Julian's Top 11 Favorite Movies

Julian's Top 11 Favorite Movies

Julian Nowik

Top 11 Favorite Movies

By: Julian Nowik

I’ve been writing movie related articles for The Imprint for about two years, which granted isn’t very long, but I’ve really enjoyed doing it all the same. I decided a while back though, that my final article would be a list of my top 11 favorite movies of all time. Now keep in mind, these are “my favorite” movies. I certainly don’t think these are the best movies of all time, in fact, I'm not even necessarily recommending you watch these movies. This is just, simply put, a list of my current personal favorites based on my taste and things I like in movies. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy it.

11. The Departed (2006)

This is a top 11 instead of a top 10 because it felt incomplete without a Scorsese film. All of his trademarks are on full display in The Departed. The story follows a cop infiltrating the Boston mob and a mobster infiltrating the Boston Police Department. It's a genius plot that lends itself well to such a quickly paced and intertwined narrative. The cast is about as perfect as it gets with Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson, just to name a few. Scorsese has made and influenced an immeasurable amount of films. The Departed is by no means better than any of his other masterpieces, it's just my favorite of his.

10. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

This is my favorite straight-forward action movie of all time, and it's not even close. It gives you a few mysterious characters and about 15 minutes of intricate and absorbing world building, then it's just action. Brutal, grandiose and violent car crashes that lend to such an exhilarating experience that has yet to be surpassed.

9. Spirited Away (2001)

Animation is often seen as a novelty intended for kids, which is a real shame because animation has the potential to be so much more. It can take you to worlds that just can’t be made in reality, and Spirited Away is my favorite example of this. Every frame is colorful and filled with an unmatched amount of whimsicality and magic. The plot revolves around a spirit bathhouse but gets much stranger than you can imagine. I could shout out so many other fantastic animated films but I don’t think any will make you believe in the power of animation as much as this.

8. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

This is by far the oldest movie on this list, which just makes it more impressive to me. The themes of celebrity worship and changing technology and art have held up extremely well and continue to stay relevant. This film flows so well and Norma Desmond is easily one of my favorite characters of all time. Billy Wilder is probably my favorite filmmaker from that era and this is easily his best work.

7. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

Terry Gilliam is a production wizard, he manages to blend haunting, trippy, dystopian plots with cartoony and surreal execution; and I think his most refined work is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Based on Hunter S. Thompson’s novel, it follows a journalist and his attorney with a drug filled suitcase covering a motorcycle race in Las Vegas. The first 30 seconds quickly establishes the characters as untrustworthy and the tone as chaotic and dry. While a two hour film consisting mainly of drug trips sounds as though it would quickly become repetitive, each new drug and location manages to give each scene a distinct feel and minor side plot. This is by far the worst critically reviewed film on this list and while I understand why, it appeals too much to aspects of film I love for me not to include it.

6. The Godfather (1972)

There’s nothing I can really say about The Godfather that hasn’t already been said. It's a strong contender for greatest movie of all time and has held up and been influential for half a century. It's the textbook example of a great movie, with some excellently written characters and perfect pacing. The first one is my personal favorite of the trilogy but the second one is right up there with it.

5. Eraserhead (1977)

David Lynch is probably one of the most interesting filmmakers of all time as his work is left extremely open to interpretation by design. His works have an intense focus on crafting a moody atmosphere that blends horror and beauty, and while it was between this and Mulholland Drive (2001), I think Eraserhead may be his most “pure” piece. The practical effects are disgustingly fantastic, the soundtrack is grimy and the performances are upsettingly bizarre. It's one of those movies where it's better if you don't know anything going in.

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Stanley Kubrick is probably the best director of all time. His influence in film and pop culture in general has been vast, to say the least. From films like Paths of Glory (1957) to A Clockwork Orange (1971) to Barry Lyndon (1975) to The Shining (1980). He really ventured into every genre of film he could, but in my opinion his magnum opus was his sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick masterfully uses it's nearly three hours to create such a specific vision of the universe. Space’s vastness is on full display here as the film tackles ideas humanity wasn’t made to comprehend. It's production has held up so well that it looks like it could've come out today and every scene is a contender for most iconic moment in film. There are few things on my bucket list as of now but seeing a rerun of this in a theatre is near the top.

3. Inception (2010)

This is what every modern blockbuster should be. A top tier cast and breathtaking, expensive production. The concept of traveling into one’s dreams for corporate espionage is simple enough to understand, so this movie spends its entire run completely dissecting that sci-fi concept and using it in every way it can. Unlike most other blockbuster movies, the romance doesn’t feel shoved in at the last minute, It's an integral part of the story and adds a lot of heart and humanity to the narrative. The soundtrack, acting, cinematography, etc. are all just so good that I feel confident in saying this is the defining movie of the 2010s.

2. Shaun of the Dead (2004)

My favorite comedy, favorite zombie movie, favorite parody and it has possibly my favorite scene in film. Edgar Wright is my favorite director because he somehow has the exact same sense of humor as me, plus all of his films are go-to comfort movies for me. Shaun of the Dead blends so many genres in such a clean and energetic way with top-notch editing. It’s filled with constant call backs to earlier parts of the film leading to some mind blowing moments, some of which you won’t notice until you've seen it a few times. It's such a fun watch that never takes itself too seriously but also never treats the viewer like an idiot. This was my favorite movie for quite a few years and for good reason.

1. The Lighthouse (2019)

I apologize if this is a rather disappointing number one, but truly, it is my favorite movie. Atmosphere and aesthetics in art have always been the most important thing to me and no film is quite like The Lighthouse in that regard. The black and white, 4:3 aspect ratio and specially made camera lenses invite the viewer into the world of an 1800’s photograph. The crashing waves and monotonous siren work in perfect harmony with the distorted soundtrack to create a feeling of unease and sea sickness. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are practically the only two actors in the film but they more than compensate for it by delivering the best performances of their careers. The historical accuracy of their voices and the production of the ocean legends being retold is staggering in the amount of detail given. The gradual drive of insanity and distrust of time lead to one of the most jaw dropping third acts i’ve ever witnessed. At just an hour and fifty minutes long it's pacing is perfect and never lost my interest. Every time I rewatch The Lighthouse I notice new details and rethink the context of entire scenes, leading me to new conclusions on what exactly the movie is even about.