My 25 essential films from the past 25 years

Films I've held close to my heart as I've grown up

There’s an overwhelming amount of online discourse about figuring your life out before you hit twenty-five. Since the Internet found out about the clarity that a fully developed frontal lobe can bring, there’s been a Great Romanticisation of hitting your mid-twenties.

As someone who spent several of her evenings watching films with my family in the living room, or thirty-minute segments of movies on commutes to university, or back-to-back screenings in cinemas, I’ve rarely reflected on what my favourite films might be.

I’m also not sure what the criteria is for a favourite film. However, this is the home of amateurism so I’ll make up my own:

• Must be able to watch at least three days in a row without getting bored

• Able to quote more than two minutes worth of lines from the film

• A deep connection to either the costumes, soundtrack or set design

• Would rate between 3.5 to 5 stars on Letterboxd

With all that straightened out, I’d like to present my unranked, in-release-order, list of favourite films from the past twenty-five years.

1. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001)

   

   A strong memory of KKKG’s DVD cover not lining up with the spine of the case comes to mind when I think about this film. I always seemed to watch random sections of it whether it came on the Bollywood channels of British TV, or when I started watching it with a friend who hadn’t seen it before and then they tuned out. This film is the ultimate family drama and no, it does not hold up very well nearly 25 years later, but which family drama from the 2000s does?

2. Along Came a Spider (2001)

   

   I first watched this film when living in Dubai: it was on one of the film channels but was censored choppily, disrupting some of the fantastic suspense and reveals of this film. I thank this film for introducing me to the excitement that comes from a gritty, layered mystery narrative. I subsequently blame this film for my debilitating obsession with rewatching the BBC Sherlock TV series the year after watching this for the first time.

3. Like Mike (2002)

   

   I cannot begin to talk about this movie without acknowledging the recent realisation I had that Jesse Plemons is the bully in this film. A true shock to my system. Readers of The Amateur’s Take will know my obsession with sports films but this one was majorly rewatched before the age of ten. Such a beautiful, bite-sized, blue-eyed take on ambition and talent topped with some of the funniest effects you’ve ever seen.

4. The Cat in the Hat (2003)

   

   My most insufferable traits come to light when this movie is on. Every word, every sound effect, every lyric of the background music, every facial expression - even every dance move from the special features choreography on DVD - is etched in my brain. The aesthetics of this film are unmatched and I am almost pleading for someone to argue with me when I say there is no other film like this. I wanted to have Sally’s little Palm PC and to-do list so badly - perhaps I have emulated her more than I intended as I’ve grown up.

5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

   

   An Introduction to Film Studies module in my first year of university: that’s where I watched this for the first time. I feel like I was introduced to it too late; I missed the full force of the Tumblr GIF edits and people were already starting to think the film wasn’t cool. Nineteen-year-old me was incredibly fixated by the symbolism of differently coloured dyed hair throughout the film. Not to mention, it was the first time I’d seen Jim Carrey act like that and I felt like I’d discovered an international secret.

6. RV (2006)

   

   This film had a potent effect on my family’s inside jokes - the Robin Williams/Will Arnett duo must be studied. Watching this pre-Hunger Games probably paved the way for my Josh Hutcherson obsession to last longer than it needed to as a teenager. Looking back on the cast, it’s so funny that JoJo is the daughter in this. The 2000s haircuts and outfits make this film the DVD-classic that it is. Also, the BlackBerry representation this film has must have had some effect on their sales.

7. Enchanted (2007)

   

   What a sweet film. Amy Adams is so good at the fairytale expressions, James Marsden is stunning as Dumb Prince and Patrick Dempsey gives just the right level of apathy as NYC-single-dad. I love a live-action drama-musical-comedy and this film was so iconic for my mum and I. The scene where she uses the birds to clean up and help her with odd jobs gave us the same level of excitement as Hermione repairing Harry’s glasses. (We loved films with magic in them, no judgement please.)

