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NEWSCMP Lifestyle Series

From the Vault: culturally significant films

In the From the Vault feature series, the South China Morning Post’s film experts reflect on culturally significant films celebrating notable anniversaries.

Updated: 24 Jul, 2026

South China Morning Post’s From the Vault series looks back at culturally significant films. Photo: Shutterstock

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[1]

As 12 Years a Slave turns 10, how Oscar winner held white America to account

12 Years a Slave, director Steve McQueen’s 2013 adaptation of a book about a man sold into slavery, gave an unflinching portrayal of abuses inflicted upon African Americans in the Antebellum South.

22 Jan, 2024

Chiwetel Ejiofor in a still from “12 Years a Slave”. Steve McQueen’s Oscar-winning film – which turns 10 in January 2024 – about a man sold into slavery, gave an unflinching portrayal of African-American suffering to make a political statement. Photo: Francois Duhamel

[2]

How The Butterfly Effect with Ashton Kutcher filled a void in US cinema

Calling it a masterpiece might be a stretch but the 2004 time-travel thriller The Butterfly Effect – despite its chaotic plotline – filled a void left by a dearth of quality horror films.

26 Feb, 2024

Calling it a masterpiece might be a stretch but the 2004 time-travel thriller The Butterfly Effect – despite its chaotic plotline – filled a void left by a dearth of quality horror films. Above: Ashton Kutcher in a still from the film. Photo: New Line Cinema.

[3]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind at 20: fascinating but flawed romance

The 2004 film by Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufmann, starring the unlikely pairing of Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, puts a deliciously surreal twist on the love story.

01 Apr, 2024

Jim Carrey (left) and Kate Winslet in a still from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

[4]

Shaun of the Dead at 20: ‘Britpop movie’ prefigured our infantilised culture

As the quintessentially British Shaun of the Dead turns 20, we look back at this genre-defining rom-zom-com and how it came to be lauded by cinema luminaries in America as well as at home.

29 Apr, 2024

Simon Pegg (front) in a still from Shaun of the Dead. Photo: Rogue Pictures

[5]

The Babadook at 10: supernatural horror film unafraid to tackle a taboo

Jennifer Kent’s thrilling 2014 debut The Babadook poses the questions no one dare ask about motherhood. It’s a supernatural psychological horror film even Stephen King called ‘deeply disturbing’.

27 May, 2024

Essie Davis (top) as Amelia and Noah Wiseman as Samuel in a still from The Babadook (2014).

[6]

The Notebook at 20: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams in happy/sad romance

Tom Cruise, George Clooney and Britney Spears were all considered for The Notebook before John Cassavetes’ director son Nick picked Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, and made them A-list stars.

22 Jun, 2024

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in a still from The Notebook. Ironically for a romance, they had to overcome a mutual dislike. Equally ironic, they fell in love after making the 2004 romance, which shot both of them to stardom. Photo: New Line Cinema

[7]

20 years on, M. Night Shyamalan mystery The Village is one of his best films

Daring, original and completely sincere – how often can you say that about a Hollywood film? The Village, 2004 M. Night Shyamalan thriller that vexed critics, remains one of his best films 20 years on.

26 Jul, 2024

Bryce Dallas Howard in a still from M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village (2004), which remains one of his very best films. Photo: Touchstone Pictures

[8]

Natural Born Killers at 30 is still 1 of the most controversial films ever

Released 30 years ago, Natural Born Killers – starring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis – remains the most provocative film of Oliver Stone’s career and one of the most controversial movies ever.

23 Aug, 2024

Woody Harrelson in a still from Natural Born Killers (1994). Photo: Warner Bros.

[9]

Is The Shawshank Redemption, 30 this month, the best movie of all time?

The Stephen King novella adaptation with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins lost out to Forrest Gump at the 1995 Oscars but holds up 30 years on.

20 Sep, 2024

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in a still from The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Frank Darabont’s prison drama did not win an Oscar, but in the 30 years since its release it has been hailed as one of the greatest films of all time. Photo: Courtesy of Park Circus/Warner Bros

[10]

Why, 20 years on, Team America: World Police is such a good movie

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s puppet film, full of hilarious songs and biting satire, still resonates today.

