What's an Old Movie? (Take Two)

What qualifies as an old movie?

A while ago, I tried to answer this question in an Instagram post, but it didn’t sit right with me. I wrote that old movies go right up ’til the 90s.

Look, you don’t have to say it. I know.

The statements I made didn’t reflect how I really felt, but I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. I agonized over it for days. It actually kept me awake at nights.

At least, I realized what was bothering me: I needed to sort out the different between old and classic. I had overlapped the two without realizing it.

So allow me to offer a more thorough explanation.

I consider “modern” media to begin with the 60s. Whenever I refer to anything after 1959, I find myself starting the sentence with “this is a little on the modern side, but…”

However, classic movies do exist up to the 90s; we could even argue that some classics have emerged in the 21st century as well.

I won’t even attempt to list here what movies I personally consider to be classics. But Oxford Languages defines “classic” as “judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.” Merriam Webster defines it as “a work of enduring excellence.”

It is difficult to truly know whether a movie from the 21st century will be a true classic, as it hasn’t been long enough to gauge whether it has stood the test of time. But I do think certain movies will continue to be talked about for decades to come.

It’s also interesting to think what movies may grow to become classics over time. There are many old movies that flopped at the box office, but later came to be appreciated. I wonder what movies will be considered “cult classics,” or which currently popular movies will fade into obscurity (save for a few loyal fans).

Anyways, don’t mind me. Just here to ramble in your inbox a bit.

I would love to hear your opinions on this subject! What movies from the 21st century do you think will stand the test of time?

Until next week!

Becca