Looking for the best movies to watch on your British Airways flight? I’ve gone through all 478 and selected the top 100 movies to watch on your next flight. I’ve categorised them by award winning and highly rated films, underrated gems and cult classics.
WYALAN star rating explained:
- 5 stars – Highly enjoyed and would highly recommend as a must watch
- 4 stars – Enjoyed and would watch again in the future
- 3 stars – Glad I watched it once, but I’ll probably never watch it again
- 2 stars – Watched to the end, but I wouldn’t watch it again
- 1 star – DNF (did not finish)
Click the three dots on the left hand side to open the table of contents and quickly jump to a series or movie you haven’t seen.
Award Winning and Highly Rated Films
Oppenheimer
For Fans of: The Social Network, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A three-hour atomic fever dream that somehow makes quantum physics feel like a thriller. Cillian Murphy leads with haunted precision as J. Robert Oppenheimer, backed by a prestige-stuffed cast including Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh. Directed by Christopher Nolan (Inception, Dunkirk), it’s a cerebral epic that detonates slowly, then lingers. Winner of multiple Academy Awards including Best Picture, it’s less biopic, more existential reckoning.
The Shawshank Redemption
For Fans of: Dead Poets Society, The Green Mile, Mystic River
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Hope crawls through a tunnel and comes out clean on the other side. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman anchor this prison-set tale of quiet rebellion and enduring friendship, adapted from a Stephen King novella. Frank Darabont (The Green Mile) directs with a steady hand, letting the emotional weight build without melodrama. Nominated for seven Oscars, it’s the kind of film that sneaks up on you and stays forever.
A Beautiful Mind
For Fans of: The Theory of Everything, Good Will Hunting, The Imitation Game
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Genius and madness blur in this gripping biopic of mathematician John Nash, played with twitchy brilliance by Russell Crowe. Jennifer Connelly adds emotional weight as his steadfast wife, and Ron Howard (Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon) directs with a steady, Oscar-winning hand. It’s a story of intellect, paranoia, and resilience that earned four Academy Awards including Best Picture. The chalkboard scenes alone are iconic.
American Beauty
For Fans of: Magnolia, Revolutionary Road, The Ice Storm
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Suburbia gets cracked open and exposed in this darkly comic drama about midlife crisis and quiet desperation. Kevin Spacey leads the cast as a man unravelling in slow motion, with Annette Bening and Thora Birch delivering sharp supporting turns. Directed by Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917), it won five Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. The plastic bag scene? Still haunting, still divisive.
Argo
For Fans of: Zero Dark Thirty, The Post, Bridge of Spies
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Hollywood fakery saves lives in this tense, surprisingly funny thriller based on a real CIA rescue mission. Ben Affleck directs and stars as a covert operative posing as a sci-fi producer, with Alan Arkin and Bryan Cranston adding bite. It’s slick, smart, and won Best Picture at the Oscars – proof that sometimes the most unbelievable stories are true. Bonus points for the retro facial hair.
BlacKkKlansman
For Fans of: Selma, Sorry to Bother You, Judas and the Black Messiah
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X) blends satire and fury in this true story of a Black detective infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan. John David Washington and Adam Driver make an unlikely but compelling duo, and the film’s final moments hit like a gut punch. Winner of Best Adapted Screenplay, it’s bold, confrontational, and laced with dark humour. The kind of film that dares you to look away – and then makes sure you don’t.
Chicago
For Fans of: Moulin Rouge!, Cabaret, Dreamgirls
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Murder, jazz, and razzle-dazzle collide in this glittering musical set in 1920s Chicago. Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones slink through Bob Fosse-inspired choreography, while Richard Gere tap-dances his way through courtroom theatrics. Directed by Rob Marshall (Memoirs of a Geisha), it won six Academy Awards including Best Picture. Every number is a showstopper, every costume a statement.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
For Fans of: Her, Being John Malkovich, The Science of Sleep
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Breakups rarely come with a memory wipe, but this one does – and it’s devastatingly beautiful. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet play ex-lovers undergoing a procedure to erase each other from their minds, only to rediscover what they’re losing. Written by Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Synecdoche, New York) and directed by Michel Gondry, it’s a surreal, emotionally raw journey through the architecture of heartbreak. Won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and still feels like a whispered secret.
