20 FILMS THAT LEAVE A LASTING IMPACT

Over the years Hollywood has made film after film - some good, some not and some that are unforgettable. *Contains Spoilers*

1. House of Sand and Fog (2003)

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No winners here. A tale of anguish on all sides. It breaks your heart as the protagonist puts his wife to sleep with tea laced with poison after they lose their son in the worst circumstances possible. Ben Kingsley committing suicide with a plastic bag over his head is an image not readily forgotten.

2. The Claim (2000)

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A lesson in greed and how it can destroy families. When a woman and her daughter arrive in a small gold mining town, they set off a chain of events for the wealthy Mayor of the town. Based on Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge, you can only imagine the depths of this man's terrible past.

3. Willow (1988)

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Before Warwick Davis pottered up, he spent a great deal of energy saving Elora Danan from the clutches of wicked witches, mad (sexy) warriors and the scariest dogs ever to be seen outside of a Stephen King movie.

4. The Lives of Others (2006)

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Ignoring the fact that Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck went on to direct the soapy Angelina Jolie vehicle 'The Tourist', his career was stellar when he wrote and directed this film about a German secret policeman surveilling a writer. The ending is as satisfying as it gets.

5. My Life Without Me (2003)

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Ann, is a woman who is dying of cancer. She decides not to tell her husband or her two young daughters instead making the most of her final days. (Even finding a new wife/mother for her husband and girls).

6. The NeverEnding Story (1984)

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The scene where Atreyu's horse Artax drowns in the Swamps of Sadness ruined childhoods.

7. The Age of Innocence (1993)

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Edith Wharton's society parable about how one's life and personal happiness is staked upon position and reputation in society. It is the last scene which will really leave a mark.

8. Ryan's Daughter (1970)

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Directed by the legendary David Lean, this film is about a married woman who has an affair with a soldier (a retelling of Madame Bovary). The film has stunning cinematography but it is the scene where the villages strip, humiliate and shear the hair from Rosy, who they believe is a traitor that you'll remember long after the credits roll.

9. The Barbarian Invasions (2003)

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The main character Remy, dies but you've come to love him so much it's as if your own father is dying.

10. Atonement (2007)

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The rage that has built up inside of you about the injustices of Robbie's arrest for a rape he didn't commit only worsens when you get to the "happy ending" and realise that it's a fantasy that the writer made up to assuage her guilt. From the novel by Ian McEwan.

11. Fight Club (1999)

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Best music placement of all time.

12. Scream (1999)

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Casey: Why do you wanna know my name?

Voice: ‘Cause I wanna know who I’m looking at.

Outdated but not forgotten.

13. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

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This film leaves you with a strange melancholy. Jim Carrey stars as lovelorn Joel whose lover Clementine(Kate Winslet) has had him erased from her mind.

14. Gone with the wind (1939)

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Ode to the last line.

15. Toy Story 3 (2010)

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The characters of Woody and Buzz had been around since 1995 and thus, the end when it came was bittersweet. Also, they nearly die!

16. Talk to Her (2002)

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A complex film concerning two men who bond while caring for two women in deep comas. Will confuse you thoroughly on your morals and expectations.

17. I am Love (2009)

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Oh Tilda. We love you. Tilda speaking Italian is even better. A remarkable film about love and desire.

18. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

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This film is like a whopping punch in the face about the effects of drugs (prescription and illegal). The scene where Marion (Jennifer Connelly) debases herself into prostitution is just one of many harrowing scenes.

19. Matchpoint(2005)

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Matchpoint is a film where the protagonist is wholly unlikeable. It's Woody Allen at his dramatic best - taking a swing at the upper British crust, ambition, infidelity, and what desperate people will do when they believe they have no choice.

20. What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

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Few films deal so head on with the issue of obesity than Lasse Hallström's 1993 film starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Honourable Mentions

Wit, The Dreamers, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Babel, The Lion King.