An Outlier's Wit-itude

Hello friends,

In this blog I've put an account of some of the great non-Bollywood movies I've seen over the years that I've found really enchanting & worth recommending. I don't want to sound judgmental. The list is not exhaustive and if any great movie is missing, it's probably because I've not seen it or it's way too good or popular.

To make things easier I've omitted the likes of Lord of the Rings, Star wars, Titanic, Dark Knight, Godfather, Shawshank Redemption, Inception, Interstellar, Gladiator etc. because anybody who has even a slight penchant for films would know these are excellent movies. Also, I'm not a big sci-fi or action movie buff so I have not included many sci-fi or action movies like Avengers, MIB Series, Bourne Series, Bond movies, Spiderman trilogy etc. Following is the list of my favourite flicks, genre-wise along with the ratings (only greater than 3 out of 5) and a single-line description/micro-review:

A. ROMANTIC & ROM-COM

I've not seen many movies in this genre but definitely the most famous ones and many of them lived up to the expectations. Korean movies are a great source for Rom-Com.

1. The Classic (Korean) (2003) 5/5 (Beautiful movie...Truly a Classic)
2. Little Manhattan (2005) 4.5/5 (Cute love story of two 11 year-olds)
3. My Sassy Girl (Korean) (2001) 4.5/5 (The most celebrated Korean movie that probably opened the doors of Korean cinema to the world....must watch)
4. La La Land (2016) 4/5 (Not a big fan of Musicals but this one is truly amazing; Must watch)
5. 50 First dates (2004) 4/5 (Good one...Something to do with memory-loss)
6. P.S. I Love You (2007) 4/5 (Who says love can't exist after death?)
7. The Art of Seduction (Korean) (2005) 4/5 (Cute...not so seductive)
8. A Walk to remember (2002) 4/5 (One of the best romantic flicks ever)
9. Daisy (Korean) (2006) 4/5 (Detective and killer fall for the same woman)
10. The Perks of being a Wallflower (2012) 4/5 (Based on a novel by Stephen Chbosky on the life of an introvert freshman; Emma Watson starrer)
11. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 4/5 (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet starrer famous movie.....Love can't be erased !!)
12. Annie Hall (1977) 3.5/5 (Woody Allen's masterpiece Rom-Com)
13. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) 3.5/5 (Nice Rom-com movie; Loosely based on "Pride & Prejudice"; Sequel is not up to the mark)
14. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) 3.5/5 (Action Rom-Com Fantasy based on a comic; Something uniquely fresh and different about this movie)
15. A Moment to Remember (Korean) (2004) 3.5/5 (Beautiful movie that has something to do with Alzheimer's....original of Bollywood's "U, Me aur Hum")
16. The Notebook (2004) 3.5/5 (A treat for romantic movie lovers)
17. Sleepless in Seattle (1993) 3.5/5 (Must-watch for romantic movie lovers; Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan starrer)
18. Love Actually (2003) 3.5/5 (Love actually is everywhere !!)
19. A Star is Born (2018) 3.5/5 (Brad Cooper & Lady Gaga Starrer Romantic Drama)
20. If Only (2004) 3.5/5 (It's never too late to realize your love...Or is it?)
21. The Ugly Truth (2009) 3.5/5 (Gerard Butler & Katherine Heigl starrer nice rom-com)
22. 10 Things I hate about you (1999) 3/5(H Ledger starrer romantic movie)
23. Just Go With It (2011) 3/5(Adam Sandler & Jennifer Aniston starrer nice rom-com)
24. (500) Days of Summer (2009) 3/5 (An offbeat Rom-com)
25. Secret that cannot be told (Taiwanese) (2007) 3/5 (I won't)
26. Midnight in Paris (2011) 3/5 (Woody Allen's French Connection)
27. Someone Special (Korean) (2004) 3/5 (A typical sweet love story)
28. Windstruck (Korean) (2004) 3/5 (Prequel to "My Sassy Girl")
29. Atonement (2007) 3/5 (Keira Knightley starrer beautiful period romance)
30. Her (2013) 3/5 (A lonely writer falls in love with an OS)

Some of the other famous romantic films like Casablanca (1942), Roman Holiday (1953), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Pretty Woman (1990), Serendipity (2001) etc. didn't work for me.

