I f***** love Mulholland Dr but I can’t say that I fully got it the first time I watched it, hell I probably still don’t get it. Some of its beauty lies in its mystery. I think of Badalamenti spitting out his espresso every time I make myself one.
I love Lynch's films, but most I didn't get on first watch.
This was a rare exception. Taking an edible and seeing it on the big screenfor my first viewing helped tremendously,
Funny you should say that. I’m seeing it remastered in 4k at a theatre in march. First Lynch viewing in a theatre for me. Edibles sound like a great idea.
I highly reccomend it. I do it for all films in general.
Did it for FWWM and it was one of the greatest things I had ever seen in a theater.
The visuals are obviously enhanced, but since he is so meticulous wiith sound design all his films are better in a theater.
Try to forget everything about Mulholland Dr. so it feels fresh. You will have a blast.
Watched Barry Lyndon for the first time a few months ago & I still can’t stop thinking about how much I loved certain aspects of that film
Breathtaking shots, great costumes, insane choice to rely only on natural light & candlelight but it pays off in spades, also I’m a sucker for a movie that follows a character throughout a long epic journey
I wholeheartedly agree. My best friend is getting married this summer and I told him the wedding would be a failure if the hired band doesn’t play Sarabande.
I saw this when it was released and even though I don't care for Kubrick or O'Neal, I fell in love with Barry Lyndon and it has remained one of my favorite films, everything about it is just perfect!
Agreed. First time I watched it I thought it was beautiful but maybe I wasn’t getting it, then they got to the first conversation with Jane and I was blown away.
Not sure if top 5, but very possibly top 10,
Y Tu Mama Tambien.
For sure became my favorite Cuaron film. I’m a latino in south Texas but as a kid would travel to Mexico every year to visit my grandparents in Michoacán. This movie brought back those nostalgic memories, especially since it came out in around the same era I myself was doing those trips.
Plus it is really fucking funny as well, I couldn’t stop laughing. And VERY sexy. Beautifully crafted movie in general. You can see Cuaron begin to do many shots he would later do in movies like Children of Men or Roma.
Just saw Aftersun and it zapped this raw nerve in me I didn’t know I had, have never had that strong of an emotional response to a movie before. Saw it twice this week so far. Likely in my top five now
Absolutely, Aftersun went instantly into my top 10, possibly top 5. Gave me a similar feeling to when I saw Moonlight (the first time and every time since).
I just started fucking sobbing when Under Pressure started. SOBBING. And cried the rest of the film. And then another HOUR after as I reflected on it and read reviews. Have never cried AFTER a movie before. I just couldn’t stop, it opened something inside me and was so beautiful
One of those movies that fades from your brain until you watch it again then you're just convinced for the entire duration of it's runtime that it might just be the best movie ever made. Green Snake is another one of those thats like that for me, even though it's a VERY different film.
I need to rewatch The Red Shoes. I was into it but then in the third act when Vicky and Julian leave the company, and subsequently the movie for a while, it felt like it lost its steam until the finale. That might also be because the actual ballet number in the middle is so incredible. But maybe I wouldn't feel that way on rewatch, especially now already knowing the story.
Fun fact Yumeji's Theme was first in the film Yumeji (1991), directed by the legendary Seijun Suzuki. It was the last film in his Taisho Trilogy, and personally, all three films in it are my favorite works of his.
Last film I saw that jumped into one of my favorites instantly was The Bitter Tears of Petra Van Kant (1972)
Before Sunset trilogy. I thought people were overhyping when they said it’s the best trilogy ever. I sat and watched all 3 in one sitting in one day. By movie 2 I was bawling my eyes out. I’m sad I’ll never get to experience watching all 3 movies with fresh eye again.
*Memories of Murder* for me. I was already a fan of Bong Joon Ho before I saw Parasite, and it is definitely one of my favorites. But then I went back and watched *Memories* and it left me absolutely jaw-dropped. Should be an all-time classic.
The Worst Person in the World I found to be a beautiful confirmation of the fluidity of life. I am constantly disparaging myself for not fully committing to things or finishing them but this film instilled in me the idea that doing one thing forever doesn't always make sense, at least not for everyone. Changing your career, dropping out of school, etc. isn't the end all be all.
It's Lars von trier so give it a shot. It's a given that anything he makes will be controversial as hell, but everything he touches is a singular vision from a very skilled filmmaker with full effort
Chungking Express, but really every movie made by Wong Kar-Wai could make my top 5. That's why I take a while between viewings.
