Ana de Armas picks her four favourite movies
After her breakout role in Blade Runner: 2049 and Knives Out, Ana de Armas quickly became one of the most notable newcomers in Hollywood, shortly starring in the final iteration of the James Bond franchise and revitalising the series through her inspired reinvention of the Bond girl, becoming an all guns blazing secret agent who knocks everyone else out of the park.
Since then, she has worked with controversial director Andrew Dominik on Blonde, a retelling of Marilyn Monroe’s story and continued exploitation of her traumatic experiences, which was met with fairly intense criticism as a result of the director’s creative choices, despite the stellar performance from de Armas.
But with new and exciting projects on the horizon, the actor took time to reflect on the films that she most admires, speaking to Letterboxd about her four favourites, which perhaps reveal more about her future creative aspirations.
If you’ve met any film bro, then the subject of Quentin Tarantino will have unfortunately reared its head, with many citing the impact of Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill and the snappy speed of the filmmaker’s dialogue style. From the sprawling setting of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and the controversial use of historical revisionism when it comes to figures like Hitler, the director has forged an irreplaceable legacy in Hollywood, even if it is slightly annoying when he doesn’t shut up about it.
This is something that de Armas noted when describing her favourite films, citing Pulp Fiction as at the top of her personal list. It’s a commonly included film in the top list of many film lovers, with the actor mentioning the perfect performances and story that lead it to be one of Tarantino’s best.
In a surprising pick, de Armas included The Birdcage on her list, directed by Mike Nichols. Starring the late Robin Williams and Gene Hackman, there is perhaps nothing more heartwarming than the 1996 film, which follows two middle-aged gay men as they juggle complicated family dynamics over one weekend when meeting their son’s new fiancée. It combines the raw comedic power of Nichols and Williams with the gravitas of Hackman, making for one of the most delightful from their later collection of work.
Like many people, de Armas is also a fan of Robert De Niro. She cites The Deer Hunter as one of her favourites and describes it as having one of the best party sequences of all time. The story follows a group of friends who enlist in the army during the Vietnam War, returning home to very different lives and as very different men after their experiences on the front line. With the joint power of both De Niro and Meryl Streep, what could be better?
And finally, de Armas ended on a nostalgic note, describing her love for everything created by Hayao Miyazaki, particularly the 1997 film Princess Mononoke. It is one of the most politically poignant and relevant from his filmography, with the story very much evolving into a warning about the climate crisis and demise of the natural world, with the director often showing a reverence for nature that manifests in a different way in this surprisingly dark film. It’s both visually stunning and thematically powerful, showcasing the director at his very best.
Ana de Armas’ four favourite movies:
- Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
- Birdcage (Mike Nichols, 1996)
- The Deer Hunter (Michael Cimino, 1978)
- Princess Mononoke (Hayao Miyazaki, 1997)
