What’s After the Movie | Movie Lists

Spike Lee's 95 Essential Films for Aspiring Directors

Spike Lee, acclaimed American director and NYU professor, compiled a list of films he considers essential for students of cinema. The collection originally featured 87 titles from directors such as Ingmar Bergman, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, Jim Jarmusch, François Truffaut and Roman Polanski, and was later expanded to 95 after adding eight works by female filmmakers in response to criticism. Lee emphasizes studying cinematic history and diverse storytelling as a foundation for aspiring filmmakers.

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Spike Lee's 95 Essential Films for Aspiring Directors – Complete Movie List

Explore the full Spike Lee's 95 Essential Films for Aspiring Directors packed with a wide range of films, from timeless classics to modern hits. This movie list is designed to help you quickly browse, discover, and choose your next watch. Whether you’re in the mood for drama, comedy, action, or something new, the Spike Lee's 95 Essential Films for Aspiring Directors offers a curated collection of movies that makes finding great films easier than ever.

District 9

2009 • 112 min • English

The Hurt Locker

2009 • 131 min • English

Apocalypto

2006 • 139 min • Unknown language

Kung Fu Hustle

2005 • 95 min • Chinese

Dirty Pretty Things

2003 • 97 min • English

City of God

2003 • 130 min • Portuguese

Hoop Dreams

1994 • 170 min • English

The Piano

1993 • 121 min • English

Bad Lieutenant

1992 • 96 min • English

Daughters of the Dust

1991 • 112 min • English

Boyz n the Hood

1991 • 112 min • English

Empire of the Sun

1987 • 153 min • English

Raising Arizona

1987 • 94 min • English

Ran

1985 • 162 min • Japanese

Stranger Than Paradise

1984 • 89 min • English

Sugar Cane Alley

1983 • 103 mins • French

Zelig

1983 • 79 mins • English

The Road Warrior

1982 • 94 min • English

Thief

1981 • 122 min • English

Raging Bull

1980 • 129 min • English

Mad Max

1980 • 88 min • English

Days of Heaven

1978 • 94 min • English

Killer of Sheep

1978 • 80 mins • English

Blue Collar

1978 • 114 min • English

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

1977 • 135 min • English

Marathon Man

1976 • 125 min • English

Dog Day Afternoon

1975 • 125 min • English

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1975 • 133 min • English

Swept Away

1975 • 1 h 54 m • Italian

Cooley High

1975 • 107 min • English

Seven Beauties

1975 • 116 mins • Italian

The Godfather: Part II

1974 • 200 min • English

Chinatown

1974 • 130 min • English

The Last Detail

1973 • 104 min • English

Badlands

1973 • 94 min • English

Mean Streets

1973 • 112 min • German

Day for Night

1973 • 116 mins • French

Love and Anarchy

1973 • 126 mins • Italian

Last Tango in Paris

1973 • 136 min • French

Fat City

1972 • 96 min • English

The Godfather

1972 • 175 min • English

The Seduction of Mimi

1972 • 113 mins • Italian

The Conformist

1970 • 107 min • Italian

Patton

1970 • 172 min • English

MASH

1970 • 116 min • English

Midnight Cowboy

1969 • 113 min • English

Cool Hand Luke

1967 • 126 min • English

Bonnie and Clyde

1967 • 112 min • English

In the Heat of the Night

1967 • 109 min • English

Is Paris Burning?

