26TH SEPTEMBER 2024

IT’S AUTUMN, AND THAT FEELING FOR MOVIES ABOUT NEW YORK (BESIDES GILMORE GIRLS) IS BREWING. SO HERE IS A LIST TO ALL TASTES, WHICH IS A WITCHY MIX OF ROMCOMS, SHORT FILMS, TV SERIES, OSCAR PERFORMANCES, DARK COMEDIES, THRILLERS, DRAMAS, COMIC HEROES, MUSICALS  AND SPY MOVIES.

SO IT IS A LIST OF FILMS THAT TAKE PLACE IN NEW YORK (WHETHER IT’S THE CITY OR THE STATE). I TRIED TO GO AS LEAST EXPECTED AS I COULD.



NEW YORK STORIES (1989) DIR. BY MARTIN SCORSESE, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA & WOODY ALLEN

THREE COMPLETELY UNLIKE EACH OTHER STORIES FROM THE BIGGEST DIRECTORS OF THEIR TIME. YOU WILL ENJOY IT, I PROMISE. 


ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING (2021 – NOW) CREATED BY STEVE MARTIN & JOHN HOFFMAN

THREE PODCAST LOVERS UNCOVER MYSTERY KILLINGS IN THEIR BUILDING. A HUGE COMEBACK FROM A DUO OF STEVE MARTIN AND MARTIN SHORT. 


ARCENIC AND OLD LACE (1944) DIR. BY FRANK CAPRA

NOT QUITE BASED IN NEW YORK BUT IT IS A MUST-SEE, AND, FIRSTLY, BECAUSE IT’S ILLEGALLY HILARIOUS. THIS BLACK COMEDY IS BASED ON JOSEPH KESSELRING’S PLAY AND STARRING CARY GRANT.


MISTRESS AMERICA (2015) DIR. BY NOAH BAUMBACH

I COULDN’T DECIDE BETWEEN THIS ONE AND THE SQUID AND THE WHALE (2005) BUT DECIDED TOWARDS GRETA GERWIG, AS YOU MIGHT WANT TO WATCH FRANCES HA (2013) TOO. A VERY MILLENNIAL FILM ABOUT IDENTITY CRISIS IN NEW YORK CITY.


THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2004) DIR. BY WES ANDERSON

A CLASSIC THAT I COULDN’T AVOID TO MENTION. I ADORE GENE HACKMAN’S CHARACTER THERE. IN FEW WORDS, A CLASSIC ABOUT PARTICULAR FAMILY BUT AT THE SAME TIME TYPICAL FAMILY ISSUES. 


MOZART IN THE JUNGLE (2014 – 2018) DEVELOPED BY ROMAN COPPOLA, JASON SCHWARTZMAN, ALEX TIMBERS AND PAUL WEITZ

BASED ON MEMOIRS, 4 SEASONS ON AND OFF FOLLOWS A NEW YORK-BASED SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS IN THEIR CLASSICAL MUSIC LIFE. SPOILER, IT’S NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT.


NIGHT AND THE CITY (1992) DIR. BY IRWIN WINKLER

A REMAKE OF THE NOIR CLASSIC PLACES ROBERT DE NIRO AND JESSICA LANGE AS MAIN CHARACTERS THIS TIME IN NEW YORK CITY, STRUGGLING, OBVIOUSLY. 


MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS (2007) DIR. BY WONG KAR WAI

VERY WONG KAR WAI WITH SOME NORAH JONES GENTLENESS, WHILE STARTING AND FINISHING IN NEW YORK CITY’S BAKERY (SHOULD I ADD THAT THE BAKERY IS RUN BY JUDE LAW?).


FRIENDS (1994 – 2004) CREATED BY DAVID CRANE & MARTA KAUFFMAN

DO I EVEN HAVE TO MENTION ANYTHING? PROBABLY ONE OF THE COZIEST SHOWS TO (BINGE) WATCH IN AUTUMN.


RUSSIAN DOLL (2019 – 2022) CREATED BY NATASHA LYONNE, LESLIE HEADLAND AND AMY POEHLER

TAKING NEW YORKERS NATASHA LYONNE, CHLOE SEVIGNY AND GRETA LEE, THE TV SERIES TAKES US ON A MYSTICAL JOURNEY ACROSS NYC AT NIGHT.


MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969) DIR. BY JOHN SCHLESINGER

TO CONTINUE WITH OUR NIGHT JOURNEY, LET’S CAPTURE NEW YORK THAT OLIVIA LAING HAS WRITTEN ABOUT IN THE LONELY CITY, PRE-TIMES WHEN MIRANDA HAD TO MOVE OUT FROM MANHATTAN. A MASTERPIECE STARRING JOHN VOIGHT AND DUSTIN HOFFMAN. (COULD ALSO THINK OF MARATHON MAN (1976) IF YOU WOULD WANT TO CONTINUE YOUR FILM EVENING AFTER WATCHING THIS).


