(Credits: Far Out / Chino Lemus / Warner Bros)
When Jenna Ortega was a child, her foray into acting turned out to be an incredibly fruitful decision, setting her up for a career full of acclaimed roles. Spending her early years balancing roles in both adult and child-oriented shows, from Jane the Virgin to the Disney Channel’s Stuck in the Middle, Ortega proved herself to be a dedicated actor.
When Ortega fully transitioned into adult roles, it didn’t take her long to show an interest in thrillers and horror-oriented productions, and she has since been dubbed a modern-day ‘scream queen’. Following in the footsteps of Jamie Lee Curtis and Neve Campbell, Ortega has starred in various scary movies over the past few years, such as the Scream franchise and Ti West’s ‘70s horror homage X.
Since blowing up as the lead of Netflix’s smash hit Wednesday, executively produced by Tim Burton, she has worked with the filmmaker again for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, becoming even more of a star. It seems like Ortega has the world at her fingertips – she is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand young actors.
Although she has shown a passion for horror through her acting credits, Ortega’s taste is incredibly varied, and in an interview with Letterboxd, she revealed some of her favourite movies of all time.
Starting with a French classic, Ortega selected La Haine by Mathieu Kassovitz, which follows three young men living in the underfunded suburbs of Paris, all of different races. Violence erupts across the city, with the film carefully depicting themes of class, race, and police brutality. It’s a simply unforgettable social drama, and Ortega called it “visually, absolutely stunning” but also “still relevant today.”
Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon was her next pick, a stunning epic depicting the rise and fall of the titular character, played by Ryan O’Neal and taking place in the 1700s. After failing to execute a movie about Napoleon, Kubrick used much of his research to make Barry Lyndon instead, which is believed by many to be one of his best works. It’s one of the most visually impressive movies ever made, and Ortega holds it in high esteem. “It’s just another stunning, beautiful movie,” she explained.
Ortega then selected a silent film from 1928 – The Passion of Joan of Arc. The movie explores the events of Joan of Arc’s trial and is considered one of the greatest and most influential movies in cinema history. Ortega greatly admires Renée Jeanne Falconetti’s performance, calling it a movie that “greatly inspires” her. She also described her as an actor she “loves”, adding that Falconetti’s portrayal of Joan of Arc is “absolutely insane” and even calling the historical figure a “dream character” she would love to play.
Finally, an emotional and deeply powerful film, Paris, Texas. Ortega stated, “I do have a soft spot for Harry Dean Stanton” in the movie. He plays Travis, a man who tries to reconnect with his family and find his long-lost wife after also going missing. “That’s a classic, makes me feel good,” she exclaimed. It’s a gorgeous film, not only visually, but scenes such as Travis trying to walk home with his son, Hunter, or the Super 8 sequence truly tap into the human experience with complexity and tenderness.
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