1. Citizen Kane (1941)- Citizen Kane is widely considered to be the greatest cinematic masterpiece of all time. After a wealthy man dies in his bed, muttering one last word “Rosebud”, his heirs and other family struggle to discover the meaning of the word.

2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)- Based off of a short novella of the same name by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption is a powerful and captivating tale of a man who is wrongfully convicted of the murders of his wife and her lover and sentenced to a life in jail for his (false) crimes. The viewer gets to follow along as Andy Dufresne transitions from a kind man to a criminal behind bars, and as Andy himself says, “It's funny. On the outside, I was an honest man. Straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook.” An emotional thrill ride from beginning to end, this film is sure to keep you up into the wee hours of the night watching.

3. Fight Club (1999)- What do you get when you combine one of the best storylines of all time with fantastic and convincing acting? One of the greatest films of modern times. When a middle-aged business man (played by Edward Norton(only referred to in the movie as Narrator)) finds himself getting stuck in his daily life, he tries to find relief by attending support groups for people with terminal diseases, he eventually meets Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt). The two start an underground group together known as Fight Club, and it quickly becomes an underground cult.

4. Logan (2017)- Not quite fitting in with the rest of the movies on this list, Logan is a modern masterpiece, released in 2017 to critical and audience acclaim. The movie is a dark and gritty take on a character who has been in need of that treatment on screen for a while. Logan is the last time that Hugh Jackman will show up in the role of the iconic character, and is a fitting end to a legendary player in the world of comic book films. Following James Logan Howlett (Wolverine) as he helps a clone of himself named Lara (X-23) get to safety as she is chased by a shadowy organization that wants her dead, all while Logan must attempt to protect his mentor, professor Charles Xavier (portrayed for the last time by Sir Patrick Stewart.)

5. The Godfather (1974)- With eleven Oscar nominations and three wins, along with eight Golden Globe nominations and six Golden Globe wins, The Godfather is almost universally considered to be a great film, with a complex plot, and emotional performances by great actors.

6. Lion King (1994)- The only animated film on this list, Lion King introduced young (and old) viewers to a magical and amazing world. The film follows Simba, a young lion cub who is the heir to the kingship of the Pride Lands as he grows up and learns what it means to be a king.

7. Scarface (1983)- Scarface follows the story of Cuban refugee Tony Montana (played by Al Pacino) who arrives in America during the eighties with nothing and soon becomes an infamous drug kingpin.