DAZED AND CONFUSED
The perfect film about nothing and everything — stoned cruising, teenage ennui, and the sacred ritual of killing time. Every frame is a vibe, every line a t-shirt. Parker Posey of course steals every scene she’s in.
THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY
Sun-drenched deceit with boat shoes and perfect bone structure. It’s aspirational, tragic, and just very chic. The kind of movie that makes you want to run away to Italy and lie about who you are.
VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Javier Bardem plays “European man who ruins your life”. Need I say more?
BEFORE SUNRISE / SUNSET / MIDNIGHT
Three conversations stretched across three cities and eighteen years. These are the films you watch when you want to believe in soulmates, or at least in very good dialogue.
STRANGER BY THE LAKE
Cruising and murder — all set to the sound of cicadas. It’s erotic, eerie, and completely unbothered by your discomfort.
A BIGGER SPLASH
When you’ve overwatched Call Me By Your Name, this is the Guadagnino film to reach for. A modern reimagining of La Piscine—which, of course, is essential viewing in its own right—A Bigger Splash pulls you into a world of sun-soaked tension, desire, and complicated pasts set against the rugged beauty of Pantelleria. I’m endlessly charmed by the characters, the sensuality of the setting, and yes—I frequently find excuses to recreate the Beast of Burden dance scene in my own life.
TEMPEST
This film was my first portal to Greece. Watching John Cassavetes and a young Susan Sarandon embrace the simplicity of life on a deserted Greek island sparked an infatuation that grew into a lifelong love affair with the country. It captures that irresistible allure of escape, reinvention, and the raw beauty of the Mediterranean—planting the seed for my own dreams of island living long before I ever set foot there.
LIONS, LOVE (...AND LIES)
A hedonistic, free-spirited romp through the sun-drenched Hollywood Hills, this is Agnès Varda at her most playful and chaotic. It’s a celebration of art, pleasure, and rebellion—perfect for ushering in the spirit of summer with a little mischief and a lot of creative abandon.
LA COLLECTIONNEUSE
Many of Rohmer’s films embody the essence of summer, but La Collectionneuse stands out—even if it’s become something of a visual cliché for my personal brand (with good reason). Every frame feels effortlessly iconic, with scenes practically made for screenshots and a wardrobe of silhouettes you’ll find yourself chasing for a lifetime. There’s a hazy, dream-like quality to its hot, languid atmosphere that pulls me back again and again—an endless summer I never tire of revisiting.
A SWEDISH LOVE STORY
I first discovered this film as a teenager, and it left an imprint that’s never quite faded. It remains one of the most tender and visually charming stories I’ve encountered—a quiet, delicate portrayal of young love. There’s a softness to it that feels made for languid summer afternoons, the kind where you retreat indoors to escape the heat and let something gentle wash over you.
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
Setting the scene in dreamy 1980’s Brooklyn -- this one stirs up so much nostalgia for me. It’s one of my go-to comfort films whenever I’m feeling homesick. The writing and family dynamics are so funny, real and tender.
THE PASSENGER
I first saw this at MoMA many moons back and was moved by how Antonioni poignantly actualizes a landscape of existential drifting and the underlying cyclical nature of life. Nicholson and Maria Schneider are both magnetizing as they journey through uncertainty in a search for identity.
2046
In late summer, IFC will often host a Wong Kar Wai retrospective (a dream) where I’ll pop in to revisit some of my favorite films. 2046 is an extravagant sci-fi masterpiece of parallel lives, longing, and love. “Love is all a matter of timing. It’s no good meeting the right person too soon or too late.”
HOW TO SMELL A ROSE
One of my favorite documentary filmmakers of all time, Les Blank, visits and reveals the essence of the legendary Ricky Leacock on his farm in Normandy. It’s so beautifully simple; Blank captures basking in the warm glow of friendship and intertwines storytelling and cooking to sheer perfection.
BADLANDS
Sissy Spacek is otherworldly and Sheen is iconic as a handsome James Dean dead ringer. A hot summer fever dream that encapsulates a meditative sadness turned murderous rebellion. The shot of Spacek's dramatic eyeliner before they dance to Love is Strange outside of the treehouse lives in my head rent free as does the hauntingly jovial score.
SOY CUBA
A vivid work of poetic storytelling and the spirit of revolution. The nightclub scene with Los Diablos Melodicos singing Loco Amor is ravishingly soulful, it's worth watching for that alone.
THE BOOK EDIT
BIG SWISS BY JEN BEAGINThis book had me laughing so loud on a plane, that people were giving me the side eye. It's about a woman named Greta who lives in a small town and works as a transcriber, typing the dictation of a kooky sex therapist, and becomes wholly obsessed with a patient. So fucking great! Top pick.
THE LACUNA BY BARBARA KINGSOLVER
First, I must say that Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors. She was trained as a biologist and ecologist, and writes about the natural world in the most beautiful way. The Lacuna is an epic tale that weaves you into a time in Mexico City where you are at the table with Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo. There is love, lust, murder and big adventure. It is one of my favorite books of all time.
THE FIRST BAD MAN BY MIRANDA JULY
This book is a hilarious, weird, and wonderful tale about a middle aged woman named Cheryl who works in a women's self defense clinic. I will preface this by saying it is not at all like All Fours, but I am pretty sure I loved it more.
A SECRET HISTORY BY DONNA TARTT
This book is always on my most loved list, and one I revisit from time to time. This summer feels like a perfect moment to pull it off the shelf and immerse myself in the world of naughty collegiates and the deep and complicated trouble they have found themselves in.
THE WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLE BY HARUKI MURAKAMII haven't read this in so many years, but it was a definitive moment in my reading history. It was my first introduction to Murakami and changed the course of how and what I read.
EAST OF EDEN BY JOHN STEINBECK
Another book that I adore, I read this a million years ago on my honeymoon and it kept me transfixed from the first sentence. A classic for so many reasons and one that I'd love to revisit.
I picked this one up recently from the library. Everyone I know who has read it, says it's brilliant, it's up next.
I just received this in the mail from the book of the month club at Three Lives bookstore in New York (if you live there you must go, and please say hi for me!). From the dust jacket it looks like the perfect summer read that demands a beach chair, a cold drink and hours of uninterrupted time.
