Megan Judge's Favourite Movies
Ordered by year of release.
Sort by Genres and explanations at the end.
Venom: The Last Dance🇺🇸
Year: 2024
Genre: Intelligent Action, Magical Realism, Surreal Adventure
Runtime: 109 min
Oppenheimer🇺🇸
Year: 2023
Genre: Existential Drama, Epic
Runtime: 180 min
Everything Everywhere All at Once🇺🇸
Year: 2022
Genre: Dark Comedy, Surreal Adventure, Magical Realism, Intelligent Action
Runtime: 139 min
Nine Days🇺🇸
Year: 2020
Genre: Existential Drama, Dystopian Sci-Fi, Magical Realism
Runtime: 124 min
Tenet🇺🇸
Year: 2020
Genre: Intelligent Action, Dystopian Sci-Fi, Surreal Adventure
Runtime: 150 min
The Gentlemen🇬🇧
Year: 2019
Genre: Intelligent Action, Dark Comedy, Cerebral Crime
Runtime: 113 min
Red Sparrow🇺🇸
Year: 2018
Genre: Intelligent Action, Psychological Thriller, Cerebral Crime
Runtime: 140 min
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.🇺🇸
Year: 2015
Genre: Intelligent Action, Male Camaraderie, Dark Comedy
Runtime: 116 min
Wanderlust🇺🇸
Year: 2012
Genre: Surreal Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Existential Drama
Runtime: 98 min
Limitless🇺🇸
Year: 2011
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Intelligent Action
Runtime: 105 min
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World🇺🇸
Year: 2010
Genre: Action, Magical Realism, Romance
Runtime: 112 min
Inception🇺🇸
Year: 2010
Genre: Intelligent Action, Dystopian Sci-Fi, Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 148 min
Superbad🇺🇸
Year: 2007
Genre: Comedy, Male Camaraderie, Romance
Runtime: 113 min
Idiocracy🇺🇸
Year: 2006
Genre: Existential Drama, Dark Comedy, Dystopian Sci-Fi
Runtime: 84 min
The Illusionist🇺🇸
Year: 2006
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Runtime: 110 min
Revolver🇬🇧
Year: 2005
Genre: Existential Drama, Cerebral Crime, Intelligent Action
Runtime: 111 min
V for Vendetta🇬🇧
Year: 2005
Genre: Existential Drama, Psychological Thriller, Dystopian Sci-Fi
Runtime: 132 min
Lord of War🇺🇸
Year: 2005
Genre: High-Stakes Action, Cerebral Crime, Existential Drama
Runtime: 122 min
Mr & Mrs Smith🇺🇸
Year: 2005
Genre: High-Stakes Action, Romance
Runtime: 120 min
Secret Window🇺🇸
Year: 2004
Genre: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Cerebral Crime
Runtime: 96 min
The Matrix Reloaded🇺🇸
Year: 2003
Genre: Intelligent Action, Dystopian Sci-Fi, Magical Realism
Runtime: 138 min
Dogville🇩🇰
Year: 2003
Genre: Existential Drama, Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 178 min
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron🇺🇸
Year: 2002
Genre: Adventure
Runtime: 83 min
xXx🇺🇸
Year: 2002
Genre: Intelligent Action, Romance, Adventure
Runtime: 124 min
Super Troopers🇺🇸
Year: 2001
Genre: Comedy, Male Camaraderie, Crime
Runtime: 100 min
Requiem for a Dream🇺🇸
Year: 2000
Genre: Crime, Existential Drama
Runtime: 102 min
Snatch🇬🇧
Year: 2000
Genre: Intelligent Action, Male Camaraderie, Dark Comedy
Runtime: 102 min
Malena🇮🇹
Year: 2000
Genre: Existential Drama, Romance
Runtime: 98 min
Fight Club🇺🇸
Year: 1999
Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi, Male Camaraderie, Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 139 min
Being John Malkovich🇺🇸
Year: 1999
Genre: Dark Comedy, Existential Drama, Dystopian Sci-Fi
Runtime: 113 min
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas🇺🇸
Year: 1998
Genre: Dark Comedy, Male Camaraderie, Surreal Adventure
Runtime: 118 min
American Beauty🇺🇸
Year: 1999
Genre: Existential Drama
Runtime: 122 min
Cruel Intentions🇺🇸
Year: 1999
Genre: Drama, Romance
Runtime: 97 min
The Mummy🇺🇸
Year: 1999
Genre: High-Stakes Action, Adventure, Horror
Runtime: 125 min
The Truman Show🇺🇸
Year: 1998
Genre: Dark Comedy, Existential Drama, Dystopian Sci-Fi
Runtime: 103 min
