Run Time: 1 hr 59 min | Genre: Drama | Director: Orson Welles

Cast: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, and Ray Collins

Yes, Citizen Kane is one of the greatest movies of all time. No, it is not boring. On the contrary, if you like investigative dramas and stories about damaged individuals, Orson Welles‘ acclaimed 1941 drama is a damn entertaining film. The story starts with the death of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane (Welles) and his cryptic last word, “Rosebud.” Even if you know what “Rosebud” is, the film loses none of its impact as Welles, by pioneering new cinematic techniques like Deep Focus, is able to weave a captivating and tragic narrative about a man who gains the world but loses his soul by being unable to buy the things he truly wants out of life. Packed with terrific performances and a timeless story, Citizen Kane is a classic that shouldn’t intimidate you from finally giving it a shot. – Matt Goldberg

Run Time: 2 hr 1 min | Genre: Comedy | Director: Billy Wilder

Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon

Starring Marilyn Monroe in one of her most iconic roles, Some Like It Hot follows Joe and Jerry, played by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, respectively, who flee, dressed as women, after they witness Spats Colombo (George Raft) and his mafia commit the St. Valentine's Day massacre. Somewhat ahead of its time, the movie was nominated for six Academy Awards and won one, with its tight, comedic script and excellent performances showcasing how deserving it is of such accolades. Irresistibly funny, the story has tender moments, too, with Joe and Jerry’s friendship leaping in all its unconfined joy from the screen. Charming and cheeky, legendary director Billy Wilder brings a twinkle to the eye of all on screen, especially Monroe, who unsurprisingly dazzles. - Jake Hodges

Run Time: 1 hr 16 min | Genre: Romantic Comedy | Director: René Clair

Cast: Veronica Lake, Fredric March, Robert Benchley

In the romantic comedy I Married a Witch, Veronica Lake stars as Jennifer, a mischievous witch from the 17th century who's accidentally released into the modern world. When she crosses paths with Wallace (Fredric March), a descendant of her old enemy, the two quickly fall in love, sparking a delightful blend of romance and supernatural chaos. As Jennifer attempts to win Wallace's heart, her magical antics cause hilarious mayhem and unforeseen consequences. The film showcases Lake's enchanting charm and March's charismatic performance, creating a perfect chemistry between the leads. Renowned for her signature hairstyle, Veronica Lake shines in her role as the spirited and captivating witch. I Married a Witch is a timeless classic that has delighted audiences for generations, one of whom, Sol Saks, drew inspiration in creating the show Bewitched. The film is a lighthearted escape that appeals to all who appreciate love's enchanting journey through time.

Run Time: 1 hr 37 min | Genre: Adventure, Drama | Director: Harold Young

Cast: Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey

Based on the play and subsequent adventure novel of the same name, director Harold Young (The Storm) pumps life into the 18th-century French Revolution vigilante. The Scarlet Pimpernel has many tenets of what we now consider staples of the superhero genre: secret identities, damsels, and daring escapes. The story follows Leslie Howard (Pygmalion) as Sir Percy Blakeney, who presents as a weak, ineffective aristocrat but secretly takes on the role of the Scarlet Pimpernel to lead a band of men to rescue his fellow upper-class citizens from the guillotines of the Reign of Terror. Though the premise of the film feels like a stark contrast to our modern “Eat the Rich” sensibilities, it is still a classic worth enjoying. Between Howard’s performance of the Pimpernel, which is considered the definitive mold of the character, and the jaunty swashbuckling, it’s a good time all around. – Tauri Miller

Run Time: 3 hr 58 min | Genre: War, Romance | Director: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood

Cast: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell

Adapted from the novel by Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind is a classic romance epic that takes place during the American Civil War. Though a product of its time, with all the views on slavery and plantations that come with that, the film has a wonderful love story between Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), who play a game of cat and mouse as they grapple with their feelings for one another despite their marital and familial obligations. This ten-time Academy Award winner is a fascinating view into classic cinema — the costumes, the filming techniques, and the storytelling sensibilities that would pave a path for filmmakers for years to come.

Run Time: 1 hr 54 min | Director: Martin Ritt

Cast: Sally Field, Beau Bridges, Ron Leibman

Based on the true story of American union organizer and advocate Crystal Lee Sutton, Norma Rae depicts one woman’s fight against the harsh working conditions in the 1970s textile industry that pushed a community to organize for better treatment. Sally Field (Steel Magnolias) earns her Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role as she steals the movie with a passionate performance that would be remembered for decades. The film shows how dangerous and life-altering union organizing was and is a reminder that the fight isn’t over, as companies today still use the same tactics seen in the film: smear campaigns, threats, and pitting workers against one another. Norma Rae is a triumph for workers' rights and the film industry as a whole. – Tauri Miller

Run Time: 1 hr 35 min | Director: Anthony Asquith, Leslie Howard

Cast: Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller, Wilfrid Lawson, Marie Lohr

