drive (2001,Thriller,R)

Mulholland Drive is a movie about a dark haired lady that receives amnesia in a car crash and takes shelter in a home nearby. The lady wakes up to find another woman that just moved into the house and together they try to find the identity of the dark haired lady. This movie is one of the most confusing films I have ever seen. By the end of the film, you will be saying  “What did I just watch?” but in a way that is what makes the film a must see.

7. Heat (1995,Heist,R)

Heat is a movie about a highly talented master thief named Neil McCauley and the man that is trying to bring him to justice Vincent Hanna. Neil McCauley and his crew become caught up in a cat and mouse game with Hanna. This movie is one of the most realistic heist movies. The action in the movie is incredible.

8. Her (2013,Romance,R)

Her is a movie about a lonely man that downloads an app that creates an A.I. software that you can talk to. This software develops a personality based on the conversations it has with the man. Slowly the man starts to fall for the A.I. This film is a bit odd but it is incredible. The movie is about a single person yet it seems to entertain with the great acting of Joaquin Phoenix.

9. Green Book (2018,Drama,Pg-13)*

Green Book is a movie about an Italian man who is hired to drive around famous African American musician Don Shirley into the Deep South during 1962. This movie has a serious subject to it however, there are plenty of comedic moments to it. I went into the movie with low expectations but it ended up being one of my favorites. It is a great movie about the formation of a friendship.

10. Fight Club (1999,Drama,R)

Fight Club is a movie about two males that have become dissatisfied with their lives and decide to start a fight club to create excitement in their lives. This movie may scare off people that believe it is only about fighting but there is much more going on in it. The movie has amazing twists that are never expected and leave you wanting to know more by the end.

11. The Silence of the Lambs (1991,Crime,R)

The Silence of the Lambs is a fantastic movie about a woman detective that is assigned to talk to a jailed psychopath man that knows how to find a serial killer the FBI are trying to track down. This is one of the best crime movies to watch. The imprisoned man gives a frightening performance and the story is compelling.

12. Sing Street (2016,Music,Pg-13)*

Sing Street focuses on a boy living in Ireland during the recession in the 1980s. The boy has to move schools and he creates a band to try and impress a girl. This movie is lighthearted and has a perfect soundtrack to go along with it. I found it to be surprisingly charming.

13. Blackkklansman (2018,Crime,R)

Blackkklansman is a movie focused on an African American cop named Ron Stallworth in Colorado that joins the KKK. Stallworth recruits another white cop to act as Ron Stallworth in person so they can infiltrate the group. This movie is an eye opening fiction story. There is a lot of ironic humor throughout the story.

14. Long Shot (2019,RomCom,R)

Long Shot is a movie about a free-spirited journalist named Fred Flarsky that reunites with his childhood babysitter Charlotte Fields, who is now running for president. Fields hires Flarsky to write her speeches and two start to hit it off. This movie caught me by surprise when I watched it in theaters. When I left, I felt like it was one of the better romantic comedy movies I have seen in my life. It is very funny and the movie brings a modern twist to an otherwise normally drab genre.

15. In Bruges (2008,Drama,R)

In Bruges is a movie about two hit men named Ray and Ken. The hitmen are staying low in Bruge, Belgium waiting for their next instructions after a job went wrong. This movie is a fairly dark movie. The movie is marketed as comedy but it is really dark comedy and much more of a drama film.

16. Kelly’s Heroes (1970,War,PG)*

Kelly’s Heroes is a movie about a group of American soldiers that go behind enemy lines to infiltrate a German held town and steal the gold that is hidden in the bank there. This movie is a lighthearted adventure with a likeable group of soldiers. The movie is very funny and quotable.

17. Rush Hour (1998,Comedy,PG-13)

Rush Hour is a movie about a detective for the LAPD that gets promoted to FBI when the Hong Kong’s ambassador’s daughter gets kidnapped. The ambassador insists that the detective works with one of the best detectives in Hong Kong. This cop buddy movie is my second favorite of all time. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are hilarious in it. If you like this one make sure to watch the second and third movies as well.

18. The Other Guys (2010,Comedy,PG-13)*

The Other Guys is a movie about two desk cops that stumble upon a case that could finally be their big break. This is my favorite cop buddy movie. Will Ferrell plays a nerdy cop that is content being behind a desk and Mark Wahlberg plays a hard cop that is stuck behind a desk because of an issue in his past. These two characters play perfectly off of each other and provide plenty of humorous moments throughout the film.

19. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016,Animation,PG)*

Kubo and the Two Strings is a child that has a special ability with origami and his guitar. When an evil power comes for Kubo, he must go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and discover his own powers. The animation in the movie is very cool and has a unique style. The style reflects the more child friendly film, yet, this film is also intriguing to adults with its enticing story.

20. The Nice Guys (2016,Crime,R)*

The Nice Guys is a film about two private detectives that team up to investigate the disappearance of a girl. This movie is one of the best movies that was overlooked by many. Nice Guys is hilarious, has an extremely good plot, and the chemistry being Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe is perfection. This movie is a must watch however, there is nudity in it due to the subject matter.

