Mikey Madison’s 10 favourite movies of the 21st century
There was perhaps nothing more wonderful than watching Mikey Madison’s colossal sweep during the awards season that followed Anora, with her electric performance as a New York stripper being described as a modern-day Disney story of class struggle and the American dream.
After hustling since a teenager with roles in Scream and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the actor soon found her own fairy-tale ending after winning the coveted Academy Award for ‘Best Actress’, as well as winning a Bafta and the honour of becoming the most sought-after actor in Hollywood.
But to make such bold choices at such a young age would imply exceptional cinematic taste and knowledge, something that the actor has demonstrated through her ten picks for the collaborative list curated by the New York Times on the greatest movies of the 21st century, to which Madison has added her own favourites into the mix.
There is perhaps no film as joyful and life-affirming as Almost Famous, something that Madison no doubt recognises by adding it to the top of her list. The coming-of-age film set against the backdrop of the rock and roll scene in the 1970s makes it a feast for the senses in every way, with perfect needle drops and moving moments as William reckons with the price of being ‘cool’. Also along the growing up vein of cinema, Madison included the controversial film Blue is the Warmest Colour, a sexual coming-of-age film that was met with backlash after the extreme methods used by the director in filming the intimate scenes, something that perhaps Madison can empathise with after being met with scrutiny for not using an intimacy coordinator during Anora.
Anora is first and foremost a love story, with Madison adding one of the ultimate love stories to her list – Before Sunset. While some prefer the optimistic innocence of the first movie, Before Sunset is a glorious feat of filmmaking that captures the way our youthful perspective of the world is lost as we grow older and the effect this has on our relationships. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is another great love story, with the relationship between a painter and her subject becoming one of the greatest triumphs in Celine Sciamma’s filmography and an excellent exploration of what it means to observe and be observed.
In a slight curveball from Madison, she added Mad Max: Fury Road to her list, the famously troubled production that has claimed the sanity of many of its lead actors, including Charlize Theron. Regardless of this, it is revered as one of the most visceral and accomplished iterations of the post-apocalyptic action genre, even if the actors might have less-than-fond memories of the production. She also included a film from fellow co-star Yura Borisov, Captain Volkonogov Escaped, a Russian action film that follows a well-respected captain who is suddenly deemed a criminal, trying to escape before being wrongly punished.
The actor picked a project from Woody Allen’s filmography, including the 2008 film Vicky Christina Barcelona, as well as another controversial Mubi release, The Girl With The Needle. The WWII horror was a favourite for many at the recent Academy Awards, despite being one of the worst films I had the displeasure of watching this year.
And finally, it wouldn’t be a list from Madison if she didn’t include a film or two from her beloved collaborator Sean Baker, boldly adding both Tangerine and The Florida Project to her list. Tangerine was a huge accomplishment within the indie filmmaking scene after Baker shot it on an iPhone 4, making the art form more accessible and adding to the authenticity of the story. The Florida Project is perhaps one of the most celebrated from his filmography, with the nostalgic yet disturbing tale of the kids living on the outskirts of Disneyland becoming a clear emblem of his style and the themes he cares about most.
Mikey Madison’s 10 favourite movies
- Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe, 2000)
- Blue is the Warmest Colour (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013)
- Before Sunset (Richard Linklater, 2004)
- Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Celine Sciamma, 2019)
- Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, 2015)
- Captain Volkonogov Escaped (Natalya Merkulova, Alexey Chupov, 2021)
- Vicky Christina Barcelona (Woody Allen, 2008)
- Girl with the Needle (Magnus von Horn, 2024)
- Tangerine (Sean Baker, 2015)
- The Florida Project (Sean Baker, 2017)
