Visually alluring films (Best Cinematography)
by reymond810 | created - 25 Jun 2011 | updated - 08 Sep 2018 | PublicMight not be the most talked about film ever made, but it is certainly beautiful.
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1. 300 (2006)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama
In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Votes: 864,778 | Gross: $210.61M
Epic!!
2. 300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
R | 102 min | Action, Drama
Greek general Themistocles of Athens leads the naval charge against invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy.
Director: Noam Murro | Stars: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, Hans Matheson
Votes: 316,045 | Gross: $106.58M
Very similar to the previous film
3. Sucker Punch (2011)
PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young girl institutionalized by her abusive stepfather retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy and envisions a plan to help her escape.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone
Votes: 252,884 | Gross: $36.39M
Another Snyder film that is simply magnificent to the eye.
4. The Machinist (2004)
R | 101 min | Drama, Thriller
An industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year begins to doubt his own sanity.
Director: Brad Anderson | Stars: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, John Sharian
Votes: 415,770 | Gross: $1.08M
Captivating.
5. Big Fish (2003)
PG-13 | 125 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying father's life.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange
Votes: 459,042 | Gross: $66.26M
Maybe not as elaborate as the others on the list, but the dreamy sense is great.
6. Alice in Wonderland (I) (2010)
PG | 108 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Nineteen-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway
Votes: 441,256 | Gross: $334.19M
Even in 2D, this movie looks beautiful.
7. Mirrormask (2005)
PG | 101 min | Drama, Fantasy
In a fantasy world of opposing kingdoms, a fifteen-year-old girl must find the fabled MirrorMask in order to save the kingdom and get home.
Director: Dave McKean | Stars: Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Rob Brydon, Gina McKee
Votes: 23,671 | Gross: $0.86M
Might not be the most talked about film, but it certainly is beautiful.
8. Sin City (2005)
R | 124 min | Crime, Thriller
An exploration of the dark and miserable Basin City and three of its residents, all of whom are caught up in violent corruption.
Directors: Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba
Votes: 794,008 | Gross: $74.10M
The few colors that appear on a black & white film are so alluring to the eye.
9. The Spirit (2008)
PG-13 | 103 min | Action, Crime, Fantasy
Rookie cop Denny Colt returns from the beyond as The Spirit, a hero whose mission is to fight against the bad forces in Central City.
Director: Frank Miller | Stars: Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jaime King
Votes: 62,851 | Gross: $19.78M
True, the movie sucks. But, it looks too much alike Sin City and so it had to be on the list.
10. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
R | 116 min | Drama, Horror, Musical
The legendary tale of a barber who returns from wrongful imprisonment to 1840s London, bent on revenge for the rape and death of his wife, and resumes his trade while forming a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall
Votes: 387,043 | Gross: $52.90M
Another Tim Burton film that is breathtakingly beautiful.
11. Max Payne (2008)
PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Coming together to solve a series of murders in New York City are a police detective and an assassin, who will be hunted by the police, the mob, and a ruthless corporation.
Director: John Moore | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Beau Bridges, Ludacris
Votes: 130,210 | Gross: $40.69M
Again, the same graphic novel type storytelling that is so beautiful.
12. Hellboy (2004)
PG-13 | 122 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A demon raised from infancy after being conjured by and rescued from the Nazis, grows up to become a defender against the forces of darkness.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, Selma Blair, John Hurt
Votes: 350,234 | Gross: $59.62M
Another movie that was a feast to the eye.
13. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth. Hellboy and his team must fight to stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, John Alexander
Votes: 286,064 | Gross: $75.75M
Same as above.
14. A Very Long Engagement (2004)
R | 133 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Tells the story of a young woman's relentless search for her fiancé, who has disappeared from the trenches of the Somme during World War One.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel, Jodie Foster, Dominique Pinon
Votes: 75,966 | Gross: $6.17M
The sepia stained visuals really made the eyes light up.
15. Micmacs (2009)
R | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A man and his friends come up with an intricate and original plan to destroy two big weapons manufacturers.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Dany Boon, André Dussollier, Nicolas Marié, Yolande Moreau
Votes: 31,272 | Gross: $1.26M
The sound aggrandized the visual beauty of this work of art.
16. Underworld (2003)
R | 121 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Selene, a vampire warrior, is entrenched in a conflict between vampires and werewolves, while falling in love with Michael, a human who is sought by werewolves for unknown reasons.
Director: Len Wiseman | Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Shane Brolly, Michael Sheen
Votes: 285,302 | Gross: $51.97M
The dark and gloomy setup was perfect for a vampire flick.
