Buzz
Film industries, especially Hollywood, often suggest that movies hold immense value in society and have the power to change the world. This is especially clear during events like the Oscars, where celebrities talk about how their films contribute to societal progress. However, this perspective is misleading, as films mainly serve two purposes: to boost studio profits and to give audiences personal satisfaction. Sadly, movies such as All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) won’t stop wars, Schindler’s List (1993) won’t end genocides, and 12 Years a Slave (2013) won’t eliminate racism.
Yet, there are a few films in history that have truly made a tangible difference in the world. The following list highlights films that have influenced significant aspects of life, including legislation, government, corporations, and personal lives. The list excludes films that made an impact on pop culture, like those that sparked fashion trends or influenced other movies. These films are presented not by their artistic merit but by the real-world impact they’ve had.
10. The Truman Show
Peter Weir’s 1998 Oscar-nominated film The Truman Show was both a critical success and one of Jim Carrey’s many box office hits in the 1990s. The film tells the story of Truman, played by Carrey, who gradually discovers that his entire life is a reality TV show being broadcast to the world. The Truman Show predicted society’s growing fascination with reality television and offered insightful critiques of media manipulation, corporate control, and the role of advertising in shaping our lives.
After the film was released, Joel Gold, a psychiatrist from New York University’s School of Medicine, and his brother Ian Gold, a professor at McGill University, started investigating individuals who believed the media was manipulating their lives and that they were the stars of their own reality TV show. Joel Gold first treated patients exhibiting these symptoms in 2002. In 2006, after delivering a lecture, around sixty individuals approached him, claiming they too were experiencing similar delusions.
A number of the patients specifically described feeling like the main character in *The Truman Show*, which led the Gold brothers to coin the term 'The Truman Show delusion'. Although this phenomenon, also referred to as Truman Show syndrome, has not yet been officially recognized as a medical condition, the increasing number of cases has raised significant concerns about the influence of media on mental health and psychosis.
9. Taxi Driver
Martin Scorsese’s iconic and highly controversial 1976 film *Taxi Driver* stands as one of the key films of the New Hollywood era, challenging the limits of violence in cinema. The film stars Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, a disaffected loner who becomes dangerously obsessed with two women—Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) and Iris (Jodie Foster), a young prostitute. After being rejected by Betsy, Travis sets out to avenge this by attempting to kill her employer, a politician, though he ultimately fails.
*Taxi Driver* sparked intense controversy upon its release due to its graphic violence, but in 1981, it was thrust back into the spotlight following the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. Hinckley Jr. later confessed that he had become obsessed with *Taxi Driver* and was inspired to shoot Reagan in an attempt to impress Jodie Foster, mimicking the actions of Travis Bickle in the film.
Discussions have emerged about the connection between the growing violence in popular culture and its impact on society, an issue that has gained increasing attention over the years. *Taxi Driver* is not the only film linked to real-life violent acts; films such as *Natural Born Killers* (1994) have similarly been claimed to have 'influenced' numerous criminal events.
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick’s *2001: A Space Odyssey* (1968) is one of the most enigmatic and daring films in American cinema. Its abstract themes have sparked ongoing debates that remain unresolved more than fifty years after its release. Additionally, the film's groundbreaking technical achievements still hold up today, making it one of the most visually stunning films ever created. The film’s pioneering special effects astonished viewers to such an extent that it became central to one of the most famous conspiracy theories of the 20th century.
Shortly after the film debuted, the United States triumphed over the Soviet Union in the space race, marking the first successful manned moon landing. This event sparked a wave of conspiracy theories, with some suggesting that NASA enlisted Stanley Kubrick to stage a fake moon landing, owing to the film’s remarkable realism. Moon landing skeptics point to Kubrick’s *The Shining* (1980), which contains multiple references to Apollo 11, as supposed evidence of Kubrick’s secret confession about faking the moon landing.
7. JFK
Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991) is a highly debated film that follows Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) as he attempts to uncover the truth behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Since its release, the historical accuracy of the film has been heavily criticized, with Stone taking liberties to promote his own conspiracy theories about Kennedy’s death. Despite the questionable accuracy, the film stirred up enough controversy to prompt intervention from the U.S. government.
