Sherlock Jr.'s magic endures because of the film’s belief that the most important part of cinema is the audience’s imagination. Through astounding physical and technical feats—culminating in a sequence where the Projectionist leaps into a film-within-the-film—Buster Keaton captains a revolutionary metacinematic experience committed to creating images that had never been seen before. Keaton’s hapless Projectionist is shoved into the background when The Local Sheik begins courting their shared love interest. The Projectionist can only find his revenge in dreams—namely, the collective dream of cinema. As he nods off during his shift, he falls into a fantasy in which he occupies the silver screen alongside stars, solving the mystery and exposing the Sheik’s crimes. Due to mixed reviews and a lukewarm box office performance, Sherlock Jr. was initially written off by Keaton as one of his lesser pictures. However, the film has become a touchstone, often cited by filmmakers and critics alike as one of the greatest films of all time. – Gunnar Sizemore ‘27