The Canon

First big 'man behind the curtain' plot.

Excellent legal movie as well as the most appealing archetype of the skeptic that single-handedly convinces others through the sheer power of their words.

Laid the tracks for the 'psycho killer' thriller format that plagued us later on. Not a great film necessarily, but original at the time.

The first serious science fiction movie, dealing mainly with AI alignment and space exploration. Aesthetics and direction have had a lot of influence and it single-handedly changed the course of science fiction.

The aesthetics, the free violence and specially the decaying society have probably been an important influence in later films, such as American Psycho.

The first great "mafia" film, which has influenced most later gangster/mobster movies and shows.

Considered the first "blockbuster", it lays the structure for many latter monster horror.

The morally ambiguous antihero and the theme of a morally-decayed city often draw inspiration from this movie.

The first great space opera, and one of the most influential sci-fi movies in popular culture, from its quotes, to specific aesthetics (Leia's hairbun, Darth Vader) and parts of the plot ('Luke, I am your Father', the Death Star).

Inspiration of any survival horror where the villain (often a monster) takes down the characters one by one, while the characters try to fight or flight. One clear example is any movie where the viewer sees something where the monster/villain seems to be dead, only for it to come back one last time before dying spectacularly. Geiger's aesthetics have also influenced many sci-fi movies beyond the monster genre, specially in the design of biological-like ships and buildings.

The descent into madness, the unnerving ambience and the shocking scenes like the blood pouring out of the elevator make this an influential horror classic.

It popularized a genre of terror where the monster is not a defined, clear-cut creature, but could be anyone in a group, pitting members of a group against each other to root out the monster. It might have even inspired Dmitry Davidoff's original 'Mafia' and future iterations on the concept, such as the modern "Among Us".

Highly influential in culture for its cyberpunk and 'Neo-Tokyo' aesthetics, the use of rain to set the mood and humanlike AI.

Any movie where there is a romance plot in which a 3rd character tells the suitor (often the man) what to say to the woman to gain her affection. Originally a French play from 1897, but this movie is one of the best adaptations of a classic work of all time.

Likely the most influential serial killer film after 'Psycho', it popularized a villain so dangerous that he is transported in restraints, including a 'mouth muzzle'. Also the idea of a 'Quid pro Quo', as the antagonist says in the movie, where the two 'opposing' parties who are temporarily collaborating, need to do something in exchange for help.

Technically not the first, but certainly the best known time loop film. It propelled a whole genre of movies based around some time period, often one day, where time loops and one or more characters retain their consciousness. At its core it's not comedy but the roughest form of horror out there.

It influenced a lot of later sci-fi movies with its use of CGI, and some monster movies in how the Tyrannosaurus maintains tension.

It influenced many crime/gangster movies that focus on characters being memorable and relatable, often using smalltalk and character flaws.

First feature-length computer-animated film, served as the blueprint for later Disney/Pixar animation movies and franchises.

A great philosophical movies that questions the nature of reality, and does so with humor and emotion. Has influenced later cinema (mainly sci-fi) where characters live in a reality that is not what it seems at first glance.

The most influential sci-fi movie, deals with many philosophical topics: the complacency of accepting the status quo vs the pain of seeking truth, the threat of AI replacing humanity, virtual reality, questioning the nature of our reality. Just to name a few.

The aesthetics, men teaming up and organizing a rebellion, a based character that exposes a rotten culture and specially a multiple-personality character have influenced later culture, probably more than films. One direct heir to this movie is the tv show Mr. Robot.

Apart from all the memes it has spun, it's the most iconic anti-hero main character, the 'sigma male' who goes his own way and does not care one bit what anyone says.

The LoTR saga set the standard to judge future high fantasy. The most popular example of the quest arc, the fantasy aesthetics, and the movie to copy on how large-scale melee battles play out.