Welcome back to Top Ten Tuesdays, where each week I share my personal favorites across music, film, books, and more. This time, I’m switching gears, from soundtracks to screenplays, and diving into something near and dear to my heart: movies.
For me, movies have always been more than just entertainment. They’ve been a way to reflect on the world, wrestle with meaning, escape reality, and sometimes just have fun. This top ten isn’t meant to impress critics or align with the AFI, it’s a list of films that stuck with me, that shaped how I see the world, and that I return to over and over again.
The Anchors
These three defined eras of my life and shaped how I first imagined storytelling on a grand scale:
- Blade Runner
A vision of the future that’s as dazzling as it is bleak. It asks one of the most profound questions in cinema: what does it mean to be human? It’s visually stunning and deeply philosophical. I once lost a lot of respect for a friend when he dismissed Rutger Hauer’s final monologue as “silly sci-fi.” That moment is one of the most moving in film history. - Star Wars: A New Hope
The film that blew the doors off what a story could be. I didn’t see it right away, oddly, I waited several months. I still can’t explain why. But when I did, it changed everything. - Raiders of the Lost Ark
Pure adventure. Pure fun. This is the gold standard of escapist cinema. I remember watching it for the first time, glancing over at my wife with a look that said, “WTF are we watching?” It was that good.
The Thinkers
Comedies that go deeper than laughs—films that sneak in questions about life, belief, and time.
- Groundhog Day
A perfect blend of humor and existential reflection. I’ve watched this so many times I can quote nearly every line. It’s about what we do when life gets repetitive—and how meaning is often found in the smallest acts. - Life of Brian
Hilarious, irreverent, and razor-sharp. It’s satire that still cuts deep. This movie helped me break out of a mental rut and changed how I thought about faith and institutions. Also: yes, it’s subversive. In the best possible way.
The Modern Picks
I’m not stuck in nostalgia. Some modern films have earned a permanent place in my top ten.
- Everything Everywhere All at Once
A multiverse acid trip that somehow distills down to kindness, family, and meaning. The story structure, visuals, performances; everything about this film is bold and beautiful. A masterpiece. - The Martian
A celebration of science, humor, and human resilience. Gallows humor and survival, one potato at a time. My wife and I watch it together a couple of times a year. It never gets old. - Moneyball
On the surface, it’s about baseball. But really, it’s about systems, strategy, and finding value where others don’t. I used to watch this under stress; it’s oddly calming.
The Personal Touch
The wildcard that speaks directly to me:
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
A love letter to imagination, photography, and creative risk. As a writer and photographer, this one hits close to home. Sometimes I watch it without sound, just to admire the cinematography.
Runner-Ups
Films that didn’t quite make the top ten, but still linger in my mind and heart.
- Sicario
Dark, tense, and morally complex. It’s the shadow twin of Blade Runner: both examine broken systems and blurred moral lines, but Sicario stays grounded in the real world. My wife checks out when I watch it, but I’m fascinated, especially by how it subverts our expectations of the protagonist. - Superman (1978)
The opposite of Sicario. This is mythic storytelling, idealistic, hopeful, and rich with themes of identity and responsibility. If Sicario disturbs, Superman uplifts. I’ve replayed the movie in my head a dozen times since first seeing it.
Extended Runner-Ups
These orbit similar themes to my top ten and round out the constellation.
- Arrival (2016)
A quiet sci-fi film about language, time, and connection. If Blade Runner asks what makes us human, Arrival asks how we understand each other. - The Truman Show (1998)
A satire about authenticity, perception, and the courage to step outside the loop. It sits right between Groundhog Day and Walter Mitty thematically. - The Social Network (2010)
A sleek, cerebral portrait of ambition, genius, and social cost. If Moneyball is brains bending baseball, this is brains reshaping the world—with a heavier price. - No Country for Old Men (2007)
A meditation on fate, violence, and moral decay. It pairs with Sicario as a reminder that the world doesn’t always provide answers. It still gives me nightmares. - Interstellar (2014)
The emotional twin to The Martian. Where The Martian solves problems with science, Interstellar explores love, time, and belief. My wife loves it. It took me a few watches to really get it, but now it stays with me.
Closing Thoughts
Looking over this list, it’s clear what themes resonate with me: imagination, humor, resilience, reflection, and a persistent search for meaning. That’s no coincidence. These same threads run through my own life.
Movies, at their best, do more than entertain. They hold up a mirror, and in this list, I see my reflection.
What movie would make your top ten?
Peanuts In My Pocket 
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