B. COMEDY

Comedy in any form (except slapstick) is good. The list has a wide range of comedy movies. Billy Wilder's classics can still tickle one's funny bones. Guy Ritchie is a master of gangster comedies.

1. Lock, stock and two smoking barrels (1998) 4/5 (Guy Ritchie's gem of a movie...one of the best gangster comedies)

2. The Good, the Bad, the Weird (Korean) (2008) 4/5 (Story of two outlaws & a bounty hunter set in 1940s; Awesome comedy)
3. School of Rock (2003) 4/5 (Jack Black's awesome performance)

4. The Gods must be crazy I (1980) & II (1989) 4/5 (Epic and innocent comic allegory from the 80s...must watch)

5. Meet the Parents (2000) & Meet the Fockers (2004) 4/5 (Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Co. take us for a laugh riot)
6. Horrible Bosses (2011) 4/5 (Awesome comedy about 3 friends conspiring to murder their "Horrible Bosses"; Amazing cast & acting by all; Sequel is not as good)
7. Shaun of the Dead (2004) 4/5 (Nice Horror-Comedy about Zombies)
8. Deadpool (2016) 4/5 (I am no fan of Action Movies. But, this is refreshingly different; One of the few franchises whose sequel is also good if not better)
9. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) 4/5 (Nice Action-comedy)
10. Ted (2012) 3.5/5 (Amazing story of 3 best friends including a talking teddy; Sequel is not as good)
11. Who Slept with her (Korean) (2006) 3.5/5 (Great confusion)

12. The Big Lebowski (1998) 3.5/5 (Awesome story of "The Dude")

13. Snatch (2000) 3.5/5 (Guy Ritchie's signature movie...Brad Pitt starrer)
14. Kick-Ass (2010) 3.5/5 (Nice Superhero Action-comedy; Sequel is pathetic)
15. Superbad (2007) 3.5/5 (Story of 2 high school friends planning a booze party which went "Superbad")
16. Some Like it Hot (1959) 3.5/5 (Marilyn Monroe starrer by Billy Wilder)

17. The Apartment (1960) 3.5/5 (Billy Wilder, Jack Lemmon once again)

18. The Girl Next Door (2004) 3.5/5 (More than just a chick flick)
19. Oscar (1991) 3.5/5 (Sylvester Stallone in an awesome comedy movie)
20. Dr. Strangelove(1964) 3.5/5 (Kubrick's satirical comedy on nuclear war)
21. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) 3.5/5 (Adventures of a concierge & the lobby boy; Excellent cinematography)
22. I now pronounce you Chuck & Larry (2007) 3/5 (Jessica Biel and Adam Sandler starrer original of Bollywood's Dostana...need I say more?)
23. There's Something about Mary (1998) 3/5 (Cameron Diaz & Ben Stiller starrer)
24. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 3/5 (Subtle Comedy Drama about a family determined to get their daughter into a beauty pageant final)
25. The 40-year Old Virgin (2005) 3/5 (Self explanatory :-P; Nice acting by Steve Carell)
26. My Cousin Vinny (1992) 3/5 (Joe Pesci starrer nice comedy drama)
27. 17 Again (2009) 3/5 (Who says you're young only once?)
28. Tropic Thunder (2008) 3/5 (Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Robert Downey Jr.)
29. Pineapple Express (2008) 3/5 (Seth Rogen & James Franco starrer crime-comedy)
30. 21 Jump Street (2012) & 22 Jump Street (2014) 3/5 (Story of two underachieving undercops; Jonah Hill starrer)
31. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) 3/5 (Steve Carell playing a middle-aged husband who's wife has asked for a divorce)
32. Office Space (1999) 3/5 (3 co-workers decide to rebel against their boss; "Horrible Bosses" is quite similar to this)
33. Due Date (2010) 3/5 (Robert Downey Jr. in a forced road trip with Zach)

I think this genre is better handled by our bollywood films: Hera Pheri, Andaz Apna Apna, Munnabhai, 3 idiots, PK etc. stand no competition.

