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Martin Scorseseneeds no introduction. He’s among the most beloved directors of all time, with a body of work that includes some of the most influential movies ever made. His upcomingKillers of the Flower Moonlooks set to add a new classic to his formidable filmography. What fans might not know is that Scorsese is also an excellent source for movie recommendations.
Scorsese frequently shares lists of his favorite new films. His picks span various genres: comedy, horror, prestige drama, experimental, and more. They are sure to include something for everyone.
Updated on July 21, 2025, by Luc Haasbroek:
There are still a few months to go before the release of Martin Scorsese’s much-anticipatedKillers of the Flower Moon(October 6). In the meantime, Scorsese fans could do worse than to dive into some of the films the director has recommended over the years. He has eclectic taste - his favorites range from genre movies to foreign dramas, but tend to include themes of religion, morality, and redemption.
25’One Hundred Nails' (2007)
Directed by Italian neorealist filmmakerErmanno Olmi, this drama revolves around elderly carpenter Luigi (Raz Degan), a man of few words who lives a solitary life in a small village. One day, he receives a mysterious commission from an anonymous client: to craft one hundred wooden nails, each of them unique and with a specific purpose. As the tale unfolds, it becomes clear that the nails hold a deeper meaning that will not only impact Luigi’s life but also bring surprising revelations to the entire community.
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“Olmi remained an absolutely individual artist, from those early pictures […] all the way up to the wild freedom of the last films, likeSinging Behind ScreensandOne Hundred Nails,“Scorsese said in a statementreleased after Olmi’s death.
24’Cure' (1997)
In this Japanese psychological thriller, Tokyo is terrorized by a series of brutal murders. Detective Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho) is assigned to investigate the baffling case, where each crime scene leads to a different murderer. The common thread among the killers is a man named Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara), who appears to possess the power to influence others to commit acts of violence
“There are startling images and moments in this picture that will haunt you for a long time to come, and I suppose I should say that it’s not for the faint of heart. But be brave, because it’s worth it. [Kiyoshi]Kurosawais a major filmmaker,“Scorsese said aboutCure.
Watch on The Criterion Channel
23’Kansas City' (1996)
Kansas Cityis one ofNew Hollywood directorRobert Altman’s lesser-known projects. It takes place over a single night in the jazz-fueled underworld of Kansas City. Blondie O’Hara (Jennifer Jason Leigh) kidnaps the wife of a powerful politician, Carolyn Stilton (Miranda Richardson), as part of a desperate plan to free her husband Johnny (Dermot Mulroney) from the clutches of gangster, Seldom Seen (Harry Belafonte).
What follows is a night of intense negotiations, betrayals, and unexpected alliances, all set against the backdrop of electrifying jazz performances at the Hey-Hey Club. “This is one of the great jazz movies ever. If you could hang on with Altman, you were going to go on one of the great rides of your lives,“Scorsese said during an interview with Fast Company.
Watch on Prime Video
22’A Sunday in the Country' (1984)
Retired painter Monsieur Ladmiral (Louis Ducreux) eagerly anticipates a visit from his son Gonzague (Michel Aumont) and daughter-in-law Marie-Thérèse (Geneviève Mnich) on a Sunday afternoon. However, things get complicated when his daughter Irène (Sabine Azéma) unexpectedly turns up, and unresolved emotions come to the surface.
“[DirectorBertrand Tavernier] was a unique filmmaker, unlike any other. I particularly liked […]A Sunday in the Country. This film was designed with such subtlety that I have the impression that it came straight out of the world of the Impressionists,“Scorsese wrote in a letterreleased after Tavernier passed away.
Watch on Kanopy
21’The Entity' (1983)
Scorsese named this supernatural horroras one of the scariest movies ever made. It starsBarbara Hersheyas Carla Moran, a single mother who becomes the target of a malevolent unseen force. Struggling to convince those around her of the horrifying reality she faces, Carla must summon all her strength to confront the evil presence head-on.
Even more creepily, the film is based on a real woman’s claims about being harassed by a supernatural entity. It works thanks to the committed, believable performance from Moran and the terrific practical effects overseen byStan Winston, who also worked onThe ThingandJurassic Park.
20’Frankenstein Unbound' (1990)
Frankenstein Unboundis a sci-fi horror directed by king of schlockRoger Corman, probably most famous forThe Masque of the Red Death. A scientist (John Hurt) is sucked through a time rift and winds up in Switzerland in 1817. There, he meets Victor Frankenstein (Raul Julia) and Mary Shelley (Bridget Fonda), author of the original Frankenstein novel. At the same time, a local woman is put on trial for murder, though Shelley believes no human was responsible…
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It’s a genre premise, but Corman uses horror tropes to explore themes of technology, power, and the consequences of playing God, all of which are right up Scorsese’s alley.Corman actually helped Scorseseduring the early stages of his carrier, even producing Scorsese’s 1972 projectBoxcar Bertha.
19’Free Fire' (2016)
Free Fireis adark crime-comedy moviebyA Field in EnglanddirectorBen Wheatley.Brie Larson,Sharlto Copley, andCillian Murphystar as criminals who meet in a warehouse for an arms deal, but things quickly go wrong, leading to mayhem, betrayal, and an hour-long shootout.
Scorsese had been a fan of Wheatleyfor years, so much so that he signed on to executive produceFree Fire. “In a way, [Free Fireis] a microcosm of the absurdity of human nature.” “You can put in the dark humor and watch us play out our inept human nature inFree Fire.But it has consequences. Every bullet fired has consequences.”
Watch on Hoopla
18’Mountains of the Moon' (1990)
Scorsese called this drama directed byBob Rafelsona “beautiful historical epic.“Mountains of the Moonis based on the true story of a pair of British explorers,Richard Burton(Patrick Bergin) andJohn Hanning Speke(Iain Glen), who embarked on a quest for the source of the Nile River. However, a bitter rivalry soon developed between them.
“Rafelson was a pivotal figure in the history of cinema, American cinema most of all, and he was a bridge between two eras in Hollywood moviemaking,”Scorsese said in a statementafter the director’s passing. “When you watch [his films], you can see filmmaking grounded in the language of classical Hollywood but adapted with great sensitivity to a different era.”
17’Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1' (2012)
Gangs of Wasseypur - Part 1is amust-see Indian crime filmabout rival gangs vying for control of a coal mining town. It’s an epic story, spanning the 1940s to the early 2000s, with a sprawling cast of characters. This, combined with the five-hour runtime of Parts 1 and 2 together, make it one of the most ambitious gangster movies of the last decade.
Scorsese was a massive fan of the film and wrote to directorAnurag Kashyapto say so. “I thoroughly enjoyedDev DandGangs Of Wasseypurand found them exciting and inspiring,” his letter read.Kashyap was delighted by the letter, calling it “my biggest award yet”.
Watch on Mubi
16’The Day a Pig Fell into the Well' (1996)
In 2011, Scorsese wrote the foreword forKyung Hyun Kim’s bookVirtual Hallyu, about theinternational success of South Korean cinemafrom the ’90s onward. In the chapter, Scorsese raves about several Korean films, including this drama about four characters in a small village.
“Hong Sang-soo’sThe Day a Pig Fell into the Wellwas a deceptively unassuming picture, made with great assurance. The narrative was intricate, but not in a manner that drew attention to itself—it was only as the movie unfolded that you came to understand how complex it was,” Scorsese wrote. “The settings seemed banal, the concerns of the characters life-size, the focus uncomfortably intimate. The film left me unsettled—what had I justseen?”
