Only 1 In 5 Millennials Can Name Over 50% Of These Classic Movies
- by Dylan Dembrow
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Ever since the invention of the streaming, it seems like there's always something on in the background somewhere. Millennials are really the first generation to grow up with this next technology, which means they have almost always had access to just about every TV show and movie in existence. It can make it hard for a movie or show to stand out in the crowd.
Contemporary movies have done a good job at keeping up with this trend, and it seems like nearly every film that’s released these days starts out with an action sequence that throws the viewer right into the middle of the story.
But movies from decades past didn’t feel the need to dazzle the viewers all within the first few minutes. They took their time to establish character and a setting and let the story develop at a more natural pace — which is hardly a bad thing so long as the filmmakers are offering up someone thing original. Some films these days are definitely taking a different approach, but there are the slow burns and more ethereal pieces every now and then too.
So let’s take a look back at some of the biggest critical and commercial hits from decades past and see how many of these classics are still popular amongst the millennials.
A man is falsely accused and sentenced to life.
While this movie gets its fair share of TV play since it was released nearly 25 years ago, this 1994 movie was actually considered a box office disappointment upon its release. Of course, the quality of a movie rarely has an influence on ticket sales, and the film received universal critical acclaim, earning it a number of Academy Award nomination and bringing it later success through VHS sales. The film was still beaten out for Best Picture by Forrest Gump.
An unconventional high school romance.
Who know why some ‘90s teen movies hold up better than others. This film certainly has its fair share of scenes that feel dated, but the talented cast made up of Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik do a great service of always keeping this teen comedy grounded in reality. It also doesn’t hurt that the filmmakers adapted a story from one of the all-time greats — drawing inspiration from William Shakespeare’s 16th-century play The Taming of the Shrew.
The coolest history professor of all time.
Harrison Ford has been fortunate enough to play not just one, but two of the most iconic and beloved movie characters of all time — making him a favorite of fanboys everywhere. However, George Lucas originally tried to dissuade Steven Spielberg from casting Ford as the lead in this 1981 action-adventure, as Ford had already starred as Han Solo in Lucas’s Star Wars. Luckily, a scheduling conflict prevented Tom Selleck from taking the role, and the rest is film history.
An intersection of stories about criminals living in Los Angeles.
Often considered the most influential movie of the 1990s, this film spawned dozens of knock-offs that tried to duplicate its highly original structure and style. The movie was helmed by then up-and-coming director Quentin Tarantino, who at the time had only made one studio film prior to this masterpiece. Even nearly a quarter of a century later, Tarantino is still considered one of the most original voices working in mainstream Hollywood, and he is currently working on a film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt playing the leads.
If more people join, someone’s not following the rules.
Now considered one of the best movies of the ‘90s, this film was actually a box office bomb when it first hit screens back in 1999, and it’s not hard to see why. The film is replete with bloody violence and dark humor, and it’s likely that the satirical tone was lost on less experienced cinema-goers. This is the type of movie that is best enjoyed at home, which is why it is often at the top of people’s lists when they think about the biggest cult movies ever made.
28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, 12 seconds…
Though Jake Gyllenhaal has actually begun his film career nearly a decade later with his appearance in City Slicker, this peculiar 2001 movie really put him on the map and solidified him as a more than capable leading man. The story follows a high schooler who suffers from either a mental illness or supernatural powers that involve him traveling through time and talking to agiant metallic bunnies. Heck, even the writer/ director said he doesn’t fully understand the story. But that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.
“This is heavy, Doc.”
Made on a relatively small budget of just $19 million, this 1985 film went on to be the highest-grossing movie the year of its release with a total worldwide gross over $381 million. The story follows a high-schooler who is accidentally sent back in time to the very year his parents were meant to meet each other and fall in love. But things grow exponentially complicated when the high-schooler finds out that his mother has actually got the hots for him!
Based on the Nicholas Sparks’ novel.
As far as sappy romance movies go, the quality of this film was enough to win over most critics and audiences around the world, and despite being made back in 2004, this film is still subject to its fair share of cultural references. The movie is based on the Nicholas Sparks’ novel of the same name and chronicles a couple's love story from young adulthood until their eventual old age, which occur side-by-side at the film’s end. The movie starred then rising stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.
Ever since he was kid, Henry Hill wanted to be a gangster.
