Godin & Barquin’s Cinephile’s Choice: Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time

20. Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier, 2000)

Von Trier’s pessimistic view of the world never ceases to be a trademark of his films. With the third film in his “Golden Heart Trilogy,” Dancer in the Dark, he tackles the musical genre in a way that few would have even dared attempt. In addition to an impressive collection of songs Björk penned and performed just for the film, she delivers a stunning performance, holding her own against costar Catherine Deneuve.

19. Scream (Wes Craven, 1996)

Horror vet Wes Craven turns his genre of choice inside out, laying bear the cogs in the proverbial machine, and in the process creates a funny, self-aware slice of horror-comedy. Many have toyed with toying with horror tropes and convention, but few have done it with the zeal and wit that permeates Scream. By turning the camera inwards, Scream single-handedly changed the course of the horror film, leaving a bunch of imitators in its wake.

18. Evil Dead II (Sam Raimi, 1987)

Before being known as “the guy who made those Spider-Man movies,” Sam Raimi specialized in low-budget horror films. Evil Dead II is the perfect marriage of low-budget scares and off-the-wall slapstick, anchored by jut-jawed character actor extraordinaire Bruce Campbell. This film is a visual frenzy, full of impressive camera tricks, skewed angles and uncomfortable close-ups. The script is incredible fun, seemingly constructed from a series of brilliant one-liners for Campbell to deliver. Its mix of old-school chills and inspired gags make it a top contender for the greatest horror-comedy of all time.

17. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)

The director/actor team of Stanley Kubrick and Peter Sellers already had struck gold in 1962 with the release of Lolita. The pair both outdid themselves two years later with Dr. Strangelove: Kubrick and co-writer Terry Southern created a meaner, leaner dark comedy this time around, while Sellers delivered the performance of his career, playing four characters that run the gamut of tics and mannerisms.

16. Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954)

Here it is: the greatest samurai film ever made. It’s a story for the ages: the disenfranchised hire seven ronin to help defend their crops from theft. But on a broader scale, it’s a film about honor, trust, and the relationship between defender and defended. It’s the premise that launched a thousand imitators, but few of them had Kurosawa’s patient directorial hand or Toshiro Mifune’s brooding charisma.