21. The Town (2010,Heist,R)*

The Town is a movie based on a heist crew in Boston. The leader of the crew Doug MacRay is smarter than the rest of his crew and wants to get out of the game. After a robbery of a bank, Doug starts to fall for a girl but their relationship threatens to lead the authorities to their identities. This is not a typical heist movie. This movie focuses more on the characters in the film without taking away the typical excitement involved with heist movies.

22. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998,Heist,R)

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a fast paced movie about a group of friends that go all in on a poker match. The friends lose their money and decide to make money fast by stealing money from a small gang. This movie is very well written and is very fast paced. It has a lot of action and the movie contains good twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.

23. Layer Cake (2004,Crime,R)

Layer Cake is a film about a drug deal that goes wrong and leads to a whole lot of chaos. The main character in Layer Cake is Daniel Craig who is now known for his role as James Bond. This movie is the alleged reason he landed the role as he is fantastic in it. The movie has lots of turns and a complex plot.

24. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014,Drama,R)

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a movie that tells the story of a legendary concierge that takes a young man under his wing. The young man helps the concierge when he gets caught up in a case about the theft and recovery of a renaissance painting. This movie is filmed in a very different way than others. The comedy and story in it is very one of a kind.

25. Begin Again (2013,Music,R)

Begin Again is a movie that follows the path of a struggling music producer and a songwriter that was dating Adam Levine. This movie is directed by John Carney who also directed Sing Street. The movie has likeable songs and a feelgood plot.

26. True Lies (1994,Action,R)

True Lies is a movie that follows an anti-terrorist agent that finds out his wife might be cheating on him. This leads to him investigating his wife while a terrorist group smuggles in nuclear warheads into the United States. This is my favorite Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. It has comedy and classic Arnold Schwarzeneggar action.

27. Midnight in Paris (2011,Romance,PG-13)

Midnight in Paris is a movie about a couple that is traveling to Paris for business. The male in the relationship finds a car that appears every night at midnight and it travels him back in time to Paris in the 1920’s. There he finds a love for the city. Do not be scared by the genre of romance for this movie as rather than a romance between two characters it is a romance between a person and a city.

28. Rush(2013,Sports,R)*

Rush is a movie that portrays the Formula 1 rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda in the mid 1970’s. This is one of the best true sports movies in recent memory. Rush entices all with a good story even if you are not interested in the sport of Formula 1. 

29. Good Will Hunting (1997,Drama,R)

Good Will Hunting is a movie focusing on a genius janitor named Will Hunting. Will solves a hard level math problem that catches the attention of a Harvard professor. Will struggles to stay in line so the professor finds a therapist to help Will out. Good Will Hunting is a classic movie that needs to be seen. The script is incredible and the performances by the entire cast are amazing.This is a movie you will be thinking about for days after you watch it.

30. The Big Short (2015,Drama,R)

The Big Short is a movie based on the story of 3 different perspectives of people who shorted the housing market during the housing market crash in the 2000’s and made a ton of money from it. This movie is a very good adaptation from a book. The actors in this movie are very good. 

31. Edge of Tomorrow (2014,Sci-Fi,PG-13)

Edge of Tomorrow is a movie based in the future when the world is a war with an alien race. An officer turned soldier is thrown into the fire when he is assigned to join the next battle on the ground. However when he dies, he keeps coming back to life. Edge of Tomorrow is a new take on a Sci-Fi movie. The story is enjoyable and easy to follow.  

32. The Ritual (2017,Horror,PG-13)

The Ritual is a film where 4 friends from England are going on a retreat based in the rural area of Sweden after one of their friends died. One of the friends injures his ankle, so to get back to civilization they take a shortcut through a forest. Of course the forest does not treat them well. I am not a horror movie fan, however, this was a movie I was able to watch and actually enjoy it.

33. Game Night (2018,Comedy,R)

Game Night is a comedy in which three couples get together for their normal game night. However, the brother of the main character comes to town and decides to spice things up by creating a live mystery game. The game night takes a turn when it ends up not being a game. Game Night was actually recommended to me by my parents. I was surprised by how entertaining it was. It was a very funny film. 

34. Coco (2017,Animation,PG)

Coco is a movie based on a family in Mexico during the Day of the Dead. The little boy desires to play music but his family disallows it. The boy named Miguel gets sucked into the Land of the Dead. This is a very good family film and one of my favorite Pixar films in recent history. It is a very beautiful movie.

35. Se7en (1995,Mystery,R)

Se7en is a film based on two detectives who have to track down an elaborate serial killer. This is a very good dark mystery movie. Se7en has both Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt. There is not a lot to say about the movie, it is just very good.

36. Letters From Iwo Jima (2006,Foreign,R)

Letters from Iwo Jima is a movie from the view of the Japanese prior to the US invasion of Iwo Jima. This film is in all Japanese so subtitles are required. The film portrays a different side of war that is rarely seen in American filmography. The Director of the movie was Clint Eastwood.