The Godfather may be considered… well, the godfather of mobster movies. But for younger audiences, this 1972 Francis Ford Coppola film may be a bit on the slow side for modern audiences. In which case, they should check out this 1991 Martin Scorsese film — which may still be well over two hours long, but it moves at a break-neck pace from start to finish. The film chronicles the true story of real-life mobster Henry Hill, all the way from his childhood dreams of being in the mafia, to his admittance into the witness protection program.
It’s medication time.
Based on the acclaimed 1962 novel of the same name, author Ken Kesey actually never gave his permission for the book to be turned into a film. But through a loophole, the filmmakers decided to adapt the play based on the same work, resulting in a lawsuit which Kesey eventually won. Despite the controversy, the film went on to be considered one of the greatest during a decade in revolutionary filmmaking. Today, it’s one of only three films to win the top five awards at the Oscars.
Five high-schoolers spend a Saturday in detention.
This 1985 comedy film does a great job at breaking down the high-school archetypes that continue to be ever-present in teen movies. The film was written and directed by John Hughes, who was known for creating a number of other ‘80s classic about the lives of teenagers. The film follows a group of high schoolers who must spend a Saturday in detention, where they learn a great deal about each other and themselves. The film grossed over $50 million on a measly $1 million budget.
A hometown treasure hunt.
Released smack dab in the middle of the ‘80s, this adventure flick is easily considered one of the best of the decade, and it continues to be an influence on modern-day masterpieces such as Stranger Things. The story follows a group of friends who discover an old map of their town and decide to hunt for the lost treasure of a 17th-century pirate. The story was created by Steven Spielberg, but the film was actually directed by Richard Donner off a script by Chris Columbus.
Our reality is not what it seems.
Considering how well the special effects have stood up in this sci-fi action flick, it’s hard to believe that this first installment of the popular franchise was made back in 1999. In fact, the writer/ director duo The Wachowski’s originally wanted Will Smith to play the lead role of Thomas Anderson/ Neo in the film, but he declined the role partially believing that these type of special effects could never be achieved. Of course, Keanu Reeves has since become synonymous with this character and the trilogy as a whole.
The Star Wars movie that started it all!
There’s no reason to hide the fact that this is a Star Wars movie. But with the abundance of movies in the franchise being turned out today — including the whole new trilogy for a who new generation — some people may not actually be able to name the film that started it all off the top of their heads. Of course, when it was originally released, it simply went by the title of Star Wars. But as the sequels and prequels began to pile up, it was giving a whole new episode number and an added subtitle.
A cannibal named Hannibal.
Only three movies have taken home all top five Academy Awards in one year, and this 1991 film was the last to do so. The movie is based on the 1988 Thomas Harris novel of the same name, which follows a young FBI agent as she’s forced to collaborate with an incarcerated man to track down the latest criminal who’s been making headlines. The film stars Jodie Foster in the lead role of Clarice Starling opposite Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector, who won the award for Best Actor for less than 20 minutes on the screen.
As if anyone couldn’t name this ‘90s classic!
The ‘90s were a decade replete with teen movies, many of which happened to take their story from classic novels and plays. For instance, this 1995 film was actually based on the Jane Austen novel Emma from the 1800s, which follows an upscale, well-meaning high schooler who tries to play matchmaker to two of her teachers. The film features a number of actors who would go on to much bigger projects, including Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, and Donald Faison, which is one of the reasons that it’s remained so popular today.
Who is Keyser Soze?
Anyone who’s a fan of mysteries, heist films, or stories that rely on one huge, mind-bending twist at the end have surely seen this 1995 film, which follows a group of thieves who are brought together against their will after they all unknowingly cross the same criminal mastermind. The film features a number of renowned actors giving standout performances, including Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, and Kevin Spacey, who ended up winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor thanks to his performance as Verbal Kint.
“Sweep the leg!”
Thanks to a number of sequels, a 2010 reboot, and a recent Youtube spin-off series, this 1984 martial arts movie has continued to be a staple of popular culture. The film follows a teenager, played here by Ralph Macchio, who strikes up and unlikely friendship with an elderly Japanese immigrant who promises to teach him how to fight. The film was praised by critics and was also a box office success, grossing over $90 million against an $8 million budget.
Spielberg’s World War II epic.
Throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, World War II films often featured battle scenes that highlighted heroism far more than the actual horror of warfare. That has certainly changed in the last few decades, which is demonstrated no better than in this 1998 film by Steven Spielberg. Here, the battle scenes are far from glorious, and the film is not afraid to show US soldiers scared and traumatized while out on the battlefield. The movie has even been credited as the most realistic depiction of the D-Day landing by the very troops who fought there.
