9.Night of the Living Dead(1968)
It’s the reason modern zombie movies exist. You can either look at this as a blessing or a curse, but George A. Romero’s classic satirical horror film can’t be overlooked. If you’re a horror fan and have never seen this one, fix that immediately.
Related:The Best Classic Indie Movies of the 1960s, Ranked
8.I Was a Teenage Zombie(1987)
Horror comedy is a fairly standard genre now, but it was just coming into its own in the mid-to-late 1980s.
The most interesting thing aboutI Was A Teenage Zombieis that it doesn’t start as a horror movie that gets funny—as is usually the case. Instead, this starts as a teenage comedy romp that gradually ratchets up the horror.
7.Time Bandits(1981)
It’s not quite aMonty Pythontake on a time travel adventure, but with Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, and John Cleese all involved, it’s certainly adjacent.
While Terry Gilliam’s work would continue to get weirder in the future, it wasn’t always for the better, and this film is probably the sweet spot.
6.Seven Samurai(1954)
Yojimboinspired the “Man with No Name,” but with the earlierSeven Samurai, writer and director Akira Kurosawa made an even bigger impression on western cinema.
Only six years after the release ofSeven Samurai, it would be remade in a Western context asThe Magnificent Seven, starring–you guessed it–Clint Eastwood.
Related:The Best Japanese Movies Ever Made, Ranked
5.The Lady Vanishes(1938)
On one hand,The Lady Vanishesis a fantastic, albeit early Hitchcock thriller, a great watch but not necessarily unique.
On the other hand, it’s an early indicator of how much of his later work would turn out, plus it introduced the characters of Charters and Caldicott, who were so popular at the time that they eventually turned up in other filmmakers' movies.
4.Carnival of Souls(1962)
I loveCarnival of Souls, but it’s tough to say how “good” it actually is. The pacing is slow, some of the acting isn’t particularly good, and it’s a bit pretentious at times. That said, it’s a surprisingly eerie and unsettling movie considering its low budget and bare story.
3.Blood Simple(1984)
The Coen brothers' directorial debut may not be their best, but it is undoubtedly a Coen brothers movie.
Whether its the then-surprising mix of brutality and humor found in many of the brothers' films, the cast which even then included many standbys of later films, or the unnerving ending, it certainly shows signs of things to come.
2.Yojimbo(1961)
For some people, all you need to know is that Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjuro, featured in both this film and its sequel,Sanjuro, is the inspiration for Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name” in Sergio Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy.”
If you’re not especially attached to westerns, just watch it for a lesson in how much modern action movies still owe to these early films.
Related:The Best Movies With Samurai, Ranked
1.Destroy All Monsters(1968)
Giant monsters wrecking stuff. That’s probably the only thing most people need to know about this movie.
This ninth film in theGodzillafranchise is more in every sense of the word: more monsters, more absurdity, and more spectacle. That may not sound like much, but it’s exactly what makes this movie worth seeing.
Can’t Get Enough Classic Movies?
HBO Max is far from the only place to watch classic (and not-so classic) movies. Even if you’re only considering the Criterion Collection, you’ll find a bunch of them outside of HBO Max.
If you’re looking for even more classic films, take a look at our guide on where to find classic movies online!
Related:The Best Sites to Watch Classic Movies Online