37. Dark Knight (2008,Superhero,PG-13)*

Dark Knight is the second movie in the Christian Bale Batman movie series. In this film, the Joker is the main villain. Heath Ledger has one of the best performances I have ever seen. This is my favorite superhero movie of all time. The villain is perfect and the story is intriguing. This movie is by far better than any marvel movie.

38. The Departed (2006,Thriller,R)*

The Departed is a movie in which the police send a secret agent into the mafia to gather information. The mafia has a man on the inside of the police force. The secret agent is trying to stay alive while the policeman on the mafia’s side has to find out who the secret agent is. This is a very dark movie. However, it is a top 3 movie of all time in my opinion. The movie is full of stars, it has great twists, and the plot is amazing. 

39. District 9 (2009,Sci-Fi,R)*

District 9 is a movie that is based in South Africa where an alien ship has parked. The government creates an area called District 9 for the aliens. The movie follows a worker from the Multi-National United that helps with the relocation of the Aliens. This movie is a very good sci-fi film that has a slow start but then the action turns up very quickly.

40. Baby Driver (2017,Action,R)

Baby Driver is a movie based on a socially awkward getaway driver. The getaway driver is stuck in a cycle of working for a heist mastermind. However, the getaway driver wants to get out of the game when he meets a girl. This movie incorporates music into it through the obsession the main character has with it. This use of the music adds more layers to an already good film. Baby Driver is a great movie for action lovers.

41. Waves (2019,Drama,R)

Waves is a movie that follows a family where an over controlling father tries to ensure his two sons succeed in high school through athletics. However, his son suffers a serious injury and their bonds are placed under severe strain. Waves has fantastic cinematography and music which really makes the movie incredible. This is a movie best to watch by yourself.

42. Edge of Seventeen (2016,C.O.A,R)

Edge of Seventeen is a movie about the rough life of a teenage girl in high school. The plot is very simple. However, this movie is one of the most real coming of age movies. This movie is a perfect world but shows the life of a girl where everything is just going wrong for her. It is a movie that will tug on your heart but it lightens the mood with some humor.

43. American Made (2017,Thriller,R)

American Made is the true story of a pilot named Barry Seal, who worked for both the CIA and the Medellin cartel. American Made is a very fun movie. If you like movies based on crazy true stories then this is a good one to watch.

44. The Accountant (2016,Crime,R)

The Accountant is a film that follows a man that is an accountant for criminals. Authorities and criminals start to close in on him and he has to defend himself. This is a movie that has very good action. The story is okay but this is a film that you will watch and be happy with. 

45. Moon (2009,Sci-Fi,R)

Moon is a movie about a man and a robot that have worked on an energy farm on the Moon alone for nearly 3 years. At the end of the 3 years, the man returns back to Earth. The man has an accident and a mystery ensues questioning everything he believes. Moon is a very unique sci-fi movie. 

46. Knives Out (2019,Mystery,PG-13)*

Knives Out is a movie based in a mansion where you see the Owner of a vast amount die. An investigation ensues however, in this whodunit movie the watcher already knows the murderer and you watch how the murderer tries to escape it. This is a unique take on the mystery genre and it works really well. All the characters have a unique personality and the story keeps the watcher on edge even though they show you how it already happened. 

47. Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012,C.O.A,PG-13)*

Perks of Being a Wallflower is a movie based on a teen named Charlie. Charlie is always watching life from the sidelines. He starts to open up when he meets two charismatic seniors named Sam and Patrick. These two help Charlie discover the joys of friendship. Perks of Being a Wallflower is a really good coming of age story. It has a heartwarming story but still has the down moments that come with coming of age stories. 

48. Lighthouse (2019,Drama,R)

This movie is presented in an old fashioned black and white picture with a small frame. The whole basis for the movie is two lighthouse keepers getting stuck on the lighthouse and doing their best to survive without resources and to survive each other. The cinematography in this movie is legendary as they constantly use shadows, tricks of the light, and very focused frames to capture the 2 stars of this movie. Both Willem Dafoe and Robeet Pattinson play their characters to amazing depth and by the end you are blown away.

49. Your Name (2016,Anime,PG)

Your Name is a film where two high school teenagers are complete strangers but mysteriously they switch places. The two students wake up in each others bodies and the bizarre occurrence keeps happening and the two must adjust their lives according to it. This is not a movie for everyone. If you ever want to expand your horizons this is one of the best anime movies. It is a very heartfelt and sentimental film.

50. Peanut Butter Falcon (2019,Drama,PG-13)

Peanut Butter Falcon is a movie about a mentally challenged 22 year old named Zach that leaves a retirement home and goes on the run. Zach runs into a young man named Tyler who is on the run after he commits a crime. The two run away together and form a friendship. This is an endearing and heartwarming movie. There are many humorous moments throughout the movie revolving around the friendship that forms between Zach and Tyler. While the plot may be simple it will leave you smiling at the end.