25 Great Movies for Ravenclaws: Part 2
If you remember this list, then you would only be half-right. No matter what kind of movies you’re into, we can all agree intelligent movies can be a nice change of pace. Regardless of genre, these types of movies give us moviegoers more than simple entertainment — they make us think, opening our eyes to things we may not have previously considered. Simply put, smart and clever movies can evoke emotion within viewers and actually have something to take away once the credits roll. In most other cases, we’re simply captivated for a couple of hours before turning the TV off or leaving the theater and moving on to something else. With that in mind, here are 25 more great and intelligent movies that members of the House of Rowena Ravenclaw will love.
25. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a complex, but masterful re-telling of John le Carré’s British espionage story. If you expect car chases, gadgets, and closely choreographed fight scenes then you will be bitterly disappointed. This is a slow-burn film that requires audiences to be a little smarter — to pay attention to the details, the quiet moments, and the meaningful looks of the actors.
Based on the classic novel of the same name, the international thriller is set at the height of the Cold War years of the mid-20th Century. George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a disgraced British spy, is rehired in secret by his government — which fears that the British Secret Intelligence Service, a.k.a. MI-6, has been compromised by a double agent working for the Soviets.
24. Amélie (2001)
Although many people tend to steer away from films with subtitles, Amélie will quickly make you forget that you are watching a foreign film.
It’s remarkably charming and engaging. Nominated for five Academy Awards, it’s the type of whimsical film that’s filled with wonder, imagination, puzzles, and riddles. Amélie is a fanciful comedy about a young woman who discretely orchestrates the lives of the people around her, creating a world exclusively of her own making. Shot in over 80 locations all across Paris, acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Jeunet invokes his incomparable visionary style to capture the exquisite charm and mystery of modern-day Paris through the eyes of a beautiful ingenue.
23. The Shining (1980)
The Shining is a film that has sparked dozens of theories and speculation about its true meaning. Hidden with secrets, the film is a subject of a popular documentary called Room 237. Although the film has a common horror-like plot, fans believe it’s a film about the genocide of Native Americans. Another theorist believed that Stanley Kubrick had directed the footage disseminated by NASA to publicize the Apollo 11 moon landing. Whatever you believe, you can’t help but be impressed by this clever filmmaking. It might be an odd choice for this list, but The Shining is an excellent Ravenclaw movie
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) becomes a winter caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel in Colorado, hoping to cure his writer’s block. He settles in along with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and his son, Danny (Danny Lloyd), who is plagued by psychic premonitions. As Jack’s writing goes nowhere and Danny’s visions become more disturbing, Jack discovers the hotel’s dark secrets and begins to unravel into a homicidal maniac hell-bent on terrorizing his family.
22. Lady Bird (2017)
In this coming-of-age story, Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) is a high school senior from the “wrong side of the tracks”. She longs for adventure, sophistication, and opportunity, but finds none of that in her Sacramento Catholic high school and just wants to get the hell out of her hometown. This movie follows the title character’s senior year in high school, including her first romance, her participation in the school play, and most importantly, her applying for college.
21. Shutter Island (2010)
In 1954, up-and-coming U.S. marshal Teddy Daniels is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a patient from Boston’s Shutter Island Ashecliffe Hospital. He’s been pushing for an assignment on the island for personal reasons, but before long he thinks he’s been brought there as part of a twisted plot by hospital doctors whose radical treatments range from unethical to illegal to downright sinister. Teddy’s shrewd investigating skills soon provide a promising lead, but the hospital refuses him access to records he suspects would break the case wide open. As a hurricane cuts off communication with the mainland, more dangerous criminals “escape” in the confusion, and the puzzling, improbable clues multiply, Teddy begins to doubt everything — his memory, his partner, even his own sanity.
This movie incorporates a lot of twists and turns and your mind gets blown away. You think that you know what is happening but you really don’t. And I think Ravenclaws will really like to try and solve the mystery behind the puzzle of this movie and figure out what is really happening.
20. Freedom Writers (2007)
Hillary Swank plays Erin, a high school teacher, teaching a class that consists of different races. It’s mostly a class of high school kids with a history of violence and betrayal. This movie is the story of how she stands by her students at the cost of her own personal loss. Erin takes two more part-time jobs to provide her students with books and a trip to a holocaust museum. She uses the Nazi story to bring back light and respect among her students. She gives every student to read, “ Diary of Anne Frank.” They even meet the holocaust survivors. And then writes their own stories in a book called, Freedom Writers.”
