Where Are The Classics Of Modern Cinema?

Remember when DVD first hit the scene? Like you, I went and bought every single movie I ever loved, or liked, or was mildly interested in. I even went so far as to quit a 'lucrative' career as a retail assistant in a CD store to begin an equally 'lucrative' career in a DVD shop. There, I would rarely end a shift without purchasing something with my employee discount.

By 2005 I had moved on from working in retail, yet I continued filling bookshelf upon bookshelf with DVD purchases. It seemed my voraciousness to build my own personal film library would never end. Until it did, sometime around 2010. No, I didn't begin streaming videos or illegally downloading films. I owned almost all the DVDs I wanted to own, and new movies just didn't interest me enough to actually buy them. Sure, every once in a while a film that was previously unreleased on DVD would materialise and I'd eventually buy it. Or a favourite would require a double (or triple) dip. Or Blu-ray. But for the most part, I gradually stopped buying DVDs.

So what happened? Did the film industry stop producing good movies? Where were the Blade Runners, the Rocky Horror Picture Shows, the cinematic failures that went on to be revered cult classics? Where are the films you'd want to buy and trawl through every special feature (including all 5 different audio commentaries)? Which movies, if any, will this current generation get nostalgic over in 30 years?

In 2046, will there be an uproar over
an all male reboot of this?

It was these questions that got me thinking. Surely there have been some middle to low budget, high quality movies since 2010. To prove to myself that there were, I went back into the dark recesses of my DVD library to find which movies, released from 2010 onwards, could possibly become cult or popular classics in thirty years time. After careful inspection, here are five of my picks for potential future classics:

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Edgar Wright's 2010 adaptation is full of all the audio/visual flourishes you'd expect from the director of Spaced, one of the greatest television series of all time. Although Scott Pilgrim vs the World failed to be a commercial success upon release, like most films, it recouped its losses via international sales and DVD. There was even an attempt to synthesise cult status for it by screening it repeatedly at midnight sessions in hipster-friendly theatres right up until 2013.

For all its intricate editing, perfect set-ups/pay-offs, awesome music and visual style, Scott Pilgrim doesn't require your undivided attention. In fact, like some of the best musical comedies from the 70s and 80s (or, more aptly, video games from the same period), this film can be enjoyed from any point in the movie. Which makes it the perfect film to put on in the background when friends come over, or while you're doing the ironing, or even (I hate to admit it), screen at midnight sessions at your local arthouse theatre.

Whiplash

Whiplash is a movie about highly motivated, talented people pushing the limits of their abilities. It's also about drumming. J. K. Simmons' portrayal of a music teacher with unorthodox teaching methods is well-deserving of the Oscar he won in 2015. The constant fear and anxiety his performance induces is palpable. One moment his character is supportive and likeable, the next, violent and abusive (yet still likeable). Miles Teller's performance is equally good, and is totally believable as passionate and focused drummer Andrew. If you love feeling tense while watching a movie, then this is the film for you.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

When we first saw Titanic, we knew the ship was going to sink because the title kind of gave it away. The title Me and Earl and the Dying Girl works the same way and (spoiler alert), tells us exactly what the film is about. We expected, and wanted, the Titanic to sink in Titanic. We don't want the Dying Girl to die, and are ill prepared when it happens. This could be due to Greg's voiceover narration telling us she won't die, but mostly it's because we didn't think the film would actually go there.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl feels like a teen high school coming of age story from the 80s, except that it subverts all your expectations as if it knew all along that that is what you expected it to be. Greg, the main character, doesn't get the girl or profess his love in some grand gesture. He doesn't ski the K12 or build a swimming pool in his back garden and throw the best after prom party his small town has ever seen. He doesn't become popular, or well-liked, or redeemed in any way. In fact, at the end of the film he barely graduates high school and we can only assume he gets into art school, because we never find out for sure if he does. Instead of giving us these Hollywood cliches, Me and Earl gives us a bunch of likeable characters, then kicks us in the guts when it kills one of them off in a truly heartbreaking scene which will linger in your mind long after the credits have rolled.

Moonrise Kingdom

In Moonrise Kingdom we see all of Wes Anderson's signature moves - from the muted tones and diorama-like sets, to the use of music, whip pans and 'God's Eye View' camera angles. The characters are also familiar - Suzy could be a younger version of Gwyneth Paltrow's character in The Royal Tenenbaums, while Jason Schwartzman's character might as well have been called Max Fischer.

If I was writing about films from the 90s, Rushmore would definitely be on this list. Moonrise Kingdom is no Rushmore, but it's still an excellent Wes Anderson film - superior to The Grand Budapest Hotel in that it doesn't star Jude Law. Let's be honest, though. Each and every one of Wes Anderson's films could be considered future classics.  

Ex Machina

Alex Garland's directorial debut is a solid contender for future classic, due to its excellent special effects, strong production values and Oscar Isaac's magnificent beard. The bulk of the film's weight rests on the svelte shoulders of Alicia Vikander, and she carries it with grace and ease.

Garland's script could potentially be a prequel to Blade Runner or The Terminator. It's basically the Frankenstein story, a story we've seen time and again, but with a futuristic and realistic spin - because we all know that if anyone is really working on an A.I. with realistic features, it's so computer geeks can hook up with hot robots.

Disagree with my picks? Think I've overlooked an obvious future classic? Then feel free to leave a comment in the section below.