It's one thing to have a top 10 favorite movies list, and another thing altogether to have a top 100. However, there are thousands upon thousands of movies out there, and it can be hard to narrow things down to 100 or less. This might be why English filmmaker Edgar Wright has compiled a list of his Top 1000 Favorite Movies. It's a list that represents all genres from various periods in film history, and from various countries, too.
He's been one of the most exciting filmmakers of the 21st century so far, rising to prominence with films like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, and getting similar acclaim with more recent movies like Baby Driver and Last Night in Soho. By some miracle, Wright also seems to find the time to watch many movies, which is how he was able to list 1000 of his favorites. The movies below are some of the most interesting and underrated movies included in Wright's expansive and very interesting list.
'Gambit' (1966)
Most thrillers are happy enough with having a twist ending, but Gambit technically has a twist beginning. Given the film's biggest surprise hits in its first 25 minutes, it's hard to say much about the plot without ruining the movie, but at its most basic, Gambit is about an expert burglar and a showgirl teaming up to pull off a seemingly perfect heist.
Its unique structure is demonstrated by the tagline that was used to advertise it: "Go ahead, tell the ending - it's too hilarious to keep secret - but please don't tell the beginning!" It's a compelling and funny crime movie, and yet another film demonstrating how well-suited a young Michael Caine was to the genre.
'The Breaking Point' (1950)
The Breaking Point is an underrated and very compelling film noir, made while the genre was at its peak popularity. It centers on a fisherman who's struggling financially, which makes him turn to hiring out his boat for criminals to use, which gets him involved in illegal schemes that end up having disastrous consequences.
It's all familiar stuff to fans of film noir, but just because other films have similar plots and themes doesn't stop The Breaking Point from being an exciting and engaging watch. At only 97 minutes long, it moves well and succeeds in telling its story with efficiency, so even if it's not one of the best-known film noir movies, it's a good one to watch for those new to the genre.
'The Filth and the Fury' (2000)
It's not surprising to find a music documentary like The Filth and the Fury on Wright's list of his 1000 favorite movies. After all, he released his own music documentary on the band Sparks, called The Sparks Brothers, which was one of the most criminally overlooked movies of 2021.
The Filth and the Fury is less comedic and certainly grittier than Wright's own music documentary, given this 2000 film tells the story of the short-lived punk band The Sex Pistols. Their meteoric rise and abrupt end make for a compelling story, and The Filth and the Fury also benefits from having plenty of engaging interviews, as well as eye-opening archive footage from the late 1970s.
'Last Night' (1998)
Movies about the end of the world have always been popular, but few are executed in the way Last Night is. It takes place in Toronto and follows a large group of characters, all of whom are anxiously awaiting the end of the world in various ways, spending one last day on Earth on New Year's Eve before a widely-publicized but scarcely explained disaster destroys the world at midnight.
It's interesting to see Last Night on Wright's list, given the film has a similar title to his own 2021 film, Last Night in Soho. Other than that, though, the films are hardly connected, with Last Night being a strange and uncomfortable movie that nevertheless presents a familiar doomsday premise in a way that's funny, sad, and overall very weird... hopefully in a way that most viewers find compelling.
'Little Big Man' (1970)
Little Big Man takes a comedy-drama approach to the Western genre, striking an odd, unique tone in the process. It's about an old man looking back on his life spent living and fighting in the Wild West, and includes things like growing up in an Indian tribe and fighting alongside (and against) General Custer.
It stars Dustin Hoffman at the height of his popularity and features Faye Dunaway in a supporting role. It stands out thanks to the Western genre's glory days being behind it by 1970, which ensured a movie like Little Big Man needed to stand out and be different to have any sort of appeal. It's mostly successful, and like a lot of movies in Wright's top 1000, it's admirable for how unique it is.
'The Wanderers' (1979)
An underrated movie directed by the criminally underrated Philip Kaufman, The Wanderers is a coming-of-age movie set in the early 1960s. The various young characters are all shown to struggle with a world that's continually going through big changes, all the while getting into gang fights over territory on the streets of the Bronx.
It's a gritty but entertaining movie, and strikes a great balance between comedy, drama, and thrills. It's all backed by a fantastic soundtrack filled to the brim with early 1960s hits, which helps accentuate the film's more exciting and dramatic moments, all of which are also captured well visually, thanks to Kaufman's direction.
'Bad Boy Bubby' (1993)
Bad Boy Bubby begins in a deeply uncomfortable fashion, with a premise involving a man in his 30s who's been kept confined to one house all his life by an overbearing mother. About half an hour into the film's runtime, Bubby breaks free, with the rest of the film being about his attempts to survive in a world he's never experienced before.
It's an Australian movie that gets very dark and very disturbing, with a few comedic scenes here and there doing little to distract from the film's distressing moments. It's not an easy watch, but it is thrilling and totally different from anything else out there. Also, the decision to have every new location shot by an entirely different cinematographer (to reflect the way Bubby is seeing it for the first time) was a genius one.
'L.A. Story' (1991)
There's no other way to say it: L.A. Story is a strange movie. It's a mildly fantastical romantic-comedy that centers on a weatherman who falls in love with an English news reporter who feels overwhelmed and confused by the world of Los Angeles, which she's been tasked with writing about.
It stars Steve Martin, who's best known for his comedic films. While L.A. Story is technically a comedy, it also goes off into several other unpredictable directions and genres, making for a wild ride of a film. Like many of Wright's more unexpected favorite films, it might not appeal to all, but it is at the very least interesting to watch.
'The Hit' (1984)
An underrated, classic British crime movie, The Hit has a simple and compelling premise that reflects its simple and straight-to-the-point title. It's about two hitmen who have to drive another criminal to Paris to be executed, with numerous misfortunes and misadventures befalling the trio on the long drive there.
The Hit is essentially a road movie, and one that's expertly blended with crime and thriller elements. It's also notable for its very strong cast, with Terrence Stamp, John Hurt, and a very young Tim Roth playing the three main characters, and all doing excellent work throughout the movie's duration.
'A Night to Remember' (1958)
While James Cameron's Titanic is - and likely always will be - the most well-known movie about the Titanic disaster in 1912, it's far from the only one. It also might not be the best one, as A Night to Remember presents Titanic (1997) with some strong competition.
A Night to Remember takes a no-nonsense docudrama approach to depicting the disaster, building suspense expertly throughout its first half before showing the iceberg collision and eventual sinking in stark, harrowing detail in its second half. It does feel similar to 1997's Titanic, but with the romance plot cut out, and a greater focus on depicting the disaster in as accurate a manner as possible. It holds up strikingly well, and is just as worthy as being watched as Cameron's smash-hit blockbuster released almost 40 years later.