THE APARTMENT (1960) DIR. BY BILLY WILDER

BLACK-AND-WHITE ROMCOM (WITH A HINT OF DRAMA) STARRING JACK LEMMON AND SHIRLEY MACLAINE FOLLOWS AFTER-LIFE OF GOSSIPS IN A MANHATTAN-BASED OFFICE.


MOONSTRUCK (1987) DIR. BY NORMAN JEWISON

THREE OSCARS, INCLUDING BEST ACTRESS FOR CHER FOR BEING LORETTA AND CAPTURING ITALIAN AMERICAN ROMCON NEW YORK CITY. IF THERE WAS A BEST ROMCOM OSCAR, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BE THEIRS TOO.


BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961) DIR. BY BLAKE EDWARDS

BASED ON TRUMAN COPOTE’S NOVEL THAT DIVIDED HOLLYWOOD ON BEFORE AND AFTER, AND IS THE OG PROTO CHARACTER TO CARRY BRADSHOW. I DON’T THINK I HAVE TO TELL MORE, JUST OFTEN FORGET IT IS ACTUALLY BASED IN NYC TOO. 


THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975) DIR. BY SYDNEY POLLACK

AN ANTI SPY DRAMA OF THE NEW WAVE TIMES, STARRING ROBERT REDFORD. PROBABLY A PREDECESSOR OF THE BOURNE FILM SERIES.


THE NANNY DIARIES (2007) DIR. BY SHARI SPRINGER BERMAN

A NARRATED ROMCOM WITH SCARLETT JOHANSSON AS A NANNY IN AN UPPER EAST SIDE FAMILY, AND CHRIS EVANS AS HER NEIGHBOUR-SLASH-LOVE-INTEREST. THE FILM GIVES SOME STAPLES OF NEW YORK VIEWS, AND A GOOD CHOICE, IF YOU HAVE ALREADY WATCHED NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (2006) THIS YEAR AND DON’T WANT TO TAP INTO GOSSIP GIRL (2007 – 2012) JUST YET.


WONDER (2017) DIR. BY STEVEN CHBOVSKY

COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA BASED ON A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER (2012). THIS IS A HEARTWARMING STORY OF A KID AUGUST PULLMAN JOINING A NEW SCHOOL.


REAR WINDOW (1954) DIR. BY ALFRED HITCHCOCK

INFAMOUS CLASSIC WITH GRACE KELLY AND JAMES STEWART UNTAGNGLING A MYSTERY IN THEIR HOUSE BLOCK.


WEST SIDE STORY (1961) DIR. BY ROBERT WISE & JEROME ROBBINS

ANOTHER CLASSIC FROM THE BIG APPLE. A SOCIAL MUSICAL BASED OFF SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO & JULIET, STARRING AND SINGING BY NATALIE WOOD (AMONG OTHERS). 


CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999) DIR. BY ROGER KUMBLE

BASED ON ANOTHER CLASSIC NOVEL DANGEROUS LIAISONS, A BROTHER AND A SISTER FROM AN UPPER EAST SIDE FAMILY TOYING WITH PEOPLE IN THEIR CIRCLE AND NEVER GETTING CAUGHT. WELL, UNTIL THEY MEET ANNETTE, A NEW GIRL ON THE BLOCK.


HELLBOY (2004) DIR. BY GUILLERMO DEL TORO

BASED ON THE COMIC BOOK CHARACTER, THIS MYTHICAL AND MYSTERIOUS WORLD PORTRAYED BY THE GENIUS OF GUILLERMO DEL TORO, SO WE CAN SEE NEW YORK CITY IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT (PERHAPS, EVEN MORE EXCITING THAN GOTHAM’S).


27 DRESSES (2008) DIR. BY ANNE FLETCHER

A ROMCOM, I’M NOT GOING TO LIE. IT HAD TO BE HERE, AT LEAST ONE ROMCOM FROM THE 2000S BASED IN NYC HAD TO. SO I PICKED THIS ONE WITH KATHERINE HEIGL. ALSO, IT GETS ME EVERY TIME WONDERING, HOW DO YOU EVEN CAN GET TO BE A BRIDESMAID 27 TIMES?


DO THE RIGHT THING (1989) DIR. BY SPIKE LEE

A DEBUT OF SPIKE LEE AND AN AMAZING FILM CAPUTURES BLACK AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK CITY BEING ON EDGE WITH A LOCAL ITALIAN-OWNED PIZZERIA ON A FEW HOTS SUMMER DAYS. 