Special mention for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
I actually just watched Taste of Cherry last night and it instantly jumped to #4 all time for me. I don't usually get a perspective change from films, but this instantly did so much for me. I've been suffering from depression quite a bit the last year or two and this film is the first thing I've ever seen that can truly make me rethink how I look at life. It was astoundingly beautiful in visuals, structure, and dialogue... Poetic in every sense of the word. Also it happens to be the perfect formula for the type of film I like (slow meandering plot, road films).
Also Mulholland drive recently did this for me, jumped to #3 all time
Drive My Car (2021)
I watched this one at the perfect moment in life for it to completely hit me and destroy me for a few weeks. Even with that, it become an instant favorite of mine.
Thing about Langella's brilliance is that he just kind of melds into Nixon. Hard not to make a caricature out of him but you just BUY Langella as Nixon. And Michael Sheen was fantastic as Frost.
Langella has a weird method — he plays footage of the subject (in this case, Nixon) over and over again, dozens of times, at one-tenth speed. Says it helps him get the eyeblinks, the jaw set, the speech mannerisms and pronunciations. Seemed to work.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Saw it for the first time about a month ago and really liked it. Watched it again for Valentine’s Day and somehow liked it even more. Definitely top 5 for me if not higher.
I now only walk sensually with longing back and forth to the noodle shop. But jokes aside, I 100% agree. I first ITMFL and within like 30 minutes knew why people hail it as a masterpiece.
My top 20 or so is pretty impenetrable and the most recent still isn't too recent, but I think the quickest 10/10 I've ever given (Given to 41 movies so far) is to Vagabond. Best Years of Our Lives, Make Way For Tomorrow, Exterminating Angel, Rosemary's Baby and Angel's Egg were all pretty fast too.
If you love ITMFL, Spring in a Small Town is a must.
Aliens. Just completely changed the way I look at film production and I dunno, just seeing a straight up fun movie but is still mature. I’ve seen plenty of movies like that but nothing that just resonated with me like aliens did.
Not sure if it would be in my top 5, but I just saw Ken Loach's 2020 film Sorry We Missed You, and it's the best movie I've seen in a long time. But then, I'm a real sucker for realism in film, and man, does it deliver that in spades! It's basically a savage critique of the gig economy and the toll it takes on the working class family. It made me so uncomfortable, I loved it. Also, not a Criterion film. Kino Lorber, I believe.
Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me vaulted into my top 5 within the first 25 minutes of the movie. Absolutely incredible experience after I was mostly a mild fan of the first season of the tv show. My best way to describe it is, all muscle and no fat whatsoever. Everything is totally on brand and stays completely focused throughout, and just so beautiful and weird and melodic. Love it
Just watched the Talking Heads’ live documentary Stop Making Sense and holy shit that made my top five immediately. Such great music, cinematography, showmanship, and a whole lot of fun.
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1978 cut) did it for me. A gangster movie that's a metaphor for being forced by the studio to make a gangster movie? Absolutely, sign me up.
Columbus. I watched it for the first time last September and it just blew me away. I've never had a film affect me in that way. It was gentle, soothing, in a way that I imagine meditation might be. At the end of the film, I felt like I knew these characters. I wanted the movie to keep going so I could hang out with them and listen to their conversations. I couldn't stop thinking about it for at least a week.
Watched Rosemary’s Baby for the first time this past weekend (it’s on paramount+, I had no idea!) and I was blown away. I watched it by myself late at night, and during the last 5 minutes or so I was shouting “WHAAAAAT” at my TV, alone in the dark. A truly horrifying movie from a truly horrifying man. 5/5
See also: Blue Velvet.
For me it is a film that Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks made in 2021; Annette. Growing up as a girl who sang always and with an alcoholic father, this entire film hit home to me.
Please. Please watch it if you can!
*Two-Lane Blacktop* (1971)
That being said, it has been in my top 5 for over a decade now so not a very recent addition by any means but the most recent. I had heard of it and read it referenced in various film articles and cinema books for several decades before I got a chance to view it as it wasn't available. The first release by Anchor Bay VHS & DVD in 1999 flew under my radar so I first watched it thanks to seeing a copy of Criterion's fantastic DVD release on the shelves in 2007.