18 Oct, 2024

A still from Team America: World Police (2004). The film, written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Pam Brady, has a voice cast that includes Kristen Miller, Masasa Yoyo, Daran Norris and Maurice LaMarche. Photo: Paramount Pictures

[11]

How A Nightmare on Elm Street left audiences terrified 40 years ago

Wes Craven’s 1984 horror classic that introduced us to Freddy Krueger was inspired by an article about Asian Death Syndrome.

15 Nov, 2024

Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger in a still from A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

[12]

It’s been 50 years. Is The Godfather Part II the best movie sequel ever?

The Godfather Part II delves deeper into the history of the Mafia family at its heart. 50 years on from its making it remains a masterpiece.

13 Dec, 2024

Al Pacino in a still from The Godfather Part II, the 1974 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the film remains a masterpiece that delves deeper into a mafia family’s history.

[13]

Before Sunrise at 30: why Richard Linklater’s movie is so magical

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy star in this 1995 tale of strangers who meet on a train and spend a romantic evening in Vienna.

10 Jan, 2025

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in a still from Before Sunrise, directed by Richard Linklater, which turns 30 in January 2025.

[14]

Constantine at 20: why Keanu Reeves film deserves another look

Starring Reeves, Shia LaBeouf and Tilda Swinton, 2005 film was initially poorly received but has gained popularity over the past 20 years.

07 Feb, 2025

Keanu Reeves (left) and Tilda Swinton in a still from Constantine. Photo: David James/Warner Brothers

[15]

How 1995 cult favourite Tank Girl put its director ‘into movie jail’

Fans of trash cinema love Tank Girl, but mainstream audiences did not when it hit cinemas 30 years ago despite a cast including Iggy Pop.

07 Mar, 2025

Lori Petty in the title role in 1995 film Tank Girl. Co-starring Ice-T, Iggy Pop and Naomi Watts and filmed on a US$25 million budget, it made only US$4 million upon its release. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

[16]

Sin City at 20: why the 2005 neo-noir hit was such a landmark film

Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s film still looks incredible, with a stellar cast including Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis and Clive Owen.

04 Apr, 2025

Jessica Alba (left) and Nick Stahl in a still from Sin City.

[17]

Crimson Tide at 30: why submarine-set thriller is as timely as ever

Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington play officers at odds aboard a US submarine in a countdown to nuclear Armageddon in Tony Scott’s film.

02 May, 2025

Denzel Washington (left) and Gene Hackman in a still from Crimson Tide. Photo: Online

[18]

45 years ago, The Empire Strikes Back changed Star Wars forever

As the Star Wars sequel turns 45 we look at how it bolstered the franchise with its epic fights and plot twist and why it wasn’t fun to make.

30 May, 2025

David Prowse as Darth Vader in a still from The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Photo: Lucasfilm

[19]

How Batman Begins rewrote the superhero movie rule book 20 years ago

With its gritty realism and complex themes, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins helped turn superhero films into a dominant cinema genre.

27 Jun, 2025

Christian Bale in a still from Batman Begins (2005). Photo: Warner Bros Ent

[20]

As Waterworld turns 30, what went wrong with the US$175 million flop?

Kevin Costner’s unappealing anti-hero and bad writing were only some of the problems this expensive box-office failure had to contend with.

25 Jul, 2025

Kevin Costner in a still from Waterworld. The actor and his director Kevin Reynolds clashed so much during the making of the movie that the latter resigned before it was released. Photo: Park Circus/Universal

[21]

The enduring legacy of Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man 20 years on

Herzog injected himself into the grizzly story of bear ‘protector’ Timothy Treadwell’s death in one of the best documentaries of its type.

22 Aug, 2025

Timothy Treadwell in a still from Grizzly Man, Werner Herzog’s documentary about an eccentric conservationist who was eaten alive in the Alaskan wilderness.

[22]

What’s in the box? How serial killer film Seven stays influential 30 years on

David Fincher’s bleak, gruesome 1995 film starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman has inspired the feel of many serial killer flicks since.