A mobster infiltrates the police, and a police officer infiltrates the mob.
Helmed by the master of mob movies, this more-recent 2006 classic revolves around the Irish mob in Boston and is loosely based around the real-life crime boss Whitey Bulger. The film has a standout cast made up of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Vera Farmiga — many of whom were nominated for awards for their performances in the film. Speaking of awards, this was also the first of Scorsese’s films to win Best Picture and Best Director at the Oscars.
A rags to riches romance.
This romantic comedy isn’t particularly realistic, as it chronicles the life of a Los Angeles prostitute who is picked up by a wealthy businessman. But that didn’t stop it from becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of 1990. In fact, before it was reworked into a big budget comedy starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, the story was conceived as a much darker tale about female night workers which would have focused a lot more heavily on addiction. While this would have certainly been more realistic, it wouldn’t have been much of a crowd-pleaser.
A military commander is demoted to a slave.
Anyone who’s seen this 2000 historical epic knows that the main character, Maximus Decimus Meridius, dies at the end following a brutal fight in the Colosseum. Which makes it hard to believe that director Ridley Scott has stated that he has plans for a sequel with hopes that Russell Crowe would return in the title role. While that sounds like a dubious idea at best, it still doesn’t diminish the greatness and lasting impact of this 2000 film, which went on to win Best Picture of the Year.
An Army officer is sent on an undercover mission during the Vietnam War.
Often considered the greatest war movie ever made, this 1979 film by Francis Ford Coppola is not for the faint of the heart, as it follows a soldier expedition into the Vietnam wilderness, coupled with his descent into madness. The film stars Martin Sheen in the leading role as Benjamin Willard, who is tasked with traveling through the jungle to try and assassinate renegade Army Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, played here by Marlon Brandon in a performance that is both brilliant and unsettling.
“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”
Made on a relatively small budget of only $6 million, this 1987 film went on to be a box office giant, grossing nearly a quarter of a billion dollars during the year of its release. The film stars Jennifer Grey as the 17-year-old Baby, who goes to a resort with her family during the summer and ends up meeting dancer Johnny Castle, played here by Patrick Swayze. But on top of the commercial success, this crowd-pleaser received mostly positive reviews from critics as well.
A space crew intercepts a distress signal.
It’s no small feat when a movie goes on to spawns a franchise that lasts nearly 40 years. Such is the case with this 1979 film, while follows a crew aboard a commercial space craft who is woken up from hypersleep to explore a distress signal on a nearby moon. The film stars Sigourney Weaver as the heroine, Ripley, a role that was originally conceived for a man. English filmmaker Ridley Scott directed the film off a script from Dan O’Bannon, and Ridley has recently directed a string of prequels.
A family of three look after a haunted hotel.
Based on what is often considered one of Stephen King’s greatest novels, this 1980 horror film took a number of liberties with the original work, causing King to say that he hated the adaptation. Despite this, the Stanley Kubrick film is still regarded as one of the best in the genre, and the haunting imagery of the film has caused many to speculate about the subtext of the movie. This spawned an in-depth documentary titled Room 237, which tries to dissect the mysteries of this masterpiece.
The 1999 Best Picture winner.
For many, it’s going to be hard to go back and watch this inspirational movie following the troubling allegation that Kevin Spacey has found himself accused of. But that doesn’t diminish the impact that this movie had on the film industry in the intervening years. The movie follows a middle aged man and a young boy who take it upon themselves to make the world a better place. This phrase has made its way into the mainstream and is generally viewed as a way to be a good person.
“Freedom!”
This film might not have been all that historically accurate, but that didn’t stop it from being a smash hit with critics and audience alike, which earned it over $200 million at the box office coupled with ten Academy Award nomination. The film was directed and produced by Mel Gibson, who also played the films lead with William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who led a revolt against the king of England. The film went on to win Best Picture of the year, not to mention it features one of the most iconic lines of all time.
A lonely veteran who suffers from insomnia takes up a job as a nightly cab driver.
Martin Scorsese has never been a director to shy away from controversy or extremely violent films. But few of his modern movies are on the same dark level of this 1976 thriller, which follows a war veteran and cab driver who slowly descends into insanity. The film features Robert De Niro in the title role and was one of the first films in a long collaboration of work between the actor and director. The film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival the year of its release.
