Dir: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Mark Margolis, Sean Patrick Thomas.
Genre: Drama/Romance/Science Fiction
Intense emotional rollercoaster looking at the lengths an individual will go to save someone they love.
299. Capote (2005)
Dir: Bennett Miller
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Clifton Collins Jr, Chris Cooper, Bruce Greenwood.
Genre: Biography/Crime/Drama
Examination of the life and world of a famous writer, who becomes obsessed with a horrific murder case.
298. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Dir: Terry Gilliam
Cast: Johnny Depp, Benicio del Toro, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Ellen Barkin.
Genre: Drama/Fantasy
Incredibly weird and engaging look at fractured minds.
297. Top Gun (1987)
Dir: Tony Scott
Cast: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, Meg Ryan, Michael Ironside.
Genre: Action/Drama/Romance
Fantastically engaging action romance with some incredible memorable moments.
296. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Dir: Paul Greengrass
Cast: Matt Damon, Brian Cox, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Karl Urban, Joan Alle.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Mystery
Incredible action romp that slots the story into a more secondary role.
295. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
Dir: Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Mike Starr, Karen Duffy, Charles Rocket.
Genre: Comedy
Insanely amusing comedy about idiocy.
294. Hellboy (2004)
Dir: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ron Perlman, Rupert Evans, Doug Jones, Selma Blair, John Hurt, Jeffrey Tambor.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Immensely fun fantasy romp through a world of demons and monsters.
293. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Dir: Jay Roach
Cast: Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Seth Green, Robert Wagner, Rob Lowe, Will Ferrell.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Great spy spoof with some genuine belly laughs and decent performances.
292. Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Dir: Ben Affleck
Cast: Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris, Amy Ryan, John Ashton.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery
Engaging look at an investigation into a child's kidnapping.
291. High Plains Drifter (1973)
Dir: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Verna Bloom, Marianna Hill, Billy Curtis, Mitch Ryan.
Genre: Thriller/Western
Incredible Western thriller that draws on supernatural elements to increase tension and mystery.
290. Seven Samurai (1954)
Dir: Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune, Isao Kimura, Minoru Chiaki, Daisuke Kato, Yoshio Inaba, Seiji Miyaguchi.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
Fantastic action film with an engaging premise and some wonderful direction.
289. Unbreakable (2000)
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn, Spencer Treat Clark, Eamonn Walker.
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Mystery
Intense mystery film that takes it's basis from superhero comic books.
288. Kill Bill vol. 2 (2004)
Dir: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Gordon Liu.
Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
Brilliant action film that serves more as a character piece than it's predecessor.
287. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Dir: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong, Victor Wong.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Insane action-comedy that uses the cheesy nature of 1980s cinema to maximum effect.
286. Jailhouse Rock (1957)
Dir: Richard Thorpe
Cast: Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Vaughn Taylor, Jennifer Holden, Dean Jones.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Music
Brilliant look at the prison system, through the music of Elvis Presley.
285. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Dir: David Yates
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter.
Genre: Adventure/Family/Fantasy
Radical departure from the source material, but one that works from a more cinematic point of view.
284. Enduring Love (2004)
Dir: Roger Mitchell
Cast: Daniel Craig, Rhys Ifans, Samantha Morton, Bill Nighy, Susan Lynch.
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Emotional drama with some funny and intense moments.
283. Into the Wild (2007)
Dir: Sean Penn
Cast: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Vince Vaughn, Kristen Stewart.
Genre: Adventure/Biography/Drama
Engaging look at the final days of a youthful explorer.
282. X-Men (2000)
Dir: Bryan Singer
Dir: Bryan Singer
Cast: Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Bruce Davison, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, Ray Park, Anna Paquin.
Genre: Action/Science Fiction
Action-packed adaptation of the beloved comic book series, and the catalyst for all future comic book movies.
281. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Dir: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
Cast: Robby Benson, Paige O’Hara, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury.
Genre: Animation/Family/Fantasy/Romance
Passionate tale of love and loss, set in a mythic world, and animated in only the way Disney can.
280. Men in Black (1997)
Dir: Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Rip Torn, Vincent D’Onofrio, Linda Fiorentino.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy/Science Fiction
Hilariously funny science fiction romp.
279. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
Dir: John Hughes
Cast: Steve Martin, John Candy, Kevin Bacon, Laila Robins, Michael McKean.
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Drama
One of the funniest films ever made, but one that has a heartbreaking conclusion.
278. JFK (1991)
Dir: Oliver Stone
Cast: Kevin Costner, Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Oldman, Michael Rooker, Sissy Spacek, Donald Sutherland.
Genre: Biography/Drama/History
The ultimate examination of conspiracy theories.