C. DRAMA

The list has mostly inspirational/motivational as well as touching movies including some well-known & some unheard-of movies.

1. Magnifico (Phillipino) (2002) 5/5 (Absolutely brilliant story of a young boy taking care of his family fighting all odds....must watch)
2. 12 Angry Men (1957) 4.5/5 (Classic court room drama by Sidney Lumet; Shown as a Case Study in most B Schools)

3. Life is beautiful (Italian) (1997) 4.5/5 (Roberto's Benigni's acting & directorial gem based on a Jewish concentration camp during WWII)

4. Wish / Hope (Korean) (2013) 4.5/5 (A very moving tragedy on the aftermath of rape of an 8 year old and the impact on herself and her family)
5. Children of Heaven (Iranian) (2007) 4.5/5 (Brilliant movie based on a simple story; Recommended for kids)
6. When I turned nine (Korean) (2004) 4.5/5 (Cute story of a 9-yr old)

7. One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 4/5 (Nicholson's class act)
8. Rush (2013) 4/5 (Brilliant movie based on F1 rivals James Hunt & Niki Lauda)
9. Hatchi: A Dog's Story (2009) 4/5 (Based on a true story; Very moving)
10.Grave of the fireflies (1988) (Japanese) 4/5 (Very moving animated movie about a young boy & his sister in Japan in WWII)
11. Le Mans '66 / Ford vs Ferrari (2019) 4/5 (Brilliant movie starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon)
12. Warrior (2011) 4/5 (Brilliant movie based on rivalry between two brothers)
13. Life of Pi (2012) 4/5 (Based on the famous novel by Yann Martel)
14. Kung Fu Panda (2008) 4/5 (Most inspirational animation movie)

15. Cinema Paradiso (Italian) (1988) 4/5 (Tornatore's classic film for movie lovers)
16. The Imitation Game (2014) 4/5 (Biography of great mathematician Alan Turing; Set around WW II; Starring Bennedict Cumberbatch & Keira Knightley)
17. On the Waterfront (1954) 4/5 (Marlon Brando and Lee Cobb starrer)

18. Kramer vs Kramer (1979) 4/5 (Terrific post-divorce drama; Excellent acting by Dustin Hoffman & Meryl Streep)
19. Gran Torino (2008) 4/5 (Clint Eastwood's gem on racism)
20. Pursuit of Happiness (2006) 4/5 (Will Smith's lifetime performance)
21. The Great Dictator (1940) 4/5 (Charlie Chaplin's gem on Hitler & WWII)
22. In the Name of the Father (1993) 4/5 (Based on true story of Gerry Conlon, falsely implicated for bombing; Daniel Day-Lewis starrer)
23. True Romance (1993) 4/5 (Action, Crime, Romance & Drama - a bit of everything; Directed by Tony Scott & written by Tarantino; Nice OST)
24. American Beauty (1999) 4/5 (Kevin Spacey starrer movie on mid-life crisis directed by Sam Mendes)
25. Whiplash (2014) 4/5 (Beautiful Musical Drama)
26. Malena (Italian) (2000) 4/5 (Tornatore's gem starring Monica Bellucci set in a small town in Italy during war)
27. A Taxi Driver (Korean) (2017) 4/5 (An emotional tale centered around the 1980 Gwangju uprising)
28. Jojo Rabbit (2019) 4/5 (A satire/black comedy on WW II)
29. The Devil wears Prada (2006) 3.5/5 (Meryl Streep & Anne Hathaway starrer movie set around city's biggest fashion magazine)
30. Forrest Gump (1994) 3.5/5 (Tom Hanks' most famous "low IQ" role)
31. Thank You for Smoking (2005) 3.5/5 ("Filtered truth")
32. The Kite Runner (2007) 3.5/5 (A beautiful tale of redemption based on a famous novel by Khaled Hosseini)

