Movies make us reach our emotional depths and feel things we’ve never felt before. Especially the classics, which have remained popular over the years. With time, they’ve become a part of pop culture.
In this article, we talk about fifteen timeless Hollywood movies across genres. These memorable movies are still fun to watch. Read on for great classic movies you should see.
1. The Godfather
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures.
Genre: Crime
The Godfather is a famous 1972 movie about a crime family. Hollywood greats like Marlon Brando and Al Pacino star in it. The movie is about the Corleone family and its patriarch, Vito Corleone. The Francis Ford Coppola directed classic is widely regarded as one of the best movies ever made.
2. Casablanca
Image Credits: 1942 Warner Home Entertainment.
Genre: Romance
Casablanca is a 1942 romantic movie set during World War II. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman star as old lovers who rekindle old passion when they meet each other in Morocco. Known for its romance and drama sequences, Casablanca won Best Picture at the Oscars. It is one of the most famous romantic movies ever made.
3. Psycho
Image Credits: Paramount Pictures, IMDB
Genre: Horror
Alfred Hitchcock directed Psycho, a horror classic from 1960. It still resonates with horror fans. It is about a woman named Marion who steals money from her boss. She stays at the Bates Motel, where she meets Norman Bates, who runs the motel. The infamous shower scene scares people. Psycho was a groundbreaking influence for horror movies thereafter.
4. The Wizard of Oz
Image Credits: 1939 Warner Home Video IMDB
Genre: Fantasy Musical
Judy Garland stars as Dorothy in this 1939 fantasy musical. The Wizard of Oz. A tornado takes her character to the land of Oz, where she journeys to see the Wizard and get home. The movie is famous for its colorful characters and songs. It is a classic that people from every generation enjoy.
5. Citizen Kane
Image Credits: Courtesy Everett Collection, IMDB
Genre: Drama
Orson Welles directed and starred in Citizen Kane, a great 1941 drama movie. It is about a rich businessman named Charles Foster Kane. After his death, reporters look into his life. The movie uses a lot of flashbacks to tell its story. Citizen Kane earns praise for its screenplay, for which it managed to win an Oscar.
6. Singin’ in the Rain
Image Credits: © MGM Studios, Inc. IMDB
Genre: Musical Comedy
In Singin’ In The Rain, Gene Kelly plays a silent film star who falls for a girl, played by Debbie Reynolds. An upbeat musical comedy from 1952, it is about the change from silent films to talkies. The title song featuring Gene Kelly’s dance sequence continues to garner attention even after seven years.
7. Vertigo
Image Credits: Paramount Pictures, IMDB
Genre: Thriller
Alfred Hitchcock directed Vertigo, a classic 1958 thriller. James Stewart plays a retired detective, who becomes obsessed with a woman he follows. The movie is typically praised for its wild camerawork and music. It is considered to be an influential movie and one of Hitchcock’s best thrillers.
8. Lawrence of Arabia
Image Credit: Columbia Pictures, IMDB
Genre: Epic Drama
Peter O’Toole stars as T.E. Lawrence in the big budget 1962 movie Lawrence of Arabia. Set in Arabia during World War I, it shows Lawrence’s dangerous desert journey. The movie features vast desert scenes and great music, which helped it win 7 Oscars. Lawrence of Arabia is a classic epic movie.
9. The Sound of Music
Image Credit: Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Genre: Musical Drama
Julie Andrews plays Maria, a nun who becomes a governess to 7 children in the beautiful 1965 musical movie The Sound of Music. She teaches the children music and joy. The movie features lovely songs like “My Favorite Things.” It is a delightful family classic.
10. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Image Credits: © 1966 United Artists – MGM, IMDB
Genre: Western
Clint Eastwood stars as “The Good” in the exciting 1966 Western – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. He hunts for gold with two other men. The movie boasts big desert scenes and great music. Its climactic shootout scene has kept fans hooked for years. The film is an iconic “spaghetti Western.”
11. The Graduate
Image Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, IMDB
Genre: Comedy Drama
Dustin Hoffman stars in his breakout role as a young man named Benjamin in the 1967 movie The Graduate. Benjamin has an affair with an older woman, Mrs. Robinson, and then falls for her daughter, Elaine. The movie spoke to youth at the time about rebellion and not conforming to existing traditions.
12. The Godfather Part II
Image Credit: © 1974 – Paramount Pictures, IMDB
Genre: Crime
Al Pacino returns as Michael Corleone running the crime family in Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part II. The sequel to the classic, also shows the backstory of Michael’s father, Vito, played by Robert De Niro. The sequel is considered one of the greatest movies ever, much like the original.
13. Star Wars
Image Credit: © Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. IMDB.
Genre: Sci-Fi
Mark Hamill starred as Luke Skywalker, having an adventure in space in Star Wars, released in 1977. Luke meets legendary characters like Han Solo, Princess Leia, and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. Star Wars featured pioneering special effects and kickstarted the popular Star Wars franchise.
14. Raiders of the Lost Ark
Image Credit: Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM, IMDB
Genre: Adventure
Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones in the 1981 movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. Indiana Jones races to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis. As an iconic adventure film, it contains humor and thrilling action scenes.
15. The Shawshank Redemption
Image Credit: Castle Rock Entertainment
Genre: Drama
In this legendary 1994 drama, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman star as Andy Dufrense and Ellis “Red” Redding respectively. Robbins plays “a man wrongly sent to prison” who befriends Freeman’s character. The movie is about hope and the human spirit. Over the years, it became a very inspiring drama, eventually becoming the top-rated movie on IMDB.