Brazil is often listed as one of the best sci-fi films ever made. It is that, but so much more — a dystopian channeling of Orwell’s 1984, a social satire on the drudgery and inanity of modern society, a love story, an escapist superhero fantasy, a crime thriller, and more. It marked Gilliam’s arrival as a filmmaker of genius. Brazil can be seen as part of his so-called Trilogy of Imagination (with 1981’s Time Bandits and 1988’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen), and a direct predecessor of 12 Monkeys (1995). It stars Jonathan Pryce as a lowly government employee whose dream girl (Kim Greist) might be a terrorist. It boasts a supporting cast for the ages, including Robert de Niro, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin, Jim Broadbent, and Katherine Helmond in a face-stretching scene that will leave you groaning as you laugh. — Craig Holden

Rated: R