I watched In The Mood For Love and Bonnie And Clyde in the same week and those two really left an impression. I watched the first 11 minutes of Bonnie And Clyde 5 times the next morning, I just couldn't get over it.
beyond the black rainbow, the first time i saw that film i was absolutely awestruck and couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks afterwords. one of the most poignant examinations of social systems ever put to film in my opinion and beautifully directed too.
Bondarchuk's War and Peace. I had been recently dissapointed by several epics, even by directors that I love like Barry Lyndon and Ran, but then I discovered a clip from the Battle of Borodino in part 3 and I had to watch it all. Magnificent work, there's nothing in my mind that comes close to its scope and beauty
My top five hasn’t shifted really for near a decade. Oftentimes, films that I value so highly grow over time, rather than instantly. That said, Last Year at Marienbad was the most recent case. Watched that about 7 years ago, gamechanging.
Alfred Hitchcock's *Lifeboat* (1944). Despite being considered a minor Hitchcock, I found this stunning. Like *Rope*, it makes tremendous use of his excellent blocking and direction in a small scale set. The script, written by John Steinbeck (!?!?), is a firecracker. Phenomenal cast. And it deals with a pressing, vital problem of urgent importance: how to preserve small-l liberal values, democracy, and dignity in the face of their exploitation by a fascist menace.
I recently made a top 10 list for my mother. Looking at it I guess Battle of Algiers is the movie that answers your question. But I first saw that in 2007 or 2008. (And have rewatched it several times since.)
In the Mood for Love is also in my top 5 (#2 after Chungking Express). But I saw that in its original release in the theater back in 2000.
The most recently watched movie to break into my top 10 is Arrival, which I watched in the theater in 2016.
But if I’m being honest, I don’t know if any movies I see ever instantly make it into my top 10 or whatever. The reason my top 10 movies are what they are is because I think about them consistently over the years and find great value in rewatching them. That’s not really something one can know after instantly watching a movie.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a movie instantly jump into my top 5. My top list doesn’t change that often, but the last movie to jump into my top 50 was probably either Cloud Atlas or Upstream Color, maybe Whiplash.
Top 5? Idk, Spring Breakers I guess. Though that was like, 5 years ago. If you want more recent, then I can widen it to top 10 which would probably squeeze in Romancing in Thin Air, which I first saw like, 1.5 years ago I think?
Wish I cared for In the Mood for Love. The whole thing just felt so cold and empty to me, which is the exact opposite of the reason I like Wong's movies. Just left me going "meh". It's not bad, it's just really "meh" to me.
No film could immediately jump into my top 5 of all time, but the most recent to crack that list was *Brief Encounter* (after my second viewing). I've seen the rest of the films in my top 5 at least five times, so that's a clear outlier.
that definitely happened to be when I saw In the Mood for Love last year (I've seen it twice more since then already). But most recently, it happened when I watched Adaptation. a few months ago.
I had the same exact feeling about In the Mood For Love.
To be honest, I've seen *so* many 21st century movies that left me feeling this way, I can't count them. These past few decades have felt to me to be a Golden Age for movies.
Tough one. I think that if we're just talking about Criterion Collection films, I would say that I got this immediate feeling upon seeing Seven Samurai. Pretty much became my number 2 favorite film (Back to the Future still has an edge mostly due to nostalgia). The Manchurian Candidate is also a top 5 contender. I love that movie.
Outside the collection, As soon as I saw Timecrimes (los Cronocrimenes) I knew it was top 5 for me. Everything else I've watched kind of shuffles in and out of my top 5-10 depending on my mood etc. It would be very hard to settle on a top ten, or even top five, but I think the ones I've mentioned so far are all in the top ten and even close to top 5, again depending on my mood.
Even writing this stuff down, I am thinking of other films I could mention. It's hard to narrow it down!!!
I was so fascinated by Run Lola Run when I first saw it on cable. The wild cuts, the music, devil may care tone, the fuckin cartoon segments! “Oh yeah, she can break glass with her voice, why not” I loved it so much
Need to rewatch it’s been mentioning it a lot this month and haven’t seen it in like 15 years
Finally got the courage to watch “Hereditary” and it has advanced to my top scariest films I have ever seen. It’s strange bc it wasn’t scary seeing it. It was just all of the seeds unsettling moments it planted started to grow
I don’t know if top 5, but ‘uncut gems’ is almost definitely top 10 upon first watch. Definitely ‘psycho’ took a great spot upon the first watch. As for ‘in the mood for love’ I don’t know if it made it to top 10, maybe it did upon first watch, but I do remember thinking it was a resounding 10/10 movie, upon the first watch.
