"Killer's Kiss" is a 1955 American independently produced crime film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Kubrick and Howard Sackler. It is the second feature film directed by Kubrick, following his 1953 debut feature, Fear and Desire. The film stars Jamie Smith, Irene Kane, and Frank Silvera. The film is about Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith), a 29-year-old middleweight New York boxer at the end of his career, and his relationship with his neighbor, taxi dancer Gloria Price (Irene Kane), and her violent employer Vincent Rapallo (Frank Silvera).

"The Harder They Fall" is a 1956 American boxing film noir directed by Mark Robson, produced and written by Philip Yordan, based on Budd Schulberg's 1947 novel. It was Humphrey Bogart's final film role. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, Black and White, for Burnett Guffey at the 29th Academy Awards. Sportswriter Eddie Willis, broke after the newspaper he works for goes under, is hired as a PR man by boxing promoter Nick Benko. Nick has recruited Toro Moreno, a towering Argentine. Despite Toro's lack of fighting ability, Nick plans to use his size as a gimmick to draw fans to his fights. Unbeknownst to Toro and his manager, Luís Agrandi, all of his fights are fixed to make the public believe that he is a talented boxer.

"The Night of the Hunter" is a 1955 American thriller film directed by Charles Laughton and starring Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish. The screenplay by James Agee was based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Davis Grubb. The plot is about Preacher Harry Powell, a serial killer who poses as a preacher and pursues two children in an attempt to get his hands on $10,000 of stolen cash hidden by their late father.

"The Fool Killer" is a 1965 adventure drama film starring Edward Albert and Anthony Perkins. It was based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Helen Eustis. A 12-year-old boy roams the post-Civil War South with a philosophical axe murderer.

"Double Indemnity" is a 1944 American film noir directed by Billy Wilder, based on James M. Cain's novel. The story follows an insurance salesman who conspires with a woman to murder her husband for a life insurance payout, leading to suspense and intrigue.

"Chinatown" is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Roman Polanski and written by Robert Towne. It stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, with supporting performances from John Huston, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, and Diane Ladd. The film's narrative, set in 1930s Los Angeles, is loosely inspired by the California water wars—early 20th-century conflicts over water rights that enabled Los Angeles to access resources from the Owens Valley. Produced by Robert Evans and distributed by Paramount Pictures, Chinatown was Polanski's final film made in the United States and is considered a landmark of the film noir genre, blending mystery and psychological drama.

"Imitation of Life" is a 1959 American melodrama directed by Douglas Sirk, exploring themes of race, class, and gender through the story of a white actress and her African American friend, whose mixed-race daughter struggles with her identity. The film is notable for its emotional depth and has been preserved in the National Film Registry for its cultural significance.

"The Learning Tree" is a 1969 American coming-of-age film written, produced and directed by Gordon Parks, who also scored the film. It depicts the life of Newt Winger, a teenager growing up in Cherokee Flats, Kansas, in the 1920s and chronicles his journey into manhood marked with tragic events.

"Carnival of Souls" is a 1962 American psychological horror film produced and directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford from a story by Clifford and Harvey, and starring Candace Hilligoss. Its plot follows Mary Henry, a young woman whose life is disturbed after a car accident.

"Rosemary's Baby" is a 1968 psychological horror film directed by Roman Polanski, based on Ira Levin's novel. It follows a young woman named Rosemary, played by Mia Farrow, who becomes pregnant and suspects that her neighbors have sinister plans for her and her baby.

"Bringing Up Baby" is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film tells the story of a paleontologist in a number of predicaments involving a scatterbrained heiress and a leopard named Baby.

"Stage Door" is a 1937 American tragicomedy film directed by Gregory La Cava, and starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Constance Collier, Andrea Leeds, Samuel S. Hinds, and Lucille Ball.

"Frankenstein" is a 1931 American Gothic Pre-Code science fiction horror film directed by James Whale, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., and adapted from a 1927 play by Peggy Webling, which in turn was based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus.

"The Curse of Frankenstein" is a 1957 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher, featuring Peter Cushing as Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as the Creature. It is notable for being Hammer Film Productions' first color horror film and is loosely based on Mary Shelley's novel, leading to a successful series of sequels.

"The Manchurian Candidate" is a psychological political thriller film, originally released in 1962 and directed by John Frankenheimer, based on the novel by Richard Condon. The story follows a Korean War veteran who is brainwashed and used as an unwitting assassin in a communist conspiracy.

"Sweet Smell of Success" is a 1957 film noir directed by Alexander Mackendrick, featuring Burt Lancaster as a powerful Broadway columnist and Tony Curtis as a press agent. The film explores themes of ambition and corruption in journalism, highlighted by its sharp dialogue and striking black-and-white cinematography.

"The Band Wagon" is a 1953 musical romantic comedy directed by Vincente Minnelli, featuring Fred Astaire as an aging movie star trying to revive his career through a Broadway show. The film is celebrated for its vibrant musical numbers and is considered one of the finest musicals from Hollywood's golden age.

"All That Jazz" is a 1979 American musical drama film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Roy Scheider as an obsessive film and stage director. It is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of Fosse's life and career as a dancer, choreographer and filmmaker.