Another year has passed and I have started my journey into adulthood. This year, now more than ever, I have felt movies take a complete hold over my life. Not only my time spent at the theaters, but the way that all my conversations always come back to films or movie references only I get. A year defending SINNERS and trying to explain why it’s the best film of the year, expanding my DVD collection, reading everything and anything I can about film. Making connections with new friends and people who hold the same love of film that I do. At the end of the day, I love movies more than anything. I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful medium in my life. I am terrified and elated that my next year will revolve even more around film and discussing them. But when it comes down to it, these 10 films are the basis for who I am as a person and why I find them so special.
10. STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989)
“Six extraordinary friends. They share each other’s laughter. They dry each other’s tears.”
STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989)- written by Robert Harling (the same writer of the play by the same name) and directed by Herbert Ross. The film follows six women in a small town as they experience love, laughter, and grief over the span of about three years. The film earned Julia Roberts a very deserved first Academy Award nomination.
WHY THIS FILM: My grandma showed me this film at around the age of eight. It is astounding to think that there have been a full 10 years filled with the laughter and tears this story has provided me. For Mother’s Day one year I took my family to go see the play that a local theater was putting on, which is just as emotional as the film. Sally Field gives one of the best monologues of all times and has one of the most adept representations of grief and being a mother. All six women are simply wonderful and iconic in their own way. For films that showcase the spirit of girlhood, this one is at the top of the list.
9. PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998)
“For two sisters from a family of witches, falling in love is the trickiest spell of all.”
PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998)- written by Robin Swicord, Akiva Goldsman, and Adam Brooks, and directed by Griffin Dunne. The film follows two sisters who come together to explore their magic, the challenge of loving others, and most importantly the bond they hold as sisters.
WHY THIS FILM STAYED: Many films on this list stayed due to the emotional bond they have with either my mom or my grandma. I love this movie year round, but it is especially prevalent during the months of August to October. My ideal day is watching PRACTICAL MAGIC with my mom while drinking a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks and listening to Stevie Nicks while a fall candle burns in the background. A basic vision, but the epitome of warmth, love and comfort.
8. KNIVES OUT (2019)
“Hell, any of them could have done it.”
KNIVES OUT (2019)- written and directed by Rian Johnson. The film follows a detective as he tries to solve the murder mystery of a wealthy man and the connections he had with his dysfunctional family. The film has sparked a number of sequels and is known for their star-studded casts. The film earned a nomination for best original screenplay at the Academy Awards, but was incredibly robbed of a best picture nomination.
WHY THIS FILM STAYED: KNIVES OUT is one of those go-to movies. I can watch it in the background, with family, when I need to fall asleep, when I need a safe movie to show to someone. It never gets old. Similar to PRACTICAL MAGIC it feels like a fall day in a nice cozy mug. I enjoy the other films in the KNIVES OUT universe, but none of them hold up to the magic of the original. It is both visually pleasing and the ending is still just as powerful no matter how many times you watch it.
7. CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999)
“In the game of seduction, there is only one rule: never fall in love.”
CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999) written and directed by Roger Kumble. The film follows the seductive nature of step siblings from an elite New York preparatory school as they each go on their own conquests to corrupt the innocent nature of others.
WHY THIS FILM STAYED: It still has one of the best soundtracks of all time. If this list was written a month or two earlier, it would’ve kept its spot in my top four. I recently rewatched the film and it is such a guilty pleasure teen movie that you can’t help but love. There is the most wonderful aesthetic that comes from being a teenager in the late 90’s-early 2000’s that this film just perfectly encapsulates. I feel exactly like Annette whenever I ride in my car with the top down.
6. TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992)
“In a town like Twin Peaks, no one is innocent.”
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME (1992)- written and directed by David Lynch. The film is a prequel to the tv series, TWIN PEAKS and follows the last week of Laura Palmer and the mental torment she endures.
WHY THIS FILM: If I had to pick one person to summarize my 17th year, it would have to be David Lynch. I am ashamed to say that I fully got into David Lynch after his death but I have spent the last year immersing myself in everything he has to offer. From his films to his tv shows, to his writings and even his short movies. There will never be anyone to come close to the work David Lynch was doing. TWIN PEAKS stuck the most with me and with that, so did Laura Palmer. The Laura Palmer effect is certainly real and after watching the first episode of TWIN PEAKS I already felt spiritually connected to this girl. Over the summer I took a trip to LA and got to visit David Lynch’s grave and stopped by Bob’s Big Boy to get a chocolate milkshake. In October I went to a Twin Peaks conversation with the stars event where I got to watch episode 22 (“How’s Annie?”), listen to a Q&A with Harry Goaz, Kimmy Robertson, Sabrina Sutherland, Ray Wise, and Sheryl Lee, and then had the most amazing opportunity to meet Sheryl Lee and have a conversation with her about the impact her performance has had on me. This film is beautiful, haunting, and devastating and one of the best things to come from this past year.
5. ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951)
“A world of wonders in one great picture!”
ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951)- written by Winston Hibler, Ted Sears, Bill Peet, and others, and directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske. The film follows a young girl as she enters a magical world filled with talking animals, magic, and total nonsense. The film was nominated for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture at the Academy Awards.
WHY THIS FILM: As of February 8th, I can confidently say I have watched this film at least once a day since the start of 2026. My 18th birthday was ALICE IN WONDERLAND themed! I even dressed as Alice when I attended the Oogie Boogie Bash in Disneyland this October. This film has been my favorite Disney movie for a very long time. It is so incredibly beautiful to look at, but is also artistically innovative paired with a catchy and fun score. Every aspect of Wonderland holds such a special place in my heart and I have loved immersing myself in it this past month.
