15 Timeless Black and White Films That Remain Enjoyable to Watch

      If you believe that black and white classic films are boring, we hope this list will change your perspective.

      The first and last films featured here are receiving renewed attention due to references in a Netflix show that premiered on Friday and a new movie set to release later this year.

      Here’s our compilation of black and white classic films that we guarantee remain enjoyable.

      **Psycho (1960)**

      Janet Leigh in a promotional image for Psycho. Paramount.

      We understand that most people immediately think of the shower scene. However, Psycho captivates you well before that moment with its premise: Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane steals from her intoxicated boss and escapes across the Arizona desert to join her unreliable boyfriend. It’s quite juicy even before she arrives at the worst hotel imaginable.

      What holds Psycho back from being flawless is its rather tedious expository ending, which seems unnecessary now but might have been useful for a 1960 audience less familiar with films about psychopaths.

      You know how Shakespeare's plays can seem clichéd, largely because they were pioneers of themes that inspired numerous superficial imitations? Psycho is akin to that.

      Although Psycho has remained in the public's awareness, it has recently gained new interest due to Netflix’s new Ryan Murphy series, *Monster: The Ed Gein Story*, which depicts the killer who inspired Norman Bates.

      **Notorious (1947)**

      Ingrid Bergman in Notorious. RKO Radio Pictures.

      Alfred Hitchcock’s films from the 1950s and ‘60s could slow down at times, but Notorious maintains a lively pace throughout, propelled by the presence of one of the greatest actresses and captivating lead characters.

      Ingrid Bergman shines as Alicia Huberman, whose integrity and morality are constantly questioned. She navigates numerous demands and expectations, keeping her true motives a secret until the conclusion.

      Cary Grant plays T.R. Devlin, a U.S. agent who recruits her. As romance blossoms, complications arise.

      **The General (1926)**

      Credit: United Artists.

      The next time a CGI film leaves you unimpressed due to its lack of style and enthusiasm, you’ll be particularly amazed by The General, a silent black and white cinematic gem that embodies the idea of going all out.

      Buster Keaton’s character aiding the Confederate Army may feel outdated. Everything else, however, has aged remarkably well. Once a box office disappointment, The General now dazzles with its ingenious craftsmanship and adventurous spirit, making it hard to believe anyone created something this grand so early in film history.

      Keaton, known as the great stone face, performs perilous yet comedic stunts without altering his expression—a skill honed during his childhood in vaudeville, where he earned the nickname “Buster.” Perhaps that hasn't aged particularly well, either.

      **Metropolis (1927)**

      Credit: Paramount.

      Fritz Lang’s silent, expressionistic Metropolis feels almost futuristic and avant-garde nearly a century after its initial release.

      Grandeur and operatic in scope, it offers a visual banquet that unfolds at a much slower pace than contemporary films—allowing for a delightful experience if you can invest the time.

      Its moral, explicitly stated in the last inter-title, feels particularly pertinent in today’s A.I. age: “The Mediator Between the Head and the Hands Must Be the Heart.”

      Originally spanning 153 minutes, Metropolis has often been re-edited, and although we aren’t fans of shortening a great director’s work, the film's essence can be grasped in its shorter iterations.

      **It Happened One Night (1933)**

      Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night. Columbia Pictures.

      One of two Frank Capra films on this list, It Happened One Night is a screwball comedy that paved the way for countless road movies and rom-coms, very few of which can compare.

      Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert exhibit incredible chemistry as a resourceful newspaper reporter and a socialite attempting to reunite with her husband. Yes, husband—this film cheerfully supports the idea of extramarital love, which it could pull off since it was released just before the stringent Hays Code took effect.

      It also playfully endorses showing a little leg while hitchhiking. One might leave with the notion that life was a lot more enjoyable about a century ago.

      **Casablanca (1942)**

      Credit: Warner Bros.

      When people express their fondness for old films, this is likely the specific classic they have in mind. It’s flawless from beginning to end.

      Ingrid Bergman, featured later on this list, is mesmerizing as Ilsa Lund, a woman caught between her love and her obligation to oppose fascism. Humphrey Bogart, portraying her former lover Rick, is one of the best male leads in cinematic history.

      However, Casablanca stands out because every person involved is fully committed, from director Michael Curtiz to writers Howard