Best movies to watch on a projector depend heavily on the type of projector you have and the environment you wish to play.
However, there are movies that fit this occasion way better than some of the others. Usually when people intend to watch movies on a projector that is mostly for watching it with a group of friends and on a picnic or a party.
Whatever the occasion may be, each situation and group will have their own preferences and liking of certain genres and movies.
In this piece we have features 15 movies that will be just the movie to watch. It will movies with some of the best cinematography to the best music all the while incorporating an undeniably fascinating plot.
Before we jump in. I would like to say that any movie that was produced for Imax, seems like the best movies to watch on outdoor projector.
Best Movies for projector: Samsara
Director: Ron Fricke,
Writers: Ron Fricke, Mark Magidson
Stars: Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi, Puti Sri Candra Dewi
Samsara is a movie that speaks for itself, it really doesn’t need much introduction or recommendation. The director Ron Fricke shows us the ugly, the beautiful, the poor, the rich, the happy and the sad, and most importantly shows us the Life.
In simpler words, this documentary doesn’t need words to explain what it is or how good it is to experience it whether at home or outdoors on a projector.
Samsara was put into the first spot of the outdoor movie night movie suggestions because it is the outdoors within the projector lights that the movie focuses on.
The filmmakers of Samsara have also made Baraka that showed life in 1992 which was equally amazing.
And this is the thing about this movie that there is no need telling what it is and how good. You just need to play it on and enjoy it on the biggest screen you can find.
Best Movies for backyard movie night: Jumanji
Director: Jake Kasdan
Writers: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black
Any of the movies that we feature here will be well worth the watch on a projector in your backyard.
There is not one movie that outdoes it all. However , Jumanji fits the idea of watching movies on a projector a little better
The nature and the forest coupled with an incredible chemistry between Kevin Hart and The Rock make for a great watch under the blue skies, or within that tent.
It is a great movie to watch following a board game or two as well. It just tickles your imagination and gets you thinking what if.
The movie is filled with obstacles and hardships that the characters need to overcome. That creates a memorable and relatable adventurous experience.
As a side note, anything that the rock plays must be one of the best movies to watch on a projector. Because he is always in the forest and on the mountains and pretty much always playing an adventurous character.
Best outdoor movies to watch: Life of pi
Director: Ang Lee
Writers: Yann Martel, David Magee
Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Ayush Tandon
Another movie that will take your breath away just with the visuals is life of Pi. Unlike Samsara though, this movie also happens to have an interesting writing and plot to go along with.
Of course the first movie was more like a documentary while this is a feature film which makes them two different movies.
Life of Pi though brings the oceans and the rainforest into your backyard and takes you on a journey so gripping that you may not even feel the mosquito bite.
If you are outside without any anti spray that is. The cinematography and the visual spectacle is a king that requires not just any projector but the kind that can handle all that good stuff.
Another great tip to watch such a movie outdoors is that it doesn’t have all that action noise that makes your neighbor wanna kill you.
All the background music or noise let us say, is great and fits perfectly for an outdoor watch.
Best movies to watch on a projector: Ran
Director: Akira Kurosawa,
Writers: Akira Kurosawa, Hideo Oguni, Masato Ide
Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu
Ran is a masterpiece of a movie that comes from the east. Far east but the storyline reflects and contrasts the western Shakespearean literature.
It is directed by one of the most legendary Japanese directors. Rightly so, stands as a piece of art that is really the making of a legend.
Watching this movie, you feel transported to that era and the time, with imagery so craftful you will be fed every scene.
It may seem a bit too long or overly dramatic. But just gives you some time to be able to discuss and talk about how impressive some of the scenes are before you forget or move out of the
In fact, if you are a cinephile, the amount of detail and the nit-picky attention-to-detail keeps you so busy that you barely feel those moments.
But we all have this one friend who watches the movie just to find something to talk about or criticize about.
Best movies to watch outside: Avatar
Director: James Cameron
Writers: James Cameron
Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver
Avatar is probably the only movie I may feel comfortable telling you probably have seen before.
Although you may have, this is such a great movie in all aspects that it deserves more than a second watch. But a place among the movies to watch on a projector.
It is also a great idea to watch it and prepare yourself for the upcoming sequels for we all know that they are going to be great.
The rumours are that Avatar 2 is going to be a visual masterpiece and a world that dazzles and blinds audiences. But the first part was in no way worse.
If you can hold some 3d glasses on top of the projector, watching Avatar will be like watching it on the big screen except you probably will have a big screen.
Movies For outdoor movie night: Dunkirk
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Fionn Whitehead, Damien Bonnard, Aneurin Barnard
Dunkirk is not only a great story told with great detail for the mass audiences. But it is a great movie that was shot on 70mm and with superb visuals.
Obviously, if you want to watch a movie on a projector, you might think that plot has little to no importance. And you would be right in some cases, however, wrong in some others.
If you are to pick Dunkirk though, you would be right all the time regardless of what you prefer. Dunkirk is a Christopher Nolan movie, thus watching outside will make it loud.
This must be taken into account. But this is als one of the very aspects of what makes this movie great to watch on a projector.
The movie might distort the history and change its facts a bit. But it does what it is supposed to do, entertain the crap of the people.
Outdoor movie night suggestions: The revenant
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Writers: Mark L. Smith, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Michael Punke
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson
The Revenant is such a great movie that it should be watched and that is it, like everyone must watch it.
Every now and then there comes a rare movie with an incredible cast, superb visuals, music, plot and of course with Leonardo DiCaprio.
He has been in his fair share of movies, but there are none that is bad. None that outshines the magnificent Revenant.
Learning a whole new language just because you want to play your part is something that takes a truly talented man.