Gladiator
For Fans of: Braveheart, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Are you not entertained? Russell Crowe roars through ancient Rome as Maximus, a betrayed general turned gladiator, seeking vengeance with sword and sand. Directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien), it’s a sweeping epic of loyalty, honour, and brutal spectacle. Winner of five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor, it’s the kind of film that makes you want to shout in Latin.
Inglourious Basterds
For Fans of: Django Unchained, The Dirty Dozen, Jojo Rabbit
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
History gets a bloody remix in Quentin Tarantino’s audacious WWII fantasy. Brad Pitt leads a squad of Nazi-hunting misfits, but it’s Christoph Waltz – chilling and charming as Colonel Hans Landa – who steals the film and the Oscar. With razor-sharp dialogue and operatic violence, it’s a genre-bending revenge tale that rewrites the past with pulp bravado. Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) has never been more gleefully unhinged.
Joker
For Fans of: Taxi Driver, Requiem for a Dream, Fight Club
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Society breaks a man, and he paints his face to prove it. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a feral, Oscar-winning performance as Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian spiralling into madness and infamy. Directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover), it’s a gritty, uncomfortable origin story that trades capes for chaos. The score, the stairs, the smirk – it’s all unsettlingly unforgettable.
Killers of the Flower Moon
For Fans of: There Will Be Blood, The Irishman, True Detective
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Martin Scorsese trades mobsters for oil money and murder in this sprawling historical crime saga. Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone deliver quietly devastating performances, while Robert De Niro simmers with menace. Based on real events in 1920s Oklahoma, it’s a slow burn that exposes systemic violence with brutal clarity. Nominated for multiple Oscars, including Best Actress and Best Director.
King Richard
For Fans of: Moneyball, The Blind Side, Creed
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Will Smith won his Oscar for this – and it’s easy to see why. He plays Richard Williams, the fiercely determined father of Venus and Serena, whose unconventional coaching methods and unshakeable belief helped shape two of the greatest athletes of all time. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men), it’s a sports biopic that doubles as a family drama, full of grit, heart, and tennis ball metaphors. Surprisingly tender, and never just about the game.
Milk
For Fans of: Philadelphia, The Normal Heart, Pride
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Sean Penn transforms into Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, in this stirring political biopic. Directed by Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Elephant), it’s both a celebration and a tragedy, charting activism, hope, and the cost of visibility. Penn won Best Actor, and Dustin Lance Black’s screenplay took home an Oscar too. It’s urgent, emotional, and still painfully relevant.
Pulp Fiction
For Fans of: Reservoir Dogs, Trainspotting, Snatch
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A hitman, a boxer, a briefcase, and a dance floor – Tarantino’s genre-defying masterpiece is pure cinematic adrenaline. John Travolta, Uma Thurman, and Samuel L. Jackson deliver iconic performances, while the nonlinear storytelling keeps you guessing and quoting. Winner of the Palme d’Or and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars, it’s the kind of film that changed everything. Cool, chaotic, and still endlessly imitated.
Ray
For Fans of: Walk the Line, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Dreamgirls
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Jamie Foxx doesn’t just play Ray Charles – he channels him. His Oscar-winning performance anchors this soulful biopic, which traces the highs and lows of the legendary musician’s life with rhythm and heartbreak. Directed by Taylor Hackford (The Devil’s Advocate), it’s packed with unforgettable music and emotional weight. A celebration of genius, addiction, and resilience.
The Departed
For Fans of: Infernal Affairs, Heat, The Town
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Double lives and triple crosses in Boston’s underworld. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson play a deadly game of cat and rat, with Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Taxi Driver) directing like he’s got something to prove. Winner of four Academy Awards including Best Picture, it’s a brutal, stylish crime saga that never lets you breathe easy. The tension builds, then explodes.
