More Films That Changed My Life

An additional film list with titles I believe have something profound to say.

Photo by Jake Hills on Unsplash

This piece is a follow-up to my previous Films That Changed My Life list, as there were plenty of meaningful films that didn’t make the list that have still had a significant impact on me.

Films That Changed My Life

So to honour some of those films, here’s a second list with a few more picks of mine as a little piece for my subscribers to gain an insight into some of the media that has shaped me.

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Contents

1. Alien

2. The Book of Vision

3. Color Out Of Space

4. Event Horizon

5. Eyes Wide Shut

6. Parasite

7. Rose Island

8. THX 1138

9. V For Vendetta

10. Whiplash

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Alien

Here’s one of those films that seems to end up in everyone’s film list at some point - and for good reason. Alien is just one of those films with top-tier world-building, writing, ability to tap in to a fear of the unknown and helplessness, and a commentary on the perils of believing that we can just have everything we want without any resistance.

The Book of Vision

The Book of Vision was produced by Robin Monotti - a great advocate for individual liberty - and explores what has been lost in the dehumanisation of medical practise. The fact that this film was conceptualised and shot just before 2020 saw that exact concept play out in real life is remarkable, dare I say visionary. It is a tiny bit slow and clunky in places, but as someone who experienced firsthand the pitfalls of how modern medicine treats patients, this film was healing for me.

Color Out Of Space

Color Out Of Space is actually an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s story by the same name, with some minor contextual details altered so that it can be set in the present day. This is my kind of horror - something not relying on shocks and jumpscares, but that sees the entire cast go insane and do crazy things. And it’s perhaps because there’s so much craziness in the world right now that makes this kind of film so interesting to watch.

Event Horizon

You might be able to tell by this point that I like my sci-fi horror. Especially ones where people go mad. Despite its sometimes overly-cheesy action scenes, Event Horizon’s premise of having people so committed to the dogma of scientific progress that they’re literally willing to use the energy of Hell to see it happen. Given the trends in societies in recent years, it makes it an incredibly relevant and compelling watch today.

Eyes Wide Shut

There’s a big conspiracy surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s last film, “Eyes Wide Shut,” which sees Tom Cruise unwittingly discovering a sex cult amongst the high society elites of New York. Kubrick showed the final cut of the film to executives and at a private screening, which apparently resulted in executives requesting somewhere between 25 and 45 minutes being cut. Kubrick refused, died a few days later of a heart attack, and the studio released the film with those scenes being cut, and the film ends in a very anti-climactic manner that certainly feels like there was meant to be more there.

There’s a lot of other very strange context around this film that warrants investigation. It was right after this film that Tom Cruise got sucked into Scientology, and Nicole Kidman generally avoids discussing the film into interviews, and her father died in mysterious circumstances while under investigation relating to paedophilia in high society. The Epstein case shows that elite paedophile rings really do exist, including in Hollywood, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Kubrick wanted to say something about that with this film.

Even if that doesn’t end up being the case, there’s still a lot that we can glimmer from the final cut of the film about the perils of falling into lusts and vices, and how those with a lot of power and influence may feel impervious from feeling the wrath of indulging in them. An important watch for sure.

Parasite

Here’s a film all about the perils of chasing money through deceptive means, as well as the cycle of poverty. And boy is it gripping. I had the same feeling of dread and tension that I got from Breaking Bad as the main characters got themselves into further and further trouble, and it makes for great viewing. I’m not surprised this film won so many awards - it deserves them.

Rose Island

Rose Island is a dramatisation based on the true story of an Italian engineer who literally built his own sovereign country. I was put on to this film by the guys at Liberland who said there were many, many parallels between what was happening with them and what happened to Rose Island. It’s a fascinating piece of history recounted in a very well-paced and entertaining film. Worth a watch for those interested in sovereignty and freedom.

THX 1138

While best-known for Star Wars and Indiana Jones, George Lucas’ very first feature film - THX 1138 - is my personal favourite of his works. Again, this is another one of those films that feels far more relevant today than it may have done at the time of its release. From drugs to suppress the emotions of the population, the dehumanisation of people and institutions, and worship of the state as God, I found a lot here that drew eerie parallels with what we see in society now. A must-watch for those interested in how dystopian worlds can become real, and holds up incredibly well for a film made in 1971.

V For Vendetta

What do you do when the UK government gets too tyrannical? Begin a Guy Fawkes-inspired civil rebellion.

Although V for Vendetta is actually a comic book adaptation, it’s not like the conventional superhero comic book films that have saturated the market in recent years. I remember watching the film - drawing parallels between the state of society currently and the state of British society in the film - and me finding some comfort in knowing that this kind of world is one that we can’t live in. A must-watch for those interested in pushing back against tyrannical forces.

Whiplash

Here’s a film that has far less to do with societal commentary, but far far more to do with us being human. As someone who’s experienced wanting to be good at music - and as someone wanting to please my teachers at all costs - this film hit hard for me. Exploring the semi-abusive professional relationship between a conservatoire drummer and his teacher, I glimpsed a lot of my own shadows at the time regarding my desire to be seen and to live up to the expectations of others. To elicit that from me is the sign of a good film, in my eyes.

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