4. THE PLAYER (1992)
“Now more than ever!”
THE PLAYER (1992)- written by Michael Tolkin and directed by Robert Altman. The film follows a high-powered Hollywood Executive as he tries to find out what jaded writer is sending him death threats. The film was nominated for Best Directing, Best Screenplay, and Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards.
WHY THIS FILM: This movie is absolutely awesome, it kind of left me speechless. I watched this on a night I wasn’t feeling the best and the second the credits started rolling I went to the living room and made my parents watch it with me. How do I express how much I loved this film? Not even exaggerating, I clapped when the credits came. The second I read the summary I dropped everything I was doing and turned it on. I’m gonna be completely transparent, I watch a ton of movies. A lot of them are watched in my bedroom and most of the time I find it really hard to be 100% invested in the same way I would be if I was at the theater (as I’m sure many can relate to). From the first scene, I was immediately hooked. I looked down once and noticed there was only 15 minutes left and was physically pained that it was almost over. I blinked and a fantastic two hours passed. Its commentary on Hollywood was so adept, so meta, so funny, so terrifying. I reminded me why I love film, it’s not because of big blockbusters and movies like Habeas Corpus, it’s because of movies like this and The Bicycle Thief. Tim Robbins is just so amazing in this. A perfect 5/5 stars. Movies, now more than ever!!!
3. FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986)
“Leisure Rules.”
FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986)- written and directed by John Hughes. The film follows a teenage boy as he goes on a journey to have the perfect day of rest and relaxation.
WHY THIS FILM: I have always been a John Hughes girl, but was a bigger fan of THE BREAKFAST CLUB. Over this past year, something shifted. My senior year has been represented by Ferris Bueller. I even dressed up as him for Halloween! I really do love this movie. I have always been a fan of 80’s films, and know for a fact that as much as I love the 90’s, this decade is unbeatable. I watched this movie shortly after I watched The Breakfast Club and thought that the latter always remained supreme, but the more that I find myself rewatching Ferris Buellers Day Off, I seem to have doubt in that statement. There is something so magical about this, especially watching it from the view of a high school senior. I think that when I watched it in 8th grade I didn’t realize the rush of the oncoming future and how fast life really does move. How the world is so big to spend such a marvelous Wednesday stuck inside a classroom. There is something so freeing about breaking the same routine we are stuck to day after day and going to the mall, a baseball game, or an art museum. It really does make you feel like the world belongs to you. John Hughes just really understood teenagers more than any other director to ever exist, he IS the quintessential director of this era to me. I love the material aspects of the film obviously, the costumes, the actors, the soundtrack, the sets, etc. But there is something unspoken that lies deep within the script, something you can’t describe but that I find myself feeling quite often. It’s the way the light hits the atrium of my school when I’m going to the bathroom during 7th period, the air coming into the house when you open the door during winter break, or looking at the clock and thinking of what you’d be doing at school that moment when you’re absent. It’s highly unrealistic and yet a day we all yearn to experience. And yes, it is chimerical in the sense that they spend all this money in such a short period of time going to a baseball game and a museum and swimming and singing on a parade float but, there is nothing out of this world magical about this situation. It really is just kids being kids and I think that’s the basis of what connects it from generation to generation. I am still waiting for Maya McElhaneys Day Off, but someday soon I will experience it.
2. IGBY GOES DOWN (2002)
“Insanity is relative.”
IGBY GOES DOWN (2002)- written and directed by Burr Steers. The film follows a teenage boy as he defies his dysfunctional family in search of real love, friendship, and adventure.
WHY THIS FILM STAYED: Another year and Kieran Culkin is still my number one love- I think that sums this up?
1. WHITE OLEANDER (2002)
“Where does a mother end and a daughter begin?”
WHITE OLEANDER (2002)- written by Mary Agnes Donoghue (and based off of the novel by the same name) and directed by Peter Kosminsky. The film follows a girl and her journey through different foster homes as she accepts the fact that her mother isn’t the person she thought she was.
WHY THIS FILM STAYED: I have a slight feeling this might be one of the last years where WHITE OLEANDER holds the title spot. Having the same favorite film from 8th grade to senior year is impressive, but I predict as I start to watch more movies my ranking might change. There was even a brief time that I considered giving this spot to THE PLAYER. But for right now, I still love this film. The only thing I would change is adding more content. This movie could have a 5 hour runtime and I’d love every second of it. The book is one of my all time favorites. It’s really just poetry in movie form. If I could choose a movie “world” to live in, I think this is a pretty high contender (it’s just California in the early 2000’s). This has the most spectacular color grading/palette, it’s a large part of what makes the movie so special. I don’t think there’s another movie that I remember my reaction to as vividly as this. Most of my favorite movies take awhile to reach the top 4 spot but during the first 15 minutes of the film I automatically knew it was going straight to #1. It’s very different from Igby Goes Down or Cruel Intentions. It’s not funny at all. It’s not even emotional per se, it’s just so out of this world beautiful. The cast has so many great actors in it, similar to Igby Goes Down I am surprised it doesn’t have more love. I am (selfishly) happy it doesn’t have more praise though, it makes me feel like the movie really does belong to me. I’ve met hundreds of people who say their favorite movie is La La Land or Scream, but I’m still waiting for someone to say White Oleander. I love Astrid, I think she’s one of the most well written characters, I aspire to be her and have her strength. It is a perfect, perfect, perfect movie.
