Modern technology has both revitalized and created avenues for making movies in Hollywood. Thanks in large part to a move towards digital filmmaking, movies can now tell stories and depict visuals in a way that never have before. The green screen, for instance, as outlined byFilmmaker IQ, has allowed filmmakers like James Cameron to tell stories set in faraway planets. In fact, perSlash Film, Cameron had the idea forAvatarat the same time asTitanicbut chose to pursue the latter because the special effects industry in the 90s wasn’t capable of illustrating what he was imagining for Pandora.
Update August 19, 2025: This article has been updated with even more great films that have been shot on film, as well as some details on some upcoming releases for some high-profile releases shot on film.
More than anything, shooting a movie digitally is significantly cheaper than shooting on film. Of course, several filmmaking greats, like Quentin Tarantino, swear by shooting their movies on film. Additionally, we have seendirectors like Christopher Nolanfight to keep film alive in Hollywood, believing in the significance of the medium that digital techniques cannot emulate. While digital filmmaking has been on the rise in the past ten years, there are still plenty of filmmakers pushing for the use of film. 2023 will see some high-profile movies shot on film, including Martin Scorsese’sKillers of the Flower Moon, Bradley Cooper’sMaestro, and Yogo Lanthimos’sPoor Things. Here’s a look at the best modern movies shot on film.
15Zack’s Snyder Justice League (2021)
Say what you will about the Snyder Cut; we can’t deny the movie was a technical achievement that also fixed multiple issues brought on by the studiowhen they decided to tamper with Snyder’s visionfor theJustice League. Zack is a guy who knows a lot about visuals since that’s his main strength, so it’s no surprise his final cut of the Justice League looks gorgeous, even if his choice of display ratio is not exactly the best option. This movie was filmed in 4-Perf Super 35mm with an Arricam LT, ST, Arriflex 235, 435, and Red Monstro equipped with Panavision/Leica Summilux-C Primes and Canon Primes to achieve its glistening look.
14Interstellar (2014)
Classic movies shot on film will never die as long as Cristopher Nolan is alive. The director has become an ardent user of the IMAX format to tell his stories. Although challenging, the world he created forInterstellaris full of his trademarks, such as practical effects, giant sets,and very little use of CGI.
Related:Why Christopher Nolan is One of the Best Working Directors Today
Most of the wide shots in the film are natural locations captured by Nolan’s frequent collaborator, cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, using carefully crafted lighting to achieve the out-of-world feeling we get from the story. The movie was filmed entirely in 35 and 65mm using IMAX MSM 9802 cameras.
13The Old Man & The Gun (2018)
The Old Man & The Gunwas the much-hyped last Robert Redford film (before he showed up in a cameo inAvengers: Endgame), and like many films by David Lowery, likeGhost StoryandThe Green Knight, was shot on film.The Old Man & The Guncertainly uses it the best, as the movie is very much a throwback to the idea of the bank robber as an American folklore figure. This harkens back not only to the classic 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde but also to many of the early films of Robert Redford’s career. The use of film stock gives the movie the same vibe that a great vinyl record from the 1960s has on music.
12A Love Song (2022)
An often overlooked film,A Love Songis a beautifully intimate story about two childhood friends who reconnect years later after their spouses have passed away. The use of film stock as opposed to digital gives this story a more aged feeling, matching how time as moved on for the lead characters. The nature sequences are bright and overexposed, giving the film a home video feel that shines through to make it one of the most pleasant and heartwarming films in recent memory.
11Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Denis Villeneuve is one of the greatest filmmakers of our times, with compelling visuals matching the tones of the scripts he chooses to make. ForBlade Runner 2049, the director teamed up with frequent collaborator cinematographer Roger A. Deakins. They wanted to achieve the grainy, shadowy look of the first film while doing their own thingto indicate the passing of timeand the increasing power of the dystopian future where the story takes place. The movie was shot using a single Arri Alexa XT Studio camera with Zeiss Master Prime lenses in 16,14 and 32mm, to be later remixed in editing.
10Nope (2022)
Jordan Peele has been slowly evolving into the new master of horror for a new generation, but he remains faithful and committed to the old ways of filmmaking.Nopewas his last offering and latest team-up with frequent collaborator Daniel Kaluuya. To make the film an outstanding adventureworth the biggest screen you could find, he sought the assistance of Cristopher Nolan’s regular cinematographer, Hoyte van Hoytema, to get the right look for the film, which he shot in 65mm using IMAX MSM 9802 cameras.
9Inception (2010)
Inceptionwas released in 2010, directed by Nolan, and became a cultural phenomenon when it was released. The filmstars Leonardo DiCaprioin a leading role as a professional thief who steals information by invading his target’s subconscious. Nolan is a huge advocate for the continuation of using film in cinema, and the majority of the film is shot on either 35mm or 65mm. This is a hybrid filmmaking style that Nolan would become known for.
8Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)
Never Rarely Sometimes Alwaysis a drama about a teenage girl who seeks out an abortion in New York after finding out she cannot get one in her home state of Pennsylvania without her parent’s permission. She and her friend go to New York, and the film is both a takedown of the American medical system, but also a deeply moving character study about the pain a young girl must go through to get basic medical attention.
Related:These Films Need to Be Seen in a Movie Theater to Be Appreciated
In the film’s standout scene, star Sidney Flanigan is shot head-on in the abortion interview process. It never cuts, and the entire focus is on her, and shooting on film gives the entire procedure a more personal feel. The audience is asked to look into this young girl’s eyes as she begins to cry, and the choice to shoot on film makes it one of the most powerful scenes in any movie released this decade.
7The Fabelmans (2022)
Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film is as gorgeous as many of his other films, but one element that truly sells it is the decision to shoot the movie in KODAK 35mm, 16mm, and 8mm to display the various aspects of the evolution of filmmaking within the movie. The main storyline is told in 35mm while the movies in which the lead character Sammy Fabelman (the Steven Spielberg stand-in) are done with different film stocks that he would have had as a kid.The Fabelmansis both an emotional and technical triumph and shows that Spielberg is still one of the best.
6Little Women (2019)
The latest adaptation ofLittle Womenwas directed by Greta Gerwig and features an ensemble cast including Laura Dern, Florence Pugh, Saoirse Ronan, and Emma Watson. The film is set in the years following the civil war, following a group of sisters as they all move in different directions, whether emotionally, economically, geographically, or professionally, all the while trying to remain united. The movie received excellent reviews and the sentimental feeling is amplified by the stylistic choice of using 35mm film for key filming moments.
