Long before selfies, Los Angeles was obsessed with capturing itself on camera. And no one knows how to use a camera like the people of LA. The great Los Angeles movie has been made time and time again. Sometimes, it’s practically a copy of a copy. But nearly a century after the first motion pictures were made, LA has yet to run out of new things to say about itself. That’s true love. We’re not going to set ourselves up by picking the 20 best Los Angeles movies. We’re just going to pick 20 films that do well in capturing facets of the city’s diverse spirit. Yes, we missed Beverly Hills Cop, Double Indemnity, Clueless, Point Break, Die Hard, Terminator 2, Boogie Nights, and the list goes on. We could write this blog 100 times in 100 different ways. But if you watch any of the movies on this list, it’s impossible to ignore the distinct essence of the city.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Director: Joel Coen
The characters in The Big Lebowski are so much larger than life, they almost dwarf the LA megalopolis. But in what other U.S. city could you expect to run into a trio of leather-clad nihilists outside the local bowling alley? This Los Angeles movie remains a beloved cult classic. And over 20 years later, its quotes still liberally pepper conversations. Thankfully, though, demand for White Russians has finally subsided.
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Director: Ramón Menéndez
Unlike most of the strong Latino-focused movies on this list, Stand and Deliver was rightfully recognized as a classic right out the gate. The Academy of Motion Pictures even nominated Edward James Olmos for a Best Actor Oscar. The film follows a teacher’s attempts to break through to children of working class Latino families stuck in a school system that’s failed them. The fact that it’s based on a true story only lends further power to this masterpiece.
Repo Man (1984)
Director: Alex Cox
Los Angeles punk rock was a different animal than what was happening in New York and the UK in the late ‘70s. It was leaner, weirder, and more colorful in its nihilism. Though Repo Man was released several years after LA’s first big punk wave, Alex Cox captured that whimsically aimless aggression with his debut. Job dissatisfaction, UFO cults, neutron bombs, and a disturbing lack of honor make slumming through its 92 minutes a real adventure. And one with plenty of rewatch potential. There’s even an LA River chase sequence… the gold standard of the Los Angeles movie experience.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
The problem with the Hollywood dream machine is that it’s a real place. And that means bad things can happen. Quentin Tarantino’s latest offering of revisionist history attempts to right one of Hollywood’s most notorious wrongs. And for at least a few shocking minutes, we get the most violent “happily ever after” committed to celluloid. The fantasy of what could have been juxtaposed with the reality of what happened creates a tear-inducing cap to a love letter in motion.
The Big Sleep (1946)
Director: Howard Hawks
Los Angeles is the birthplace of film noir, often fueled by the literary works of hard-boiled detective novelists like Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain, and Dashiell Hammett. As one of the first examples of film noir, The Big Sleep examined LA’s seedy underbelly instead of its glittering promises and fantasies. While the movie initially confused audiences, it introduced enduring tropes like the femme fatale, the cynical lead, and a seething den of vice and duplicity. These themes may have appeared in film before. But The Big Sleep presented them with such impact that contemporary Hollywood is still coasting on the inertia.
La La Land (2016)
Director: Damien Chazelle
Even considering this city rightfully loves itself, you’ll struggle to find a Los Angeles movie as hyper-romanticized as 2016’s La La Land. Two cute-as-a-button Angelenos sing, dance, make love, and break hearts through picturesque backdrop after picturesque backdrop. And even when things aren’t going so swell, they never pause to wipe the stardust from their eyes. Is it an accurate portrayal of life in LA? Not really. But for those who love the city (and can tolerate a musical), it scratched an itch that few other films could reach.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Director: David Lynch
Chances are good that you’ll have no idea what’s happening in Mulholland Drive. Chances are also good that this Los Angeles movie will leave you feeling profound dread and sadness regardless. The film loosely presents a story about the dangerous forces waiting in the wings when we keep our eyes so focused on our guiding star that we fail to realize we’ve completely wandered carelessly off our life’s path.
Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Director: John Singleton
While gangsta rap made Compton a household name, it was Boyz n the Hood that gave us the tale in full cinematic color. John Singleton’s unflinching look at gang life in South Central LA showed the beating heart buried in the warzone. While walkmen from the inner city to the suburbs were blasting West Coast beats and bars, Singleton showed us this wasn’t an act. For many residents of South Central, this was a day in the life.
Drive (2011)
Director: Nicholas Winding Refn
If there’s one thing virtually every Angeleno understands, it’s sitting behind the wheel of a car. Too bad we all can’t look like Ryan Gosling while doing it. This sleek-and-sexy action movie captures the nocturnal cityscape of downtown LA with a glossiness that contrasts stunningly against its white knuckle (and brutal) moments. For at least 3 months after this film’s release, the entire city bumped Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” as their driving soundtracks. They also drove like maniacs, but that can’t really be blamed on the movie.
Blood In Blood Out (1993)
Director: Taylor Hackford
So many Los Angeles movie lists are remiss in neglecting to include the strong cinematic offerings capturing life in East LA. One of the strongest examples of this is Blood In Blood Out; a gritty depiction of eastside gang life that earns its cult status. For a lot of kids growing up in East LA neighborhoods, the prison scenes alone created stronger cautionary vibes than any Victory Outreach guest skit at their local Sunday school. Hackford’s warnings resonated with underprivileged Chicanos struggling against a system stacked against them. But today, its messages and cinematic power are recognized far outside the community.
