Rashomon

Something magical happens after you watch Rashomon. Suddenly, around 80% of pop culture makes way more sense to you. Jokes from The Simpsons and Community finally land. References are clear as day. You might even be emboldened enough by this sudden clarity that you’ll feel the urge to watch movies clearly cribbing from Rashomon’s multiple-perspective structure, like The Usual Suspects or The Last Duel (which is totally worth checking out; it’s probably Ridley Scott’s best movie from the past decade). But even without the sudden cultural cachet, Rashomon is worth the watch. It’s a deserving masterpiece from unequivocal genius Akira Kurosawa, a telling analysis of whether individual memories are actually trustworthy. – Cat McCarrey