So here we are at the final week of my top 50 films. If you haven’t already, you can catch up here:

PART 1,  PART 2,  PART 3,  PART 4,  PART 5,  PART 6,  PART 7,  PART 8,  PART 9

It’s taken a long time to get to the end of the list and now we have the final 5 films. It was very hard ordering these and it has changed several times over the weeks. Let me know in the comments what you think and what your top 5 films are.

Number 5 – Blade Runner

Specifically The Final Cut version of Blade Runner. This is a quintessential sci-fi film. It’s an excellent story with great music. And the visuals are simply stunning. The world feels real and set a template that every cyberpunk story has followed since. The story is also fantastic, and doesn’t treat you like an idiot. It lets you follow the clues alongside Deckard and slowly reveals everything to you. The final speech from Rutger Hauer, which was part improvised is stunning. This is a perfect film and I love it.

The first time I watched it, I didn’t really get it. I enjoyed it, but that was it. We then watched it at university. I was older, had more patience and about half way through it just clicked and I was incredibly invested in it. I’ve seen it many times since then and find more things to like every time.

The sequel 2048, is also really good. I prefer the original, but the sequel is still something special. I remember when that came out a lot of people said it was hard to follow. I just think it expects you to pay attention. Both films are fantastic and if you haven’t already, watch them. There are a few different versions of the original, go for The Final Cut, it removes the voice over leaves the ending more ambiguous and is the definitive version of the film.

Number 4 – Rocky

Last week I mentioned that I think Stallone is a great writer and that is something people don’t give him enough credit for. I remember a lot of eye rolling when it was revealed he was writing Creed 2, which turned out fantastic. The second film he wrote was the original Rocky, which is a perfect story. It has literally everything you could want from a story and it’s just fantastic from the opening minute to the credits. The dialogue in this film is just fantastic. Stallone is brilliant in it.

I also love the sequels, but chose the original for the list. I even like number 5 and I honestly don’t understand the hate it gets. It’s better than 4. It’s a series that has never given up. The 6^th one is fantastic and a good ending, but the Creed series has breathed new life into it.

Rocky is just a great character. He’s relatable, lovable and someone you just want to win. His relationship with Adrian is iconic. There isn’t a bad thing about Rocky. It doesn’t matter if you care about boxing these are perfect films.  

Number 3 – Star Wars

I’m sure everyone who knows me personally knew that Star Wars was going to be very high (low?) on this list. I’m a massive Star Wars fan. I love everything about it. For number 3, I’m putting the entire Skywalker Saga. All 9 episodes. I know they are not perfect films, they all have flaws, but I can’t help but love them all. It is the only series that I can completely ignore anything bad about it. I have watched and rewatched these over and over. I’m not old enough to have seen the originals in the cinema, but saw the prequels growing up and have seen every film since Force Awakens at least twice in the cinema and then a lot more at home. I never get bored of them.

The music is fantastic, the characters are legendary, the story is a classic tragedy. The world it creates is amazing. I’ve seen all the films, countless times, read a lot of the books and most of the comics.

I’m thinking of doing another post about what I think about each one, going into more detail without it being a full-blown review, I might do that at some point. Star Wars means a hell of a lot to me, I just wish the fanbase wasn’t so toxic online. I love it, but it is still a children’s series about space wizards with laser swords. Seeing some people’s tweets, comments and YouTube videos does sour things a little.

Number 2 – Alien

This could have been number 1 and if you ask me on a different day it probably would be. Alien is a gothic slasher set in space. It literally combines 3 of my favourite genres and combines them into one story. I’m not as big on the sequels/prequels, so I’m only including the original on this list. I know a lot of people thing Aliens is better, but it isn’t. The first film is a slow-burn horror that builds the atmosphere perfectly. It takes the time to set the scene at the start and draw you in and is a chilling film. Sigourney Weaver is fantastic. The sets and designs are excellent. I love the world that the films build and enjoyed the prequels in the way they expand on that, but they’re not a touch on the first one. There is so much mystery, so much horror and terror and so many iconic moments.

It’s a film all about atmosphere and it builds everything perfectly. It’s almost a vampire story, with the crew going down to the wrecked ship as a substitute for a wrecked castle, one of them gets infected and brings a monster onboard the main ship. The monster breaks free and kills them one by one. It also has a Gothic vibe to the story and the visuals are dark and oppressive.

H.R. Giger who was behind most of the visuals and designs of Alien is a genius. The ship looks fantastic and the design of the Xenomorph is years ahead of its time and hasn’t aged at all. The alien is still terrifying.  I really want to see this on the big screen and hopefully one day there will be a screening near me.

Number 1 – Scott Pilgrim

My number 1 purely depends on whether I want to watch a comedy or a horror. You can interchange Alien for Scott Pilgrim. Until last week these were the other way around, but Scott Pilgrim just feels fitting to be number 1 of my top 50 films of all time. I read the comics before the film came out and then saw this at the earliest showing the day it came out. It didn’t disappoint. I showed it to both my mum and dad when it came out on DVD who both enjoyed it, I think. I’ve watched it a fair few times and the soundtrack regularly appears on my playlist. There was a recent 10 year anniversary release of the soundtrack which includes Brie Larson’s version of Black Sheep, and that must be in my top 10 songs on Spotify by now.

This film is full of style. It feels like a video game, it looks like a comic and it’s funny as hell. Scott is an excellent character who is played perfectly by Michael Cera. The whole cast are great and there are just so many people in this film. The cast is just perfect.

I think Scott Pilgrim is one of those films that just gets better every time I watch it. Just thinking about it makes me want to watch it again. When it first came out it felt like a film that was made just for me and it didn’t get the attention it deserved back in 2010. I went to see it again at the 10^th anniversary screening which was more packed than the first time round, despite the pandemic. Over the years it’s found a loyal following and it truly deserves it.

Well that’s everything. I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride and let me know what your thoughts on these films are and what your favourite film is in the comments. Next week I’m going to be doing the reverse and talking about my 5 most hated films. Until this year I only had 3 hated films, and now I have 5. I think there will be a few surprises for people.

Thanks for reading and until next time,

Ashley