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100th Post | My 100 Favourite Movies At Age 21

Updated: Dec 18, 2023


For my hundredth blog post, I thought I would document my current favourite 100 movies at age 21 and perhaps revisit the list every couple of years or so, since it's ever-changing. The movies will be arranged alphabetically since I find that ranking such different films is impossible! Also, this isn't necessarily a list covering the very best movies I have seen, but just my personal favourites.


I have also included links to some of my previous blog posts where relevant...

 

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Synopsis: After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack.


12 Angry Men (1957)

Synopsis: A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.



1917 (2019)

Synopsis: April 6th, 1917. As a regiment assembles to wage war deep in enemy territory, two soldiers are assigned to race against time and deliver a message that will stop 1,600 men from walking straight into a deadly trap.


Related Posts: My Review of 1917


About A Boy (2002)

Synopsis: A cynical, immature young man is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy.



About Time (2013)

Synopsis: Like all the men in his family, Tim Lake possesses the power to travel in time. With the advice of his father, he uses his special ability to pursue his romantic interest, Mary.


Airplane! (1980)

Synopsis: A man afraid to fly must ensure that a plane lands safely after the pilots become sick.



Alien (1979)

Synopsis: After a space merchant vessel receives an unknown transmission as a distress call, one of the crew is attacked by a mysterious life form and they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun.


The Apartment (1960)

Synopsis: C. C. Baxter, a clerk in an insurance company, lends out his apartment to the executives to carry out their extramarital affairs. However, a spanner is thrown in the works when Baxter falls in love.



Arrival (2016)

Synopsis: A linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.



The Avengers (2012)

Synopsis: Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.



Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Synopsis: After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to reverse Thanos' actions and restore balance to the universe.



Back to the Future (1985)

Synopsis: Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the eccentric scientist Doc Brown.


Billy Elliot (2000)

Synopsis: A talented young boy becomes torn between his unexpected love of dance and the disintegration of his family.


The Birdcage (1996)

Synopsis: A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing moralistic parents.



Birdman (2014)

Synopsis: A washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.


Black Swan (2010)

Synopsis: A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".


The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Synopsis: Jason Bourne dodges a ruthless C.I.A. official and his Agents from a new assassination program while searching for the origins of his life as a trained killer.



Brooklyn (2015)

Synopsis: An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.



Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Synopsis: As Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier.



Captain Phillips (2013)

Synopsis: The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.


The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

Synopsis: The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the land's throne, Prince Caspian


City Lights (1931)

Synopsis: With the aid of a wealthy erratic tippler, a dewy-eyed tramp who has fallen in love with a sightless flower girl accumulates money to be able to help her medically.




Clue (1985)

Synopsis: Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.



Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Synopsis: A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.


Related Posts: Favourite Movie Scenes 7 - 'Sword Fight'


The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Synopsis: Eight years after the Joker's reign of anarchy, Batman, with the help of the enigmatic Catwoman, is forced from his exile to save Gotham City from the brutal guerrilla terrorist Bane.



The Dark Knight (2008)

Synopsis: When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.



The Departed (2006)

Synopsis: An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.


Dial M for Murder (1954)

Synopsis: A tennis player tries to arrange his wife's murder after learning of her affair.



Dunkirk (2017)

Synopsis: Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.


Related Posts: My Review of Dunkirk


Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Synopsis: A soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.



Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Synopsis: When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories.


Ex Machina (2014)

Synopsis: A young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.



Finding Nemo (2003)

Synopsis: After his son is captured in the Great Barrier Reef and taken to Sydney, a timid clownfish sets out on a journey to bring him home.




Game Night (2018)

Synopsis: A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery when the shady brother of one of them is seemingly kidnapped by dangerous gangsters.


The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Synopsis: A writer encounters the owner of an aging high-class hotel, who tells him of his early years serving as a lobby boy in the hotel's glorious years under an exceptional concierge.



Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Synopsis: A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.



Groundhog Day (1993)

Synopsis: A weatherman finds himself inexplicably living the same day over and over again.


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

Synopsis: As Harry, Ron and Hermione race against time and evil to destroy the Horcruxes, they uncover the existence of the three most powerful objects in the wizarding world: the Deathly Hallows.



Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)

Synopsis: Harry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.




Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

Synopsis: Harry Potter finds himself competing in a hazardous tournament between rival schools of magic, but he is distracted by recurring nightmares.



Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Synopsis: With their warning about Lord Voldemort's return scoffed at, Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by the Wizard authorities as an authoritarian bureaucrat slowly seizes power at Hogwarts.



Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)

Synopsis: An orphaned boy enrolls in a school of wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world.



Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Synopsis: Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their third year of study, where they delve into the mystery surrounding an escaped prisoner who poses a dangerous threat to the young wizard.



Her (2013)

Synopsis: In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.


Home Alone (1990)

Synopsis: An eight-year-old troublemaker must protect his house from a pair of burglars when he is accidentally left home alone by his family during Christmas vacation.


Related Posts: Home Alone Best Quotes


Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Synopsis: One year after Kevin McCallister was left home alone and had to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars, he accidentally finds himself stranded in New York City - and the same criminals are not far behind.


Related Posts: Home Alone Best Quotes


How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

Synopsis: A hapless young Viking who aspires to hunt dragons becomes the unlikely friend of a young dragon himself, and learns there may be more to the creatures than he assumed.



