Getting distracted is easy when a movie doesn’t quite capture your attention, but these 13 films are so good you won’t even check your phone.
In today’s streaming era, watching movies has never been easier. The entire catalog of cinema history is available at the push of a button, on any screen you can get your hands on. And with a couple more pushes, you can pause it to grab snacks, rewind any parts you weren’t paying attention to, and even fast-forward through sections you’re not interested in. This has fundamentally changed the way audiences interact with films; going to the cinema is no longer the default way to watch a movie, but rather a special experience saved only for those few films you’re truly dying to see.
Our relationship with cinema is changing. In the comfort of your own home, there’s nobody to shush you when you’re chatting or scoff loudly when you’re scrolling on your phone. Yes, it can be tempting to check your messages when a film is taking a slow moment—perhaps your thoughts are drifting elsewhere, or you’ve remembered there’s something important you’ve got to take care of. But there’s still nothing quite like disconnecting from the outside world and truly losing yourself in a story that keeps you engaged from start to finish, and these ten movies make that disarmingly easy. Here are 13 films so good you won’t even check your phone!
1. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Don Cheadle
There are very few filmmakers quite as talented as Steven Soderbergh in making movies that you simply can’t look away from, and Ocean’s Eleven may just be his crowning achievement. The film displays an expert command of tension, action, and comedy that immediately draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat as the story unfolds at breakneck pace without ever feeling jarring or pacifying.
Ocean’s Eleven follows a crew of professional thieves who band together to pull off three simultaneous heists in Las Vegas, stealing from a chain of casinos to earn their payday and enact revenge on the greedy entrepreneur who owns them. Despite spelling out the entire plan in the first act, Ocean’s Eleven will constantly have you asking how they’re possibly going to pull this off—then biting your nails when everything goes spinning off the rails.
2. Frances Ha (2012)
Director: Noah Baumbach
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Michael Zegen, Adam Driver
There are plenty of ways to keep an audience engaged in a story, and tension is just one of them. Frances Ha proves that even the most mundane and seemingly uninteresting stories can be brought to life with a screenplay that understands how to connect with viewers on an emotional level, forging characters that genuinely feel like real people instead of words on a page. That’s what Noah Baumbach does so effortlessly with this charmingly simple slice-of-life drama that paints such a vivid, moving portrait of a very specific time in everybody’s life.
Frances Ha follows a young woman living in New York City who’s forced to find a new apartment when her old roommate decides to pursue a new life. What ensues is an incredibly simple yet heartwarming story of love, identity, and passion as Frances attempts to navigate the inevitable obstacles of her late 20s, driven by Baumbach’s hilariously grounded dialogue and deeply relatable characters.
3. Vertigo (1958)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Tom Helmore, Barbara Bel Geddes
Among his admirers, Alfred Hitchcock is often given the title “Master of Suspense”, referring to his unique ability to keep viewers engaged despite his deceptively simple stories and unremarkable characters. The way he constructs his stories to absorb every ounce of tension and reflect it back at the viewer through precise camerawork, soaring visuals, and sharp dialogue was unparalleled, and it was never stronger than in Vertigo.
The film follows a retired detective named John (James Stewart) who is approached by his friend to follow his wife, whom he believes is keeping secrets from him. Upon accepting the favour, John stumbles into an unexpected conspiracy that unravels slowly and patiently as Hitchcock keeps the audience guessing until the very end. It’s the kind of film that will lead you to believe you know exactly what’s happening, only to pull the rug and have you questioning how you never saw the truth all along.
4. Heat (1995)
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight
There’s a reason that action movies have become more and more popular as we fall deeper and deeper into the world of streaming. Fast-paced movies are simply easier to connect with and hold your interest—but this doesn’t mean they just have to be cheap thrills. Michael Mann’s Heat is a perfect example of how to pull off a fast-paced, high-stakes story in a way that still maintains a high level of quality, integrity, and storytelling ability.