1966 • 173 mins • French

The Battle of Algiers

1966 • 121 mins • Arabic

The Train

1965 • 133 min • Malayalam

I Am Cuba

1964 • 141 mins • Spanish

8½

1963 • 138 min • English

To Kill a Mockingbird

1962 • 129 min • English

Lawrence of Arabia

1962 • 228 mins • English

West Side Story

1961 • 153 min • English

Yojimbo

1961 • 110 min • Japanese

La Dolce Vita

1961 • 2 h 54 m • English

Spartacus

1960 • English

Breathless

1960 • 90 mins • French

North by Northwest

1959 • 136 min • English

Black Orpheus

1959 • 100 mins • Portuguese

The 400 Blows

1959 • 99 mins • French

Some Like It Hot

1959 • 121 min • Chinese

Vertigo

1958 • 2 h 8 m • Korean

Touch of Evil

1958 • 95 min • English

Paths of Glory

1957 • 88 min • English

The Bridge on the River Kwai

1957 • 161 min • English

A Face in the Crowd

1957 • 126 min • English

Lust for Life

1956 • 122 min • English

The Night of the Hunter

1955 • 92 min • English

Marty

1955 • 90 min • English

La Strada

1954 • 115 mins • Italian

On the Waterfront

1954 • 108 min • English

Singin' in the Rain

1952 • 103 min • English

Rashomon

1951 • 88 min • Japanese

Miracle in Milan

1951 • 97 min • English

An American in Paris

1951 • 114 min

Ace in the Hole

1951 • 111 mins • English

The Young and the Damned

1950 • 82 mins • Spanish

White Heat

1949 • 114 min • English

Home of the Brave

1949 • 86 mins • English

The Red Shoes

1948 • 133 mins • English

Bicycle Thieves

1948 • 89 mins • Italian

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

1948 • 126 min

Paisan

1946 • 125 mins • Italian

Rome, Open City

1945 • 103 mins • Italian

Casablanca

1943 • 102 min • English

The Maltese Falcon

1941 • 100 min • English

The Wizard of Oz

1939 • 102 min • English

Dead End

1937 • 93 mins • English

Explore Other Curated Movie Lists by Genre, Theme, and Year | Discover More Films to Watch

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Expand your watchlist with more curated movie lists designed to help you find the perfect film. Beyond this collection, browse related lists that showcase top-rated blockbusters, timeless classics, hidden gems, indie favorites, and fan-recommended titles. Whether you’re searching by genre, theme, release year, or mood, these additional lists make it easier than ever to explore new movies, compare options, and uncover your next favorite film.

Must‑Watch Movies Everyone Should See at Least Once

This list gathers movies that are considered essential viewing at least once in a lifetime, offering a bucket‑list style reference for film enthusiasts. It draws on contributions and statistical insights from the Reddit community, organized for easy profiling and tracking of all‑stats data.

Comfort Movies

This collection features movies chosen for their comforting tone and ability to provide a relaxing viewing experience. It highlights films that are often described as feel‑good, gentle, or uplifting, catering to audiences seeking solace and ease.

Letterboxd One Million Watched Club

The official Letterboxd One Million Watched Club lists 597 feature films and 4 TV shows that have been viewed by at least one million members. It includes detailed statistics such as average rating, most‑watched titles, fastest films to reach a million viewers, and representation data for decades, languages, and directors. Milestones like the first films to hit X‑million‑member thresholds and notable achievements across Oscar winners, box‑office rankings, and franchise coverage are also highlighted. The list is regularly updated, with the latest addition being "A Nightmare on Elm Street" in August 2025.

Letterboxd Top 250 Science Fiction Films (2025)

This list compiles the 250 highest‑rated science‑fiction feature films on Letterboxd as of August 24 2025. It follows strict eligibility rules: only films at least 40 minutes long, categorized as "Science Fiction" on Letterboxd, with a minimum of 3,000 user ratings and 100 likes, and excludes shorts, TV content, re‑issues, and other non‑film formats. The list serves as a sci‑fi specific companion to the broader Letterboxd Top 250 ranking, which includes only a few science‑fiction titles.

Oscar Best Picture Winners

This collection features films that have received the Academy Award for Best Picture. Each entry represents a movie recognized as the top achievement in cinema for its year. The list provides an overview of Oscar-winning titles without ranking or commentary.

70 Years of the Palme d'Or

This feature examines the first seventy years of the Palme d'Or, the top prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It highlights the evolution of the award, notable winners, and the cultural impact of the prize on international cinema.