If you ever find yourself with a lot of time to drain, put up a good movie to watch or simply flick through Netflix to keep yourself company. No idea what to watch? We got you.
If you’re into architectural designs or home building, an architecture student, or a lover of design—interior or exterior—there are a lot of movies to stream to find inspiration and take different perspectives while keeping yourself visually entertained.
Without further ado, here are six great movies that are accompanied by equally amazing architectural designs you have your eyes to feast upon.
The Great Gatsby (2013)
Baz Luhrmann’s marvelous adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel of the same name. If you’re searching for inspiration or want a glitz and glamour type of film with a strong 1920s vibe to watch, The Great Gatsby is your perfect choice.
From Nick Carraway’s humble yet welcoming home to Gatsby’s grandiose parties and grand mansion, you’ll love the set pieces and design in this. It’s so good that the movie earned a Best Production Design nod at the 2014 Academy Awards.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Wes Anderson is no stranger to aesthetic set pieces, beautifully contrasted interiors, oddly charming characters and fashion style, and overall, visually appealing films. The Grand Budapest Hotel arguably showcases the best exterior and interior design among his films. Its award for Best Production Design at the 2015 Oscars is proof to this.
The Grand Budapest Hotel we actually see in the movie was an invented imaginary building. It, however, was inspired by an abandoned building in Germany called the Görlitz Warenhaus Department Store. The exterior design of the hotel also draws inspiration from the Karlovy Vary Palace Bristol Hotel, in the Czech Republic. Needless to say, the output was an iconic hotel that anyone can easily recognize.
Blade Runner (1982)
This neo-noir SciFi film is one of the best films that came out of the genre. It’s ingrained in every screen junkies’ mind. It gained a large following and was well-received by the critics that years later, in brought us Blade Runner 2049 (2017), another masterpiece in its own right.
Blade Runner paints the relationship between film and industrial landscape designs with just the right light-handed strokes. The futuristic visual style buffet in this movie is something those who practice architecture should never miss.
Lost in Translation (2003)
This film from director Sofia Coppola is widely known for the setting—Tokyo—and how beautiful the location translates to screen. The urban city and its aesthetic is a fulfilling background for the story. If you’re missing or curious about Tokyo, this is the film to stream.
High-Rise (2015)
Based on a novel of the same name, the story centers on a 1975 era apartment tower that, in hindsight, serves as a symbol of society’s class system. As expected, it turns into a hostile tower with people, the lower class and repressed, fight for themselves.
The film showcases an intimidating-looking apartment building with visually pleasing interiors. This one tackles more than what meets the eye. It depicts how architecture can transform the lives of the people living in it.
Columbus (2017)
Written and directed by Kogonada, and starring John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson, the film currently sits with 98% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, a rare high-grade for films these days. The film sets in Columbus, Indiana. One of the best places that boast fantastic and innovative architectural design in America.
Columbus delves into responsibility and family themes. The story unrolls as the cinematography showcases the architectural beauty in the background. So much so that in some scenes, it steals the spotlight from the stars.
These are only a few of the many movies that wonderfully exhibits architectural designs. If you know and want to suggest others, comment and discuss it with us down below!
About the author: Chie Suarez spends her downtime pinning home decor finds on Pinterest. She also writes for Wincrest Bespoke, a home builder in Sydney that is created for those who seek more than just a luxury home.