The Revenant
For Fans of: The Grey, Apocalypto, 127 Hours
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Leonardo DiCaprio crawls, bleeds, and grunts his way to Oscar glory in this frostbitten survival epic. Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman, Babel), it’s a brutal meditation on revenge, nature, and human endurance. The cinematography is jaw-dropping, the bear scene unforgettable, and the pacing relentless. Won three Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Director.
Titanic
For Fans of: Pearl Harbor, The Notebook, Atonement
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A doomed ship, a forbidden romance, and a billion-dollar box office legacy. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet bring star-crossed chemistry to James Cameron’s epic, which won 11 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. It’s part disaster film, part sweeping melodrama, and entirely committed to making you cry. The iceberg hits hard, but it’s the emotional wreckage that lingers.
Toy Story 3
For Fans of: Inside Out, WALL-E, Paddington 2
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
The toys face their mortality and we all sob into our popcorn. Woody, Buzz, and the gang confront abandonment and change in this unexpectedly profound sequel that wraps the trilogy with emotional heft. Directed by Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar’s dream team, it earned a Best Picture nomination and proved animated films can devastate adults too. That incinerator scene? Still not over it.
Up
For Fans of: Finding Nemo, Inside Out, The Iron Giant
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A house lifted by balloons, a grumpy old man, and a talking dog – Pixar’s Up is pure emotional whiplash. The opening montage alone is a masterclass in storytelling, and the adventure that follows is equal parts whimsical and heartfelt. Ed Asner voices Carl with gruff warmth, and Michael Giacchino’s Oscar-winning score does half the emotional heavy lifting. It’s a film that dares to be joyful and devastating in the same breath.
WALL-E
For Fans of: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Little Prince, Interstellar
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Loneliness, love, and environmental collapse – all told through the eyes of a trash-compacting robot. WALL-E barely speaks, yet somehow says everything, in this visually stunning Pixar tale that blends sci-fi with silent film charm. Directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and remains one of the studio’s boldest experiments. The first 40 minutes? Practically perfect cinema.
The Dark Knight
For Fans of: Heat, Joker, Batman Begins
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Chaos wears clown paint and speaks in riddles. Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning turn as the Joker redefined comic book villains, bringing menace and unpredictability to Gotham’s streets. Christian Bale returns as Batman, but it’s Christopher Nolan’s direction (Memento, Interstellar) that elevates this sequel into operatic territory. A superhero film that dares to be a crime saga, and pulls it off with brutal elegance.
Goodfellas
For Fans of: The Sopranos, Casino, The Irishman
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Being a gangster never looked so seductive – or so doomed. Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci (who won an Oscar) swagger through Martin Scorsese’s kinetic crime epic, based on real-life mobster Henry Hill. It’s fast, funny, and vicious, with narration that feels like a confession and a camera that never sits still. Often imitated, never topped.
Casablanca
For Fans of: The English Patient, Roman Holiday, The Remains of the Day
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Of all the gin joints in all the towns, this one still feels like the most romantic. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman smoulder in wartime Morocco, caught between love and resistance. Directed by Michael Curtiz, it won three Academy Awards including Best Picture and remains a gold standard for classic Hollywood storytelling. Timeless, quotable, and emotionally bulletproof.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
For Fans of: Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A hobbit, a ring, and a nine-member walking tour of Middle-earth – Peter Jackson’s fantasy epic begins with grandeur and heart. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Viggo Mortensen lead a cast that feels plucked straight from Tolkien’s pages, while Howard Shore’s score does half the emotional lifting. Nominated for 13 Oscars and winner of four, it’s the kind of film that makes you believe in quests again. The fellowship forms, and cinema magic happens.
Inception
For Fans of: The Matrix, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Tenet
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Dreams within dreams, spinning tops, and a heist that defies gravity and logic. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a team of subconscious infiltrators in Christopher Nolan’s cerebral blockbuster, which folds time and space like origami. With a cast that includes Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, it’s stylish, ambitious, and surprisingly emotional. You’ll want to rewatch it—and argue about the ending forever.
