This is where my love for cinema lives. The films that shaped my voice, my taste, and the way I tell stories.
I still remember watching Jurassic Park as my first English film on a big screen back in India. I was around 10 years to understand that what I was watching was cinema, but young enough to be completely blown away by it. Dinosaurs, sound, scale, suspense it didn’t just entertain me, it excited me. To this day, it’s still firmly in my top five films.
A few years later, growing up in India, I watched Bandit Queen on TV by Shekhar Kapur the biographical action-adventure film based on the life of Phoolan Devi. It tells the story of a lower-caste woman who faces brutal sexual abuse and systemic discrimination, and who ultimately takes revenge by becoming the leader of a gang, and later, a politician. Watching that film at the age of 12 was a shock to the system.
Until then, cinema had largely been escapism for me. Bandit Queen made me realise that films could also be raw, uncomfortable, political and deeply real. It wasn’t just about entertainment anymore. It made me think about the craft of cinema, and the responsibility that comes with telling certain stories.
Now that I’ve become a filmmaker myself, I love watching films from every corner of the world and across every genre. Old films, new films, quiet films, loud ones. But if I’m honest, over the last few years my patience has run dry. I don’t think I have time for bad films anymore.
These days, I tend to watch films that genuinely excite me, or ones I’ve heard good things about from people I trust. Life’s short, and there’s too much great cinema out there.
So this page is a living list of films I’ve watched and loved, some recent, some old, some obvious, some unexpected. And really, what’s the point of keeping the good stuff to myself?
★★★★★ Star Films
Nosferatu (2024)
★★★★★
Interstellar (2014)
★★★★★
Gone Girl (2014)
★★★★★
The Babadook (2014)
★★★★★
Gravity (2013)
★★★★★
The Dark Knight (2008)
★★★★★
There Will Be Blood (2007)
★★★★★
Children of Men (2006)
★★★★★
Devdas (2002)
★★★★★
Spirited Away (2001)
★★★★★
The Fifth Element (1997)
★★★★★
Jurassic Park (1993)
★★★★★
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
★★★★★
Alien (1979)
★★★★★
Pather Panchali (1955)
★★★★★
Seven Samurai (1954)
★★★★★
★★★★½ Star Films
Khauf (2025)
★★★★½
Dexter (2025)
★★★★½
The Holdovers (2023)
★★★★½
Monster (2023)
★★★★½
Talk to Me (2022)
★★★★½
Sacred Games (2022)
★★★★½
Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022)
★★★★½
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
★★★★½
Moon Knight (2022)
★★★★½
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
★★★★½
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
★★★★½
1917 (2019)
★★★★½
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
★★★★½
Marriage Story (2019)
★★★★½
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
★★★★½
Tumbbad (2018)
★★★★½
Hereditary (2018)
★★★★½
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
★★★★½
Your Name. (2016)
★★★★½
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
★★★★½
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
★★★★½
Whiplash (2014)
★★★★½
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
★★★★½
The Truman Show (1998)
★★★★½
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
★★★★½
Schindler’s List (1993)
★★★★½
Back to the Future (1985)
★★★★½
The Shining (1980)
★★★★½
Taxi Driver (1976)
★★★★½
Rear Window (1954)
★★★★½
Citizen Kane (1941)
★★★★½
★★★★ Star Films
Snow Bear (2024)
★★★★
Longlegs (2024)
★★★★
Society of the Snow (2023)
★★★★
Poor Things (2023)
★★★★
Saltburn (2023)
★★★★
Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
★★★★
Dune (2021)
★★★★
Soul (2020)
★★★★
Tenet (2020)
★★★★
Parasite (2019)
★★★★
Chernobyl (2019)
★★★★
Lady Bird (2017)
★★★★
Get Out (2017)
★★★★
Moonlight (2016)
★★★★
Inception (2010)
★★★★
Black Swan (2010)
★★★★
Avatar (2009)
★★★★
Snatch (2000)
★★★★
The Matrix (1999)
★★★★
Princess Mononoke (1997)
★★★★
Bandit Queen (1994)
★★★★
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
★★★★
Apocalypse Now (1979)
★★★★
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
★★★★
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
★★★★
Psycho (1960)
★★★★
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
