Lights, Camera, Action! NYU Alumni Movies to Add to Your Watchlist

Get ready to break out the popcorn and round out your home entertainment with these must-see motion pictures. Whether you’re a film buff or an occasional moviegoer, start with these Oscar-winning and nominated films—all of which feature NYU alumni as cast members, directors, producers, writers, and more—to get you through the week.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list and only includes a small number of the many talented NYU alumni who work in the field of film.

Action/Thriller Films

Note: Includes sci-fi and western film genres.

Lora Hirschberg (TSOA ’85), Sound Engineer

Film(s): Inception (2010)
Genre(s): Thriller/Sci-Fi
Where to watch at home: Netflix

Rooney Mara (GAL ’10), Actress

Film(s): Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Genre(s): Thriller/Mystery
Where to watch at home: STARZ

Mark G. Mikutowicz (TSOA ’05), Producer

Film(s): Hell or High Water (2016)
Genre(s): Western/Thriller
Where to watch at home: Netflix

Animation Films

Note: Includes comedy and musical film genres.

Alan I. Menken (HEIGHTS ’72), Composer

Film(s): Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Enchanted (2007), Tangled (2010)
Genre(s): Animation/Family, Musical/Comedy
Where to watch at home: Disney Plus and Hulu

Jason Lust (GASA ’98), Executive Producer

Film(s): Guillermo Del Tor's Pinocchio (2022)
Genre(s): Animation/Family
Where to watch at home: Netflix

Comedy Films

Note: Includes drama and short film genres.

Michael D. Arndt (TSOA ’87), Screenwriter

Film(s): Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Genre(s): Comedy/Drama
Where to watch at home: Hulu

Patricia Field (WSC ’63), Costume Designer

Film(s): The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre(s): Comedy/Drama
Where to watch at home: fuboTV

Lucas D. Matheny (TSOA ’10), Actor and Director

Film(s): God of Love (2010)
Genre(s): Comedy/Short
Where to watch at home: Amazon Prime

Carole Bayer Sager (STEINHARDT ’65), Composer

Film(s): Arthur (1981)
Genre(s): Comedy
Where to watch at home: HBO

Documentary Films

Note: Includes crime and drama film genres.

Justin L. Wilkes (TSOA ’99), Producer

Film(s): What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015)
Genre(s): Documentary
Where to watch at home: Netflix

Spike Lee (TSOA ’82), Director

Film(s): Four Little Girls (1997), Blackkklansman (2018)
Genre(s): Documentary/History, Crime/Drama
Where to watch at home: HBO and Hulu

Drama Films

Note: Includes adventure, comedy, crime, fantasy, LGBTQ+, sport, and western film genres.

Mahershala Ali (TSOA ’00), Actor

Film(s): Moonlight (2016)
Genre(s): Drama/LGBTQ+
Where to watch at home: Netflix

Edward Berger (TSOA ’94), Director/Writer

Film(s): All Quiet on the Western Front
Genre(s): Drama/War/Action
Where to watch at home: Netflix

Martin B. Brest (TSOA ’73), Director

Film(s): Scent of a Woman (1992)
Genre(s): Drama/Coming-of-Age
Where to watch at home: Hulu

Joel D. Coen (TSOA ’78), Director and Producer

Film(s): No Country for Old Men (2007), A Serious Man (2009), True Grit (2010), Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
Genre(s): Thriller/Crime, Comedy/Drama, Western/Drama
Where to watch at home: Hulu and Netflix

Marcia G. Harden (TSOA ’88), Actress

Film(s): Pollock (2000)
Genre(s): Drama/Indie
Where to watch at home: Crackle

Philip Seymour Hoffman (TSOA ’89), Actor

Film(s): Capote (2005)
Genre(s): Crime/Drama
Where to watch at home: YouTube

Tony Kushner (TSOA ’84), Writer

Film(s): The Fabelmans (2022)
Genre(s): Crime/Drama
Where to watch at home: Peacock+

Martin Scorsese (WSC ’64), Director, Screenwriter, and Producer

Film(s): Raging Bull (1984), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Goodfellas (1990), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Hugo (2011), Wolf of Wall Street (2013), The Irishman (2019)
Genre(s): Sport/Drama, Drama/Epic, Crime/Drama, Thriller/Crime, Adventure/Fantasy, Comedy/Drama
Where to watch at home: Hulu, Netflix, and Philo

Oliver Stone (TSOA ’71), Director

Film(s): Platoon (1986), Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Genre(s): War/Drama
Where to watch at home: Hulu

Romance Films

Note: Includes action, adventure, comedy, drama, and fantasy film genres.

Alec Baldwin (TSOA ’94), Actor and Comedian

Film(s): The Cooler (2003)
Genre(s): Romance/Drama
Where to watch at home: Hulu

Lou Gossett, Jr. (STEINHARDT ’56), Actor

Film(s): An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Genre(s): Romance/Drama
Where to watch at home: Philo

Ang Lee (TSOA ’84), Director, Screenwriter, and Producer

Film(s): Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000), Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Genre(s): Action/Adventure, Romance/Drama
Where to watch at home: Hulu and Netflix

James A. Taylor (TSOA ’96), Screenwriter

Film(s): Sideways (2004)
Genre(s): Romance/Comedy
Where to watch at home: Hulu

Victor J. Zolfo (TSOA ’85), Set Director

Film(s): The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Genre(s): Romance/Fantasy
Where to watch at home: Tubi