In the modern era, more people are watching films at home. That makes this a great time to catch up on essential cinema classics in your home theater, with timeless, esteemed films readily available across digital platforms and apps.
The 1950s saw the height of the golden age of Hollywood and the studio system. Innovative filmmaking and commercial hits intersected. Several of the decade's finest hold up as vital entertainment for film buffs as well as more casual audiences. These are must-see genre-defining movies that continue to be influential in the industry today.
'Vertigo' (1958)
Available to rent on Apple TV.
After a Best Picture win for Rebecca in the 1940s, Alfred Hitchcock's career flourished in Hollywood. The '50s saw the release of many of his greatest and most popular works, including Strangers on a Train, Rear Window and North by Northwest.
Initially a critical and commercial disappointment, the thematically dark and artistically vibrant Vertigo stars Jimmy Stewart against type as a toxic private eye in a spiraling, destructive web of obsession with a mysterious blonde (Kim Novak). It's now regarded as Hitchcock's finest, beating Citizen Kane for the honor of best film ever made in Sight & Sound's 2012 critics' poll.
'12 Angry Men' (1957)
Available to rent on Apple TV.
Henry Fonda plays heroic Juror 8 in Sidney Lumet's life-affirming legal drama, 12 Angry Men, which is a masterpiece centered on the trial of an inner-city teen suspected of murder. Juror 8's compassion casts doubts upon a previously apathetic trial, and a chaotic yet thought-provoking debate ensues among the well-written characters.
The legacy and accomplishment of 12 Angry Men is hard to overstate. Restricted almost entirely to a single set with astounding performances and innovative camera work that makes it relentlessly compelling, the picture is universal in its understanding of different personalities struggling to find common ground and get along.
'Some Like It Hot' (1959)
Available to rent on Apple TV.
Billy Wilder's irreverent sex comedy stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as struggling musicians who cross-dress in hiding after witnessing a crime. Some Like it Hot co-stars an entertaining and hilarious Marilyn Monroe as the lovesick singer and ukulele strummer Sugar Kane.
A massive hit with critics and at the box office, Some Like It Hot essentially served a death blow to old Hollywood's code of censorship, with uncommonly frank depictions of taboo topics. Often cited as the greatest comedy ever made, Some Like it Hot is a reference point for Wilder's mastery across virtually all genres.
'The Searchers' (1956)
Available to rent on Apple TV.
A strong contender for best American Western ever made, John Ford's epic stars John Wayne as a Civil War vet who returns home only to soon find that someone has abducted members of his brother's family. The revered Western follows his search for his kidnapped niece (Natalie Wood), which soon leads him deep into Comanche territory.
In addition to vibrant color filmmaking and widescreen vistas that still pop, The Searchers is an ever-timely, ahead-of-its-time look at bigotry, and the weight of retribution. It should be considered essential viewing for any fan of Westerns.
'Sunset Boulevard' (1950)
Available to rent on Apple TV.
Arguably Hollywood's best-ever movie about itself, Billy Wilder's esteemed noir stars Gloria Swanson as a washed-up silent film star who draws a struggling screenwriter (William Holden) into her world of madness as she plots a return to the screen. The young screenwriter believes he can use her for his own goals, but soon finds himself entangled in a messy and dangerous situation.
One of the relatively few films with the distinction of being nominated in all four acting Oscar categories, Sunset Boulevard is an entertaining, artistically adroit black comedy whose truths about the entertainment industry still hold relevance.
'All About Eve' (1950)
Available to rent on Apple TV.
Bette Davis' all-time most memorable turn is in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's backstage dramedy, winner of six Oscars including Best Picture. The screen legend stars as stage veteran Margo Channing, who is navigating a midlife crisis as a hungry, ruthless younger star (Anne Baxter) works her way up the totem pole.
Based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, All About Eve is such a potent work of acting and filmmaking craft that it's unlikely to ever age. It's a truly flawless movie with a script that ends up on every roundup of the finest screenplays, which is something that will likely never change.
'Rebel Without a Cause' (1955)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
A classic account of youthful unrest, Nicholas Ray's widescreen drama is one of three pictures that defined James Dean's legendary, tragically short career (along with Giant and East of Eden). Rebel Without a Cause hit theaters nearly a month after Dean's fatal auto crash in September 1955.
Dean's most iconic film co-stars Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo. They play a trio of emotionally confused middle-class teens in Los Angeles. After the troublemaker, Jim Stark (Dean), arrives in a new town, he wants to start fresh. This noble goal is complicated by a friendship that develops between him and his classmate Plato (Mineo) and by a crush he forms on Judy (Wood), who's already in a relationship.
'The Night of the Hunter' (1955)
Available to stream on Kanopy.
One of the strangest films you're likely ever to see, and absolutely one of the best. A German Expressionism-accented tale of a small-town serial killer, The Night of the Hunter's singularity and lurid content repulsed audiences. Charles Laughton's filmmaking career unsurprisingly ended abruptly.
For decades now, The Night of the Hunter has been re-assessed as a frightening masterpiece. Robert Mitchum's false prophet Harry Powell is among the most unsettling villains in film history. Reverend Powell is a religious fanatic through and through, who also happens to be a ruthless serial killer who stalks women before using their sexuality to lure in men.
'Singin' in the Rain' (1952)
Available to stream on HBO Max.
While Singin' in the Rain was considered a modest success in its day, Stanley Donen's splashy Technicolor musical comedy is now oft-cited as the high point of its genre. Many of the best musical numbers ever on film are here, including the title track, Donald O'Connor's epically comic "Make 'Em Laugh," and the extended "Broadway Melody."
In the renowned film, Gene Kelly stars as a silent film star adjusting to the industry-shaking dawn of the talkies. Kelly plays Don Lockwood, who is often cast alongside Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen) as a romantic couple. When their most recent movie is turned into a musical, Lina struggles to find her voice and is frustrated that the studio has decided to hire aspiring actor Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) to record over her voice.
'Roman Holiday' (1953)
Available to rent on Apple TV.
It's hard to imagine a more perfect film for Valentine's Day than William Wyler's bittersweet rom-com starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, as a princess and the journalist she has a fling with. It starts when Princess Ann escapes her European tour for a night while in Rome where an initially unfortunate event soon turns into a meet-cute when American reporter Joe Bradley (Peck) finds her passed out on a park bench.
Co-written by blacklisted screenwriter Donald Trumbo (his name was removed from the credits until recent years), Roman Holiday was a breakthrough for Hepburn, who won the Oscar for Best Actress. It's perhaps the crown jewel of Hepburn's storied Hollywood legacy.