Jaws

1975 | Rated PG
directed by Steven Spielberg
As a teen, I spent many hot days on the beach; after Jaws, we were all scared to go back in the water. Spielberg's first blockbuster captures not only summer's heat but also the white-hot terror of what lurks beneath the surface—and reminds us that some of our own fears are well worth heeding.

In the Heat of the Night

1967 | Not rated
directed by Norman Jewison
Winning five Oscars, this aptly titled film drips not only with the sweat of a Southern summer, but also with racism, rednecks, and raw tension—and exposes the prejudicial potential that lurks within us all. A brilliant sociological study and murder mystery with Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier at their best.

Rear Window

1954 | Rated PG
directed by Alfred Hitchcock
The temperature is a sultry 94 degrees in Greenwich Village as this tense, macabre mystery opens. One resident (Jimmy Stewart)—confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg—sweats it out as he watches his neighbors, particularly one very suspicious man. Hitchcock offers keen insights into our tendencies toward voyeurism and hasty conclusions.

To Kill a Mockingbird

1962 | Not rated
directed by Robert Mulligan
You know the story: White lawyer defends wrongly accused black man in the Deep South; even "church folk" are ready to see a good lynching. But Atticus Finch—and truth and justice—ultimately triumph with his closing argument: "In the name of God, do your duty. In the name of God, believe Tom Robinson."

12 Angry Men

1957 | Not rated
directed by Sidney Lumet
Shot almost entirely in a 16-by-24-foot room in the oppressive oven of a New York summer, one can almost feel the stifling claustrophobia as 12 jury members debate the fate of a teen boy accused of murder. It provides sizzling dialogue, superb camerawork, and incisive insights into the value of human life.


Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.

Issue: