Well, these are my favourite films that have impacted me creatively and personally. The list is still being made.. Enjoy.
Perfect Blue (Satoshi Kon, Japan, 1997)
Satoshi Kon is one of my favourite directors and he really used animation as a tool to creatively portray consciousness and how often dreams, illusions, reality, and memory can intersect. Perfect Blue (which was obviously an inspiration to Darren Aronofsky) is a disturbing psychological thriller that tackles many themes such as celebrity culture, identity, and the entertainment industry's treatment of women. This amongst many things in the film continue to be relevant; it's depiction of idol culture is one that is especially frightening and really hones in on the dehumanisation of the people behind the name. A story about fame in the uneasy climate of the introduction of the internet and the commodification of everything.
Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, United States, 1976)
This is a classic. Undoubtedly a film that really changed movies in general. I just have a fascination with films about men having mid-life crises, but this one especially, is fantastic, (classic) and way more than that. The score is unforgettable, the cinematography is great, and it has one of my favourite ending scenes in a film. Taxi Driver is a film about a Vietnam veteran who ends up becoming a taxi driver. I won't say a lot about this film, other than it. being an attempt to be seen, and how heroes are often depicted in society. It's also about loneliness. Great screenplay in general too, well-made.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, United States, 2004)
I'm fascinated with Michel Gondry as a director, and am a big fan of a lot of the music videos he has directed for artists like Björk, Radiohead, etc. The reason why that is because he likes using a good mix of practical effects and editing especially to represent on-screen illusions; it gives it a kooky DIY-style and a personality. This film not only utilises this, but it feels very fitting with the narrative. A film about memory, and how memory is a delicate thing that is constantly being re-contextualised and even completely fabricated. It's also a movie about the importance of memory, and how we often need to give meaning to our memories; we are where we are because of our experiences. I also really love the score, and just the tone and atmosphere. Has kind of a melancholic vibe to it :)
Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, West Germany/United Kingdom/France, 1984)
A movie about Americana and the American dream from a European perspective, Paris, Texas is a refreshing take on an imaginary concept that is more fiction than fact. I wrote a bit last year about how the film does this visually and through the story: here. Either way, the fact that it uses the element of a road-trip to uncover what lies beneath a seemingly happy American family is very inspiring to me, as I myself am working on a personal project that is basically my rendition of a road film :) It's a very clever way to interlace a cultural element/critique whilst also delivering character drama.
Good Bye Lenin! (Wolfgang Becker, Germany, 2003)
This film sounds like it's somehow political. You could argue that any film is political. Surprisingly, this film is more about family. It's a drama/comedy that tackles the power of media and cinema on impacting perception for sure (but it's surely also an exaggeration for comedic effect). However, it is also a depiction the quite traumatic change of an entire country's operation and how jarring that can be. It does not have an opinion on the systems, just on the change itself and how nostalgia can be a deeply subjective feeling that applies to a time that one may not have even enjoyed. There is a legitimacy to those feelings. And this very heartwarming film displays the importance of family too :)
Scott Pilgrim vs the World (Edgar Wright, UK/US/Canada/Japan, 2010)
Edgar Wright is one of my favourite directors. Scott Pilgrim vs the World is my personal favourite Wright film because of the way that the comic-book style and Wright's directing style (crash zooms, whip pans, visual gags, etc.) complement each other very well. It's only just a very fun watch and whilst it utilises the 'manic pixie dream girl' trope (which we are starting to throw behind now), I find it very funny and enjoyable and I never tire of it. Wright has inspired me a lot too, creatively.
The Nightingale's Prayer/دعاء الكروان (Henry Barakat, Egypt, 1959)
One of my personal favourite Arabic films, this film deals with its' female characters in much more sensitivity than expected in this 1950's tragedy. Here, the victims of the tragedy are the women. In every way in this film, the forces are against the female characters. The movie itself is an honest and heart-breaking depiction of domestic violence too and deals with themes such as revenge and love which are particularly important in the society it takes place in. This sense of female revenge is one that is not so often seen on the silver screen and it's refreshing to see in general.
Fallen Angels (Wong Kar-Wai, Hong Kong, 1995)
Fallen Angels is in no way Wong Kar-Wai's best-made film. and I honestly think it has a lot of flaws. In fact, it is quite messy and disjointed at times, losing focus of what it's trying to say. But it's one of those films that are undoubtedly part of the list of films that influenced me creatively + ones that I enjoyed quite a bit. Fallen Angels looks messy, and portrays anomie in an urban city in a striking atmospheric manner. The hazy nature of this film and the loneliness of the characters feels like a perfect backdrop to a drama/crime film. The way humour and absurd elements are interlaced in it is also very cool. I also love it when films portray places in cultural flux (e.g Terrorizers (Edward Yang, Taiwan, 1986).
How To Train Your Dragon (Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, United States, 2010)
How To Train Your Dragon is a film I can confidently say I've watched more than you can count on two hands growing up. It's a good film, that utilises many elements of the hero's journey for sure, but it's charm is something that resonates a lot. It's also surprisingly a critique of toxic masculinity? Upon a recent rewatch it becomes clear that the lead character does not follow the status quo for what is expected from him as a 'man' and throughout the film the societal norms are questioned. It's also the film where the female character (Astrid) has the most to work with.
Barbie as Princess and the Pauper (William Lau, US/Canada, 2004)
A film that feels out of place on this list. While this film is not genuinely good in cinematic terms, it's one of my favourite films of all-time. The reason is important and is something that I discuss quite frequently on this website: nostalgia. However, Barbie films (and children's media) is one of the few avenues were content is actually made for girls and even can heavily utilise the female gaze - the relationship between the female characters are central to the plot, and the story revolves around the female characters and the female experience. The male characters tend to be just embellishments, they are much less integral to the plot in many of the Barbie films. Princess and the Pauper is a retelling of the Mark Twain classic except with female characters; the quality is not top-notch but the songs are very fun and memorable. I never get tired of it either. I need to watch it several times a year.