★★★★
Anchors Aweigh (1945)
★★★★
★★★½ Star Films
rankenstein (2025)
★★★½
Weapons (2025)
★★★½
Alien: Romulus (2024)
★★★½
All of Them (2024)
★★★½
Dune: Part Two (2024)
★★★½
MadS (2024)
★★★½
Oppenheimer (2023)
★★★½
Past Lives (2023)
★★★½
Ponniyin Selvan: Part II (2023)
★★★½
Aftersun (2022)
★★★½
RRR (2022)
★★★½
The Batman (2022)
★★★½
Nope (2022)
★★★½
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
★★★½
Decision to Leave (2022)
★★★½
The Northman (2022)
★★★½
CODA (2021)
★★★½
The French Dispatch (2021)
★★★½
Dune (2021)
★★★½
The Power of the Dog (2021)
★★★½
Nomadland (2020)
★★★½
Sound of Metal (2019)
★★★½
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
★★★½
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
★★★½
Roma (2018)
★★★½
A Star Is Born (2018)
★★★½
First Man (2018)
★★★½
Call Me by Your Name (2017)
★★★½
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
★★★½
Arrival (2016)
★★★½
La La Land (2016)
★★★½
The Revenant (2015)
★★★½
Sicario (2015)
★★★½
Ex Machina (2014)
★★★½
Birdman (2014)
★★★½
Her (2013)
★★★½
Prisoners (2013)
★★★½
Skyfall (2012)
★★★½
Drive (2011)
★★★½
Black Swan (2010)
★★★½
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
★★★½
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
★★★½
There Will Be Blood (2007)
★★★½
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
★★★½
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
★★★½
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
★★★½
Oldboy (2003)
★★★½
City of God (2002)
★★★½
Memento (2000)
★★★½
The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
★★★½
Fight Club (1999)
★★★½
The Sixth Sense (1999)
★★★½
Heat (1995)
★★★½
Pulp Fiction (1994)
★★★½
Forrest Gump (1994)
★★★½
Schindler’s List (1993)
★★★½
Jurassic Park (1993)
★★★½
Goodfellas (1990)
★★★½
Dead Poets Society (1989)
★★★½
Blade Runner (1982)
★★★½
Scarface (1983)
★★★½
The Thing (1982)
★★★½
Raging Bull (1980)
★★★½
Alien (1979)
★★★½
Apocalypse Now (1979)
★★★½
Carrie (1976)
★★★½
Jaws (1975)
★★★½
The Godfather Part II (1974)
★★★½
The Exorcist (1973)
★★★½
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
★★★½
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
★★★½
The Graduate (1967)
★★★½
Breathless (1960)
★★★½
Vertigo (1958)
★★★½
Moonfleet (1955)
★★★½
Seven Samurai (1954)
★★★½
Rear Window (1954)
★★★½
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
★★★½
Citizen Kane (1941)
★★★½
★★★ Star Films
Be Happy (2025)
★★★
Bring Her Back (2025)
★★★
Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)
★★★
Primate (2025)
★★★
Sinners (2025)
★★★
Nope (2022)
★★★
Old (2021)
★★★
Parallel Mothers (2021)
★★★
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
★★★
The Green Knight (2021)
★★★
Tenet (2020)
★★★
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
★★★
The Gentlemen (2019)
★★★
Ad Astra (2019)
★★★
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
★★★
Vice (2018)
★★★
A Star Is Born (2018)
★★★
Annihilation (2018)
★★★
mother! (2017)
★★★
The Shape of Water (2017)
★★★
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
★★★
It Comes at Night (2017)
★★★
Passengers (2016)
★★★
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
★★★
The Hateful Eight (2015)
★★★
Ex Machina (2014)
★★★
The Imitation Game (2014)
★★★
Under the Skin (2013)
★★★
The Great Gatsby (2013)
★★★
Prometheus (2012)
★★★
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
★★★
Cloud Atlas (2012)
★★★
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
★★★
The Tree of Life (2011)
★★★
Inception (2010)
★★★
The Hurt Locker (2008)
★★★
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
★★★
Zodiac (2007)
★★★
Children of Men (2006)
★★★
Munich (2005)
★★★
The Aviator (2004)
★★★
The Village (2004)
★★★
Gangs of New York (2002)
★★★
Minority Report (2002)
★★★
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
★★★
The English Patient (1996)
★★★
Heat (1995)
★★★
Natural Born Killers (1994)
★★★
The Firm (1993)
★★★
A Few Good Men (1992)
★★★
Total Recall (1990)
★★★
Rain Man (1988)
★★★
Platoon (1986)
★★★
The Terminator (1984)
★★★
Scarface (1983)
★★★
The French Connection (1971)
★★★
The Godfather (1972)
★★★
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
★★★
The Graduate (1967)
★★★
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
★★★