Opinions on films will always vary from person to person, but there are some films that continually pop up on lists of men’s favorite movies, whether due to characters, action, comedy, or storyline.
The Shawshank Redemption
There is a reason why The Shawshank Redemption continues to be a favorite movie years after it came out. Under the premise of a prison movie is a powerful story of friendship, patience, dignity, and never giving up hope, even when life is outrageously unjust.
Andy Dufresne is not your typical action star; his strength comes from being levelheaded and always staying one or two steps ahead of everyone else. Throw in Morgan Freeman’s iconic portrayal of Red and one of the best movie endings of all time, and you’ve got a film that many men can’t get enough of.
The Godfather
The Godfather is much more than a gangster film. At the heart of the movie is Michael Corleone’s ascension from wanting to distance himself from the family crime business to becoming the man who eventually takes it over. Themes of familial love and devotion, power, ambition, betrayal, and irrevocable life-changing decisions run throughout the entire movie.
Marlon Brando and Al Pacino gave some of their most iconic performances, creating iconic characters. Even today, more than 50 years later, people can quote endless scenes and lines from this classic.
Fight Club
Fight Club resonated with generations of audiences beyond its titular underground fighting. The film takes aim at consumerism, discontentment, identity, masculinity, and the meaningless minutiae of modern life.
Brad Pitt’s Tyler Durden became one of the decade’s most iconic film characters, even as the story questions rather than endorses his philosophy. Darkly humorous, stylistic, shocking, and endlessly quotable, Fight Club turned a controversial film into a cult classic.
Goodfellas
Few films set in the criminal underworld run as smoothly as Goodfellas. Director Martin Scorsese charts Henry Hill’s journey from his youthful days as a gangster-watching dreamer all the way through the thrills, money, paranoia, brutality, and downfall that follows. Instead of adopting an outsider perspective on organized crime, Goodfellas puts viewers right into the trenches and makes them feel like they’re gliding around with everyone else.
Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci are all riveting, making Goodfellas one of those films you can watch time and time again even when you know how it ends word-for-word.
Gladiator
Gladiator may boast epic-scale battles and gruesome arena brutality, but at heart it’s rather straightforward. Maximus has his position, his freedom, and his family stripped away from him, but he will not let Commodus defeat him utterly.
Crowe’s portrayal made Maximus into a heroic icon for modern film. Honor, loyalty, revenge, and sacrifice lend the spectacle depth, while Hans Zimmer’s musical score and the film’s depiction of ancient Rome ground it in awe-inspiring scope.
The Dark Knight
Superhero films were already big business by the time of The Dark Knight, but Nolan offered audiences something a little more grounded in reality. Bale’s portrayal of Batman deals with a villain whose motivations aren’t about wealth or traditional forms of control.
Heath Ledger’s Joker is attempting to show that even people who consider themselves good will forsake their morals under the right circumstances. The underlying conflict of ideals lends weight to the blockbuster nature of the film, and Ledger still has one of the best villainous performances of all time.
Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction isn’t told like a typical crime film. Scenes are out of chronological sequence, characters have lengthy conversations about mundane topics, and graphic violence can quickly turn to outlandish humor. Quentin Tarantino crafted all that into one of the most iconic films of the 1990s.
John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, and Bruce Willis star in a movie filled with iconic characters and infinitely replayed dialogue. For many viewers, half the fun is finding something new each time you watch it.
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan will forever be known for its intense battle sequences, especially the film’s unforgettable opening. But beyond all the chaos and gunfire lies a compelling story. Six American soldiers embark on a journey through war-torn France to find Private James Ryan following the death of his brothers.
As they travel, they wonder why they should risk multiple lives to save just one. Spielberg doesn’t glorify combat as he deftly tackles what it means to be courageous in the face of fear and unequaled terror. There are larger themes of duty, friendship, and sacrifice at play as well.
The Matrix
The Matrix felt so fresh when it debuted in 1999 thanks to its visionary blend of science fiction, martial arts, and visual effects you had never seen before. But part of what’s kept The Matrix relevant is the familiar concept at its heart: what if your world was an elaborate illusion?
Neo’s choice to take the red pill or the blue one entered the pop culture lexicon far beyond the movie. Underneath all the kicking and computer-generated intrigue lies a tale of liberation, power, self, and whether it’s better to know a harsh truth or live blissfully in a lie.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day expands upon nearly every aspect audiences loved about its predecessor. From Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator evolving from homicidal maniac to unlikely hero to the T-1000 being one of the greatest villains in movie history.
James Cameron packed the film with epic set pieces, innovative special effects, and surprisingly poignant drama between John Connor and the Terminator. Even today, many of its practical effects still appear realistic.
Heat
Ask a group of serious crime-movie aficionados about their favorites, and Heat will inevitably come up in the conversation. Robert De Niro stars as disciplined professional Neil McCauley. Al Pacino is the obsessively determined detective on McCauley’s trail.
What’s interesting about the movie is that despite their vastly different jobs, these two men have a lot in common. Each man is excellent at what he does, but both let their work negatively affect their home lives. The two stars’ coffee-shop meeting and Heat’s elaborate downtown shoot-out are now iconic scenes.
Die Hard
Die Hard changed the action hero mold. John McClane is not an indestructible superhuman; he is tired, wounded, scared, and often making it up as he goes along because his best-laid plans fail.
Bruce Willis played that weakness into the character’s charm, while Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber gave him an unusually intelligent adversary. The limited setting keeps things suspenseful and straightforward, which is why the movie is so rewatchable
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King gave fans that grew up on the trilogy the epic ending they craved. Sure, there are epic battles and mythical beasts, but at its heart the story is about friendship, perseverance, bravery, and regular people pressing forward even when they think they can’t go on anymore.
Aragorn embraces his destiny as king, and Frodo and Sam continue their trek to Mount Doom. No surprise it won all 11 Oscars it was nominated for, including Best Picture.
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