Every man's favorite movies

therealbrandonwilson • 31 Jul 2026 •
I saw an article purporting to list the top 15 favorite movies cited by men. The fact that the domain is "secretlifeofmom" aroused my suspicion. Nevertheless, let's walk through the list and see how accurate it is for me.
- The Shawshank Redemption - Yep, this one is absolutely in my top 5. I remember seeing it in the theater, even though it didn't do well at the box office.
- The Godfather - Ok, yes, but this movie is not very re-watchable for me. I get it, but I prefer more recent mob movies, like Goodfellas, further down the list.
- The Dark Knight - Again, I might get some static for saying this one is overrated. Yes, Heath Ledger's Joker is great, but I think this movie is too long. Why introduce the two-faced villain as well? One iconic villain is enough.
- Pulp Fiction - This one absolutely belongs on the list, and I know @peterdannock will agree.
- Goodfellas - This is one of the all-time great mobster movies, and I would actually pick it over The Godfather. Casino is also a worthy successor.
- Fight Club - I've only seen it once. Maybe I should watch it again, but I don't recall being blown away by it.
- Inception - Another Christopher Nolan movie, which I saw once and remember being more confused than anything. I would probably pick Interstellar (#15) over this one.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - I've never read the books, but I did watch the movies. Again, too long. As long as we're in that type of universe, give me the adult version known as Game of Thrones.
- Schindler's List - I never saw it. Maybe I'm missing something, but I was a teen when it came out, and it feels like a movie for an adult, and now I'm just not interested in that historical period.
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Never saw it, but I think it's one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies. Perhaps I should give it a watch.
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - There had better have been at least one Star Wars movie mentioned--from the original trilogy, mind you. Yep, agree.
- Gladiator - Another one I somehow missed. Perhaps I should add this one to my watch list as well.
- The Matrix - Yes, definitely in my top 5.
- Saving Private Ryan - Yes, good movie. Not really re-watchable. More depressing than anything.
- Interstellar - This one should swap places with Inception, if Inception should even be on the list.
Notable misses:
- Rocky - How could you not have any Rocky movies??
- Heat - A-list cast. How can you go wrong with Pacino and DeNiro?
- Wedding Crashers - Yes, we should have some comedies on the list.
- Dumb and Dumber - Ok, came out at the perfect time for me in high school.
- Terminator/Terminator 2 - I'll put the two together. Absolute classics.
Guys--What would you add to the list?
Comments
@therealbrandonwilson, yes, I agree with No. 4. I would add Mad Max, the original film.
peterdannock • 1 Aug 2026, 9:42 am
@jasonleow I can see Apocalypse Now, but my own distaste for war movies kept it off my radar. Clockwork Orange is in a category by itself. @peterdannock Yes, Mad Max should be included.

therealbrandonwilson • 1 Aug 2026, 1:11 pm
@therealbrandonwilson How is Apocalypse Now, and Clockwork Orange not on the list