David Lowery names his five favourite movies of all time
The American filmmaker David Lowery is part of the school of A24 filmmakers that have risen to prominence in the past decade or so, joining the likes of Ari Aster, Robert Eggers and the Safdie brothers. Whilst this trio of names is much celebrated in the industry, Lowery doesn’t get the same level of love, despite having made some of the most interesting and innovative movies of recent years.
After having helmed a great number of short films in the early 2000s, as well as his feature debut, St. Nick, in 2009, Lowery made his first major release in 2013 with Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, starring Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara. A distinctive debut, the film allowed Lowery to collaborate with Disney three years later for their live-action adaptation of Pete’s Dragon, with the director gaining some much-needed industry exposure.
Still, it wasn’t until after his work with Disney that the director would truly come into his own, making the stunningly atmospheric drama A Ghost Story with A24 in 2017, which would establish the director as a fearless creative. Such was proven years later when he took on the mediaeval epic The Green Knight, crafting a magnificent vision that helped to elevate his eclectic filmography.
Thanks to his high-profile collaborations, Lowery has gained a strong indie following, leading to the director being interviewed with Le Cinéma Club, where he revealed his five favourite movies of all time.
Choosing a range of controversial picks, Lowery starts with a bang by naming Vincent Gallo’s Brown Bunny as a favourite. “Male ego, profoundly self-flagellated! This is such a work of in-spite-of-its-self-ness that it achieves an untowards level of sincerity,” Lowery exclaimed of the movie that tells the story of a motorcycle racer who meets a young woman who cures his loneliness.
Elsewhere, Lowery turns his attention to a bonafide classic, choosing Satyajit Ray’s 1955 classic Pather Panchali. “The restoration of this film came along right when I needed to be reminded of the difference between simplicity and minimalism,” Lowery said of the movie that follows a priest dreaming of a better life for his family, “This one (and its follow-ups) are as simple as can be and as full to bursting as a movie can get”.
The last of his most interesting choices comes in the form of the highly underrated 2013 romance Stranger By The Lake by director Alain Guiraudie. “I think about this film all the time. It has a real nice shape to it,” Lowery says of the LGBTQ+ award winner, “The final shot is a terrifying portent, but for some reason, I find it oddly hopeful. It’s a useful jumping-off point when I’m thinking about what I want people to get out of my own movies”.
Take a look at the full list of David Lowery’s favourites below.
David Lowery’s favourite movies:
- The Brown Bunny, Vincent Gallo, 2003
- Orlando, Sally Potter, 1992
- Pather Panchali, Satyajit Ray, 1955
- Personal Shopper, Olivier Assayas, 2016
- Stranger By The Lake, Alain Guiraudie, 2013