This is a true story. A story of faith, belief, and conviction of one teacher that changed the destiny of a class. A must-watch.
19. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a bizarre but smart and imaginative movie. If you lose attention for a moment, you might be completely confused by what’s happening on screen. Despite jumping through the deliberately disorienting hoops of its story, if you sit up and pay attention, you’ll discover that love is more powerful than science.
After a painful breakup, Clementine (Kate Winslet) undergoes a procedure to erase memories of her former boyfriend Joel (Jim Carrey) from her mind. When Joel discovers that Clementine is going to extremes to forget their relationship, he undergoes the same procedure and slowly begins to forget the woman that he loved. Directed by former music video director Michel Gondry, the visually arresting film explores the intricacy of relationships and the pain of loss.
18. One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Upon arrival at a mental institution, a brash rebel rallies the patients together to take on the oppressive Nurse Ratched, a woman more a dictator than a nurse. First thing’s first, while I watched this movie, I found myself stunned. This movie so entertained the viewer, as it did fascinate, and inform. A chilling, disturbing, and revealing look into the mental institutions as seen through the eyes of a con. When the movie first came out, some people were shocked because when you watch the movie, you can’t help it feeling more attached to the patients than to the doctors and nurses. This movie shows that cinema can make a difference. It can help to open people’s eyes. If there is a movie that should be seen by everyone, this sure is the one.
17. Knowing (2009)
What will the world look like 50 years from now? That was the question back in 1959 when the pupils of an elementary school were asked to contribute their ideas on paper for the school’s time capsule. The years have passed, and now, in the same school, Caleb Koestler, the son of John, a widowed astronomer, and professor at MIT, attends the event of the time capsule opening and receives a dull drawing consisted of mysterious and random numbers.
It seems that the author was Lucinda Embry, a frightened and disturbed little girl whose mind was riddled with whispers and strange voices, and now her paper is in Caleb’s hands. Intrigued by this inexplicable conundrum, John will attempt to decipher the string of numbers that seem to be references to dates and death tolls over a period of the last 50 years, with the concluding three sets of numbers pointing to the imminent future. In the end, with Caleb’s mental health quickly deteriorating as he too is bombarded by the voices inside his mind and the increasing visions of biblical disasters, how could a single father help his troubled child and the rest of the world?
16. The Prestige (2006)
A mysterious story of two magicians, whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy, full of obsession, deceit, and jealousy, with dangerous and deadly consequences. From the time that they first met as young magicians on the rise, Robert Angier and Alfred Borden were competitors and good friends. However, after a tragic accident, their friendly competition evolves into a bitter rivalry making them fierce enemies-for-life and consequently jeopardizing the lives of everyone around them and are constantly trying to pickpocket the other person’s mind and figure out what they’re up to next. Set against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century London.
15. Contact (1997)
Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of intelligent aliens, who send plans for a mysterious machine. Contact is an exceptional example of a movie that deserves to exist. From the spectacular beginning shot that shows us just how small we are in a world that once thought the universe was made for, and around, mankind; to its realistic conclusion that any X-Phile would expect to happen: this movie appeals to our humanity, intelligence and sense of adventure.
One of the greatest realizations that the movie will guide you to is that what we search for in outer space is actually in our own backyards. We are cut off from each other and sci-fi tries to quell our loneliness with ideas that we’ll meet E.T. and won't feel so lonely in our existence. But were aren’t alone, we have each other. Carl Sagan was a great man. He promoted science in the way it should be, portraying the profound mysteriousness of our universe with humility, and without dogma. In his book, The Demon-Haunted World, he quoted Einstein: “All our science, measured against reality, is primitive and childlike — and yet it is the most precious thing we have”. Contact conveys this simple message in a subtle yet immensely powerful way. The performances are some of the most compelling.
14. The Martian (2015)
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, creativity, wit, and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return.
13. The Sixth Sense (1999)
A boy who communicates with spirits that don’t know they’re dead seeks the help of a disheartened child psychologist. When I first saw The Sixth Sense, I didn’t know what to expect. I guess I was looking forward to a good scary horror flick. I was very surprised. I found that the purpose of this movie was far greater than just trying to scare the audience. I found this movie was showing not only the emotions of fear, but also faith, commitment, the sadness of loss, and love.
