12 Monkeys (1995 film)

It feels impossible, or at least insulting, to attempt to break down what works about this unsettling, hysterical, and thoughtful time-travelling sci-fi joint revolving around trying to stop a world-killing virus, so let’s cut to why it worked on me. For as wild as it gets, for as much as Brad Pitt chews the scenery, for as cartoonish as the violence gets, and for as naked as the allusions are (a Hitchcock marathon, y’all), the ending, broadly telegraphed throughout, can stun even the most jaded audiences. I’ve not yet seen “Brazil”, but I can’t imagine it being better than this.

10