Top 20 Movies that Will Become Classics in the Future

The past decade and change delivered a wave of films that mixed fresh storytelling with strong craft and wide cultural reach. Below are twenty movies with lasting footprints already measured in awards, box office, and influence on filmmakers and audiences. Each entry includes concrete details on creators, performances, and achievements that continue to shape how these films are watched and discussed. Use this as a guide to revisit what they did so well and why they keep showing up in conversations about modern cinema.

‘Oppenheimer’ (2023)

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ follows the development of the atomic bomb through the perspective of J. Robert Oppenheimer and his colleagues. The film uses a non linear structure and intercuts color and black and white sections to separate subjective and objective timelines. It earned seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. each won Oscars for lead and supporting performances.

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ (2022)

‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ centers on a laundromat owner drawn into a multiverse conflict while facing a tax audit. The film uses rapid montage edits and practical effects to stage dozens of universes with minimal CGI. It won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and three acting prizes. The directing duo known as Daniels also won for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

‘Parasite’ (2019)

Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Parasite’ examines two families in Seoul whose lives become entangled through employment and deception. It blends social satire with suspense across a tightly staged house set. The film won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. It became the first non English language film to win Best Picture at the Oscars.

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ features extended vehicle chases shot largely in Namibia with a heavy emphasis on practical stunts. George Miller’s team designed custom rigs and camera mounts to capture high speed action with clarity. The film won six Academy Awards in technical categories including editing, sound, and production design. It revitalized the ‘Mad Max’ franchise for a new generation of viewers.

‘Dune: Part One’ (2021)

Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part One’ adapts the first half of Frank Herbert’s novel with a focus on the politics of Arrakis and House Atreides. Greig Fraser’s cinematography and Hans Zimmer’s score shaped the film’s distinct audiovisual language. It won six Academy Awards including cinematography, visual effects, and score. The production used large scale location shoots in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

‘Dune: Part Two’ (2024)

‘Dune: Part Two’ continues the story of Paul Atreides among the Fremen and expands the conflict with House Harkonnen. The film introduces key characters from the source material while maintaining continuity in design and sound from the first entry. Principal photography spanned locations in Italy, Hungary, and the Jordanian desert. It grossed over 700 million dollars worldwide during its theatrical run.

‘Get Out’ (2017)

Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’ follows a young man who visits his girlfriend’s family and uncovers a disturbing operation. The film’s blend of social thriller elements and meticulous foreshadowing drew wide academic and industry attention. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The project was produced by Blumhouse on a modest budget and became a major box office success.

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ introduces multiple versions of Spider Man with Miles Morales as the lead. The animation style mixes comic book textures, halftone shading, and variable frame rates to emphasize character motion. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The film’s pipeline inspired new approaches to stylized animation across several studios.

‘The Social Network’ (2010)

‘The Social Network’ chronicles the early years of Facebook and the legal disputes among its founders. David Fincher paired precise camera movement with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s electronic score to build momentum. The film won three Academy Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay and editing. It has been used in business and media studies courses to examine startup culture and intellectual property conflicts.

‘Inception’ (2010)

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Inception’ depicts a team that infiltrates dreams to plant an idea in a corporate heir. Practical effects included a rotating hallway set and large scale zero gravity wire work. The film won four Academy Awards including visual effects and sound mixing. It introduced layered dream rules that have been referenced in later heist and science fiction projects.

‘Her’ (2013)

‘Her’ focuses on a man who forms a relationship with an advanced operating system in near future Los Angeles. Spike Jonze integrated production design elements such as warm color palettes and minimal hardware to suggest approachable technology. The film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. It spurred ongoing discussions in technology and ethics circles about human and AI interaction.

‘Ex Machina’ (2014)

‘Ex Machina’ follows a programmer invited to administer a Turing test to a humanoid robot at a remote facility. Alex Garland emphasized contained locations and dialogue driven scenes to keep focus on questions of consciousness and control. The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It was shot mainly in Norway and the United Kingdom with extensive use of invisible VFX set extensions.

‘Whiplash’ (2014)

‘Whiplash’ centers on a jazz drummer and his demanding conservatory instructor. Damien Chazelle expanded the film from his own short that premiered at Sundance. It won three Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actor for J. K. Simmons and editing. The soundtrack features big band standards and original compositions recorded with professional jazz musicians.

‘Boyhood’ (2014)

‘Boyhood’ was filmed over twelve years with the same cast to depict a child’s growth from grade school to college. Richard Linklater scheduled periodic shoots to capture natural aging and evolving family dynamics. The film won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette and received multiple nominations. It serves as a documented experiment in long term narrative production.

‘La La Land’ (2016)

‘La La Land’ combines contemporary romance with classic Hollywood musical staging. The production mounted long choreographed takes including the opening freeway number that required extensive rehearsal and traffic control. It won six Academy Awards including Best Director and score. The film’s songs were composed by Justin Hurwitz with lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ (2013)

‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ traces the rise and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort based on his memoir. Martin Scorsese employed rapid editing and voiceover to condense complex financial schemes and personal events. The film earned five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. It was shot on locations across New York and featured a mix of practical sets and real offices.

‘Arrival’ (2016)

‘Arrival’ adapts Ted Chiang’s short story and examines first contact through a linguist tasked with decoding an alien language. The film uses non chronological storytelling tied to the protagonist’s perception of time. It won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing and received eight nominations including Best Picture. Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score and sound design integrate vocal textures and ambient tones.

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ (2014)

‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ recounts the adventures of a concierge and his protégé across a fictional European republic. Wes Anderson used multiple aspect ratios to signal different eras within the narrative. The film won four Academy Awards including production design, costume design, and makeup and hairstyling. Miniature models and practical sets were combined with visual effects to create the hotel and its surroundings.

‘Black Panther’ (2018)

‘Black Panther’ introduces the nation of Wakanda and its advanced technology within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ryan Coogler collaborated with historians and designers to incorporate Afrofuturist influences into costumes and sets. The film won three Academy Awards for costume design, production design, and score. It crossed the one billion dollar mark at the global box office.

‘Barbie’ (2023)

‘Barbie’ follows the title character as she leaves Barbieland to explore the real world. Greta Gerwig’s production relied on large practical sets and color controlled lighting to evoke toy scale spaces. The film grossed over one billion dollars worldwide and set records for its studio. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for What Was I Made For.

Share the future classics you would add to this list in the comments.