The 13 Most Astonishing Movies We’ve Ever Watched

      These incredible films could alter your perception of reality, potentially leading you to question if what you experience is genuine. Wow.

      At the very least, they will provide entertainment. Here's our compilation.

      Planet of the Apes (1968)

      20th Century Fox

      Inspired by Pierre Boulle’s novel from 1963, the film was co-written by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling, the creator of Twilight Zone, who had a knack for embedding social commentary within genre narratives.

      The movie is eye-opening primarily due to its premise: Human astronauts crash on a planet dominated by intelligent apes that treat humans as we treat animals.

      Just as you start to grasp the metaphor about humanity's cruelty, the film surprises with what we consider the ultimate twist ending.

      The sequel, 1971’s Escape From the Planet of the Apes, introduced another mind-bending aspect as the film series began to intertwine its timelines. The Apes franchise, of course, continues today.

      Star Wars (1977)

      20th Century Fox – Credit: C/O

      Before Star Wars, there were plenty of impressive sci-fi films, but its most remarkable innovation was giving a sense of antiquity rather than futuristic novelty. Instead of a utopian setting like Star Trek, it was famously situated “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”

      Thus, the good guys’ ships were often shaking, hyperdrives malfunctioned, and the droids appeared worn down. The ragtag nature of the rebellion lent Star Wars an authentic, anti-pretentious vibe very much reflective of the 1970s, making audiences immediately sympathize with the rebels.

      By keeping expectations low—these ships are intended to look worn!—George Lucas crafted one of the most astonishing films, fully immersing viewers in a universe where we accepted imperfections because we recognized our own flaws, whether it’s a dented car or an old jacket we can’t part with.

      Star Wars resembled us. At least, most of us. The film mirrored our disdain for a shiny, efficient, and malevolent Empire.

      Moreover, it's a storytelling marvel from the very opening shot of a large ship pursuing a smaller one. Even a toddler could discern the heroes from the villains without parents guiding them through the iconic yellow text crawl.

      Jurassic Park (1993)

      Universal Pictures – Credit: C/O

      Experiencing this Steven Spielberg film in theaters back in 1993, the most straightforward explanation for the realism of the dinosaurs was simply this:

      You had stepped into a time machine designed to replicate a movie theater, finding yourself gazing out of a massive window at actual dinosaurs living in the Jurassic era roughly 200 million years ago.

      Until 1993, no film could compare to Jurassic Park regarding the seamless blend of practical effects and CGI. Even decades later, many films still struggle to capture its breathtaking realism.

      The Usual Suspects (1996)

      Gramercy Pictures

      There are twist endings, and then there are TWIST endings.

      After establishing the enigmatic Keyser Söze as one of cinema's most brutal antagonists, Christopher McQuarrie’s script executes a brilliant cinematic surprise that compels viewers to watch the film once more.

      McQuarrie has brought his talent for crafting unexpected turns to numerous collaborations with Tom Cruise, who appears elsewhere on this list. Their latest project is Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, arriving in theaters later this month.

      The film is also a beautiful homage to cinematic history, beginning with its title, a nod to Casablanca.

      Dark City (1998)

      New Line Cinema

      There were many reality-altering films in the late '90s, but Alex Proyas’ Dark City presented its take on a dystopian reality a year before The Matrix.

      Set in a stylized 1940s noir atmosphere, Dark City follows John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) waking up in a shabby motel room beside a murdered woman. He discovers he’s married to Emma (Jennifer Connelly), a singer who recently betrayed him—and he may or may not be a serial killer.

      It’s perpetually nighttime, and he’s eager to find a place known as Shell Beach, though no one seems to recall how to reach it. He is also hunted by ghostly pale figures called the Strangers.

      After considerable deliberation, the filmmakers decided to include a voiceover from Kiefer Sutherland’s eerie character, Dr. Daniel P. Schreber, which clarified some elements but may have diminished its overall mystique.

      While Dark City underperformed at the box office, it is definitely worth watching for its cast, world-building, plot twists, and immersive atmosphere.

      The Matrix (1999)

      Warner Bros.

      The pinnacle of mind-bending cinema, The Matrix tapped into a distinctly '90s sentiment that, as Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus articulates, “there’s something wrong with the world.”

      The film’s core idea