So many good movies to choose from.
There is no better feeling than closing the curtains, kicking your feet up and watching a movie. It doesn’t matter if it’s the latest release or a golden oldie, just to escape for a few hours in a storyline that grips you from the opening scene.
Here is a list of some of the best movies for you to choose from. Of course, anyone over 30 can enjoy these movies too, but we’re encouraging you to make sure you have ticked these all off before you leave your twenties.
In no particular order…
1. Bridget Jones’s Diary
Bridget Jones has a special place in my heart. I used to babysit a family who only had two channels on the TV and one DVD – Bridget Jones’s Diary. Without fail every Friday night after I had flicked between the two channels, I would resort to sticking on the DVD to watch the movie. I must have watched it over 20 times so that says a lot about it.
Plus there is a new installment from our favourite singleton coming out in September so now is the perfect time to binge watch on the previous movies.
2. Erin Brockovich
Julia Roberts’ best role to date, in my opinion. She stars as a single mother trying to make a difference for the lives of her children and those in her community. What she doesn’t realise is that the issue she is dealing with is on a much larger scale and impacts a greater region.
3. Harry Potter
If you haven’t seen any of the Harry Potter movies then you need to make it your business to watch them now. Regardless of the fact you might not have read the books and are over the age of 10, they are still worth watching. I can’t count the amount of times I’ve watched them all and would happily sit down any day for a HP marathon.
4. True Romance
Starring a young Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, True Romance is about a comic book store worker who falls in love with a prostitute. Our Stephanie describes it as “a Romeo and Juliet story, but they don’t end up dying in the end”.
5. Mean Girls
If I had to choose one chick flick for this list it would be Mean Girls. It’s hard to believe that it’s over 10 years old now but the jokes and story still works so well. Back before Rachel McAdams was an Oscar-nominated actress, she was the leader of a group of mean girls. This movie has spawned some of the funniest one-liners from a movie to date.
6. Frozen
Whether you love or hate animations or cartoons, Frozen is one of the best yet. If it’s not for the catchiest song of them all, Let It Go, then it’s for its clever storyline that broke away from the fairy tale romances we’ve seen in so many Disney movies.
7. Ever After
Ever After is genuinely my favourite movie of all time. Growing up I was obsessed with Cinderella. It was the first videotape I received from Santa and from there I instantly fell in love with poor old Cinders. Why is this relevant to Ever After? Well, it brings the story of Cinderella to life, telling the story of a real-life girl who was the inspiration for the beloved children’s character.
8. Pretty Woman
Another classic role from Julia Roberts and one that she is known best for. She stars as a prostitute who comes to work for a young Richard Gere. It’s one of the best movies the 80s have to offer and worth viewing 100 times over.
9. Grease
I’m sure Grease needs no introduction and while you’ve probably heard about it or seen it in a school play, if you haven’t yet watched the movie then you absolutely must.
10. The Snapper
Sharon Curley falls pregnant to the shock of her devout Catholic family and is determined to keep the identity of the father of the baby a secret, until he is ultimately exposed.
11. Brooklyn
Another Irish movie that deserves to be on the list is Brooklyn. Saoirse Ronan got herself an Oscar nomination for her role in this 1950’s story of an Irish immigrant who falls in love in New York. It is truly amazing.
12. The Shawshank Redemption
Set in a tough prison, Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, is sentenced to life behind bars for the murder of his wife and her lover that he didn’t commit. During his time in the prison he befriends Morgan Freeman’s character Red.
13. Willow
A close second, after Ever After, for my favourite movie of all time. Willow stars Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis and centres around a dwarf who finds a baby in a basket floating down a stream only to find out she is very special and is destined to take down the evil queen. He must embark on a journey to get her to safety.
14. Labyrinth
Another magical world comes in the form of Labyrinth which stars the late, great David Bowie as the Goblin King threatening to take the lead character’s baby brother away.
15. Romeo and Juliet
If you want to see the story of two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, then the only one to see is Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 adaption starring fresh-faced Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. They stay true to Shakespeare’s original dialogue but infuse a modern era.
16. Breakfast At Tiffany’s
One of the most iconic roles of actress Audrey Hepburn and gained her two Oscar nominations. She stars as Holly Golightly, a socialite who gets involved with a mobster and falls for her neighbour.
17. Hook
A real life Peter Pan story with Robin Williams as the main character who travels to Neverland as a grown up to rescue his children who have been captured by the evil pirate Hook.
18. Trainspotting
Directed by Danny Boyle and stars Ewan McGregor as Renton who tries to get away from his drug filled life in Edinburgh by moving to London but his past soon catches up on him.
19. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ferris Bueller and his two friends mitch off school on an adventure all the while being following by their principal.
20. Scent Of A Woman
This was our Grace’s pick and stars Al Pacino as a blind retired army officer who is being looked after by a student, Chris O’Donnell, over Thanksgiving.
21. 13 Going On 30
The name sort of gives it away, a 13-year-old girl wishes she could be 30 and wakes up 17 years later when she is a successful 30-year-old.
22. Inception
This movie involves Leonardo DiCaprio tapping into other people’s dreams to access their secrets. He then decides to try and alter reality by planting an idea in their mind and pulling off the perfect crime.
23. 12 Angry Men
One of the best black and white movies, 12 Angry Men tells the story of 12 male jurors who are deliberating over a murder trial and whether they should find the accused teen guilty.
24. ET
Even though this freaked me out as a kid, ET still deserves to be on the list and has a special place in a lot of 80s and 90s kid’s hearts.
25. The Godfather
Whether or not you like a gangster film, at some point you need to watch the best of all of them – The Godfather. Not only that it’s also regarded as one of the best movies of all time.
26. Lord Of The Rings
Ideally, you would begin with the first in the trilogy but all three are amazing and well worth a binge session.
27. Toy Story
One of the best Pixar animations and led the way for two more movies which were equally as brilliant, but like Lord of the Rings, you need to start at the beginning to truly love the franchise.
28. Room
Room broke onto the movie scene earlier this year but has fast become people’s favourite movie with Brie Larson playing the role of an abducted girl who brings up her child in a small room.
29. Home Alone
I know this one is seasonal but it is most definitely worth a mention of movies to watch before you turn 30. If you missed this as a kid then break it out this Christmas and prepare to laugh your socks off.
30. Notting Hill
“I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy asking him to love her” – if that line doesn’t do it for you then I don’t know what will. Notting Hill probably doesn’t deserve to be the very last on the list but seeing as it’s in no particular order this will have to take the 3oth spot. Such a brilliant movie and ever so timeless.
