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Sophia Lillis names her favourite movie of all time
Making an almost immediate ascendence to cultural prominence, the young American actor Sophia Lillis starred in her first film less than a decade ago, yet now she’s preparing to collaborate with some of the greatest minds of modern cinema.
Her first proper screen appearance came in the dark drama 37, directed by Puk Grasten, before she was quickly picked up to star in the high-profile horror adaptation of the Stephen King novel, It. Inspired by Stranger Things, the film featured some of the most burgeoning young actors, with Lillis joining Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard, Wyatt Oleff, Jack Dylan Grazer and Jeremy Ray Taylor.
Since then, she’s appeared with Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson in the HBO show Sharp Objects, the film adaptation of the book series Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, the comedy Uncle Frank and the horror flick Gretel & Hansel. Throughout each project, Lillis has demonstrated her charm and enthusiastic dedication to the craft, making her one of the most sought-after young stars.
Much like her co-stars of the Stephen King horror adaptation, Lillis has amassed a loyal following of fans who were intrigued to discover her favourite movie when she sat down to discuss the subject with Issue Magazine.
Though she makes two picks, one is more of a broad selection, as she goes for “(almost) any Bill Murray movies”. A lover of the iconic American comedian and actor, presumably, it is the likes of Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and Scrooged that Lillis loves, rather than the less beloved likes of The Monuments Men, Garfield and Charlie’s Angels.
However, the one movie she names outright is Last Year at Marienbad, a peculiar monochrome mystery by the French filmmaker Alain Resnais. Starring Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi and Sacha Pitoëff, the film is known as one of the greatest European arthouse flicks of all time.
An obscure French New Wave movie, Last Year at Marienbad is known for its meticulous design and unconventional narrative that has inspired the likes of Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch and Peter Greenaway with its unique cinematic language. Even further afield, in the world of fashion, Marc Jacobs and Diane von Furstenberg have also expressed their love for the idiosyncratic French film.
It’s certainly an unexpected movie for Lillis to pick, though the young actor was brought up on European cinema, in particular Italian neo-realism, so the finest arthouse films are nothing new for her.
Lillis’ career is due to reach even greater heights in the near future, with her next project being the Wes Anderson movie Asteroid City, where she’ll appear beside Margot Robbie, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Scarlett Johansson and many more.
