Rosie Fletcher

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Metropolis

A technical triumph, an artistic wonder and a great story that remains relevant today.

The Night of the Hunter

This film has haunted me ever since I first saw it, it has such extraordinary mood and atmosphere, you can feel the heat. The stand off between Robert Mitchum's Powell and Lillian Gish's Rachel Cooper is one of the most intense sequences in cinema history.

Carnival of Souls

I adore this film, it's so creepy and at the same time so lyrical. It's obviously incredibly influential too, with visuals that are haunting and compelling in equal measure.

My Neighbour Totoro

This is a gorgeous fantasy adventure with many memorable moments. It's ostensibly a children's film and one of the things that makes it so special is the childlike (and someone dreamlike) logic, so characters and plot points require (and get) no explanation. Watching as an adult the film is mesmerising, it's a moving story infused with pure magic.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

I've seen this film three times and that is quite enough. Not enjoyable, this is however the best example of what it is an example of ever made. Perhaps the result of some extreme serendipity and an ordeal of a shoot, Texas Chain Saw is visceral, terrifying and deeply disturbing without actually including very much gore. It's just perfect from the slow burn opening to the 30 minutes of screaming that rounds the movie out.

Raw

I have never felt as 'seen' by a movie as this. Raw is such an extraordinary debut and so very distinctive. Though it's a relatively new movie to be included on an 'all time' list I'm including it because it felt like a film that captured the female psyche in a way that I hadn't seen before, and with any luck might encourage more up and coming film makers to take risks like this. And Garance Marillier as Justine is perfect.

Mulholland Dr.

David Lynch's most ambitious movie (perhaps) felt like it grew on his amazing work with Twin Peaks. It's dense and rich and full of iconic moments, and it's also a massively rewarding film to pick apart.

Sunset Blvd.

Tragic-comic noir with a smart structure and an unforgettable central performance.

2001: A Space Odyssey

At risk of stating this obvious this is such a massive film. Almost incomprehensibly massive, not just in its scope and scale but in its ideas and philosophies. It's a genre movie asking the biggest of questions and it has a scary computer to boot.

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

While I acknowledge this title will never make the final 100 this is neither token nor ironic. Romy and Michele is one of the smartest and best anti-romcoms ever made. It's a film that brilliant turns on it's head the trope of the girl and the guy getting together and living happily ever after - instead this is a reverse version of Pygmalion where out protagonists attempt to "better" themselves to suit society but conclude that they are fine as they are and they don't give a "flying fuck" what the cool girls think. It's progressive, feminist, subversive, surreal and extremely clever. That this film also happens to be colourful and funny with a banging soundtrack should not be a mark against its true power.