While growing up, I can always remember my family being more on the protective side of what my sister and I could watch. My sister and I would always sneak off to watch the newest movies or the weekend cartoon episodes. We would go to the extent of fighting over the remote if one of us wanted to watch a certain movie over the other. While my family was only trying to protect us as kids, now that I live in Florida, I have had to catch up on years of missed time from some of the most classical movies. Especially those in my top 10 movies list.

In return, I have spent my twenties catching up on watching television references or movie classics people always rave about. While catching up on these classics, I have found various lists that help find the best ‘old movies’. Ranker listed the top 10 movies that every young person needs to make sure they have watched in their lifetime.

While looking through this list, I could see that I still had some movies to work and watch to be able to rank these accurately. Overall, from a 22 year old perspective, I have a solid agreeance on these classics and there rankings. The top 10 movies included can be found below.

• 10. The Breakfast Club- 1985

  The Breakfast Club brings together five high school students from different social cliques who are forced to spend a Saturday detention together. This American independent teen coming-of-age comedy-drama film was written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. With a cast starring Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald. This film remains a touchstone for generations of viewers.

   

• 9. Ferris Bueller's Day Off- 1986

  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is another classic written, produced, and directed by John Hughes. The main character, Ferris Bueller, has a uncanny skill at cutting his high school classes. Planning his last skip before graduating high school, Ferris calls in sick, and embarks on a one day-journey through Chicago. On Ferris’ tail is high school principal Rooney, determined to catch him in the act. In my own opinion, I would have ranked this movie to at least top 5 in the list. I always rewatch this movie and reminds me to take in the little moments of fun that life brings.

   

• 8. Beetlejuice- 1988

  In this darkly comic fantasy directed by Tim Burton, a recently deceased couple, played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, enlists the help of a mischievous poltergeist nicknamed “Beetlejuice”  to scare away the new occupants of their former home. Starring a strong ensemble cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and Micheal Keaton. This movie is loved by many, so much that a reboot was just announced a few weeks ago!

   

• 7. The Goonies- 1985

  A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map in the attic and they set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate’s long-lost treasure. They follow it into an underground cavern in search of lost treasure but come up against plenty of dangerous obstacles along the way. This movie has a character everyone in the audience can make a connection with, which makes it relatable to any viewer.

• 6. Jurassic Park- 1993

  Jurassic Park is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton. This classic is centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. This first installment of the franchise used pioneering computer-generated imagery (CGI) to bring dinosaurs to life in Steven Spielberg’s adaption of the novel.

   

• 5. The Shawshank Redemption- 1994

  This American prison drama film was written and directed by Frank Darabont. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker in Maine, is convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, a golf pro. This movie has been top ranked for years and is the highest-rated IMDb film of all time.

• 4. Home Alone- 1990

  Home alone is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. This one of my all time holiday movies and definitely a tradition in my family to watch during the holidays.

• 3. Raiders of the Lost Ark- 1981

  This action-adventure movie is directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford as the swashbuckling archeologist Indiana Jones, captivates audiences with its thrilling set pieces and charismatic protagonist. While this is not one of my top favorites, I appreciate how well they have persevered this movie for over 40 years.

• 2. Ghostbusters- 1984

  The American supernatural comedy film was directed and produced by Ivan Reitman. Ghostbusters is based off of a team of scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) that lost their top paying jobs at a university in New York City. They decide to become “ghostbusters” for money and end up having to save the city from an evil dimension.

• 1. Back To The Future-1995

  Back to the Future is a American science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Zemeckis, and Bob Gale. It stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson. The main character, Marty McFly, is accidently sent back to 1955 and inherently stops prevents his parents from falling in love.

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