10 Movies Everyone Should See

With the beginning of September being a bit of a slower time for movies and me going on vacation, I thought it would be fun to fill some of this week talking about 10 movies everyone should see. This is very much a basic list of commonly known movies that even the most casual moviegoer should see. These are by no means the best movies ever made but are movies that were instrumental to the culture and helped lay the foundation for how things are today. These are films that even nonmovie fans should watch at least once as they are key to the culture today. With that being said, here are 10 movies that everyone should see.

1. Wizard of Oz (1939)

The Wizard of Oz is probably the most famous movie on this list. You probably can't run into anyone on the street who hasn't seen or heard of The Wizard of Oz. It is such a classic film and probably the biggest movie ever made at the time. All of the characters and songs are extremely famous with many being a part of pop culture for many years to come. It was one of the first movies to provide people with true fantasy, friendship, and escapism. This film was also the biggest film to streamline the use of color. While it wasn't the first color film, the use of color was innovative in that it set the stage for all movies to come. The Wizard of Oz was so successful, that it triggered a revolution for its studio, MGM, and for Hollywood at large. In the end, The Wizard of Oz has probably the biggest impact on Hollywood and society and is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.

2. Singing in the Rain (1952)

Singing in the Rain is one of the great musicals and is also known as a classic of old Hollywood. It is all about the lives of Hollywood stars and "making it" in the starlight. This musical is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicals ever made and has been such an inspiration for much of Hollywood to come. Even in today's film, you can see the inspiration from Singin' in the Rain such as in films such as La La Land and Babylon. Singin' in the Rain also launched a movement of exploring old Hollywood that many films after the fact would still utilize. The song and dance numbers set a high standard for all other musicals today that many films still strive to recreate. This movie also just has a level of optimism and fun that most movies of today just don't seem to have. Overall, this is a classic of the genre and paved the way for many movie musicals to come.

3. Jaws (1975)

Jaws was one of the first big summer films and helped establish the summer blockbuster season we know today. Jaws was such a huge hit and one of the first films to give studios the idea to capitalize on summer. Without Jaws, we probably wouldn't have the summer movie season you see today. Jaws also had an insane cultural impact with many people being too scared to go to the beach after seeing the film. Jaws was also a key catalyst for the use of animatronics in films with the use of the Shark animatronic. Even though it didn't work right most of the time, Jaws showed that animatronics could be used while still making things look real. Jaws also has such an iconic score with everyone knowing just from two notes. Overall, Jaws set the stage for the summer movie season and really influenced when movies were released.

4. Star Wars (1977)

This could cover just the original film or the entire original trilogy. Star Wars is an instrumental film in the Sci-Fi Fantasy genre and was also groundbreaking in its special effects. All of the space effects were things that had never been done before and laid the foundation for many films to come. Star Wars has also been the inspiration for so many other Sci-Fi films out there and has also been spoofed, parodied, and quoted countless times. All of the characters are extremely iconic with many people knowing who they are without having seen the movies. Star Wars was also one of the first franchises to capitalize on exterior marketing such as toys, games, and clothes. Star Wars was one of the first films to directly link a film to toy sales. In the end, Star Wars set the stage not only with special effects but also with toys and Sci-Fi stories in general.

5. Superman (1978)

Superman is the OG superhero movie and set the standard for how superhero movies were to be made. With the help of Batman 1989, this film paved the way for the superhero genre to become the powerhouse it is today. It also laid the groundwork for IP and franchise-based storytelling when people realized they could create big blockbuster movies based on their favorite superheroes. This movie also used some groundbreaking special effects that really convinced people that a man could fly. This movie also brought in a level of heroism and optimism that wasn't seen before on the screen between the way Christopher Reeves carried himself and the heroic soundtrack from John Williams. In the end, this is a great superhero movie that truly laid the groundwork for the superhero genre to come.

6. Die Hard (1988)

Die Hard is arguably the greatest action movie ever made and definitely laid the groundwork for many action movies to come. Die Hard has such a tried and true formula that movies continue to use it today. Die Hard has become a staple of action cinema and a standard that all other action films are held to with many films being described as Die Hard on a ''Blank" such as Die Hard on a Plane (Con-Air, Air Force One), Die Hard with The Rock (Skyscraper) and Die Hard on a bus (Speed). Die Hard also has many quotable lines and memorable moments that still resonate with pop culture today. It also gave a start to Alan Rickman and Bruce Willis who both went on to have extremely successful careers afterwards. Die Hard has had such an impact on the film interest that John McClane's tank top was literally put in the Smithsonian. Overall, this is an influential action movie that established a well-used trope and formula that is still used today.

7. Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic Park changed the game on how CGI could be used in movies. Before this film, CGI was used minimally. This movie showed that CGI when balanced with practical effects, could be used in a very effective way that looks good. The use of CGI to create the dinosaurs looks so good and sets the standard for how CGI should be used in the 90s. Aside from CGI, Jurassic Park also started the movement of a new genre of dinosaur movies as well as started a multibillion-dollar Jurassic Park franchise. Jurassic Park is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made with its compelling characters, thrilling sequences, and bringing dinosaurs to life. In the end, Jurassic Park changed the way movies were made and propelled the use of CGI into mainstream Hollywood.

8. The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix really changed the game of the Sci-Fi genre. The martial arts used in this movie are innovative and iconic. Not many movies have as many spoofed and parodied moments as this one with the bullet-dodging scene and the pill line. The Matrix had such a cultural impact and was a huge deal in its time. Even its special effects and CGI were revolutionary for its time the style used in the action having never been seen before. This movie also launched the career of Keanu Reeves and laid the work for the John Wick movies today. This movie just has so many iconic lines, characters, and moments that it's hard to imagine the culture without this film. Overall, this film had a huge cultural impact and really created a truly unique experience to watch.

9. Iron Man (2008)

Iron Man didn't change the way movies were made as much as it changed the way IP was used. Iron Man was the spark that launched the craze of connected universes. The success of Iron Man led to the creation of the MCU which is arguably the biggest thing in movies today. Due to the success of the interconnected MCU, a movement of interconnected franchises has grown out of the big studios with varying degrees of success such as the DCEU, Star Wars, the Sony Spiderman Universe, The Universal Monsterverse, the Legendary Pictures Monsterverse, and many others. Iron Man also changed the tone and trajectory of modern superhero movies. Before Iron Man, superhero movies were struggling and usually very dark. After the success of Iron Man, many superhero movies decided to take a lighter approach. In the end, Iron Man not only changed the way franchises were made but also saved superhero movies and launched the success of the MCU.

10. Avatar (2009)

Avatar isn't the most groundbreaking in terms of a story but it is impactful due to its amazing visual effects. Avatar blew every other movie out of the water with its use of visual effects. The movie shows the perfect way to use CGI and how to use it to create a huge world. Avatar helped grow the use of IMAX cinema with its not-to-miss theatrical experience. Even watching it at home, the movie is amazing because of how flawless its visual effects are. Aside from the CGI, the movie is also groundbreaking as it is the highest-grossing movie ever made, bringing over 2.9 billion dollars. The movie was so successful that it greenlit 4 sequels and a whole land in Disney World. Something no other single movie has managed to do. The movie has also remained successful in the culture as evidenced by the second Avatar movie bringing in over 2.3 billion dollars and becoming the third highest-grossing film. Overall, this movie was not only visually amazing but also had unimaginable box office success that has not been achieved by any other film.