Old Movies I Watched For The 1st Time in 2024

I watch a lot of movies... Here are my favorite "oldies" or "classics" that I watched for the first time in 2024.

I’ve finally admitted to myself that I am a movie person. It’s not that I ever pretended not to be—I’ve always loved movies, and they’ve always been a big part of my life. But since the pandemic, I’ve really leaned into my cinephilia.

Now that I’ve fully embraced this about myself, I’m making a conscious effort to fill in the gaps in my movie viewing. There are so many films I haven’t seen, so I try to watch as many “classics” as possible. In this post, I will write about my 10 favorite older films I watched for the first time in 2024.

10. The Thing (1982)

Currently streaming on AMC+

Kurt Russell as R.J. MacReady in John Carpenter’s The Thing

I’ve never been a big fan of the horror genre. When I was younger, I was either too scared of them or thought they were all poorly made. As a result, I developed a bias against horror early in my film-viewing life. Thankfully, over the last few years, I’ve given horror a second chance. I’m glad because I’d been missing out on some wonderful movies—The Thing being one of them.

The Thing follows a team of researchers working at a remote base in Antarctica. These men make a horrifying discovery, wreaking havoc on both the base and its inhabitants. The film is terrifying—both the story and the creature itself. I can’t imagine a worse scenario: isolated, paranoid, and helpless, while a dangerous, shape-shifting creature runs rampant in a place from which there’s no escape. No thanks!

The Thing is about as mysterious as it is horrifying, with a good dose of humor too. Perhaps The Thing’s most impressive quality is its production design and practical effects. These, combined with an eerie score, make for a well-crafted horror flick.

9. Network (1976)

Willaim Holden as Howard Beale in Network

Network follows Howard Beale, a veteran news anchor of 25 years, who is forced out of his job because of his age. As he nears the end of his tenure, Beale delivers a shocking on-air rant in which he announces his intention to kill himself during his final broadcast. The announcement sparks a massive ratings spike, prompting the network to reconsider its decision to fire him.

Network is a darkly comedic and prescient film that explores the media’s insatiable thirst for attention, and the extreme lengths it will go to capture it, ethics be damned. Almost 50 years later, its themes feel strikingly relevant, underscoring how little has changed in the world of news and entertainment.

8. Jaws (1975)

Roy Scheider as Brody in Jaws

I know, I know—how could I have not seen Jaws before now? I’d caught bits and pieces here and there on TV, but I had never watched it from start to finish. Honestly, I’m not sure why; maybe I thought it couldn’t possibly live up to all the hype. Turns out, I was wrong.

In case you somehow don’t know what Jaws is about, here’s the gist: A beach town mayor refuses to close the beach during peak tourist season, despite warnings from local officials that sharks are making it dangerous. As it turns out, it’s not sharks, plural, causing the problem, but a single massive and malevolent shark. The town’s police chief, a young marine biologist, and an experienced hunter feel duty-bound to take down the creature before it claims any more lives.

Jaws is technically impressive, intense, occasionally funny, and consistently entertaining. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should!

7. 12 Angry Men (1957)

Streaming on Tubi

9 of the 12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men may not be the first courtroom drama, but it’s one of cinema history’s most frequently cited. This is somewhat misleading, however, since the film takes place almost entirely in the jury deliberation room. The central question these jurors are grappling with is whether a young Spanish-American man on trial for allegedly murdering his father with a knife is guilty.

One might expect that a movie set in a single room, with a group of men arguing, would grow stale or boring. But Sidney Lumet’s direction—finding depth within the confines of that room, using the camera to intensify the drama, and making the audience feel like they’re part of the jury—creates an engaging and immersive experience. The script is gripping, and the performances take it to even greater heights.

12 Angry Men offers powerful commentary on the idea of justice, the justice system, and the vital importance of taking one's civic duty seriously.

6. Godfather Part ll (1974)

Streaming on Paramount+

Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part ll

I first saw The Godfather many years ago as a teenager, and I don’t remember being particularly fond of it. At the time, I think the runtime was a big hurdle, and, understandably, I didn’t fully grasp the themes or appreciate the quality of the filmmaking. This year, I revisited The Godfather, and it’s now one of my favorite films of all time. Naturally, I had to watch The Godfather Part II.

While many consider the second film to be the superior Godfather entry, I don’t quite agree. The Marlon Brando performance, the prevalence of the Italian culture, and Michael's moral descent in the original is perfect.

I prefer The Godfather, but that takes nothing away from The Godfather Part ll, it’s an incredible film. It’s hard to go wrong with two of the greatest actors of all time, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, and one of the best directors ever, Francis Ford Coppola, all at the top of their games. The thematic elements are incredibly strong—my favorite being how greed slowly drains the life out of everything, especially one’s culture and family. It’s a truly epic American story.

