2. 12 Monkeys (1995)
As it’s one of our Hall of Fame movies, it should be clear that we love 12 Monkeys. It follows James Cole (Bruce Willis), who is sent back in time from a dystopian future to investigate the origins of a disease that has all but wiped humanity from the face of the Earth. It also features a young Brad Pitt as the unstable Jeffrey Goines, an eco-terrorist who Cole believes may be the source of the virus.
The thing is, 12 Monkeys isn’t the first film to tell that story. It’s actually based on a 1962 French film called La Jetée, which is told almost exclusively through black and white still photographs. 12 Monkeys borrows numerous key aspects and ideas of La Jetée, including its ending, but the 1995 film is still far superior.
La Jetée is experimental by nature, and its unconventional method of storytelling is generally considered far less engaging than the stark and thought-provoking (not to mention more palatable) approach of 12 Monkeys. The 1995 film feels far more substantial and coherent, partly thanks to its more orthodox approach to the story. The duo of Willis and Pitt doesn’t hurt either, making 12 Monkeys far better than La Jetée.