15 Movies That Had a Major Impact on Society – The List Will Surprise You
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Some films have such a major impact on society that we only realize it years after the fact. Fans can underestimate a film’s influence and hype it too much while in the peak of hype mania. Still, some films are so influential that they invade the cultural zeitgeist and lexicon for years afterward.
Have you ever heard of vibranium before the release of Black Panther? How many times have you heard the phrase, “fava beans and a nice chianti,” referenced as a joke or in past parody films? Are you old enough to remember how inescapable Celen Dion’s song “My Heart Will Go On” was in the public consciousness from the late 1990s and throughout the 2000s?
Those are just three undeniable examples. Here is a list of 15 movies that caused a major impact on society financially, culturally, and creatively.
The Ring (1998)
2002’s The Ring is an Americanized remake of the 1998 Japanese original, Ringu, which is a far superior film. A supernatural entity, Sadako, uses psychic powers to imprint abstract, scary images on VHS tapes that will curse any viewer to a horrifying death a week after watching it. This film made fans afraid to be in a room with a TV. It generated feelings of suffocating dread until the infamous third act climax. It impacted cult horror film society so much that an American version was greenlit a few years after the original. Sadako still thrives in sequels and video games to this day.
Titanic (1997)
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This film is a love story about two people from different sides of society falling in love just as the Titanic sank in 1912. Films based on historical events are not guaranteed to succeed, but this film grossed $2.2 billion and made Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet household names. Celine Dion’s theme song became an inescapable earworm for a decade. Plus, a new generation of filmgoers became amateur historians curious about the tragedy of the 1912 sinking.
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
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Actor Brian Cox portrayed Hannibal Lecter first in the 1986 film Manhunter. It’s a great film that was too far ahead of its time with its dark subject matter. 1991’s Silence of the Lambs connected with audiences, and made Anthony Hopkins and Hannibal Lecter a household name. Audiences were riveted by Hopkin’s and Jodie Foster’s acting, the dark subject of serial killers, and the themes of society’s vulnerability to the banality of evil, the type of evil we can’t see until it’s too late. This film made audiences root for the serial killer.
Iron Man (2008)
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It’s unreal that this film was ever made and the MCU became reality. Comic books were seen as silly children’s entertainment pre-2008. Iron Man was a B-list superhero unknown to the public then. Robert Downey Jr. was the butt of late-night talk show hosts of the era due to his public arrests and substance abuse problems. RDJ was never Marvel’s first choice for Tony Stark. Jeff Bridges said the film was shot without a full script and found the process frustrating. The first MCU film became a cultural sensation that reverberates even now. Everyone in the world knows who Iron Man is, even if they’ve never read a comic book.
Superman (1978)
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This is the film that legitimized superhero films as blockbusters. The practical special effects are dated and performed in an era when CGI didn’t exist, but you won’t care while watching it. Christopher Reeve disappears into the role of Clark Kent and Superman, a superpowered alien who wants to change the world. 1970s filmgoers did not have the plethora of choices modern ones have when it comes to blockbusters. Superman had never been visualized in such a way until then, and it deeply impacted filmgoers.
Black Panther (2018)
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There are major reports that a Marvel executive banned the release of MCU films with non-white or female leads for a decade because he didn’t believe they were bankable. In a harsh world, could a comic book film about African superheroes succeed? The $1.3 billion box office generated by Black Panther obliterated that premise. Black Panther became a global sensation that spawned a generation of fans who became enraptured with Afrofuturism, diverse storytelling, and the idea that even black superheroes can save the world.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
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You had to be there to understand the cultural impact of The Blair Witch Project. It’s 1999. The internet is in its infancy. Smart devices and social media are not a thing yet. Two guerrilla filmmakers still exploited the nascent internet to promote their budget-conscious horror film as a faux documentary about doomed film students exploring the woods in search of an occult killer. Fans of the era actually thought it was a real documentary and that the actors went missing. This film was parodied endlessly for years and also birthed the “found footage” horror genre.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
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This film betrayed the reality that society is not as always progressive or open-minded as it pretends. Like Black Panther, Crazy Rich Asians also proved that films with casts headlined by an Asian cast can resonate with filmgoers globally. The film explored universal themes about class division and the societal complexities of marrying into a rich family. Most importantly, the film eviscerated stereotypes that modern society embraces about the Asian experience.
