35 Films That Are So Beautifully Made, They Might Just Be The Most Aesthetically Pleasing Of All Time

    Celebrating cinematography one shot at a time.

    Allie Hayes
    by Allie Hayes

    BuzzFeed Staff

    A little while back, we took a look at a viral Reddit thread asking, "What is the most aesthetically pleasing movie you've ever seen?" Well, all of those incredible answers inspired even more wonderful responses from our very own BuzzFeed Community!

    A24

    So, with that in mind, here are even more movies that are so beautiful to look at, your eyeballs will thank you later:

    1. Suspiria (1977)

    a scared woman holding a knife
    Produzioni Atlas Consorziate

    "It is gorgeous!"

    —allstaryou

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Produzioni Atlas Consorziate / Via youtube.com

    2. The Crow (1994)

    a man sitting cross-legged in all leather and paint on his face
    Miramax / ©Miramax/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Dark, atmospheric, just enough flashes of light here and there to really throw you off. *Chef's kiss* That reveal shot of Eric as the Crow, standing menacingly in his broken circular window? By itself, that should earn it a spot on the list."

    —greyladybast

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Miramax / Via youtube.com

    3. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

    a cartoon man wearing a cloak with the outline of a woman coming out like a cloud or spirit
    Walt Disney Studios

    "All of the visuals surrounding the cathedral are stunning."

    —annahill95

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Walt Disney Studios / Via youtube.com

    4. A Star Is Born (2018)

    on stage Lady Gaga and Bradly Cooper performing on stage
    Neal Preston / ©Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection

    "It had amazing people doing the camerawork, who had a ton of knowledge about how to make the characters feel real. It’s full of what feels like real human interaction and it’s amazing. It feels like you enter a new world for a couple hours."

    —the_real_sunflower

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Warner Bros / Via youtube.com

    5. Inception (2010)

    two character walking and crawling in a hallway that's upside down
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "My favorite moment was when Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character was fighting in the rotating room. The cinematography in that particular scene is immaculate."

    —shadeofblue

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Warner Bros / Via youtube.com

    6. The Age of Innocence (1993)

    four women in 1800s style dresses with long gloves and flowers in their hair
    Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "It’s Martin Scorsese’s most underrated film. Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer are forbidden lovers. It's set in 1870's New York. It’s such a beautiful, sparkly, mesmerizing movie. I cannot recommend it highly enough."

    —joljah21

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

    7. Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams (1990)

    four rows of people in traditional Chinese dress
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros / courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection

    "It's beautiful and just hypnotic."

    —google_107075226248649256192

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Warner Bros / Via youtube.com

    8. Se7en (1995)

    Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman in a room with a bunch of car air fresheners hanging from the ceiling
    New Line Cinema / ©New Line Cinema/courtesy Everett / Everett Collection

    "Seriously, that movie broke new ground, and now so many crime movies are like it that most people don’t realize how stunning it was when it first came out!"

    —watchingitburn

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    New Line Cinema / Via youtube.com

    9. Tangled (2010)

    Walt Disney Co. / ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection

    "It's literally the most expensive animated movie ever made, and it showed!"

    —sr4

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Walt Disney Co. / Via youtube.com

    10. Crimson Peak (2015)

    two of the character standing on the ornate staircase
    Universal / ©Universal/courtesy Everett / Everett Collection

    "It’s truly a gorgeous film."

    —cgallaghernovember

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    11. Arrival (2016)

    the back of a woman wearing a microphone headset and pointing to a circle forming in front of her
    Paramount / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection

    "I mean any Denis Villaneuve movie, but especially Arrival."

    —meganw49ff9668b

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

    12. The Cell (2000)

    a side shot of someone walking down the stairs with bold fabric following in large sweeps
    © New Line Cinema / courtesy Everett Collection

    "It's an artistically beautiful movie."

    —kellyflynn1

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    New Line Cinema / Via youtube.com

    13. A Single Man (2009)

    overhead shot of a couple sharing a pillow as they lie down
    Weinstein Company / ©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Tom Ford is such an underrated director, and his films have underrated cinematography. This and Nocturnal Animals are just so so beautiful to look at."

    —anthonybacrocker

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Weinstein Company / Via youtube.com

    14. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

    an animated fox looking back as he stands in front of a bookshelf and large painting
    Fox Searchlight / ©Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Anything Wes Anderson directs is going to be absolutely gorgeous in terms of visuals, but that one’s my personal favorite of his to watch, especially during the fall; lots of warm autumn colors.

    —audreyschockett

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Fox Searchlight / Via youtube.com

    15. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

    a wide shot of two of the characters fighting in a clearing
    © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / © Marvel Studios / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "It's visually beautiful."

    —khickey30

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Marvel Studios / Via youtube.com

    16. Emma (2020)

    3 characters at the forefront sitting on fancy chairs outside with side table holding their drinks dressed in 19th-century clothes
    © Focus Features / courtesy Everett Collection

    "The costumes are perfect and the set design is to die for."

    —horsekream

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Focus Features / Via youtube.com

    17. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

    a dark shot of a couple lying down in the middle of photo prints
    Artisan Entertainment / ©Artisan Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "The movie is messed up, but every scene could be printed out and framed."