Putting talents aside, this is a great show with great visuals, story, plot and that language Leo learnt.
Best movies to watch on a projector : Jurassic Park
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Michael Crichton, Michael Crichton, David Koepp
Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum
This movie has it all, the fantasy, and the cinematography, the music, and the dinosaurs. It’s got everything an outdoors movie night could possibly want.
Whether you want to watch the earlier adaptations of the latest installments, Jurassic park has always been known as one of the movies with the most outstanding visuals.
That not just makes it a perfect candidate for outdoor movie night movie suggestions, but overall a treat to watch.
So don’t be afraid to play outside on a projector and watch with your friends, because it won’t attract dinos.
Best movies to watch on outdoor projector: Interstellar
Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
Stars: Ellen Burstyn, Matthew McConaughey, Mackenzie Foy
Interstellar is a movie I could go on and on. This movie has some of the most stunning visuals, and gripping concept, and acting, music, well literally everything the audience could wish for.
The movie is great that you can even discuss it long after you finished watching it. The movie has full tense moments, emotional dialogue and there is going to be much talk about the brilliance of it.
Interstellar guines doesn’t stop at aspects and the material provides for discussion, the movie carries a deep meaning to what could our future hold.
Thus, the movie carries with it a philosophical point that when properly understood keeps you awake for at least the night you watch it.
Best movies to watch on a projector: La La Land
Director: Damien Chazelle
Writers: Damien Chazelle
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Amiee Conn
Oh La La land, the very musical that made me love musicals, the movie that still lives in my memory and the songs that I can never forget.
It is such an incredible movie that watching it itself is great fun and should be done either on a projector or not. But having a bigger screen definitely helps.
Just make sure to bring along some of those speakers to help you with the music as well.
In fact, while I am writing this article, I am listening to the songs from La La Land. They are so great that you could listen to them even when you are not watching the movie, and even years later.
What makes it one of the best movies to watch on a projector is how well the movie brings the mood, the positive mood to the audience.
Movies to watch on a projector: “2001: A Space Odyssey”
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Writers: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, Arthur C. Clarke
Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
The winner of Oscars and a ton of other accolades Space Odyssey is remembered as the prototype of a space movie. It set the bar so high that for years there was not a single movie that could come close or out do this.
The cinematography, and the story, dazzling visual effects that even today stand out as one of the most impressive long after, is in and of itself a great accomplishment.
For me personally this is the movie that I remember the director by, and probably so, not until the day he dies but I.
This masterpiece is the proof that a picture is truly worth a thousand words, however watching this movie one would need more than a thousand to talk about it.
So, go and watch it with the best projector you have so that you won’t miss a word the picture conveys.
Best Movies to watch outside: The Fifth Element
Director: Luc Besson
Writers: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen,
Stars: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm
The next element to the outside screening time you need is the movie called Fifth element that you probably know about.
It was one of the first big screen movies that audaciously showed the future with flying cars and the strict police and half of what is true today.
Although we don’t yet have flying as of writing this article, the chances that we someday will are quite high. And that someday could be coming very soon.
Apart from that it was one those movies that we all watched in our childhoods that we still hold dear in our hearts
Watching it outside under the breeze of a soft wind might just be a great way to spend a night.
Best outdoor movies to watch: Raiders of the lost ark
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writers: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman
Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman
When sitting outside, watching movies that also feature a lot of adventure and action outside makes it feel as if you are there taking part in them.
Of course that heavily depends on the quality, and how interesting the movie is. Raiders of the lost ark is though definitely one of those movies that is both of high quality production and interesting and gripping as heck.
One of the finest scenes I still remember is when the Arab guy shows off his skills with a sword and sort of flaunts it, Jones just shoots the poor guy.
It is so original and funny especially when you understand the type of character Indiana Jones is.
However this funny scene might not have anything to do with the fact that you should be watching it outside. But hte movie is great which is the reason to pick it as one of the best movies to watch on a projector.
Best movies to watch outside on a projector: Sin City
Director: Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez
Writers: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller
Stars: Jessica Alba, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel
Sin City is the only movie with the kind of effects it has and with the kind of success it got for the kind of effects it had.
Thus, it was not a regular noir movie. It was an invention and a different kind that paid off the first time, but failed with the next installment.
However, the reason for the second failing was not related to anything that has to do with its visuals.
So, regardless of which part you want to play on the projector you should enjoy it. You might want to keep the lights off as the movie performs way better without any lights on.
It’s the visuals and the cinematography that are worth watching first than other aspects.
Best movies to watch on a projector: Blade Runner 2047
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writers: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green,
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Dave Bautista, Robin Wright
Another incredible movie with superb and dazzling visuals Blade Runner is one of its kind. It is the movie that founded a new genre, a new genre called cyberpunk movie.
In fact, any movie from this very genre is a treat to watch on a projector. Blade Runner though turns it up a notch by bringing some of the best actors and performances.
The story, the plot is something that also keeps the audience engaged. Plus, there are enough philosophical aspects to give you some food for thinking, but not too much to overwhelm the audience.
This is in fact, just an incredible movie to watch anyways. However, one of the best movies to watch on a projector, just because of its sheer scare and the massive world, on top of all other aspects.
To Wrap Up
If you are about to go on a trip or a picnic of some sorts, and wishing to watch a movie, it is best to pick the movie beforehand.
But we know that in the process of choosing the effects and the visuals that exist within the movies play a bit more role than perhaps, other details of the movie.
Thus, all 15 of the movies have incredible visuals with dazzling cinematography, and also great performances with intense and engaging stories.
In a nutshell these are the best movies to watch on a project. Check out the best horror movies to watch if you are still in the mood for some Halloween.
You can also check out movies category to read some single movie reviews like the Squid Game review.
