James Gunn’s Favorite Movies: 12 Films the Director Wants You to See

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (2004)

In February 2022, Gunn responded to a user on Twitter asking for his top three films of all time; the tweet has since been deleted, but is archived via the Wayback Machine. One of his three choices was “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” Michel Gondry’s beloved romantic drama about a couple that erases their memories of each other after a horrible breakup. 

He also listed it as a film that’s as “close to perfect as perfect can be” in a seperate tweet. 

“The Long Goodbye” (1973)

Another of Gunn’s picks for his three favorite films is Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye.” A ’70s reset of Raymond Chandler’s 1953 novel, the film starred a magnificently hairy Elliott Gould as the iconic private eye Phillip Marlowe, and translated Altman’s signature shaggy and naturalistic style to the crime thriller tale. 

“Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968)

The third and final film Gunn listed as one of his absolute favorites is “Once Upon a Time in the West,” spaghetti western master Sergio Leone’s 1968 masterpiece. Leone’s followup to the iconic “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Once Upon a Time in the West” is the story of a bitter rivalry in the old west. Charles Bronson plays the stoic hero, while Henry Fonda memorably plays against type as the villain. Famously, Ennio Morricone composed the score for the film before shooting began, with Leone directing the film around his music. 

“Taxi Driver” (1976)

In 2016, Gunn posted a list of his 10 favorite directors on Facebook, along with his favorite movies from all of them. Along with Leone and “Once Upon a Time in the West,” the list also named Martin Scorcese and “Taxi Driver”: the “Goodfelas” director’s iconic ’70s drama about a veteran undergoing a mental breakdown, featuring a star turn from Scorcese’s muse Robert De Niro. 

“Jaws” (1975)

Another living legend, Steven Spielberg made Gunn’s Facebook list of his favorite directors. His favorite Spielberg movie? “Jaws,” the “ET” director’s thriller about a beach town terrorized by a killer great white shark. The ’70s Best Picture nominee was a watershed for Hollywood, and invented the type of major summer blockbuster that Gunn now makes today. 

“In the Mood For Love” (2000)

One of the most acclaimed films of the 21st century, “In the Mood For Love” is Gunn’s favorite film from another of his faves, auter Wong Kar-wai. The second in a loose trilogy from Wong, the heartbreaking romantic drama stars a ravashing Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung as two neighbors who form a connection after their spouses start an affair, but remain too loyal to embark on a relationship themselves.

“Together” (2000)

One of the less commonly chosen favorite directors listed by Gunn is Lukas Moodysson: a Swedish filmmaker whose works include “Show Me Love” and “Lilya 4-ever.” His favorite flick from Moodysson is “Together”: a satirical comedy about a Stockholm commune in 1975. 

“The Brood” (1979)

Considering the body horror featured in Gunn’s “Slither,” it’s not a shock that the master of the form, Canada’s David Cronenberg, made the list of Gunn’s top 10 directors. And rather than annoint one of the director’s more mainstream flicks like “The Fly” or “The Dead Zone” as his favorite, Gunn went with 1979’s “The Brood,” which stars Oliver Reed as an unconventional psychologist who treats an emotionally unstable woman (Samantha Egger) going through a bitter divorce. 

“The Godfather: Part II” (1974)

In the debate over whether “Part I” or “Part II” of Francis Ford Coppola’s mobster classic “The Godfather” is the better film, Gunn is firmly on the side of No. 2. In his top 10 list of directors, Gunn named Coppola as one his favorites, and chose “Part II,” the 1974 film about the rise of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) to power as a mafia don and his father Vito’s (Robert Di Niro, in his star-making role) beginnings in the business, as the filmmaker’s best movie. 

“Hail the Conquering Hero” (1944)

Preston Sturges was one of the great American writer/directors, known for making screwball comedies with sharp dialogue and satirical commentary. “The Lady Eve” and “Sullivan’s Travels” filmmaker was one of the 10 listed by Gunn as a favorite; for Sturges best film, he selected “Hail the Conquering Hero,” which stars Eddie Bracken as a small town boy discharged from the Marines during World War II due to hay fever, but fabricates a story about going overseas and returns home to a hero’s welcome.  

“United 93” (2006)

British director and hand-held camera enthusiast Paul Greengrass was another director listed by Gunn as one of his favorites. Greengrass has several bangers like the “Bourne” films under his belt, but Gunn’s top pick from his filmography is “United 93,” a docudrama imagining the titular flight, which was hijacked by al-Qaeda as part of the 9/11 attacks. 

The flight ended up not reaching its intended target due to efforts of several passengers on board, and “United 93” tells the story of the flight in real time, with the aim to be as accurate to the real event as possible. Greengrass received a Best Director nomination for the film.  

“Jackie Brown” (1997)

Quentin Tarantino was the final director to make Gunn’s list of his 10 favorites, and his top choice of the “Pulp Fiction” filmmaker’s ouevre is 1997’s “Jackie Brown.” The only film of Tarantino’s not to feature an original script — he adapted Elmore Leonard’s “Rum Punch” — the crime film about a flight attendent and money smuggler is a more low-key story than the director’s usual heightened fare, featuring incredible performances from blaxploitation icon Pam Grier as the lead and Robert Forster as a bail bondsman and her love interest.