If there is one thing movie lovers far and wide all love, it is cult classics. Cult classic movies are films with a massive and passionate fanbase and are widely referenced in pop culture. These tend to be older movies that live on beyond their original release.

 One of the more off-beat cult favorites, Heathers, definitely falls into this category. A claim to fame for both Christian Slater and Winona Ryder, Heathers was released in 1989 and is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is a dark comedy following high school senior Veronica as she enters the esteemed clique “the Heathers.” After a falling out with the leader of her friend group, Veronica, played by Ryder, turns to new bad boy J.D., played by Slater, who has an interesting brand of revenge in mind for their classmates. In an interview, Ryder later shared that her agent begged her not to take the role and said if she did she would never find work again. However, with iconic lines like “I love my dead gay son” and “Greetings and salutations” being widely recognized, Ryder’s agent was definitely mistaken. The movie was even turned into a musical in 2010, selling out for the duration of its run in Los Angeles.

 Another recognized cult classic is the beloved graphic novel turned film, V for Vendetta is a British pop culture icon. The movie was released in 2005 in the United Kingdom and later released in 2006 in the United States. The movie is set in 2027 Britain, where a tyrannical government has taken over and personal freedoms are oppressed. Heroic vigilante, calling himself V, saves Evey, played by Natalie Portman, right before his grand demonstration on the fourth of November where he instructs the British people to rise up in the coming year: “Remember, remember the fifth of November.” With a $54 million budget, the movie delivers on action and thrills. The movie also includes one of the most shocking and iconic plot-twists of all time, so be on the watch for spoiler alerts as to not ruin the surprise. The movie focuses on the fears of totalitarianism that was especially present when the graphic novel was written in 1988, drawing inspiration from other works such as 1984 and Phantom of the Opera.

 Though the fan favorites do not always come home with the Academy Awards, they achieve the ultimate goal of every film: to entertain. Senior IB Film student Miguel Rios puts it best when he said, “The style of directors and cinematographers vary from film to film. I believe each film should be appreciated for what it is, not how it compares to other films.”