This is partially inspired by @UsedJavelin's thread about Seven Samurai.
I watched a lot of the Western "film canon" when I was younger, and lately I've just been craving some good "artistic" movie content. But I don't trust the :reddit-logo: crowd nor the letterboxd nerds for serious recommendations, so I turn the question to my comrades
I liked Chinatown. Taxi Driver is good, it isn’t the movies fault that people think Travis is a cool guy lol.
Escape from Chinatown is also a classic. Uhh... not a "Film Snob" classic, but a classic none-the-less. Before you go in look for some Chinese American analysis bc I think it's worth having an inside voice on the Orientalist themes before you start. It portrays it's Chinese American characters positively, but it was made in the 80s so there's a lot of stereotypes. It's an interesting subversion of the "White Savior" narrative.