The Crucible (1996)

Adapted from Arthur Miller’s play of the same name, this film is inspired by the Salem, Massachusetts witch trials of the late 1600s. It was a barbaric period in history where paranoia and ignorance trumped reason and civility, and Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Joan Allen, in an Oscar-nominated performance, illuminate the hysteria as the film’s central characters.

Side note: Due to his preference for staying in character throughout a shoot, Daniel Day-Lewis decided to bear as close a resemblance as possible to his 1600s character by not showering during the entire production of the film.