Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like Marie Antoinette:
The Taste of Things
Make sure not to watch The Taste of Things on an empty stomach, because the latest film from director Tran Anh Hung depicts the art of cooking about is delectably as any movie this decade. There are long, uninterrupted sequences that simply observe the act in its purest form, with dishes that you wish would leap through the screen and onto your dinner table.
Poor Things
At the heart of Poor Things is Emma Stone‘s exceptionally dedicated performance, making a compelling case for her second Oscar for Best Actress. Her willingness to embrace daring characters and collaborate with auteurs like Yorgos Lanthimos reinforces her status as one of the industry’s leading performers.
Saltburn
Emerald Fennell‘s sophomore movie, Saltburn, emerges from the rubble of her polarizing debut, Promising Young Woman, with a cast that elevates the material despite its endlessly convoluted and plainly put narrative. This comedy-drama-thriller hybrid film weaves a perplexing tale of obsession, deception, and tragedy within the confines of the aristocratic Catton family’s titular estate.
Napoleon
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is an overtly ambitious cinematic endeavor, a sprawling historical drama that delves into the life and conquests of the iconic French military leader. Clocking in at well over two hours, the movie impresses with its visual grandeur, meticulous attention to detail, and breathtaking battle sequences reminiscent of many of Scott’s previous epics – most notably Gladiator or The Last Duel. The veteran director, now 86 years old, continues to demonstrate his mastery of the genre, particularly in capturing the ferocity and brilliance of Napoleon’s military campaigns.
Priscilla
Priscilla is a journey that, while not shattering the boundaries of Sofia Coppola‘s established repertoire, undoubtedly captivates with its remarkable performances and intimate storytelling. Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi shine as the tumultuous Priscilla and Elvis Presley.
Challengers
Luca Guadagnino directs one of his best movies with Challengers, which pairs his interests in yearning, miscalculated protagonists to the competitive world of tennis. It’s exhilarating and wild, with three prophetic performances from Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor that’ll challenge many of 2024’s best efforts.
The Last Duel
Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel is a medieval epic that trades grand battles for something far more harrowing—a Rashomon-style retelling of a brutal assault, where perspective shapes the truth. The film, based on true events, unfolds through three distinct narratives, each offering a different account of the same crime. With a stellar cast led by Matt Damon, Adam Driver, and Jodie Comer, the movie is as much a historical drama as it is a sobering commentary on power, justice, and gender dynamics.
Killers of the Flower Moon
In Martin Scorsese’s epic crime drama, Killers of the Flower Moon, we are transported back in time to the early 1920s, to the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, a land drenched in blood and oil. Adapted from David Grann’s best-selling book of the same name, Scorsese’s take on this dark chapter in American history takes us on a thrilling, if occasionally meandering, journey that showcases the director’s distinct cinematic style while exploring a unique angle on the source material.
The Favourite
The Favourite sees director Yorgos Lanthimos recontextualizing 18th-century British royalty. A searing dark comedy featuring many of 2018s’s best performances, including Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz.
The Zone of Interest
Jonathan Glazer presents these characters not as the stand-ins for pure evil, rather those complacent in atrocities of large-scale magnitude. And if this doesn’t sound like the most prescient way to depict complacency through a historical lens, Glazer goes as far as to break the fourth wall towards the end of the third act, putting the events of The Zone of Interest in modern context in a similar fashion to Martin Scorsese’s in Killers of the Flower Moon this year. They can only make sense of their stories through their own experiences and beliefs, and in both cases, they’re palpable and timely in a way few films achieve.
READ MORE: Marie Antoinette (2006)
