Why you should watch: Director Andrew Haigh's dreamlike aesthetic gives this film a delicately haunting energy; it doesn't spook you, it's almost overwhelmingly fragile, but you'll be magnetised from open until close. The Rotten Tomatoes score speaks for itself, with 96% of over 260 critics hailing this a "warm blanket of a film" (Empire Magazine). And, of course, Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal are simply brilliant together.

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Why you should watch: Crazy Heart offered Jeff Bridges some much-deserved Oscars glory in the Best Actor category, fending off competition from the likes of George Clooney, Colin Firth, Jeremy Renner and Morgan Freeman. He and co-stars Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall all sing for real in the film, and its original songs are fantastic across the board. The Guardian said at the time: "A hokey story about a washed-up country singer is rescued by a wonderful performance by Jeff Bridges."

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Why you should watch: Swiss artist H. R. Giger cemented his legacy with the film's infamous alien creature and environment designs. He deservedly took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects alongside four colleagues. Such is Alien's ongoing impression on Hollywood, there's been four direct sequels, two prequels and a pair of Predator crossovers so far. Yet none have managed to recapture that visceral dread of the 1979 classic.

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Why you should watch: Although they would later appear together in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman, Heat stands as the very first collaboration between De Niro and Pacino on the big screen. (They were both in The Godfather Part II, but not onscreen at the same time). The diner scene between McCauley and Hanna emits the same electricity as Godzilla going toe-to-toe with King Kong. Meanwhile, an ear-splitting, street-level gunfight is undoubtedly the most realistic we've seen in cinemas. Christopher Nolan has cited Mann's thriller as a "big influence" on The Dark Knight.

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Why you should watch: Rightly deemed to be one of the best Christmas films ever made. At the time, Variety said that Home Alone had "first-rate production in which every element contributes to the overall smartly realised tone. The reliable talents of Catherine O'Hara, John Heard and John Candy pop up in varying capacities, too. It's funny. That's the main reason to watch, and a festive family film without the schmaltz.

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Why you should watch: Fresh from his Oscar-winning direction on American Beauty, Sam Mendes brought a polished grandeur to the table in Road to Perdition. Upon release, Rolling Stone complimented the film's "chilling darkness" and "breathtaking shootouts" which are strengthened by composer Thomas Newman's "evocative score". Tom Hanks is, as always, entirely watchable.

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Why you should watch: It's fun, it's good-looking, and it has a cast bulging with top names (many of them British). The New York Times critic A. O. Scott praised director Gore Verbinski's "appropriate sense of mischief" and a penchant for "integrating CGI seamlessly into his cinematic compositions" on a level similar to Lord of the Rings' Peter Jackson and Jurassic Park's Steven Spielberg. All of the movie franchise are available to watch on Disney+.

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Why you should watch: Filth was described as gloriously "obscene, puerile and cynical" by The Independent. James McAvoy's performance as scheming and manipulative cop Bruce Robertson is painfully raw at times, but there's comedy too - albeit it black. It's not an easy watch, but you know what you're getting with writer Irvine Welsh... The critics consensus on Rotten Tomatoes gives it 67% and says: "Warped, grimy, and enthusiastically unpleasant, Filth lives up to its title splendidly."

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Why you should watch: Rogue One is arguably one of the best Star Wars spin-offs. With a 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film manages to evoke "the chaos of Normandy and Vietnam" via its "gung-ho battle scenes" according to critic Mark Kermode. There's also a spectacular Darth Vader sequence in there that's worth your attention alone. It's a great cast, too, led by British actress Felicity Jones. Diego Luna's character Cassian Andor went on to get his own Disney+ series.

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Why you should watch: Winning 11 Oscars from 14 nominations, Titanic was voted the Best Picture in 1997. It subsequently held the record for highest-grossing film of all-time until Avatar's arrival 12 years later. In 2017, it was inducted into the United States National Film Registry for its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. It's a classic, and cemented Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kate Winslet into the hearts of film watchers forever after. And if you haven't stood on a boat and shouted 'I'm the King of the World' what's wrong with you?