33. The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008) 3.5/5 (A very disturbing story)

34. The Graduate (1967) 3.5/5 (Dustin Hoffman starrer romantic drama)
35. Invictus (2009) 3.5/5 (Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela; based on rugby)
36. The Great Debaters (2007) 3.5/5 (Denzel Washington's inspirational movie)
37. Cast Away (2000) 3.5/5 (A man's survival on an island; Tom Hanks starrer)
38. Network (1976) 3.5/5 (Based on TV Network in 70s; Sidney Lumet's direction)
39. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) 3.5/5 (Awesome court room drama)
40. Unfaithful (2002) 3.5/5 (Interesting drama-thriller; Brilliant performance by Diane Lane)
41. A little Princess (1995) 3.5/5 (A very sweet tale...recommended for kids)
42. Good Will Hunting (1997) 3.5/5 (Story of a maths prodigy)
43. Cool Hand Luke (1967) 3.5/5 (Newman's classic prison act)
44. Cinderella Man (2005) 3.5/5 (Inspirational biography of boxer James Braddock in 1930s starring Russel Crowe)
45. A Streetcar named Desire (1951) 3.5/5 (Marlon Brando & Vivien Leigh starrer classic drama)
46. The King's Speech (2010) 3.5/5 (Colin Firth as King George VI)
47. Bridge to Terabithia (2007) 3.5/5 (A sweet tale about friendship)
48. October Sky (1999) 3.5/5 (One of the most inspiring movies)
49. Good Bye Lenin! (2003) 3.5/5 (Based on the fall of Berlin wall)
50. Incendies (Canadian) (2010) 3.5/5 (A moving tale of voyage to Middle East)
51. Sunset Blvd. (1950) 3.5/5 (Billy Wilder's classic set in 50s Hollywood)
52. Scent of a Woman (1992) 3.5/5 (Al Pacino's brilliant acting)
53. Magnolia (1999) 3/5 (Beautiful interrelated stories; Just because of one stupid scene of (SPOILER) "Frogs falling from the sky", I've given a 3 instead of a 4)
54. The Terminal (2004) 3/5 (Brilliant acting by Tom Hanks; This time Hanks is stuck at a Terminal instead of an Island (Reference: Cast Away) :-P)
55. Dallas Buyers Club (2013) 3/5 (Story of survival of an AIDS patient)
56. Changeling (2008) 3/5 (Eastwood's direction starring Angelina Jolie)
57. The Green Mile (1999) 3/5 (Tom Hanks' starrer; based on a novel)
58. Broken Embraces (Spanish) (2009) 3/5 (Penelope Cruz starrer; A bit dragging)

Other films worth mentioning are The basketball diaries (1995), The Social Network (2010), Black Swan (2010), The Truman Show (1998) etc.

D. CRIME, WESTERN & REALISTIC CINEMA

I'm an absolute fan of this genre. I can boast of having watched movies across many countries (Spain, Italy, Austria, Brazil, Netherlands, Korea, Israel, Germany) in this genre. Tarantino, Leone, Scorsese & De Palma's movies are a real treat to watch.

