As a companion to my writeup on the film canon, I made this list of 32 unique movies worth trying. I’m (mostly) not gonna waste my finger-breath on stuff already in the canon. If you actually want to use this as a film guide, I’d go through TSPDT in order, and for every 2 films on TSPDT, watch one of these. And if it sucks… hit da bricks!. David Sims at The Atlantic watches thousands more films than me, and he had a similar idea. Check it out.

I only love a few of these movies unconditionally, but each has something to say and a unique way of saying it. This list is also on IMDB.

Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
The Lion King
My Neighbor Totoro
Pee-wee’s Big Adventure
Primer
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
Shoah
Speed Racer

Alone in the Wilderness
The Endless Summer
Fantasia 2000
Gates of Heaven
Hardcore Henry
Joe Versus the Volcano
Koyaanisqatsi
Lost in Translation
My Own Breathing
Pleasantville
Prospero’s Books
Shrek
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Tampopo
TRON
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Wonderful Life

Akira
Batman & Robin
Play Time (1967)
The Thief and the Cobbler: Recobbled Cut Mark 4
Waking Life

The Fabulous Baron Munchausen