"Rocky" — the first series to ever win my heart

This is a series that my parents watched as they were first shown in theaters in the 70s and 80s, but continued to produce films all the way through 2018 with the release of Creed II(no, "Rocky" isn't in the name but it's important to the story line and the backstory of the Creed films relies on events in the Rocky movies). These movies are iconic for all the right reasons: a strong, driven protagonist with a hard-nosed but caring mentor, a blossoming love story that turns into a tender romance, enemies turned to friends, a rags-to-riches story, and several popular movie references. It's uplifting, it's heartbreaking, it's inspiring, it's relieving, it's funny — these films have all the makings of a good series in my book. You will walk away from these movies with tears in your eyes and love in your heart.

On another note, Rocky Balboa is the love of my life. This is a formal apology to my boyfriend: I'm sorry, but I'm in love with Rocky Balboa and there is nothing that can change that.

"Rocky" (1976): PG, 2h 2m

"Rocky II" (1979): PG, 2h

"Rocky III" (1982): PG, 1h 40m

"Rocky IV" (1985): PG, 1h 31m

"Rocky V" (1990): PG-13, 1h 51m

"Rocky Balboa" (2006): PG, 1h 42m

"Creed" (2015): PG-13, 2h 13m

"Creed II" (2018): PG-13, 2h 10m

"Star Wars" — easily one of the most well-known sagas in cinematic history, and I promise it is well-deserved

This is a series of big names, amazing animation and effects, and iconic scenes, lines, and music that even people who haven't seen them will recognize. It'll make you laugh, cry, and it'll inspire you in ways you never would've imagined. You'll fall in love with its many characters, and be shocked by every twist in the plot. It's one series that all ages can really appreciate, and that alone makes it a treasure, in my opinion. Not to mention, Adam Driver is in episodes VII through IX. Just putting that out there.

"Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" (1977): PG, 2h 5m

"Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" (1980): PG, 2h 7m

"Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" (1983): PG, 2h 16m

"Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (1999): PG, 1999

"Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" (2002): PG, 2h 22m

"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" (2005): PG-13, 2h 20m

"Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" (2015): PG-13, 2h 15m

"Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi" (2017): PG-13, 2h 32m

"Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker" (2019): PG-13, 2h 22m

"The Lord of the Rings" — the most captivating and well-animated series I have ever seen

Before watching LOTR, my boyfriend told me that I may not be too interested because they didn't seem like my kind of films. Contrary to his belief, it wasn't long into "The Fellowship of the Ring" before I had already become so emotionally invested in events unfolding that I demanded we watch "The Two Towers" immediately after. For reasons I refuse to disclose out of fear of spoiling any part of the films for those who may choose to watch them in the future, I will say only this: the movies will absolutely break your heart at times, but you HAVE to finish them. They're far too action-packed and enchanting to just quit at any point. Plus, you follow the stories of many characters throughout, and each and every part is so captivating and important to the overall story that missing a moment could cause you to not understand something. A story of love and friendship, an unlikely hero, and former enemies joining hands for the greater good — the trilogy has so many beautiful features to its story.

And if they're available to you, watch the extended versions. All 12 hours are completely worthwhile.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001): PG-13, 3h 28m

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002): PG-13, 3h 43min

"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003): PG-13, 4h 11m

And while you're at it, watch “The Hobbit“ trilogy, too

The Hobbit films actually precede the story line of LOTR, so watching these will make LOTR make a lot more sense. Again, if possible, get your hands on the extended versions because the 12 hours are well worth it.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012): PG-13, 3h 2m

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013): PG-13, 3h, 7m

"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014): PG-13, 2h 44m

"John Wick" — defying the odds and loving his dog

I have always liked action movies, but the John Wick films are a breed all their own. They're not all nasty blood and gore, but there will be moments that make you go, "DAMN. Did he REALLY just do that?!" Basically, John Wick is a former hit man who is forced to come out of retirement after an unfortunate string of events(that will make you incredibly sad for him at the beginning) caused by some selfish people.

This is the kind of action film that will have you on your feet, cheering him on. His character is mysterious and captivating, and time and time again you watch him absolutely defy the odds with the crazy kills you see him achieve.

