My ‘To Watch’ List

Photo by Courtesy Everett Collection / Rex Features

 

I like to pride myself on knowing a lot about films. However, recently I have come to realise that while I know a lot about films in development, changes in directors, and rumours about plot and casting, I haven’t actually watched a lot of the cinematic ‘greats’.

As such I am challenging myself to watch (or pay more attention to) a lot of the critically acclaimed films of the last 20 years. One day I will head further back but for now I think two decades is a reasonably goal.

So what is on this list?

 

- Insomnia and Memento from Chris Nolan. I am a big fan of Nolan’s other films, and so I am saving his two earlier films. Don’t like the idea of a world where I have seen everything he has to offer!

- REC2. First one was great.

- 127 Hours.

- American Beauty.

- American History X.

- Apocalypse Now. I have seen most of this film but never in one sitting. It deserves a proper sit down viewing.

- Code 46. This came heavily recommended by my brother. I can’t remember why though – it has been sitting waiting to be watched for far too long.

- Crash.

- Fargo and The Big Lebowski.

- Gran Torino.

- Leon.

- Magnolia. This is perhaps the film I want to watch most at the moment, however, when I finally sit down to watch it I always turn to something else a little more light-hearted. I will get to it though!

- Monsters.

- Pan’s Labyrinth.

- Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler and Black Swan. Yes, I have missed essentially every big film Aronofsky has done. The Fountain was very pretty, but didn’t convince me that this was a director I was too fussed about seeing more of. But I shall try and get past that.

- Solaris.

- Synecdoche, New York. Simply haven’t gotten around to it. But I will! I do love a bit of Kaufman.

- Taken. It didn’t really appeal to me when it came out, but I am constantly berated to watch it so I am sure I will soon.

- Taxi Driver.

- The Fall. As a lot of my friends know, I am a huge fan of Pushing Daisies, and this is in part due to the brilliant leads Anna Friel and Lee Pace, the latter of whom is in The Fall. I gave ot a watch back in 2010 but simply could not get through it. As much as I love Tarsem’s visuals, the plot was not enough to hold me. But having recently rewatched the two seasons of Pushing Daisies I am willing to give The Fall another go.

- The Road. Was meant to see it with a friend and then never did.

- The Town.

 

Suggestions are welcome. There is half a chance that if it is good, not on this list, and made between now and 1990 I may have seen it, but give it a go!