40 must-watch movies to consider yourself a film buff

The Virgin Suicides (1999)

The directorial debut of director Sofia Coppola, The Virgin Suicides changed the aesthetic of how young girls were marketed and perceived in movies. Telling the story of the five Lisbon sisters living in 1974 Michigan, Coppola’s camera shows the way women think about men, and each other.

Much of what would define Coppola’s aesthetic is on display here, from her penchant for in your face musical cues, to a highly feminized color palette that feels completely distinct and freeing.

The cast assembled is fantastic, particularly Kirsten Dunst as the main sister, Lux Lisbon. Considered the “still point of the turning world” for the men in her orbit, Lux becomes the figurehead to the neighborhood boys who seek to understand her, and, thus, all women.

Coppola uses the film to deconstruct the nature of female identity and how it’s often co-opted by men who perceive women to be a great unsolved mystery. It’s a subject Coppola would explore in later features, with her most recent film, The Beguiled, acting as a spiritual sequel to this movie. It’s just as relevant and well-made now as it was back in 1999.

Where to Watch It: Stream it now via Starz or rent it on Google Play, PlayStation, and YouTube.