Clerks (1994)

The scrappiest movie on the list and proof that talk can carry a comedy. Kevin Smith shot it in black and white for $27,575 in the New Jersey convenience and video stores where he really worked, and the whole thing is two bored clerks arguing about customers, relationships and the ethics of blowing up a Death Star. Expect very crude dialogue and almost no visual polish. If you like comedies built on riffing, the counter-side debates still feel fresh.