8. Ponyo (2008)

   

   Where to start: it’s my only ‘loved’ film on Letterboxd, my partner recently bought me the soundtrack on Japanese vinyl and I have watched it on a plane, on a train, in a car and even while walking. This was my first Studio Ghibli film and I’m glad I watched it with dubs and not subs the first time, but controversially I’m happy to watch this film either way. I’m more mesmerised by Ponyo’s facial expressions and the food animations the whole time.

9. Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008)

   

   This film is frightening. It is a horror! The rolling pin as a weapon, the violence, the ominous music…I am haunted even by the memory. Yet without fail, at least once a month, the Bake-a-Lite girl tune will float into my head. I will say I’ve not rewatched this for a few years but maybe it’s time to face my fears again just to relive the satisfying stop-motion animation of squashed dough that occurs a little too much in this instalment of Wallace & Gromit.

10. WALL-E (2008)

    

    I can never remember if I saw this in cinemas the first time or just at home. If I haven’t seen it in a cinema, I kind of need it to see it at the BFI IMAX. The sweetest story with the scariest apocalyptic undertones. I played the WALL-E game on my dad’s PC and was so excited to move that little guy around with the arrow keys. I don’t think there’s many films out there with a robot romance and rightfully so: no-one can do it like WALL-E can. This is also an essential watch purely for the fire extinguisher scene.

11. Fantastic Mr Fox (2009)

    

    Has anyone else seen those videos of George Clooney acting out Mr Fox’s digging and running as if it was motion capture? Best behind-the-scenes ever. I believe this was my first real exposure to Wes Anderson and at the age of eleven, I was very captivated by the dry humour, adult-ish themes of unemployment and self-esteem and unsettling visuals of Mole staring blankly into the ‘camera’. Fox’s monologue in the last quarter of the film is still one of my favourite reblogs on Tumblr.

12. Youth in Revolt (2009)

    

    This was one of the first films that my partner suggested we watch together and as someone that hadn’t yet watched Juno, Easy A, Scott Pilgrim or anything from that genre of films, I was led into a totally new style of deadpan indie humour that can only be characterised by Michael Cera’s presence. (Needless to say, I then watched Juno and Scott Pilgrim soon after.) Having two Michael Cera’s is a little bit overwhelming but I do also have an A1 sized poster of this film with his face in my bedroom…

13. Oblivion (2013)

    

    Everyone who hates on this film is wrong - Tom Cruise was so cool in this. World-building? Stunning. Plot with memory loss element? Check. Action scenes involving spaceships and motorbikes? Also included. I think this film might have been a financial flop, but out of all the spaceship-crashing-no-survivors openings in cinema, this one was very memorable for me. I also adore a film with a minimal cast: it allows for great character development and a lot of empathy to be built for them.

14. The Theory of Everything (2014)

    

    Ah, the birth of my crippling Eddie Redmayne obsession as a sixteen-year-old. I believe his face is still my now-defunct Tumblr profile picture. This was the first film I watched by myself in my family living room and probably the first film I remember crying at. I was so absorbed in the film’s romance and subsequent tragedy; so much so that I then downloaded the entire soundtrack and would listen to it on the way to school. I almost felt a personal victory when the film scooped so many Golden Globes. I think most self-professed academics or previously-labelled gifted and talented kids should watch this: it’s very humbling.

15. Logan Lucky (2017)

    

    Absolutely most cracked-out film on this list. Daniel Craig looks like a Dreamworks’ Troll, Channing Tatum plans a heist and Adam Driver only has one arm. Very satisfying action sequences, just the right level of tension and slight slapstick humour. It’s also great to see Daniel Craig in roles like this: if you enjoyed him as Benoit Blanc in the Knives Out movies, this is definitely a must watch for you.

16. Dumplin’ (2018)

    

    Anything with Jennifer Aniston in as a mother is my guilty pleasure. I think the messaging in this film does get a little bit lost, but it’s such a heart-warming tale of self-acceptance that I find it hard not to love it! It came out around the same time as To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and Sierra Burgess is a Loser, so it gets lumped in with those (perhaps unfairly). Also, if a film has a Dolly Parton soundtrack, I think it instantly elevates its cultural value.

