I recently finished through Kubrick's filmography. Often when I approach a new director, I look for some type of guidance on where to start and what to expect. Here I'll try to do just that! This is completely spoiler free.Fear and DesireEven Kubrick had to start somewhere. This is definitely his most disorganized picture. If you are interested in working through Kubrick chronologically, go right ahead. You'll be rewarded in the long run. Otherwise, I would not suggest starting with this.Killer's KissThis is Kubrick's second feature film. It is a hell of a lot better than Fear and Desire and you begin to see Kubrick develop his style. I would not recommend starting with this.The KillingThis is an excellent movie most people don't know anything about. It tells the story of the plotting and events of a horse racetrack heist... but there's a certain catch. This movie clearly inspired Reservoir Dogs via the nonlinear storytelling surround the heist. In my opinion, it's better. My recommendation is to watch it with subtitles from the beginning because the accents aren't always clear. If you like this type of film, The Killing could be a good starting point. Especially since it's more focused on narrative than satire, unlike many of Kubrick's works.Paths of GloryAnother excellent movie. The opening war sequences will have you scratching your head as to why there has been no lawsuit against 1917 for plagiarism. From there, the movie goes in an unexpected direction that will have you yelling at the screen. This is the movie where you first see Kubrick's satirical edge. It may be Kubrick's most entertaining film from start to finish. I would definitely recommend starting this movie.SpartacusAn epic in its scope and length, Spartacus is as entertaining a 3.5 hour film could be. It is also Kubrick's most mainstream movie. It tells the story of a slave/gladiator who rises up against his captors and starts a revolt against the Roman Republic. This is the movie that Kubrick had the least control over. This is evident in certain scenes where characters appear to act in ways that don't make sense given the previous characterization. However, if you can shut your brain off... it's a lot of fun. If this is your thing, start here.LolitaIn my opinion, this is Kubrick's hidden gem. However, this is a highly controversial in its subject matter, as it follows Professor Humbert Humbert who becomes infatuated with a 14 year old girl. Don't go into this expecting a faithful adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's book. It's not. Instead, it's a highly satirical, darkly funny, and extremely uncomfortable (in a similar way to Scorsese's The King of Comedy) look at sexual obsession, sexual manipulation, and hypocrisy. This is not a good place to start.Dr. StrangeloveMaybe the greatest dark comedy movie of all time? Have you ever thought, 'what would happen if the wrong American got their hands nuclear weapons?' Well so has Kubrick... and it's not pretty. Peter Sellers is excellent in all of his characters. This an excellent place to start.2001: A Space OdysseyMaybe the greatest science fiction movie of all time? This film is jam packed with unbelievable visuals, interesting metaphors, and groundbreaking special effects - many of which hold up today easily. After all, Kubrick was accused of faking the moon landing (one year later) because of what he was able to accomplish with this movie. This has also paved the way for science fiction movies, and is heavily referenced throughout modern cinema. Watch this on the biggest screen you can find. However, this is a horrible place to start. Kubrick was a highly technical director who always seemed to keep the viewer at a distance from the characters. If this is your starting point for Kubrick, there's a good chance you'll find this film cold and boring, and it is neither. Don't start here!A Clockwork OrangeAnother highly controversial movie. This was originally given the X rating due to... well... go look it up. However, Kubrick's satirical edge here is working at full force. The film follows Alex and his three droogs (friends) as they wreak havoc. Despite it's thematic material, it never gets too dark thanks in part to the 'Nadsat' slang and background Beethoven. It is a very good movie and a wild ride that will have you questioning free will. Not a good place to start.Barry LyndonImagine a perfect period movie such that each scene looks like a Renaissance painting. Sounds like an interesting concept, right? Now how about you make the main character cold and despicable. That would be a difficult feat to pull off. Now add the fact that the voiceover narration tells you exactly what's going to happen, right before it happens. That would be nearly impossible to pull off right? Well if it were anyone aside from Kubrick trying to do this, you'd be right. However, Kubrick specializes in mesmerizing visuals and keeping viewers a distance from the characters while keeping you entertained and curious to find out what happens next. This is another excellent movie. Not a good place to start though.The ShiningA horror movie like no other. Watch this one at night with the lights off, the phones away, and the shades down. By the end of the movie, you will be questioning everything that happened in the best way possible. You will be scouring the internet for resolution, but ironically doing this will leave you far more disturbed than you were to begin with. To reiterate, the more research you do on this, the scarier it gets. Trust me. If you dig this, The Shining may be a great place for you to start your journey through Kubrick's filmography.Full Metal JacketThis is a war movie that is divided into seemingly unrelated sections. The most common criticism of this movie is that 'I loved the first half, but the second half felt strange.' I think that to appreciate the film, you need to abandon the expectation of a coherent narrative. Everything that happens on screen is done with a point. It's your job to figure out what that point is. For this reason, you need some Kubrick under your belt before checking this out. This is not a good place to start.Eyes Wide ShutAt its surface, it's a movie about a conspiracy. Below the surface, it's a movie about a man who is haunted by his deteriorating sexual relationship with his wife. It deals with temptation, social class, and gender roles. It is a very good movie, but you definitely want to have seen other Kubrick movies in advance. Don't start here.I hope this has helped those of you who have heard about Stanley Kubrick for a long time, but just either didn't get the chance to start his filmography or didn't know where to start. As a big movie fan, I always find pages like this helpful and I hope you do too. If you have any questions, let me know below but remember... 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