A Glean movie guide
The Ultimate Must-Watch List
The definitive cinematic bucket list.
From timeless classics to modern masterpieces, these are the films every movie lover needs
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Godfather
A masterclass in storytelling that redefined the crime epic and remains a cornerstone of cinematic history.
Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.
- 02
Parasite
A razor-sharp social thriller that blends genres with breathtaking precision and unexpected humor.
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
- 03
The Shawshank Redemption
A deeply moving story of hope and friendship that is consistently ranked as one of the most beloved films ever made.
Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.
- 04
Spirited Away
A visually stunning journey into a world of spirits that stands as a landmark of global animation.
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
- 05
Pulp Fiction
A bold, non-linear crime odyssey that revolutionized independent cinema with its stylized dialogue and energy.
A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.
- 06
The Dark Knight
A gritty, psychological take on the superhero genre anchored by a legendary, award-winning performance.
Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.
- 07
Schindler's List
A powerful and essential historical drama that captures a profound human struggle with immense technical skill.
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
- 08
Inception
A high-concept heist thriller that explores the complex architecture of dreams through stunning visual effects.
Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
- 09
Seven Samurai
An epic foundational work of action cinema that established the 'team-on-a-mission' trope used for decades.
A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
- 10
Everything Everywhere All At Once
A chaotic and heartfelt multiverse adventure that feels entirely original and deeply human.
An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save what's important to her by connecting with the lives she could have led in other universes.
- 11
The Silence of the Lambs
A chilling psychological thriller featuring one of cinema’s most iconic and manipulative villains.
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
- 12
Casablanca
The quintessential Hollywood classic, balancing wartime intrigue with a timeless and bittersweet romance.
In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.