    —churroknowme

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Artisan Entertainment / Via youtube.com

    18. Anna Karenina (2012)

    two characters dancing in a large empty ballroom
    Focus Features / ©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "A true travesty that this wasn’t included on the original list."

    —jensenm3

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Focus Features / Via youtube.com

    19. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

    the backside of a man wearing a hat and standing in the middle of train tracks in the dark while a train moves toward him
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I would use the word 'spacious.'"

    —murrays3

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Warner Bros / Via youtube.com

    20. Encanto (2021)

    a cartoon character singing and dancing while fireworks go off at night
    © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

    "I recently saw this, and the visuals were stunning. It was like a peek into the garden of Eden. Lush, vibrant colors, nature at its most healthy and beautiful, and characters diverse in size/shape/color."

    —sushimidnight

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Walt Disney Studios / Via youtube.com

    21. The Secret Garden (1993)

    three children going through the garden with geese flapping their wings nearby
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I've loved and appreciated it since childhood. The juxtaposition of the dark, forbidding manor house with the wild garden bursting with life and color, and character growth from influence of the one towards the influence of the other. I am a 34-year-old man and it still impacts me when I watch it every spring."

    —arflurer87

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Warner Bros / Via youtube.com

    22. Melancholia (2011)

    at night three characters stand a distance apart from each on a lawn
    Magnolia Pictures / ©Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "This one deserves a stand alone mention."

    —oolong_goddess

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Magnolia Pictures / Via youtube.com

    23. Oblivion (2013)

    a character in circular glasses lights a match in a dark room
    Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "The music, the design, the color scheme, the story — everything is so satisfying!"

    —dat_flowerpot

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    24. Out of Sight (1998)

    two characters sitting across each other closely and smiling at each other
    Universal / ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Most Stephen Soderbergh movies are so incredibly lit. The scene where Clooney and Jennifer Lopez meet for a drink in a hotel, and it's cut with them having sex upstairs, it's just so beautiful to me. The lighting is the perfect color temperature, and the images are softened just a little to make it sexy as hell without really seeing any of the sex."

    —mistersoak

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Universal Pictures / Via youtube.com

    25. Knives Out (2019)

    a woman sits in a chair while another character talks with a lot of animation
    Claire Folger / © Lionsgate / courtesy Everett Collection

    "Every frame is either lush with texture and tone, or stark and bold. This movie is meant to enjoyed over and over again, not only for the story, but also because it’s so visually vibrant."

    —juliz44

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Lionsgate / Via youtube.com

    26. House of Flying Daggers (2004)

    a woman with one leg up in the air wearing a crown and long flowy clothes
    Sony Pictures / ©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Everything about it, but especially the last 10 minutes. So incredibly beautiful, yet what was happening within the story was so heartbreaking."

    —sblai974

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Sony Pictures / Via youtube.com

    27. John Wick (2014)

    a character points his gun forward while kneeling down next a wounded man
    David Lee/©Summit Entertainment / courtesy Everett Collection

    "This is kind of a strange one, but the lighting in those movies is AMAZING and very aesthetically pleasing, as well as the aerial shots of New York."

    —justanotherday1

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Summit Entertainment / Via youtube.com

    28. Drive (2011)

    a couple staring at each other while light from the window shines on them
    Filmdistric / FilmDistric/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Amazing cinematography. Beautiful, neon colors. Just everything."

    —tawanab

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Film District / Via youtube.com

    29. Alexandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain (1973)

    ABKCO Films

    "It should be on this list."

    —pennynickle

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    ABKCO Films / Via youtube.com

    30. The Duellists (1977)

    Paramount Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "It's a movie that hardly anybody has heard of (probably because it was released in the '70s). I swear you could freeze-frame any part of the movie and hang it on your wall as art. Gorgeously filmed. It was Ridley Scott's first full-length feature, and presages his mastery of his craft. Check it out."

    —bruce920

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Paramount Pictures / Via youtube.com

    31. La La Land (2016)

    Lions Gate / ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "The visuals are beautiful, especially with matching it to every season."

    —onionhead_27

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Lionsgate / Via youtube.com

    32. The Fifth Element (1997)

    a woman character in the middle of fighting two aliens
    Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "It's a visual feast."

    —knucklebone13

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Columbia Pictures / Via youtube.com

    33. The Great Gatsby (2013)

    an overhead shot of a party and someone spritzing champagne everywhere
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "That scene with the curtains blowing in the wind is just 😍."

    —batmanswife92

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Warner Bros / Via youtube.com

    34. Life of Pi (2012)

    a serene shot of a tiger on a large canoe-like boat with a man standing toward the back with his shirt wrapped around his head
    20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Stunning film."

    —kanelflixka

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com

    35. Coco (2017)

    the back of a cartoon kid while he looks out at a city
    Pixar / ©Walt Disney Co./courtesy Everett / Everett Collection

    "The land of dead is an incredible visual."

    —pine59

    Watch the aesthetically pleasing trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    Pixar / Via youtube.com

    Okay, so you've read their picks, but now it's your turn! What's the most aesthetically pleasing movie you've ever had the pleasure of viewing? Share your pick(s) in the comments below! And be sure to check out the first list to see if some of your faves are on there, as well!

    Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.