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Behold, the best movies to watch in quarantine, according to famous directors.
I like him so much, and it was wonderful to see yet another transformation from him.
Im planning on watchingall the moviesof the great Taiwanese director Edward Yang.
Some things Im seeing again, likethe films of Roy Andersson, who I adore.
And Id seen a number ofIngmar Bergmanfilms, but I certainly hadnt seen them all.
I had that Criterion box set and had not cracked into it.
Claire Denis
Last night, I watched a Michael Mann movie,Thief.
Ihave all around my bed the DVDs Im watching, and its great.
Ive also tried to catch up with some films through Apple TV.
Sometimes old films, sometimes new; I dont want to watch one key in of movie.
I did watch Michael PowellsThe Edge of the World, a very important film for me.
I sawShaft, the original,by Gordon Parks.
I saw twofilms by Marguerite Duras.
I watchedthe films of Oshima Nagisaand a fewfilms by [Shohei] ImamuralikeVengeance Is Mine.
I think I saw six or seven films by Imamura last week an orgy of Imamura!
AndAsphalt Jungleby John Huston andOut of the Pastby Jacques Tourneur.
When was the last time you sawAsphalt Jungle?
I have seen it about three times.
It doesnt [get the respect today that it should].
And these are all the movies that informed me.
For a young person,Masculin Femininis amazingly accessible.
So is [Ingmar Bergmans]Persona.
So you could walk your children through a film education they wouldnt have had unless they were isolated.
Now Im doing the second draft of the script that Im writing for Noah Hawley as a producer.
For that, Im watchingRosemarys Baby.
It hasnt been announced, but its going to be so exciting, and its about real stories.
My home movie experience is going fromHigh NoontoRosemarysBabytoThe Craft, so its a little bit of everything.
Ant Timpson
I love a dystopian, depressing film as much as the next person.
Ive done nearly every sort of cinematic portrayal of the end of the world.
In times like this, especially if youre hanging out with kids, you tend towards lighter stuff.
Just the sound of your kids wetting their pants in laughter is a beautiful thing.
I watchedTiger Kingon Netflix last night.
I just got stuck in that quite trashy show.
I also rewatchedCome and See, by Elem Klimov, which is my all-time favorite movie.
Ive also rewatchedThe Favourite, andBorderfrom last year, andCold War.
AndReconstruction, the Danish film.
You know, Im checking out older films rather than new ones.
Such asSolaris, by Tarkovsky.
When I need inspiration, I go and check out the stuff that I liked in the past.
Magorzata Szumowska
Of course Im watching films.
Im watching them with my son, who is 14 but very mature and smart.
So, for example, we watchedThere Will Be Blood, which I love.
Then we watchedBlade Runner, the old one.
That moment when Rutger Hauer is dying and the speech that he gives its heartbreaking.
I had forgotten these little details.
My son was like, Too much.
Now I want to watchMirror, by Andrei Tarkovsky.
It was always my favorite film, and Im ready to watch it again.
Its a dark time, so Im watching only dark films.
I said to myself that maybe the next film I do will be a comedy.
I started with heists Inside Man,Oceans Eleven, [1956s]The Killing.
The1969Italian Jobis spectacular, and I had no idea it was that good.
Now Im on a legal-thriller slash courtroom-drama kick.
I rewatchedA Few Good Men.
That holds up.A Time to Killwas a surprisingly good Grisham adaptation.
I thoughtMichael Claytonwas incredible.
I hated it when I was a kid I obviously just didnt understand it.
Its so thoughtful and quiet and sublime.
I saw12 Angry Men.
Thats a masterpiece, no matter how you cut it.Three Kingswas amazing.
And as a brief trip outside [my work] sub-genres, I sawBad Education.
Its hard to say best movie of the year because, like, only six movies have come out.
But its my favorite thing Ive seen all year.
Allow me to explain!
Im a Bela Tarr fan.
Started cravingTurin Horsea couple of weeks ago.
I watched through and enjoyed.
And have since come to just having it on at various times over the last few weeks.
I find it comforting.
Like were all in the house together.
I mean, need I say more?
Caught it last night on insomnia-time cable.
[Im] just a girl, asking a boy …Horse & Houndmagazine.
His odd, great group of friends.
Her smile where you might see every tooth.
Bill Withers montage in the middle.
I mean …
Ive done less discovery and more comfort viewing.
Im watching the stories Ive always loved over again …
I guess I want to check that what Im watching embraces me back.
Didnt realize that until I just typed it.
My fave thing Ive rewatched lately isBelly.
A classic in black cinema for its capture of our skin and of hip-hops golden era.
Malik Sayeed shouldve received acclaim for his cinematography.
It was dismissed by critics.
They missed the beauty.
Ari Aster
Ive been rewatchingSopranosseason 3, which is a supreme work of art.
Also been rewatching the TV version ofScenes From a Marriage.
Nicholson as Eugene ONeill is a treat.
Ruben Ostlund
Even without a lockdown in Sweden, things have slowed down in pace.
Which allows us to embrace the kind of rhythm you find in older movies.
I like Mubi.com a lot, and Ive been using that to look at some classics.
I sawTaking Off, by Milos Forman, on DVD.
Ive also been watching [Ken Burns and Lynn Novicks]The Vietnam WarTV series.
Coralie Fargeat
The only thing I was able to watch and really enjoy wasJumanji.
It was a very fresh, happy bubble.
Entertaining and very funny and moving.
I really liked both of them.
Guillermo del Toro
I have been indoors for over a month.
I think he needs to be reappraised.
Kleber Mendonca Filho
[My wife, Emilie Lesclaux, and I] have two 6-year-olds.
We saw thePink Panthercartoons from the 60s and 70s, which is something that I grew up watching.
I showed themThe Kid, by Chaplin, on Saturday, and they were very impressed.
Yesterday, I showed themThe Wizard of Oz, and they were intrigued/frightened because its really a weird film.
Most nights, we have a second film screening for the adults, usually older films.
Were going the opposite direction.
We forgot about everything.
Rian Johnson
[Robert] Altmans3 Women.
I had always imagined this was an impenetrable artsy slog … it is insane and hilarious and ultimately touching.
Duvall is great in it, but Spacek is the real MVP for me.
Its stuck with me.
Rewatch:Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Its tight as a drum and still somehow freewheeling and light.
And in the tail end of the optical compositing era, the FX are incredible.
James Mangold
Red Desertand [Kenji Mizoguchis]Ugetsu.
Taika Waititi
Revisited [Armando Iannucis]Death of Stalin, which I adore.