Collateral (2004)
Director: Michael Mann
Collateral’s story of an assassin (Tom Cruise) hijacking a cabby (Jamie Foxx) for some late night work would be fascinating in any city. But the film takes on a new depth when spread across the sprawling City of Angels. The film boasts perhaps one of the most understated yet relatable moments in Los Angeles movie history. Amidst the tension of the evening, both the captive cab driver and the hitman pause to watch in wonder as a coyote prowls through the urban night. What Los Angeles resident hasn’t done the same?
Less Than Zero (1987)
Director: Marek Kanievska
A frankly substandard adaptation of a classic Bret Easton Ellis novel, Less Than Zero is still an integral Los Angeles movie in that it boldly displays the excess and plasticity of the ‘80s. We’re introduced to teen characters with few redeeming qualities and even fewer boundaries. While the novel’s cold detachment is replaced with Hollywood melodrama, Less Than Zero still paints a bleak picture of “the good life”. And all against a backdrop of illuminated Beverly Hills mansions.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Director: Curtis Hanson
Curtis Hanson’s cinematic take on James Ellroy’s L.A. Confidential proved the world would still embrace noir in the ‘90s. Instead of simply rehashing a tried-and-true formula, L.A. Confidential examined the psychology of its characters. The sultry seduction, obscured criminal elements, and callous setting were all still there. But with the curtain pulled back on character motivation, audiences were invited to probe the deeper mysteries of the human psyche.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Director: Amy Heckerling
Written by Cameron Crowe, Fast Times at Ridgemont High looks like a comedy on the surface. This makes it all the more surprising when it takes a deep dive into dramatic topics that leave you thinking long after the credits roll. The film follows a group of teens attending high school in the San Fernando Valley in the early ‘80s. It’s basically that era of the ‘80s that’s so early, it kind of feels like the ‘70s. We join them as they spar with strict teachers, fall victim to vaguely charismatic sleazebags, and scour a plastic wonderland of labyrinthine shopping malls. Director Amy Heckerling would later bring us Clueless. You could consider Fast Times… its older, more messed up sibling. Yet, this is a Los Angeles movie so redolent with nostalgia, that its rewatch value is through the roof. And, yes, much to Sean Penn’s chagrin, it also gave the world Jeff Spicoli.
Swingers (1996)
Director: Doug Liman
A lot has changed in Hollywood since the ‘90s. But as quintessential Los Angeles movie Swingers illustrates, some things are shockingly similar. The struggles to make it big in the entertainment industry. The post-club diner crawls. The feeling of being surrounded by familiar faces yet completely alone. Yet the script, written by a young Jon Favreau, presents all of this without pulling us down with predictable heaviness. Rather, we’re just seeing a fragment of an ongoing story, pregnant with hope, uncertainty, and poor decisions that are occasionally rewarded. And in LA, all you need is a little luck to get you to your next big dream.
Mi Vida Loca (1993)
Director: Allison Anders
1993 was a big year for classic Chicano cinema. Mi Vida Loca not only captured a pre-gentrified Echo Park, but also presented it through the feminine perspective. The definitive chola film follows Mousie and Sad Girl as they struggle to keep their head up amidst unplanned pregnancies, poverty, and the seemingly all-consuming gang life. Keep it in mind the next time you line up for the Echo Park Lake swan boats.
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Director: Billy Wilder
It’s not the only film noir on our list. Nor is it the only tale of insatiable Hollywood starlust. But amazingly, Sunset Boulevard depicts the essence of old Hollywood best when shut away in a shadowy mansion much like the film’s lead (Gloria Swanson). Most of the films on our list make use of breathtaking cinematic establishing shots. But there’s no question where Sunset Boulevard takes place, regardless of the title or city shots. You feel the city’s dark side in every stifling shadow of the dusty mansion.
Licorice Pizza (2021)
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Yes, Paul Thomas Anderson has made a better movie that was probably even more focused on Los Angeles. That would be Boogie Nights. But since this list has few contemporary offerings, we decided to include last year’s Licorice Pizza instead. It’s a largely aimless nostalgia romp aiming to capture valley life in the late ‘70s. And it does this swimmingly. Are there problematic moments? Sure. Does it have a clear plotline? Not really. Does it seem to last forever? You bet. But it also has its fair share of fun moments, laughs, and sincere charm. And since we can never go back to the valley of 1976 (and maybe wouldn’t want to), Licorice Pizza at least lets us visit. .
Blade Runner (1982)
Director: Ridley Scott
Remember Los Angeles in 2019? The constant acid rain, skyscrapers belching fire into the night, and murderous androids hiding among the population? You don’t remember that? Well, you would if you watched Blade Runner. Ridley Scott’s vision-by-way-of-Philip-K.-Dick of a futuristic LA cityscape stands as one of the most stunning sci-fi films committed to celluloid. It’s also the most enduring Los Angeles movie in the sci-fi genre. While this neo-noir vision of the future didn’t come to pass, Blade Runner is still distinctly flavored by the LA experience. And even with so much of it obscured by rain and shadow, you always know exactly where it’s set.
Chinatown (1974)
Director: Roman Polanski
A masterpiece film about odious subject matter from an equally odious director, Chinatown left audiences disturbed. And probably still continues to do so. This Los Angeles movie uses lots of footage from the titular neighborhood. Then there’s also the memorable image of Jack Nicholson rowing a boat across Echo Park Lake. With LA in the midst of a historic drought, the water wars depicted in Chinatown are more relatable than ever. It’s also frequently regarded as one of the best scripts written in the history of cinema.
