Alien
It’s embarrassing how bad modern effects are compared to this masterclass in how to film a genre movie. There’s a reason this is still watched by cinema buffs and casual viewers alike, 46 years later. It’s intense, riveting, layered, and surprisingly unique - mostly due to its excellent performances, talented art direction team, and the titular alien itself, fueled by a phenomenal special effects department.
It’s an incredible piece of cinema that still holds up amazingly today, to the point where its quality makes it good enough to sit through several rewatches without getting bored. This is my third or fourth time seeing it, and I’ve yet to get tired of its two hour runtime, despite knowing exactly what happens.
On a side note, I hate to be this person, but the silly, one-off reviews are missing the point again. That’s to be expected at this point, but man…some of you guys are why I don’t read Letterboxd comments.