10 Movies That Broke All the Rules and Changed Cinema (2024)

Many great movies, typically classics, usually follow some sort of norm. It could be the three-act structure or the typical camera shots, but there's always some sort of classic, safe way to watch a great movie and have a good time. But the world of cinema boasts some incredibly creative artists who like to push boundaries away from the classics and break the rules; it's not to the detriment of cinema, but, on the contrary, because of their immense love for it.

Any artist who loves what they do will surely have groundbreaking ideas about taking the norm and pushing it further. Creatives in the movie industry have taken more liberties over the years, but they were more than likely inspired by the firsts of their kind. And those firsts are now considered some of the greatest movies of all time, changing how we watch movies and observe creativity. These movies broke the rules and changed how viewers enjoy cinema and its brilliant authors.

10 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937)

Directed by David Hand, William Cottrell, and Wilfred Jackson (with a team of animators)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was revolutionary for so many reasons, but there's one in particular that simply puts it on top. It was made in 1937 and is the first animated feature film ever made in the US. It's also the first feature film that was animated and painted solely by hand, and the first feature-length movie by Disney. A team of sequence directors, including David Hand (director of Fantasia and Bambi) and Wilfred Jackson (director of Cinderella and Peter Pan), worked on the movie for about three years, creating about two million pieces of artwork for the story.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a Brothers Grimm tale about a young, beautiful princess who lost her parents and now lives with her wicked stepmother known as the Queen (in the book, her name is Grimhilde). When the Queen banishes Snow White one day, the girl is left alone in the woods, befriending woodland creatures until she finds a cottage where seven dwarfs live. This princess fairy tale still inspires children and is common in any Disney household collection. It changed the landscape of animated film and the history of Disney itself.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

G

Animation

Family

Fantasy

Musical

Romance

Exiled into the dangerous forest by her wicked stepmother, a princess is rescued by seven dwarf miners who make her part of their household.

Release Date

February 4, 1938

Director

David Hand

Cast

Roy Atwell , Stuart Buchanan , Adriana Caselotti , Zeke Clements , Eddie Collins , Pinto Colvig

Runtime

83

Watch on Disney+

9 'Pink Flamingos' (1972)

Directed by John Waters

The inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community in film was, even until recently, controversial to some people. Even today, Luca Guadagnino's Queer is making waves in some countries, and the outrage over a movie that hasn't been released yet has to be seen to be believed. Inclusion is the definition of cinema; it can range from something simple, like including multiple cameras or editors, to something more complex and important, like people of various races, sexualities, and classes.

However, Pink Flamingos does more than include the LGBTQ+; it also includes depictions of marginalized characters and America's underbelly and represents independent, underground filmmaking; Off Colour said John Waters and his crew "railed against the middle and upper classes in such a way that they couldn’t be ignored." Pink Flamingos is grody and includes a lot of shock value, but its existence is pivotal for experimental cinema. It stars the drag queen Divine as a hardcore criminal hiding under the alias Babs Johnson. Dubbed by the local newspaper as "the filthiest person alive," Babs attracts enemies who want to vie for that title. Pink Flamingos has numerous trigger warnings, but it's an unsubtle statement against the establishment and a movie that changed the way we watch so many new films.

Pink Flamingos

NC-17

Comedy

See Also

How Jon M. Chu Broke the ‘Wicked’ CurseBreaking In (2018) | Rotten TomatoesDon’t know what to watch over the holiday break? Here are 10 new films to stream, plus 5 TV shows to binge. - The Boston Globe5 great kids movies to watch on Thanksgiving

Crime

Release Date

March 17, 1972

Director

John Waters

Cast

Divine , David Lochary , Mary Vivian Pearce , Mink Stole

Runtime

93 minutes

Pink Flamingos is only available for purchase via The Criterion Collection

8 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968)

Directed by George A. Romero

George A. Romero's Night of the Living Deadchanged the zombie movie landscape and triggered an inspiration, a sort of eureka, in many future filmmakers who saw this movie and thought, "The sky is the limit." Creature horror was a bit gimmicky back then, but Night of the Living Dead gave it a push in ways that later put many horror movies on the map of contenders for the best features of all time. It was another great push for independent filmmaking, too, with Romero using up as little budget as he could to create an immersive but disturbing flesh-eating experience.

The plot of Night of the Living Dead shows siblings Barbara and Johnny visiting their father's grave when an unknown man looking uncontrollable and rabid attacks them, killing Johnny and driving Barbara out into a desolate farmhouse. She hides there until several other people are driven into the home after being chased by flesh eaters referred to as 'ghouls' (or the living dead). While this premise later became a classic horror trope, it has George Romero to thank for popularizing and immortalizing it, giving people new ways to enjoy horror.