1. City of God (Brazilian) (2002) 5/5 (A piece of cinematic brilliance based on the crime in the ghettoes of Rio de Janeiro in 1960s-80s)
2. The Good, the Bad & the Ugly (1966) 4.5/5 (Eastwood, Lee van Cleef and Eli Wallach starrer Western gem by Sergio Leone...classic music by Morricone)
3. Django Unchained (2012) 4.5/5 (Tarantino's latest gem on Slavery in 19th century starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz & Di Caprio)
4. Pulp Fiction (1994) 4.5/5 (Tarantino's modern classic...awesome soundtrack)
5. Goodfellas (1990) 4.5/5 ("As far as I remember, I always wanted to be a gangster", Henry Hill's biography; Scorsese's gem starring Robert de Niro and Joe Pesci)
6. The Wolf of Wall Street (2014) 4.5/5 (The rise & fall of the Wolf of Wall street; Jordan Belfort's biography; Scorsese's latest masterpiece starring Di Caprio)
7. Casino (1995) 4.5/5 (Another gem from Martin Scorsese starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone centered around gambling empire in Las Vegas)
8. The Irishman (2019) 4.5/5 (When Martin Scrosese gets Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci together, it's definitely magic. Plus, there's Al Pacino to top it up. But, Sadly this is gonna be the last film of Martin Scorsese as per his own admission)
9. Joker (2019) 4/5 (Joaquin Phoenix's class act; Modern Masterpiece)
10. Che: Part 1 & 2 (2008) 4/5 (A biopic of the greatest revolutionary Che)
11. Lord of War (2005) 4/5 (Nicolas Cage starrer story of an arms dealer)
12. Blood Diamond (2006) 4/5 (Di Caprio starrer modern day classic)
13. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) 4/5 (Based on Harper Lee's famous novel)
14. Blow (2001) 4/5 (Johnny Depp's class act as king of cocaine market in 70s)
15. Scarface (1983) 4/5 (Brian De Palma's gem on the rise & fall of gangster Tony Montana; Al Pacino's raw brilliance)
16. American History X (1998) 4/5 (One of the most powerful movies; Based on neo-nazism; Brilliant acting by Edward Norton)
17. A Time to Kill (1996) 4/5 (Crime thriller on racism; Good star cast)
18. 12 Years a Slave (2013) 4/5 (A true & disturbing story of Solomon Northup's survival & freedom from slavery)
19. Road to Perdition (2002) 4/5 (A moving Crime-drama set in 1930s directed by Sam Mendes with an impressive star cast; Brilliant cinematography)
20. Carlito's Way (1993) 4/5 (Brian De Palma & Al Pacino once again)
21. The Constant Gardener (2005) 4/5 (From the director of City of God; Set in Kenya based on politics of pharma cos. and the mysterious death of a woman)
22. Once upon a time in the West (1968) 4/5 (Western Epic by Leone)
23. A Fistful of Dollars (1964) 4/5 (1st of Leone's Western trilogy)
24. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) 4/5 (Original of Bollywood's Bunty aur Babli)
25. Apocalypto (2006) 3.5/5 (Mel Gibson's masterpiece set in Mayan times)
26. Silmido (Korean) (2003) 3.5/5 (Based on a true story of assassination)
27. For a few dollars more (1965) 3.5/5 (2nd of Leone's Western trilogy)
28. Munich (2005) 3.5/5 (Spielberg's gem on Black September's aftermath)
29. The Untouchables (1987) 3.5/5 (Kevin Costner, Sean Connery & Robert De Niro starrer based on Chicago's crime boss Al Capone directed by Brian De Palma)
30. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 3.5/5 (Paul Newman & Robert Redford starrer nice Western-style crime biography)
31. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) 3.5/5 (Based on a true story of a bank robbery gone wrong ; Al Pacino starrer directed by Sidney Lumet)
32. Hotel Rwanda (2004) 3.5/5 (A true life story about humanity)
33. The Last King of Scotland (2006) 3.5/5 (Based on the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime in 1970s from the eyes of his personal physician)
34. Dances with Wolves (1990) 3.5/5 (Kevin Costner's acting + direction)
35. American Gangster (2007) 3.5/5 (Denzel Washington, Russel Crowe starrer directed by Ridley Scott)
36. Heat (1995) 3.5/5 (Al Pacino & De Niro faceoff directed by Michael Mann)
37. Collateral (2004) 3.5/5 (Despite a few plot-holes, worth-watching; Tom Cruise & Jamie Foxx starrer directed by Michael Mann)
38. Death Proof (2007) 3.5/5 (One of the lesser known movies of Tarantino)
39. Body of Lies (2008) 3/5 (Di Caprio starrer directed by Ridley Scott)
40. Burn after Reading (2008) 3/5 (Crime Comedy by Coen Brothers)
41. Jackie Brown (1997) 3/5 (One of the lesser known movies of Tarantino)
42. Elite Squad (Brazilian) I (2007) & II (2010) 3/5 (Fantastic movies on Brazilian police)
43. American Sniper (2014) 3/5 (Typical Eastwood direction starring Bradley Cooper; nothing much to write home about)

E. WAR MOVIES
Due to my special interest in War movies, esp. World-War II movies, I have created this category out of the previous one.

