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From the Vault: culturally significant films
In the From the Vault feature series, the South China Morning Post’s film experts reflect on culturally significant films celebrating notable anniversaries.
Updated: 27 Jun, 2026
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[1]
20 years on, M. Night Shyamalan mystery The Village is one of his best films
Daring, original and completely sincere – how often can you say that about a Hollywood film? The Village, 2004 M. Night Shyamalan thriller that vexed critics, remains one of his best films 20 years on.
26 Jul, 2024
[2]
Natural Born Killers at 30 is still 1 of the most controversial films ever
Released 30 years ago, Natural Born Killers – starring Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis – remains the most provocative film of Oliver Stone’s career and one of the most controversial movies ever.
23 Aug, 2024
[3]
Is The Shawshank Redemption, 30 this month, the best movie of all time?
The Stephen King novella adaptation with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins lost out to Forrest Gump at the 1995 Oscars but holds up 30 years on.
20 Sep, 2024
[4]
Why, 20 years on, Team America: World Police is such a good movie
South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s puppet film, full of hilarious songs and biting satire, still resonates today.
18 Oct, 2024
[5]
How A Nightmare on Elm Street left audiences terrified 40 years ago
Wes Craven’s 1984 horror classic that introduced us to Freddy Krueger was inspired by an article about Asian Death Syndrome.
15 Nov, 2024
[6]
It’s been 50 years. Is The Godfather Part II the best movie sequel ever?
The Godfather Part II delves deeper into the history of the Mafia family at its heart. 50 years on from its making it remains a masterpiece.
13 Dec, 2024
[7]
Before Sunrise at 30: why Richard Linklater’s movie is so magical
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy star in this 1995 tale of strangers who meet on a train and spend a romantic evening in Vienna.
10 Jan, 2025
[8]
Constantine at 20: why Keanu Reeves film deserves another look
Starring Reeves, Shia LaBeouf and Tilda Swinton, 2005 film was initially poorly received but has gained popularity over the past 20 years.
07 Feb, 2025
[9]
How 1995 cult favourite Tank Girl put its director ‘into movie jail’
Fans of trash cinema love Tank Girl, but mainstream audiences did not when it hit cinemas 30 years ago despite a cast including Iggy Pop.
07 Mar, 2025
[10]
Sin City at 20: why the 2005 neo-noir hit was such a landmark film
Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez’s film still looks incredible, with a stellar cast including Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis and Clive Owen.
04 Apr, 2025
[11]
Crimson Tide at 30: why submarine-set thriller is as timely as ever
Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington play officers at odds aboard a US submarine in a countdown to nuclear Armageddon in Tony Scott’s film.
02 May, 2025
[12]
45 years ago, The Empire Strikes Back changed Star Wars forever
As the Star Wars sequel turns 45 we look at how it bolstered the franchise with its epic fights and plot twist and why it wasn’t fun to make.
30 May, 2025
[13]
How Batman Begins rewrote the superhero movie rule book 20 years ago
With its gritty realism and complex themes, Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins helped turn superhero films into a dominant cinema genre.
27 Jun, 2025
[14]
As Waterworld turns 30, what went wrong with the US$175 million flop?
Kevin Costner’s unappealing anti-hero and bad writing were only some of the problems this expensive box-office failure had to contend with.
25 Jul, 2025
[15]
The enduring legacy of Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man 20 years on
Herzog injected himself into the grizzly story of bear ‘protector’ Timothy Treadwell’s death in one of the best documentaries of its type.
22 Aug, 2025
[16]
What’s in the box? How serial killer film Seven stays influential 30 years on
David Fincher’s bleak, gruesome 1995 film starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman has inspired the feel of many serial killer flicks since.
19 Sep, 2025
[17]
Why Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days, 30 this month, was ahead of its time
It bombed upon release, but this 1995 sci-fi with Ralph Fiennes offers a vivid portrait of contemporary society, and some prescient warnings.
17 Oct, 2025
[18]
How Unbreakable redefined the superhero movie 25 years ago
Unbreakable, starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, was not a hit at the box office upon release, but is now considered a masterpiece.
14 Nov, 2025
[19]
Why Spielberg’s black drama The Color Purple remains controversial 40 years on
The 1985 film, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey, was much criticised upon release but received 11 Oscar nominations.
12 Dec, 2025
[20]
Why From Dusk Till Dawn starring George Clooney has aged poorly as it turns 30
George Clooney’s charisma can’t mask the flaws of this 1996 gorefest written by Quentin Tarantino, from bad effects to treatment of women.
09 Jan, 2026
[21]
How Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle is still terrifyingly relevant 50 years on
Taxi Driver remains an overwhelming experience and Robert De Niro’s career-kick-starting role continues to resonate in today’s society.
06 Feb, 2026
[22]
Why anarchist thriller V for Vendetta, 20 this month, is as relevant as ever
Political dissent, societal control, a devastating virus: 20 years on, V for Vendetta looks less like a film than a prescient warning.
06 Mar, 2026
[23]
Why the beloved romcom Bridget Jones’s Diary feels so dated 25 years on
The charms of Bridget Jones’s Diary are still obvious when viewed today, but its politics seem to be from a different century altogether.
03 Apr, 2026
[24]
Pearl Harbor at 25: is Michael Bay’s World War II epic really that bad?
Pearl Harbor was widely panned upon release in 2001 but with its strong cast and characters and explosive action, is it worth reassessing?
01 May, 2026
[25]
Why Moulin Rouge remains a divisive masterpiece 25 years after its release
Whether you love it, hate it or veer deliriously between the two, Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 romantic musical is an experience you don’t forget.
29 May, 2026
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[26]
How Jim Carrey took a dark turn for 1996 stalker comedy The Cable Guy
Carrey’s turn as Matthew Broderick’s pop-culture-obsessed tormentor left viewers confused in 1996. But 30 years on, it seems oddly prescient.
26 Jun, 2026
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