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.
Quicklist: Action/Thriller Films | Animation Films | Comedy Films | Documentary Films | Drama Films | Romance Films
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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