A true classic that has been retold, reimagined, and redesigned, Pygmalion is an original story first told on stage by theater icon George Bernard Shaw. Adapted by directors Anthony Asquith and Leslie Howard, with assistance from Shaw on the screenplay, Pygmalion stars Howard as Professor Henry Higgins, a dictation expert determined to transform a low-class cockney girl (Wendy Hiller) into a proper English lady. Cleverly written, Pygmalion plays with language and classism through a lively romp. An ideal revisitation is suggested for fans of My Fair Lady, She’s All That, or Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. – Yael Tygiel

Run Time: 2 hrs 11 min | Director: Mike Nichols

Cast: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal

Director Mike Nichols bravely tackles Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the iconic play by Edward Albee. Starring Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as Martha and George, respectively, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? follows this middle-aged couple through their bitter verbal battles, revealing an unrelenting emotional dependence on each other. With passionate performances crafted through immense dialogue and stoic moments, Taylor and Burton’s fervent chemistry is palpable through the screen. Nichols’ clever technique with his camera, which focuses on emotion and sentiment over action, exposes harsh truths to support the sharp tongues of the characters. – Yael Tygiel

Run Time: 2 hr 6 min | Genre: Prison Drama | Director: Stuart Rosenberg

Cast: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J. D. Cannon, Robert Drivas

A critical and commercial success, Cool Hand Luke cemented Paul Newman as one of the greats and won George Kennedy an Oscar. The film takes place in the 1950s and follows Luke Jackson (Newman), a World War II veteran who is arrested and sentenced to two years in a rural prison. There, he refuses to conform or follow the strict rules imposed on him, earning the respect of his fellow prisoners and making enemies with the guards. The film pulls no punches, shining a light on the cruelty of the chain gang. The sharp script and excellent performances make this a timeless and endlessly relevant tale. – Taylor Gates

Run Time: 1 hr 36 min | Genre: Fantasy/Comedy | Director: David Lean

Cast: Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Kay Hammond

Blithe Spirit, based on the hit play, is a delightful comedy starring Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) and Constance Cummings, along with a spooky performance by Kay Hammond. The charming picture follows a man and his new wife as they find themselves haunted by the ghost of his first wife, whom only he can hear. Blithe Spirit is such an endearing story that it ran successfully in theaters in London, as well as spending two years gracing the stages of Broadway. Blithe Spirit was even remade, starring Dan Stevens (Legion), Isla Fisher (Wolf Like Me), and Judi Dench (Belfast) and directed by Edward Hall. – Yael Tygiel

Run Time: 1 hr 34 min | Genre: Thriller/Mystery | Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Cast: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas

The Lady Vanishes is an underappreciated Alfred Hitchcock thriller starring Margaret Lockwood as Iris Henderson, a wealthy young woman traveling by train through Europe and the only rider to have noticed the disappearance of Miss Froy (May Whitty). Hitchcock, the king of suspense, brings to life a riveting mystery based on the story by Ethel Lina White, adapted by writers Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder (who also directed The Blue Lagoon). The Lady Vanishes is a precursor to modern missing woman mysteries yet an often forgotten gem in Hitchcock’s catalog. – Yael Tygiel

Run Time: 1 hr 42 min | Genre: Romance/War | Director: Michael Curtiz

Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre

The 1942 winner for Best Picture, Casablanca has lost none of its impact over the decades. It really is a movie that has it all—action, adventure, intrigue, romance, patriotism, sacrifice—it’s more than just “Here’s looking at you, kid.” The story follows jaded nightclub owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) who just wants to be left alone until the love of his life, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), comes to him looking for help for her husband, a Czech Resistance leader. Don’t be daunted by the film’s prestige; you can still enjoy it for how damned entertaining and surprisingly funny it can be. Casablanca still hits with all the immediacy of its original release as it embraces universal themes about love and self-sacrifice. It’s a beautiful movie, and one worth revisiting. – Matt Goldberg

Run Time: 2 hr 16 min | Genre: Thriller/Mystery | Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Cast: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, and Jessie Royce Landis

Obviously, Alfred Hitchcock was “The Master of Suspense”, but a film like North by Northwest shows how he could use that suspense in so many different ways. Sometimes it would be horror; other times it could be drama, but here it’s used for one of the best thrillers ever made. The film follows Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), who is mistaken by some goons for special agent George Kaplan. Kidnapped, drugged, and framed for murder just for a start, poor Roger goes on the run for his life and to find some answers about his predicament. Hitchock puts his action chops on display with some exhilarating set pieces, but never loses sight of the breakneck pacing and exciting narrative of mistaken identity. – Matt Goldberg

Run Time: 1 hr 39 min | Genre: Crime/Thriller | Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

Cast: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, Samm-Art Williams, and M. Emmet Walsh

Few filmmakers make a debut as confident or stunning as Blood Simple, but the Coen Brothers has no problem making their voices heard with their first feature. Dan Hedaya plays a dive bar owner who suspects that his wife (Frances McDormand) is cheating on him with an employee (John Getz). His suspicions confirmed, he asks a P.I. (M. Emmet Walsh) to kill the lovers, but this plot soon spirals out of control and leads to unexpected bloodshed. The Coens made a masterpiece of neo noir and while they would go on to a series of classics like Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and No Country for Old Men, their first film still ranks among their best.

