9. A.I. Artificial Intelligence
In 2001, Steven Spielberg released A.I. Artificial Intelligence, a film thirty years in the making. Originally devised by the great Stanley Kubrick, A.I. takes place approximately 100 years in the future. David, played by Haley Joel Osment, is a child-like robot, meant to replace a couple's son who has been comatose. But when he wakes up, the family dynamics become complicated. Though David has developed genuine affection for his mother, she forces him to leave the house, partly to protect him and partly on behalf of her biological child. The world David travels through is a frightening one, involving male gigolo robots and robot torture coliseums. David remains steadfast, looking for the blue fairy of the Pinocchio tale in the hopes that she might turn him into a real boy. Spielberg here again captures the youthful innocence of prior films such as E.T. David's earnestness and the hardships he endures seem reminiscent of a classic fairy tale, but at times his journey diverts into such darkness it looks more like the trials of that dude in the bible named Job. But David, unflappable, keeps his aim focused on the one thing he desires: love.