19 Sep, 2025

Brad Pitt in a still from Seven. Photo: Warner Bros Entertainment

[23]

Why Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days, 30 this month, was ahead of its time

It bombed upon release, but this 1995 sci-fi with Ralph Fiennes offers a vivid portrait of contemporary society, and some prescient warnings.

17 Oct, 2025

Ralph Fiennes and Angela Bassett in a still from Strange Days. Kathryn Bigelow’s flawed thriller gave a powerful portrait of Los Angeles on the brink of implosion, and prophetic warnings about the expansion of the internet, when it was released in 1995.

[24]

How Unbreakable redefined the superhero movie 25 years ago

Unbreakable, starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, was not a hit at the box office upon release, but is now considered a masterpiece.

14 Nov, 2025

Samuel L. Jackson (left) and Bruce Willis in a still from Unbreakable (2000). Photo: Walt Disney Pictures

[25]

Why Spielberg’s black drama The Color Purple remains controversial 40 years on

The 1985 film, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey, was much criticised upon release but received 11 Oscar nominations.

12 Dec, 2025

Willard E. Pugh (left) and Oprah Winfrey in a still from The Color Purple (1985). Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

[26]

Why From Dusk Till Dawn starring George Clooney has aged poorly as it turns 30

George Clooney’s charisma can’t mask the flaws of this 1996 gorefest written by Quentin Tarantino, from bad effects to treatment of women.

09 Jan, 2026

(From left) Quentin Tarantino, Salma Hayek and George Clooney in a still from From Dusk Till Dawn. While the 1996 vampire movie remains a cult favourite among certain viewers, it contains problematic elements that do not hold up well.

[27]

How Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle is still terrifyingly relevant 50 years on

Taxi Driver remains an overwhelming experience and Robert De Niro’s career-kick-starting role continues to resonate in today’s society.

06 Feb, 2026

Robert De Niro in a scene in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. We take a deep dive into the film’s cultural impact, De Niro’s role, and its chilling relevance today. Photo: Columbia/TriStar

[28]

Why anarchist thriller V for Vendetta, 20 this month, is as relevant as ever

Political dissent, societal control, a devastating virus: 20 years on, V for Vendetta looks less like a film than a prescient warning.

06 Mar, 2026

Hugo Weaving in a still from V for Vendetta (2005). Photo: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

[29]

Why the beloved romcom Bridget Jones’s Diary feels so dated 25 years on

The charms of Bridget Jones’s Diary are still obvious when viewed today, but its politics seem to be from a different century altogether.

03 Apr, 2026

Renée Zellweger (left) and Colin Firth in a still from Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), which turns 25 this month. Photo: Working Title Films

[30]

Pearl Harbor at 25: is Michael Bay’s World War II epic really that bad?

Pearl Harbor was widely panned upon release in 2001 but with its strong cast and characters and explosive action, is it worth reassessing?

01 May, 2026

Ben Affleck in a still from Pearl Harbor (2001). Directed by Michael Bay and co-starring Josh Hartnett and Kate Beckinsale, the film made US$450 million at the worldwide box office. Photo: AP

[31]

Why Moulin Rouge remains a divisive masterpiece 25 years after its release

Whether you love it, hate it or veer deliriously between the two, Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 romantic musical is an experience you don’t forget.

29 May, 2026

Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in a still from Moulin Rouge (2001), directed by Baz Luhrmann. The film is the final part of Luhrmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy, following Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Romeo + Juliet (1996).

[32]

How Jim Carrey took a dark turn for 1996 stalker comedy The Cable Guy

Carrey’s turn as Matthew Broderick’s pop-culture-obsessed tormentor left viewers confused in 1996. But 30 years on, it seems oddly prescient.

26 Jun, 2026

Jim Carrey in a still from The Cable Guy (1996). Photo: Columbia Pictures.

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[33]

Planet of the Apes at 25: why Tim Burton’s sci-fi remake was a confusing mess

The 2001 film with Mark Wahlberg, Tim Roth and Helena Bonham Carter featured a muddled script and awkward callbacks to the 1968 original.

24 Jul, 2026

Mark Wahlberg in a still from Planet of the Apes (2001). The film made a respectable US$362 million worldwide on a US$100 million budget, but is bland and workmanlike compared with some of director Tim Burton’s other features.