A journey from the dawn of man to our exploration of the cosmos.
Though this film was considered revolutionary at the time, one would be hard-pressed to find a younger viewer who would have the patience to sit through this slow-burning science fiction film by Stanley Kubrick. Though the film does indeed have a story, it’s punctate by long shots of the cosmos and spaceships in orbit, all set to classical music. The film also has a perplexing narrative which spans from the dawn of the man to the not-so-distant future where humans are continuing their exploration of space.
A lowly janitor who is actually a genius.
Frustrated at not being able to find desirable work in Hollywood, childhood friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck decided to pen the script for this film with the hopes of getting it made. Their hopes paid off big time when acclaimed director Gus Van Sant agreed to make the project in the late ‘90s. Robin Williams, Stellan Skarsgard, and Minnie Driver filled out the rest of the main cast, and the film was both a commercial and critical success, winning the Oscar for Best Screenplay for both Damon and Affleck.
An action flick in a skyskraper.
Anyone who’s ever looked up a list of the greatest action movies ever made has surely noticed that this 1988 film starring Bruce Willis almost always makes it to the number one slot. Here, Willis plays an NYC cop who finds himself in a Los Angeles tower when it is taken over by hostages. The film not only gave us one of the greatest action heroes of all time with John McClane but also one of the greatest villains with Alan Rickman, who portrayed the cunning and ruthless Hans Gruber.
David Bowie plays Jareth, the Goblin King.
On top of being one of the most prolific singers and songwriters of his time, David Bowie also dipped his toes into the world of acting, as he took center stage in this 1986 musical fantasy. Here, Bowie played the Goblin King, who kidnaps a baby, resulting in the baby’s older sister having to journey through a complex maze to try and rescue the infant. The film was a box office bomb, but it’s since become a 1980s cult classic.
Two best friends sitting on their stoop.
This 1995 comedy film proves that sometimes simpler is better. The story follows two friends who mainly sit around on their porch all day shooting the breeze when they are tasked with coming up with $200 before the end of the night at the request of a local criminal. The comedy was co-written by rapper Ice Cube, who stars as the protagonist Craig Jones opposite his best friend Smokey, played here by Chris Tucker in his debut film. The film spawned two sequels.
Johnny Rico wages war against the Arachnids.
Based on the 1959 novel of the same name, this sci-fi action film was released in 1997 to a lackluster performance and polarizing reviews. This was largely a result of the tone of the film, with audiences not knowing if the movie was supposed to be taken seriously, or if the filmmakers had their tongue planted firmly in their cheeks. Time seems to suggest the latter, as the film has gone on to be somewhat of a cult classic amongst sci-fi and comedy nerds.
An FBI agent infiltrates a group of bank robbers.
Despite the movie revolving around macho men, this 1991 film was helmed by female director Kathryn Bigelow, who would later go on to directed Zero Dark Thirty and Best Picture of the Year winner The Hurt Locker. This film features Keanu Reeves in the leading role as Johnny Utah, an FBI agent who infiltrates a group of surfers and adrenaline junkies whom he believes are responsible for a string of bank robberies in Los Angeles. Patrick Swayze plays the lead surfer known as Bodhi.
“Who ya gonna call?”
Even if younger viewers have never seen this original 1984 film and its 1989 sequel, they can probably still name the series thanks to a 2016 reboot. The film follows a group of scientists living in New York City who decide to start their own paranormal investigation company when they quickly finds them getting in over their heads. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Akyroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver and Ernie Hudson, with both Ramis and Akryoyd also serving as screenwriters.
Don’t feed this furry guy after midnight.
The 1980s were chalk full of horror comedies, with this 1984 cult classic being one of the most popular of the sub genre. The film follows Billy, a young man who received a special creature for Christmas from his father. Though the film was only rated PG, it featured its fair share of creepy scenes that could no doubt terrify younger viewers, which resulted in the MPAA coming up with a PG-13 rating not long after this film was released.
Cameron Crowe’s first film.
Even if someone has never seen this 1989 romantic comedy written and directed by Cameron Crowe, there a good chance that they have seen this moment parodied in popular culture on more than a few occasions. But there’s a reason that this iconic scene with John Cusack and the boom box has remained popular for so long, it’s because this film is actually really good, and it currently holds a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes — which is no small feat.
“Incontheivable!”
