The 20 Most Beautiful Movie Masterpieces of All Time Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists

It’s astonishing what Corbet does with his rumored $6 million budget. The narrative is marked by its clever twists and turns, keeping the audience on the edge of their movie quiz seats. It masterfully explores themes of class struggle, inequality, and the lengths to which individuals will go to improve their circumstances.

Here are then overlooked fantasy movies that are bona fide masterpieces. A special mention should go to the score because in this case, the main theme, composed by Ennio Morricone, was mesmerizing and it received quite a lot of fame. The plot is epic and captivating enough to make up for the duration of the movie. Sometimes simplicity is the way to go, and The Shawshank Redemption is the proof.

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That it reaches a place of emotion that is so breathtaking despite being clear from the beginning is a testament to Sentimental Value’s raw power. This is a character study of epic proportions – providing a level of insight into the mind of J. Robert Oppenheimer that would be nearly impossible to achieve outside of a documentary. Entirely told from his perspective, it’s Cillian Murphy who is tasked with bringing the character to life… and what a performance he delivers.

This languorous and elaborate multigenerational saga of Jewish gangsters unfolds via flashbacks but begins in New York City, 1968, as aging David “Noodles” Aaronson (Robert De Niro) returns to the locale of his crime career going back to the Roaring Twenties and the Dirty Thirties. Federico Fellini’s “eighth-and-a-half” feature is cited by many as his masterpiece, and while that may well be up for debate, this Oscar-winner is one of cinema’s most influential works, no question. Sam Mendes had already reached the pinnacle of his craft with American Beauty. 1917 is a production of Dreamworks Pictures and Amblin Partners with distribution by Universal Pictures. The upcoming MCU sequel directed by Destin Daniel Cretton will reportedly feature a former Avenger in a prominent role.

Movie Review: A Cinematic Masterpiece

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Amadeus, directed by Milos Forman, is wonderfully shot, acted, directed and edited. The film wiped the floor at the Academy Awards with all of the above categories and rightfully so. The film is not only an artful look at the life of Mozart and Salieri but is also endlessly entertaining and can be enjoyed by most audiences. Too bad, but anyway plot and plausibility are far less important than the experiential qualities Resurrection offers those willing to accept its fairy tale-like pitch. Tailor-made for those viewers who fantasize about being trapped in the Criterion closet, this dreamy 156-minute behemoth is certainly not for mainstream arthouse fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the next Oscar favorite.

Bong Joon-ho employs symbolism throughout the film to convey deeper meanings. The recurring motif of stairs and the physical elevation of the Park house above the Kim family’s semi-basement apartment symbolize the social hierarchy and the insurmountable barriers that exist. These visual metaphors add layers of complexity to the narrative, inviting viewers to engage in critical reflection. At its core, Parasite is a brilliantly woven narrative that defies genre conventions.

Before the end credits roll, behind-the-scenes footage shows some of the actual service members the movie is based on. I was so moved by seeing them working with the actors like Shōgun’s Cosmo Jarvis and the rest of the cast, all of whom were paying close attention to their movements and instructions. The final photo of the cast, crew, and soldiers giving the camera the middle finger is somehow heartwarming.

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Bong Joon-ho’s direction and the screenplay, co-written with Han Jin-won, create a gripping and thought-provoking story that lingers in the viewer’s mind long after the credits roll. However, whether it will end up being a cinematic masterpiece is something that time can only tell. As Redditors have discussed on numerous threads, there needs to be something unique to keep the audiences captivated for years to come (like these movies have done). Terrence Mallick’s 2011 cosmological epic drama earned him the Palm D’Or at Cannes film festival as well as the critics’ respect, however it did not receive the affections of audiences. This isn’t surprising since the film is characterized by a slow pace, a 139 minute length (and that’s only the theatrical release) and long extracts depicting the birth of the universe and our solar system. Despite its difficulty, The Tree of Life is undoubtedly a success and most importantly an immense cinematographic achievement for Emmanuel Lubezki.

This movie is described by many adjectives by its audience, but the one that stands out is “transcendent.” Not only does it deliver stunning visuals, but manages to portray the world in such a new and resonating way that it stays with the viewers long after the screen turns black. What Mallick and Lubezki crafted in The Tree of Life doesn’t look like anything else. The film is a creationist drama, telling its story, from the beginning, the genesis of the cosmos and then transcends to the lower levels of its separate beings in order to focus in the lives and development of its characters. A film about convention and conformism achieves excellent aesthetics, which are in perfect alliance with Bertollucci’s themes. Vittorio Stotaro’s camera work in The Conformist is so encapsulating of Bertollucci’s vision that it manages to convince the viewer of the reality and ease with which one complies, even with the most atrocious regimes.

And aside Tarnation’s obsession and success with witty dialogues, killer soundtrack and original screenplay, “Kill Bill’s” greatest triumph is its visual style. Less witty dialogues than in “Pulp Fiction”, less psychographic depth into the characters than in “Inglorious Basterds”, and more graphic violence than in “Reservoir Dogs”. “Kill Bill” is what notoriously established the anesthetization of violence as Tarantino landmark. The exclusivity of Mishima’s narrative lies in the dichotomy between human & author that Shrader cleverly constructed.

The film serves as a stark reminder of the gaping chasm between the rich and the poor, the complexities of social mobility, and the absurdities of privilege. It challenges us to reflect on our own roles in a world characterized by inequality and to question the systems that perpetuate it. Parasite made history by becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, a testament to its universal appeal and global relevance. The film’s success transcended cultural and linguistic boundaries, resonating with audiences worldwide. Parasite is not just a gripping story; it is a searing social commentary that holds a mirror to contemporary society.

That makes Lou a susceptible convert to the cult of Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler), who claims his personal experience of being sold as a boy into a pedophile sex-trafficking ring gave him the empathy to provide consolation to others in pain. Set over a volatile period in late May of 2020 that could be days or weeks, the film once again stars Joaquin Phoenix, this time as Sevilla County sheriff Joe Cross. He’s introduced being pulled over by Indigenous sheriff Butterfly Jiminez (William Belleau) and his deputy for entering their jurisdiction, the Pueblo of Santa Lupe, without a face mask. Ian McEwan’s novel is complex and ambitious, and screenwriter Christopher Hampton adeptly translates its intricate layers to the screen, preserving its essence while ensuring cinematic fluidity. Mentoring Freddie, Dodd brings him into his religious movement, the Cause––a simulacrum for Scientology, and Dodd of L. DP Tonino Delli Colli strikingly lenses the film, with particular care given to the recreation of New York’s Lower East Side, with a brilliant score from Ennio Morricone that seems to effortlessly add to the technical beauty on screen.