The Matrix (1999)
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The Wachowskis created the role of Neo in The Matrix specifically for Will Smith. Smith infamously declined the role because he didn’t understand it and has regretted it ever since. It’s too easy to judge Smith in hindsight. The film is a mind-bending science fiction, philosophical, and surreal treatise on the perception of reality. It featured then state-of-the-art special arts that are still being derivatively copied to this day. This film was obscenely ahead of its time in 1999 and was rapidly embraced by sci-fi fans enamored with its philosophical themes.
Unforgiven (1992)
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Unforgiven was arguably the last big Hollywood western to impact filmgoer society before Hollywood fell out of love with the genre. It’s about a farmer named William Munny, a formerly vicious outlaw who changed his ways and became a homesteader. Munny is forced to become the bad man he represses inside to collect a bounty and take revenge. The themes of the film, like how reformed bad people might just be constantly repressing their natural instincts, the glamourization of evil, and the cruelty of humanity, deeply resonated with audiences of the era.
The Social Network (2010)
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Facebook and social media platforms connect billions of people and modern society in ways that were incomprehensible before the dawn of the digital age. Still, Facebook is a business, and this film dissects the forward-thinking strategies, Herculean ambition, ruthless betrayal, and early trials and tribulations that went into launching It from a college dorm room. This film forced audiences to contemplate how irrevocably connected we are to social media, technology, and the consequences of such choices.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
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The success of this film bordered on luck just as much as 2008’s Iron Man. It opened months before society instituted lockdowns due to the pandemic. Almost 50 actors in leading, supporting, and cameo roles were in the film. Plotlines and character story arcs that started in 2008’s Iron Man and two dozen other films culminated in this film – and it worked. It was a cultural sensation that made $2.8 billion, cemented Thanos’ place as one of the greatest villains ever, and was the creative high point of the MCU. The MCU has waned in popularity since and fans are still waiting to see if it can replicate this success.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
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Filmgoers love to be scared, but 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street indelibly scarred the minds of fans of the era. The film is about a killer who hunts his prey in their dreams. Hollywood has been unable to relaunch it as a franchise in the modern era, but in 1984, this concept was mind-blowing. Freddy Krueger was so terrifying that his cultural influence only became diluted years later when less scary and endless mediocre or bad sequels and TV shows were made. Modern audiences have cooled on the character now, but in the 1980s society could not sleep thinking about Freddy Kruger.
Goodfellas (1990)
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A film adaptation of a novel based on the real-life exploits of Henry Hill, Goodfellas is a film that has indelibly influenced American society to this day. The rise and fall of Italian mobsters in cinema have always interested filmgoers, but this film influenced other films and shows for decades afterward. Joe Pesci’s menacing “Do I Amuse You?” scene became a cultural catchphrase for years. Even though the characters lose in the end, filmgoers become enraptured with the glamorization of the Mafia.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
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The runaway success and creativity of the first Paranormal Activity is often forgotten by entertainment society because of the glut of sequels it spawned. It uses the found footage trope to document a family terrorized by a supernatural entity in their home. It touched a nerve with fans who cringe in fear when they hear strange noises at night. It cost $15,000 to produce and grossed almost $194 million globally, making it one of the most profitable films ever. That first film is still inspiring sequels to this day.
Great Films Should Have an Impact on Society
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A lot of films are made that never see the light of day. Or they never become successful. Many films, like 1984’s Blade Runner, bombed on release and only became a cult classic years after the fact.
Films can only have an impact on society if they resonate with fans. So keep going to the movies and streaming films, because the next film that could influence society as a whole might be around the corner.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
