My 20 MOST REWATCHABLE films






Haven't posted for a while, so thought I'd go with something new. Rewatchability is a major criteria for inclusion in my top 100. I tend to think of favorites as something that holds up to repeat viewings, and that you sometimes think about fondly even when not watching the actual film. Quotable movies also have a habit of getting watched over and over. It was tough to narrow down to 20 films, I could easily have added more, but you have to cut off somewhere. Today I’m going with these choices:




Shawshank Redemption (1994)
(There's a reason why it's no 1 on IMDB's top 250. Even those who are not film buffs have told me they can't help watching it to the end if Shawshank is on TV)







Match Point (2005)
(My favorite Woody Allen film. The story draws me in every time, despite knowing what happens. I'm fascinated by the obsessional nature of the main character, even though I think Jonathan Rhys Meyers' acting is not the greatest. Scarlett Johansson in perhaps her sexiest role)






Magnolia (1999)
(The characters I just never tire of watching, there's an emotional vulnerability going on that gives the film real heart. Doesn't feel like a 3 hour movie. Aimee Mann's soundtrack is another reason to appreciate the movie)







Before Sunrise (1995)
(How can you not love the sweet love story? The most romantic film I can think of. Superbly written.)







The Hours (2002)
(Rare that such complex, rich characters make their way into the oscar race)







Blue Velvet (1986)
(I love the atmosphere, and there's a certain thrill with us being in the shoes of Jeffrey, hiding in the apartment. Mulholland Dr (2001) I feel is solvable, whereas Blue Velvet is still an enigma to me)






The Decalogue (1989)
(So many details, so much to take in, even after 2-3 watches there are still things I missed. I could say the same about Kieslowski's work in the 90s as well. A master at the top of his game in that period 1989-94)





The Breakfast Club (1985)
(I love hanging out with these characters. Tarantino talks about Linklater's Dazed and Confused (1993) in the same way, the characters are like friends you see again every few years. The song by Simple Minds is today an 80s classic, and gives the movie the ending it deserves)






Point Break (1991)
( Jumping out of a plane, the chase on foot, the bank robbers, etc , etc. I don't see any reason for a remake. This movie still rocks and the action scenes have aged well. The ending is iconic)






Terminator 2 (1991)
(Not often that a sequel improves on the original, and I think James Cameron achieved that. A candidate for best action movie of the 90s, and I'd put Point Break on that list as well.)






The Shining (1980)
(That ending still baffles me today, no mater how many times I've seen The Shining. It could be my favorite movie ending of all time. That rare film that I coud rewind and watch again immediately)





Collateral (2004)
(I still can't get over how different Tom Cruise is compared to other roles. He's like a wolf prowling in the night. A hitman who seems in control, but is he? There's a mystery there)





Crocodile Dundee (1986)
(Quotable, funny, heartwarming. The fish out of water story is timeless in a way, and could have been made today. That poster is genius. Probably the most famous Australian film)





Juno (2007)
(The deadpan delivery by Ellen Page is hilarious, Probably my favorite Diabo Cody script. The music discussion between Juno and Mark Loring is my favorite scene from the movie)





Rounders (1998)
(I almost picked Good Will Hunting, but I mainly love that for the scenes with Robin Williams. It's been a while since I rewatched Rounders. Every time I feel the tension, and it's like I'm almost living what the character is going through. )






Rain Man (1988)
(I think Cruise should have been nominated for a supporting Oscar, although Hoffman is amazing here. An unforgettable road movie which doesn't lose its power on rewatch)






Don’t Look Now (1973)
(Holds up well despite being from the 70s, for several reasons: We feel their grief due to the strong performances, the colours and images are loaded with symbolism, and also Venice looks fantastic. A different kind of horror film)






A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
(So quotable, so funny. Kevin Kline is on top form in his wacky oscar winning performance.)






