The most influential movies ever made

Even those who haven't seen The Godfather know The Godfather. The shot of Marlon Brando in his office, shrouded in shadows on the day of his daughter's wedding. The quotes about cannolis, horses and offers you can't refuse. And the music, which is even more recognizable then Brad Pitt's jawline. The Godfather introduced a new kind of storytelling, using cross-cutting, foreshadowing and crime tropes to bring the gangster flick to life.

Obviously you've seen this, so there's no need to give you a description. But since I need to write something here, here you go: A girl gets caught in a tornado that sends her to a magical world filled with color, castles and monsters. The journey is dazzling — a yellow brick road that directors still stroll down to this day. And the emotional journey is somehow even more effective.

You can't watch a movie in 2024 without seeing the influence of Breathless. Even movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer owe a great deal to Jean-Luc Godard's breakout film. The director changed the way films are edited, using quick cuts to add energy to his Bonnie and Clyde romance. He's one of the reasons our attention spans are so short, yet for 90 minutes of cool meandering, you can't help but be glued to the screen.

Audiences walked out. And those who stayed either threw up or felt sick to their stomach. Alfred Hitchock's first horror flick was more of a dare than a movie when it came out. Like Alien or The Exorcist, it was a test to see if you were a wuss or not. But now, looking back it's more of a touchstone than a fright-fest. The B-movie techniques, the plot twists, the shower scene and the editing all broke new ground. As well as new flesh.

Can you imagine a world without Disney? There would be no Finding Nemo, The Incredibles or Small World rollercoaster ride. Well, I guess we could do without the ride. But our lives would all look a little different if Walt's foray into cinema didn't work. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs put the studio on the map with its mix of great visuals and magical realism, a mix they are still trying to master to this day.

Bueller, Bueller, Bueller? Anyone? It's impossible to imagine a world where Ferris Bueller didn't ditch school. The teenage hero remains one of the most influential characters in all of cinema, his initials stamped on adolescent protagonists like a high-school letterman jacket. The letter F can be found on the heart of adolescent protagonists everywhere.

As time flies by, the romance between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman only grows more palpable. You can't watch their doomed romance without tearing up, even as more directors try to replicate their story. There's not much of a point in creating another Casablanca, however, since the original remains one of the influential classics.

The rosebud for many directors. Citizen Kane is one of those titles directors mention as their inspiration to make films. Orson Welles changed the way we look at movies and the way movies look, bringing deep focus and extreme camera angles to the cinematic fore.

A movie about government forces massacring innocent people? Sounds familiar. There's a sad parallel to what's happening now and what happens in this silent classic, which sees a firing squad take out a crowd of innocent bystanders. But what's most prevalent is Sergei Eisenstein's use of montage editing, laying the groundwork for how future directors would construct their films.

Vampire movies start here. Some would say horror movies start here, too. F.W. Murnau's silent film speaks volumes to the power of horror flicks to scare, startle and astonish audiences. His use of camerawork, editing, music and pacing is the impetus for every horror flick since.

Here it is, the movie that started the rom-com. You can thank Frank Capra for every cinematic meet-cute, movie marriage and Julia Roberts smile that's come since. I don't know what your mom would watch if it weren't for this comedy, but it probably wouldn't be directed by Nora Ephron. 

A movie about a director making a movie about a director making a movie? What is this, movie Inception? Try a fantastical journey into the mind of a director. Every film about moviemaking is an homage to Federico Fellini's original, which remains one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

The very first blockbuster, Jaws opened wide in theaters everywhere. Audiences lined up for hours to see Steven Spielberg's monster flick, then were dragged out to sea by a rip current of tense music, terrifying editing and extremely fake sharks. That didn't stop blockbusters from becoming the most profitable type of film. Now theaters are packed with fake-looking monsters. Thanks a lot, Spielberg.

You just ain't making a list of the most influential films without John Ford, partner. I reckon this is the most influential Western ever made, mainly because it's considered the first of its kind. It introduced the genre's tropes and introduced John Wayne, the genre's most influential hero.

Before the galaxy was invaded by mediocre sequels (a threat worse than the Death Star), George Lucas gave us one of the best movies ever made, along with some incredibly powerful follow-ups. Science fiction wasn't considered a very profitable genre at the moment   of release, but then Lucas gave the public something everyone can enjoy. Something with Chewbacca!

Speaking of Star Wars, the sci-fi classic was inspired by something not many people would guess. Most people would assume Lucas was inspired by other science-fiction films, but the director was actually inspired by samurai flicks. More specifically, Akira Kurosawa samurai flicks. The master of magnificent action, poetic images and plain-spoken wisdom, Kurosawa delivered one of the great epics with this tale of samurai saving an innocent village. There are no lightsabers or monsters, but the vibe remains the same.

You can tell a movie is influential when it's being referenced in the very first scene of the Barbie movie. Stanley Kubrick's film doesn't have Margot Robbie in a bikini, unfortunately. But it does remain the pinnacle of science-fiction cinema. 

We could have included a number of Scorsese titles on this list. There may not be more influential director out there. But since we only wanted to include one, we went with the mobster flick that has been referenced constantly over the past 30-plus years.

There are many films cited as the first modern movie. The rapid editing of Breathless, the cinematography of Citizen Kane and the monumental impact of Jaws. But what about L'Avventura? The film that confronted modern society itself, Michelangelo Antonioni changed cinema forever with this story of a woman gone missing in Italy. She's not the focus of this story, however, as Antonioni shifts his focus to the crushing loneliness of two people caught up in their era's vapid self-importance. It's a monumental work of social commentary.

Is there are more influential movie fairy tale? Inconceivable! Rob Reiner's tale of a kidnapped princess and her true love remains the ultimate cinematic fairy tale. It's funny, romantic and a great film.