Every time I come home from college, my brother and I pick some classic movies to watch. Because of this, I've gained an appreciation for classic movies and believe that everyone should, every so often, look for an older movie instead of a modern one. They can give you important insight on what life was like at the time and show how the film industry has evolved over time.

When coming up with this list I tried to pick movies that I thought most people my age haven't seen. So, "Ferris Buller's Day Off," for example, is considered to be a classic that I think people my age would enjoy, but most people I know have seen that film so I chose not to include it. Here are some classic movies everyone should watch!

1. "The Graduate."

This 1967 film, directed by Mike Nichols, focuses on a complicated affair between Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) and his father's business partner's wife, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). The affair becomes increasingly complicated when Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine (Katherine Ross) enters the picture. What makes this movie so meaningful, is the innovative film techniques. For example, the soundtrack features music from the band Simon and Garfunkel, and perfectly fits the moments in the movie. Also, Nichols also effectively uses the time to portray the feelings of the characters. One particularly awkward scene where Benjamin is trying out new scuba gear is dragged out to emphasize the awkwardness that Benjamin is feeling. Another scene towards the end seems to go by quickly to emphasize the hurried nature of the scene. Even if you don't care about the cinematography that went into the film, you'll appreciate the plot. The tangled love affair leaves audiences in suspense.

2. "Casablanca."

This 1942 film, directed by Michael Curtiz, is debated to be one of the greatest films of all time. Taking place in a WW II Morocco, nightclub owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) reconnects with his previous lover, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). However, she is accompanied by Czechoslovakian underground leader, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). This love triangle, coupled with the Nazi takeover of Casablanca, complicates situations for Rick, Ilsa, and Laszlo. This movie is essentially flawless and the story is timeless. Many of the famous quotes from the movie are still used today. Audiences are pretty much guaranteed to fall in love with the characters and the story.

3. "The Maltese Falcon."

This 1941 film, directed by John Huston, shows two private detectives, Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) and Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan). Miss Wonderly (Mary Astor), a new client is looking for her sister, who was involved with a Floyd Thursby. When Archer and Thursby are killed, Spade seeks to find out why. Spade finds out that the deaths are related to a statuette of a Maltese falcon. With near perfect acting, it is hard not to enjoy this film. Humphrey Bogart, one of the best actors of his time, if not ever, does a great job portraying his character. Mary Astor also does a great job playing a complex woman who looks like she has secrets to hide. While a story like this may not happen today, it is fun to see how the detective story unfolds in a world without computers and internet.

4. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

This 1969 film, directed by George Roy Hill, loosely follows the story of two famous outlaws from the 1890s who made their money by robbing trains and banks. Butch Cassidy, (Paul Newman -- yeah, that's the guy on the Newman's Own products) the leader of the Hole in the Wall Gang, and his partner, the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) make breaking the law look really cool. Sundance's lover, Etta Place (Katherine Ross) is also a significant character in the film. Paul Newman and Robert Redford work really well together their are a lot of funny scenes. I'm not a fan of western movies, but I really enjoyed this one because it has a lot of fun scenes and flows really well. One of my favorite scenes is when Butch is riding his bike with Etta and does a lot of tricks on the bike. Newman actually did the tricks himself because the stunt double was not able to.

5. "The Sting."

This 1973 film, also directed by George Roy Hill, also features Paul Newman and Robert Redford as outlaws. Set in the 1930s, Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) and Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) devise a plan to out con the biggest con man. This movie also features Scott Joplin music adding to the 1930s effect. What makes this movie so great is the way the suspense elevates and decreases. The way the plan builds holds the audience captive. The only thing that makes this movie difficult is that the audience must put themselves in the time period that the movie takes place to understand it.

6. "Rain Man."

In this 1988 film, directed by Barry Levinson, Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) finds out -- when his father dies -- that he has a severely autistic brother, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman). Outraged that his brother inherited a lot of his father's money, Charlie kidnaps Raymond to try to get his his inheritance. Hoffman does an excellent job portraying an autistic savant and Cruise's portrayal of such a dynamic character is also exceptional. The movie also contains some fun scenes that flow really well, making it an enjoyable movie all around.