Welcome to MovieJawn’s first ever Sound & Vision Poll, where our writers share why they love their 10 favorite movies of all time!

by Nikk Nelson, Staff Writer

1. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (dir. Sergio Leone, 1966)

It’s one of the most difficult things in the world for me to answer the question ‘What is your favorite movie?’ or ‘What do you think is the greatest movie of all time?’ But, I think, as far as the true elements of a great story are concerned: character, motivation, conflict, and setting—there is no better example of what that looks like on screen than The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Most of what I pay attention to, critically, when watching a film is, ‘What does this say about my life?’ and so that often morphs into ‘What does this say about America and/or the world at large?’ And I can think of, perhaps unfortunately, no better encapsulation of American life in any decade than enemies becoming friends and friends becoming enemies over the potential of personal fortune to the backdrop of something called the Civil War—and the war being the background, not the forefront, of the story. I don’t think this movie will ever not be relevant to American life. 

2. Stand By Me (dir. Rob Reiner, 1986)

This was the first film that imprinted on me—told me that I belonged to it. I was way too little to be quoting it, but I knew it by heart and could do it on command. Now, as I approach forty years old, I rewatch it and think about everything it was preparing me for. Growing up, losing friends, grief, and the special kind of happy/sad sorrow that reminiscence brings. You miss the fellowship but not the pain, and the pain wrestles the fellowship over who was the better teacher.   

3. Arsenic and Old Lace (dir. Frank Capra, 1944)

I have yet to find a film that better blends the genres of comedy, horror, and noir. For that alone, I think it belongs in the top five greatest films of all time. The best stories, in my opinion, are layered. And this one is hot lasagna, baby. Reliable, comforting, and delicious. Not to mention, you get pique Peter Lorre. 

4. The Lost Boys (dir. Joel Schumacher, 1987)

If aliens landed tomorrow and asked me to show them America in the 1980’s, then this is the film I would show them. It’s funny, violent, kinetic, colorful, musical (without being a musical), and just plain fun. But, if you want to get into the underbelly of what was wrong in this country during that decade, where all the fun stopped, there’s plenty of subtext to sink your teeth into. 

5. 2001: A Space Odyssey (dir. Stanley Kubrick, 1968)

There are very few filmmakers that I am honestly frightened by, and Stanley Kubrick may be the filmmaker that frightens me most. As we hurl ever closer to the sentience of artificial intelligence, how can you not look back at this film, made over fifty years ago, and not say that Stanley Kubrick was very aware of where we were headed as a species? Even putting all that aside, it is still one of the most stunningly beautiful films ever made. 

6. Jaws (dir. Steven Spielberg, 1975)

Like it or not, Steven Spielberg is arguably the greatest American filmmaker who ever lived. There is no Marvel cinematic universe without him, in my opinion. Jaws was perhaps the first modern blockbuster and, funny enough, seems to be the only kind of movie left standing, at least theatrically, in 2022. I learned from the film The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology (2012) that this was Fidel Castro’s favorite film. He watched it as a metaphor for American capitalism. Either way, the film is a case study in effective filmmaking and has students you can see right now in films like Jordan Peele’s Nope (2022). 

7. Alien (dir. Ridley Scott, 1979)

To best understand the seeds of this film, I think it’s important to watch the documentary, Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013). Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on a spiritual quest to make the greatest cinematic sci-fi adaptation humanity had ever seen and the remnants of that ultimately failed quest ended up in this film. Some of the greatest artists in the world came together and produced a film that changed films forever. Its influence on genre, not just in film, cannot be overstated. When I hear the term ‘movie magic’, this is the movie I think of. 

8. Blazing Saddles (dir. Mel Brooks, 1974)

I think the best films, especially comedy films, help us have difficult conversations. And I have yet to find a film that better captures the uselessness of things like racism in the face of the real threats to your way of life that, more often than not, come from the ruling class. The rapper El-P said something once about standing on the cliffs of enlightened madness and laughing because you’re all at once part of the joke, in on the joke, and aware that it’s all a joke. For me, this is the movie that’s ever playing on the edge of those cliffs. 

9. Logan (dir. James Mangold, 2017)

As a lifelong comic book fan, you would think no one would be more excited about the Marvel cinematic universe than me. But you’d be wrong. For the most part, I hate it. Most of these movies I hate watching have everything in common with the comic books I hate reading. Bloated, generic—all flash and no substance. But not Logan. Logan is a rare answer to all of that. The childish optimism surrounding the idea of having superpowers is met with the adult cynicism of this film. And that last scrap of childhood hope, is the only thing it leaves you with. A modern western, a lesson in looking at my number one and number eight on this list and realizing time is a flat circle—our problems then are still our problems now. Just, with lasers.

10. Watchmen (dir. Zack Snyder, 2009)

This is the one I imagine I will get the most shit for. But I don’t care. I think it’s one of the most important films of the 21st century. Yeah, okay, “ThE NoVeL wAS SO mUCH BeTTeR!” but here’s the thing, I wasn’t around when the novel was originally published. And by the time I was old enough to get it, I couldn’t really relate to it. Zack Snyder did something really special. He brought 21st century historic relevance back to a 20th century text. Granted, it was only a few decades that separated them but usually that relegates something like the novel to a very limited audience. To this day, nothing chills me more than seeing the twin towers in the background of Adrian Veidt’s office when he’s confronting a group of oil executives. It kept a conversation that we needed to keep having, alive.