AKIRA and Ghost in the Shell are both seminal works that have influenced western pop culture hugely. Don't think you can really differentiate between both those Anime's and Manga's influence.
Surprised Ghibli hasn't got a mention. Still to this day they're ,not only producing quality cinematic experiences, but are also doing it through a creative means that some people have classed as dated, which is frankly bs.
Came here with the first two (probably AKIRA a bit more that Ghost in the Shell due to the timeline) in mind alongside some others, it’s nice to see them being mentioned. It’s a bid hard to choose one from Ghibli (Spirited Away is probably the most well-known?), but yeah, Miyazaki did create something truly unique.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) — arguably the first true horror film with stunning expressionistic visuals, Tim Burton probably watches it once a week. Nosferatu (1922) followed its footsteps 2 years later — as well as another supernatural masterpiece, Frankenstein (1931), that put up more challenging ethical questions
Battleship Potemkin (1925) — it’s hard to overstate it’s impact in terms of the editing & pacing of the movie when all we know is post-Potemkin cinema
Metropolis (1927) — very much a reference point to most dystopian movies including the above-mentioned AKIRA.
Psycho (1960) — truly a new way to look at murder
Dr. No (1962) — started off arguably the most successful film franchise ever if we count in its longevity?
I won’t do dates and prolonged comments from this point as I’m on my phone and I’ve got lazy.
The Simpsons (1989) — re-envisioned the whole idea of animated series
Not all of those are necessarily flawless masterpieces (although most of them are), but they all either created or reimagined a genre and worked as a reference point for decades to come
Seven Samurai, Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, The Silence of The Lambs, Rambo, Terminator 2, Star Wars, Pulp Fiction, The Godfather, Jaws, Snow White & Seven Dwarfs, Citizen Kane, Bonny & Clyde, 12 Angry Men
Twin Peaks, The Wire, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones
Technological advancements (don’t quite me on that, I’m not that familiar with history of technology)
Toy Story — I think the first animated movie that was all made on a computer?
Avatar — however ridiculous it may sound I think the technology that they developed for this movie dominates today’s superhero. The movie itself is so forgettable though!
Lord of the Rings (more about the new idea of a movie franchise & massively expensive book adaptations, although the movies themselves are fine)