Movies That are too Beautiful to Be Seen on the Big Screen

Cinematography is tough to judge on its own merits, because it can be hard to extract it from the other powers of great visual storytelling. At the same time, every beautiful movie shows the signature of a talented director of photography as much as a filmmaker

There are movies so perfect that they seemingly couldn't have been made by human beings. They bring us joy with their pure existence, take us away from our mundane troubles, inspire us, and give food to our starving imagination.

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Unlike many of the other films on this list, The Grand Budapest Hotel isn't a serious movie. In fact, it's beloved for its whimsy and wit. That's not to say the script and plotline aren't ambitious and gripping—it's just one of those movies you can literally watch on mute thanks to striking color palates, costumes, set designs, and cinematography. Director: Wes Anderson Cinematographer: Robert Yeoman Available on: Amazon Prime Video

2. Mudbound (2017)

Two families in 1940s Mississippi, one Black and one white, struggle to cultivate the unforgiving landscape around them, and their inner worlds. Cinematographer Rachel Morrison's work enhances the manual and emotional labor (and mud) with a color palette reminiscent of the Farm Security Administration photographers, writes one Time magazine review. Director: Dee Rees Cinematographer: Rachel Morrison Available on: Netflix

3. Moonlight (2016)

Not only is every shot indescribably striking, but Moonlight captures a sense of place unlike any other—feel the humidity rising in every shot, a nod to both the oppressive heat of Miami, Florida, but also the tension and oppression the protagonist experiences throughout the film. Grappling with issues of identity formation and belonging amid adversity, it follows Chiron as he grows up and navigates his sexuality, and finds mentorship and love from unconventional figures. Though there are many moments of heartbreak and alienation, Moonlight will leave you triumphant, thanks to the small gestures of empathy and revealing representations of all sorts of love, both romantic and sexual, parental and platonic, along with the challenge to establish self-love when we can't seem to find it externally. Director: Barry Jenkins Cinematographer: James Laxton Available on: Amazon Prime Video

4.Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)

In this film adaptation, Kyoto's entertainment district in 1930s, pre-war Japan teemed with tea houses where Geisha would help businessmen entertain clients, and carry on more intimate affairs. Memoirs of a Geisha follows one young girl's transformation from poor villager to Kyoto's most prized Geisha, which is revealed to viewers through layered cinematography. Within the tea houses, the film's goal was "to create a dark, veiled world that would gradually be revealed," writes The American Cinematographer. Director: Rob Marshall Cinematographer: Dion Beebe Available on: Amazon Prime Video

5.La La Land (2016)p

Chasing a dream has arguably never been more vibrant than the endlessly colorful musical numbers of La La Land. As if the camera were part of the score itself, we dance and sing alongside aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) and struggling jazz musician Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) through sweeping dance scenes and spotlighted solos, shot on location. Director: Damien Chazelle Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren Available on: Amazon Prime Video