- Seven Samurai – This movie kept me on the edge of my seat throughout its entire movie. This was the first movie directed by Akira Kurosawa that I watched, and it was the an amazing way to be introduced into his work. I particularly appreciate the way Kurosawa treats all the details with attention, creates an atmosphere of tension, and creates very deep and interesting characters. It was amazing to observe the way he gives even villagers their own characteristic instead of using them as the background of the story. The action sequences were impressive, however, what I really appreciated was the emotional component behind each fight. Every battle in the movie was important, and that created great tension. The final hour of the movie is easily one of the greatest battle sequences in cinema. To be honest, I did not think I would be so invested in the movie; however, it was engaging all the way through. I am not surprised that this movie has influenced The Avengers and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Now I finally understand why this movie is regarded as a masterpiece.
- Grave of the Fireflies – The film was set in the period of World War II, but instead of telling a tale of soldiers and wars, it tells a story of Seita and his sister who became orphans due to their mother’s death. Despite the fact that the film is animated, it does not depict any kind of fairy-tale world; instead, it is quite realistic and grounded. The war caused many problems for Seita and his sister as he tried to stay alive along with looking after his little sister. I found many emotional scenes in the film which made me watch it till the end. In my opinion, the film possesses one of the strongest endings ever.
- Apocalypse Now – Apocalypse Now is a film depicting the story of Captain Willard as he goes up the river in Vietnam to murder Colonel Kurtz. At first glance, this movie might appear to be all about the trip and how Colonel Kurtz ends up being murdered. Nevertheless, this movie is an anti-war film that presents the grim truth about the Vietnam War. There are countless memorable quotes in this movie. My personal favorite quote would be Colonel Kurtz’s last words, “The horror… The horror.” I believe that the death of Chef, Mr. Clean, and Chief, the bombardment of the village by helicopters, and the murder of the family aboard the boat depict “the horror” of the Vietnam War.
- Marty Supreme – Marty Supreme is a film by Josh Safdie, one of the Safdie brothers, that revolves around the character Marty Mouser, an table tennis player who wants to make it to Tokyo Open in Japan. In the entire movie, he goes to great lengths to achieve his dream, but the moment it feels as though he was close to achieving it, everything starts falling apart. This movie has been shot in absolute chaos and has kept things interesting without making it confusing for viewers. One of my most loved characters in movies is Marty since he was definitely not supposed to be loved by the audience, but I still found myself cheering for him. I appreciated his enthusiasm and passion towards table tennis despite the selfish and wrong actions he did. The movie’s chaotic style perfectly makes it one of the most entertaining and memorable films I have seen.
- Coco – This movie features Miguel trying to pursue his obsession with music even though his family bans all types of music from being played in their household. He has a passion that leads him to visit the land of the dead where he must learn how to return home in order to follow his passion of playing music. The other lesson learned from this film is the importance of respecting your ancestors even after their death. Coco is one of the movies that has made me cry because of the emotional scenes in this movie. Some great songs in this film include Un Poco Loco and Remember Me. Even though this might not be the best Disney movie, it has grown on me.
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