10 Cloverfield Lane (Horror)
Inspired by the psychological thrillers of previous generations, and particularly the works of Alfred Hitchcock in the late 50s and 60s, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a return to a more personal type of horror movie. After getting in a car accident, a woman wakes up to find she is being held in an underground bunker by two men who claim that the outside world has become uninhabitable due to a widespread chemical attack. Stuck underground, she must decide between trusting her possible kidnappers or take the risk of escaping into an apocalypse.
Design inspirations: Vertigo (1958), The Shining (1980), The Birds (1963), Day of the Dead (1985)
Everybody Wants Some!! (Comedy)
Inspired by the relatable coming-of-age comedies of directors like John Hughes and John Landis in the 70s and 80s, Everybody Wants Some!! is the spiritual successor to Linklater’s 1993 film Dazed and Confused. Set in 1980, a group of college baseball players navigate their way through the freedoms and responsibilities of unsupervised adulthood. Freshman pitcher Jake takes his first steps into his new life while searching for his current place in the world, surrounded by Linklater’s signature snappy dialogue and drenched in the nostalgia of the 80s.
Design inspirations: The Breakfast Club (1985), Annie Hall (1977), The Graduate (1967), Animal House (1978)
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Action-Adventure)
Inspired by classic family blockbuster franchises like Indiana Jones and Star Wars, J.K. Rowling returns to her Wizarding World in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Set in the midst of the historical 20s, audiences are introduced to the adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards, seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school. As this former Hogwarts student accidentally lets his magical creatures loose across New York City, he stumbles upon a sinister plot that he must stop.
Design inspirations: Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
Hell or High Water (Western)
Inspired by the countless classic westerns that dominated the American box office throughout the 50s and 60s, Hell or High Water brings the western genre and all of its recurring themes and characters to the 21st century. A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family’s ranch in West Texas. Constantly pursued by an aging Texas Ranger and his partner, this film causes its characters, as well as its audience, to question the line between crime and justice.
Design inspirations: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Butch Cassidy and the Ugly (1969), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), For a Few Dollars More (1964)
Hidden Figures (Drama)
Inspired by the familiar and colorful aesthetic of the early 60s, Hidden Figures tells a very unfamiliar story. The true story of a team of African-American women mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the US space program. Though it was kept out of the limelight for over 50 years, this film brings the life of physicist and mathematician Katherine Goble, and several other female black scientists, to mainstream attention, grossing $223 million worldwide and gaining three Oscar nominations.
Design inspirations: West Side Story (1961), Dr. Strangelove (1964), Amadeus (1984), Yojimbo (1961)
La La Land (Musical)
Inspired by the many classic musicals of Golden-Age Hollywood, La La Land is an ode to the styles, music and choreography of the 50s and 60s. With evident queues taken from the works of directors and actors like Gene Kelly and Judy Garland, this movie tells the simple story of a jazz pianist who falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. Though inspired by past films, writer and director Damien Chazelle contemporizes these themes to tell a modern and personal story that sticks with the audience throughout this tour of the musical genre’s greatest hits.
Design inspirations: Singin’ in the Rain (1952), Mary Poppins (1964), Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
Hacksaw Ridge (War)
Inspired by the long history of epic films based on the events of real wars, Hacksaw Ridge returns the war genre from mind-numbing action to a philosophically centered story of heroism and duty. WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot. This depiction of a true story puts humanity before violence and shows the many competing ideologies of wartime.
Design inspirations: Apocalypse Now (1979), Full Metal Jacket (1987), Platoon (1986), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Arrival (Science Fiction)
Inspired by the intense science fiction mysteries of the 70s and 80s, Arrival rejuvenates the familiar themes of dealing with extra-terrestrial beings in a completely contemporary and relevant manner. When 12 mysterious spacecraft suddenly appear around the world, linguistics professor Louise Banks is tasked with interpreting the language of the apparent alien visitors. With the pressure of world governments and militaries against her, Louise attempts to make an empathetic connection with a race with unclear intentions.
Design inspirations: Alien (1979), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Thing (1982)
The Nice Guys (Crime)
Inspired by the art and film styles of the 70s, The Nice Guys blends this distinct decade with a crime mystery grounded in film noir, creating an unlikely combination as surprisingly fitting as the film’s main characters. In 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star. Director Shane Black manages to weave together a mystery that’s as compelling as the film is hilarious, while fully utilizing the incredible chemistry between stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.
Design inspirations: Fargo (1996), Brick (2005), Pulp Fiction (1994), Chinatown (1974)
