“Near-perfect”: Brittany Snow names her favourite movies of all time
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(Credits: Far Out / YouTube Still)
Having established herself as a constant presence in the industry through her contributions as an actor, Brittany Snow finally made the switch to becoming a director. Known for her performances in Hairspray and the popular Pitch Perfect film series, Snow continued to expand her body of work by attaching herself to projects that span different genres.
One of the best examples of this is her role in Ti West’s 2022 slasher X, where she is brilliant as an uninhibited pornstar who gets caught up in a whirlwind of unsettlingly dark violence. Drawing inspiration from the vast history of exploitation flicks and low-budget porno, the first addition to West’s horror series has played a major part in influencing some of the more recent releases that have followed in its footsteps.
Snow’s directorial debut operates in a different section of the cinematic landscape. Titled Parachute and co-written with Becca Gleason, it follows Courtney Eaton’s character as she navigates the labyrinth of being a lost adult while battling with her own demons. Suffering from an eating disorder and other issues related to body image, she tries her best to pick up the pieces of her life.
As a part of the promotional campaign for Parachute, Snow sat down with A.Frame to discuss some of the cinematic masterpieces that have left a lasting impact on her own artistic consciousness. Starting with John Cassavetes, Snow’s selection explains a lot about some of her directorial inclinations.
The first movie on Snow’s list is Cassavetes’ fascinatingly disturbing opus, A Woman Under the Influence. She said: “I remember seeing this movie when I was a kid, and it made me feel very unsettled. Maybe because I really felt it, and maybe because I couldn’t comprehend how the world worked in this way.”
Choosing a more contemporary work to go along with some of the other dramas listed in her all-time favourites, Snow honoured Bo Burnham. She singled out the comedian’s debut feature Eighth Grade, which took a refreshing approach to the modern coming-of-age drama.
Snow explained: “I truly think this is a near-perfect movie. I watched it many times in preparation for Parachute because of the feeling it evokes. I love how Bo Burnham didn’t set out to make a grandiose statement about social media or make any overreaching conclusions about the complexities of anxiety.”
The actor-director also mentioned Darren Aronofsky’s 2000 gem Requiem for a Dream, one of the darkest movies ever made about the horrors of addiction. Following the steady psychological descent of its characters, it’s a unique cinematic experience that isn’t easily erased.
Snow agrees: “This was the first movie that I had a visceral response to. I remember actually rolling around on the floor crying. If any movie has captured addiction in its most haunting and heart-piercing form, it’s this one. I can’t even hear the soundtrack without having a full-body response.”
Check out the full list below.
Brittany Snow’s favourite movies:
- A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes, 1974)
- Inside Out (Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen, 2015)
- Krisha (Trey Edward Shults, 2015)
- Eighth Grade (Bo Burnham, 2018)
- Ordinary People (Robert Redford, 1980)
- Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000)
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