I’m Not There (2007)
(A divisive film. I love it and feel it was misunderstood by critics. While somewhat messy, it's also a unique way of showing us Bob Dylan's many personas. The singer continues to fascinate.)





Flash Gordon (1980)
(The colorful sets, the pulsating Queen soundtrack, the memorable characters. I know there are those who find it too silly, campy and over the top. It's my favorite superhero movie, I've seen it ten times and never gets old. The tribute scene in the movie Ted (2012) probably helped boost the dvd sales)





Which are your most rewatchable films? Any of the above, or other films that you watch again and again? What is the attraction about rewatching for you?





20 comments:

  1. I only saw bits of Rounders as well as bits of Don't Look Now so I don't have an opinion on either film. Everything else I've seen and enjoyed except for The Hours which I don't like because I thought it was tedious and full of itself. It's one of the reasons why I really dislike Stephen Daldry.

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    1. @thevoid99: You should check you Rounders, which I think is an underappreciated movie from the 90s. Don’t Look Now is a classic and needs no introduction. I guess we will have to disagree about The Hours. Glad we agree about most of the others anyway!

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  2. Hey Chris - great idea for a post!
    I think the films I've seen the most of in my life are:
    1. Working Girl
    2. Heathers
    3. The 2 Kill Bills
    4. Minority Report (I can't defend this - I just love it)
    5. Terminator 2 (totally with you on that one)
    6. Vivre Sa Vie (my wanky arthouse passion)
    7. When Harry Met Sally
    8. Local Hero (I think I could watch this film every day of my life)
    9. Picnic at hanging Rock
    10. The Matrix

    They're not all necessarily my favorite films (though some of them are among my faves) but they are probably the films I can sling into the player and watch in bed when I don't want to think any more about the day. I actually love using films that way, watching over and over again till you feel like you own it. If I think hard I can come up with more. I love to watch girls kicking ass (Lara Croft I watch a lot), but I also really love Curaon's Great Expectations which is a totally crap film. Go Figure.

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    1. @Lisa: Thank you! I can follow that reasoning, I sometimes rewatch films when I want to switch off my brain and relax. Picnic at Hanging Rock is a film in my top 100 that I can watch every 5 years, the mystery is still intact!
      Vivre Sa Vie is your avatar so I figured you must have seen it a bunch of times :) Haven’t watched CuarĂ³n’s Great Expectations since the late 90s, I remember the film mainly for Gwyneth Paltrow and the compilation soundtrack. Thanks for sharing your list.

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  3. Excellent list. For to admit that there are some titles I have not seen yet.

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    1. @Nostra: Thanks. Hope you get to see the ones you missed!

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  4. Some day I'm going to do a category of the films I stop to watch when I'm flipping through channels, even though I own them on DVD. These include The Princess Bride, The Hunt for Red October, Die Hard, Groundhog Day, and others.

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    1. @Chip Lary: Nice choices! Most of those films you mention I have watched multiple time as well. The Princess Bride is very quotable. My favorite from your list is Groundhog Day, which is in my top 100.

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  5. Great idea for a list Chris! I haven't seen a lot of these, but I have rewatched Shawshank, Point Break, Collateral, and T-2. Oh I need to rewatch A Fish Called Wanda, that's such a hoot! Oh, Flash Gordon is campy great fun, I was so in love w/ Prince Barin ;-)

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    1. @Ruth: Thank you! Yeah, T-2 and Shawshank are probably the most rewatched of these if you ask people on the street. I remember you love Timothy Dalton :)

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  6. Interesting list. Match Point is the first Woody Allen film I saw back in the day and remember liking it a lot. I should rewatch it sometime.
    In Magnolia there's a lot going on so I can see why it's on the list. And there's a lot more to discover from more viewings. Same thing about The Shining.
    Before Sunrise is indeed very romantic and those conversations are great.
    I am sure that Terminator 2 is the best action movie of the 90's and probably of all time. I've seen this one on TV many times as a kid and was entertained by it on each viewing.
    I also agree on Juno, it's very charming and Ellen Page is great, and Fish called Wanda which is so funny.