That's in mine too. For me, Mulholland Dr. (2001) was an instant jump to my top 5. Haven't taken it off my Letterboxd favs either.
I f***** love Mulholland Dr but I can’t say that I fully got it the first time I watched it, hell I probably still don’t get it. Some of its beauty lies in its mystery. I think of Badalamenti spitting out his espresso every time I make myself one.
I love Lynch's films, but most I didn't get on first watch. This was a rare exception. Taking an edible and seeing it on the big screenfor my first viewing helped tremendously,
Funny you should say that. I’m seeing it remastered in 4k at a theatre in march. First Lynch viewing in a theatre for me. Edibles sound like a great idea.
Awesome! We recently watched Lost Highway at a local indie theater and it was an amazing experience. Where are you seeing it out of curiosity?
At Cinema du Parc in Montréal!
Hope you have a good time!
Thank you kindly! It’s on my birthday so going there with the Mrs and heading to a Yakiniku after.
I highly reccomend it. I do it for all films in general. Did it for FWWM and it was one of the greatest things I had ever seen in a theater. The visuals are obviously enhanced, but since he is so meticulous wiith sound design all his films are better in a theater. Try to forget everything about Mulholland Dr. so it feels fresh. You will have a blast.
Watched Barry Lyndon for the first time a few months ago & I still can’t stop thinking about how much I loved certain aspects of that film Breathtaking shots, great costumes, insane choice to rely only on natural light & candlelight but it pays off in spades, also I’m a sucker for a movie that follows a character throughout a long epic journey
I wholeheartedly agree. My best friend is getting married this summer and I told him the wedding would be a failure if the hired band doesn’t play Sarabande.
My second favourite of all time
I saw this when it was released and even though I don't care for Kubrick or O'Neal, I fell in love with Barry Lyndon and it has remained one of my favorite films, everything about it is just perfect!
Paris, Texas (1984). Perfection
This jumped to my #1 instantly after I watched it for the first time a couple years ago and hasn't dropped
Agreed. First time I watched it I thought it was beautiful but maybe I wasn’t getting it, then they got to the first conversation with Jane and I was blown away.
Not sure if top 5, but very possibly top 10, Y Tu Mama Tambien. For sure became my favorite Cuaron film. I’m a latino in south Texas but as a kid would travel to Mexico every year to visit my grandparents in Michoacán. This movie brought back those nostalgic memories, especially since it came out in around the same era I myself was doing those trips. Plus it is really fucking funny as well, I couldn’t stop laughing. And VERY sexy. Beautifully crafted movie in general. You can see Cuaron begin to do many shots he would later do in movies like Children of Men or Roma.
Fuck I forgot that movie existed! So gooood
Love them all but I do consider Roma his greatest film, by a good amount. I remember being in Mexico when Tu mama también came out, it was a big deal
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Love this movie so much.
Almost instantly became my favourite movie of all time.
Just saw Aftersun and it zapped this raw nerve in me I didn’t know I had, have never had that strong of an emotional response to a movie before. Saw it twice this week so far. Likely in my top five now
Absolutely, Aftersun went instantly into my top 10, possibly top 5. Gave me a similar feeling to when I saw Moonlight (the first time and every time since).
Barry Jenkins produced it with his company coincidentally!
You have good taste. What’s your username
I just started fucking sobbing when Under Pressure started. SOBBING. And cried the rest of the film. And then another HOUR after as I reflected on it and read reviews. Have never cried AFTER a movie before. I just couldn’t stop, it opened something inside me and was so beautiful
Same here. I’m a little afraid to hear that song in public now
same man, it’s sooooo emotionally compelling
It will be definitely my top 20 upon a rewatch. It was that good.
Came here to say this almost verbatim. Also watched it twice this week and will instantly purchase a physical copy once it's released.
The scene where Under Pressure by Queen plays is amazing, it conveys Sophie's feelings so well. >!Grief specifically!<
[удалено]
One of those movies that fades from your brain until you watch it again then you're just convinced for the entire duration of it's runtime that it might just be the best movie ever made. Green Snake is another one of those thats like that for me, even though it's a VERY different film.
Yi Yi
I saw it for the first time last month and I absolutely agree
yup
This is what i was going to say too. Perfect movie.
