10. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Did you know that Gene Kelly helped direct our first top 10 movies to watch again selection? Yes, that is Kelly doing all his singing and dancing, and directing himself and everyone else simultaneously.
Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds star in Singin’ in the Rain, one of the most successful musicals ever filmed. Singin’ delivers memorable songs, lavish routines and Kelly’s fabulous song-and-dance number performed, of course, in the rain.
You’ve gotta see this film.
Director: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen
Cast: Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Cyd Charisse
Release date: April 11, 1952
Runtime: 103 minutes
9. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Most people don’t see a movie for the first time unless they hear great things about it, or take a look at a list like this one. And a personal favorite on our best movies to rewatch list is Slumdog Millionaire.
As 18-year-old Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) answers questions on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” flashbacks show how he got there. After their mother is killed, Jamal and his brother Salim turn to a life of crime for survival. Salim finds the life of crime agreeable, but Jamal scrapes by doing small jobs until his TV show appearance.
The two experience enough trials and tribulations for an entire school of kids, never mind just the two of them. Watch this and you’ll be inspired.
Director: Danny Boyle
Cast: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan
Release date: December 25, 2008
Runtime: 120 minutes
8. Chinatown (1974)
Our rewatchable movies list continues with a classic. Roman Pulanski’s Chinatown is a perfectly written and acted piece of film history.
L.A. private eye J.J. “Jake” Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband’s activities. Gittes believes it’s a simple infidelity case. But Jake’s investigation soon becomes anything but routine when he meets the real Mrs. Mulwray.
Yup, Mr. Gittes was hired by an imposter. Mr. Mulwray’s sudden death leads Jake into a tangled web of corruption, deceit, and disturbing family secrets.
So, who’s the main suspect in this film? Evelyn’s father Noah Cross (John Huston) has got some suggestions.
Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, John Huston
Release date: June 20, 1974
Runtime: 131 minutes
7. Airplane! (1980)
Just when you thought Movieplenty lacked a sense of humor, we include one the most entertaining comedy movies ever. Airplane! has been making audiences laugh out loud for decades.
All the crazy antics carried out in the sky could never happen today. But somehow, they seem possible back then.
This throwback is also good because of the hilarious writing and characters.
Director: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
Cast: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Julie Hagerty, Robert Hays, Leslie Nielsen, Lorna Patterson, Robert Stack
Release date: July 2, 1980
Runtime: 87 minutes
6. Scarface (1983)
After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana (Al Pacino) wants his piece of the American pie.
His road to riches? Selling cocaine. Drug trafficking is not for the cowardly. Offing anyone who threatens him, Tony eventually becomes one of the biggest drug lords in town.
The bigger Tony Montana gets the more pressure he feels from law enforcement, other cartels, and his own drug-fueled psyche.
Scarface is one of the most popular dramas of the 21st century. There, we said it.
Director: Brian De Palma
Cast: Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Robert Loggia, Miriam Colon, F. Murray Abraham, Paul Shenar
Release date: December 9, 1983
Runtime: 170 minutes
5. Office Space (1999)
Anyone that has ever despised their nine-to-five is going to relate to Mike Judge’s cult classic Office Space. Corporate man Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) hates his soul-robbing job at software company Initech.
So, his girlfriend Anne (Alexandra Wentworth) suggest hypnosis. Peter agrees but is left hypnotized when his therapist dies during their session. He now plays games at his desk and refuses to work overtime.
When Peter’s friends find out they’re about to be fired, they hatch a revenge plot against the company. This remains one of the funniest screenplays out there no matter how many times you’ve seen it.
Director: Mike Judge
Cast: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root, Gary Cole
Release date: February 19, 1999
Runtime: 89 minutes
4. The Matrix (1999)
This fan fav has inspired numerous copycats since its 1999 release. Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), can answer the burning question playing over and over in his head: What is the Matrix?
Mr. Anderson is first contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger and Morpheus follower who leads him into their alternate world. They fight a seemingly never-ending battle against agents and machines regularly.
But this way of living can’t continue. So, someone must step up and change things. A staple on any top 10 good films to rewatch list.
Director: Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Release date: March 31, 1999
Runtime: 136 minutes
3. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) continues his international search to uncover his real identity. The Bourne Ultimatum star crisscrosses Europe, makes a stop in Africa, and lands in the United States.
Leaving a deadly trail along the way. Staying one step ahead of the very same agency that trained him, Bourne must remain vigilant or be killed.
Director: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Scott Glenn, Paddy Considine, Édgar Ramírez, Albert Finney, Joan Allen
Release date: August 3, 2007
Runtime: 115 minutes
2. Gladiator (2000)
We’re almost there–next up is Gladiator. This is an updated Spartacus that featured Kirk Douglas in 1960.
Movie fans follow the story of Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) as he steals power and strips the rank of general from Maximus (Russell Crowe). Maximus is relegated to fighting to the death in Rome arenas.
Begrudgingly he does this with great success earning a reputation the best gladiator alive. But Maximus has lost far too much and wants revenge.
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Harris, Tommy Flanagan
Release date: May 5, 2000
Runtime: 155 minutes
1. 48 Hours (1982)
Ranked #1 on our top 10 list is 48 Hours. Renegade cop Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) pulls bank robber Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) from a federal prison to help track down Hammond’s old crime partner, Albert Ganz (James Remar).
Cates has given Hammond just 48 hours to do so. Having just escaped prison, Ganz is on a killing spree around San Francisco in search of a half-million dollars that went missing after a robbery.
The cocky Reggie knows exactly where the money is but has fun with the hotheaded Jack as he enjoys his temporary freedom.
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O’Toole
Release date: December 8, 1982
Runtime: 96 minutes