1. Inglourious Basterds (2009) 5/5 (Tarantino's gift to movie lovers based on a fictional account of WWII starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz & Eli Roth)
2. Tae guk gi: Brotherhood of war (Korean) (2004) 4.5/5 (A tale of two brothers forced to fight against each other in the Korean war)
3. The Battle of Algiers (Italian) (1966) 4/5 (A savage war of peace)
4. Downfall (German) (2004) 4/5 (The fall of the great dictator Hitler)
5. The counterfeiters (Austrian) (2007) 4/5 (A true story of WWII)
6. Joint Security Area (Korean) (2000) 4/5 ("No Man's Land" between N and S Korea)
7. Kingdom of Heaven (2005) 4/5 (From the director of Gladiator!!)
8. Enemy at the gates (2001) 4/5 (Snipers in Battle of Stalingrad)
9. Schindler's list (1993) 4/5 (Oskar Schindler's biography by Spielberg; Honest account of the holocaust and killings in concentration camps during WWII)
10. Saving Private Ryan (1998) 4/5 (Most famous war movie by Spielberg)
11. Black Book (Netherlands) (2006) 4/5 (A masterpiece on WWII)
12. The Hurt Locker (2008) 4/5 (Based on army bomb squads in Iraq war)
13. Braveheart (1995) 4/5 (Mel Gibson as William Wallace....masterpiece)
14. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) 4/5 (Account of WWII from the eyes of an 8-yr old...beautifully woven story and very shocking)
15. Fury (2014) 4/5 (Brad Pitt starrer movie on WWII; Battle tanks)
16. Valkyrie (2008) 3.5/5 (Tom Cruise starrer thriller set around WWII)
17. The Great Escape (1963) 3.5/5 (Escape from German Camp, WWII)
18. Letters from Iwo Jima (Japanese) (2006) 3.5/5 (Eastwood's direction; Japanese side of the story of Battle of Iwo Jima in WWII)
19. Flags of our fathers (2006) 3.5/5 (Eastwood's direction; American side of the story of Battle of Iwo Jima in WWII)
20. Pan's Labyrinth (Spanish) (2006) 3.5/5 (Del Toro's fantasy set in fascist Spain in 1944)
21. Welcome to Dongmakgol(Korean) 3.5/5 (Between N and S Korea)
22. Waltz with Bashir (Israeli) (2008) 3.5/5 (Animated war movie)
23. Full Metal Jacket (1987) 3.5/5 (Kubrick's direction; Vietnam war)
24. Dunkirk (2017) 3/5 (Nolan has set the standards so high that not so happy with this one)
25. The Book Thief (2013) 3/5 (Based on the "Book Thief" girl in WWII Germany)
26. Flyboys (2006) 3/5 (Based on the true story of the "Flyboys" of WWI)

Some other noteworthy movies are No Man's Land (2001), Troy (2004), Apocalypse Now (1979) etc.

F. THRILLER, HORROR & MYSTERY

I'm a great afficionado of this genre as well. Sir Alfred Hitchcock's movies of 1950s & 60s are as fresh and engaging as Nolan's breathtakingly brilliant movies.

1. The Prestige (2006) 4.5/5 (Nolan's magical tale about rivalry between two magicians starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Scarlett Johansson)
2. The Illusionist (2006) 4.5/5 (Neil Burger's tale of a magician)
3. Now You See Me (2013) 4/5 (Story about the four illusionists; A bit loose-ending but brilliant, fast-paced throughout; Great cast including Morgan Freeman; The 2nd part also came in 2016 which is really bad)
4. Amores Perros (Spanish) (2000) 4/5 (Three connected stories)
5. The Exorcist (1973) 4/5 (The Original Horror masterpiece on exorcism)
6. Kill Bill-1 (2003) & Kill Bill-2 (2004) 4/5 (Tarantino's masterpieces on revenge starring Uma Thurman...awesome soundtrack)
7. Shutter (Thai) (2004) 4/5 (One of the most popular horror movies...wait for one of the most amazing endings)
8. Oldboy (Korean) (2003) 4/5 (2nd of Park's Revenge trilogy; Blatantly copied by Bollywood in "Zinda")

