Art and Culture: 10 Must-See Films

“Frida” (2002)

This is the true story of Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera, the larger-than-life painters who became the most acclaimed artists in Mexican history, and whose tempestuous love affair, landmark journeys to America, and outrageous personalities made them legendary. 

The film vividly portrays the life of Frida Kahlo, focusing on her tumultuous personal and creative journey, rather than her political beliefs. Shot in vibrant colors that mirror Frida’s own artwork, the film delves into the profound pain that shaped her life and art. It beautifully illustrates how Frida’s suffering fueled her creativity, making her art a powerful reflection of her inner world. ‘Frda’ is a visually stunning film that delves into the motivations behind Kahlo’s work, illustrating how her unique life shaped her art and how life’s trials can inspire profound artistic expression.

“The Monuments Men” (2014)

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, this action drama focuses on a World War II unit known as The Monuments Men, who are tasked with going into Germany to rescue artistic masterpieces from German thieves and return them to their rightful owners. Bringing together museum directors, art historians, curators and an architect, it seems to be an impossible mission: with the art trapped behind enemy lines, and with the German Army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell. But as the Monuments Men found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.

“The Goldfinch” (2019)

The Goldfinch tells the highly realistic story of a young man, Theo, who lives in New York with his mother. After getting into trouble for smoking at school he avoids punishment, his mother taking him to an art museum instead. Tragically, terrorists bomb the museum, killing his mother, and – in the chaos – Theo ends up stealing his mother’s favorite painting, The Goldfinch, by an obscure Dutch master. As the boy recovers from his loss, he settles in with a new family, and eventually gets mixed up with high-end art forgers and wild teenagers. 

Although the stolen painting initially seems to play a minimal role in the development of the plot, it emerges in the background as a symbol for Theo’s memories of trauma, his love for his mother, and the emotional significance of art in people’s lives.

“Big Eyes” (2014)

The film begins with painter Margaret Keane leaving her husband and moving to San Francisco with her daughter to start a new life. There, she meets Walter, an aspiring artist, who begins displaying their art at a local eatery. But as Margaret’s pieces prove more popular, he is quick to take credit for them. When Margaret catches him in this lie, Walter argues that buyers would never purchase a painting from a woman, and Margaret, reluctantly agreeing, sets the course for the unfolding story. Even when her paintings become widely admired, Margaret keeps their true authorship from everyone in her life, including her young daughter. This dishonesty weighs her down, and the artistic success that should have brought her happiness turns into shame. Her entire life is drained of joy, leaving her reduced to a heartless robot working on “Big Eyes”, while Walter mingles with celebrities and takes all the credit. However, when financial success clashes with critical failure, Margaret decides to break free from the lies and reclaim her name and her paintings.

“Girl with a Pearl Earring” (2003)

Adapted from a work of fiction by author Tracy Chevalier, the film tells the story of various events surrounding the creation of the painting “Girl With a Pearl Earring” by 17th century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. 

Griet is employed as a maid in the house of Johannes Vermeer, striking an unlikely friendship with the painter and secretly becoming his assistant. It’s in Vermeer’s home that Griet discovers she shares a passion for color, shape, illusion and light with the Dutch master. What develops, however, soon goes far beyond art, and the painter’s interest in his new maid becomes an obsession. 

“Velvet Buzzsaw” (2019) 

Velvet Buzzsaw offers a bold, brutal, and satirical look into the corrupt world of high art, aiming to reveal the superficiality and materialism that drive it. The film follows Morf Vandewalt, a pretentious art critic whose career thrives on ruthless critiques. When his equally ambitious friend Josephina discovers a collection of stunning and terrifying paintings in her deceased neighbor’s apartment, she steals them and brings them to Morf to be sold. Morf, impressed and moved by the work, shows them to gallery owner Rhodora Haze, who quickly showcases them. The paintings become a huge success, but soon after, strange and violent accidents start happening to those associated with the art. Morf recognizes a pattern and begins to suspect that the paintings are coming to life and killing those who exploit them. This satirical horror film explores the dark side of the art world, highlighting the greed and shallowness of the industry.

“Loving Vincent” (2017)

The film follows Armand Roulin, the twenty-something son of the bushy-bearded postman whom van Gogh painted so memorably. It is a year after the painter’s suicide and postman Joseph Roulin asks his son to travel to Paris in order to deliver Vincent’s final letter to his brother, Theo. Armand has reservations about doing this, but goes looking for Theo van Gogh, learning more about the painter’s life and his relationship with his brother in the process. After he discovers that Theo has also died, Armand quickly decides that he must travel to Auvers, where Vincent died, in order to deliver the letter to a friend with whom Vincent was close in his final months. Most of the film develops there and the story of the artist and his suicide is slowly explored through the different characters that interact with him.

“Museum Hours” (2012)

The film introduces us to Johann, a security guard at Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum, who seems as ordinary as any overlooked guard in a gallery. One winter he meets Anne, a visitor in Austria for a family emergency, who – with little money and no direction – finds solace in the museum. Despite initial hesitation, Johann offers help, their connection leading them to explore their own lives, the city, and the way artwork can reflect and shape daily encounters. The film creates a unique, richly rewarding journey, questioning the true value of the museum experience and challenging viewers to embrace art and life with an open mind.

“Midnight in Paris” (2011)

Our main character’s name is Gil and he’s a successful Hollywood screenwriter on a trip to Paris with his fiancé and her conservative family. Becoming obsessed with writing a book to follow his original aspirations of being a true writer, Gil discovers a way to travel back to 1920s Paris each night, where he meets his literary idols like Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein, who help him find his voice as a writer. As he develops a new life each night in 1920s Paris, the time he wanted to inhabit his whole life, he ends up falling in love with the past. 

The film explores the theme of nostalgia and captures the universal longing for a different time, ultimately reminding us to embrace the present.

“The Square” (2017)

A renowned art curator at a prestigious Stockholm museum finds himself in the midst of both professional and personal turmoil while trying to launch a controversial new exhibit. Christian is the respected curator of a contemporary art museum, a divorced but committed father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next show is “The Square”, an installation designed to encourage altruism and remind people of their responsibility to one another. But sometimes, it is difficult to live up to your own ideals: Christian’s foolish response regarding the theft of his phone drags him into a series of embarrassing situations. Meanwhile, the museum’s PR agency has created an unexpected campaign for “The Square”. The response is overblown and sends Christian, as well as the museum, into a deep existential crisis.