Cinematic history is littered with gems. In the hands of a brilliant director, a skillful cast, or a visionary writer, a masterpiece can be born. There are so many, in fact, that selecting just 7 as essential viewing was extremely challenging. We debated. We consulted reviews. We rewatched forgotten films. After weeks of doing so, we’ve come to the conclusion that these are the 7 films every guy should see. If you haven’t seen them all, it’s time to watch it.
Fight Club
Fight Club is the film about masculinity. Men who feel like they’re no longer allowed to be men – men who both literally and metaphorically have lost their testicles – regain their masculinity by knocking seven shades out of each other. You may disagree with its ideas (do you really have to fight someone to truly know yourself?) and the last third of the movie is just stupid, but Fight Club is the very definition of bravado.
The Big Lebowski
Jeff ‘The Dude’ Lebowski is a man we all aspire to be. He goes bowling, he drinks White Russians, and until a couple of hoodlums peed on his rug, he had his life in order. Mistaken for another, bigger Lebowski, The Dude is caught up in crime caper involving pornographers, a severed toe and a gang of German nihilists.
The Gentlemen
The film tells a convoluted story about drug deals gone wrong. It’s McConaughey’s character, Mickey Pearson, who is involved in the inciting incident. He ignores tabloid editor Big Dave (Eddie Marsden) at a social gathering. Dave is infuriated and hires his top reporter, Fletcher (Hugh Grant), to investigate. The events are told in flashback as Fletcher interviews Pearson’s right-hand man, Raymond Smith (Charlie Hunnam). Any scenes with Pearson are a treat. Richie saddles McConaughey with ridiculous monologues about how the “lion is the king of the jungle,” which sound even more absurd with McConaughey’s thick Texas drawl.