Night of the Living Dead

NR

Horror

Release Date

October 4, 1968

Director

George A. Romero

Cast

Duane Jones , Judith O'Dea , Karl Hardman , Marilyn Eastman , Keith Wayne , Judith Ridley

Runtime

96

Watch on Hulu

7 'Star Wars' (1977)

Directed by George Lucas

A space opera inspired by Shakespeare, Dune, spaghetti Westerns, and samurai movies wasn't on anyone's bingo list of 1977 movie features, yet it came out and lightsabered its way into people's hearts. The movie was later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, and it was a new hope indeed; the movie completely awakened people's understanding of cinema and its powers while encouraging filmmakers to think bigger and bolder, creating less personal and more big-budget movies, which are now known as blockbusters.

The Star Wars saga has been around for decades and is now a staple in every household that appreciates sci-fi or just a great, touching classic. The first movie showed the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire, with a focus on Tatooine-based Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), the princess and Rebel Alliance member Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), and the Imperial Army leader Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) looking to stop the Rebels from achieving their goals. The movie included some never-before-seen special effects, highly elaborate sets, and immersive world-building, paving the way for future space operas, sci-fi spectacles, and franchises in general.

910

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

PG

Action

Adventure

Sci-Fi

Fantasy

A farm boy from a desert planet becomes an unlikely hero in the fight against the oppressive Galactic Empire. Guided by a former Jedi Knight and alongside a rebellious princess, a smuggler, and his co-pilot, he embarks on a mission to destroy the Death Star, a massive space station capable of annihilating entire planets. As he learns about the mystical Force, he discovers his destiny and the true strength within himself.

Release Date

May 25, 1977

Director

George Lucas

Cast

Mark Hamill , Harrison Ford , Carrie Fisher , Alec Guinness , David Prowse , James Earl Jones , Frank Oz , Anthony Daniels , Kenny Baker , Peter Mayhew , Peter Cushing

Runtime

121 Minutes

Watch on Disney+

6 'Pulp Fiction' (1994)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut Reservoir Dogs won critics and audiences over with its clever script and immersive dialogue, though it's one of the most violent cult classics out there. It opened the door for Tarantino to later make Pulp Fiction, a movie so iconic that it's still quoted to this day, with many people naming it their favorite movie of all time. It is also often considered one of the 100 greatest movies of all time.

Pulp Fiction excels in creating a non-linear narrative packed with fantastic dialogue that always relates to what's about to come; this is why the movie is often referred to as self-referential. Roger Ebert even said: "The dialogue is proof that Tarantino had the time-juggling in mind from the very beginning because there's never a glitch." The plot follows several intertwined storylines: a boxer, Butch (Bruce Willis) and his girlfriend Fabienne; crime boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), his wife Mia (Uma Thurman), and his enforcers Vincent and Jules (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson); and a couple of burglars, Ringo and Honey Bunny (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer).

Pulp Fiction

R

Crime

Drama

Thriller

See Also

Moana 2 Is Already Breaking Disney Records Upon Release

The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

Release Date

September 10, 1994

Director

Quentin Tarantino

Cast

John Travolta , Samuel L. Jackson , Tim Roth , Amanda Plummer , Eric Stoltz , Bruce Willis

Runtime

154

Watch on Apple TV

5 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' (2022)

Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (The Daniels)

Everything Everywhere All at Once decidedly changed the course of modern history for numerous artists and fans. Firstly, it prominently featured a mostly Asian cast in the leading roles, leading to Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan winning the Oscars for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. Michelle Yeoh is the first Asian winner of the category, while Ke Huy Quan is the first Asian actor to win a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the same role. Additionally, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a bold exploration of genres, from sci-fi and martial arts to drama, and an exploration of themes ranging from the immigrant experience to mental health and complex family dynamics.

The story follows Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), a Chinese immigrant who runs a laundry with her family. She has strained relationships with everyone in her family, but when she realizes there are Evelyns from other multiverses, her family dynamics intertwine with her self-discovery (both of her and her multiverse selves). Delving into the plot would be too complex; besides, a movie like this is meant to be fully experienced, without anyone's retelling. It completely changed people's expectations of representation and gave filmmakers an incentive to become creative both with plots and characters.

Everything Everywhere All at Once

R

Adventure

Comedy

Action

A middle-aged Chinese immigrant is swept up into an insane adventure in which she alone can save existence by exploring other universes and connecting with the lives she could have led.

Release Date

March 25, 2022

Director

Daniel Kwan , Daniel Scheinert

Cast

Jenny Slate , Ke Huy Quan , Stephanie Hsu , Harry Shum Jr. , jamie lee curtis , James Hong , Michelle Yeoh

Runtime

132 minutes

Watch on Max

4 'Psycho' (1960)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Psycho is surely Alfred Hitchcock's most famous movie; though a skilled, legendary filmmaker, Psycho helped Hitchcock become one of the most influential directors of the time, and the movie itself became the template for horror. Psycho is also often cited and referenced in pop culture, especially the iconic shower scene and its musical score, which many people imitate with their voices when trying to tell a scary story. These things became synonymous with real scares, which is the greatest testament to its power.

