It’s the beginning of the semester, and that means that college students everywhere have so much free time that they don’t know what to do with themselves. If you don’t feel like going to the gym or going out with your friends for the millionth time, here are 11 awesome movies to watch before your professors actually give you work.
Links to each movie’s trailer are linked to the title, just in case you take me seriously and want to check them out
1. The Grand Budapest Hotel
I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun watching a movie than I did while sitting through "The Grand Budapest Hotel." It’s absolutely ridiculous, colorful, and Ralph Fiennes’ performance as the nutty concierge of the famous hotel is excellent. Watch it when you need some cheering up.
2. Marathon Man
This is a pretty old movie with a seemingly ridiculous plot (think Dustin Hoffman + Sir Laurence Olivier + Nazis + Diamonds) but don’t brush it aside solely because of that. Somehow, it works, and it works very well. If it wasn’t good, I wouldn’t recommend it.
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
If nothing else, watch this movie just for the entertainment factor. You’re not going to get any profound dialogue or lasting messages, but you will absolutely have an awesome time. It’s a beautifully shot, fast-paced, almost comic book-y movie, and you’ll definitely want to sit down and see it.
4. American Beauty
This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Its subject matter is a little heavy, but if you grew up in terminally anxious, superficial suburbia (which I know many of my friends have), love good acting (who doesn’t) and want something to make you think, watch it. Immediately.
5. Her
"Her" was by far one of the strangest yet most romantic love stories I’ve ever been exposed to. I don’t know how he does it, but Spike Jonze manages to make the idea of a man falling in love with his computer a) not totally insane and b) play out beautifully and believably in this gorgeous film. It’s a lot more complex than it sounds, and probably one of the better movies you’ll see. Give it a shot, but don’t watch it on Valentine's Day unless you want to depress yourself.
6. The Graduate
Yet another old, must-see Dustin Hoffman movie. This one is an absolute classic; the soundtrack is exclusively Simon and Garfunkel, the manner in which it’s shot was groundbreaking for its time, and all in all, it’s insanely enjoyable.
7. Magnolia
You have to devote a solid three hours to this one, but it’s worth it. Paul Thomas Anderson brought together some of the most talented actors of the time (Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, and way too many more to list) to make this masterpiece of a movie. It’s all about coincidence, and he somehow weaves the characters’ lives so seamlessly together that you almost feel as if you’re looking in on individual lives instead of watching a movie.
8. Goodfellas
If you are old enough to read this article and yet still have not seen this movie, stop reading immediately and watch it. This is arguably Scorsese’s best movie, and probably his most quotable one as well. Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta together make for one of the greatest gangster movies of all time.
9. Take Shelter
"Take Shelter" is a little talky, but it’s also one of the most psychologically thrilling movies I’ve ever seen. It follows the story of a small family out in the Midwest, and a father who’s constantly plagued by apocalyptic nightmares and visions. It constantly has you wondering: is his fear warranted, or is this movie simply a chronicle of his descent into madness? Stick it out until the end, it’s worth it.
10. Kill Bill Vol. 1
Instead of recommending everyone’s favorite Tarantino movie ("Pulp Fiction," which you should still watch if you haven’t already), I’m going to throw "Kill Bill" in here. This is Tarantino at his most extreme; the movie is almost a caricature of itself in the sense that the dialogue, the character development and the plot are all incredibly over-the-top. It’s a revenge-based movie with a strong performance by the boss herself, Uma Thurman. Not for the faint of heart, this movie is also incredibly violent, so brace yourself if you want to give it a shot.
11. No Country for Old Men
Last but not least, this adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel by the same name will knock your socks off. It does justice to the novel by sticking with McCarthy’s formula of juxtaposing barren desert landscapes with intense conflict, which just makes for an even more nail-bitingly suspenseful film.