Singin’ in the Rain
For Fans of: La La Land, The Artist, An American in Paris
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Hollywood’s transition from silent films to talkies never looked so joyful. Gene Kelly tap-dances through puddles and studio politics in this Technicolor musical that’s as self-aware as it is exuberant. Co-starring Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, it’s packed with dazzling choreography and sly humour. The title number alone is pure cinematic bliss.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
For Fans of: The Lego Movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Everything Everywhere All at Once
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Multiverse madness meets comic book cool in this animated triumph that redefined superhero storytelling. Shameik Moore voices Miles Morales, a Brooklyn teen juggling school, family, and interdimensional chaos. With a visual style that mimics comic panels and graffiti art, it’s directed by a trio including Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) and won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It’s kinetic, heartfelt, and impossibly stylish.
Ratatouille
For Fans of: Paddington, Chef, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A rat with a refined palate sneaks into a Parisian kitchen and cooks his way into our hearts. Voiced by Patton Oswalt, Remy is the unlikely hero of this Pixar gem that celebrates creativity, risk, and the joy of good food. Directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles), it’s visually sumptuous and emotionally satisfying. Proof that anyone can cook – and that animated films can be haute cuisine.
The Social Network
For Fans of: Succession, Steve Jobs, The Big Short
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Facebook was never just about poking. Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg with icy precision in this razor-sharp origin story of the social media empire. Directed by David Fincher (Fight Club, Gone Girl) and written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing), it’s a masterclass in dialogue, pacing, and passive-aggressive betrayal. Nominated for eight Oscars and still feels disturbingly relevant.
When Harry Met Sally
For Fans of: Notting Hill, Love Actually, The Big Sick
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Can men and women ever just be friends? Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal test the theory over years of witty banter, failed relationships, and one unforgettable diner scene. Written by Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle) and directed by Rob Reiner, it’s the rom-com blueprint that still feels fresh. Smart, funny, and emotionally honest – it’s the kind of film that makes you believe in timing.
The Princess Bride
For Fans of: Stardust, Shrek, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Sword fights, rodents of unusual size, and a love story that’s somehow both sincere and satirical. Cary Elwes and Robin Wright lead this fairy tale send-up, with scene-stealing turns from Mandy Patinkin and André the Giant. Directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, Stand by Me), it’s endlessly quotable and weirdly timeless. If you haven’t seen it, inconceivable. If you have, you probably want to again.
Jaws
For Fans of: The Shining, Alien, The Thing
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water. Steven Spielberg’s breakout thriller turned a rubber shark into a cultural icon and invented the summer blockbuster in the process. Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw anchor the tension, but it’s the score and pacing that make it unforgettable. Suspense, saltwater, and sheer dread – still terrifying, still brilliant.
The Shining
For Fans of: Rosemary’s Baby, Black Swan, Get Out
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Redrum, typewriters, and a hotel that really needs better insulation. Jack Nicholson goes full manic in Stanley Kubrick’s icy adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, with Shelley Duvall delivering a performance that’s all nerves and survival. It’s slow, surreal, and packed with imagery that lodges in your brain like a bad dream. Horror, but make it art.
No Country for Old Men
For Fans of: Fargo, Sicario, Hell or High Water
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A bag of cash, a bolt gun, and a killer who doesn’t blink – Joel and Ethan Coen’s bleak neo-Western is a masterclass in tension. Javier Bardem won an Oscar for his chilling portrayal of Anton Chigurh, while Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones circle the moral wreckage. It’s quiet, brutal, and full of existential dread. The coin toss scene alone is worth the price of admission.
Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
For Fans of: Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune, The Matrix
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
The rebels scatter, the stakes rise, and the galaxy gets colder – literally and emotionally. Directed by Irvin Kershner, this sequel deepens the mythology and delivers one of cinema’s most iconic twists. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher return, but it’s the tone shift that makes it legendary. Darker, sharper, and arguably the best of the saga.