Run Time: 2 hr 23 min | Genre: Drama | Director: Akira Kurosawa

Cast: Takashi Shimura and Miki Odagiri

While director Akira Kurosawa is associated with movies featuring samurai and ronin like Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Red Beard, and Rashomon, one of his most powerful features centered on a humble government bureaucrat. Kenji Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) is that bureaucrat, and when he discovers he has stomach cancer with less than a year to live, he goes on a search to give his life meaning by trying to build a playground. The film is a powerful meditation on what we want our legacies to mean, what it means to live your life to the fullest in service of others, and the ability to find the courage to make a difference. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking masterpiece from a filmmaker whose filmography is filled with masterpieces. – Matt Goldberg

Run Time: 1 hr 57 min | Genre: Thriller/Crime | Director: Fritz Lang

Cast: Peter Lorre, Otto Wernicke, Gustaf Gründgens

This 1931 Fritz Lang thriller is incredibly dark yet absolutely captivating. The plot follows a serial child murderer (Peter Lorre) whose activities raises police presence in a German city. The criminal underworld, unable to conduct business as usual, also begins hunting for the murderer. This was Lang's first film to use sound, and he employs it like a master, weaving in whistling, music, and more into the plot. The overall movie is a fascinating look at how societies function when there's a predator in their midst and how the cause of justice can be twisted and excused given the right set of circumstances. But more than anything, M will haunt you as it has haunted audiences for decades. – Matt Goldberg

Run Time: 1 hr 54 min | Genre: Drama/Silent | Director: Carl Theodore Dreyer

Cast: Renée Jeanne Falconetti, Eugène Silvain, André Berley, and Maurice Schutz

You've probably never seen a silent era movie quite like The Passion of Joan of Arc. The way the film is shot, composed, and crafted stands apart from most silent movies of the film and leaves an unforgettable impact. Carl Theodore Dreyer tells the haunting final days of Joan of Arc (Renée Jeanne Falconetti) and enters a fascinating and haunting intersection of faith and power with Joan's interrogators refusing to believe the young woman in front of them. What's so striking about The Passion of Joan of Arc is how modern it feels despite its technological limitations. If you think silent movies are just Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, take some time to watch this haunting vision.

Run Time: 1 hr 43 min | Genre: Musical/Romance | Director: Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen, and Debbie Reynolds

One of the best musicals in the history of Hollywood, Singin' in the Rain is an ode to the industry during its time of transition. The story follows the industry moving from silent films to talkies, and caught in the middle is star Donald Lockwood (Gene Kelly), who knows he can make the jump, but barely tolerates his vain leading lady, Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen). Donald then plots to re-record Lina's dialogue with chorus girl Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), and the two start to fall for each other. Packed with terrific songs like "Make 'Em Laugh" and "Moses Supposes" as well as the stunning choreography and dreamlike dance numbers crafted by Kelly, Singin' in the Rain is movie you just get lost in and it reminds us why we love movies in the first place. – Matt Goldberg

Run Time: 1 hr 50 min | Genre: Action/Adventure | Director: Akira Kurosawa

Cast: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Katō, Takashi Shimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, Atsushi Watanabe

If you've seen A Fistful of Dollars or read Red Harvest, you probably already know the story of Yojimbo. Toshiro Mifune plays a ronin who comes to a small town to turn two competing crime lords against each other for his own profit. It's kind of a nasty, cynical little plot that gives Yojimbo its own energy and tone compared to Kurosawa's other samurai movies. Still, it's an entertaining action movie that shows that Kurosawa didn't have to reinvent the wheel every time he made a film; sometimes he could just make yet another great movie and then move on to the next one. – Matt Goldberg

Run Time: 2 hr 29 min | Genre: Sci-Fi/Adventure | Director: Stanley Kubrick

Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, HAL the scary computer

2001: A Space Odyssey is the kind of groundbreaking classic that we seem to take for granted these days even while scores of modern filmmakers are still regularly cribbing from it. (Ad Astra, we love you, but you owe 2001 a lot.) It helps that there’s still so much to unpack in Stanley Kubrick’s magnum opus – from the meaning of the monoliths to the true nature of the star child (and, to be honest, everything in between). It’s also the rare movie that has become totally engrained in the cultural consciousness (a local museum did a highly Instagrammable photo ops where you could stand inside the mysterious white room), while still maintaining its enigmatic, thought-provoking essence. The boundary-pushing visual effects also remain as impressive as ever, as well, clearing the path for Star Wars, Alien, and Avatar in one go. Much like those obsidian monoliths, 2001 was the movie that, when the rest of cinema touched it, dramatically pushed the medium forward. – Drew Taylor