When you think of classic books you think of titles such as Catcher In The Rye, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Fahrenheit 451, but what about classic movies? The following ten films are, in my opinion, "the classics" that everyone should at some point see in order to further appreciate the art of filmmaking as well as the cultural value that all of these films possess.

1. Citizen Kane (1941)

Regarded by many as the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane revolutionized how movies were made. The set design, cinematography, editing, and makeup were unlike anything the film industry had seen before. Kane also addresses many of the social flaws that are still very applicable in today’s world, including the powerful influence of a corrupt media, the effect of wealth and its power on relationships, self-perception and the need to be loved, as well as the crooked state of politics and elections. Citizen Kane is simply a masterpiece and should be seen by everyone. This one checks in at #1 in AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time.

2. Casablanca (1942)

During a period of division between countries known as World War II, Casablanca is not only a film about personal conviction, but also symbolic of America’s once non-interventional approach to the war. Rick owns a club in 1940s Casablanca, a town in Africa known as a sort of purgatory for those looking to escape from the tyranny of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Rick remains steady in his belief to “stick his neck out for no one” but is soon faced with a choice to remain uninvolved or to do the right thing. Casablanca is my personal favorite film of all time, and I fail to really find anything wrong with it. It's also arguably the best social commentary film of all time. This one checks in at #3 in AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time.

3. Star Wars (1977)

A truly groundbreaking film for its time, Star Wars introduced state of the art special effects and a brand new narrative that has captivated audiences for decades. Like King Kong, the crew spent hours upon hours perfecting the explosions, dogfights, worlds, and more to make Star Wars the cinematic wonderland that it is. Combined with a cast of characters that are as memorable as any other, at the very least, the first Star Wars film should be seen by all. This one checks in at #13 in AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time.

4. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Rebel Without a Cause was one of James Dean’s final films before he was tragically killed in a car accident, and it was arguably his best. Jim Stark faces a problem many teens face today: moving to a different town and knowing nobody. In this film, Jim grows into his new life after moving many other times, facing peer pressure and dangerous situations along the way. However, the main theme of this movie is the communication gap between generations. Jim can never seem to connect with his parents or explain his troubles to the adults in his life, which is yet another problem that many teens and millennials face today.

5. The Godfather (1972)

Widely accepte as the best gangster movie, The Godfather features the late Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, and also featured Al Pacino as Michael Corleone. This one really spring boarded Pacino’s career and he later moved on to act in films such as Scarface, Any Given Sunday and more. One of the biggest themes in this film is that of integrity within its depiction of violence. Check this one out to learn more. This one checks in at #2 in AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time.

6. Psycho (1960)

One of Alfred Hitchcock’s best, Psycho began an entirely new subgenre within the realm of horror movies called psychological horror. The horror of Psycho lies within the twisted mind of Norman Bates, and his drive to commit his grisly acts. Color films were starting to come into existence, but this one was still filmed in black and white, which has a way of implicitly making the viewer feel isolated within the film. In my opinion, Psycho is the greatest horror movie of all time and should certainly be seen by all because of its contribution to the horror genre and film as a whole. This one checks in at #14 in AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time.

7. Raging Bull (1980)

Raging Bull is about the life of the late boxer Jake LaMotta. Even though Technicolor was still widely available in 1980, legendary director Martin Scorsese decided to keep it in black in white, like Psycho. One of the reasons this film is such a classic is because of its theme of redemption. LaMotta has seemingly all he could ever want in life in terms of money and possessions, but he loses everyone around him, leaving him to wallow in his sin alone. He decides to cleanse himself of all his sins during one fight, but watch this classic to find out how. This one checks in at #4 in AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time.

8. Jaws (1975)

One of the more popular films on this list, this one marked the beginning of a whole subgenre: shark movies. Coupled with a brilliant John Williams score, suspense flows through just about every minute of the movie and features one of the most satisfying endings in film history. With great performances from the three leads, Jaws is a crash course in suspense. This one checks in at #56 in AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time.

9. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead is the original zombie movie. The TV series The Walking Dead took a lot of cues from this classic, including the main plot point, the psychology of an apocalyptic world. Instead of the zombies being the main focus of the horror, the scariest part of the film is how each of the characters make decisions in a world where death awaits any incorrect judgment. If you are a fan of the zombie genre, this one outdoes them all.

10. King Kong (1933)

While King Kong’s story is timeless, the real beauty of this film lies within the tireless effort of the crew to make it come together. The scenes in which Kong moves were done completely in stop motion. Kong was an actual handcrafted model that needed to be distinctly moved 24 times to complete one second of filming. A two-minute, fifteen second sequence in which Kong fights a pterodactyl took seven weeks to film. The energy that the special effects crew put into this film is indescribable, and their efforts should certainly be recognized. This one checks in at #41 in AFI’s Top 100 Movies of All Time.