Carolyn Hinds

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CHIN-JEOL-HAN GEUM-JA-SSI

This is a perfect revenge thriller, with an intricate plot that revolves around a woman seeking justice for herself. Though his first film in the Vengeance Triology, Old Boy, is more widely recognised, it's with Lady Vengeance that Park Chan-wook showed his growth as a storyteller and director by creating a plot that is more cohesive and builds in tension and mystery like a tightly coiled snake.

Park utilised the stunning cinematography of Chung Chung-hoon to capture intimate moments, making them big and filled with meaning, and the acting of Lee Young-ae is superbly reserved, belying the righteous anger consuming her character Lee Geum-ja.

The Terminator

With a story arc that basically boils down to humans being our own worst enemy, The Terminator is one of the most, if not the most prescient film ever made.

The Matrix

With a cast made up of some of the most beloved performers of the time, badass fashion, quotable dialogue and innovative and groundbreaking fight choreography and CGI, this dystopian cult classic forever changed the way we viewed action films and filmmaking.

Ying

Though it may not be as well known as his earlier films, like Hero, and others in the Chinese wuxia action epic genre, Shadow remains one of the most visually unique films created in decades, with an unpredictable ending that makes you want to go back to the beginning to look for missed clues.

Star Wars

When we talk about what makes a film qualified to be considered the 'greatest film of all time', we shouldn't only look at the directing, acting, writing and other technical aspects, we should also look at its impact on society and the culture, and there honestly isn't a better example of this than the first film of the decades-long Star Wars series and franchise. The impact of this first film is unquantifiable.

Black Panther

Another film that created a massive impact on international culture and fandoms is Marvel's Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler. Though this selection would be debatable for many for various reasons such as some story elements and wonky VFX in some scenes, its meaning for millions of fans across the globe is undeniable, and the love people have for a film and what it means to them personally and culturally takes precedence over anything else.