15. Duel (1971)
I'll admit, this entry is kind of cheating: Duel was a made-for-TV movie directed by Steven Spielberg in 1971 for ABC (though it was later re-cut for theatrical release). However, though Spielberg directed a number of mostly forgettable TV movies in this period of his career, Duel stands out as a true sign of the great things to come from the young, thirsty director. It is a taught, relentlessly thrilling and refreshingly simple tale of a man who finds himself caught in a truly terrifying situation. Cribbing off of Hitchcock's "innocent men in over their heads" trope (most prominently featured in North by Northwest), Spielberg truly makes this film his own, establishing some trademark techniques and shots that would later become staples of his filmography. It's quite a thrill watching this film and spotting the seeds of what will later become mainstays of Spielberg's style and career, but mostly it's just an entertaining, engaging story.