Top 20 Movies that Will Become Classics in the Future

Over the last ten years, we’ve seen a surge of films that combined innovative stories with excellent production and broad appeal. Here are twenty movies that have already left a significant mark, evidenced by their awards, financial success, and impact on both filmmakers and viewers. This list provides details about the people involved, standout performances, and key accomplishments, helping you understand why these films remain important and continue to be talked about in the context of contemporary cinema. Use it as a starting point to re-examine what made them so successful.

‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ tells the story of how the atomic bomb was created, focusing on the experiences of J. Robert Oppenheimer and those who worked with him. The movie jumps between different points in time and uses both color and black-and-white footage to distinguish between personal viewpoints and factual events. It was a major awards winner, taking home seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. both won Oscars for their acting performances.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ tells the story of a laundromat owner who gets pulled into a wild adventure across multiple universes while also dealing with a stressful tax audit. The movie is known for its fast-paced editing and creative use of practical effects – it avoided relying heavily on computer-generated imagery to create a huge number of different worlds. It was a major awards winner, taking home seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and three acting awards. The film’s directors, known as Daniels, also won Oscars for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

‘Parasite’ (2019)

Bong Joon Ho’s film ‘Parasite’ tells the story of two families in Seoul whose lives unexpectedly connect when one family’s members begin working for the other. The movie cleverly combines humor and thrilling suspense, all unfolding within the confined space of a single house. ‘Parasite’ was a huge success at the Academy Awards, winning four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director – making it the first foreign-language film to ever win Best Picture.

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ is famous for its long, exciting car chases, filmed mostly in Namibia using real stunts rather than special effects. The filmmakers built special equipment for the cameras and vehicles to capture the fast-paced action clearly. The movie won six Oscars for technical achievements like editing, sound, and set design, and it successfully brought the ‘Mad Max’ series back to life for modern audiences.

‘Dune: Part One’ (2021)

Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part One’ covers the first half of Frank Herbert’s novel, concentrating on the power struggles on the planet Arrakis and the story of House Atreides. The film’s unique look and sound were created by Greig Fraser’s stunning visuals and Hans Zimmer’s powerful music. It was a critical success, winning six Oscars, including awards for its cinematography, visual effects, and musical score. Filming took place on location in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, utilizing vast landscapes.

‘Dune: Part Two’ (2024)

‘Dune: Part Two’ picks up where the first film left off, following Paul Atreides as he lives with the Fremen people and intensifies the war against House Harkonnen. The movie features important characters from the original novel and keeps the same visual style and sound as the first ‘Dune’ film. Filming took place in Italy, Hungary, and the desert landscapes of Jordan, and the movie earned over 700 million dollars in theaters worldwide.

‘Get Out’ (2017)

Jordan Peele’s film ‘Get Out’ tells the story of a young man who discovers a frightening secret while visiting his girlfriend’s family. The movie is a clever mix of suspense and social commentary, with subtle clues hinting at what’s to come. It received significant praise from both critics and academics and even won an Oscar for its original screenplay. Made with a small budget by Blumhouse Productions, ‘Get Out’ became a huge commercial hit.

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ features many different Spider-People, with Miles Morales taking center stage. Its unique animation style blends the look of comic books – including textures and shading – with dynamic movement. The film won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and has influenced how other studios create stylized animation.

‘The Social Network’ (2010)

‘The Social Network’ tells the story of Facebook’s beginnings and the disagreements that arose among its creators. Director David Fincher used carefully planned camera work and a distinctive electronic soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to create a fast-paced feel. The film received three Oscars, including awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Film Editing. It’s also become a popular case study in business and media classes, often used to explore the world of startups and issues surrounding intellectual property.

‘Inception’ (2010)

Christopher Nolan’s film ‘Inception’ follows a team that enters people’s dreams to subtly implant an idea into the mind of a powerful businessman’s son. The movie was known for its impressive practical effects, like a rotating hallway and elaborate wire work simulating zero gravity. ‘Inception’ won four Oscars, including awards for its visual effects and sound. Its complex rules about how dreams within dreams work have inspired many other heist and science fiction stories since its release.