Underrated Gems
About Time
For Fans of: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Notting Hill
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Time travel has rarely felt so tender. Domhnall Gleeson plays a quietly awkward romantic who discovers he can relive moments to fix his mistakes, but learns that love and loss aren’t so easily edited. Rachel McAdams glows as the object of his affection, while Bill Nighy steals scenes as the world’s most charming dad. Written and directed by Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral), it’s a deceptively simple gem that hits harder than expected.
Beginners
For Fans of: Her, Call Me by Your Name, The Farewell
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Ewan McGregor plays a man navigating grief and new love after his father (Christopher Plummer, in an Oscar-winning role) comes out late in life. Directed by Mike Mills (20th Century Women), it’s a quiet, emotionally layered story told with whimsy and warmth. Mélanie Laurent adds charm, and the talking dog narration somehow works. It’s tender, offbeat, and deeply human.
Being John Malkovich
For Fans of: Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Synecdoche, New York
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
There’s a portal behind a filing cabinet that leads directly into John Malkovich’s brain – and that’s just the beginning. Directed by Spike Jonze (Her) and written by Charlie Kaufman, this surreal comedy stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Malkovich himself in a role that’s both bizarre and brilliant. It’s weird, witty, and wildly original. You’ll never look at puppeteering the same way again.
Do The Right Thing
For Fans of: Fruitvale Station, Malcolm X, If Beale Street Could Talk
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A sweltering Brooklyn summer, a pizza shop, and rising tensions that explode into one of cinema’s most powerful climaxes. Spike Lee writes, directs, and stars in this vibrant, urgent portrait of race, community, and conflict. With standout performances from Danny Aiello and Rosie Perez, it’s both a time capsule and a timeless warning. Still essential, still incendiary.
The Five-Year Engagement
For Fans of: Bridesmaids, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Love Life
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Jason Segel and Emily Blunt stretch their wedding plans – and their relationship – across five chaotic years in this rom-com that’s messier than most, in a good way. Directed by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), it balances slapstick with sincerity and throws in a surprisingly moving subplot about sacrifice and compromise. It’s not perfect, but that’s the point. Sometimes love takes the scenic route.
Ingrid Goes West
For Fans of: Gone Girl, Eighth Grade, The Bling Ring
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Aubrey Plaza weaponises Instagram envy in this dark comedy about obsession, identity, and curated perfection. Elizabeth Olsen plays the influencer target, while Plaza’s Ingrid spirals into increasingly unhinged territory. Directed by Matt Spicer, it’s sharp, uncomfortable, and surprisingly empathetic beneath the satire. A cautionary tale for anyone who’s ever double-tapped too hard.
Little Miss Sunshine
For Fans of: The Royal Tenenbaums, Lady Bird, The Farewell
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A dysfunctional family, a broken-down van, and a child beauty pageant – somehow, it all works. Abigail Breslin charms as the precocious Olive, while Steve Carell, Toni Collette, and Alan Arkin (who won an Oscar) round out the chaotic ensemble. Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, it’s a road trip comedy that veers into heartbreak and back again. Indie gold with a yellow filter and a soul.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
For Fans of: Snatch, Trainspotting, Layer Cake
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Guy Ritchie’s debut feature is a whirlwind of cockney slang, botched heists, and bullet-riddled banter. Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones burst onto the scene with swagger, while the film’s kinetic editing and tangled plotlines keep things unpredictable. It’s stylish, scrappy, and full of quotable grit. British crime cinema got a jolt – and never looked back.
Lost in Translation
For Fans of: Her, Before Sunrise, Frances Ha
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Tokyo glows, loneliness lingers, and two strangers find quiet connection in a hotel bar. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson deliver career-defining performances in Sofia Coppola’s dreamy meditation on dislocation and intimacy. It’s a film that thrives in the spaces between words, where mood and meaning drift like neon reflections. Won Best Original Screenplay and still feels like a whispered secret.