The story centers around a professional thief who hopes to pull off his final job before entering a peaceful retirement. But when he attracts the attention of an ambitious police detective, the pair enter a dangerous game of cat and mouse that pushes them both to their limits. It’s a gripping, propulsive story that has twists at every turn and will keep you constantly on the edge of your seat.
5. The King of Kong (2007)
Director: Seth Gordon
Starring: Steve Wiebe, Billy Mitchell, Brian Kuh
It can often be difficult to convince new audiences to invest their time in a documentary, especially when the subject is something they know little about. People typically watch films for escapism, not necessarily education. But The King of Kong is one of the most entertaining, thrilling, and genuinely gripping documentaries ever made, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats with a story as simple and deceptively mundane as beating a video game.
The King of Kong follows two dedicated gamers who enter a thrilling back-and-forth contest to achieve the highest score on the Donkey Kong arcade machine. But when accusations of cheating and conspiracy emerge, the rivalry becomes less professional and much more personal. It’s a fascinating story about how much people will sacrifice to prove their worth, making video games look more intense than ever before.
6. Challengers (2021)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
Sports movies have never been as exciting as Challengers, and perhaps never will be again. Luca Guadagnino’s subversive sports romance takes everything that already worked about the genre—the fierce competition, the vicious rivalries, the blood, sweat, and tears—and infuses it with a steamy love triangle that brings everything to life with such passion and dynamism. Challengers display such a deep understanding of just how competitive and self-destructive love can be, drawing some fascinating parallels with the world of professional sport.
Guadagnino’s film centers around Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a talented tennis prodigy who becomes involved with two male competitors vying for her affection. The narrative is split between the past, as Tashi balances her tennis career with her passionate relationship with Patrick (Josh O’Connor), and the present, where Tashi’s new husband (and Patrick’s ex-best friend) Art (Mike Faist) goes head-to-head in a crucial tournament with her old lover.
7. Days of Heaven (1978)
Director: Terrence Malick
Starring: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard
Terrence Malick’s films may admittedly be off-putting to audiences looking for a more fast-paced, action-packed story—but for those seeking a piece of art that will clasp their emotions and never let go, Days of Heaven couldn’t be more fitting. This epic drama is filled with some of the most gorgeous, jaw-dropping visuals ever put to film, and Malick’s intimate screenplay brings them all to life with resounding success.
Days of Heaven centers around a young couple who pretend to be siblings in order to find work on a rich farmer’s land, but when the estate’s owner is taken ill, the couple devises a scheme to inherit his land upon his passing. It’s a striking story of love, sacrifice, and the prospect of the American Dream that feels just as relevant today as it did almost half a century ago.
8. Frankenstein (1931)
Director: James Whale
Starring: Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke
It’s perhaps surprising that a film barely five years away from its 100th birthday would find itself on a list of the most compelling, attention-grabbing films ever made, but that’s a testament to James Whale’s excellent writing and visionary directorial style. Despite many attempts to remake Mary Shelley’s classic Gothic novel on the big screen over the years, very few filmmakers have captured the raw emotion, ferocity, and vulnerability of this story quite like Whale.
Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is often credited as one of the greatest monster stories ever told, but James Whale’s Frankenstein proves why monsters aren’t always as frightening as they may appear. Every frame of this cinematic adaptation is oozing with personality and purpose, keeping the audience locked into a story they may already know like the back of their hand. It’s aged brilliantly, and Karloff’s portrayal of the central monster has inspired a whole generation of actors in the decades that followed.
9. Children of Men (2006)
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Starring: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Dystopian movies can often be surprisingly hard to fully engage with, since the worlds they occupy are fundamentally different from our own. However, what makes Children of Men such a resounding success is just how prophetically similar it feels to the world around us, and the strength of the message that it conveys about the dark direction society is heading in.
