I came across “1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” List today. I started to review it and think I’d follow it and then… then I start wondering why these films. Some are just downright odd picks. So I’m going through the American Film Institute’s 100 Films list. And I’ve also decided to start a list – culled from my own viewing and other sources – of Top Films for Women to Watch.

I’ve put both lists alphabetical just because it’s easier to review that way. Love your recommendations for films in the “comment” section.

The Code

= SEEN | = DEFINITE YAY | = NOT A FAN | = TO WATCH ON NETFLIX | = TO WATCH ON AMAZON

AFI Top 100

  1. 12 ANGRY MEN (1957)
  2. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
  3. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
  4. A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935)
  5. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
  6. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
  7. ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976)
  8. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
  9. ANNIE HALL (1977)
  10. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
  11. BEN-HUR (1959)
  12. BLADE RUNNER (1982)
  13. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
  14. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
  15. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
  16. CABARET (1972)
  17. CASABLANCA (1942)
  18. CHINATOWN (1974)
  19. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
  20. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
  21. DO THE RIGHT THING (1989)
  22. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
  23. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
  24. DUCK SOUP (1933)
  25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
  26. EASY RIDER (1969)
  27. FORREST GUMP (1994)
  28. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
  29. GOODFELLAS (1990)
  30. HIGH NOON (1952)
  31. IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)
  32. INTOLERANCE (1916)
  33. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
  34. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
  35. JAWS (1975)
  36. KING KONG (1933)
  37. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
  38. M*A*S*H (1970)
  39. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
  40. MODERN TIMES (1936)
  41. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
  42. NASHVILLE (1975)
  43. NETWORK (1976)
  44. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
  45. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
  46. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975)
  47. PLATOON (1986)
  48. PSYCHO (1960)
  49. PULP FICTION (1994)
  50. RAGING BULL (1980)
  51. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
  52. REAR WINDOW (1954)
  53. ROCKY (1976)
  54. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
  55. SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)
  56. SHANE (1953)
  57. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)
  58. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
  59. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
  60. SOPHIE’S CHOICE (1982)
  61. SPARTACUS (1960)
  62. STAR WARS (1977)
  63. SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (1941)
  64. SUNRISE (1927)
  65. SUNSET BLVD. (1950)
  66. SWING TIME (1936)
  67. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
  68. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
  69. THE APARTMENT (1960)
  70. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
  71. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
  72. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
  73. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
  74. THE GENERAL (1927)
  75. THE GODFATHER (1972)
  76. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
  77. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
  78. THE GRADUATE (1967)
  79. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
  80. THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971)
  81. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)
  82. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
  83. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
  84. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
  85. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994)
  86. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
  87. THE SIXTH SENSE (1999)
  88. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
  89. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
  90. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
  91. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
  92. TITANIC (1997)
  93. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
  94. TOOTSIE (1982)
  95. TOY STORY (1995)
  96. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
  97. VERTIGO (1958)
  98. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
  99. WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966)
  100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

Great Films for Women

  1. A League of Their Own (1992)
  2. ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE (1974)
  3. Alien (1979)
  4. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
  5. All About My Mother (1999)
  6. AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE (1990)
  7. BABETTE’S FEAST (1987)
  8. Beaches (1988)
  9. BEING JULIA (2004)
  10. Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
  11. Black Swan (2010)
  12. Black Widow (1987)
  13. Brave (2012)
  14. Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
  15. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
  16. Calendar Girls (2003)
  17. Charlie’s Angels (2000)
  18. Chocolat (2000)
  19. COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER (1980)
  20. DANCE, GIRL, DANCE (1940)
  21. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)
  22. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
  23. ERIN BROCKOVICH (2000)
  24. Ever After (1998)
  25. FRIDA (2002)
  26. G.I. Jane (1997)
  27. GORILLAS IN THE MIST (1988)
  28. Hairspray (2007)
  29. Heathers (1988)
  30. Hidden Figures (2016)
  31. How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
  32. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
  33. IMITATION OF LIFE (1934/1959)
  34. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
  35. JULIA (1977)
  36. Juno (2007)
  37. KLUTE (1971)
  38. Legally Blonde (2001)
  39. LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE (1992)
  40. LITTLE WOMEN (1933/1949)
  41. Maria Full Of Grace (2004)
  42. Mean Girls (2004)
  43. MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON (1943)
  44. MILDRED PIERCE (1945)
  45. MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004)
  46. Miss Congeniality (2000)
  47. MONSOON WEDDING (2001)
  48. Moonstruck (1987)
  49. MY BRILLIANT CAREER (1979)
  50. Mystic Pizza (1988)
  51. NATIONAL VELVET (1944)
  52. NORMA RAE (1979)
  53. North Country (2005)
  54. NOTORIOUS (1946)
  55. NOWHERE IN AFRICA (2001)
  56. Private Benjamin (1980)
  57. RABBIT PROOF FENCE (2002)
  58. RAISE THE RED LANTERN (1991)
  59. REAR WINDOW (1954)
  60. RUN LOLA RUN (1998)
  61. SECRETS & LIES (1995)
  62. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
  63. Set It Off (1996)
  64. SILKWOOD (1983)
  65. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)
  66. Something’s Gotta Give (2003)
  67. Soul Food (1997)
  68. Steel Magnolias (1989)
  69. STELLA DALLAS (1937)
  70. Stepmom (1998)
  71. Terms of Endearment (1983)
  72. THE ACCUSED (1988)
  73. THE APARTMENT (1960)
  74. The Color Purple (1985)
  75. The Divorcee (1930)
  76. The First Wives Club (1996)
  77. The Help (2011)
  78. The Iron Lady (2011)
  79. THE MAGDELENE SISTERS (2002)
  80. The Official Story (1985)
  81. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
  82. THE PIANO (1993)
  83. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
  84. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
  85. The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)
  86. The Way We Were (1973)
  87. THE WOMEN (1939)
  88. Thelma & Louise (1991)
  89. TITANIC (1997)
  90. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
  91. VOLVER (2006)
  92. Waiting to Exhale (1995)
  93. WATER (2005)
  94. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
  95. WHALE RIDER (2002)
  96. What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993)
  97. When a Man Loves a Woman (1994)
  98. When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
  99. Where the Heart Is (2000)
  100. WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966)
  101. WOMAN OF THE YEAR (1942)
  102. Wonder Woman (2017)
  103. Working Girl (1988)
  104. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)
  105. VERA DRAKE (2004)