Cinema is an art form and, in my eyes, is the greatest medium for telling stories. Over the years, there have been many films that truly revolutionized the ideas of what a film can do and what the medium can be. These are the 10 films that, in my opinion, had the greatest impact on cinema as a whole and transformed what the medium could be.

Encino Man (1992)

“Encino Man” is, without a doubt, the best film to start this list off because I think some of its groundbreaking aspects are widely forgotten. The film is first widely known for its now award-winning cast with academy award winners Brendan Frasier and Ke Huy Quan; however they are far from the only brilliant actors on the cast list. It would be rude to forget the star of “50 First Dates,” Sean Astin, or 2022’s “Pinocchio” star Paulie Shore. The film is regarded for how it revolutionized the “fish out of water” storyline with Brendan Fra

sier’s performance as the titular Encino Man and had a stroke of brilliance by bringing a caveman to the modern age, a story many desired to copy.

Grown Ups 2 (2013)

If we are to talk about actors who revolutionized film, how can we forget Adam Sandler? From “Punch Drunk Love,” to “Uncut Gems,” to “Jack and Jill,” it’s hard for one to deny that Adam Sandler isn’t revolutionary. What makes “Grown Ups 2” so fascinating in cinema is how it brought the slice-of-life genre to mainstream audiences. A type of style that is native to Japan and mostly indie films, Sandler was able to bring this genre to wider audiences and let them see a story with real, lifelike characters just being themselves.

Gotti (2018)

“Gotti” is a film that might not be as well known as some of the other iconic films on this list, but it has certainly earned its spot. While the film does an excellent job of revitalizing the mob film genre, which was killed by overexposure at the hands of Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola, what makes “Gotti” even more iconic is how it exposed the film critic industry. “Gotti” was revolutionary in exposing just how much of shills film critics could be when the film had a 0% critics score and an 80% audience score on the review website Rotten Tomatoes. After this was exposed, the critic scored their true intentions earning a resounding 100%.

Howard the Duck (1986)

Before Batman, Spider-Man, and Iron Man, there was Howard. Indeed, “Howard the Duck” was the film that truly revolutionized and launched the Superhero Genre. It should be unsurprising that Genius for a film as such could come in the form of being created by “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, “Indiana Jones” writer William Huyck, and starring “Back to the Future” actress Lea Thompson. Indeed we can thank “Howard the Duck” for creating what we now know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and launching the most profitable film franchise of all time.

Mac and Me (1988)

If you aren’t familiar with “Mac and Me,” it tells a genuinely revolutionary story about a young alien stranded on earth named Mac who forms a deep bond with a young boy named Eric. This inspired idea would tug at the heartstrings of its audience, with some theaters leaving boxes of tissues for the audience to use in the climax to wipe their eyes and nose. The film was so revered that actor and comedian Paul Rudd listed it as one of his favorite movies, and whenever he visited the show “Conan,” Rudd would talk about it with Conan.

John Carter (2012)

If we wish to talk about revolutionary films, then nothing truly was more ambitious than “John Carter.” “John Carter” was what “Dune” wished “Dune” could be, a Sci-Fi epic that captivated audiences and showed just how spectacular films can be when given a near-unlimited budget. Indeed, with its massive funding of nearly $250 million, “John Carter” showed just how powerful cinema could be. The film is regarded as one of the main reasons that the world didn’t end in 2012 as so many people flocked to cinemas to watch it that Disney decided to let everyone see it for free so they could experience such a once-in-a-century film. The film’s success even made multiple executives in the Walt Disney company step down as they knew they could never make another film that could ever compare to “John Carter.” The sequels were canceled because everyone knew nothing could compare to the original.

After Earth (2013)

Widely regarded as the spiritual successor to “John Carter” with how it continued the legacy of Sci-Fi films transforming cinema and just a year afterward, what can’t be said about “After Earth.” Written by M. Night Shyamalan, creator of “The Last Airbender,” “The Happening,” and “The Sixth Sense,” the film was sure to be a smash hit upon release. Renowned for its creative display of earth with no humans that was uninhabitable, the film is most acclaimed for showing the conflicts between father and son. What made this story feel so realistic was that it cast real-life father and son with “Suicide Squad” and “Gemini Man” star Will Smith and his son and “Karate Kid” star Jaiden Smith. “After Earth” is also another case of a film so perfect that its franchise had to end after one movie, as the planned spin-offs could never live up to what was planned for it.

Jack and Jill (2011)

As I mentioned earlier, it’s hard not to acknowledge just how much of a revolutionary player Adam Sandler has been in cinema as we know it. Using twins to play the same character has been a very iconic trope in Hollywood before and is commonly done with baby characters so they can swap from child to child easily. However, for “Jack and Jill,” Sandler decided to change it up and showed his acting brilliance by playing both the lead characters in one film. Sandler’s performance was critically acclaimed, and it won him both Best Movie Actor and Actress at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. Delivering such a fantastic performance as both lead characters in a smash hit success film deserves great recognition for his amazing work.

The Room (2003)

What can I say about “The Room” that hasn’t been said before? “The Room” is widely regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time, with the film still being shown in theaters today so that audiences can have the experience of seeing it for the first time in theaters how it was meant to be seen. Tommy Wiseau received great acclaim, despite being a Hollywood Outsider making such a film in his first experience, so determined to make a perfect film he wrote, directed, financed, and starred in the film. The film and Tommy received great recognition for how it tells stories about the relationships in life that bind us, and it brought great success to the cast, especially Wiseau, who would later go on to play DC’s Joker.

The Emoji Movie (2017)

What can be said about “The Emoji Movie” that I haven’t already said before? I brought it up as one of the greatest films of all time last year in my retrospective look at it five years later, and I think it needs to be looked at again because there will never be another film quite like it. I could talk all day about its brilliant use of the medium of animation, or the star-studded cast, or the clever and witty humor, but I’ve done that before. The film is critically and commercially a success. As the first film played in Saudi Arabia after a nearly 40-year ban on films, it makes sense that nothing else but this film–this perfect story about how we should learn to accept each other and accept everyone for who they are–could truly progress society.