Revealed: The films and series you HAVE to see to be cultured

A survey of 2,000 Britons commissioned by the National Film and Television School (NFTS) has produced a list of 30 films and TV shows deemed essential viewing for anyone wanting to be considered culturally literate, suggesting screen knowledge is increasingly rivalling literary knowledge as a marker of taste. The NFTS said the findings reflect how central film and television have become to modern cultural life, with shared viewing experiences now providing the common reference points that books once did, though it stressed the importance of ensuring people from all backgrounds can help create future stories.

Topping the list, all on 31 per cent, are The Godfather, The Matrix and Game of Thrones, followed by Peaky Blinders and Pulp Fiction (29 per cent), and Breaking Bad, The Shining, Trainspotting, The Walking Dead, the BBC's 1995 Pride and Prejudice and Line of Duty. Some 44 per cent said discussing iconic titles is useful when socialising, and 41 per cent would choose a screen adaptation over reading the original book. Preferences remain split, however, with 35 per cent wanting to be seen as well-read against 31 per cent favouring "well-watched", while Gen Z is driving the shift towards visual media, with 49 per cent preferring film to reading compared with just 30 per cent of over-60s.