There’s good reason the best film monologues are the best. If you find yourself stuck trying to figure out how to best go about performing your monologue, study these films and the performances that make them noteworthy.

Independence Day (1996)

Bill Pullman manages to deliver one of the most patriotic speeches ever put to film as the world’s forces band together to take down the alien threat looming above their heads. It’s a moment that every battle scene has but few manage to pull off. Take note on the building of intensity, the pauses, and the punctuation of emotion.

Jaws (1975)

Telling a mesmerizing story is hard, especially when it needs to feel organic and made up on the spot. Robert Shaw nailed his recounting of surviving sharks feasting on his friends for four days before rescue arrived. Watch Shaw’s face. Notice how he never becomes loud but the intensity still manages to grow with every word.