The Talented Mr. Ripley
For Fans of: Carol, A Bigger Splash, The Gift
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Matt Damon plays charming, chilling, and utterly duplicitous in this sun-drenched psychological thriller. Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Cate Blanchett round out the glamorous cast, while director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) turns Patricia Highsmith’s novel into a slow-burn descent into envy and identity theft. It’s beautiful, unsettling, and full of tension that simmers beneath the surface. You’ll want to watch it again just to catch the lies.
The World’s End
For Fans of: Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Superbad
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Pub crawl meets apocalypse in this boozy sci-fi comedy from Edgar Wright. Simon Pegg plays a washed-up legend dragging his old mates through their hometown’s increasingly weird watering holes, only to discover the locals aren’t quite human. It’s sharp, silly, and sneakily poignant about nostalgia and self-destruction. The final act goes full chaos, and somehow it works.
Unpregnant
For Fans of: Booksmart, Plan B, The Edge of Seventeen
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A road trip, a stolen car, and a friendship tested by circumstance – this teen comedy tackles serious themes with irreverent charm. Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira make a compelling duo, navigating red states and emotional baggage with wit and heart. Directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, it’s fast-paced, funny, and quietly radical. It’s not just about choice—it’s about choosing who’s in your corner.
Yesterday
For Fans of: Across the Universe, Begin Again, Notting Hill
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Imagine waking up in a world where no one remembers The Beatles – except you. Himesh Patel stars as a struggling musician who takes advantage of this bizarre twist, with Lily James adding warmth and Ed Sheeran popping in for meta laughs. Directed by Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting) and written by Richard Curtis, it’s a charming, slightly chaotic love letter to music, memory, and missed chances. The concept is wild, but the heart is real.
Cult Classics
10 Things I Hate About You
For Fans of: Easy A, Clueless, She’s All That
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Shakespeare gets a high school makeover in this whip-smart teen rom-com that’s aged like a vintage flannel. Julia Stiles brings bite as Kat Stratford, while Heath Ledger oozes charm in a role that made him a star. The dialogue snaps, the soundtrack slaps, and the paintball scene is pure rom-com gold. It’s angsty, funny, and weirdly poetic.
The Big Lebowski
For Fans of: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Withnail & I, Burn After Reading
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
The Dude abides—and so does the chaos. Jeff Bridges slouches through a noir-tinged bowling odyssey involving mistaken identity, nihilists, and a rug that really tied the room together. Directed by the Coen Brothers (Fargo, No Country for Old Men), it’s a cult favourite that’s equal parts absurd and oddly profound. White Russians recommended.
Blade
For Fans of: Underworld, Constantine, Spawn
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Before the MCU, there was Blade—half-vampire, full badass. Wesley Snipes slices through bloodsuckers with martial arts flair and icy one-liners, in a film that blends horror, action, and comic book grit. Directed by Stephen Norrington and written by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight trilogy), it’s stylish, violent, and way cooler than it had any right to be. The opening rave scene? Iconic.
Clueless
For Fans of: Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
As if anyone could resist Cher Horowitz’s charm. Alicia Silverstone redefined teen cool in this Beverly Hills update of Jane Austen’s Emma, complete with knee socks, flip phones, and Paul Rudd in peak heartthrob mode. Written and directed by Amy Heckerling (Fast Times at Ridgemont High), it’s both a time capsule and a masterclass in comedic timing. Still iconic, still totally buggin’.
Die Hard
For Fans of: Lethal Weapon, Speed, The Rock
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
One man, one skyscraper, and a Christmas party gone explosively wrong. Bruce Willis’s John McClane became the blueprint for reluctant action heroes, trading quips and bullets with Alan Rickman’s deliciously evil Hans Gruber. Directed by John McTiernan (Predator), it’s tense, funny, and endlessly rewatchable. Yippee-ki-yay, etc.
Don’t Worry Darling
For Fans of: The Stepford Wives, Get Out, Black Mirror
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Florence Pugh gives a magnetic performance in this glossy psychological thriller set in a retro-futuristic suburb that’s too perfect to be real. Directed by Olivia Wilde, it’s part domestic drama, part sci-fi mind-bender, with Harry Styles adding intrigue and Chris Pine dialling up the menace. The visuals are lush, the tension slow-burning, and the third act goes full conspiracy. It’s messy, stylish, and hard to look away from.
