Films that have influenced me

These are some films which have influenced me. This will help me as it lets me explore some films (most of which I first saw many, many years ago) and look into why they influenced me and how this could translate to a wider audience.

Valkyrie (2008)

This film is about the final years Claus Von Stauffenberg (played by Tom Cruise); the Nazi who tried to kill Hitler. This film influenced me as it is the first which I came across which represented the stereotypical baddies as the good guys; this was a refreshing take on the conflict which I found very interesting as it was a big risk for MGM which I personally think resulted in a very good film (however critic's reviews are mixed). Although receiving relatively poor reviews, it grossed $200 million, making it the fifth highest grossing WW2 film to date.

The Wind Rises (2013)

This film is a biography of Jiro Horikoshi; a Japanese aircraft designer during WW2 and portrays his journey through design, his hatred and fear of war and his love (and eventual loss) of his wife. This film influenced me as it is a topic which has been an interest of mine for some years and it was amazing to see such a film created by the lovely Hayao Miyazaki (known most notably for My neighbour Totoro (1988)) as his final film with Studio Ghibli before his retirement. The film received great reviews and was a hit among Ghibli fans.

The Matrix (1999)

This film is a fictional depiction of a future where humans live through a computer system known as the Matrix, and follows him through his journey of escaping and putting an awful lot of trust in some people he's never met. This film influenced me as it is arguably one of (if not the) most iconic sci-fi film of all time and acted as my introduction to the genre.

Short Circuit (1986)

This film is about Johnny 5; the fifth robot in a group of experimental artificial intelligence research robots who gets electrocuted and escapes. This film has influenced me as it was one of the first films I saw which applied a great comedic value to what could be viewed as a very dark subject matter; later this led into a personal interest in satirical comedy and being naturally very sarcastic.

The most hated family in America (2007)

This film is arguably the most iconic and career-defining documentary by Louis Theroux; where he looks into the infamous WBC. This film influenced me as it was my first encounter with LGBT topics in my later childhood/early teenage years which not only helped me in realising my own personal identity but also introduced me into the world of ignorance, guided by the reassuring, loyal, and no-nonsense Louis Theroux. Despite being based on such a controversial topic it received great reviews; most probably stemming from Theroux's attitude to said topic.