Set in a not-so-distant future where the human race has become entirely sterile, a federal agent is tasked with hiding the world’s only pregnant woman from Britain’s authoritarian regime and offering her safe passage to France, where the resistance promises to look after her. It’s a gripping story from start to finish, but it’s also a deeply allegorical one that has plenty to say about modern politics and the importance of human empathy in an increasingly cold and daunting world.
10. Toy Story 3 (2010)
Director: Lee Unkrich
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Michael Keaton, Ned Beatty, Laurie Metcalf
Sometimes, the best way to keep an audience’s attention is simply by giving them characters to truly care about. Toy Story has always been great at this, taking the simple concept of toys being alive and building fleshed-out characters with rich backstories that you simply can’t help but root for. While the first two movies both have their strengths, Toy Story 3’s storytelling is simply on another level.
The animated sequel sees Woody, Buzz, and the gang donated to Sunnyside Daycare as their owner Andy prepares to move to college. But when they arrive, they quickly learn that everything isn’t as it seems, and hatch a dangerous plan to escape from the daycare and return to Andy before it’s too late. Alongside the silliness you’d expect from a Toy Story film, this installment also displays an incredibly raw emotional vulnerability, asking crucial questions about what it means to grow up—and the dangers of clinging onto the past for too long.
11. Revenge (2017)
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Starring: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe
Before The Substance, French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat broke into the industry with Revenge, a gritty, pulpy thriller about a woman who must fend for herself while her boyfriend and his colleagues attempt to hunt her down on their vacation. The film never takes itself too seriously, acknowledging the far-fetched nature of its story and baking this into the screenplay with self-aware comedy, dark humour, and a shocking finale that will keep viewers engaged throughout.
Matilda Lutz plays Jen in Revenge, a young woman enjoying an idyllic getaway with her wealthy, married boyfriend. But things quickly turn sour when her partner’s colleagues arrive earlier than expected, and one of them can’t quite keep his hands off Jen. When she refuses to keep quiet, Jen finds herself fighting for survival in the open plains of Morocco.
12. Mission: Impossible (1996)
Director: Brian de Palma
Starring: Tom Cruise, Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Emmanuelle Béart, Jean Reno, Vanessa Redgrave, Kristin Scott Thomas, Henry Czerny
There’s a reason Mission: Impossible has stuck around for thirty years, where many other action movies have failed, and it’s not just the pure star power of Tom Cruise. This franchise is filled with some of the most creative, daring stunts ever put to film—and if that’s not enough to keep the audience’s eyes glued to the screen, perhaps nothing is. While the recent sequels are generally considered ‘better’ than the original, this is still the perfect starting place for the franchise, and it features some truly iconic moments that will demand your attention.
Mission: Impossible follows an ambitious young spy called Ethan Hunt who finds himself framed for the murder of his teammates after a dangerous mission goes horribly wrong. As he sets out to clear his name, he goes head-to-head with his own superiors at the Impossible Mission Force to do so.
13. Road to Perdition (2002)
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law
Road to Perdition is another film that may be daunting to viewers who’ve never seen it before, but Sam Mendes’ gritty crime thriller is among the most exciting and compelling stories in the veteran director’s filmography. It’s a film that unravels gradually and methodically, never rushing to conclude faster than strictly necessary, but that patience is rewarded with a deeply moving final act that’s sure to stir some emotions in even the most cold-hearted of audiences.
Mendes’ film tells the story of a mob enforcer and his young son who work to clean up the mess of a dangerous crime boss—but when his son becomes a witness to a crime committed by that very same boss, the protagonist is torn between his duty to his work, his unwavering love for his family, and his grim knowledge that neither can exist in cohesion with the other.
Honorable Mentions:
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999, dir. Anthony Minghella)
- How To Have Sex (2023, dir. Molly Manning Walker)
- Raising Arizona (1987, dir. Joel Coen)
- Collateral (2004, dir. Michael Mann)
- Notorious (1946, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)