277. Point Break (1991)
Dir: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty, James LeGros.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Crime
Intense action film that features numerous classic scenes.
276. Ben-Hur (1959)
Dir: William Wyler
Cast: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Drama
The ultimate cinema epic.
275. A History of Violence (2005)
Dir: David Cronenberg
Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Aidan Devine.
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama
Graphically violent look at the dangers of mistaken identity, and the horrific nature of secrets.
274. RoboCop (1987)
Dir: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Dan O’Herlihy, Kurtwood Smith.
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama/Science Fiction
Action-packed science fiction romp focusing on a brutalised robotic police officer.
273. Garden State (2004)
Dir: Zach Braff
Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Jean Smart.
Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
Engaging romance about life and the cost of living.
272. Back to the Future: Part II (1989)
Dir: Robert Zemeckis
Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson, Lea Thompson, Elisabeth Shue.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy
Not as classic as the other two instalments, but definitely a perfect film nonetheless.
271. Knocked Up (2007)
Dir: Judd Apatow
Cast: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill.
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Humorous look at the formation of a relationship, based around an unplanned pregnancy.
270. Mullholand Drive (2001)
Dir: David Lynch
Cast: Naomi Watts, Laura Elena Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Dan Hedaya.
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Great mystery that should have been continued as a TV show.
269. The Breakfast Club (1985)
Dir: John Hughes
Cast: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Paul Gleason, Ally Sheedy.
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Classic John Hughes teen comedy.
268. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Dir: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carrell, Fred Willard.
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Insanely funny analysis of the media.
267. Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Dir: George Lucas
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy/Science Fiction
The darkest instalment in the series, and the one that deals most intimately with the transition from hero to villain.
266. The Sixth Sense (1999)
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams, Donnie Wahlberg.
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
The film that inspired numerous twist endings.
265. Mean Streets (1973)
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Amy Robinson, David Proval, Richard Romanus.
Genre: Crime/Drama
Harsh look at the realities of street crime in America.
264. Dead Man's Shoes (2004)
Dir: Shane Meadows
Cast: Paddy Considine, Toby Kebbell, Gary Stretch, Emily Aston, Neil Bell.
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Intense revenge thriller with a harrowing conclusion.
263. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Dir: Frank Capra
Cast: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Harry Carey, Claude Rains, Edward Arnold.
Genre: Drama
Immensely entertaining drama classic.
262. Airplane! (1980)
Dir: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker
Cast: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Genre: Comedy/Romance
One of the most outrageously funny spoof comedies ever made.
261. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Dir: Pete Docter
Cast: John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, James Coburn, Jennifer Tilly, Bob Peterson.
Genre: Adventure/Animation/Comedy
Engaging and unique premise that works wonderfully in the usual Pixar fashion.
260. The Truman Show (1998)
Dir: Peter Weir
Cast: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Paul Giamatti.
Genre: Drama
Intense drama about the reality of life and discovering the truth about who we are.
259. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, James Broderick, Chris Sarandon.
Genre: Crime/Drama
Brilliant film about a bank robbery that goes horribly wrong.
258. Zodiac (2007)
Dir: David Fincher
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr, Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox.
Genre: Crime/Drama/History
Intense crime epic about hunting a famous serial killer.
257. Grease (1978)
Dir: Randal Kleiser
Cast: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway, Eve Arden
Genre: Musical/Romance
One of the most passionately involving musicals ever made.
256. The Night Before Christmas (1993)
Dir: Henry Selick
Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Ken Page.
Genre: Animation/Family/Fantasy
Immensely fun look at how holidays define us.
255. Rebecca (1940)
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Nigel Bruce.
Genre: Mystery/Romance/Thriller
Perfect adaptation of one of the greatest novels ever written.
254. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Dir: Sam Raimi
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Alfred Molina, Rosemary Harris, J. K. Simmons, Daniel Gillies, Dylan Baker.
Genre: Action/Crime/Fantasy
Action-packed follow-up that manages to enhance the brilliance of the characters, while adding a new villain to the mix and making him perfectly sympathetic and frighteningly monstrous.
253. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Dir: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin.
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Drama
Wonderful road-movie that features an odd-ball cast and some incredibly funny moments.
252. Aladdin (1992)
Dir: Ron Clements and John Musker
Cast: Scott Weigner, Jonathan Freeman, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried.
Genre: Animation/Adventure/Family
Wonderful Disney adaptation of a classic mythic story.
251. Nil by Mouth (1997)
Dir: Gary Oldman
Cast: Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles, Laila Morse, Edna Dore.
Genre: Drama
Gritty look at the upbringing of Gary Oldman, in all it's glorious brutality.
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