100 movies to show off your home cinema

Got the plush recliners, surround sound dialled in and a massive screen ready to roll? Then it’s time to give your home cinema the debut it deserves. Whether you’ve gone all-in on Dolby Atmos or just want to see what your new projector can really do, these 100 movies are here to wow.

Here’s the ultimate list to make jaws drop, neighbours jealous and your subwoofer sweat.

Sound that shakes the walls

Feel the bass, track the bullets and hear every whisper.

1. Dune (2021) – A sonic sandstorm of war drums and whispers in the desert.
2. Mad Max: Fury Road – Blazing engines and brutal beats in a post-apocalyptic roar-fest.
3. Inception – Dream layers unfold with ground-shaking audio precision.
4. Top Gun: Maverick – Jet engines scream past your ears in full surround glory.
5. Interstellar – Hans Zimmer’s organ score blasts through wormholes and walls.
6. Gravity – Silence has never sounded so loud—headphones not required.
7. Baby Driver – A slick soundtrack syncs with every gear shift and gunshot.
8. 1917 – Single-take war chaos that pulls you into the trenches.
9. The Dark Knight – That Batpod roar. Enough said.
10. Tenet – Time-reversing action that will flex every speaker in your setup.

Big-screen blockbusters

Massive visuals, explosive moments, and pure cinema spectacle.

11. Avengers: Endgame – The final battle is built for booming bass and wide screens.
12. Avatar: The Way of Water – Underwater visuals shimmer like never before.
13. The Lord of the Rings trilogy – Epic scale, booming battles, and Elvish elegance.
14. The Matrix Resurrections – Glitchy, glossy and gorgeously green-tinted.
15. Pacific Rim – Giant robots and kaiju slug it out with window-rattling weight.
16. Transformers (2007) – Bayhem in its purest, loudest form.
17. Ready Player One – Easter eggs, ‘80s nostalgia and dazzling digital realms.
18. The Batman (2022) – Gritty Gotham visuals and a brutal, immersive sound mix.
19. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Multiverse madness, Raimi-style.
20. Star Wars: The Force Awakens – TIE Fighters and nostalgia collide on screen.

For showing off picture-perfect clarity

Crisp, clean visuals to put your 4K setup through its paces.

21. Blade Runner 2049 – Neon-soaked noir with incredible colour grading.
22. Life of Pi – A tiger, a lifeboat and a visually mesmerising ocean.
23. The Grand Budapest Hotel – Symmetry, pastel palettes and Wes Anderson flair.
24. Baraka – A visual tone poem without a single line of dialogue.
25. The Revenant – Raw nature and long takes that glow in natural light.
26. 1917 – Repeats, because yes, it’s that good visually too.
27. Roma – Black-and-white brilliance in intimate, stunning detail.
28. The Fall (2006) – Visually rich and heartbreakingly beautiful.
29. The Tree of Life – Cosmic visuals that need the biggest screen you’ve got.
30. Dunkirk – Shot on IMAX and ready for projection perfection.

Heart-racing action flicks

Adrenaline-pumping, heart-thumping movies that don’t hold back.

31. John Wick – Gun-fu and neon lights never looked so lethal.
32. Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Cruise runs, jumps, and skydives in glorious HD.
33. Casino Royale – Bond rebooted with parkour and poker-faced intensity.
34. The Raid – Raw, relentless and brutally choreographed.
35. Skyfall – Bond goes operatic in a gorgeously shot adventure.
36. Heat – The bank shootout still sets the standard for audio realism.
37. The Bourne Ultimatum – Shaky cam? Yes. But thrilling? Absolutely.
38. Gladiator – Are you not entertained?
39. Deadpool – Snark, swords and slow-mo all in 4K glory.
40. Kill Bill Vol. 1 – Hyper-stylised violence and razor-sharp choreography.

Comedy crowd-pleasers

Laughter that fills the room and visuals that hold up on the big screen.

