1. Citizen Kane (1941)
Are you in any way surprised? Of course Citizen Kane would make the list; the reason every write-up on it calls it "ahead of its time" is because of its universal relevancy. It's not a critique of William Randolph Hearst, but rather of every absurdly rich opportunist to ever walk this earth. Charles Foster Kane is Rupert Murdoch, is Ted Turner, is the Koch brothers, etc. The list is endless, and will remain so for generations to come. Orson Welles was well aware of this while making Citizen Kane because before Hearst their were J.P. Morgan and Thomas Edison. That's all I really have to say on the matter because there isn't a single new thing anyone can write on Citizen Kane. It's only on the list because it's topical and relevant. I'm not here to break new ground because there is none. Know of any other classics with contemporarily relevant themes? Post up in the comments and remember: the only reason history repeats itself is because it is forgotten.