Edward Scissorhands
For Fans of: Big Fish, Coraline, Beetlejuice
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Tim Burton’s gothic fairy tale turns suburban conformity into a pastel nightmare. Johnny Depp plays the gentle, blade-fingered outsider with heartbreaking vulnerability, while Winona Ryder adds warmth and longing. With a score by Danny Elfman that aches with melancholy, it’s a story about difference, isolation, and fleeting beauty. The topiary scenes alone are pure cinematic poetry.
The Blues Brothers
For Fans of: Wayne’s World, This Is Spinal Tap, O Brother, Where Art Thou?
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Jake and Elwood are on a mission from God—and it involves car chases, soul music, and a whole lot of chaos. Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi anchor this absurd, high-energy musical comedy that features cameos from Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and James Brown. Directed by John Landis (Animal House), it’s loud, loose, and endlessly quotable. The sunglasses never come off, and the vibe never dips.
The Breakfast Club
For Fans of: Dazed and Confused, Lady Bird, Perks of Being a Wallflower
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Five teens, one Saturday detention, and a whole lot of emotional unpacking. Written and directed by John Hughes (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), this coming-of-age classic blends archetypes with vulnerability, turning clichés into confessions. Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy lead a cast that defined a generation. That final fist pump? Iconic.
The Craft
For Fans of: Heathers, Jennifer’s Body, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
High school gets hexed in this witchy cult favourite that mixes teen angst with supernatural vengeance. Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, and Neve Campbell form a coven of misfits whose powers spiral out of control. Directed by Andrew Fleming, it’s moody, stylish, and full of ‘90s goth energy. Light as a feather, stiff as a board—and still cool as hell.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
For Fans of: Coraline, Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Jack Skellington tries to hijack Christmas with skeleton flair and a singing ghost dog. Directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton, this stop-motion marvel blends gothic whimsy with holiday chaos. Danny Elfman’s score is a spooky delight, and the visuals are pure handcrafted magic. It’s not quite Halloween, not quite Christmas—just perfectly weird.
The Mummy
For Fans of: Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Ancient curses, sandstorms, and Brendan Fraser in peak swashbuckling mode—this action-adventure romp is pure popcorn joy. Rachel Weisz adds charm and wit, while Arnold Vosloo’s Imhotep brings undead menace. Directed by Stephen Sommers, it’s campy, fast-paced, and surprisingly rewatchable. The CGI may have aged, but the fun hasn’t.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
For Fans of: Kick-Ass, Speed Racer, Shaun of the Dead
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Video game logic, comic book visuals, and indie rock angst collide in this gloriously chaotic cult classic. Michael Cera plays a Toronto bassist battling his girlfriend’s seven evil exes, with help from a scene-stealing ensemble including Brie Larson, Chris Evans, and Aubrey Plaza. Directed by Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver), it’s a hyper-stylised genre mashup that somehow makes emotional immaturity look cool. A box office misfire turned fan favourite.
Tango and Cash
For Fans of: Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys, The Nice Guys
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell team up as mismatched cops framed for a crime they didn’t commit—and they’re not subtle about it. Explosions, prison escapes, and one-liners fly in this gloriously over-the-top buddy action flick. Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (briefly), it’s chaotic, cheesy, and weirdly entertaining. The mullets are strong, the chemistry stronger.
V For Vendetta
For Fans of: The Matrix, Children of Men, Watchmen
WYALAN Rating: 5/5
A masked vigilante wages war against a fascist regime with Shakespearean flair and explosive results. Hugo Weaving delivers monologues like poetry, while Natalie Portman’s transformation is both physical and emotional. Written by the Wachowskis (The Matrix) and based on Alan Moore’s graphic novel, it’s bold, political, and visually striking. Remember, remember—it’s more than just a quote.
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