Same, I streamed it, and it instantly became one of my fav movies
The Red Shoes and Persona absolutely floored me on my first watch. Every person on the planet needs to watch those movies at least once in their life.
I need to rewatch The Red Shoes. I was into it but then in the third act when Vicky and Julian leave the company, and subsequently the movie for a while, it felt like it lost its steam until the finale. That might also be because the actual ballet number in the middle is so incredible. But maybe I wouldn't feel that way on rewatch, especially now already knowing the story.
Fun fact Yumeji's Theme was first in the film Yumeji (1991), directed by the legendary Seijun Suzuki. It was the last film in his Taisho Trilogy, and personally, all three films in it are my favorite works of his. Last film I saw that jumped into one of my favorites instantly was The Bitter Tears of Petra Van Kant (1972)
I really have to get into some early Fassbinder. That one and Ali : Fear Eats the Soul.
Fox and His Friends obliterated my emotions. Love Fassbinders gay stuff !
Interestingly enough mine was Fallen Angels (1995), also by Wong Kar Wai!
Love Fallen Angels. I wish one day I’ll be cool enough to smoke a cigarette while riding my motorcycle.
Chungking Express for me. WKW is a master.
The soundtrack is so good.
Before Sunset trilogy. I thought people were overhyping when they said it’s the best trilogy ever. I sat and watched all 3 in one sitting in one day. By movie 2 I was bawling my eyes out. I’m sad I’ll never get to experience watching all 3 movies with fresh eye again.
Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Parasite. I was absolutely flabbergasted for the whole duration... And I've seen quite a few movies in my career.
*Memories of Murder* for me. I was already a fan of Bong Joon Ho before I saw Parasite, and it is definitely one of my favorites. But then I went back and watched *Memories* and it left me absolutely jaw-dropped. Should be an all-time classic.
It probably became my number 1 movie after the first watch. Incredible film
Just saw Trois couleurs: bleu 💙
The Worst Person in the World I found to be a beautiful confirmation of the fluidity of life. I am constantly disparaging myself for not fully committing to things or finishing them but this film instilled in me the idea that doing one thing forever doesn't always make sense, at least not for everyone. Changing your career, dropping out of school, etc. isn't the end all be all.
"Im thinking on ending" things and "The house that Jack built" I knew by the first 10 minutes that they would be on my top and I was right
I’ve been trying to watch The House that Jack Built with no success. Big Matt Dillon fan.
I believe it holds the record for being the must walked out movie at Cannes
I heard some pretty terrible reviews about it so my expectations are so low it would be difficult to be disappointed.
It's Lars von trier so give it a shot. It's a given that anything he makes will be controversial as hell, but everything he touches is a singular vision from a very skilled filmmaker with full effort
Chungking Express, but really every movie made by Wong Kar-Wai could make my top 5. That's why I take a while between viewings. Special mention for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
I actually just watched Taste of Cherry last night and it instantly jumped to #4 all time for me. I don't usually get a perspective change from films, but this instantly did so much for me. I've been suffering from depression quite a bit the last year or two and this film is the first thing I've ever seen that can truly make me rethink how I look at life. It was astoundingly beautiful in visuals, structure, and dialogue... Poetic in every sense of the word. Also it happens to be the perfect formula for the type of film I like (slow meandering plot, road films). Also Mulholland drive recently did this for me, jumped to #3 all time
I watched La Strada and Nights of Cabiria a year ago and they're both in constant battle as my favorite movie.
High and Low
one flew over the cuckoo's nest
Cant go wrong with such a classic
Tampopo, and immediately bought the blu ray.
Drive My Car (2021) I watched this one at the perfect moment in life for it to completely hit me and destroy me for a few weeks. Even with that, it become an instant favorite of mine.
I dragged my feet on watching Harakiri for years and when I watched it recently I was *blown away*
For me it was "Aftersun". Very recent film, but has left such an impact in my mind that very few film can. Definitely in my top 5.
That ending tho… whoo
La dolce vita
ok, I hope I don't get hate, Frost/Nixon Frank Langella just gave a performance that was so striking that I was absolutely glued to the screen
Thing about Langella's brilliance is that he just kind of melds into Nixon. Hard not to make a caricature out of him but you just BUY Langella as Nixon. And Michael Sheen was fantastic as Frost.