41. Superbad – High school mayhem that never gets old.
42. The Nice Guys – ’70s vibes and slick action-comedy chops.
43. Tropic Thunder – Explosions, satire and Robert Downey Jr. unhinged.
44. Hot Fuzz – Edgar Wright’s edit timing hits even harder in surround.
45. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – A video game come to life.
46. The Lego Movie – Everything is awesome on a cinema screen.
47. Anchorman – The legend lives on, now in 5.1.
48. Ghostbusters (1984) – Classic comedy with a paranormal punch.
49. Shaun of the Dead – Zombies, pints and quick cuts to perfection.
50. Team America: World Police – Just don’t watch with the kids.

Musicals and concert films

If you’ve invested in acoustics and a decent sub, these will shine.

51. La La Land – A love letter to jazz, LA and Technicolor dreams.
52. Bohemian Rhapsody – That Live Aid scene was made for surround sound.
53. Whiplash – Not quite my tempo? You’ll hear every snare.
54. The Greatest Showman – Singalongs encouraged.
55. Hamilton – Broadway in your lounge room.
56. Rocketman – Elton’s fantasy life, drenched in colour and melody.
57. Pink Floyd: The Wall – A visual and sonic trip.
58. Stop Making Sense – The greatest concert film of all time?
59. A Star Is Born (2018) – Cooper and Gaga bring it all live.
60. Les Misérables (2012) – Gritty vocals and soaring emotion.

Family favourites (that still look stunning)

61. Finding Nemo – Underwater animation that still dazzles.
62. The Incredibles – Superfamily action and retro flair.
63. Wall-E – A quiet masterpiece with powerful sound design.
64. Coco – Vibrant visuals and heart-tugging music.
65. Shrek 2 – Surprisingly sharp animation and endless laughs.
66. How to Train Your Dragon – Aerial dragon battles, scored to perfection.
67. Kung Fu Panda – Gorgeous fight choreography… from a panda.
68. Zootopia – Fast-paced and packed with visual gags.
69. Toy Story 4 – Pixar polish at its absolute finest.
70. Moana – Water, music and myth in perfect harmony.

Sci-fi stunners

71. Arrival – Quiet tension and brilliant sound design.
72. Ex Machina – Clean, cerebral and beautifully minimal.
73. District 9 – Documentary grit meets alien mayhem.
74. The Martian – Mars never looked so inviting.
75. Annihilation – Mind-bending visuals and eerie soundscapes.
76. Her – Soft colour palettes and a haunting AI love story.
77. Minority Report – Still futuristic 20 years later.
78. Edge of Tomorrow – Live. Die. Repeat. In HD.
79. Oblivion – A sci-fi mood piece with incredible production design.
80. Star Trek (2009) – Boldly goes where no sound system has gone before.

Dark and moody delights

81. Prisoners – Atmospheric tension, visually striking.
82. No Country for Old Men – Minimalist sound used masterfully.
83. Drive – Synth, silence and stares.
84. Sicario – Border tension delivered with haunting suspense.
85. Nightcrawler – Los Angeles never looked so terrifying.
86. Requiem for a Dream – Harrowing but hypnotic.
87. Joker (2019) – A character study wrapped in mood and menace.
88. Oldboy (2003) – Grit, revenge and iconic fight scenes.
89. The Lighthouse – Black-and-white madness in 4:3.
90. Fight Club – The sound design alone deserves a standing ovation.

Just because they look and sound amazing

91. Speed Racer – Visual chaos, and that’s the point.
92. Hero (2002) – Colour-coded kung fu poetry.
93. The Fifth Element – Campy, colourful and cult-classic cool.
94. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Wire-fu beauty in motion.
95. Akira – Anime, amplified.
96. Enter the Void – Not for the faint-hearted, but visually wild.
97. Ghost in the Shell (1995) – Animated sci-fi with serious weight.
98. House of Flying Daggers – Every frame a painting.
99. Koyaanisqatsi – Time-lapse and slow-motion as art.
100. Everything Everywhere All At Once – Chaos, comedy, and dimension-hopping brilliance.

Want to take things even further? Make sure your lighting, seating and soundproofing are up to the job. A great movie is even better in a space built to impress.

Ready to hit play?