9. Train to Busan (Korean) (2016) 4/5 (Best Zombie Movie Ever)
10. A Quiet Place (2018) 4/5 (Edge-of-the-seat terrifying thriller; Nice concept; Emily Blunt starrer)
11. The Killing (1956) 4/5 (Kubrick's gem in Hitchcock's signature style)

12. The Host (Korean) (2006) 4/5 (One of the greatest monster movies)
13. Parasite (Korean) (2019) 4/5 (Hitchcockian thriller drama from the director of "The Host" and "Memories of Murder"; Dark Comedy)
14. The Conjuring (2013) 4/5 (Brought back the classic horror genre; Sequel is not so good)
15. Sin City (2005) 4/5 (Dark violent movie based on Frank Miller's comic; Sequel is not at all good)
16. Infernal affairs(Hong Kong) (2002) 4/5 (Original of The Departed)
17. Leon : The Professional (1994) 4/5 (Copied by Bollywood's Bichchu)
18. Double Indemnity (1944) 4/5 (Billy Wilder's classic thriller)
19. Sherlock Holmes I (2009) & II (2011) 4/5 (Guy Ritchie's gems)
20. Shutter Island (2010) 4/5 (Di Caprio starrer Scorsese's mystery)
21. Orphan (2009) 4/5 (Surprisingly good thriller & mystery; Wait for the ending)
22. Assassination (Korean) (2015) 4/5 (Nice thriller movie set in Pre - Independence Korea under Japan)
23. The French Connection (1971) 4/5 (Narcotics;Awesome chase scenes)
24. Donnie Darko (2001) 4/5 (Unusual, thought-provoking, surreal mystery)
25. Don't Breathe (2016) 4/5 (An edge-of-the-seat thriller)
26. Ju On (Japanese) (2002) 4/5 (One of the most popular J Horror movie)
27. The Grudge (2004) 3.5/5 (Must watch Horror movie; Remake of Ju On)
28. The Ring (2002) 3.5/5 (Famous horror remake of Japanese "Ringu")
29. The Boondock Saints (1999) 3.5/5 ("Brothers.Killers.Saints."; Sequel is not upto the mark)
30. V for Vendetta (2006) 3.5/5 (A futuristic tale of revenge set in Britain)
31. The Others (2001) 3.5/5 (Nicole Kidman starrer horror-mystery with nice twist at the end)
32. A Tale of Two Sisters (Korean) (2003) 3.5/5 (Must watch Horror movie)
33. Mulholland Dr. (2001) 3.5/5 (David Lynch's surreal thriller)
34. A Clockwork Orange (1971) 3.5/5 (Kubrick's disturbing movie)
35. Notorious (1946) 3.5/5 (Ingrid Bergman starrer Hitchcock's thriller)
36. Vertigo (1958) 3.5/5 (James Stewart starrer Hitchcock's masterpiece)
37. L.A. Confidential (1997) 3.5/5 (About police corruption in LA in 1950s)
38. The Usual Suspects (1995) 3.5/5 (Kevin Spacey starrer; Original of Bollywood's "Chocolate")
39. Lady Vengeance (Korean) (2005) 3.5/5 (3rd of Park's Revenge trilogy)
40. The Departed (2006) 3.5/5 (Scorsese's take on undercover agents)
41. Sinister (2012) 3.5/5 (Serial killer mystery + Horror)
42. The Uninvited (2009) 3.5/5 (Remake of the Korean horror movie "A tale of two Sisters")
43. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) 3.5/5 (Sidney Lumet's direction)
44. The Thing (1982) 3.5/5 (John Carpenter's horror-mystery)
45. Ringu (Japanese) (1998) 3/5 (Famous J Horror Movie)
46. Annabelle (2014) & Annabelle:Creation (2017) 3/5 (Prequels to The Conjuring but not as good)
47. Mystic River (2003) 3/5 (Eastwood's direction; Sean Penn Starrer)
48. American Psycho (2000) 3/5 (Christian Bale's class act)

Other films worth mentioning in this genre are Fight Club (1999), Insomnia (2002), Chinatown (1974), Rosemary's baby (1968), The Third Man (1949) etc.