Psycho revolves around Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), a secretary who steals a large sum of money from her boss to give to her financially struggling boyfriend. She escapes, driving to California, but gets stopped by heavy rain along the way; this forces her to check into the Bates Motel, run by the oddball Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).Psychowas heavily censored, with attempts from various commissions to remove some scenes from the final cut, but as Hitchcock was clever about it, he instead added more things to shock the said commissions so he could get away with the shower scene. Imagine Psycho without it... It's like trying to imagine a summer without sunshine.

Psycho

R

Horror

Thriller

Psychological

A Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.

Release Date

June 22, 1960

Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Cast

Anthony Perkins , Vera Miles , John Gavin , Martin Balsam , John McIntire , Simon Oakland

Runtime

109 minutes

Watch on Netflix

3 'The Matrix' (1999)

Directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski

Many people were scared of the new millennium and the infamous event known as 'Y2K.' The Y2K concern was that computers would stop functioning when their date formats go from 12-31-99 to 1-1-00, with many experts predicting general technological havoc. This is likely what made The Matrix so impactful and successful when it first came out. Its creators, the Wachowskis, wanted to move boundaries when it comes to more than just filmmaking; their idea was to impact people's ideas of self and question humanity's reliance on technology.

The Matrix follows hacker Thomas Anderson, aka Neo (Keanu Reeves). While working, he encounters the phrase 'the matrix' several times. He's then contacted by the mysterious Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) and the elusive Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), who explain the meaning of 'the matrix' to Neo. Though too meta in some respects, The Matrix is rewatchable because of its eternal ideas of how much we trust computers and how willing we are to live on autopilot instead of considering our life's moves. Adding innovative, never-before-seen action sequences and brilliant VFX, The Matrix changed how we watch movies, how they can be made, and people's overall desire to live 'outside the matrix.'

The Matrix

R

Action

Sci-Fi

Neo (Keanu Reeves) believes that Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question -- What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.

Release Date

March 31, 1999

Director

Lana Wachowski , Lilly Wachowski

Cast

Keanu Reeves , Laurence Fishburne , Carrie-Anne Moss , Hugo Weaving , Gloria Foster , Joe Pantoliano

Runtime

136 minutes

Watch on Fubo TV

2 'Jaws' (1975)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is considered one of the greatest directors of all time. With sci-fi classics that inspired numerous movies and shows later on, Spielberg's career didn't really take off into stardom until his third feature, Jaws. One could say Jaws has more to claim than just being a Spielberg film, though; it's also the first movie to have simultaneous nationwide distribution and is the first global box office success to have a smash hit premiere during mid-summer (premieres of highly anticipated movies were largely reserved for winter months).

Jaws changed how people observe and take in new movies and shifted people's enjoyment of going to the cinema from a pastime to a real, year-round passion. In it, the residents of a small beach town are suddenly terrorized by a massive shark. After several deaths, police chief Brody (Roy Scheider) decides to close down the beach and enlist the help of an experienced shark hunter, Quint (Robert Shaw), and oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), in catching the shark. Interestingly, Jaws impacted audiences through fear, too—many refused to go to the beach after watching it.

Jaws

PG

Thriller

Mystery

Adventure

When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.

Release Date

June 20, 1975

Director

Steven Spielberg

Cast

Roy Scheider , Robert Shaw , Richard Dreyfuss , Lorraine Gary , Murray Hamilton , Carl Gottlieb , Jeffrey Kramer

Runtime

124 Minutes

Watch on Netflix

1 'Seven Samurai' (1954)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Everyone loves that one sequence when a leader assembles a team to do a job. That's one of the most fun aspects of any heist or crime-busting movie, but it's often considered to come directly from Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai. Besides this incredibly influential feat, Seven Samurai was also ahead of its time for more than just storytelling. Kurosawa created a culturally impactful movie that opened up Japanese cinema to the world; most of his movies were inspired by and remade as Westerns. Seven Samurai also introduced action scenes that inspired cinematic sequences in many action movies later on.

Seven Samurai revolves around a village whose residents are subjected to tyrannical attacks by local bandits. To prevent more damage, the village elder meets with Kambei, a skilled ronin. Kambei slowly gathers six other samurai, including the outcast Kikuchiyo (Toshirō Mifune) to help him defend the village, which includes fortifying their walls and training the villagers to fight. Kurosawa is the master of the samurai genre, with compelling storytelling and writing and excellent chemistry with his leads.Seven Samurai is generally deemed one of the greatest movies of all time and an eternal inspiration to many movies people adore today.

Seven Samurai

NR

Drama

Action

A poor village under attack by bandits recruitssevenunemployedsamuraito help them defend themselves.

Release Date

April 26, 1954

Director

Akira Kurosawa

Cast

Toshiro Mifune , Takashi Shimura

Runtime

207 minutes

Watch on Max

KEEP READING: 20 Best Movies That Change Genres Halfway Through

✕ Remove Ads