Dakota Johnson’s five favourite films of all time
As the daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, and granddaughter of frequent Alfred Hitchcock collaborator Tippi Hedren, Dakota Johnson has always been immersed in the world of filmmaking.
Spending much of her childhood on film sets with her parents, Johnson made her acting debut in 1999, playing the daughter of her real-life mother’s character in Crazy in Alabama. After performing the duty of Miss Golden Globe in 2006, Johnson landed a minor role in her first big film, The Social Network.
A string of moderately successful films, mainly romantic comedies, formed most of Johnson’s acting career until she broke through as the leading star of the erotic romance series Fifty Shades, which began with Fifty Shades of Grey in 2015. This led the actress to bigger roles, such as her second collaboration with Luca Guadagnino for his 2018 film Suspiria, a loose remake of the 1977 horror, which is arguably Johnson’s greatest performance to date.
Since then, Johnson has also founded her own production company, TeaTime Pictures, stating that “The people that studios are afraid of making movies with because they’re too honest or they’re too bold or too real, those are the kinds of people that I [want to work with].”
In an interview with Drew Barrymore, the two discussed some of their favourite movies and television shows. Johnson highlighted her love for the 1990 documentary film Paris Is Burning, a landmark exploration of New York’s ball culture during the late 1980s. Directed by Jennie Livingston, the film depicts African-American, transgender, gay, and Latino communities and their experiences of complex issues such as AIDS, poverty, and racism. It also documents drag culture and even the origins of voguing.
Johnson describes the film as “full of life and love and acceptance, it explores sexuality and class and race, and it’s amazing and gorgeous. I want more people to see that movie.”
Check out the full list below.
Dakota Johnson’s favourite films:
- Paris is Burning (Jennie Livingston, 1990)
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Céline Sciamma, 2019)
- A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes, 1974)
- Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986)
- The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939)
She also picks the fantastic 2019 historical romance drama Portrait of a Lady on Fire by Celine Sciamma as one of her favourites. A tender yet powerful exploration of a lesbian affair in 18th century France, Sciamma’s film won Best Screenplay upon its release at Cannes Film Festival. Johnson labels the film as “just stunning; it’s extremely beautiful.”
These are the only films Johnson seems to have talked about in detail. However, a list of her favourite films also reveals that she is a big fan of John Cassavetes’ A Woman Under the Influence, the semi-fictionalised Nick Cave documentary 20,000 Days on Earth, Technicolour classic The Wizard of Oz, and David Lynch’s surreal thriller Blue Velvet.
