National Film Registry adds Iron Man, Little Mermaid, more

The Library of Congress has added 25 new films to their National Film Registry, which annually recognizes films “for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.” This year includes a diverse list of iconic horror movies, landmark documentaries, hilarious rom-coms, arthouse fare, and, yes, House Party.

This year’s official list, which covers 113 years of cinema, is below:

Mardi Gras Carnival (1898)
Cab Calloway Home Movies (1948-1951)
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
Charade (1963)
Scorpio Rising (1963)
Behind Every Good Man (1967)
Titicut Follies (1967)
Mingus (1968)
Manzanar (1971)
Betty Tells Her Story (1972)
Super Fly (1972)
Attica (1974)
Carrie (1976)
Union Maids (1976)
Word is Out: Stories of Our Lives (1977)
Bush Mama (1979)
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)
Itam Hakim, Hopiit (1984)
Hairspray (1988)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Tongues Untied (1989)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
House Party (1990)
Iron Man (2008)
Pariah (2011)

To be considered for entry into the National Film Registry, films must be at least 10 years old, meaning 2012 was the most recent year of eligibility. However, no film from 2012 made the cut. Sorry, The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure!

Dating back to 1898, Mardi Gras Carnival is one of the oldest films to ever be included in the National Film Registry. Dee Rees’ Pariah is now officially the newest movie. Also of note, Iron Man has become the first movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to make the list.

In a statement, Marvel Studios president and chief creative officer Kevin Feige said, “All of our favorite movies are the ones that we watch over and over again and that we grow up with…The notion that here we are, almost 15 years after the release of Iron Man, and to have it join the Film Registry tells us it has stood the test of time and that it is still meaningful to audiences around the world.”

In total, the National Film Registry holds 850 movies. According to the Library of Congress, “this year’s selections include at least 15 films directed or co-directed by filmmakers of color, women or LGBTQ+ filmmakers.”

What do you think of the titles that entered the National Film Registry this year? Which titles would you have included? Let us know below!