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Why you should watch: Sideways is an unshowy gem that allows the writing and performances to flourish. It pulses with Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church's bickering chemistry. The film earned five Oscar nominations and took one of those prestigious golden statuettes home (for Best Adapted Screenplay). In critical circles, the film gained the admiration of The Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert. He said: "The characters are played not by the first actors you would think of casting, but by actors who will prevent you from ever being able to imagine anyone else in their roles."

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Why you should watch: A contender for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score at the Oscars, Fantastic Mr. Fox could well be filmmaker Anderson’s finest hour. TIME wrote of its creations: “If Fox Searchlight wanted to double its box office, they need only set up a booth selling models of Anderson’s Fox family right outside the door of theaters; they’re as appealing as any stuffed toy Steiff has ever made”.

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Why you should watch: Mexican maestro del Toro collected Best Picture and Best Director gongs at the Oscars; beating out Jordan Peele (for Get Out), Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird), Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) and Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread) in the latter grouping. IndieWirelabelled The Shape of Water a “powerful vision of a creative master feeling totally, joyously free”.

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Why you should watch: The Guardian’s review declared: “If there’s a beginning a middle and an end you hardly notice – apart from the fact that you don’t want it to finish”, having also commended Landau’s “tour-de-force” imitation of Lugosi.

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Why you should watch: Farrell, Gleeson, McDonagh, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan were each Oscar-nominated for their stellar work on The Banshees of Inisherin, which was celebrated for its “awe-inspiring” nature by The Evening Standard in a five-star write-up.

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Why you should watch: The Favourite wasOlivia Colman’s Hollywood launchpad after carving a successful career in British TV hits Peep Show, Broadchurch and Accused. She went on to be named Best Actress at the Oscars for her wretched and childlike turn.

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Why you should watch: Chris Columbus, the film’s director,was so intent on capturing the unpredictability of his sensational lead actor that he shot Mrs. Doubtfire in documentary-style with various cameras all at once. The Hollywood Reportercalled it a “thoughtful and inspired blend of broad comedy and pointed drama”.

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Why you should watch: In a four-star review, Empireremarked upon the film’s thought-provoking themes while complimenting the “scintillating” style executed by returning director Bryan Singer.

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Why you should watch: Edward Norton, Emma Stone and Zack Galifianakis are fantastic in supporting parts, with the first two receiving Oscar nominations. Best Director, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography all ended up in Birdman’s lap though, and the film now holds an enviable 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Why you should watch: Such was the quality of Portman’s performance, she outshone Nicole Kidman, Annette Bening, Jennifer Lawrence and Michelle Williams to claim the Best Actress award at the Oscars. Black Swan has been favourably compared to the twisted works of David Cronenberg and Roman Polanski, too.

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Why you should watch: Thanks to her calculated on-screen spirit, Pike was deservedly honoured at the Oscars with a Best Actress nomination and Fincher hasn’t made a better film in the decade since its release.

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Why you should watch: The Oscars awarded artists Chris Walas and Stephan Dupuis the Best Makeup prize for their nightmare-fuel work. Per The Los Angeles Times, the film “unfolds with such eerie grandeur that it will leave you stoked with a creepy high for hours”.

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Why you should watch: We’re talking149 minutes of pure popcorn action beefed up by Tony Stark witticisms, mouth-gaping special effects and one heck of a cliffhanger. Infinity War’s 85% score at Rotten Tomatoes is another indication of guaranteed quality.

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Why you should watch: The film was once ranked by Empire readers as the 446th greatest movie of all-time, and in his review for The Observer, Philip French noted its extraordinary humour and the “immense skill” in which it was crafted.

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Why you should watch: Once Upon a Time in America has been voted the 9th greatest gangster film of all-time by Time Out readers, as well 4th at The Guardian’s and 7th at The A.V. Club, with particular praise aimed at its cinematography and acting.

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