MEN IN BLACK (1997) DIR. BY BARRY SONNENFELD

JUST AS MUCH AS I HAD TO INCLUDE A ROMCOM, I ALSO JUST HAD TO PUT THIS ONE IN TOO. PART ONE IS MY FAVOURITE ONE SO I’D LIKE TO INCLUDE IT. JUST A HYPOTHETICAL STORY ABOUT A HYPOTHERICAL UNDERCOVER AGENCY IN NEW YORK CITY (THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE TRAFFIC, WOULDN’T IT).


CASTLE (2009 – 2016) CREATED BY ANDREW W. MARLOWE

IF YOU ARE IN THE MOOD FOR A LIGHT DETECTIVE VIBE AND WANT TO SEAT BACK AND IMMERSE INTO NYC, THIS SHOW IS FOR YOU. GAINED AN IMMENSE SUCCESS IN THE LATE 2010S, IT FOLLOWS A BESTSELLING WRITER RICHARD CASTLE SHADOWING A NYPD DETECTIVE KATE BECKETT FOR A CHARACTER STUDY. LIGHT JOKES, NICE SCENES AND SOME CHILLING SPEED IN THE STORIES ARE INCLUDED. 


APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR (2014) DIR. BY DESIREE AKHAVAN

A DEBUT BY A PERSIAN AMERICAN FILM DIRECTOR DESIREE AKHAVAN, PORTRAIYING A MILLENNIAL IN CRISIS, WITH SOME VIBES OF GIRLS (2012 – 2017) BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOT. 


TWO WEEKS NOTICE (2002) DIR. BY MARC LAWRENCE

ANOTHER ROMCOM FROM A GOLDEN AGE OF ROMCOMS WITH A KING AND A QUEEN OF ROMCOMS (HUGH GRANT AND SANDRA BULLOCK RESPECTIVELY), WHERE A VERY IDEALISTIC LAWYER TAKES ON A JOB FOR A WALL-STREET GUY. BUT THEN LOVE WINS AND GENTRIFICATION LOSES. 


LAST DAYS OF DISCO (1998) DIR. BY WHIT STILLMAN

SOME SAY A CULT, I’D SAY IT HAS TO BE HERE AS IT HAS A TRUE NEW YORKER GIRL CHLOE SEVIGNY (THE BEST 4EVER). PORTRAYING A REALITY OF THE 90S THAT CAME TO CHANGE THE DREAMINESS OF THE 80S, THE STORY FOLLOWS FLATMATES THAT ARE TRYING TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE CITY. 


SPIDER-MAN (2002) DIR. BY SAM RAIMI

I HAD TO INCLUDE THIS ONE (SORRY NOT SORRY, ANDREW AND TOM). AGAIN, ANOTHER NEW YORK CITY THAT CARVED ITS IMAGE IN THE HEARTS OF US ALL. THE PETER PARKER STORY (DO I EVEN HAVE TO ADD ANYTHING?!). ACTUALLY, IT ALSO CAPTURES NICE AUTUMN LEAVES IN SOME MOMENTS.


BROOKLYN 99 (2013 – 2021) CREATED BY DAN GOOR & MICHAEL SCHUR

A GREAT LAUGH AND SOME QUITE SARCASTIC JOKES ABOUT LIVING IN NYC, BROOKLYN 99 IS THERE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. 


THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004) DIR. BY ROLAND EMMERICH

THIS FILM DOESN’T FOLLOW ANY BEAUTIFUL SPOTS OF NYC RATHER SPECULATES AND PLACES THE CITY AS A SPOT FOR THE END OF THE WORLD EVENTS (NOT THE FIRST NOR THE LAST). IF YOU ARE IN THE MOOD FOR SOME CLIMATE TRADEGY (I THINK IT HAS TO BE A GENRE BY NOW), THEN THIS IS YOUR CHOICE.


THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE (2010) DIR. BY JON TURTELTAUB

A LIGHT AND A VERY DISNEY COMEDY STARRING NICHOLAS CAGE, PRE-MASSIVE TALENT FILM, AND ALFRED MOLINA. NICE CGI AND FUN JOKES FROM ANOTHER LEAD CHARACTER DAVE, PLAYED BY JAY BARUCHEL.


FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) DIR. BY WILLIAM FRIEDKIN

STARRING GENE HACKMAN, A CLASSIC NEO NOIR THRILLER THAT I HAD TO INCLUDE SINCE WE TALK NEW YORK. 



KICK ASS (2010) DIR. BY MATTHEW VAUGHN

ANOTHER LESS CULT BUT STILL CULT COMIC CHARACTER KICK ASS, WITH SOME GORE BITS, NICHOLAS CAGE, CHLOE GRACE MORITZ AND MATTHEW VAUGHN (OBVIOUSLY MASTERING IT FOR HIS KINGSMAN SAGA). (CONFESSION ALERT!) I WATCHED IT IN THE CINEMA AS A TEENAGER, FIRSTLY, FOR AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON.




Yours,
5TO9 FC TEAM

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT


CALLMBYFILM@GMAIL.COM