This Generation Does Not Watch Enough OLD Movies ;(

As a teen who has a fond love for old movies—from black-and-white classics, to Technicolor dreamscapes, to golden-age noirs and sprawling Westerns—I wish it were easier to find a community of people aged 18–24 who feel the same. I’ve always found myself connecting more naturally with older generations who grew up with these films, who saw them when they were new or formative. And there’s nothing wrong with that; in fact, those conversations are some of my favorites.

But the real obstacle for me is building that same connection with people my age. I want to exchange recommendations, thoughts, opinions, and tiny film obsessions with people who share the same pop-culture upbringing as I do—people who grew up on YouTube edits, Tumblr aesthetics, A24 trailers, Letterboxd humor, and TikTok micro-reviews. Our generation consumes visual media constantly, yet so many miss the films that shaped modern cinematography, production design, narrative structure, and even the moods we now associate with “prestige cinema.”

Old movies aren’t just “before our time” — they’re the blueprint. They’re the reason our current favorites look the way they do, feel the way they do, and sound the way they do. And I want to help bridge that gap: to make classic film feel accessible, cool, and relevant again, because it genuinely is.

So, here are a few of my favorite films—perfect entry points into a world of style, substance, and storytelling that continues to influence everything we watch today.

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12 Angry Men (1957)

A masterclass in tension built entirely within four walls. Watching twelve strangers debate justice, morality, and truth is more gripping than most modern action movies. It’s proof that dialogue—smart, layered, emotional—can be as explosive as any special effect. If you want to understand character-driven filmmaking, start here.

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Casablanca (1942)

Yes, it’s romantic, but it’s also about sacrifice, resistance, identity, and choosing what’s right over what’s easy. Every frame feels iconic because… it is. The lines you’ve heard quoted your whole life? Most of them came from this single film. Casablanca shows how studio-era Hollywood perfected mood, lighting, and character archetypes we still use today.

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Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

A psychological horror film that proves you don’t need jump scares to feel utterly unsettled. The dread grows slowly, beautifully, and claustrophobically. This film shaped what “prestige horror” looks like now—think Hereditary, Black Swan, even Saint Maud. It’s about paranoia, control, femininity, and the terror of not being believed.

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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

A visual and philosophical experience more than a traditional movie. Kubrick literally redefined sci-fi with this—its design language, minimalism, and eerie calm influenced everything from Star Wars to Interstellar to modern AI aesthetics. Even if you don’t “get it” on first watch, you feel it, and that’s the point.

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Sunset Boulevard (1950)

The ultimate Hollywood gothic tragedy. It’s glamorous, haunting, and brutally honest about fame, delusion, and the cost of chasing relevance. Norma Desmond is one of cinema’s most memorable characters—“big” and theatrical, yet painfully human. This film basically invented the way we talk about washed-up celebrity culture today.

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If you’re curious about classic cinema but don’t know where to start, any one of these films will open a door to a whole new world—one full of visual language, production techniques, and storytelling choices that still shape the movies trending on your feed. My goal is to help make that world feel inviting, inspiring, and irresistible to a new generation. So if you’re reading this… welcome. Let’s revive old Hollywood together.