Top 7 Iconic Art Movies All Visual Artists Should Stream When Bored

LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – I’m going to share a few movies with you that you should stream if you’re a visual artist, especially when you’re bored.

Many of the movies you can watch right now are inspirational, artistic, and entertaining, with excellent production elements like production design, cinematography, etc.

They range from period dramas examining the lives of famous painters to exploratory documentaries to drama, horror, comedy, and romance films centered around artists and artworks.

I’ve included my top seven iconic movies that I believe every artist should stream as soon as they feel uninspired or bored.

Therefore, let’s jump right into the list. In reality, the first film on the list is a documentary dubbed “Finding Vivian Maier.” The subject of this documentary, Vivian Maier, worked as a nanny in America during the 60s and 70s.

Not until after her passing in the late 2000s did a man by the name of Jeff Maloof discover all of her photographs and film negatives in an auction

In search of Maier’s background and how it affected her photography, he continued to pursue the rest of her story.

Maloof’s questions were, “Why did she shoot over 150,000 photos, most of them from a box camera that she always carried around her neck and could surreptitiously use to capture her subjects? Why did she never show her work to anyone? And what’s the point of taking so many photos if no one sees them?.” Nevertheless, after his discovery, Maloof posted her images on Flickr, and from that online platform, her work blew up into a massive success.

The documentary is so interesting because it features clips from people who knew who she was as a nanny and the kind of conflicting views that people had on Vivian, who, by the sounds of it, was such a mysterious person. So it’s fascinating to hear other people’s perspectives on her. We have yet to discover a lot of things about her.

It’s such an interesting documentary; she does street photography, which is so captivating, and I love her photographs, that I believe you should certainly check out this documentary. It’s currently streaming on Netflix, and you can also rent or buy it on Google Play, Looke, or YouTube.

So the second film on this list that I’m going to be talking about is “At Eternity’s Gate.” I loved this film! I totally get that a genius actor is portraying a genius artist by a genius filmmaker. A wonderful combo. If you’re a fan of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, this is the film for you. The film chronicles the latter years of Van Gogh’s life as a mostly unappreciated artist living in France and is led by an outstanding and Oscar-nominated performance from Willem Dafoe.

I liked how the “shakey camera” and point-of-view (POV) angles helped you comprehend how Van Gough felt and how the movie itself appeared to be a painting. It was a visual feast, too. When characters in the movie complained about how bad the paintings were and expressed their dislike for them, I found myself laughing very hard since they became the most well-known and popular paintings in the modern and art worlds. Without giving anything away, the film begins lighthearted and playful before becoming tragic. The struggles and hardships were both heartbreaking and endearing at the same time. The insights that I gained about why Van Gough painted and his conditions in life gave me a much greater appreciation for his art than I had before! Go stream this film on Netflix, and you can also rent or buy it on Google Play, Looke.

Moving onto the next film, released in 2018, is “If Beale Street Could Talk“. It was directed by Barry Jenkins, and he also directed “West Indies,” but I had to pick one, and so I’ve chosen Beale Street. The film follows an African-American couple, Tish and Fonny, in the 1970s. Fonny (Alonzo Hunt) is a sculptor who likes to work with wood and stone. He’s accused of rape, which he didn’t commit, and it follows their relationship and their families throughout the course of the film.

It is actually beautiful, like the cinematographer, James Laxton, was a genius when it comes to how every scene was captured, like they broke the fourth wall, and it’s not done in a cliche or kind of cringy way; it’s done in a really intimate and immersive way for the viewer. Also, the production design done by Mark Freiberg, who did the “Joker,” creates this kind of immersive environment, and it’s one of those films where the production design and cinematography really go hand in hand.

This wild film is so stunning, and it probably has one of the best recent themes in film. That’s a bit of a statement, but I’m going to stick with it. One of the characters is Regina King, who plays the mother of Tish. She was phenomenal, and she even won an Oscar for her role in this film. If you haven’t seen it, you’ve got to go stream it on Netflix, and you can also rent or buy it on Google Play.

Moving onto the fourth film, I’m going to talk about “Frida Kahlo“, portrayed by the incredibly talented Salma Hayek. She brought Frida to life through this film while also celebrating Mexico and its culture. The movie follows the private and professional life of famed Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in Mexico City. Through her triumphs, she became one of the most talented and revered surrealist artists of the 20th century.

Navigating through her political views and relationships with Diego Rivera and Leon Trotsky, viewers are witness to the incredible hardships she suffered during her short life. You will feel as if you were part of her life, moving with her and feeling her struggles. It is thoroughly inspiring, and I would highly recommend you see her original paintings to be in awe. It’s really a love letter to Frida. Also, the cinematography and art direction in the film are exquisitely done, and it’s currently streaming on Netflix. You can also rent or buy it on Google Play, Looke, or YouTube.

The next film on the list is the documentary “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child“. This documentary is centered on a never-before-seen archival footage and interview with Basquiat that director and friend Tamra Davis shot in 1986, two years before he passed away in 1988. The documentary explores the young painter’s relationship with fame, acclaim, and the art world. Jean-Michel Basquiat, as a successful black artist, was constantly confronted by racism and misconceptions in the early hip-hop culture of the 70s and 80s.

Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary. And much can be gleaned from the insider interviews and footage, but it is J.M. Basquiat’s own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man. The documentary is currently streaming on Kanopy, The Roku Channel, Curiosity Stream, Prime Video, or Vudu.

For the sixth film, you probably weren’t expecting a social slasher movie produced by modern master of suspense Jordan Peele on this list, and yet, here is “Candyman“. I thought that this movie was amazing and quite scary too, of course, seeing as it’s a horror, and the movie does live up to its name. The storyline is not that hard to understand, but you have to concentrate to fully understand what is happening because when the main character, a painter (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), begins investigating the legend of Candyman for artistic inspiration, he unknowingly brings the hook-handed killer back.

He goes through some stuff, and you find out more about him and the Candyman. I’ve never seen the original Candyman, but I would say that this one must be just as good, if not better, than the original Candyman. So yeah, overall, if you like horror movies, I definitely recommend going to watch this movie. Because it’s scary, tense, horrifying, and a little bit emotional too, and it’s just a really good horror movie. What this movie does well is nothing short of masterful, easily enough to cover up the film’s shortcomings. The layers of social commentary on issues such as police brutality, racism of authority, and gentrification are executed in a thoughtful, intense manner that can be uncomfortable. It’s definitely worth watching and is currently streaming on Kanopy, Netflix, Google Play, The Roku Channel, Curiosity Stream, Prime Video, or Vudu.

The seventh and final film on the list is “Art and Craft“, an original and almost unbelievable documentary. It captures the life of an introverted artistic genius with OCD and mother issues named Mark Landis, one of the world’s most prolific art forgers in US history, finally exposed. His madness played a part in his seclusive attitude, and instead of forging masterpieces for financial gain, Landis donated his fake artworks to museums and galleries.

The engrossing documentary captures a real-life character and story that are truly stranger than fiction. For those of us who find the world of art alienating and highbrow in some ways, there’s something satisfying about the story of this man expertly duping it. I highly recommend it for someone who is interested in art and psychology. The documentary is currently streaming on Netflix, Google Play, The Roku Channel, Curiosity Stream, Prime Video, or Vudu.

In summary, I found these seven films to be highly unique and felt they were all presented in such a way that I was riveted throughout streaming them. Inspired by these art films? Thank you for reading.