Chinatown, available on iTunes and Netflix

Featuring the stellar performances of Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, Chinatown first depicts private eye J. J. Gittes’ attempts to expose a public servant’s adultery. The plot soon becomes more labyrinthine as Gittes and socialite Evelyn Mulwray find themselves entangled in a web of corruption and deceit. Set in 1930s Los Angeles, the film is incredibly beautiful, even whilst depicting the area’s barren deserts, as a primary concern of the film is the city’s lack of water.

The ending to Roman Polanski’s 1974 neo-noir is unsettlingly perfect, befitting this tragedy of Greek proportions. The film is simply undeserving of remaining unseen by so many as it’s just been created with far too much passion, expertise, and intelligence. It’s really Robert Towne’s only decent script; perhaps he knew it could never be topped.

Watching Chinatown is like reading a novel. You hear that, kids? You don’t need to read a book!

The Grand Budapest Hotel, available on iTunes and Amazon Instant Video

Wes Anderson’s films can be hard to swallow, but it’s not difficult to admire the man himself. The Grand Budapest Hotel is his most accessible film, and that’s why it’s his best. It’s hilarious, a perfect blend of tragedy, horror, and suspense with his trademark saccharinity.

Set in the war-torn, fictional Republic of Zubrowka, the film centers around the Grand Budapest Hotel’s concierge, M. Gustave, as he is accused of murdering one of his many paramours. What follows is an extraordinarily enjoyable account of the twists and turns that result from Gustave’s arrest and subsequent imprisonment. Young lobby boy Zero also comes of age as he falls in love with a baker’s daughter and endures peril alongside his urbane counterpart. Produced, shot, written, and directed with the love and devotion that characterizes all of Anderson’s films, Hotel is nothing if not entertaining.

Almost Famous, available on iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon Instant Video

Featuring what is easily the greatest Kate Hudson performance of all time, Almost Famous is an uproarious comedy tinged with tragedy. The film depicts a young Cameron Crowe’s (alias Russell Hammond) attempts to compile an interview of the fictional band Stillwater for Rolling Stone magazine, which he’s duped into believing he’s an adult.

As a whole, Almost Famous is characterized by its lightness, as if acknowledging the notion that one’s youth is ideal the time to learn by making mistakes. Fittingly, the film is a trip, an examination of the worth of the journey vs. that of the destination. Hammond’s adolescence also features prominently, as he comes of age surrounded by adults who are either breathing down his neck or staving off adulthood themselves. His journalistic pursuits may come second to his love for music, but his persistence is something that Mr. Schwartz could be proud of.

Let the Right One In, available on iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon Instant Video

Let the Right One In is the antithesis of Almost Famous, but remains one of the greatest movies ever made about adolescence. Possibly one of the greatest films of all time, period. It’s incredibly dark, horrifying, and in Swedish. Don’t let that deter you, though. The film chronicles the relationship of eleven-year-old Oskar and his new neighbor, Eli, who’s a vampire. Again, don’t let that deter you.

There are few films this perfectly paced. Right up until the touching ending, sporadic moments of gore instill shock and awe, especially in comparison to the film’s stark setting. Child actors have a tendency to be utterly terrible, as they lack experience and emotional control. That perception doesn’t hold true here, though: nearly half of the cast is children and they’re all fantastic. The entire movie is. Watch it.