The end was so surprising, I had to see it again. The second time I watched it, I did it from a totally different perspective (this is a very rare quality for any movie), and I enjoyed it just as much, or maybe even more. I also, as many viewers have, tried to detect fallacies in the story. I couldn’t find one. Also, for those that appreciate great soundtracks, the music only helps to heighten the experience of the movie. I believe that a great movie is one that helps the viewer perceive life and the world differently. The Sixth Sense is one of those extraordinary movies that do that to me. This movie reflects on some difficult subjects that will make the viewer walk away asking eternal questions. Questions about death, about letting go, about eternal love and commitment, about the love between parent and child, and between husband and wife. Maybe I read too much into this very wonderful film, but I believe it will be difficult to find a movie that has touched on these subjects so poignantly and so well for years to come.
12. Limitless (2011)
This thriller starring Bradley Cooper follows Edward Morra, a struggling writer, who is introduced to a nootropic drug called NZT-48. This mysterious pill grants him the ability to fully utilize his brain, which in turn, drastically improves his life.
While there isn’t such a drug, at least not legally or at this level, “Limitless” will prime you to think smarter. Priming, according to Psychology Today, “is a nonconscious form of human memory concerned with the perceptual identification of words and objects. It refers to activating particular representations or associations in memory just before carrying out an action or task.” For instance, if you see the word “yellow,” it might be slightly faster for you to recognize the word “banana.” This is “because yellow and banana are closely associated in memory.”
11. Eraserhead (1977)
Roughly categorized as a surrealist venture, David Lynch’s first critically acclaimed movie ‘Eraserhead’ narrates the story of a man who needs to take care of his severely deformed child. Essentially a body horror movie that has distinct psychological and philosophical elements, the movie was added to the National Film Registry in 2004 by the U.S. Library of Congress. Torn between disturbing visions of a woman and hallucinations representing sexual undertones, the protagonist is shown to dwell in a mechanized cityscape with dystopian settings.
10. The Matrix (1999)
Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. By day he is an average computer programmer and by night a malevolent hacker known as Neo. Neo has always questioned his reality but the truth is far beyond his imagination. Neo finds himself targeted by the police when Morpheus contacts him; a legendary computer hacker branded a terrorist by the government. Morpheus awakens Neo to the real world, a ravaged wasteland where most of humanity has been captured by a race of machines that live off of their body heat and imprison their minds within an artificial reality known as the Matrix. As a rebel against the machines, Neo must return to the Matrix and confront the agents, super-powerful computer programs devoted to snuffing out Neo and the entire human rebellion.
The Wachowski brothers really did excel in this movie. It’s a brilliant movie on many different levels — the directing is excellent, the camera work is great, the visuals are stunning, the kung-fu is A+, the acting is executed with style and conviction, and the plot is truly inspired. It’s really hard to use enough superlatives in this movie! You walk into this film not knowing what the Matrix is. You take your seat and watch the trailers. The green Warner Brothers (green? you ask) trademark comes up, and without warning, you are thrust into the Wachowski brother's grand vision. 2 hours of excitement later, you stumble out of the cinema, knowing what the Matrix is.
9. The Wind Rises (2013)
This movie draws an actual person, the half-life of Jiro Horikoshi. Jiro wants to make beautiful airplanes. He respects Caproni who is an Italian airplane producer. One day Jiro meets Nahoko whom he met by a train in the middle of the Great Kanto Earthquake again. Nearsighted from a young age and unable to be a pilot, Jiro joins a major Japanese engineering company in 1927 and, driven by his creativity, intuition, visionariness, intelligence, and wit, would become one of the world’s most innovative and accomplished airplane designers. They fall in love, but Nahoko suffers from tuberculosis. This movie is difficult for me because I do not know the background of the times when Japan had a war and it has deep meaning. I thought Honjou and Kurokawa’s character is so good because they help Jiro and they hang on work for their dream. I thought the scenery is so beautiful and Caproni who came out to a dream of Jiro’s said a good thing. The theme song of the movie “Hikoukigumo” is so good and it much this movie perfectly.
I do not know this movie’s conclusion. I think that there is various how-to catch. It is the movie with the pro and con but I highly recommend.
8. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Two imprisoned men bond over several years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency. This movie is not your ordinary Hollywood flick. It has a great and deep message. This movie has a foundation and just kept on being built on from their and that foundation is hope. One of the finest films made in recent years. It’s a poignant story about hope. Hope gets me. That’s what makes a film like this more than a movie. It tells a lesson about life. Those are the films people talk about 50 or even 100 years from you. It’s also a story for freedom. Freedom from isolation, from rule, from bigotry and hate. This is one of the few truly timeless movies. And it’s entertaining and moving, no matter how many times you view it.