17. Underworld: Evolution (2006)
R | 106 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Picking up directly from the previous movie, vampire warrior Selene and the half werewolf Michael hunt for clues to reveal the history of their races and the war between them.
Director: Len Wiseman | Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Scott Speedman, Bill Nighy, Tony Curran
Votes: 209,292 | Gross: $62.32M
Same as above.
18. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
R | 92 min | Action, Fantasy, Thriller
A prequel centered on the origins of the centuries-old feud between the race of aristocratic vampires and their former slaves, the Lycans.
Director: Patrick Tatopoulos | Stars: Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Steven Mackintosh
Votes: 167,919 | Gross: $45.80M
Same as above.
19. The Lovely Bones (2009)
PG-13 | 135 min | Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
Centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from purgatory. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Rachel Weisz, Mark Wahlberg, Saoirse Ronan, Susan Sarandon
Votes: 179,988 | Gross: $43.82M
Though the entire movie was not a visual treat, the parts that were were enough to land this movie a spot on this list.
20. Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)
R | 98 min | Horror, Musical, Sci-Fi
A worldwide epidemic encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program similar in nature to a standard car loan. The repossession clause is a killer, however.
Director: Darren Lynn Bousman | Stars: Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Alexa PenaVega, Sarah Brightman
Votes: 26,555 | Gross: $0.14M
Very beautiful.
21. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
PG | 115 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Charlie, a young boy from an impoverished family, and four other kids win a tour of an amazing chocolate factory run by an imaginative chocolatier, Willy Wonka, and his staff of Oompa-Loompas.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, David Kelly, Helena Bonham Carter
Votes: 529,564 | Gross: $206.46M
I really find it hard to keep Tim Burton's films out of this list.
22. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
In a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick
Votes: 465,585 | Gross: $31.49M
The effects were very nice indeed.
23. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman
Votes: 331,024 | Gross: $45.51M
The sepia was the only thing good about this film.
24. The Book of Eli (2010)
R | 118 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A drifter fights his way across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic America while protecting a sacred book that holds the secrets to humanity's salvation.
Directors: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes | Stars: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, Gary Oldman
Votes: 339,548 | Gross: $94.84M
The film captured the post-apocalyptic feel perfectly.
25. Upside Down (I) (2012)
PG-13 | 109 min | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Adam and Eden fell in love as teens despite the fact that they live on twinned worlds with gravities that pull in opposite directions. Ten years after a forced separation, Adam sets out on a dangerous quest to reconnect with his love.
Director: Juan Solanas | Stars: Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst, Timothy Spall, Blu Mankuma
Votes: 73,949 | Gross: $0.10M
The movie was able to capture beautifully something which is not easy to visualize.
26. Coraline (2009)
PG | 100 min | Animation, Drama, Family
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, an 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders
Votes: 263,989 | Gross: $75.29M
Stop motion combined with the fantasy world makes this a visual treat.
27. Anna Karenina (I) (2012)
R | 129 min | Drama, Romance
In late-19th-century Russian high society, St. Petersburg aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the dashing Count Alexei Vronsky.
Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen
Votes: 106,587 | Gross: $12.82M
The movie was a disappointment, but that takes nothing away from the fact that the baroque setting and the spectacular way the scenes were blended together were easy on the eye.
28. Song of the Sea (2014)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Ben, a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world.
Director: Tomm Moore | Stars: David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan, Fionnula Flanagan
Votes: 63,151 | Gross: $0.86M
The traditional animation was simply a visual treat. Not only was this movie breathtakingly beautiful, it was also well made. One of those movies that I wish never ended. For all those people whining about the LEGO Movie not getting a nomination, this movie should have won it.
29. The Great Gatsby (2013)
PG-13 | 143 min | Drama, Romance
A writer and wall street trader, Nick Carraway, finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his mysterious millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby, amid the riotous parties of the Jazz Age.
Director: Baz Luhrmann | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire
Votes: 597,292 | Gross: $144.84M
I personally did not enjoy the film very much. However, I will not deny that this film was a visual treat.
30. Anomalisa (2015)
R | 90 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A man crippled by the mundanity of his life experiences something out of the ordinary.
Directors: Duke Johnson, Charlie Kaufman | Stars: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Noonan
Votes: 75,336 | Gross: $3.76M
Another stop motion movie to feast one's eyes on.
31. Hugo (2011)
PG | 126 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
In 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz, Christopher Lee, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 336,917 | Gross: $73.86M
The station and the city are beautifully captured.
32. The Greatest Showman (2017)
PG | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Musical
Celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
Director: Michael Gracey | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya
Votes: 311,753 | Gross: $174.34M
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