5. North By Northwest (1959)

Cary Grant as Roger Thornhill in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest

Alfred Hitchcock was a filmmaker I sought out in 2024. I watched Vertigo, Strangers on a Train, Anatomy of a Murder, Rope, and To Catch a Thief for the first time, and I also revisited a film I remembered being terrified by as a child—The Birds. All of them are at least good, and many are great. However, my favorite Hitchcock film is North by Northwest.

North by Northwest follows Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), an ad man who is mistaken for a spy, setting off a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across the country. Sometimes he’s the cat, sometimes the mouse, as he tries to solve the mystery of his misidentification and return to his life.

The film’s mystery, cinematography, acting, and exhilarating set pieces are all remarkable, but what struck me was the humor. I laughed far more than I expected while watching North By Northwest.

4. Blow Out (1981)

Streaming on Tubi

John Travolta as Jack Terry in Blow Out

I was blown away by Brian De Palma’s 1981 film, Blow Out.

Blow Out follows Jack Terry (John Travolta), a sound engineer, who uses his filmmaking skills to uncover a mysterious incident. What Brian De Palma does with the camera—particularly the diopter shots and the spinning camera scene—is truly breathtaking, showcasing techniques I hadn’t seen in a film before. The plot itself, and the way it unfolds, are both intriguing and exciting from start to finish.

Not only are the story and filmmaking exceptional, but the themes they explore are just as compelling. The utility of art and the sacrifice it demands, the inconvenience of truth, how the truth is suppressed, and the incompetence of power—all of these ideas remain relevant 40 years later.

3. Scarface (1983)

Al Pacino as Tony Montana and Steven Bauer as Manny in Scarface

Another great De Palma film. I remember catching bits and pieces of Scarface when I was a teenager, but I’d never seen the entire film. Scarface has immense cultural significance, and I’ve always been aware of its impact, so I was glad to finally take the time to watch it in full.

Of course, there are the iconic performances from Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer, but it’s the unfolding events, the themes, and the setting that truly make Scarface a masterpiece.

The film follows Tony Montana, a man who fled Cuba for the United States. In Miami, he gets involved with some shady characters and dives into a world of crime. As his ambition grows, so does his descent into madness.

Scarface is a classic story of the rise and fall of a man chasing his version of the American Dream.

2. Malcolm X (1990)

Denzel Washington as Malcolm X in Malcolm X

I didn’t know much about Malcolm X, other than what I was taught in school. He was a civil rights leader who often derided white people as evil and had a more aggressive tone compared to that of Martin Luther King Jr.

I’m so glad I watched this film, as it has deeply expanded my understanding of this influential and impactful figure in American history. What I was taught in my history classes was a simplistic and bad-faith accounting of this man’s story.

Malcolm X, directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, is an American epic that chronicles the extraordinary life of the titular figure. We follow Malcolm from his early days in the streets, a womanizing criminal, to his time in prison where he converts to Islam and learns about the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. We see his rise as a leader within the Nation of Islam and his transformation into an outspoken civil rights leader.

Along the way, we see how Malcolm interacts with a variety of people—his family, his friends, his religious brethren, the media, and, of course, white Americans.

Malcolm X is not just a biography of one man; it’s also a powerful exploration of racial politics in America.

1. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Lawrence of Arabia is one of my favorite films of all time. I watched it for the first time in May, and I’ve seen it twice more since.

The film follows T.E. Lawrence, a British officer sent to assist the Arab tribes in their revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It’s based on the real-life figure of the same name, though the book the film is adapted from has been criticized for embellishing and dramatizing certain aspects of his story.

That said, Lawrence of Arabia is a magnificent epic about imperialism, white saviorism, and the dangers of accumulating both power and adoration.

There’s so much to recommend about Lawrence of Arabia—the performances, the characters, the costume design, the writing, the set pieces, and more. But the most astonishing aspect is how it looks, and how it was shot. Some of the most breathtaking images in cinema history are in this film. In my opinion, it’s the greatest-looking movie of all time.

Maybe you've seen all of these movies, or maybe none of them. Either way, I hope this list serves as a great set of recommendations—whether you're discovering them for the first time or revisiting old favorites.

Here is a list of honorable mentions that I’d also recommend:

Devil in a Blue Dress - Denzel being the coolest man on the planet.

Out of Sight - George Clooney & Jennifer Lopez at peak hotness.

Vertigo - A psychological thriller shot in beautiful Technicolor.

Thelma & Louise - Female friendship and an American adventure.

Rope - Witty and funny psychological thriller.

The Fog - An expertly crafted 80s horror flick.

Catch-22 - A dark comedy about the horrors of war.

Paris, Texas - A contemplative film about identity and memory. With an entrancing performance from Nastassja Kinski.

The Conversation - A surveillance film about minding your own damn business.

A Clockwork Orange - A psychological, dystopian sci-fi about re-education and toxic masculinity.

Basic Instinct - A sexy mystery/thriller about manipulation.

What are some older films you'd recommend I watch this year?