Langella has a weird method — he plays footage of the subject (in this case, Nixon) over and over again, dozens of times, at one-tenth speed. Says it helps him get the eyeblinks, the jaw set, the speech mannerisms and pronunciations. Seemed to work.
2001 and M
F for Fake changed my life and continues to change my life every time I watch it
“I used to like going to the pictures.”
Ran
Picnic at Hanging Rock Saw it for the first time about a month ago and really liked it. Watched it again for Valentine’s Day and somehow liked it even more. Definitely top 5 for me if not higher.
Definitely In the mood for love was one of those for me too. Another one for me was Ikiru by Kurosawa.
Julia Ducournau’s “Raw”
I had not heard of it but the synopsis is wild.
Her second feature, “Titane,” was probably more popular or well known but I love “Raw” so much.
I now only walk sensually with longing back and forth to the noodle shop. But jokes aside, I 100% agree. I first ITMFL and within like 30 minutes knew why people hail it as a masterpiece.
🙏 Uzak (distant) joined my top 5 last year 1. Halloween (78) 2. Days of Heaven 3. Phantom Thread 4. Happy Together 5. Uzak
I just spent 3 months in Istanbul with my father so I'm definitely checking out Uzak!
All That Jazz
Most recently, Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me.
My top 20 or so is pretty impenetrable and the most recent still isn't too recent, but I think the quickest 10/10 I've ever given (Given to 41 movies so far) is to Vagabond. Best Years of Our Lives, Make Way For Tomorrow, Exterminating Angel, Rosemary's Baby and Angel's Egg were all pretty fast too. If you love ITMFL, Spring in a Small Town is a must.
Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll definitely check it out!
Yi Yi. Watched it for the first time a month ago— straight to number 1
Taste of Cherry will always be there. Really struck a chord when I watched it 6 or 7 years ago.
Up, Down, Fragile (1995), Jacques Rivette!
La Haine did that for me recently, amazing movie.
Hara Kiri, before that Mulholland Dr
Love this movie. I recently (finally) saw Koyannisqatsi and yeah it went straight to the top of my favs list
Brief Encounter. I loved it so much on the first watch that I’m afraid to watch it again knowing that it won’t be the same as first time
A Prophet
Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa instantly jumped to my top 5. Such an awesome movie.
Persona without a doubt. The whole time I was watching it I was so happy that I’d found something which was so bold and unique
Aliens. Just completely changed the way I look at film production and I dunno, just seeing a straight up fun movie but is still mature. I’ve seen plenty of movies like that but nothing that just resonated with me like aliens did.
“Like someone in love”, didn’t expect that kind of movie by Kiarostami!
Buffalo 66 and the Decalogue thus far are the most recent watches that have become core memories for me.
Most recently, Jeanne Dillman.
L’ventuura
In terms of my personal favorites, it was probably The Master from 2012, which I saw in the theater.
Andrei Rublev instantly became my third favorite film of all time upon first viewing.
Not sure if it would be in my top 5, but I just saw Ken Loach's 2020 film Sorry We Missed You, and it's the best movie I've seen in a long time. But then, I'm a real sucker for realism in film, and man, does it deliver that in spades! It's basically a savage critique of the gig economy and the toll it takes on the working class family. It made me so uncomfortable, I loved it. Also, not a Criterion film. Kino Lorber, I believe.
The Passion of Joan of Arc.
The Battle of Algiers
Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me vaulted into my top 5 within the first 25 minutes of the movie. Absolutely incredible experience after I was mostly a mild fan of the first season of the tv show. My best way to describe it is, all muscle and no fat whatsoever. Everything is totally on brand and stays completely focused throughout, and just so beautiful and weird and melodic. Love it
My top 10 have been pretty stable for close to a decade, more or less. If a movie even jumps into my top 500, I consider that a feat
High and Low (1963) and Aftersun (2022) both shot up to my top 25 right after watching.
Tar jumped to 7 for me. Absolutely loved it. Before that it was Portrait of a Lady on Fire @ 10. My Top 5 has been uninterrupted for a minute.
Pain and Glory (2019), my first Almodóvar. So sweet and melancholy
Talk Radio
Not top 5 but the last film to absolutely blow me away was Autumn Sonata. Holy crap I was not ready for that emotional roller coaster.
