Countless thought-provoking films have stood the test of time. Some of the highest-rated films ever made include The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, 12 Angry Men, Pulp Fiction, and Schindler’s List. For me, there are certain films everyone should see at least once, with Fight Club, Saving Private Ryan, and The Pianist among the most profound and thought-provoking I’ve ever seen.

As a film enthusiast, I was curious about what industry insiders think. With that in mind, I asked actor-turned-musician Louise Burke which film she believes everyone should see.

Louise began her career translating for international organisations, ranging from UN agencies to European institutions, before making a dramatic career change and starring as the Prince’s royal nanny on Netflix’s The Crown. Recently, she was cast alongside Jamie Dornan in The Undertow, set for release later this year.

When I asked her which film everyone should watch, she named one I hadn’t seen in years: Les Choristes.

Her answer surprised me; I expected her to mention a major Hollywood film, or perhaps Life Is Beautiful or Forrest Gump.

But, Louise had her reasons. She said: “Les Choristes endures because it understands something many films miss: that discipline and care are not opposites, and that music can be a moral structure, not just an emotional release.

“Set in a post-war boys’ boarding school ruled by fear, the plot turns on a teacher who introduces choral singing as a system of order. Each child is given responsibility, a voice, and a place within a whole. The transformation is not sentimental; it is procedural. Music becomes a form of governance that restores dignity.”

Les Choristes, translated as The Chorus, is a 2004 German-French-Swiss musical drama adapted from the 1945 film A Cage of Nightingales (La Cage aux rossignols).

Music is central to the film, but not in the peppy, superficial manner of most musicals. Instead, it’s moving and heartfelt, with each song feeling purposeful rather than added for effect.

And Louise agrees: “The film’s power is inseparable from its score. Bruno Coulais’ choral soundtrack does narrative work, carrying emotion that the performances deliberately contain. Music becomes character, conscience, and community.

“Les Choristes matters because it shows how love is transmitted through form – through rhythm, responsibility, and collective effort. It’s a film about how order, when humane, allows people to be heard.”

The film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Song (“Vois sur ton chemin”, listed as “Look to Your Path”, composed by Bruno Coulais), at the 77th Academy Awards and won Best Sound and Best Music Written for a Film at the Cesar Awards.

Though reviews are mixed, Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 68% critics’ rating, while the audience score is an impressive 92%.

The critics’ consensus: “While predictable, this low-key heartwarmer manages to be uplifting without overdoing the sentiment.”

However, audiences have praised the film on Rotten Tomatoes, with one reviewer calling it “one of the best films” they’ve ever seen.

Patric said: “One of the best films I have ever seen.”

LCM wrote: “One of my absolute favourites. This movie just hit me right in the feels. The kids are amazing. Shout out to Jean-Baptiste Maunier (the main kid), he has a beautiful singing voice that truly gave me chills. A lovely movie that everyone should watch.”

Louis S posted: “This movie is a beautiful piece of my childhood, which I’ve seen again and again. It’s beautiful and heartwarming.”

Another stated: “An exquisite film with beautiful music.”