"John Wick" (2014): R, 1h 47m

"John Wick: Chapter 2" (2017): R, 2h 2m

"John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" (2019): R, 2h 10m

And there is actually a fourth movie that is to be released in 2022!

"John Wick: Chapter 4"

"Scream" — the mystery thriller you never knew you needed

Even if you're not that into scary movies, this is a great series. First released in the late 90s, this mystery series is perfectly thrilling and suspenseful. The films feature some big names of the period and have many iconic scenes that all horror fans know. I'm not a big fan of blood-and-gore films, but these movies have a perfect amount of terror and violence for me.

"Scream" (1996): R, 1h 51m

"Scream 2" (1997): R, 2h 2m

"Scream 3" (2000): R, 1h 57m

"Scream 4" (2011): R, 1h 51m

"Toy Story" — a bunch of toys I was more invested in than my own

It may be an animated Disney series, but if you've not seen the "Toy Story" films, you're missing out. These movies are so lovely and heartwarming, and I can honestly think of very few movies as charming as these. Disney movies are always high-quality, but there is really something special about the "Toy Story" series and seeing all the things the toys go through throughout the years. The series just came to an end in 2019, and I made a point of going to the theater to see it. If you've got kids or just want a sweet little series to watch, definitely check out these films.

"Toy Story" (1995): G, 1h 21m

"Toy Story 2" (1999): G, 1h 35m

"Toy Story 3" (2010): G, 1h 48m

"Toy Story 4" (2019): G, 1h 40m

"Avengers" — the coolest way of combining every Marvel superhero ever

These movies are funny, they’re action-packed, they’re emotional, and by the end, they’ll leave you a train wreck. But, throughout, you’ll see the sweet relationships that the Avengers grow to have with one another as their many stories come together by “Avengers: Endgame”.

You don’t necessarily have to watch all of each hero’s separate films to understand what is happening in the films, but it is nice to have that backstory on each by the time you get to the “Avengers” films. Marvel films are incredible in their own way, so watching any of their plethora of movies is a good decision in my book. They’re also great for the entire family to enjoy, so that’s definitely a plus for family movie nights.

“The Avengers” (2012): PG-13, 2h 24m

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015): PG-13, 2h 22m

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018): PG-13, 2h 40m

“Avengers: Endgame” (2019): PG-13, 3h 2m

"Indiana Jones" — the sexy professor and adventurer everybody needs a good dose of

If you're into history and artifacts, culture, traveling, religious studies, action films, or if you just really like Harrison Ford, this series is made for you. The four(soon to be five)-movie series began in 1981 but is supposedly releasing the fifth film in 2022, 41 years later. For me, I found these movies incredible because they incorporated so many interesting historical allusions in the films. Watch as Indy fights Nazis, searches for religious relics, rescues his father, and races the Soviets to find an artifact that will save the world.

“Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981): PG, 1h 55m

“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984): PG, 1h 58m

“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (2h 8m): PG-13, 2h 8m

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008): PG-13, 2h 4m

"Shrek" — does this even need an explanation?

Not only are these movies iconic, but they have such a fun spin on the many fairytales we all know and love. With tons of quotable lines, hilarious scenes, and amazing musical numbers, these are some of the most memorable films of my childhood. I'd recommend them to anyone. Check them out, and while you're at it, check out the holiday short films if you can. You'll thank me later.

"Shrek" (2001): PG, 1h 35m

"Shrek 2" (2004): PG, 1h 45m

"Shrek the Third" (2007): PG, 1h 33m

"Shrek Forever After" (2010): PG, 1h 33m

"Transformers" — a series about alien robots I never expected to love so much

I know Michael Bay gets a lot of crap for his movies being filled with explosions, but when you're dealing with a bunch of gigantic robots, I want nothing less. I grew up watching the old Transformers cartoons on TV with my brothers, so when I heard they were coming out with live-action films, I knew I had to see them. Was I mentally prepared for how emotionally invested I was going to become? No. Did I expect to cry so much over a bunch of giant alien robots? No. Would I do it all over again? Yes. I cherish these films. They're funny, they're full of action, and the backstories are so cool to me. If you've got kids, or if you're into action movies at all, these are worth a try.

