Some movies make us dream. They may not be the greatest films ever made, but they spark something beautiful within us. These films make us write or draw, paint or build. I’ve written about five movies that get my creative juices flowing without fail. Let me know some of yours in the comments below.

5. Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

Jason and the Argonauts was one of those grand adventure films I was introduced to at an early age. The thundering soundtrack by Bernard Hermann, the creature designs from Ray Harryhausen, and the globe-trotting scope of Jason’s adventure had, and still does, have such an impact for me.

Though the plot is straightforward, the world Jason and his crew inhabit captures Greek mythology in a way that feels believably ancient and full of magic. It’s lived-in and populated by wild, mythical monsters that, under the skills of Harryhausen, feel so real. I’m not talking about the stop-motion animation, so much as the movements of the creatures. Harryhausen had a way of infusing personality into his monsters, which in turn made them feel all the more realistic, and, oddly enough, human-like.

As a work of art, Jason and the Argonauts takes a classic epic and retells it with passion, bombastic music, and limitless imagination. The scope of its odyssey inspires a sense of wonder that, as a kid, pushed me to take my creativity and run with it.

4. Lifeforce (1985)

Tobe Hooper, famous for originating the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise and Poltergeist, among other horror works, made a crazy space vampire movie in 1985 called Lifeforce. I strongly believe it’s one of Hooper’s underrated gems, as it’s a film that shoots far beyond the moon. Classic vampire tropes are reworked into a scifi/horror epic that starts with just a few vampires on the loose and ends with the near total destruction of London. Cool creature effects, an obsessive lore, and an ever-escalating plot abound!

3. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

John Carpenter is best known for legendary horror films like The Thing and Halloween, but his action and comedy efforts are equally entertaining and disarming. Big Trouble in Little China is a masterclass in taking a formula and spinning it on its head.

In the film, the character we’re led to believe is the hero, played by Kurt Russell, is far from it. He’s a self-aggrandizing goofus, constantly lifted up by those around him. While Carpenter’s filming is sympathetic to his plight, there’s enough humor and charm to make for a delightful, action-oriented romp that’s as beautifully crafted as it is imaginative.

2. Metropolis (1927)

This vision of the future is as poignant now as it ever was, aiming high with its architecture and set design but centering its story on people. With the constant talk of AI in the last few years, the Maria robot comes to mind, replacing humans while under the control of those who would destroy us.

But that’s not why Metropolis is on this list. This film, with its beautiful score, majestic scenery, and sincere plot, makes me dream – of a better tomorrow, of a more united civilization.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

This Stanley Kubrick classic is on my list for a simple reason, one that stems more from the source material’s author and his numerous other works. Space films like this one, with their slow pacing and marveling at the stars, spark that magic and wonder within my soul.

As a kid, I loved looking at the stars and dreaming of worlds beyond our solar system. The older I grew, the more that wonder dissipated, and it wasn’t until my wife and I took trips out to the desert to stargaze, that that wonder returned.

Though don’t live in the desert, Arthur C. Clarke books offer the same sense of adventure, fascination, and exploration – without the obsessive violence of many popular scifi epics. 2001: A Space Odyssey, too, will always evoke those same feelings, and it’s a film that has even bled over into my dreams at night.

Many months ago, I had a dream that I was in my 80s, lying in a hospital bed. My wife was at my side, and there were two younger people in the darkened hospital room with us. One was a man; the other a woman. I had this feeling that they were our children. Though they don’t exist in my life yet, in my dream they were fully grown.

No one spoke. As a family, we sat in the dark, watching 2001: A Space Odyssey. I had this sense flood over me, one of joy but also knowing that this would be my final memory, as I had completed my time on Earth.

I didn’t know if I made an impact, but I can only guess, with those two adult children, maybe I had created some hope for the future.