10 Perfect Movies That Aren't JAWS or BACK TO THE FUTURE

by Patrick Bromley

And also not The Godfather.

1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982, dir. Nicholas Meyer)

You don't have to be a huge Star Trek nerd to fully appreciate The Wrath of Khan, still my favorite Trek thing ever made, but it does help. The characters become more meaningful, the relationships and our connections to them deeper. But because writer/director Nicholas Meyer designed the low-budget sequel as a WWII nautical warfare adventure, it's accessible to anyone with a spirit of adventure. This is one of my favorite movies from my favorite year of movies.

2. Sorcerer (1977, dir. William Friedkin)

Confession: I have only seen this movie once, but it was a perfect screening of a perfect movie: on the big screen on 35mm with director William Friedkin introducing and doing a Q&A afterwards. I have been wary to revisit it for fear of breaking the spell. I'm going to rewatch it soon because if you ask me on the right day I might say this is my favorite Friedkin movie. The older I get the more I realize we took Roy Scheider for granted.

3. Fargo (1996, dir. Joel Coen)

The best Coen Brothers movie featuring my favorite movie character of all time. There are so many scenes and moments in Fargo that make it perfect. I won't do a recap here. It's funny and shocking and sad and beautiful in equal measure and so few movies have ever been able to be or do what Fargo does.

4. All the President's Men (1976, dir. Alan J. Pakula)

Three months ago I would not have included this movie on the list, but having just revisited it for our recent podcast I realized there's not a frame that ought to be changed in the story of Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) bringing the truth of the Watergate break-in to light. Journalism has never been more compelling on screen.

5. Observe & Report (2009, dir. Jody Hill)

I have to give credit to a film critic I used to read for his review of Jody Hill's mall copy comedy in which he wrote "Just because a movie has flaws doesn't mean it's not perfect." It was this review that turned me on to reading the critic regularly, not just for that sentiment but because the reaction to Observe & Report -- a polarizing movie, to be sure -- completely aligned with my own. This is about as dark as comedy gets, but so expertly navigates the high-wire tone that it's hard to call it anything but perfect.

6. Die Hard (1988, dir. John McTiernan)

Still the best action movie ever made. Bruce Willis became a movie star, the greatest action protagonist of all time was born, and an entire template for action films to follow was created. In his mixed pan of the movie, Roger Ebert pushed back against the Paul Gleason character and pointed out that he only existed to be wrong at every turn. His presence is not a dealbreaker for me, maybe because I love Gleason in this mode but mostly because I like how it gives John McClane one more person to push back against and one more person to prove wrong. Everyone doubts him. No one should, least of all himself.

7. The Apartment (1960, dir. Billy Wilder)

Romantic comedies are a hard thing to do correctly, but no one understood both the Sour and the Sweet of unrequited love like Billy Wilder. Jack Lemmon and Shirly MacLaine are equally adorable and heartbreaking as a pair who could be perfect for each other if they would both stop making bad decisions and mistakes. There are elements that maybe haven't aged as well -- the amazing office set that takes up the entire widescreen frame would never exist anymore -- but the emotions remain true and timeless.

8. Groundhog Day (1993, dir. Harold Ramis)

There are very few perfect movies; there are even fewer perfect comedies. We must give credit where it is due, and Groundhog Day is absolutely perfect. Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" article on Groundhog Day is one of my favorite pieces of film writing ever, so I should really just direct you there instead of even trying to articulate its unique genius. Bill Murray should have won his Oscar for this performance.

9. Halloween (1978, dir. John Carpenter)

I'm on record as recognizing John Carpenter's original Halloween as a perfect movie while at the same time being left a little cold by it. I prefer some of the sequels, Halloween 4 most of all. Still, I'd be lying if I tried to deny the technical skill and craftsmanship in the making of the slasher classic. It is, like Michael Myers, a perfect machine.

10. The Social Network (2010, dir. David Fincher)

There probably has to be a David Fincher movie somewhere on this list, as he is cinema's biggest and most exacting contemporary perfectionist. I'm not positive The Social Network is his best movie when Zodiac exists but that one is messier and more sprawling by design -- even Fincher's messy movies have to be just right. The Social Network is perfectly constructed and controlled. The cast is brilliant and the film has more to say about the modern world that most others despite being close to two decades old.