While some films are fun to watch but easy to forget, others leave a mark on your psyche that changes your life through powerful storytelling. A user on a popular online forum asked movie buffs to suggest films that made them change the way they see the world. Fans replied with their best recommendations.
1. Children of Men (2006)
Humanity is on its last legs in this futuristic dystopian world plagued by infertility. One tired bureaucrat is the only hope to preserve humanity and prevent mass extinction.
2. Being There (1979)
When a gardener who spends most of his life living at his employer’s estate must move after his boss’ death, a high-society man befriends him and invites him out, thinking the gardener is one of them. As he enters the world of politics, the gardener helps out with his in-depth knowledge of plants and TV.
3. Stalker (1979)
Stalker takes place in a wasteland after the apocalypse hits, causing the survivors to protect the land at all costs. But when a group of men embark on a journey to visit The Room, a place in the center of the barren terrain rumored to grant entrants’ deepest desires, they must evade guards and make it through the inhospitable land.
4. I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
5. Soul (2020)
Soul is a heartwarming animated film about a once-aspiring jazz musician who gave up his dreams long ago to become a middle school band teacher. But when the teacher dies in a sudden accident, he finds himself in a strange land between life and death as a guide for another lost soul.
6. Aftersun (2022)
Aftersun is a story about a woman trying to piece together her loving memories of her father with facts she learns about his life outside their relationship. It’s the anniversary of the last vacation the two took together, and the woman desperately looks back to the past for clues.
7. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
A successful surgeon has everything he dreams of: a bright career and a loving family. But when a teenage boy begins inserting himself into the surgeon’s life, the man’s discomfort turns to fear as he uncovers why exactly the boy decided to swoop in.
8. Schindler’s List (1993)
9. Dead Man (1995)
After committing a grisly murder, an unassuming accountant runs from authorities. While in hiding, he happens upon a Native American spirit guide who helps the accountant journey into the spirit realm because he believes the accountant is the English poet William Blake reincarnated.
10. The Iron Giant (1999)
When a massive alien robot accidentally lands on Earth, a young boy discovers the robot’s presence, and the two bond. But when the government finds the alien, they decide he’s too dangerous and hatch a plan to destroy him. Can the boy and the Iron Giant work together to save his life?
11. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
This comedic road-trip drama follows a dysfunctional family who embarks on a cross-country journey in an old van to get the party’s youngest member to California for her audition in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. But their travels are spotted with tense family drama and wacky antics that make viewers wonder whether or not the family will make it to the pageant in time.
What films have you seen that changed your mindset?
Maya (she/they) is a queer entertainment and culture journalist. They cover interviews, reviews, roundups, news, and more. She loves horror, history, and creativity. They hope their writing both entertains readers and inspires them to think critically. Her favorite pastimes include needle felting, gaming, and drawing.