‘Her’ (2013)

‘Her’ is a film set in the near future Los Angeles, telling the story of a man who develops a relationship with a highly advanced computer operating system. Director Spike Jonze used design choices – like warm colors and simple technology – to make the AI feel more relatable. The film won an Oscar for its original screenplay and has since sparked important conversations about the ethical implications of relationships between humans and artificial intelligence.

‘Ex Machina’ (2014)

‘Ex Machina’ centers on a programmer who is asked to evaluate the intelligence of a remarkably human-like robot in an isolated setting. Director Alex Garland intentionally used limited locations and conversations to highlight the film’s themes of awareness and power. The movie won an Academy Award for its visual effects and was filmed primarily in Norway and the UK, relying heavily on subtle visual effects to expand the sets.

‘Whiplash’ (2014)

As a real cinema fan, I was completely blown away by ‘Whiplash’. It’s a really intense story about a young jazz drummer and his incredibly tough instructor. What’s cool is that the director, Damien Chazelle, actually started with a short film he made at Sundance and built it into this full-length feature. It really paid off – the movie won three Oscars, including one for J.K. Simmons’ amazing performance and another for its fantastic editing. And the music! It’s a mix of classic big band tunes and original pieces, all played by incredibly talented jazz musicians. It truly adds to the film’s energy.

‘Boyhood’ (2014)

‘Boyhood’ is a unique film shot over twelve years with the same actors, showing a boy’s life from elementary school through college. Director Richard Linklater filmed it in stages to realistically capture the actors aging and how family relationships change over time. The film won an Academy Award for Patricia Arquette’s performance and was nominated for several others. It’s also considered a groundbreaking experiment in filmmaking, demonstrating a long-term approach to storytelling.

‘La La Land’ (2016)

‘La La Land’ blends a modern love story with the grand style of classic Hollywood musicals. The film featured impressively long, carefully planned musical sequences, like the elaborate opening number filmed on a freeway, which took a lot of practice and coordination. It was a major awards winner, earning six Oscars including for Best Director and Best Original Score. The music was created by Justin Hurwitz, who worked with lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ tells the story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, based on his own life story. Director Martin Scorsese used fast-paced editing and narration to quickly cover complicated financial dealings and personal experiences. The film received five Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director, and was filmed in various locations throughout New York City, using both sets and actual office buildings.

‘Arrival’ (2016)

The movie ‘Arrival’ is based on a short story by Ted Chiang and explores what happens when humans first encounter aliens. It centers around a linguist who tries to understand the aliens’ language. The film tells its story in a non-linear way, reflecting how the main character experiences time. It won an Oscar for Best Sound Editing and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film’s music, composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson, and sound effects create a unique atmosphere using voices and ambient sounds.

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ tells the story of a hotel concierge and his young assistant as they navigate a made-up European country. Director Wes Anderson cleverly used different screen shapes to show different time periods in the film. It was a big award winner, earning four Oscars for its stunning production design, costumes, and makeup/hair. The filmmakers built the hotel and its environment using a mix of detailed miniature models, real sets, and visual effects.

‘Black Panther’ (2018)

As a huge movie fan, ‘Black Panther’ really blew me away – especially how it introduced Wakanda and all its incredible, futuristic technology into the Marvel universe. What I found particularly fascinating was learning that Ryan Coogler worked with historians and designers to really ground the film’s look – the costumes and sets were deeply inspired by Afrofuturism. And it wasn’t just visually stunning; it was critically acclaimed too, winning three Oscars for costume design, production design, and the score. Plus, it was a massive hit with audiences worldwide, earning over a billion dollars at the box office – a truly landmark film!

‘Barbie’ (2023)

The movie ‘Barbie’ tells the story of Barbie venturing out of Barbieland to experience the real world. Director Greta Gerwig used impressive, large-scale sets and carefully chosen lighting to make everything feel like a toy world. The film was a huge commercial success, earning over a billion dollars globally and breaking studio records. It also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song with ‘What Was I Made For?’

Share the future classics you would add to this list in the comments.

2025-11-11 23:16