This is the type of movie that many kids ended up watching when they stayed home sick from school. So it’s no mistake that the bookends of the story involve a grandfather reading this story to his grandson while he too is stuck home sick. The 1987 film is a comedy/ fantasy adventure that was based on the 1973 novel of the same name. The pages were brought to life by Rob Reiner, and the film stars a number of hot actors, including Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, and Billy Crystal.
Beware of hiring this bio-exorcist.
Don’t get too excited and say the name of this movie out loud! At least, not more than twice that is, as the result could summon up a mischievous ghost from another realm. This 1988 film featured Michael Keaton in the title role of this creepy character, who is summoned up by a newly deceased couple who want to rid their home of its new inhabitants. The film was directed by Tim Burton, who brings his unmistakable style to this bizarre comedy.
A group of scientist in the Antarctica stumble upon a UFO.
Now considered one of the greatest sci-fi horror movies of all time — which has served as inspiration for such projects as The Hateful Eight and Stranger Things — this movie was both a critical and commercial flop at the time of its release. Apparently, audiences back then simply couldn’t get on board with this downbeat film, which finds a group of Antarctic scientists who come up against an ever-changing alien life form that sole purpose is to impersonate and eradicate mankind.
Dancing isn’t allowed in this town.
Here yet another ‘80s classic that was revamped and remade within the last decade — through the updated version could in no way live up to the original film. Here, a young Kevin Bacon stars as Ren McCormack, a city teen who moves to a country town where dancing is not allowed. Inevitably, Ren doesn’t follow the rules, which puts him on a crash course with the town minister and the other locals. The movie only received mixed reviews but was a smash hit with audiences.
The leg lamp.
Considering that this movie often plays on a continuous loop around the holiday season, we’d be surprised if anyone couldn’t pick out the correct name. That being said, there are a number of older films that all make the holiday rounds together, so it might be easy to get these lines crossed. However, this particular film follows a nine-year-old named Ralphie who wants a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas that year despite multiple people warning him that he’ll shoot his eye out.
An aspiring actress and a woman with amnesia try to unravel a mystery.
Here’s a modern-day classic that only true cinephiles will be able to pick out. While this movie may not be very well known amongst mainstream audiences, it’s often ranked as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. The film was written and directed by David Lynch, meaning there’s no shortage of weirdness and loose ends in this mystery film, which follows an aspiring actress who gets wrapped sucked into the darker corners of Los Angeles when she meets up with a woman who can't remember who she is.
A Western set in the 1980s.
Not only is this ranked as one of the best movies of the 2000s, it’s also one of the most faithful book adaptations to ever be brought to the big screen. The movie was helmed by the Coen Brothers from a novel written by Cormac McCarthy, which is set around the U.S.-Mexican border in 1980. The film follows an everyday mean who stumbles onto a briefcase containing $2 million in drug money, but he quickly realizes that this type of money doesn’t just go unaccounted for quietly.
“I’m an oilman.”
Many were upset to hear that Daniel Day-Lewis would be retiring from acting for good last year after staring in P.T. Anderson’s Phantom Thread. The actor also appeared in another Anderson movie a decade earlier with this picture, which earned Day-Lewis the Academy Award for Best Actor of the Year. The 2007 film follows an oilman who makes a fortune in Southern California during the late-18 and early 1900s. Last year, it was named the best film of the last 17 years by The New York Times.
Cole can see ghosts
The first film in M. Night Shyamalan’s filmography was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. This 1999 film followed a child psychologist (played here by a Bruce Willis who dominates in something other than an action movie), who is tasked with helping a boy who sees and talks to the ghost. Since this movie has long been spoiled, pretty much everyone knows the shocking twist ending, which had many viewers turning around and immediately watching the movie again while it was still in theaters.
Don’t stand on this dude’s lawn.
There was a time when this seemed like it was going to be the last movie that Clint Eastwood ever starred or directed in. But nearly a decade later and the 88-year-old legend is still going strong and cranking out films. The film follows an angry old man and Korean War veteran as he attempts to hold his own against the increased gang activity in his area. But at the same time, he forms an unlikely friendship with a teenager of Asian descent who lives next door.
Four friends go on an adventure.
Based on one of Stephen King’s more lighthearted coming-of-age tales — at least by King standards — this 1986 film follows a group of young boys who go on a day-long adventure to see if the story of a boy who had an accident on some nearby train tracks is really true. While this is ultimately a story about childhood friendship, it covers some heavier themes as well, including learning that life is not infinite and that many of our childhood friendships weren't meant to last.