G. MURDER MYSTERIES/SLASHER MOVIES

Due to my special interest in Murder Mysteries, I have created a separate category out of the previous one. David Fincher makes interesting murder mysteries but Sir Alfred Hitchcock stands out as the "Master of Suspense".

1. Psycho (1960) 4.5/5 (Sir Alfred Hitchcock's most celebrated work)
2. Dial M for Murder (1954) 4.5/5 (Hitchcock's thriller/murder mystery)
3. Silence of the lambs (1991) 4.5/5 (Anthony Hopkins starrer thriller; Cult classic that led to many similar movies, none of which could not match up to the original)
4. Se7en (1995) 4/5 (Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt starrer by David Fincher)
5. Gone Girl (2014) 4/5 (David Fincher's latest gem based on a novel)
6. Rebecca (1940) 4/5 (Hitchcock's murder mystery based on a novel)
7. Saw (2004) 4/5 (Haven't watched all the parts but Saw is brilliant, concept-wise)
8. Memories of Murder (Korean) (2003) 4/5 (Serial killer drama; Probably among the greatest Korean movies ever)
9. Death Note: Part 1 & 2 (Japanese) (2006) 4/5 (Battle between 2 geniuses with lots of twists & turns for a diary that has the power to kill)
10. Prisoners (2013) 4/5 (Hugh Jackman & Jake Gyllenhaal starrer "edge-of-the-seat" thriller/murder mystery)
11. Memento (2000) 4/5 (Nolan's gem based on short term memory loss)
12. The Chaser (Korean) (2008) 4/5 (Interesting chase of a serial killer; Blatantly copied by Bollywood in "Murder 2")
13. Red Dragon (2002) 4/5 (Prequel to Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins starrer)
14. Scream (1996) 4/5 (Slasher movie directed by Wes Craven- Must watch for horror-mystery fans; Sequels are not as good)
15. Murder on the Orient Express (1974) 4/5 (Based on Agatha Cristie's novel on Hercule Poirot solving a case in train; The 2017 remake is not that good)
16. I saw the devil (Korean) (2010) 4/5 (Revenge from serial killer; Blatantly copied by Bollywood in "Ek Villain")
17. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo(Swedish) (2009) 4/5 (First of the Swedish murder mystery trilogy based on a novel by Stieg Larsson; Sequels are not as good)
18. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) 3.5/5 (David Fincher's take on the Swedish murder mystery starring Daniel Craig)
19. Les Diaboliques (French) (1955) 3.5/5 (Clouzot's classic suspense)
20. Secret in their Eyes (Argentine) (2009) 3.5/5 (Nice mystery)
21. Zodiac (2007) 3.5/5 (Based on serial killer; directed by David Fincher)
22. Fargo (1996) 3.5/5 (Nice suspense; keeps you glued to the screen)
23. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) 3.5/5 (Wes Craven directed Slasher movie; Unique concept but then the sequels are just money churners)
24. Vacancy (2007) 3.5/5 (Slasher Movie; Edge-of-the-seat ; Part 2 which is the prequel is decent but not great)
25. Mother (Korean) (2009) 3.5/5 (From the director of "The Host" and "Memories of Murder"; On the slower side but watch it for the suspense)
26. Hannibal (2001) 3/5 (One of the weak movies in Hannibal Series)
27. Perfume: Story of a murderer (2006) 3/5 (Very Weird Movie)

My ratings are purely based on my own judgement after watching the movies and not influenced by any "Best movies of all time" lists. I hope I won't disappoint you big time. Please let me know what you people think about these movies and suggest other good movies as well.

Signing Off,
Anurag Gupta

An Outlier's Wit-itude

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