1. "Get Out"

Releasing in February of 2017, director Jordan Peele's "Get Out" took the world by storm! Its unique premise is what gravitated so many viewers to the theater. Starring Daniel Kaluuya as Chris Washington he and his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) travel to his Rose's parents' house and meets the folks but there is something ominous about this place and the people that inhabit the land. I think what makes this film appeal to so many people is that it doesn't directly state that white people are racist or anything that puts down the other race. Instead, it uses race as a way to build character motivation. If you haven't seen "Get Out," please watch it!

2. "Se7en"

"Seven" (Sometimes written as "Se7en") is not a film for the weak of heart. It is a grim and depressing thriller, with a stressful plot throughout. Morgan Freeman plays a seasoned cop named Somerset who is close to retirement. He is assigned a newbie cop named Mills, and the two are assigned to investigate a John Doe serial killer that uses the seven deadly sins to hunt down his victims.

This idea for the plot is already interesting to me, it's the seven deadly sins. Each murder is elegantly crafted to relate back to one of the sins. With each of the deaths, you feel bad for the individual who was murdered. Also, the way the world is portrayed is what really pulls me in. It is a grimy city that hasn't seen hope in years. The city is never established for one and the viewer can't really pinpoint what time period it is set in. It is not important to the narrative and I think the characters help carry this film to the point the audience isn't worrying about that to begin with.

On top of that, Kevin Spacey is in this film and there is a little behind the scene trivia regarding him. Originally when the film was being promoted, there was no mention of Kevin Spacey in the film as a way to subvert audience expectations. If you do not have a weak stomach, watch "Se7en."

3. "Silence of the Lambs"

I've heard of Hannibal Lecter in passing over the years, but I never had the opportunity to watch "Silence of the Lambs." Frankly, when my teacher mentioned we would be watching it in class I wondered how a film about lambs was rated R?

Jodie Foster plays Agent Starling, a fresh recruit to the FBI assigned to interview serial killer Hannibal Lecter in order to track down a copycat of sorts named Buffalo Bill. The background of this film really is interesting as the film used actual FBI tactics to help encourage women to enroll in the FBI. It wasn't just some made up FBI sayings as a way to sound cool. The film is excellently acted, and I was interested in the story from beginning to end. The acting was particularly superb with Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. For a large portion of the film, Hannibal Lecter is so calm when conversating with Agent Starling. He is very elegant with his vocabulary which creates a stark contrast from the typical serial killer who is deranged and has no class. The sort of unholy bond Agent Starling and Lecter form is both unsettling and comforting.

The film today is still an excellent thriller and I truly recommend people to watch, especially if they are fans of Anthony Hopkins. It is one of his most iconic roles of course, even though I still see him as Odin from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

4. "The Unusual Suspect"

When my teacher introduced "The Unusual Suspect" to the class, he asked if anyone had already seen the film. Only one or two individuals had seen the film before and my teacher stressed that no one spoils the twist at the end of the film and I whole-heartily agree. There isn't much I can say about this film without spoiling it. It starts off a little slow and uninteresting at the beginning but around a third of the way through, the narrative starts to pick up with our main characters. All I can say about the plot is that it involves Kevin Spacey's character explaining to the police what illegal events transpired on a boat one evening. It stars actors like Kevin Spacey (mentioned before), Benicio del Toro, Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, and Kevin Pollak. I highly recommend watching the film because there are so many intricate details that play into the plot that makes you want to rewatch the film to catch them all.

5. "The Godfather"

Film fanatics for years have discussed how well crafted "The Godfather" is as a film. And I whole-heartily agree with them. I believe what carries the film and makes it last today are the characters. More specifically the Corleone family. My teacher when we were watching it pointed out the distinction between Family and family. Family with a capital F is the crime family. And the family with the lower-case f is for the actual family, the Corleone. And throughout the film, it is important for the characters to maintain this separation.

In one scene, for example, Sonny (Vito Corleone's Eldest son) is sitting down and starting to have dinner with his mom, wife etc. At this point in the film, he is the head of the Corleone crime family. And someone begins to talk about the operations at the dinner table and Sonny rightfully so tells the person to shut it, as it is seen rude to talk about business at the table. And that concept is throughout the movie and usually takes multiple viewings to notice. It really helped build the characters because even though they are bad people doing crimes they still had a sense of order and class. There were respect and something that isn't really commonly seen today with crimes committed.

The film is based on the book and sometimes books don't translate well into other media. However, as I mentioned earlier, the characters really carry the film. The opening scene is a wedding and the whole event is shown on screen for more than ten minutes. That is very rare today with modern films as directors fear the audience will get bored. But if you prefer characters over narrative, I recommend spending an afternoon watching "The Godfather".

6. "Baby Driver"

Now, this is a film that became a cult phenomenon overnight. Director Edger Wright does an excellent job of creating a world with interesting characters. But what really makes this film stand out is the sound design.

The film follows the story of a baby (Ansel Elgort) who is a get-away driver working for Kevin Spacey's character, Doc. Baby has a ringing in his ear due to a childhood accident and uses music to assist in his getaway driving. The music itself is its, character in the film and it is hard to describe just how well communicated the cinematography is as it goes with the beat of the music. Actions are done to the beat of very catchy songs and really make this film stand out from beginning an ordinary film about criminals. If you don't want to take my word for it, watch the film for yourself.

7. "The Dark Knight"

For years, I used to say "The Dark Knight" was my favorite film of all time. But I noticed more and more that people usually looked disappointed, in their eyes "The Dark Knight" is just a superhero film. But I'd argue it is something more. "The Dark Knight" is a crime thriller/drama that, involves a superhero as the main protagonist. When director Christopher Nolan set out to develop a new Batman, he envisioned a realistic take on the caped crusader. And that really assisted in the development of "The Dark Knight."

Heath Ledger as the Joker is a perfect example of this realism working well. Instead of just being a crazy clown that enjoys playing jokes on the citizen of Gotham, he is written as a modern-day domestic terrorist. And in this post 9/11 world, the idea of domestic terrorist still frightens individuals. On top of Ledger's Joker, the overall plot is well crafted. The film has a four-act structure instead of the common three. And I believe by not trying to cram all these ideas into three acts, it helps the film breathe a little. It helps the characters become more fleshed out and relatable to the audience. Even after being out for over ten years, "The Dark Knight" is still regarded as one of the most well-crafted crime dramas in cinema today.