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels🇬🇧
Year: 1998
Genre: Intelligent Action, Male Camaraderie, Cerebral Crime
Runtime: 107 min
The Silver Brumby🇦🇺
Year: 1993
Genre: Adventure, Drama
Runtime: 93 min
My Little Pony: The Movie🇺🇸
Year: 1986
Genre: Fantasy, Musical
Runtime: 87 min
1984🇬🇧
Year: 1984
Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi, Existential Drama, Psychological Thriller
Runtime: 113 min
Yellowbeard🇬🇧
Year: 1983
Genre: Dark Comedy, Adventure, Male Camaraderie
Runtime: 96 min
Blade Runner🇺🇸
Year: 1982
Genre: Dystopian Sci-Fi, Psychological Thriller, Existential Drama
Runtime: 117 min
Grease 2🇺🇸
Year: 1982
Genre: Musical, Male Camaraderie, Romance
Runtime: 114 min
Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams🇺🇸
Year: 1981
Genre: Surreal Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Runtime: 88 min
Life of Brian🇬🇧
Year: 1979
Genre: Surreal Adventure, Dark Comedy, Satire
Runtime: 94 min
And Now for Something Completely Different🇬🇧
Year: 1971
Genre: Surreal Adventure, Dark Comedy, Satire
Runtime: 88 min
The Big Sleep🇺🇸
Year: 1946
Genre: Film Noir, Mystery, Cerebral Crime
Runtime: 114 min
Correlations
So there are two underlying themes in what I watch. Men becoming men or showing stoic masculinity (things like Fight Club, American Beauty, Revolver, etc) show men reclaiming their masculinity/mind/life as adults. Also the younger versions (Scott Pilgrim, Superbad, Cruel Intentions, Grease 2, etc). Men finding their way in the world softens my heart and makes me "feel all da tings".
Correlations
There is also some themes of feminity, The Big Sleep has the power play of how a femme fatale deals with masculinity, Malena shows how beauty is often is treated by the world and how it can change a woman to hiding herself, Dogville shows - at the end its a play on the discussion with God - but, its the debate as to when feminity becomes destructive (why feminity at root is "ugra"(2)). When the feminine interacts and controls the environment and females experiencing the side affects of people disliking that and trying to destroy them and how you must defend your beauty.
Correlations
The other main theme is society vs the Self. The collective taking over and trying to destroy the Self through things like removing one's freedom (Spirit, Silver Brumby, V for Vendetta, The Truman Show, 1984, Yellowbeard, etc) or actually fighting the state/authority (Life of Brian, Nice Dreams, etc). Or it falls into fighting in the beyond the Self (the "greater you", usually) to reclaim the Self (Limitless, Inception, Tenet, The Illusionist, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Nine Days, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Matrix Reloaded, etc) - all these films circulate around the mind conquering reality. The dream, creativity, metaphysical, paranormal breakdown of what is "real" and what is "actionable" even though statistically improbable. Like changing your brain waves to not need physical drugs (limitless), bending the dream REM state into reality (producing more DMT naturally when you are awake), etc etc etc. Encompassing the overall, "what is the Self," and where you fit into the world (Being John Malkovich (what is you), Blade Runner (what is a human), Idiocracy (maybe a new world changes how you see you), Lord of War (being the world's bad guy), Requiem for a Dream (does reality defeat you or not), Oppenheimer (what do you give to the world?), Secret Window (would you know you were slipping), etc). The Lord of War, Fight Club, Oppenheimer, Revolver, Yellowbeard, V for Vendetta, 1984, Spirit, Idiocracy, etc themes of... well even The Truman Show in the end, of learning to be the bad guy to harness one's own power would be the subtle theme. "What is bad".