1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
The film itself is actually pretty simplistic, but Sidney Lumet uses a captivating script and some fantastic actors to his full advantage, and made a very intense and thought-provoking film. The film earned its attention after its theatrical premiere thanks to its showings on television, and a very passionate cult following ensued.
2. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Unlike many of the films on this list, The Battle of Algiers was actually very well received when it was released. There were detractors, but they were the vocal minority that was drowned out by the praise of Venice Film Festival, the Academy Awards, and dozens of critics.
3. Breathless (1960)
Art film before Breathless sometimes fell into a vacuum of boredom, where ambition began at costume design and ended at music. There are definitely exceptions to this, but even those films were attempting to out-match the impact and seriousness of the last. William Wyler, David Lean, George Stevens, Henry King, all good directors, some great, one or two of them wouldn’t look out of place on a list of the best.
4. Psycho (1960)
Hitchcock had a gift for the unexpected. Reading a summary of his films is pointless, as they often make his films out to be predictable, which by the premise alone, is the case. His stories are so obvious, it would ruin any director who took them on.
5. Persona (1966)
Explanations are a rare thing in this film. A basic plot is given and characters are developed from haunting visuals and strange conversations that often feel very vague. Bergman gives a lot of space and time in his visuals for you to take them in, but that’s all you get. Even with all of this advancement, improvement, and a culture that pays and watches these films which has increased its popularity, Persona still remains one of the most difficult to comprehend and personal films ever made.