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sinigangsta-ao3 · 1 year

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Top 10 Films (plus a bunch of honorable mentions)

Much love and gratitude to @onigiri-dorkk for the tag! This was so much fun to do and (not going to lie) lightweight stressful 😅

So, real talk. One of the most challenging questions I get asked is What is your favorite movie?

Why? Because I freaking love movies. SO MUCH. I'm certain that there is some nostalgic piece to it: watching movies as a child was always a joyful activity, and — as my siblings and I grew up — family outings to the movie theatre were highlights of our summers.

(Now that I think about it, it probably has to do with the fact that my family came from limited means: spending time at the movies was a lower-cost option for us to escape reality, especially when we weren't able to go on vacations like my peers did. But I digress.)

Anyways, I LOVE MOVIES. As a visual medium, as a storytelling device. I will give almost any movie and any genre a chance (yes, even horror and extreme gore, although I have to really build myself up to get in the right mindset to watch it). I love learning about the filmmaking process, from the movie's technical aspects, to the nuances of its cinematography, to the director's and actors' psychological mindsets when approaching the film's creation. And nothing gives me more joy than being able to talk at length about movies I've watched with other people (watching and talking about movies together is probably my husband's and my shared love language, now that I think about it).

So, after spending a lot more anxious energy than I anticipated behind building this list, here are my top 10 films (plus a bunch of honorable mentions).

(Side note: I've listed them in alphabetical order because, while I've solidified that these are — indeed — my favorite 10 films ever, please do not ask me to stack rank them because it would be like asking me to pick my favorite child. I just love them all in their own ways, for very different reasons 😭)

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Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

This film made me feel every emotion on the spectrum. I laughed. I cried. I clutched my chest in fear. I whooped. I was, ultimately, astounded at every minute. The mechanics of the multiverse are so unique, but — honestly — what I loved most was the fact that I actually felt seen, like my lived experience was depicted on-screen for one of the first times in over 30 years. I saw my parents in Waymond and Evelyn; I saw myself in Joy. And seeing my own emotional truths reflected back to me was enough to cement this as one of my favorite movies I've ever watched.

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Get Out (2017)

I am usually not one to sit through horror movies (while I will give everything a chance, it takes a bit more effort to convince me, especially if it has horror elements). But THIS ONE...! Disclaimer: I am a non-Black person of color. But growing up in the U.S., one becomes viscerally aware (or not, depending on your vantage point and privilege) of race and how it influences even the seemingly most innocuous interactions between racial groups. I loved how Peele was able to take everyday microaggressions and tease them out into true racialized horror — it's the one horror movie that I gladly return to!

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Jurassic Park (1993)

One of my comfort movies that really shouldn't be a comfort movie, lol. True, there are some plot holes. But I adore this film and its commentary on the rapid progression of technology, ethics in science, power, dominion, and the very real human folly of trying to control something that is beyond our understanding. Dr. Ellie Satler is the GOAT. And I still get chills when they first see the brachiosaurus with that John Williams score playing in the background.

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Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

I remember that my husband wanted to watch this, and that I was a bit "meh" about it. And then, when we left the movie theatre, I was FLOORED by how much I enjoyed this...! In truth, I came in thinking that it was going to be a complete "sausage fest," but it completely subverted my expectations. It touches on a lot of themes that I gravitate toward in stories that I both consume and write: freedom, redemption, community, the fight against oppression. This entire movie was an adrenaline rush, and — once I saw that flame-throwing electric guitarist shredding across the barren desert — I knew that this world and its visuals would stick with me forever.

(side note: this is also why I'm unhealthily invested in @astyraea's warlord eremika AU, "i killed the sun for you." read it if you haven't yet!)

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The Matrix (1999)

A freaking sci-fi cinematic classic! Yes, the visuals and special effects are groundbreaking. But what really sticks with me with this film (and why it's in my top 10) is the foundational exploration of reality and the tension between free will and predestination, between nature and nurture. Honestly, I do think that the messianic allegory gets a little unruly as the franchise progresses — but this first movie alone continues to shake me to my core.

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Mean Girls (2004)

Would I even be a millennial if this movie wasn't on my list? Sure, there are jokes that are now problematic. But, in general, this movie is one of the most formative films of my peer group/my generation. It's our equivalent of "The Breakfast Club" or "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." I still quote it incessantly. I still always giggle when I wear pink on Wednesdays or when October 3rd comes along. But, most importantly, it just makes me laugh. And reminds me of simpler times in my life.