"Transformers" (2007): PG-13, 2h 24m

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009): PG-13, 2h 30m

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011): PG-13, 2h 37m

"Transformers: Age of Extinction" (2014): PG-13, 2h 45m

"Transformers: The Last Knight" (2017): PG-13, 2h 29m

"Bumblebee" (2018): PG-13, 1h 54m

A classic if there ever was one: "Back to the Future"

This is one trilogy that I feel like everyone knows a little bit about, whether or not they’ve seen it. Whether it be Marty McFly’s “Johnny B. Goode” performance, Huey Lewis and the News’ “The Power of Love”, or that wild-looking DeLorean time machine, this is certainly an iconic series.

“Back to the Future” (1985): PG, 1h 56m

“Back to the Future: Part II” (1989): PG, 1h 48m

“Back to the Future: Part III” (1990): PG, 1h 59m

“Terminator” — he said “I’ll be back,” and the movies kept coming

What is probably Arnold Schwarzenegger's most well-known role, The Terminator is a cyborg assassin from the future who takes on a human appearance. Essentially, the series begins with him being sent back in time to make a hit on someone. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't give away details, but he takes on a whole lot more than just a human disguise. Since I was young, I have always thought this series was so cool, and it wasn't way too violent for me, even as a kid. If you're an action movie junkie, this is a good pick for you.

“The Terminator" (1984): R, 1h 48m

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991): R, 2h 36m

“Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003): R, 1h 49m

“Terminator: Salvation" (2009): PG-13, 1h 58m

“Terminator: Genisys" (2015): PG-13, 2h 6m

“Terminator: Dark Fate" (2019): R, 2h 8m

“The Matrix” — an outstanding sci-fi/action trilogy

Another Keanu Reeves series on the list, but I am not surprised. “The Matrix" was an incredibly popular film after its release in 1999, which actually led to the release of two feature film sequels in 2003. Basically, the main character, Neo, is searching for the answer to his question: what is the Matrix? Eventually, Neo is brought to a man named Morpheus to find his answer, but he soon realizes he has to fight like hell to get it.

“The Matrix" (1999): R, 2h 30m

“The Matrix: Reloaded" (2003): R, 2h 18m

“The Matrix: Revolutions" (2003): R, 2h 9m

“Dirty Harry“ — the coolest cop you’ll ever see in the movies

If I could choose only one word to describe this series, it'd be "badass." It's five straight films of watching the coolest cop ever just drop these kick-ass lines and whoop all the bad guys without ever losing his temper. Clint Eastwood's title character stays cool as a cucumber throughout the series, solving crazy murder cases as an inspector for the San Francisco Police Department's Homicide Division. I definitely recommend to any police or crime show junkies. He's got some pretty memorable lines in these films that just exude badassery.

"Dirty Harry" (1971): R, 1h 43m

"Dirty Harry: Magnum Force" (1973): R, 2h 4m

"Dirty Harry: The Enforcer" (1976): R, 1h 36m

"Dirty Harry: Sudden Impact" (1983): R, 1h 57m

"Dirty Harry: The Dead Pool" (1988): R, 1h 32m

“Hunger Games” — a nostalgic throwback to my high school days

If you've been a middle or high schooler within the last five to ten years, you likely remember how everyone raved about "The Hunger Games." This is a very unique series in my eyes. The concept behind the books is absolutely bewildering to me, but they were incredibly fascinating and I found them to be a great read. Even better, the movies were awesome, too. I remember the books being popular with the middle and high school age groups when I was younger, but the movies were easily loved by all age groups. This is a great action series that my entire family was able to sit down and watch together and everyone find it entertaining. They were action-packed, uplifting, romantic, and you quickly fell in love with its many characters you came to meet.

"The Hunger Games" (2012): PG-13, 2h 23m

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013): PG-13, 2h 26m

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" (2014): PG-13, 2h 3m

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" (2015): PG-13, 2h 17m

“Lethal Weapon“ — a favorite cop duo

I think these films are a good example of the epitome of 80s-90s cop movies. With an iconic cop duo and tons of action and comedy, these films are some of my favorites of the time.

"Lethal Weapon" (1987): R, 1h 57m

"Lethal Weapon 2" (1989): R, 1h 58m

"Lethal Weapon 3" (1992): R, 1h 58m

"Lethal Weapon 4" (1998): R, 2h 8m