I, Tonya (2017)

Synopsis: Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the activity is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.


In the Name of the Father (1993)

Synopsis: A man's coerced confession to an I.R.A. bombing he did not commit results in the imprisonment of his father as well. An English lawyer fights to free them.


Inception (2010)

Synopsis: A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O.



The Incredibles (2004)

Synopsis: A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world.


Related Posts: Pixar Movie Quotes


Jaws (1975)

Synopsis: When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.



Jurassic Park (1993)

Synopsis: A pragmatic palaeontologist visiting an almost complete theme park is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.



Knives Out (2019)

Synopsis: A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.



Kramer Vs Kramer (1979)

Synopsis: Disinterested workaholic Ted develops a special bond with his son, Billy, after his wife Joanna walks out on them. However, Joanna soon returns, demanding full custody of their son.


La La Land (2016)

Synopsis: While navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.



The Last Samurai (2003)

Synopsis: Captain Nathan Algren is hired to train the Japanese army to fight a Samurai rebellion. He, however, ends up embracing the same Samurai culture which he was assigned to destroy.


The Lion King (1994)

Synopsis: Lion prince Simba and his father are targeted by his bitter uncle, who wants to ascend the throne himself.



Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Synopsis: A family determined to get their young daughter into the finals of a beauty pageant take a cross-country trip in their VW bus.



Little Women (2019)

Synopsis: Jo March reflects back and forth on her life, telling the beloved story of the March sisters - four young women, each determined to live life on her own terms.




Logan (2017)

Synopsis: Logan comes out of retirement to escort a young mutant named Laura to a safe place. He meets with other mutants, who run from an evil corporation that has been experimenting with them, along the way.


Related Posts: Marvel Movie Pitches


The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)

Synopsis: Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.



Love Actually (2003)

Synopsis: Follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.


Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper, and a drifter named Max.



Memento (2000)

Synopsis: A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.


Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Synopsis: A determined woman works with a hardened boxing trainer to become a professional.


Misery (1990)

Synopsis: After a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.



Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)

Synopsis: Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.



Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Synopsis: Ethan and his team take on their most impossible mission yet when they have to eradicate an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are and committed to destroying the IMF.


Moana (2016)

Synopsis: In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the Demigod to set things right.



Monsters, Inc (2001)

Synopsis: In order to power the city, monsters have to scare children so that they scream. However, the children are toxic to the monsters, and after a child gets through, 2 monsters realize things may not be what they think.


Related Posts: Pixar Movie Quotes


My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Synopsis: When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.




The Nice Guys (2016)

Synopsis: In 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.


Notorious (1946)

Synopsis: A woman is asked to spy on a group of Nazi friends in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them?


Our Little Sister (2015)

Synopsis: A story that revolves around three sisters who live in their grandmother's home and the arrival of their thirteen-year-old half sister.


Paddington 2 (2017)

Synopsis: Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.


Parasite (2019)

Synopsis: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.


Related Posts: My review of Parasite


The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012)

Synopsis: An introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world.



Phantom Thread (2017)

Synopsis: Set in 1950s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.


The Pianist (2002)

Synopsis: A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II.


Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

Synopsis: A man must struggle to travel home for Thanksgiving with a lovable oaf of a shower curtain ring salesman as his only companion.



The Prestige (2006)

Synopsis: After a tragic accident, two stage magicians engage in a battle to create the ultimate illusion while sacrificing everything they have to outwit each other.


Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Synopsis: Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice?



Psycho (1960)

Synopsis: A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run, and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.


The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Synopsis: A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.


Rear Window (1954)

Synopsis: A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.


School of Rock (2003)

Synopsis: After being kicked out of his rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of an uptight elementary private school, only to try and turn his class into a rock band.


The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Synopsis: Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.



Signs (2002)

Synopsis: A family living on a farm finds mysterious crop circles in their fields which suggests something more frightening to come.



The Sixth Sense (1999)

Synopsis: A boy who communicates with spirits seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist.



The Sound of Music (1965)

Synopsis: A woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower.


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

Synopsis: Teen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe, and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.



Tangled (2010)

Synopsis: Rapunzel, a naive and young girl, is locked up by her overly protective mother. Her wish to escape into the world outside finally comes true when she meets the good-hearted thief, Flynn.




Tokyo Story (1953)

Synopsis: An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.


The Usual Suspects (1995)

Synopsis: A sole survivor tells of the twisty events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat, which began when five criminals met at a seemingly random police lineup.


War of the Worlds (2005)

Synopsis: As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines, one family fights for survival in this sci-fi action film.


What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Synopsis: Viago, Deacon and Vladislav are vampires who are finding that modern life has them struggling with the mundane - like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs and overcoming flatmate conflicts.



Whiplash (2014)

Synopsis: A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.



X-Men: First Class (2011)

Synopsis: In the 1960s, superpowered humans Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr work together to find others like them, but Erik's vengeful pursuit of an ambitious mutant who ruined his life causes a schism to divide them.


Zodiac (2007)

Synopsis: In the late 1960s/early 1970s, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorises Northern California with a killing spree.


 

Thank you for reading this article and for any of my previous 99 posts, it is much appreciated! With university starting soon, I might not be posting for a while but to find out when I do and for movie related posts, follow me on Twitter (@filmdomblog) and Instagram (cinematicwallflower)


For more of my favourites:


I do not own any of the images used in this post.


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