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Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Seeing the majority of the movies on this list so far, you'd probably think that I'm an action and/or sci-fi movie junkie. Which, sure, I do love a great action flick. But, in my heart of hearts, I am a musical theatre kid, and the one movie musical that I adore wholeheartedly is "Moulin Rouge!" The forbidden romance! The odes to creativity and poetry and love! The absurdly lavish sets and costumes! The Broadway-fied pop tunes!! Add on the tragic ending (spoiler, but c'mon - this movie is over two decades old), and it's the perfect mix of all my favorite outlandish tropes in one movie.

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My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Okay, this one may seem out of left field, but this is truly a movie that I never get sick of. I remember that my dad put it on for my family one random evening when I was a teen, and it has stuck with me since. Not only is it hilarious (Joe Pesci's brazenness works seamlessly here), but it is also a surprisingly poignant exploration of how bias affects the U.S. justice system. ALSO, Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito is PERFECTION. Yes, her wardrobe is TO DIE FOR. But, more importantly, her climactic witness testimony as a "general automatic expert" is a beautiful middle finger to misogynistic assumptions everywhere.

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Ratatouille (2007)

I love Disney, and I love Pixar. So the fact that this is the only Disney and/or Pixar movie in my top 10 is kinda mind-boggling. But "Ratatouille" is BY FAR my favorite Pixar film, to this day. I realize that I am very much drawn to the story of the underdog, seeing how they're able to accomplish their dreams when systemic realities prevent them from being able to do so. A rat as a chef?! The concept itself is so silly, yet so charming. And the fact that he overcomes the "villain" (the "evil" food critic) by cooking him something so heartwarming it reminds him of home?! Ugh, it warms my heart and my tummy rumble with hunger just thinking about it.

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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Okay, I know there are a lot of Marvel superhero movies out there, and I love them all in their own way. But none — NONE! — come close to the genius that is "Into the Spider-Verse." Technically speaking, the animation is BREATHTAKING, so seamlessly blending different styles as all the different universes converge. And the attention to detail just blows my mind! (One of my and my husband's favorite behind-the-scenes facts is that, until Miles fully embraces his powers, he's animated at a frame rate of 12fps, while the rest of the movie is animated at 24fps. This slight difference depicts him as slightly choppier, "less refined" than the rest of the universe, until he truly "becomes" Spider-Man — the scene in the above GIF is the first moment when Miles is also animated at 24fps.) Plus, while I love Peter Parker and the myriad of iterations that have come up over the past decades, it was really refreshing to see Miles Morales' story being told — and diverse representation is always a plus for me.

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Runner-Ups for Top 10:

(I'm including these here because I literally kept going back and forth for maybe 30 minutes to figure out where they should sit in my top 10 😭)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999): the superior 90s teen movie and modern-day Shakespeare adaptation

Pride & Prejudice (2005): my ultimate comfort movie; this is what romance is

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Honorable Mentions:

(These are other movies that came up as I was thinking through what films I love. I warned you at the beginning: this was a very difficult exercise for me to do lol, and I am just way too damn indecisive to fully commit haha.)

(500) Days of Summer (2009): amazing nonlinear storytelling and excellent subversion of the manic pixie dream girl trope

Atonement (2007): the tragic romance! that green dress! the library scene!!!

Bridesmaids (2011): raunchy comedies are my guiltiest pleasure, and I especially love them when the women are messy and problematic with minimal judgment

Clueless (1995): highly quotable, hilarious yet earnest; plus, young Paul Rudd as the goofy former stepbrother with whom she falls in love <3

The Dark Knight (2008): I love many, many, MANY superhero movies, but this will forever remain the blueprint for a top-tier, live-action superhero movie

The Devil Wears Prada (2006): a staple of the mid-2000s; the wardrobe STILL lives in my mind rent-free, and the Meryl Streep-Anne Hathaway-Emily Blunt trifecta is unmatched

The Little Mermaid (1989): while this may not be the most progressive movie, it is so magical — this was little Nina’s favorite (and Howard Ashman did that with the soundtrack)

Tangled (2010): a criminally underrated Disney Animation Studios movie, honestly; love this movie for many reasons, but ESPECIALLY the lantern scene and Mandy Moore as a Disney princess

When Harry Met Sally (1989): a rom-com classic and, truly, the ultimate template of friends to lovers and slow burn love

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