    I would add Tarantino's films except Death Proof. His films are a lot of fun, especially the Kill Bill ones, but the first part of DP is a drag. The rest are super entertaining.
    But the piece of media I've watched the most times is 30 Rock. I jump through episodes of course but I laugh every single time. And I even discover new meaning of the jokes with each viewing. It's the show I could watch forever.

    I mostly think that fun films have that rewatchability quality. Also touching films. Mostly movies you can watch at any time and make you lose track of time.
    Great post!

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    1. @Cristi B: I like some of Woody Allen’s films although his whiny character gets on my nerves. Match Point is the only film of his in my top 200.
      You’re right that part of rewatching is in discovering new details or interpretations, and The Shining is perfect for that.
      Best action movie of the 90's, maybe we should both do a list and compare? Before you do that watch Point Break (1991), you won’t regret it.
      I’ve only seen Death Proof once, so my memory of it is hazy. I still haven’t seen Planet Terror, so maybe one day I’ll do a double bill as was originally intended. I’m not a big fan of the violence in Kill Bill, though I will rewatch them at some point. Maybe when the extended "whole bloody affair" is released, apparently a limited run in 2015. I prefer to see it on the big screen.
      I can agree with you that fun films and touching films are great to rewatch, mainly if the humour is appealing, and you can connect with the emotions.
      Thanks for saying so!

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  7. Love Rounders! Possibly the greatest poker movie ever made. Like Point Break, Juno, The Breakfast Club . I really must check out Match Point, the Hours and believe it or not, I've never seen Shawshank.

    My most rewatched film is probably Weird Science, way better than the Breakfast Club for me.

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    1. @doccortex: Rounders is the best poker film for me too. Though I haven’t yet seen The Cincinnati Kid, maybe a bit dated since it’s from the 60s.

      Never seen Shawshank? You must be the only one :)
      I’ve heard of Weird Science, got to check that out soon.

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  8. Great eclectic mix here! I was scrolling and reading through and was thinking, this is a heavy bunch of films, then saw Point Break and Crocodile Dundee!

    For me, it's the likes of The Princess Diaries, Terminator 2, Coming to America, Independence Day, Bad Boys, Mud, Inception, Nolan's Batman films; the list is endless!

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    1. @Jaina: Glad you liked the list! I attempted to mix heavier and lighter films. Crocodile Dundee and Point Break are so entertaining, I don’t get tired of them.
      Independence Day didn’t work for me so well on the small screen(loved it in the cinema). Coming to America was actually considered, as it’s in my top 200.
      I’ve only seen Nolan's Batman trilogy once myself(need to change that), I know Rory McIlroy revealed he’d seen The Dark Knight 10x :)
      Inception I wholeheartedly agree demands rewatches!

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  9. Awesome post. I love hearing what films my favorite bloggers can watch endlessly. My list would look similar to yours in the way that it'd be a mix of silly and serious. Great stuff.

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    1. @Alex Withrow: Thanks a lot! Yep, had to go with a mix. I'm not totally serious, and not totally silly :)

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  10. Oh, I LOVE this list! I've been debating on doing something similar. Maybe a top 100 most rewatchable and a top 100 guilty pleasures, as long as they didn't have much crossover.

    Off the top of my head, my top 10 would look something like this:

    1. Rear Window
    2. Dial M for Murder
    3. The Maltese Falcon
    4. The Philadelphia Story
    5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    6. His Girl Friday
    7. A Fish Called Wanda
    8. American Graffiti
    9. The Awful Truth
    10. Arsenic and Old Lace

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    1. @Josh: Feel free to steal the idea and do your own top 100 rewatchable :) Of your ten, Fish Called Wanda is the one I’ve rewatched the most. I’ve seen 9 of yours, I haven’t yet watched The Awful Truth. Plan to

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