17. BlacKkKlansman (2018)

    

    I have proudly seen everything that John David Washington has been in and this film especially I’ve seen three times. The score of this film is hauntingly resonant with the feelings of shock and dejection that come from horrifying realisations throughout the unravelling of the plot, but Washington’s comedic timing helps to alleviate the stress that causes. Some amazing directorial decisions here in terms of side-by-side shots as well as strategically-timed zooms. Truly a piece of art.

18. The Irishman (2019)

    

    For about a year, I took the mick out of my brother for saying this was his favourite film and even more so for the fact that he rewatches it. I owed him a massive apology after I sat down with this film one evening and then immediately rewatched it the next morning. I became outright attached De Niro’s narrative voice and engrossed in the characterisation of Jimmy Hoffa. It was a welcomed surprise to see Stephen Graham, who perhaps created one of my favourite scenes ever with Al Pacino in the prison - no spoilers here.

19. Turning Red (2022)

    

    I’ve previously written about my love for this film and the way it portrays the mother-daughter relationship but I failed to mention my adoration of 5*TOWN, the fictional boyband in the film. Let it be publicly known that the songs from this movie had significantly high places on my Spotify Wrapped in 2022: I have no shame about this! Mei’s character is so loveable and well-animated, along with her cute little friend group that all have such unique personalities. A feel-good film for sure!

20. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

    

    Again, I also wrote about this one alongside Turning Red, but I’ve only been able to bring myself to rewatch this once - just because of how deeply the dialogue cuts. The writing from the Daniels clearly comes from a place of great cultural resonance and personal experience and that’s what makes this film so special. Also, I have to recommend every film from an Asian director because they’re always very good. This is why white people should broaden their horizons!

21. Babylon (2022)

    

    I remember nagging my partner to go to the tiny Vue cinema in Doncaster with me to watch this and our screening had about four other people in it on release day. We had no idea what to expect and found ourselves utterly immersed in the captivation of Margot Robbie’s pull on-screen, as well as drowned in the cacophonous soundtrack. The final fifteen minutes of Babylon are the most glorious ode to cinema.

22. Brian and Charles (2022)

    

    This is probably the most endearing output from British indie cinema in the past five years. I still reference so many of the lines from this film and it’s a love letter to the eccentricity of rural England combined with a heart-breaking tale of loneliness. I watched this with my family in my living room and had tears both from sadness and laughter every five minutes. If you feel like you watch the same things again and again, watch this - you haven’t seen anything like it before.

23. Past Lives (2023)

    

    This is probably the only film on the list that doesn’t truly belong; probably because I maybe couldn’t watch it three days in a row without falling into an irreparable state of depression. I initially watched this on my phone during a commute home but decided to restart the viewing on my PC in-between meetings. I was very sad that evening,

    but made a mental reminder to never ever forget a single interaction I ever have with any human being. I also remembered to never miss a single piece of media that Greta Lee is in ever again.

24. They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

    

    One of the saddest outcomes for cinema this year is that the Barbenheimer phenomenon absolutely buried this Netflix release. Stylistically unique beyond belief, this is an Afrosurrealist spectacle that shines bright through its excessive characters, comedic dialogue and great tension. There are thriller elements, dramatic scenes and powerful messages laced throughout. I really should watch this again some time soon.

25. La Chimera (2023)

    

    This was my first solo cinema watch of 2024, slap bang in the middle of the year. Since then, I have remained permanently enamoured by the linen-clad Josh O’Connor, Alice Rohrwacher’s beautifully shot grainy film and the stunning soundtrack decisions throughout the movie. It recently came to the end of six-month long screening in the US and I have to say, I wish I went to see it again. This will be a movie that is shown as part of film festivals fifty years from now as an undiscovered gem of the past, and I’m not sure how that makes me feel.

I’ve learnt to recognise that my reviews of films are always shaped by the person I am when I watch them. Now that I’ve gone on this so-called great journey of Growing Up, I feel sad that I’ll never get to experience some of these films as a child again. I can only hope that cinema continues to give me opportunities to relive some of the most beautiful moments of my life and until then, I look forward to the films I take myself to see with my newly developed brain. Here’s to the next twenty-five films.