Power of the Dog maybe, the Campion that didn't get as much love as I clearly felt it deserved
Not quite 5 but, The Long Day Closes and The Wind Rises both blew me away recently
Birman
Honestly… John Carpenter’s They Live was an immediate top 5 for me, I watched it for the first time about a month ago and love how well it aged.
need to rewatch
I saw Babette’s Feast about a month ago and it is now in my top 10. So awesome
hat birds pot command sheet shame rude money observation beneficial *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Just watched the Talking Heads’ live documentary Stop Making Sense and holy shit that made my top five immediately. Such great music, cinematography, showmanship, and a whole lot of fun.
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1978 cut) did it for me. A gangster movie that's a metaphor for being forced by the studio to make a gangster movie? Absolutely, sign me up.
There Will Be Blood
Uncut Gems
Tampopo
The last movie that threatened my top 5 was Brighter Summer Day.
For me Anatomy of a Murder. I saw the 4k from the Sony set, but would interested in the Criterion for extras
Columbus. I watched it for the first time last September and it just blew me away. I've never had a film affect me in that way. It was gentle, soothing, in a way that I imagine meditation might be. At the end of the film, I felt like I knew these characters. I wanted the movie to keep going so I could hang out with them and listen to their conversations. I couldn't stop thinking about it for at least a week.
Decision to Leave
not quite top 5 yet, but Double Indemnity definitely entered somewhere in the top 10 *immediately*
La Haine
Inland Empire Theater 4k re-release and The celebration were ones I saw in the past year that instantly jumped up there
Do the Right Thing and Yi Yi
Y tu mama tambein
Watched Rosemary’s Baby for the first time this past weekend (it’s on paramount+, I had no idea!) and I was blown away. I watched it by myself late at night, and during the last 5 minutes or so I was shouting “WHAAAAAT” at my TV, alone in the dark. A truly horrifying movie from a truly horrifying man. 5/5 See also: Blue Velvet.
Y Tu Mama Tambien for me. I had my earbuds in, went to bathroom and just started crying on the toilet listening the the end credits song.
Blonde. Saw it a second time immediately after and then had to forcibly separate myself as I was starting to become unhealthily obsessed with it.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Just so chef’s kiss.
I refuse to believe lesbians existed before that movie
Harvest: 3,000 Years by Haile Gerima
Popeye (1980)
Last movie like that for me was High and Low. Perfect thriller and police procedural.
For me it is a film that Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks made in 2021; Annette. Growing up as a girl who sang always and with an alcoholic father, this entire film hit home to me. Please. Please watch it if you can!
For me it was naked
*Two-Lane Blacktop* (1971) That being said, it has been in my top 5 for over a decade now so not a very recent addition by any means but the most recent. I had heard of it and read it referenced in various film articles and cinema books for several decades before I got a chance to view it as it wasn't available. The first release by Anchor Bay VHS & DVD in 1999 flew under my radar so I first watched it thanks to seeing a copy of Criterion's fantastic DVD release on the shelves in 2007.
Until the end of the world (1991)
Beau Travail
I watched In The Mood For Love and Bonnie And Clyde in the same week and those two really left an impression. I watched the first 11 minutes of Bonnie And Clyde 5 times the next morning, I just couldn't get over it.
beyond the black rainbow, the first time i saw that film i was absolutely awestruck and couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks afterwords. one of the most poignant examinations of social systems ever put to film in my opinion and beautifully directed too.
“Psycho” and “Ran”.
Paper moon
Bondarchuk's War and Peace. I had been recently dissapointed by several epics, even by directors that I love like Barry Lyndon and Ran, but then I discovered a clip from the Battle of Borodino in part 3 and I had to watch it all. Magnificent work, there's nothing in my mind that comes close to its scope and beauty
My top five hasn’t shifted really for near a decade. Oftentimes, films that I value so highly grow over time, rather than instantly. That said, Last Year at Marienbad was the most recent case. Watched that about 7 years ago, gamechanging.
Probably not in my Top 5, but Woman in the Dunes is the last film that absolutely slapped me, visually and existentially lol.
Seven Samurai
Magnolia
The Piano Teacher
Eo. It’s so beautiful and poignant. I just can’t stop celebrating this work of art and will shout it from the rooftops every chance I get.
Stop Making Sense
Thelma and Louise
Wings of Desire, although just outside of my top 5.
Memories of Murder instantly jumped into my top 10-20. Also, it's not Criterion, but same goes for Whiplash.