JFK became such a massive success that it led many to believe that the FBI, CIA, and the U.S. military had a hand in the assassination. The ensuing controversy led President George H.W. Bush to sign the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act, which mandated the release of all related documents. These documents started being made public in 1993, with the final batch arriving in 2017, though they have done little to change the minds of conspiracy theorists.
6. The Snake Pit
The Snake Pit (1948) is based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Mary Jane Ward, depicting a woman's struggles with schizophrenia in a mental institution. The film, which earned numerous awards worldwide, features an Oscar-nominated performance by Olivia de Havilland. It was one of the first films in Hollywood to genuinely tackle the issue of mental illness.
The Snake Pit dives deeply into the abuses by staff, the inhumane conditions, and the controversial treatments used in mental hospitals. The novel and its film adaptation were influential in sparking widespread reform in mental institutions across the nation, leading to significant changes in patient care, treatment procedures, and the conditions of facilities in various states.
5. Scenes from a Marriage
Ingmar Bergman’s groundbreaking 1973 miniseries Scenes from a Marriage, which was also condensed into a theatrical version, was later remade by HBO—but it didn’t achieve the same level of success as the original. Featuring Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson, the series delves into the unraveling of Marianne and Johan’s marriage. Beginning on their tenth wedding anniversary, it explores how insecurities, jealousy, and existential issues contribute to the destruction of their relationship.
Scenes from a Marriage was an immense success, with nearly half of Sweden’s population tuning in. Within a year, divorce rates in Sweden soared to new heights, and the demand for couples’ therapy exploded. Waiting lists for therapy sessions grew from mere weeks to months, with many viewing the series as a near-documentary depiction of the complexities of marriage.
4. Blackfish
Blackfish (2013), a documentary focused on orcas at SeaWorld, is among the most impactful films in terms of sparking societal change. The film tells the tragic story of Tilikum, a killer whale, and exposes how neglectful and abusive practices at SeaWorld led to the deaths of several individuals, including trainer Dawn Brancheau.
The film's impact was so profound that it sparked widespread protests against SeaWorld, dealing a crippling blow to the company’s reputation. The park’s attendance suffered greatly, and its net income in the second quarter following the film's release plummeted by 84%. Several entertainers who had scheduled performances at SeaWorld canceled their bookings. Furthermore, SeaWorld lost a number of advertising sponsors, and in a significant move, the park announced in 2016 that it would cease breeding orcas.
3. The Battle of Algiers
Gillo Pontecorvo’s 1966 film The Battle of Algiers offers a powerful portrayal of the effects of colonialism, set against the backdrop of the Algerian War between Algeria and France. The film is recognized for its documentary-style realism, the use of non-professional actors, and its even-handed exploration of both sides of the conflict. However, The Battle of Algiers is perhaps most infamous for its graphic depictions of torture and urban terrorism.
Due to its highly realistic documentary style, The Battle of Algiers was shown to the United States government in 2003, at the start of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, to provoke discussion on urban warfare tactics and the ethical and strategic consequences of using torture to extract information. The aim was to understand why the French forces, despite being tactically successful, ultimately failed in their strategic objectives.
2. The Grand Illusion
Jean Renoir’s 1937 anti-war film The Grand Illusion premiered just a few years before the Nazi occupation of France. Renoir’s work critiques the rise of fascism and radical nationalism, while celebrating the universal humanity that transcends national borders. Praised both in Italy and the United States, this acclaim caught the attention of Joseph Goebbels.
Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, denounced the film as ‘Cinematographic Enemy Number One’ and ordered the destruction of every copy, including the original negative. He almost succeeded, as most copies were destroyed. However, the few remaining were either incomplete or in poor condition. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the original print was discovered, having traveled across several countries over a remarkable sixty-year journey.
1. The Thin Blue Line
In his 1988 documentary The Thin Blue Line, Errol Morris examines the trial and conviction of Randall Dale Adams for the murder of police officer Robert Wood. The film stirred controversy for its use of reenactments, a technique many believed did not belong in the documentary genre. Through these reenactments and interviews, The Thin Blue Line highlights the inconsistencies in the case and reveals that Adams was wrongfully convicted.
By the time The Thin Blue Line premiered in 1988, Adams had spent eleven years in prison. One year after the film’s release, his case was reopened, and his trial was found to be unjust, leading to his release after more than twelve years of imprisonment. The real murderer, David Ray Harris, was never charged with Robert Wood’s death, but he was later executed for a separate crime.
