Binge Watch (& Snack): These Contemporary Films Are Some Of The Best We've Seen

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From making us laugh our guts out, getting us teary-eyed to making us question the very meaning of our existence, movies and their characters have had a profound impact on our lives. We have run across America with Forrest Gump, cooked ratatouille with Remy, loved whole-heartedly with Naina, and escaped the four walls of 'room' with Ma. And now more recently, we have been in awe/confused by Tenet while still trying to figure out what timeline the movie follows!

While it is nearly impossible to list all our favourite movies, we have tried picking up a mix of movies that left an impact on us. Read on and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

I Lost My Body

I Lost My Body

Director Jérémy Clapin's animated fantasy film follows the journey of a hand towards its body, intertwined with memories of adventure and romance. Super-intriguing, right? Well, the movie lives up to its intrigue and the visual imagery will stay with you long after.

The Favourite

The Favourite

Described as "an acerbic tale of royal intrigue, passion, envy and betrayal in the court of Queen Anne in early 18th-century England", The Favourite is a dark comedy with enjoyable performances by Olivia Colman (she won the Academy Award for this), Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz. It's taut, funny, and the use of the fish-eye camera in parts makes it a surreal experience. 

The Big Short

The Big Short

This Adam McKay biographical comedy about the United States housing bubble is entertaining from the word go. Wit, humour, and the genius of actors Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Gosling helps breakdown this complex financial problem and makes The Big Short a modern classic, in our eyes at least.

Rang De Basanti

Rang De Basanti

A.R. Rahman's unforgettable music score, the cast's youthful exuberance and chemistry, and patriotism that drove a generation forward combine to make this Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra film a modern classic. 

The Lunchbox

The Lunchbox

Irrfan, Nimrat Kaur, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui lead this romantic drama that is simple, unique, and so very charming. They don't make love stories like The Lunchbox every day.

Wild

Based on Cheryl Strayed's 2012 memoir of the same name, Wild is a free-spirited journey of self-discovery that kept us engaged with its powerful performances and gorgeous cinematography. Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern's Oscar-nominated performances deserve a watch. 

Inside Out

Inside Out

This super creative Pixar movie takes place inside an 11-year old girl's mind and deals with stuff we always tend to run away from - emotions. Pixar's visuals are, as usual, stunning and we recommend keeping a tissue box handy while watching this one. You'll need it.

Udaan

Udaan introspects teenage dreams and anxiety in the face of authoritarian structures and is relatable on many levels. The movie is elevated by Amit Trivedi's genius music score, which simpy put, is unforgettable.

Barfi!

Barfi!

Anurag Basu hits all the right notes with Barfi! The music and locations are spectacular, the acting is believable, and the whole drama just fills your heart.

Ford vs Ferrari

Ford vs Ferrari

The roar of racing car engines, the rivalry between Ford and Ferrari, the corporate drama, and committed performances by Christian Bale and Matt Damon make Ford vs Ferrari a joyful ride. Much recommended for the auditory senses it awakens, even if you aren't big on sports and racing.

Spotlight

Spotlight

Another biographical drama, Spotlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2016 and is a no-nonsense story of how the Boston Globe investigated and uncovered the rampant child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The storytelling is so taut that you wouldn't be able to take your eyes off it.

Mustang

Mustang

Mustang depicts the taboos and suppression that five orphaned sisters face while growing up in an ultra-conservative Turkish village. Its five main leads are endearing and their chemistry is a treat to watch.

Margarita With A Straw

Margarita With A Straw

Kalki Koechlin's National Award-winning portrayal of a rebellious student afflicted with cerebral palsy drives this story of self-discovery and acceptance. The screenplay is fantastic and the treatment is very humane and empathetic.

Masaan

Masaan

Ghats of Varanasi, cremations, a regressive casteist society, and the struggles of ordinary human beings made this Neeraj Ghaywan film talk of the town and rightly so. Masaan will move you to tears of joy and sadness, it'll make you wonder about morality and freedom, and have you humming Tu kisi rail si....for days on end. 

Tumbbad

Tumbbad

If you love horror films, then Tumbbad has to be on your list. It gives you the scares, plays with your mind, and we had a tough time going to the kitchen for water after this one. True story.

Django Unchained

Django Unchained

This slick Western film by Quentin Tarantino is funny, dark, and a very important movie depicting slavery and racism in America. Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson steal the show in this one.

Black Swan

Black Swan

Psychological thrillers really don't get better than Black Swan. It explores the big, bad world of ballet - stretching our boundaries of imagination, pain, and suffering all the time - and leaves with an understanding of the human mind we very so often forget. No limits, whatsoever. Darren Aronofsky directs and Natalie Portman turns out an Academy Award-winning performance in this one.


Haider

Haider

An adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, this Vishal Bhardwaj movie is bold and courageous. There's no dressing up of Kashmir's political turmoil in Haider and Bhardwaj ekes out fantastic performances from Shahid Kapoor, Tabu, Irrfan, and Kay Kay Menon. The music score is fabulous, too.

Tenet

Directed by Christopher Nolan, Tenet is a movie about a secret agent on a crazy time-travel journey to prevent an attack from the future. The movie is gripping right from the beginning. It has some absolutely great scientific parallels that'll make you love every second of the movie.