Alfred Hitchcock's *Lifeboat* (1944). Despite being considered a minor Hitchcock, I found this stunning. Like *Rope*, it makes tremendous use of his excellent blocking and direction in a small scale set. The script, written by John Steinbeck (!?!?), is a firecracker. Phenomenal cast. And it deals with a pressing, vital problem of urgent importance: how to preserve small-l liberal values, democracy, and dignity in the face of their exploitation by a fascist menace.
It was actually My Dinner With Andre, a movie I didn’t expect to like but was completely charmed by. It’s laid back Wallace Shawn is great
Wall•E, I watched the 4K criterion and I feel so in love with it that it boosted to the top 7
Chungking Express! 1000%
Roma
I recently made a top 10 list for my mother. Looking at it I guess Battle of Algiers is the movie that answers your question. But I first saw that in 2007 or 2008. (And have rewatched it several times since.) In the Mood for Love is also in my top 5 (#2 after Chungking Express). But I saw that in its original release in the theater back in 2000. The most recently watched movie to break into my top 10 is Arrival, which I watched in the theater in 2016. But if I’m being honest, I don’t know if any movies I see ever instantly make it into my top 10 or whatever. The reason my top 10 movies are what they are is because I think about them consistently over the years and find great value in rewatching them. That’s not really something one can know after instantly watching a movie.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a movie instantly jump into my top 5. My top list doesn’t change that often, but the last movie to jump into my top 50 was probably either Cloud Atlas or Upstream Color, maybe Whiplash.
The Lighthouse and Paths of Glory, what can i say i love b&w
Top 5? Idk, Spring Breakers I guess. Though that was like, 5 years ago. If you want more recent, then I can widen it to top 10 which would probably squeeze in Romancing in Thin Air, which I first saw like, 1.5 years ago I think? Wish I cared for In the Mood for Love. The whole thing just felt so cold and empty to me, which is the exact opposite of the reason I like Wong's movies. Just left me going "meh". It's not bad, it's just really "meh" to me.
No film could immediately jump into my top 5 of all time, but the most recent to crack that list was *Brief Encounter* (after my second viewing). I've seen the rest of the films in my top 5 at least five times, so that's a clear outlier.
Probably Mad Max: Fury Road. It's a tough list to crack though.
Wondering if I should look for a disc of this that doesn't have the new color timing (although I know WKW approved it).
that definitely happened to be when I saw In the Mood for Love last year (I've seen it twice more since then already). But most recently, it happened when I watched Adaptation. a few months ago.
I had the same exact feeling about In the Mood For Love. To be honest, I've seen *so* many 21st century movies that left me feeling this way, I can't count them. These past few decades have felt to me to be a Golden Age for movies.
Tough one. I think that if we're just talking about Criterion Collection films, I would say that I got this immediate feeling upon seeing Seven Samurai. Pretty much became my number 2 favorite film (Back to the Future still has an edge mostly due to nostalgia). The Manchurian Candidate is also a top 5 contender. I love that movie. Outside the collection, As soon as I saw Timecrimes (los Cronocrimenes) I knew it was top 5 for me. Everything else I've watched kind of shuffles in and out of my top 5-10 depending on my mood etc. It would be very hard to settle on a top ten, or even top five, but I think the ones I've mentioned so far are all in the top ten and even close to top 5, again depending on my mood. Even writing this stuff down, I am thinking of other films I could mention. It's hard to narrow it down!!!
Beau Travail for me
I was so fascinated by Run Lola Run when I first saw it on cable. The wild cuts, the music, devil may care tone, the fuckin cartoon segments! “Oh yeah, she can break glass with her voice, why not” I loved it so much Need to rewatch it’s been mentioning it a lot this month and haven’t seen it in like 15 years
The French connection.. best police movie I’ve ever seen
[удалено]
Finally got the courage to watch “Hereditary” and it has advanced to my top scariest films I have ever seen. It’s strange bc it wasn’t scary seeing it. It was just all of the seeds unsettling moments it planted started to grow
Paterson by Jim Jarmusch, though that was over 2 years ago now, damn!
Friedkin’s Sorcerer.
fallen angels made it onto my top 5 immediately
I don’t know if top 5, but ‘uncut gems’ is almost definitely top 10 upon first watch. Definitely ‘psycho’ took a great spot upon the first watch. As for ‘in the mood for love’ I don’t know if it made it to top 10, maybe it did upon first watch, but I do remember thinking it was a resounding 10/10 movie, upon the first watch.