7. Carrie Pilby (2017)
Carrie Pilby is a genius who graduated from Harvard at 18. Convinced that the world is populated by oversexed hypocrites, she has a hard time making sense of life as it relates to morality, relationships, sex, and leaving her apartment. In an effort to coax Carrie out of her shell, her psychiatrist makes a deceptively simple checklist of goals for her to achieve between Thanksgiving and the year’s end. Each goal brings Carrie closer to the understanding that humans, like books, can’t be judged by their covers.
6. Black Swan (2010)
Black Swan is more of a thriller than a horror movie, but the imagery used to represent the mental breakdown of a ballerina is rather horrifying. In what are arguably Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis’ best performances, Black Swan sets the stage for just how deep one will go to be the best at something, even if those actions turn her into a monster she never hoped to become.
5. Dead Poet’s Society (1989)
Painfully shy Todd Anderson has been sent to the school where his popular older brother was valedictorian. His roommate, Neil Perry, although exceedingly bright and popular, is very much under the thumb of his overbearing father. The two, along with their other friends, meet Professor Keating, their new English teacher, who tells them of the Dead Poets Society, and encourages them to go against the status quo. Each does so in his own way and is changed for life.
Back when you are young, you never really stop to think about what in the world you are doing with your life. You simply live for the day, hope your grades will be enough to pass, and that’s it. Long-term thinking involves may be flirting with a girl. Nothing more. What this film showed me was that we have the responsibility and the joy of being alive on this planet. That we are dust, and we will go back to it, so we have precious little time to make a difference. That we have a moral obligation to “seize the day, and make our lives extraordinary” (my favorite quote in all movie history). That the world, basically is ours. That the only limitations are within ourselves, and that we owe it to us to fight, to rebel against conformity, to change what we hate, and keep what we love. That living in this world is a beautiful responsibility, and that only cowards dare not to change it for the better. Not only will this movie touch your heart and bring tears, but it will also inspire you to be a better teacher to others and to follow your dreams no matter what the boundaries may be. It is truly poetry on the screen… a great story and a touching social commentary on humanity and life’s greatest challenges. If you haven’t seen it yet, rent it now. It has taken my love of poetry to an entirely new level!
4. Emma. (2020)
In this adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved comedy, Ana Taylor-Joy plays Emma Woodhouse, a clever, beautiful, rich, super witty, and privileged woman in Regency-era England. She lives on the fictional estate of Hartfield with her elderly widowed father, a hypochondriac who is excessively concerned about the health and safety of his loved ones. Ravenclaws can certainly relate to her propensity for trying to make things happen exactly as she sees fit. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along. It’s like a cake-filled movie. Everything is in vivid color and the color scheme is insanely beautiful. And it has one of the prettiest soundtracks I have ever heard, with music ranging from opera to Mozart and Haydn. The thing I enjoyed most about this movie was how many times the small comedic moments made me laugh. Just a brief facial expression or a line that’s witty. This movie is different than other Austen adaptations and I’m loving it. Like I love other Austen movies of course but often they take themselves very seriously and Emma is definitely a funny book and Autumn De Wilde definitely captured that beautifully within this movie.
After all, you know best, right? And let’s be real: No one is the queen of wit like Jane Austen is.
3. Finding Forrester (2000)
Those who are struck with genius sometimes find themselves afflicted with reclusiveness, too full of fear of participating in a world that reminds them of past hardships and leaves them open to new ones. But in Finding Forrester, we see the power that mentorship can have on both the mentee and the mentor. A young inner-city student takes Forrester, a reclusive, but talented writer, as his mentor, and together, the two develop. Forrester learns to let go of his reclusive fears, and the young boy develops his incredible talent and determines his future. This movie offers an interesting story of growth and the value of exploring unlikely friendships brought together by mutual talent and the treasures that can grow within them.
2. Looper (2012)
In the year 2047 time travel has yet to be invented. Thirty years later, however, it has. Though immediately outlawed, time-travel technology is quickly appropriated by the mob and used to cleanly dispose of anyone deemed a threat. The process is simple: When the mob wants someone to disappear, they simply send them back to the year 2047, where an assassin known as a “looper” quickly carries out the hit, and disposes of the body. Joe Simmons (Gordon-Levitt) is one of the most respected Loopers around. Each kill earns him a big payday, and he’s got big plans to retire to France. Then, one day, as Joe patiently awaits the appearance of his next target near the edge of a remote cornfield, he’s shocked to come face-to-face with his future self (Bruce Willis). When the younger Joe hesitates, the older Joe makes a daring escape. Now, to avoid the wrath of his underworld boss (Jeff Daniels), young Joe must “close the loop” and kill his older counterpart. Meanwhile, the revelation that a powerful crime boss in the future has set the underworld ablaze pits the two Joes on a violent collision course, with the fate of a devoted mother (Emily Blunt) and her young son hanging in the balance.
