The original giant monster movie, directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack and featuring pioneering stop motion effects by the original master of the artform, Willis H. O'Brien.

Try to see past the cringey stereotypical black natives (still more sympathetic and human than the ones in Peter Jackson's 2005 remake, though), the constantly shrieking and fainting Fay Wray, and that one HORRIBLE Orientalist stereotype on the ship's crew, and instead focus on O'Brien's incredible, ground-breaking stop motion effects which have aged surprisingly well. Kong manages to be so expressive and have so much personality, it's no wonder it took Andy Serkis in a mo-cap suit to match it.