Life Changing Movies
There are movies you enjoy, movies you love, and then there are Life Changing Movies, the ones that hit you at the exact right moment and quietly shape how you see the world. In this special Born to Watch episode, Whitey and Gow sit down on the couch for a rare daytime recording to unpack the films that genuinely changed them, not just as movie fans, but as people.
Originally planned as a solo episode, Whitey quickly realised this topic needed conversation, reflection, and a bit of friendly back-and-forth. What follows is a deeply personal walk through cinema history, from classic black and white films through to modern blockbusters, with each movie tied to a specific time, place, and feeling. These are not rankings, not reviews, and not necessarily the “greatest films of all time”. These are the films that left a permanent mark.
The rules were simple. The films had to be movies Born to Watch has never reviewed before, and they had to be experienced in the order Whitey first saw them. What unfolds is a cinematic timeline that mirrors growing up, discovering new genres, and realising that movies can be far more than mere entertainment. They can be confronting, comforting, terrifying, inspiring, and sometimes completely overwhelming.
The episode kicks off with The African Queen, a film Whitey first watched as a kid with his Nan, and a gateway into old cinema that opened the door to classics like Casablanca and Captain's Courageous. From there, the conversation moves into The Great Escape, a film both hosts hold in incredibly high regard, not just for its iconic moments, but for its storytelling, tension, and emotional weight that still holds up decades later.
As the timeline moves forward, the episode touches on cultural moments that defined entire generations. Seeing Batman (1989) in a packed cinema, complete with Prince's soundtrack and Jack Nicholson's Joker, becomes more than just a movie memory. It becomes a snapshot of adolescence, crushes, embarrassment, and the shared chaos of opening night at the local cinema.
The conversation does not shy away from darker territory. Films like Deliverance, The Evil Dead, Psycho, and Schindler's List are discussed not for shock value, but for the way they challenged expectations and forced viewers to confront uncomfortable truths. These are films that stay with you long after the credits roll, sometimes in ways you do not fully understand until years later.
Blockbusters also have their place. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is remembered as a near-perfect cinematic experience, combining groundbreaking visual effects with emotional storytelling and characters that audiences genuinely cared about. It is a reminder that big movies can still have heart and depth when done correctly.
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The episode closes by reflecting on films driven by dialogue and ideas, particularly JFK, a movie that became comfort viewing for Whitey despite its heavy subject matter. It represents how movies can evolve with us, revealing new layers each time we revisit them.
This is an episode about memory, growth, and the quiet power of cinema. Whether you agree with every pick or not, these Life Changing Movies will almost certainly spark memories of your own.
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