1. Inception (2010)
In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job to date: Inception. Inception is a well-made movie, filmed in about 6 locations all over the world.
The directing was outstanding, there were only about two moments, maybe three seconds in total, where I noticed that visual effects were being used (of course defying gravity is pretty difficult). The plot was very pleasingly intricate, with a twist-and-turn, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat type feel. It’s great to see a movie with a thick and emotional plot and not just grenade-throwing action heroes who achieve greatness in the end. Inception also has a very well-composed score, which to me was the finishing touch to a perfect movie. If you’re thinking about seeing Inception, definitely go! Even though I was fortunate enough to see a free show, it is worth every penny you pay. Truly unique, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Christopher Nolan certainly broke new ground with this film and wasn’t afraid to leave us hanging with a spectacular ending. Like Shutter Island, Inception is full of twists and turns, and you think you know what’s going on, but you really don’t. And people in Ravenclaw would love to solve the mystery behind this movie and figure out what on earth is happening.
Honorable mentions
The Shape of Water (2017) directed by Guillermo del Toro
La La Land (2016) directed by Damien Chazelle
Jurassic Park (1993) directed by Steven Spielberg
Twister (1996) directed by Jan de Bont
Ghost In The Shell (1995) directed by Mamoru Oshii
Star Trek (2009) directed by J.J. Abrams
Pride and Prejudice (2005) directed by Joe Wright
The Princess Diaries (2001) directed by Gary Marshall
Knock Down The House (2018) directed by Rachel Lears
The Princess and the Frog (2009) directed by Ron Clements
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) directed by Will Vinton
Coco (2017) directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina
The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) directed by Robert Stevenson
Before Sunrise (1995) directed by Richard Linklater
Legally Blonde (2001) directed by Robert Luketic
The Reader (2008) directed by Stephen Daldry
The Secret Garden (1993) directed by Agnieska Holland
First Reformed (2017) directed by Paul Schrader
Now You See Me (2013) directed by Louis Leterrier
Now You See Me 2 (2016) directed by John M. Chu
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) directed by Guillermo del Toro
Arrival (2016) directed by Denis Villeneuve
Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (2007) directed by Zach Helm
The Witch (2015) directed by Robert Eggers
Oppenheimer (2023) directed by Christopher Nolan
Final thoughts
In conclusion, these intelligent Ravenclaw movies not only cause us to think, but they also leave us with more questions than answers. They send a message to us so intense that certainly moves you or the idea is such that it opens new gateways to scientists that they have not thought of before. When you step out of the cinema you feel different now, that is intelligent.
See, everyone thinks that it is a house for quiet, shut-ins. They believe that Ravenclaw is dominated only by facts and logic. But, in truth, Ravenclaw is actually the house of the arts, as creativity comes from the mind. Ravenclaw is also a house of bright light, science, mathematics, innovation, philosophy, culture, and music. And Ravenclaws are just as willing to venture as Gryffindors, just as they explore the mind. They explore creativity itself and the bounds of human potential. Gryffindor is a house of explorers, but Ravenclaw is a house of Seekers. Hufflepuff is a house for love, Slytherin for power, Gryffindor for experiences but Ravenclaw is the house for potential. Human potential. I think that without a doubt, Ravenclaw is the most diverse house and surpasses all the others with its capabilities. I’ve always seen Ravenclaws as dreamers, hearing of new worlds and possibilities, and the excitement that comes with it. Wanting so badly to explore everything, to express their creativity and the beauty they see in the world. So because of this, they set themselves to reach for the stars, and become more.
Hufflepuff embodies love, Gryffindor embodies courage (which is not the same as bravery), and Slytherin embodies loyalty. But what does Ravenclaw embody? Well…what do we do if we fail or make a mistake? What if we fall? Do we give up? No. We get back up and try again and we take as many as we can with us. We embody resilience. Wanting to get at the maximum of capabilities of something is what a Ravenclaw truly wants. However, it can want to find a way to be as kind as possible, just the way it can want to be as powerful as possible. Ravenclaw has both sides. They aren’t only a house of knowledge, their goal is to get as good as possible, to experience the impossible, to discover it, to climb the ladder. With knowledge, they can experience every aspect of humans, of the world, no matter what aspect we are talking about.
I am a Ravenclaw and proud of it.